The Pour Over Today - Wednesday, October 25, 2023

Episode Date: October 25, 2023

Today we’re talking about ongoing hostage negotiations in Gaza, the latest failed attempt to find a Speaker of the House, the NBA’s season tip off, and other top news for Wednesday, October, 25th. Stay informed while remaining focused on Christ with The Pour Over Today. Sponsored by The End of the Road Podcast

Today we're talking about ongoing hostage negotiations in Gaza, the latest failed attempt to find a Speaker of the House, the NBA's season tip-off, and other top news for Wednesday, October 25th. Stay informed while remaining focused on Christ with The Pour Over today. Here's the quote of the day. Our character is determined not by our circumstances, but by our reaction to those circumstances. Chuck Colson. Let's get started with some espresso shots. Hamas has released more hostages, two elderly Israeli women, for humanitarian reasons.

Over 220 hostages remain captive, including the women's husbands. Negotiations to release 50 more hostages stalled when Hamas conditioned their release on Israel allowing fuel into Gaza, which Israel says it won't do until all hostages are released, wanting to keep fuel from getting into Hamas's hands. The lack of fuel is crippling hospitals and relief agencies, which are reeling from airstrikes that Israel says hit hundreds of Hamas targets and Gaza says killed over 700 Palestinians on Monday and Tuesday. To buy time for negotiations, the U.S. is urging Israel to delay its ground offensive, ahead of which Google and Apple have announced a temporary disabling of live traffic updates in Israel and Gaza, something Google also did in Ukraine to prevent the tracking of military movements. As you mourn the tragic loss of life and pray for leaders to bring hostages home,

remember that our God is a shepherd who relentlessly searches for lost sheep. He will never tire or give up until the last one comes home to him. Ezekiel 34 verses 11, 12, 15, and 16 says, For this is what the Sovereign Lord says, I myself will search for my sheep and look after them. I will rescue them from all the places where they were scattered on a day of clouds and darkness. I myself will tend my sheep and have them lie down, declares the Sovereign Lord. I will search for the lost and bring back the strays. I will bind up the injured and strengthen the weak.

and strengthen the weak. For four hours yesterday, Republicans had a third nominee for speaker. After Speaker Kevin McCarthy was ousted three weeks ago, and Majority Leader Steve Scalise and House Judiciary Chairman Jim Jordan pulled their bids to replace him. Republican Majority Whip Tom Emmer snagged the nomination from a pool of eight GOP candidates. Emmer didn't carry an endorsement from former President Trump, and he voted to certify the 2020 election results, two red flags for conservative hardliners who showed immediate backlash at his nomination. He spent yesterday afternoon meeting with holdouts before abruptly dropping his bid for the gavel. The rollercoaster afternoon signals that Republicans may be nowhere near finding a leader, but the escalating war in the Middle East and a looming budget

deadline have GOPers pleading with their party to break the deadlock. Here's a verse to consider when you're anxious, whether about a roller coaster ride or a political leader. Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. Philippians 4 verse 6 verse 6. Late October means Christian Girl Autumn and the magic of sports convergence. The NBA tipped off last night, joining the NHL, NFL, MLB, and MLS seasons, which are already in progress. Here's the biggest NBA news going into this new season. First, LeBron James returns for his 21st season, just the sixth player to do so. Second, Giannis Antetokounmpo will extend his stay in Milwaukee for a record $62 million per year. And third, the Spurs' new number one draft pick,

7-foot-4-inch Victor Wambanyama, makes his much-Ballyhooed debut tonight. On the diamond, the World Series begins Friday. The Rangers won ACLS Games 6 and 7 in Houston to return to the Fall Classic for the first time since 2011 and will host Game 1. Sports can teach us a lot about everyday life. The value of teamwork, perseverance, and even loyalty as a fan. The commitment of athletes to their sport encourages us to press on as we seek to win an imperishable crown at the end of our faith journey. 1 Corinthians 9 verse 25 says,

Now everyone who competes exercises self-control in everything. They do it to receive a perishable crown, but we an imperishable crown. Today's episode is sponsored by the End of the Road podcast. Visiting a city across the country can be fun. Seeing new landmarks, trying a new signature food, finding out if they say soda or pop. But what about places where nearly everything is different? The End of the Road podcast will take you to some of the most challenging and remote places on the planet. Hear firsthand accounts of what life is like and what God is doing in the jungles of Congo, a war-torn city in the Middle East, and other places with

cultures you'll likely never get to experience. If you want to hear fascinating stories, experience wild and remote places, and have your heart more inclined towards Christ, listen to the End of the Road podcast, available anywhere you listen to podcasts. In other brews, here's a rapid round of updates. A coalition of 41 states is suing Meta, alleging Facebook and Instagram have addictive features that are aimed specifically at kids and teens. They want Meta to change the features and pay a hefty fine. Meta says it's disappointed the bipartisan group of attorneys general sued instead of helping create clear,

age-appropriate standards for the many apps teens use. Not the stock market, it's the bond market that's going wild this week. Yields on 10-year Treasury bonds briefly shot above 5%, the highest yield since 2007, and investors were rattled. Yields go up when prices go down, so high yields mean a massive sell-off of 10-year Treasury bonds, possibly driven by fears the Fed will keep interest rates higher for longer. In Louisiana, damp conditions mixed with smoke from marsh fires to create a super fog on Monday and Tuesday. The super fog reduced visibility to less than 10 feet, ability to less than 10 feet, causing car crashes involving over 150 vehicles along I-55 just west of New Orleans, killing seven people and injuring 25. Crews were still working yesterday to clear

and reopen the interstate. An off-duty pilot was charged with 83 counts of attempted murder Sunday after he allegedly tried to cut fuel to the engines of an Alaska Airlines plane from his cockpit jump seat. The flight crew detained the culprit, diverted the plane, and landed safely in Portland. The man told investigators he was having a nervous breakdown and had tried psychedelic mushrooms. he was having a nervous breakdown and had tried psychedelic mushrooms. Nosy moms and matchmaking grandmas everywhere are celebrating Tinder's new feature. On Monday, the dating app released Tinder Matchmaker, which allows invited friends and family members to view and recommend matches, even if they don't have a Tinder account.

The move is meant to reach Gen Z, 90% of whom are frustrated with dating apps. 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 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.