The Pour Over Today - Wednesday, September 21, 2022

Episode Date: September 21, 2022

Today we’re talking about new moves in Ukraine, Hurricane Fiona, President Biden’s pandemic remarks, and other top news for Wednesday, September 21st. Stay informed while remaining focused on Christ with The Pour Over. Sponsored by LMNT

Today we're talking about new moves in Ukraine, Hurricane Fiona, President Biden's pandemic remarks and other top news for Wednesday, September 21st. Stay informed while remaining focused on Christ with The Pour Over. Here's the quote of the day. Don't be afraid to speak from personal experience. In many ways, those vulnerable moments will be the key that unlocks a hardened heart. Louise Palau. Let's get started with some espresso shots. Russia is attempting to annex portions of eastern and southern Ukraine through votes. Four Russian-occupied regions will hold referendums this week on whether to join Russia. The votes are being facilitated by Moscow's authorities on the ground,

and they're expected to pass, but they're widely viewed as a sham by the West. If the votes pass, any advances into the contested regions could be viewed by the Kremlin as direct attacks on Russia itself, justifying, quote, any means of defense. President Biden warned President Putin of a, quote, consequential response if Russia uses chemical or tactical nuclear weapons in Ukraine. And he announced another $600 million arms package for Ukraine. The U.S. has now given $15.1 billion in military aid and billions more in humanitarian aid since the war began. As Christians, we can live without fear, not because nothing bad can happen to us on Earth, but because regardless of what happens, our eternity is secure. This should not cause us to be indifferent to the world's problems,

but bold in our response to them. Philippians 1.21 says, When marking the anniversary of a major hurricane, the last thing you want is another hurricane. Hurricane Fiona made landfall in Puerto Rico Sunday as a Category 1 storm, inundating the island with nearly three feet of rain. The entire island lost power and over half the island lost water service, and 80 percent remain in the dark. It's a grim flashback to five years ago when Hurricane Maria, a Category 4, killed over 3,000 and left parts of the U.S. territory without power for a year. As of writing, four people in the Caribbean have died and more than 1,000 residents have been rescued from floods and landslides. President Biden has promised federal support for Puerto Rico. And as for Fiona, she continues to march north, hitting Turks and Caicos

as a Category 3 yesterday. Large-scale weather events and natural disasters remind us that all of the world has been affected by sin. But Christians can look forward to an eternity where there's redemption, not just for people, but for creation itself. Revelation 21.4 says, He will wipe away every tear from their eyes. Death will be no more. Grief, crying, and pain will be no more, because the previous things have passed away.

President Biden's recent wide-ranging 60 Minutes interview made a splash, or three. The president said, quote, the pandemic is over, citing the lack of mask wearing as an example of the return to normal-ish, but he acknowledged COVID is still a, quote, problem. The comment took his own public health advisors by surprise, and Dr. Fauci said, quote, we are not where we need to be. Biden also gave an unambiguous yes when asked if the U.S. would send troops to defend Taiwan in the event of an attack from China, prompting the White House to reiterate again that there's been no official change in the state's position of, quote, strategic ambiguity. And finally, Biden said that he intends to run for reelection in 2024,

but for the first time tempered the statement by calling it, quote, much too early to make a, But for the first time, tempered the statement by calling it, quote, much too early to make a, quote, firm decision. Whether it's about COVID, foreign policy, or presidential elections, we represent Christ well when we are kind to people we disagree with, going out of our way to serve and care for them. This is what it means to love your enemies. Luke 635 says, but love your enemies, do what is good, and lend expecting nothing in return. Then your reward will be great and you will be children of the most high. This podcast is brought to you by Element. When you sweat, it's not just water seeping through your skin, so when you replenish after sweating, you should drink more than just water. You should replenish everything you lost in the correct ratio without unnecessary fillers.

It sounds simple, but it's not what most sports drinks do. Enter Element, a tasty electrolyte mix with everything you need and nothing you don't. That means lots of salt with no sugar. Element is giving the pour-over readers eight single serving packs free with any order. This is a great way to try all eight flavors or share Element with a friend. Don't worry, they offer no questions asked refunds. It's truly risk-free, so you can try it today. We've got a link for you in our show notes. In other brews, here's a rapid round of updates. Adnan Saeed, the subject of the 2014 hit podcast Serial, was released from prison on House Detention Monday

when his year 2000 murder conviction was overturned after finding that prosecutors failed to disclose evidence. The victim's family was, quote, deeply disappointed at how quickly developments progressed. Prosecutors have 30 days to drop charges or retry the case. American contractor and Navy veteran Mark Frerichs, who was held hostage in Afghanistan for over two years, has been released in a prisoner exchange with the Taliban. Frerichs was swapped for Bashir Norzai, a convicted Taliban drug lord sentenced to life in prison in the U.S. Queen Elizabeth II has no shortage of accolades, but she just earned one more. Her funeral is believed to be the most watched event in history. Some estimates put the total

audience at over 4 billion, that's half the planet's population. The previous record, it was Princess Diana's funeral, with an estimated 2.5 billion viewers. put the total audience at over 4 billion. That's half the planet's population. The previous record? It was Princess Diana's funeral, with an estimated 2.5 billion viewers. Matt Damon insists that fortune favors the brave, but that may or may not apply to buying crypto. Ethereum has dropped 17% since the merge last week. That's its much-hyped software upgrade that made transactions 99% more efficient. Bitcoin is below its December 2017 price and down 70% from its peak in November. That's all we have for today. Thanks so much for listening. If you're listening on the Apple Podcast app, you can give us a five-star rating and drop a review. And if you're listening on Spotify, you can 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.