The Pour Over Today - Justice O’Connor Passes, College Football Playoffs, & More | 12.4.23

Episode Date: December 4, 2023

Today we’re talking about the passing of former Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O’Connor, controversy in who made the College Football Playoffs, world leaders’ climate pledges, and other top news for Monday, December 4th. Stay informed while remaining focused on Christ with The Pour Over Today. Sponsored by Global Gift Guide Check out our 2023 Gift Guide Here

Today we're talking about the passing of former Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O'Connor, controversy in who made the college football playoffs, world leaders' climate pledges, and other top news for Monday, December 4th. Stay informed while remaining focused on Christ with The Pour Over today. Here's the quote of the day. Where most people think that the goal of religion is to get people to become something that they are not, the scriptures call believers to become more and more what they already are in Christ. Michael Horton. Let's get started with some

espresso shots. Sandra Day O'Connor, the first woman to serve on the U.S. Supreme Court, died Friday at 93. President Reagan nominated the cowgirl from Arizona to the bench in 1981. A moderate and pragmatic conservative, O'Connor was the deciding vote in many of the court's most consequential decisions. In 1992, she led a 5-4 majority to reaffirm Roe v. Wade, despite her personal pro-life stance. And she was part of the 5-justice majority that resolved the disputed 2000 presidential election in favor of George W. Bush over Al Gore. O'Connor retired in 2006 to care for her husband with Alzheimer's, and she announced her own dementia in 2018. Tributes from justices and politicians,

both blue and red, remember Sandra Day O'Connor as a warm and funny pioneer who brought fierce determination and sharp intellect to the highest court. and sharp intellect to the highest court. Positions of power are always changing, and human leaders can never deliver true justice in our broken world. Look to the Lord and His word for constants we can bank on, and hope in Him to usher an eternal kingdom where perfect justice reigns. Psalm 119 verses 89, 90, 165, and 166 says, Forever, O Lord, your word is firmly fixed in the heavens. Your faithfulness endures to all

generations. Great peace have those who love your law. Nothing can make them stumble. I hope for your salvation, O Lord, and I do your commandments. After a whirlwind championship weekend, the college football playoffs are set. It's the final year of a four-team format. The field expands to 12 next season, and the committee proved the change is needed. For the first time, an undefeated Power Five conference champion has been excluded from the playoffs. Florida State went 13-0, winning the ACC championship with their third-string quarterback, but fans were shocked when 12-1 Alabama and 12-1 Texas secured spots ahead of the Seminoles. As a consolation, Florida State will face Georgia, which was upset by Alabama in the SEC

championship, in the Orange Bowl. Number one Michigan will face number four Alabama in the Rose Bowl, followed by number two Washington taking on number three Texas in the Sugar Bowl, both on New Year's Day. Here's a verse to consider whether you're shocked that you're in or you're shocked that you're out. Rejoice always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus. 1 Thessalonians 5 verses 16-18. Global leaders are aiming for a cleaner environment at the COP28 climate summit,

and there's a lot being lemon-pledged. Fossil fuel giants, including Saudi Arabia, promised to slash methane emissions by more than 80 percent by 2030, a push that signals the industry's desire to rebrand as a climate change maker. The U.S. announced new regulations on the oil and gas industry that should prevent about 58 million tons of methane emissions between 2024 and 2038. Uncle Sam also pledged $3 billion to the Green Climate Fund to support developing countries as they switch to cleaner energy, with a major caveat that the big check requires approval from a politically divided Congress. Stateside, the EPA proposed new regulations that would require most U.S. cities to replace all of the remaining 9 million lead water pipes within the next 10 years. Though we may not all agree on the best way to balance the health of the earth and the needs of humanity, We can pray for wisdom as we seek to be thoughtful

stewards of God's good creation. Genesis 2 verse 15 says, The Lord God took the man and placed him in the garden of Eden to work it and watch over it. This episode is sponsored by Global Gift Guide. This Christmas, give a goat or 10 to families in need. Most of us are fortunate enough to be bothered by things like not having the really good stick vacuum cleaner, or our iPhone battery draining too quickly, or our diamond shoes being too tight. We joke, sorta. It's easy to forget our own fortune and forget how many people want simple things like food, basic health, and education. Amazingly, a $43 goat can provide all these things for an entire family. Nutritious milk improves health, and offspring provide income to feed the family

and send children to school. So no matter your plans, join us in also gifting a few goats at globalgiftguide.org. That's globalgiftguide.org or check out the link in this episode's show notes. In other brews, here's a rapid round of updates. The seven-day truce that allowed increased aid to flow into Gaza and freed 105 Hamas-held hostages in exchange for 240 Palestinian prisoners is over. As the deal was set to expire Friday morning, Israel intercepted rockets fired by

Hamas and resumed airstrikes and ground operations throughout Gaza. Negotiations for another pause are underway in Qatar. The House voted 311 to 114 to expel George Santos, crossing the high two-thirds hurdle needed to make him the sixth person ever removed from their ranks. Next up, Santos has a trial set for September 2024, where he faces 23 felony charges, and New York will hold a special election to fill his seat within the next 90 days. Five Republican senators are urging President Biden to restrict U.S.-China travel as a rise in pediatric pneumonia cases overwhelms Chinese hospitals. Meanwhile, an apparently unrelated uptick in pneumonia cases has hit Ohio. The WHO has

requested more info from China, but says there is not yet data to support the panicked flashback to March 2020 we all just experienced. Rulings, rulings. A federal judge ruled that Montana's first-in-the-nation TikTok ban is unconstitutional. Separately, an appeals court rejected former President Trump's claim of immunity in January 6th cases. Ruling the cases could proceed because he was acting in a personal capacity as a presidential candidate at the time, not in an official capacity as president. What do Kim K's high-waisted thigh shapers, a bacon turkey bravo, and a subreddit of cat memes have in common?

You may soon be able to invest in them. After a two-year drought of IPOs, some major brands, including Skims, Panera, and Reddit, are all reportedly planning to go public in 2024. If you haven't already, go check out our 2023 Christmas Gift Guide. It includes 36 amazing gift ideas made by the TPO community and our sponsors. Go to thepourover.org slash Christmas to find great gifts and support fellow TPO listeners' small businesses. That's thepourover.org slash Christmas, or check out the link in this episode's show notes. 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 Wednesday.