The Pour Over Today - Drone Identity Mix-Up, Paris Under “Siege,” & More | 01.31.24

Episode Date: January 31, 2024

Today, we’re talking about three American troops killed in Jordan, French farmer’s “siege” of Paris, the collapse of a real estate giant in China, and other top news for Wednesday, January 31st. Stay informed while remaining focused on Christ with The Pour Over Today. Please support our TPO sponsors! LMNT: https://links.thepourover.org/LMNT0103 A Jew and a Gentile Discuss: https://links.thepourover.org/JewGentileDiscussPod Holman Handbook Series: https://links.thepourover.org/HolmanHandbook TUVU: https://www.tuvu.com/tpo

Today we're talking about three American troops killed in Jordan, French farmers' siege of Paris, the collapse of a real estate giant in China, and other top news for Wednesday, January 31st. Stay informed while remaining focused on Christ with The Pour Over today. Here's the quote of the day. Anger is extraordinarily easy. It's our default setting. Love is very difficult. Love is a miracle. Brandt Hansen.

Let's get started with some espresso shots. Details are emerging in big stories out of the Middle East. Three Americans from a Georgia Army Reserve unit were killed when a drone struck an outpost in northeast Jordan. The Pentagon suspects the attack was the work of Khatib Hezbollah, an Iran-backed militant group based in Iraq. Officials say the drone was possibly confused for an American drone, leaving it unintercepted. Yesterday, President Biden said the U.S. plans to respond while reiterating caution against a wider war. Meanwhile, Israel has sharpened its pencil in its allegations against the U.N.'s Palestinian aid agency. Updated reports accuse 190 agency employees

of being Hamas militants and about 10 percent of the agency's staff of having ties to Hamas. Half of the agency's funding has been halted since the accusations. As you mourn the tragic loss of life and pray for those in this conflict, remember that 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. John 10, 14-16 says, I am the good shepherd. I know my sheep, and my sheep know me, just as the Father knows me, and I know the Father. And I laid on my life for the sheep. I have other sheep that are not of this sheep pen. I must bring them also. They too will listen to my voice, and there shall be one flock and one

shepherd. Paris is under siege from an unlikely source, farmers. Causing 97 miles of traffic jams, French farmers are blockading the city with tractors, hay bales, and signs demanding fairer produce prices, diesel subsidies, and aid for organic farming. Even Mona Lisa entered the chat. Activists threw soup on the painting's glass casing on Sunday, demanding food system sustainability. Anger has been steadily sprouting, and farmers are fed up with over-regulation and cheap imports. According to the polls, up to 90% of the French public agrees. The prime minister offered some concessions last week, but it wasn't enough for the farmers. French President Macron held an emergency cabinet meeting, and 15,000 police have been mobilized to keep the tractors out of Paris.

Protesters say they're putting down roots until at least Thursday, when Macron meets with other EU leaders. Here's a verse to consider when your path feels as blocked as the Paris roadways. Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, and faithful in prayer. Romans 12, 12. China Evergrande Group, once China's most profitable property developer, was ordered to liquidate on Monday. During China's late 2000s real estate boom, Evergrande spent super, super aggressively. Whatever number you're imagining, they spent more. At the time, government policies and high demand incentivized overbuilding.

Now, China has more homes than its massive population can fill, leaving millions of houses empty and Evergrande with $340 billion in debt. Evergrande defaulted in 2021 and failed to create a repayment plan. Now, a court-appointed liquidator will sell what remains of their assets across hundreds of cities. Many see Evergrande as the first domino to fall in the bust of Chinese real estate, an industry that used to drive about a quarter of gross domestic product, but is now dragging down the world's number two economy

and testing the confidence of foreign investors. Even if global economies collapse, God will remain in control. In the midst of uncertainty on earth, set your hope on the abundance we will enjoy with Christ when he comes. 1 Peter 1, 3 and 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. Sometimes it feels like money doesn't stretch very far these days, but when you sponsor a child through Compassion International, just $43 per month is crazy powerful. Sponsorship means education, clean water, healthy food, medical care, and most importantly, hope. Through local churches in the area, sponsored children build relationships with Jesus-loving adults who can offer the specific support kids need to thrive. Not sure where to start? Go to compassion.com slash tpo or find the link in the show notes and search by birthday to see if there's a child with your birthday that needs a sponsor.

a sponsor. In other brews, here's a rapid round of updates. The border battle continues to heat up. House Republicans have introduced articles of impeachment against DHS Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas, alleging he has failed to control the border to the detriment of national security. Democrats call the move a stunt, saying Mayorkas is dealing with an outdated, underfunded system. A former IRS contractor was sentenced to five years in prison for leaking the tax returns of then-President Trump and thousands of other wealthy Americans ahead of the 2020 election. He apologized for his sincere, if misguided, attempt to serve the public interest. The IRS has since checked its pipes and processes to avoid future leaks. Elon Musk's other, other, other company, Neuralink, implanted its first chip in a human brain on Sunday. Musk wrote on X that initial results showed promising neuron spike detection and the patient is recovering well.

The company's first product will be called Telepathy and will aim to help people who have lost use of their limbs. called telepathy, and will aim to help people who have lost use of their limbs. Russian figure skater Kamila Valieva has been banned until 2025 and stripped of all recent awards, including a Team Olympic gold medal, which now goes to Team USA, its first in the event. Valieva tested positive for a banned drug before the 2022 Beijing Olympics, but because she was only 15 years old, was allowed to compete during the years-long investigation. Well, well, well, how the turntables. A new report on top streaming programs revealed Suits set the record

for the most streamed show ever in a year, stealing the title from The Office's 2020 numbers. The legal drama featuring Duchess Meghan Markle last aired in 2019, but exploded in popularity when added to Netflix and Peacock last summer. 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.