The Pour Over Today - Wednesday, October 18, 2023

Episode Date: October 18, 2023

Today, we’re talking more about President Biden’s plans to visit Israel, the latest round of voting for Speaker of the House, Rite Aid’s bankruptcy, and other top news for Wednesday, October 18th. Stay informed while remaining focused on Christ with The Pour Over Today. Sponsored by TUVU

Today we're talking more about President Biden's plans to visit Israel, the latest round of voting for Speaker of the House, Rite Aid's bankruptcy, and other top news for Wednesday, October 18th. Stay informed while remaining focused on Christ with The Pour-Over today. Here's the quote of the day. When God speaks, oftentimes His voice will call for an act of courage on our part. Charles Stanley. Let's start with some espresso shots. Air Force One is en route to Israel. President Biden aims to show support for Israel, prevent a broader regional war,

and ensure that humanitarian aid gets to Palestinians without benefiting Hamas. Secretary of State Antony Blinken preceded the president, having met with Israel's war cabinet this week to plan safe zones for civilians and establish corridors for aid to flow into Gaza. The humanitarian crisis deepened yesterday after an explosion at a hospital in Gaza City killed at least 500. Hamas blamed the strike on the Israeli Defense Forces, or IDF, while the IDF says it was a misfired Hamas rocket. Other reports implicated another terrorist group, Islamic Jihad, which denied responsibility. A summit planned for later this week between the U.S., Jordan,

Egypt, and Palestine has been canceled following the deadly attack. As desperation rises around the world, followers of Christ have an opportunity to bear witness to our otherworldly hope. Demonstrate your faith in our good and powerful God by praying for wisdom, justice, and peace to rule in the Middle East. 1 Timothy chapter 2 verses 1 through 3 says, First of all, then I urge that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings be made for all people, for kings and all who are in high positions, that we may lead a peaceful and quiet life, godly and dignified in every way. This is good, and it is pleasing in the sight of God our Savior.

Yesterday was deja vu all over again. The House of Representatives unsuccessfully voted on electing a new Speaker. All 212 Democrats backed their leader, Hakeem Jeffries, 200 Republicans backed Jim Jordan, and 20 Republicans voted for a smattering of people who were not Jim Jordan. To become Speaker, someone needs to win 217 votes. Jordan has won over many detractors since Friday, but is seen by the remaining Republican holdouts as too extreme for the powerful position of House Speaker. Jordan says he's confident he'll win in future rounds of voting, while Democrats are calling for a bipartisan compromise. Meanwhile, the House can't do anything about, well, anything. Notably, the Biden admin has requested aid to both Israel and Ukraine,

and the government faces a shutdown next month unless annual budget bills are passed. 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 chaos, our eternity is secure. Job 12, verse 10 says, The life of every living thing is in his hand, as well as the breath of all humanity. Rite Aid has discovered there's no magic pill to prevent bankruptcy. The pharmaceutical giant finds itself in dire straits after a 1-2 legal punch compounded by sagging store revenue. In 2022, Rite Aid paid $30 million to settle a lawsuit claiming its pharmacies oversupplied prescription opioids. In March, the DOJ filed a complaint alleging Rite Aid pharmacists filled hundreds of thousands of

illegal prescriptions for controlled substances. Over the weekend, Rite Aid pharmacists filled hundreds of thousands of illegal prescriptions for controlled substances. Over the weekend, Rite Aid announced that it's voluntarily filing for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection, expediting its restructuring process and the closing of around 25% of its 2,000 stores. The exact timing and location of the closures is TBD. Monday, LinkedIn announced its own restructuring, saying nearly 700 employees should start using the Looking for Work feature. The social media site cited talent changes that, spoiler alert, include a move toward more AI. Here's a verse to consider when updating your social profiles with hashtag Open to Work. His divine power has given us everything required for life and godliness through the knowledge of Him who called us by His own glory and goodness.

2 Peter 1, verse 3 Today's episode is sponsored by Tuvu. Social media is broken, but it has potential. Tuvu is trying to do it right. 1. There are no ads. It's paid, but the pour-over listeners get one year free. One, there are no ads. It's paid, but the pour-over listeners get one year free. Two, posts are shown chronologically. They're not curated to drive you deeper into your political ideology. And three, it's AI-moderated with the whole family in mind.

There's no technically okay, but definitely questionable photos. Tuvu is a social media platform designed for connection, not addiction. See what family and friends are up to, then hop off and carry on with your day. Claim your free one-year subscription at tuvu.com slash tpo. That's T-U-V-U dot com slash tpo, or find the link in our show notes. In other brews, here's a rapid round of updates. A six-year-old Palestinian-American boy died after he and his mother were allegedly stabbed over 30 times by their landlord in their home near Little Palestine in Chicago on Saturday.

Police said they were targeted because of their religion and the ongoing conflict between Hamas and Israel. Their assailant has been charged with murder, hate crimes, and aggravated battery. The federal judge handling former President Trump's election interference case in D.C. has issued a gag order, legally prohibiting Trump from making statements that target any witnesses, prosecutors, or court staff involved in the trial, but noted he is allowed to criticize the Justice Department in general. Yesterday, Trump appealed the order, saying it amounts to censorship of protected political speech. International leadership is a-changin'. Proving there's always money in the banana stand, Ecuador elected its youngest ever president, 35-year-old Daniel Neboa, a crime-fighting,

hardliner, and heir to a banana empire. New Zealand moved right, electing conservative Christopher Luxon after six years of liberal leadership. And Poland is likely ousting their conservative parliamentary majority after three opposition parties won a majority of votes. After brokering last month's U.S.-Iran prisoner exchange, Qatar is now the middleman in sensitive mediations between Ukraine and Russia. Ukraine reached out for help bringing home an estimated 20,000 children it says were abducted. Russia says they were evacuated. A pilot reunification program began this week returning four children aged 2 to 17 to Ukraine. turning four children aged 2 to 17 to Ukraine.

The Wexner Foundation, which donates millions of dollars each year to Harvard in support of fellowships for students from Israel, is cutting ties with the university. It's the latest fallout from donors and alumni over what they view as Harvard's failure to take a clear and unequivocal stand against Hamas, following a controversial anti-Israel statement published by Harvard student groups. And 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.