The Pour Over Today - Friday, January 21, 2022

Episode Date: January 21, 2022

Looking back at President Biden’s first year, a new CDC study about COVID immunity, Boris Johnson’s bad cup of tea, and other top news for Friday, January 21st. Stay informed, while remaining focused on Christ, with The Pour Over.Claim your household’s four tests:https://www.covidtests.gov/Sponsored by OLIPOP. Get 20% off on their sampler pack and free shipping with code POUROVER:http://drinkolipop.com/POUROVER

Looking back at President Biden's first year, a new CDC study about COVID immunity, Boris Johnson's bad cup of tea, and other top news for Friday, January 21st. Stay informed while remaining focused on Christ with The Pullover. Thanks for joining us. Here's the quote of the day. Our time is our life, and our attention is the doorway to our hearts. John Mark Comer. Let's get started with some espresso shots.

The Biden administration got to taste birthday cake for the first time yesterday, but it was a bit sour. New polls show 56% of Americans disapprove of President Biden's performance, and only 28% want him to run for re-election. If asked about his accomplishments, Biden would highlight passing the $1.9 trillion COVID relief bill, passing the $1.2 trillion bipartisan infrastructure bill, and unemployment dropping to 3.9%. He would most likely leave out inflation hitting a 40-year high, multiple resurgences of COVID, and the chaotic Afghanistan withdrawal.

The president held a two-hour Q&A on Tuesday where he expressed optimism about passing Build Back Better in chunks, predicted a minor incursion of Ukraine by Russia — Ukraine was not thrilled by this — and said he wanted more outside perspectives in the White House moving forward. Our hope is never contingent on a political 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. 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. Colossians 3, 2-4. The CDC released results of a study into people's protection against COVID that ran from May 2021 to November 2021. Here's how the protection rankings shook out. Number one, natural immunity and vaccination. Number two, natural immunity alone. Number three and vaccination. 2. Natural immunity alone. 3. Vaccination alone. 4. Neither natural immunity nor vaccination. The results highlight the value of natural immunity, but the CDC says it, quote,

does not change our vaccination recommendations, unquote. Many have noted that the study is already surprisingly out of date, as it concluded before Omicron, currently 99.5% of cases in the U.S., and before boosters were authorized for the general public. Speaking of COVID protection, the White House has purchased 1 billion at-home COVID tests and 400 million N95 masks for the public. Check out the link in the show notes to claim your household's four tests. Masks will begin being distributed in the next few weeks. When discussing divisive topics, such as vaccines versus natural immunity, remember that both your stance and how you take your stance reflect on Christ.

We should not be willing to sacrifice relationships to win an argument. If possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone. Romans 12.18 Live at peace with everyone. Romans 12, 18. British Prime Minister Boris Johnson probably wishes his only consequence from a May 2020 garden party was a bad tea hangover. Instead, his political career is at stake. Johnson reportedly attended a BYOB party with staffers, violating his own COVID lockdown

measure. BYOB standing for bring your own Bibles, right? A year and a half later, people are finding out about the party they weren't invited to, Johnson's approval is suffering, and calls for his resignation are growing louder. Johnson, a member of the Tory party, has apologized and is easing Britain's COVID restrictions, something that will appeal to the Tories who are considering forcing a vote of no confidence. He still faces an uphill battle, his party is facing turnover, and findings from an official inquiry into the violation allegations are expected next week.

Today's episode is sponsored by Olipop. The sparkling water craze is in full swing, but let's be real, it's not because we prefer water that tastes like it was bottled near a single dried out lime. It's just healthier than soda. Until now. With plant fiber, prebiotics, botanicals, and a touch of magic, Olipop has made soda healthier and more delicious. Seriously, it tastes like the soda you grew up sipping,

but is actually good for your digestive health. One-third of your daily recommended fiber, and only has 2-5 grams of sugar. We expect you to be skeptical, but are not sure how to convince you other than to point to their sampler pack in our show notes. Get 20% off and free shipping with code POUROVER. That's POUROVER, one word, P-O-U-R-O-V-E-R. Enjoy! In other brews, it's time for a rapid round of updates. The University of Michigan has agreed to a $490 million settlement to compensate 1,050

people who have accused former university sports doctor Robert Anderson of sexual assault. An investigation found university officials were aware of his abuse as early as 1978. Anderson retired in 2003 and passed away in 2008. As expected, the Senate failed to pass Democratic-led federal voting legislation on Wednesday. Republicans blocked the bill with a filibuster, and Democrats failed to alter the filibuster because two of their members, Senators Manchin and Sinema, joined all 50 Republicans in voting against the proposed changes. New Zealand's military plane, stocked with food, water, generators, etc.,

was able to land in Tonga five days after the undersea volcano eruption and tsunami. Tonga welcomed the supplies, but is not relaxing their three-week quarantine period, even for aid workers. They've only had one case of COVID, ever, and want to keep it that way. For the amount Amazon is spending on their

Lord of the Rings prequel, they might have been able to create a real ring of power. Slated to be released September 2nd, Amazon paid $250 million for the rights and another $1 billion on its creation. It's the most expensive TV series in history. We don't talk about Bruno, but we sing about him a lot. The song We Don't Talk About Bruno from Encanto has become the highest charting song from a Disney animated movie since Pocahontas' Colors of the Wind 26 years ago. Written by Broadway superstar Lin-Manuel Miranda, it surpassed Frozen's Let It Go this week. And that is all we have for today. Thanks for listening.

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without the unwanted powdered cream, equal sweetener, or biased opinions. It's straight to the point and delivered on time. I have reoriented my morning routine to start with this podcast. John, thanks so much for the feedback. And let's keep these coffee-themed reviews coming. They bring a smile to our faces every time.

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