The Pour Over Today - Wednesday, December 29, 2021

Episode Date: December 29, 2021

The CDC updates guidelines, Omicron postpones a lot of things, TikTok hits a new milestone, and other top news for Wednesday, December 29th. Stay informed, while remaining focused on Christ, with The Pour Over.Sponsored by Don Pablo. Use promo code "TPO-3PM" to order a 2-pound bag of Don Pablo’s best-selling Subtle Earth Organic coffee before January 3, and get a 12oz Subtle Earth Organic Decaf thrown in for free:https://donpablocoffee.com/products/2-lb-subtle-earth-organic-with-decaf-bundle

The CDC updates guidelines, Omicron postpones a lot of things, TikTok hits a new milestone, and other top news for Wednesday, December 29th. Stay informed while remaining focused on Christ with The Pour Over. Thanks so much for joining us. Here's the quote of the day. The main question is not how can we hide our wounds, but how can we put our woundedness in service to others? Henry Nowen. Let's get started with some espresso shots. Sorry introverts, you may have just lost your best excuse for RSVPing, with regrets, in favor of another night in. The CDC has shortened recommended quarantine times from

10 days to 5 days following a positive COVID test for the asymptomatic. And they're taking quarantining after an exposure off the table altogether for the boosted, but those with two or fewer shots are still recommended to isolate for five days. Dr. Fauci hopes these updates will prevent hospitals and other businesses from the extreme labor shortages the airline industry has seen recently. Over 2,500 flights were canceled on Monday alone. Earlier this week, President Biden assured governors that the federal government would provide 500 million rapid tests, but also said the pandemic could only be solved at the state level. A major way we can reflect the security, peace, and hope of salvation

is by worrying less about certain topics than the rest of the world. As Omicron cases continue to rise, be a source of encouragement to those around you, knowing that your eternity is secure. Psalm 18.2 says, The Lord is my rock, my fortress, and my deliverer, my God, my rock where I seek refuge, my shield and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold. Multiple sports have been forced to call audibles in response to Omicron.

Both the NBA and the NFL have updated their COVID protocols, reducing the time vaccinated players are benched following a positive test or close contact. On the ice, the NHL restarted last night after putting its season in the penalty box for five days to curb the contact. On the ice, the NHL restarted last night after putting its season in the penalty box for five days to curb the surge. In the NCAA, bowl season continues to face obstacles with yet another bowl game getting canceled hours before kickoff, and multiple basketball teams have had to call timeout on their seasons. Between cancellations and postponements, over 100 basketball games have been affected in the last seven weeks. Looking ahead to the Winter Olympics, several star skiers, including a gold medal favorite,

have dropped out of competitions due to testing positive, and the NHL announced it won't be sending any players. When discussing divisive topics, such as lockdowns, remember that both your stance and how you take your stance reflect on Christ. We should not be willing to sacrifice relationships to win an argument. lockdowns, remember that both your stance and how you take your stance reflect on Christ. We should not be willing to sacrifice relationships to win an argument. If possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone. Romans 12.18 Today's episode is sponsored by Don Pablo.

You know the feeling. It hits 3 p.m., your cut-off time for caffeine, and suddenly a mug of hot coffee starts swirling in and out of your vision, tempting you. Don Pablo's got you. When TPO listeners order a two-pound bag of Don Pablo's best-selling Subtle Earth Organic Coffee this week, they'll get a 12-ounce Subtle Earth Organic Decaf thrown in for free. Their decaf is Swiss water processed,

meaning the caffeine is removed without chemicals that compromise the taste. So whether you want a half-calf or an eight-ninth calf, you can mix it with their regular to reduce the caffeine, but not the taste. Use code TPO-3PM before January 3rd for the deal. That's code TPO-3PM. Link is in the show notes. In other brews, it's time for a rapid round of updates. For the 61st year in a row, the National Defense Authorization Act was passed and signed into law. This edition approved $768.2 billion in military spending, a 5% increase, takes investing sexual assault out of the hands of military commanders, and prevents service members from being dishonorably discharged for refusing COVID-19 vaccines. TikTok has danced its way to the top, surpassing Google as the

most visited site on the internet. Meanwhile, Oculus, owned by Meta, seems to have won Christmas. The virtual reality company had the most downloaded app on Christmas, suggesting a lot of VR headsets were gifted. Winter storms hit the western U.S. hard this Christmas, with low visibility and snow accumulation causing major road closures from Tahoe Basin to Los Angeles, even grounding flights out of LAX. The UC Berkeley Central Sierra Snow Lab proclaimed its snowiest December ever recorded. Juries enter their sixth day of deliberations today in the high-profile trials of Ghislaine Maxwell, an associate of disgraced financier Jeffrey Epstein, and Elizabeth Holmes, the founder of defunct medical startup Theranos.

Neither jury has signaled that they're close to a verdict. Egyptian scientists have quote digitally unwrapped unquote the mummified remains of Pharaoh Himotep I. Since its discovery in 1881, archaeologists have said the mummy was too fragile to unwrap, but recently deemed it fit enough for a CT scan. The scan showed the pharaoh was 35 years old and 5'5 when he died 3,500 years ago. And that's all we have for today. Thank you so much for listening. If you found this podcast to be helpful or encouraging, please consider sharing it with a friend and giving us a 5-star rating on Apple Podcasts and Spotify. That's day, and we will see you on Friday.