The Pour Over Today - Wednesday, January 25, 2023

Episode Date: January 25, 2023

Today, we’re talking about recent U.S. mass shootings, Ticketmaster’s Capitol Hill appearance, a former high-level FBI official’s arrest, and other top news for Wednesday, January 25th. Stay informed while remaining focused on Christ with The Pour Over. Subscribe to For What It's Worth in just one click. Seriously… one click. (By subscribing, you agree to the Terms of Service and Privacy Policy)

Today, we're talking about the recent U.S. mass shootings, Ticketmaster's Capitol Hill appearance, a former high-level FBI official's arrest, and other top news for Wednesday, January 25th. Stay informed while remaining focused on Christ with The Pour Over. Special shout out to Keela, who wrote in to say, I love the mix of scripture, information, and humor. I'm so excited to continue receiving The Pour Over. Do you also enjoy The Pour Over? Share this episode, leave a review, or if you're feeling

really nice, choose to pay at tpopod.com. That's t-p-o-p-o-d dot com. Everything we produce is available free, but choosing to pay helps us reach even more people with politically neutral, Christ-first news. Thanks. Here's the quote of the day. Our relationship with each other is the measure the world uses to judge whether our message is truthful. Christian community is the final apologetic. Francis A. Sheffer. Let's get started with some espresso shots. Let's get started with some espresso shots. Gun violence continues to headline national news.

Twelve people were injured in a shooting at a Baton Rouge, Louisiana nightclub in what police believe was a targeted attack. And in Des Moines, Iowa, an 18-year-old killed two teenagers and injured the program director in a premeditated shooting at an at-risk student education center. Still reeling from the Monterey Park shooting on Saturday, California faced more tragedy. On Monday, a worker killed seven and injured another in shootings at two mushroom farms in Half Moon Bay, California, before being apprehended. Both California shooters were older Asian men with unclear motives, leaving the Asian American community on edge with unanswered questions. One bright spot is the story of 26-year-old Brandon Say, who disarmed the Monterey Park shooter as he attempted to enter a second dance hall, undoubtedly saving lives. The promise of heaven does not remove the pains of this world, but it does give us hope, strength, and peace during life's most difficult seasons. Join us in praying for hope, strength, and peace for the families and first

responders involved in these attacks. Psalms chapter 121 verses 1 and 2 say, I lift my eyes toward the mountains. Where will my help come from? My help comes from the Lord, the maker of heaven and earth. Ticketmaster had front row seats on Capitol Hill yesterday. Sparks were flying after Taylor Swift fans found it hard to shake off the heiress tour ticket release debacle. A group of fans sued Ticketmaster, alleging fraud, price-fixing, and antitrust violations prompting the Senate Judiciary Committee to hold a hearing on Ticketmaster and parent company Live Nation's potential monopoly. The company's caught bipartisan flack. You know it's bad when Democrats and Republicans agree things need to change. Live Nation's CEO apologized for the problems during the sale,

saying some were caused by a cyber attack. However, the criticism extends beyond Swifties. Philadelphia Eagle fans faced issues scoring playoff tickets. And Bad Bunny fans were recently denied entry to a concert in Mexico after Ticketmaster canceled their tickets, prompting Mexico's president to become a verified non-fan of the company. Here's a verse to remind us that we don't really need to see Taylor Swift in concert. And my God will supply all your needs according to his riches in glory in Christ Jesus. Philippians chapter 4 verse 19.

A former top FBI official has found himself on the other side of handcuffs. Charles McGonigal, no relation to the professor, was arrested for his work with Oleg Deripaska, a billionaire Russian oligarch under U.S. sanctions. McGonigal allegedly received secret payments in return for pushing to have Deripaska removed from the U.S. sanctions list and opening an investigation into one of Deripaska's rivals. He's also accused of accepting $225,000 from a former member of Albania's intelligence service. Prosecutors allege all this was happening while McGonigal, who led the FBI's New York counterintelligence division, was heading investigations into Russia and Albania,

like the investigation into Russian election interference in 2020. Russia and Albania, like the investigation into Russian election interference in 2020. If convicted, McGonagall faces multiple charges, including money laundering and violating U.S. sanctions. He's pleaded not guilty. Christians should pursue justice while retaining love for both victims and the accused, desiring restoration, not revenge. Romans chapter 3, Romans chapter 3 verses 23 and 24 say, For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God. They are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus. For what it's worth, you're likely missing out on another amazing newsletter. We're pretty cautious around recommending investment advice, but the newsletter for what it's worth is excellent. For what it's worth is not in the business of trying to predict the future with individual

stock picks, which will leave to your all-knowing friend of a friend, but exists to keep you up to date with the latest resources, news, and trends you need to confidently align your investments with your values. Learn how to look for good returns from companies whose values you agree with. You can subscribe to this free newsletter in just one click. Seriously, one click. Check out the link in the show notes. In other brews, here's a rapid round of updates. All right, let's everyone just quickly check our coffee tables and cabinets for classified documents, because they're everywhere. Yesterday, lawyers from former Vice President Pence announced they found a smaller number of classified documents at his personal home in Indiana last week.

They were turned over to the FBI and taken to the National Archives. Microsoft is siding with the machines. They're investing a rumored $10 billion in the artificial intelligence lab, OpenAI. Investing in AI, especially since the launch of the scary good chat GPT bot, is just one of the trends in tech right now. The other is layoffs. Spotify became the latest to play, closing time to 600 employees,

unloading about 6% of its workforce. Pocahontas told us you can't step in the same river twice, and now you'll never step on Splash Mountain again. The iconic ride closed for good on Sunday and will be replaced by Tiana's Bayou Adventure, featuring Disney's first black princess. Splash Mountain is connected to the 1946 film Song of the South, which has faced criticism for racist elements. The flu, RSV, and COVID tripledemic seems to be subsiding. Hospitalization rates for all three fell throughout January.

Don't toss out your tissues, though, since experts say increases are still possible before summer. In other sniffly news, the FDA is considering a flu shot model for COVID with a new dominant variant flavored Vax available each fall. Universe-hopping surprise hit Everything Everywhere All at Once led all Oscar nominees announced yesterday, with 11 nods. Avatar, The Way of Water, which recently passed $2 billion at the box office, joined fellow blockbuster sequel Top Gun Maverick in the Best Picture category. Winners will be announced,

presumably alongside a few Will Smith references on March 12th. That's all we have for today. Thanks so much for listening. If you're listening on the Apple Podcasts app, give us a 5-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.