The Pour Over Today - Wednesday, September 28, 2022

Episode Date: September 28, 2022

Today, we’re talking about bleak news out of Russia, the ease of some global COVID restrictions, Hurricane Ian’s latest conquests, and other top news for Wednesday, September 28th. Stay informed while remaining focused on Christ with The Pour Over. Sponsored by the Christian Standard Bible

Today, we're talking about bleak news out of Russia, the ease of some global COVID restrictions, Hurricane Ian's latest conquests, and other top news for Wednesday, September 28th. Stay informed while remaining focused on Christ with The Pour Over. Here's the quote of the day. You cannot put straight in others what is warped in yourself. Saint Athanasius of Alexandria. Let's start with some espresso shots. Florida is shoring up defenses as Hurricane Ian gathers his strength and threatens to make landfall

late tonight or early tomorrow morning as a once-in-a-century hurricane for Florida's west coast. Ian plowed into western Cuba yesterday as a Category 3 and he is flexing his muscles heading toward the not-currently-sunshine state. Ian is expected to hit the Tampa, St. Petersburg, and Fort Myers areas as a Category 3 or 4, but ripple effects will likely impact the entire state. Governor Ron DeSantis activated the National Guard and advised residents to take action, loading up on food, water, medicine, batteries, and fuel while remaining calm. Residents of Tampa and the larger Hillsborough County received a mandatory evacuation order, and DeSantis suspended tolls along the Gulf Coast as residents headed towards sunnier skies. Here's a verse to consider when continually refreshing your weather app.

I lift my eyes towards the mountains. Where will my help come from? My help comes from the Lord, the Maker of heaven and earth. Psalm 121, verse 1 through 2. The voting booths are closed, and Russia is preparing to annex occupied Ukrainian territories following local referendums. Kiev and the West say the votes were a sham, and U.S. Secretary of State Blinken has said Uncle Sam will always view the territories as Ukrainian soil. It's far from the only Russia-related news. The Nord Stream 2 pipeline, which runs from Russia to Germany, experienced two major leaks and is spilling natural gas into the Baltic. European leaders suspect sabotage and have opened investigations.

The Kremlin made a surprising admission that it was having trouble mobilizing new troops due to protests, including a draft officer being shot in Siberia. President Putin granted Edward Snowden Russian citizenship. Snowden has been living in Moscow since 2013. He faces espionage charges in the U.S. for leaking classified information to the media. Things in Russia and the world are unquestionably messy. Still, we can trust that God is good and in control no matter what happens. Even when I go through the darkest valley, I fear no danger, for you are with me.

Your rod and your staff, they comfort me. Psalm 23, verse 4 Canada is the latest country to announce the end of COVID travel restrictions. Starting October 1st, Canada is lifting all its travel restrictions, including vaccine and masking requirements, for all travelers regardless of whether they're entering the country by plane, train, or automobile, or mooseback. They're joining a wave of countries to lift lingering COVID restrictions, including many in Asia. After years of stringent requirements, Singapore returned to living like it was 1 BC, before COVID. Hong Kong scrapped its famous three-week quarantine, and Japan will lift its 50,000 daily visitor limit on October 11th. There's one notable holdout. China continues its

zero-COVID policies. Back in the US, cases have declined to about 50,000 a day, and COVID-related deaths are hovering around 400 a day. When discussing divisive topics such as COVID restrictions, remember that your stance and how you take your stance reflect on Christ. We should not be willing to sacrifice relationships to win an argument. No foul language should come from your mouth, but only what is good for building up someone in need, so that it gives grace to those who hear. Ephesians 4, verse 29. Broadly speaking, there are gives grace to those who hear. Ephesians 4 verse 29. Broadly speaking, there are two approaches to translating the Bible, translating words versus translating phrases. The result is over 450 different English translations

and 2 Kings 4 29 reading, gird up your loins, don't lose a minute and everything in between. The Christian standard Bible was translated using optimal equivalence, pursuing both linguistic precision and readability. This means you're reading the same words spoken in 30 AD, except when word-for-word translation breaks the English language. So quit procrastinating, gird up your loins, and check out all the CSB has to offer. Check out the link in our show notes. link in our show notes. In other brews, here's a rapid round of updates. After years of players declining to play or holding back for fear of injury, the NFL announced its end-of-year all-star game, the Pro Bowl, will be replaced with the Pro Bowl Games, featuring skills, competitions, and a flag football game. No word yet whether moms will compete over who brings the best orange

slices. Five members of the anti-government Oath Keepers group began trial yesterday related to their involvement in storming the Capitol on January 6th. Charged with seditious conspiracy and premeditated use of force, the defendants could face up to 20 years in prison if convicted. It's the highest-profile trial so far, related to January 6th. Don't poke the Dow Jones. On Monday, the stock index dropped 20% below its most recent peak, a symbolic milestone meaning it's officially in a bear market. The downturn continued yesterday with the S&P 500 and Dow both closing at fresh 2022 lows. The British pound sunk to an all-time low of $1.03 on Monday. The U.S. dollar is historically strong thanks to aggressive action taken by the Fed,

and the Brits' currency just got pounded after the U.K. proposed big tax cuts and big spending, undermining investors' confidence. The White House says its student loan forgiveness plan, wiping out either $10,000 or $20,000 for qualified borrowers, will cost $240 billion. But the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office says it'll be a lot higher, $400 billion. Generally, Republicans say the plan is unfair and recklessly expensive. Democrats say it's a needed investment in the middle class. 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. 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.