The Pour Over Today - Wednesday, November 9, 2022

Episode Date: November 9, 2022

Today, we’re talking all about the midterm elections, a bitcoin bust, the UN climate change summit, and other top news for Wednesday, November 9th. Stay informed while remaining focused on Christ with The Pour Over. Sponsored by Faithful Counseling

Today we're talking all about the midterm elections, a Bitcoin bust, the UN climate change summit, and other top news for Wednesday, November 9th. Stay informed while remaining focused on Christ with The Pour Over. Here's the verse of the day. Behold, I was brought forth in iniquity, and in sin did my mother conceive me. Psalm 51 5. Let's get started with some espresso shots. 215. Let's get started with some espresso shots.

Voters have voted, but canvassing, that's a fancy word for counting votes, continues for some key races. In many ways, yesterday looked like past midterm elections, with little bubbles determining all 435 U.S. House representatives, one-third of the U.S. Senate, 36 state governors, and a slew of state and local officials you forgot would be on the test. Psst, who'd you put for planning and zoning commissioner? But with the nation so heavily divided on issues like voting, abortion, immigration, crime, and education, both parties agreed this round of elections carried special weight. Midterms usually aren't this good for sales of I Voted stickers, but turnout was high, including 44 million people who voted early, up from 39 million in 2018. There are other differences from past midterms,

including slower results and more lawsuits. Mail-in votes require pre-canvassing work, like checking signatures, opening envelopes, and stacking ballots. This work can't start until Election Day in certain states, so more mail-in votes equals slower results. They've also attracted lawsuits. In Pennsylvania, Republicans mounted a successful lawsuit stopping mail-in ballots from being counted if the return envelopes lack accurate, handwritten dates, as required by state law. Republicans say this and other lawsuits ensure election integrity, while Democrats say they're meant to get legitimate votes thrown out for technicalities. About two-thirds of early votes are for Democrats. Early results showed a good night for Republicans

who are expected to regain control of the House. We may not know which party will control the Senate for days. Our hope is never contingent on a political outcome. It's much more secure than that. Regardless of what happens in America over the next two years, everything eventually ends well for followers of Christ. 1 Peter 1, 3-4 says, Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. Because of his great mercy, he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead and into an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, kept in heaven for you. defiled and unfading, kept in heaven for you. A multi-billion dollar mystery has been solved.

On Monday, the Justice Department finally revealed details about its 2021 raid on the home of James Zong, where they seized 50,676 stolen Bitcoin worth $3.36 billion, the second largest crypto seizure in history. Zong stole his billions by exploiting a flaw in the payment system on the Silk Road, an illegal dark web marketplace that operated from 2011 to 2013, and he stashed his e-loot on various devices around his home, including a tiny computer stored in a popcorn tin tucked into a bathroom closet. The raid provides an answer to the expensive mystery, where did all that crypto go? Zong pleaded guilty on Friday to one count of wire fraud, which carries a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison. Here's a verse to consider when googling whether a Bitcoin is silver or gold. Set your mind on things above, not on earthly things.

For you died and your life is hidden with Christ in God. When Christ who is your life appears, then you also will appear with him in glory. Colossians 3, 2 through 4. This podcast is brought to you by Faithful Counseling. We'd say it's been a tough couple of years, but let's be real. Life was hard even before the pandemic and families were divided before modern politics. We believe investing in your mental health is a good idea. And now Faithful Counseling is making that super simple. Faithful Counseling is not a crisis line, and it's not self-help. It's professional counseling done securely online. This means you can log in anytime and send a message to your counselor. No driving, no waiting rooms, no delays. You'll be paired with a Christian mental health professional, and if you don't click with them, just switch to someone new.

No awkward breakup required. If you're intrigued, visit faithfulcounseling.com slash TPO to get 10% off your first month. In other brews, we've got a rapid round of updates. The UN's 27th Annual Climate Conference, COP27, is happening in Egypt over the next two weeks. Making headlines this year is a discussion of so-called climate reparations, as leaders from poorer nations demand payment for damages to their economies caused by wealthy nations' emissions. Twitter is hitting unsend on some of its recent layoff notices, saying that employees were laid off, quote, by accident, and others were deemed critical to new initiatives. Musk also banned impersonation accounts unless they're labeled as parody after multiple verified accounts

changed their names to Elon Musk, a move some criticized as contrary to his commitment to free speech. Scientists celebrated the first successful transfusion of lab-grown red blood cells, which, if proven safe and effective, could transform care for those with blood disorders or rare blood types. In another medical breakthrough, an Illinois man received a heart transplant using heart-in-a-box technology, which could lead to 30% more transplants per year. Russia is targeting infrastructure in the Ukrainian capital of Kiev as winter approaches. Kiev officials are preparing for a blackout and say they'll evacuate civilians if one occurs. The Russian-controlled city of Kherson is also without power and water, after what Moscow described as a, quote, terrorist attack by

Ukraine on the city's power lines. Someone in California woke up a teensy bit richer. A single winning ticket for the record-setting $2.4 billion Powerball jackpot was drawn Tuesday morning after Monday night's drawing was delayed to ensure security protocols were completed. If the winner takes the lump sum and pays taxes, they'll walk away with roughly $600 million. That's all we have for today. Thanks so much for listening. If you're listening on the Apple Podcast app, give us a five-star rating and drop a review. And if you're listening on Spotify, give us a follow and hit the notification bell to never miss a new episode. We hope you have a great rest of your day and we'll see you back here on Friday.