The Pour Over Today - Friday, August 4, 2023

Episode Date: August 4, 2023

Today, we’re talking about the U.S.’s credit score downgrade, former President Trump’s D.C. arraignment, a mass shooter’s death penalty, and other top news for Friday, August 4th. Stay informed while remaining focused on Christ with The Pour Over. Sponsored by Myte

Today we're talking about the U.S.'s credit score downgrade, former President Trump's D.C. arraignment, a mass shooter's death penalty, and other top news for Friday, August 4th. Stay informed while remaining focused on Christ with The Pullover. Here's the quote of the day. Let us always guard our tongue, not that it should always be silent, but that it should speak at the proper time. St. John Chrysostom. Let's get started with some espresso shots. Uncle Sam's credit score dipped for the first time in a decade. The government has three major credit rating agencies, S&P, Moody's, and Fitch.

On Tuesday, Fitch downgraded the country's rating from a perfect AAA to an almost perfect AA+, due to repeated debt limit political standoffs. Domestic and international stock markets declined slightly on the news, but not much. Treasury Secretary Yellen called the downgrade flawed, puzzling, and entirely unwarranted. Economists generally agree the timing of the downgrade was odd, as there's currently no political standoff over the debt. It was resolved in June. Bank of America is feeling more optimistic than Fitch, becoming the first major bank to walk back on their prediction of doom and gloom, saying they no longer expect a recession in the next year.

Our hope is never contingent on an economic outcome. It's much more secure than that. Regardless of whether things get worse or better during your lifetime, everything eventually ends well for followers of Christ. Colossians 3 verses 2 through 4 say, Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things. For you died and your life is hidden with Christ and God. When Christ, who is your life, appears, then you also will appear with him in glory. For the third time in four months, former President Trump was arraigned. Yesterday, Trump pleaded not guilty to four felony charges in connection with an alleged attempt to overturn the results of the 2020 presidential election.

The trial will be presided over by Judge Tanya Chutkin, an Obama appointee, but there's been no indication on a timeline. In media appearances, the former president's lawyer said Trump is protected by the First Amendment and accused the DOJ of trying to criminalize free speech. Prosecutors argue in the indictment that Trump is allowed to lie about the results of the election but cannot conspire with others to block the peaceful transfer of power. Now, the courts will decide. The stakes are high. A new poll from Reuters Ipsos shows 45% of Republicans would not vote for Trump if he was convicted of a felony. While you likely have no

control over former President Trump's legal troubles, you can control how you speak about them. Leave others with no doubt of your love for everyone involved, even for people whose actions you do not support. Luke 6 verse 32 says, If you love those who love you, what credit is that to you? Even sinners love those who love them. those who love them. On Wednesday, a federal jury unanimously recommended the death penalty for the man who killed 11 worshipers at the Pittsburgh Tree of Life Synagogue in 2018. Yesterday, in front of the victims' families, the sentence was formally read by a judge.

In June, a jury found the shooter guilty of 63 felony charges, including federal hate crimes. 22 of the charges carried the possibility of the death penalty. The attack, which also injured two congregants and five police officers, was the deadliest assault on Jewish people in the United States. It's the first time a federal death penalty has been imposed since 2021 when the Justice Department placed a moratorium on federal executions. At the state level, the death penalty is legal and enforced in 24 states. Christians have a hard job. We must pursue justice and come alongside victims in their pain without letting a guilty verdict lessen our love for those convicted. Revelation 21 verse 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. Today's episode is sponsored by Might. Why is it that charities' websites and donation processes all feel like they were designed in the early 2000s. Clunky processes, bad interfaces, nightmarish accounting, and questionable causes are all in the past, thanks to Might. Might makes generosity simpler, more accessible, and more impactful for all. By making the boring parts of donating easy, you can manage all your donations from one app, get one tax receipt for all your donations, etc.

You can focus on what really matters, making an impact and inviting your community to do the same. Follow and support your favorite nonprofits all for free. Check out the link in our show notes to join the waitlist to be one of the first on the Might app. In other brews, here's a rapid round of updates. The U.S. has suspended counterterrorism training with Niger's military forces one week after Niger's military launched a successful takeover of the country's democratically elected president. The U.S. has also ordered the evacuation of non-emergency government personnel and eligible family members. On Sunday, crowds attacked the French embassy in Niger, prompting France to evacuate over 1,000 Europeans.

After 18 years of marriage, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and his wife Sophie are splitting up their maple-leaf-shaped China. The couple will both still reside in Ottawa, in separate residences, to share custody of their three children. The US has banned imports of products produced by two Chinese companies accused of using forced labor. Camel Group, which makes batteries, and Chunguang Biotech Group, which exports spices and extracts, are allegedly using the persecuted Uyghur minority group to manufacture their products.

Robots against breast cancer? A new study shows that using AI in breast cancer screenings can cut radiologists' workload nearly in half while improving detection by 20%. It was the first ever randomized controlled trial into AI in radiology. Experts described the findings as breathtaking and are calling for additional trials. After 144 years, Thomas Edison's incandescent light bulb is officially being phased out. On Tuesday, federal regulations banning the bulb, proposed under Obama, scrapped by Trump, and revived by Biden, took effect. You can keep using the ones you have, but they'll no longer be manufactured or sold, replaced in the most part by energy-efficient LEDs.

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 weekend. We'll see you on Monday.