The Pour Over Today - Wednesday, December 28, 2022

Episode Date: December 28, 2022

Today we’re talking about the blizzard of a century, China’s continued COVID battle, the ongoing war in Ukraine, and other top news for Wednesday, December 28th. Stay informed while remaining focused on Christ with The Pour Over. Sponsored by Medi-Share *Editor's Note: Health Care Sharing is not the best option for everyone, but it is an excellent option for many. Take the time to research if it’s right for you and your family.

Today we're talking about the blizzard of a century, China's continued COVID battle, the ongoing war in Ukraine, and other top news for Wednesday, December 28th. Stay informed while remaining focused on Christ with The Pour Over. Here's the quote of the day. But God doesn't call us to be comfortable. He calls us to trust Him so completely that we are unafraid to put ourselves in situations where we will be in trouble if he doesn't come through. Francis Chan.

Let's start with some espresso shots. The past week's massive winter storm impacted about two-thirds of the country, claiming at least 50 lives nationwide and leaving about 2 million homes and businesses to face Christmas without power. But in Buffalo, New York, the scene became apocalyptic. Winds up to 70 miles per hour and 48 inches of snow made roads and emergency services inaccessible, with a death toll over more than 30 in the area alone. President Biden and Governor Hochul have declared states of emergency, freeing up federal and state resources to help respond. The storm snarled lots of travel plans, but Southwest Airlines is facing extra criticism

after canceling approximately two-thirds of its flights, days after the storm. Southwest claims it's dealing with grounded planes and displaced crew members, but since other major airlines have only reported 2% cancellations, the U.S. Department of Transportation said it would be investigating. Here's a verse to consider when your neighbor's power goes out on Christmas Eve. Don't neglect to do what is good and to share, for God is pleased with such sacrifices.

Hebrews 13, verse 16. The China vs. COVID grudge match is getting ugly, and the score is getting murky. The Chinese government stopped publishing daily COVID data and narrowed down its definition for what counts as a COVID death, shrinking official counts while reports of overrun hospitals and crematoriums explode. Public data says around 62,000 caught COVID in the first weeks of December, but other estimates put it as high as 250 million people. This comes after China's U-turn on COVID policy following widespread protests. After three years of zero COVID, China now says Omicron is no worse than a cold and is set to

reopen its borders January 8th. Internationally, China's also doing some shadowboxing, sending a record number of warplanes and warships to skirt Taiwan's territories on Monday. The move came after President Biden signed a defense bill granting Taiwan billions in security assistance. Pray for first responders, medical professionals, and the sick in China. As Christians, our reaction to those who are hurting should always be compassion. The second is like it. Love your neighbor as yourself. Jesus in Matthew 22, verse 39. Ukraine and Russia are both saying they want the war to end, but that's all they agree on. On Monday, Ukraine's foreign minister proposed the UN mediate a peace summit in February. Ukraine

wants Russia to withdraw all troops, respect pre-war borders, including Crimea, release all prisoners, and it wants a security guaranteed to prevent Russia from ever invading again. The foreign minister also said Russian officials must face prosecution for war crimes in an international court. Unsurprisingly, Russia isn't asking where to sign that agreement. The Kremlin has claimed Crimea since 2014, annexed three more Ukrainian territories this year, and has blanketly denied all allegations of war crimes. In the meantime, war continues. There's heavy fighting in the east and south of Ukraine, and a drone attack on an airbase deep inside Russian territory killed three Russian servicemen. Be quick to point to

God and give him credit for your hope, strength, and love during times dominated by uncertainty and fear. Even in the midst of the chaos, our eternity is secure. Hebrews 13 verse 8 says, Jesus is the same yesterday and today and forever. This podcast is sponsored by MediShare. and forever. This podcast is sponsored by MediShare. It feels like not understanding healthcare costs but paying gobs of money anyway is just standard practice, which is, well, dumb. Health insurance may be the best option for you and your family, or it may simply be the more expensive option that was chosen for you by default. MediShare is the alternative you may have missed. The average family saves $500 a month. They have a 98% customer satisfaction rating, and finding out what your Metashare pricing would be

is fast and 100% free. Metashare may not be right for you, but taking the time to find out definitely is. Learn more and find out your pricing. Check out the link in our show notes. In other brews, here's a rapid round of updates. Korean demilitarized drone? Five North Korean drones violated South Korean airspace for the first time in five years, with one of the drones traveling as far as the northern outskirts of the South Korean capital region. In response, South Korea scrambled fighter jets and attack helicopters, firing 100 rounds, but it's unclear if they successfully downed them.

Representative-elect George Santos embellished more than his proficiency with Microsoft Excel on his resume. In response to an NYT report, the incoming congressman admitted to lying about his college degrees. He claimed two but has none, his work history at Goldman Sachs and his Jewish heritage. He said he's embarrassed but still plans to serve his term. Over 100 migrants from the Texas border were bused north and dropped off outside Vice President Harris' house on Christmas Eve. The White House condemned the move as a shameful stunt, while the office of Texas Governor Greg Abbott called the criticism hypocritical, saying that the migrants were

processed by the feds and had agreed to go to D.C. It's a bird, it's a plane. Nope, just an Amazon drone. They're making deliveries in Lockford, California and College Station, Texas, with plans to expand the program in 2024. Amazon says its goal is for drones to descend into the backyards of onboarded customers within an hour of them ordering a package weighing less than five pounds. That's all we have for today. Thanks so much for listening. If you're listening on the Apple Podcasts app, give us a five-star rating and drop a review. If you're listening on Spotify, give us a follow and hit the notification bell to never miss a new episode. We appreciate your support and hope you have a great day. We'll see you on Friday.