The Pour Over Today - Wednesday, February 9, 2022

Starting point is 00:00:00 Today we're talking about China's tennis star, Olympics quarantine rules, states lifting mask mandates in schools, some big business moves, and other top news for Wednesday, February 9th. Stay informed while remaining focused on Christ with The Pour Over. Here's the quote of the day. Be constantly committed to prayer and to reading scripture. By praying, you speak to God. In reading, God speaks to you.

Starting point is 00:00:24 Saint Cyprian of Carthage. Let's get started with some espresso shots. All that fake snow isn't cooling down China's hot seat. Chinese tennis star Peng Shui, who practically vanished after accusing a Chinese Communist Party member of sexual assault, gave a long-awaited interview where she announced her retirement and retracted her earlier accusation, saying it was simply a misunderstanding. Not everyone is convinced, though. The interview is heavily controlled by the Chinese Olympic Committee. In the Olympic Village, athletes say that they're treated well, unless they have to quarantine. Nightmarish quarantine conditions include the same meal

Starting point is 00:01:02 three times a day in a dirty room with no internet and no gym. Meanwhile, the U.S. has won five medals, none gold, unfortunately, while the Russian Olympic Committee leads the Games with ten total medals. You can see the live medal count in the link in our show notes. Jesus showed compassion when people expected rejection, gentleness when people expected anger, and love when people expected hate. Whether you're in a heated competition for an Olympic gold or a frustrating work conversation, be imitators of Christ. Ephesians 4.29 says, No foul language should come from your mouth, but only what is

Starting point is 00:01:34 good for building up someone in need, so that it gives grace to those who hear. Uncle Sam is averaging 250,000 COVID cases per day, a dramatic decline from its peak of over 800,000. As COVID cases fall, multiple states announced plans to roll back restrictions, specifically in schools. New Jersey, Connecticut, Oregon, and Delaware will be lifting their mask mandates in schools on or before March 31st. California's Governor Newsom, a Democrat, announced an end to his state's indoor masking requirements for vaccinated people on February 15th, which will likely extend to schools soon after. A central Illinois judge filed a temporary restraining order that prevented 140

Starting point is 00:02:14 Chicago school districts from requiring masks, which was overriding policies put in place by Governor J.B. Pritzker. Some high schools disregarded this ruling and compelled mask wearing, which led to several student walkouts. The White House continues to recommend mask usage in schools, following along with the current CDC guidance. Culturally hot topics like school mask mandates frequently make people think, speak, and act poorly, and that includes us. We can all respect others and represent God better if we're quick to listen and slow to speak. James 1, 19 and 20 says, God better if we're quick to listen and slow to speak. James 1 19 and 20 says, everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak, and slow to anger, for human anger does not accomplish God's righteousness. Big Biz has been making big moves this week. Frontier and Spirit Airlines have agreed to a

Starting point is 00:03:00 $6.6 billion merger, but they first need to meet with regulators to get approval. If the airlines end up catering this meeting, remember that food and drinks will probably cost extra. Meanwhile, Peloton laid off 2,800 employees, including their co-founder and CEO. The pandemic darling saw its stock soar in 2020, but then crater in 2021. Amazon and Nike are both reportedly interested in acquiring them, and their stock was up 25% yesterday. Non-fang companies, which means Facebook, Apple, Amazon, Netflix, and Google, are also making headlines. Rumble, a YouTube alternative, offered Joe Rogan $100 million to leave Spotify and host content exclusively on their platform, promising no censorship. Also, a fundraiser on GiveSendGo, which is a GoFundMe alternative,

Starting point is 00:03:48 has raised over $5 million for Canada's Freedom Convoy. Here's a verse to consider if you're constantly thinking about how things will impact your stock portfolio. 1 Timothy 6.10 says, For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil, and by craving it, some have wandered away from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs. Today's podcast is brought to you by Patmos Capital Partners. Texas, the land of big flags, Chip and Joanna Gaines, long-horned bovines, and one of the fastest growing real estate markets in the country. If you're interested in that last piece, you may be interested in Patmos Capital Partners. Patmos Capital Partners is a real estate investment firm with a team that loves Jesus and puts the needs of their residents and priorities of their investors above their own interests. Today, they have $90 million in assets under management and are raising capital for additional properties. Learn more about what

Starting point is 00:04:34 Patmos is doing, including their current investment round, by filling out the contact sheet on their website. The link is in our show notes. In other brews, we've got a rapid round of updates. The IRS has abandoned its plan to require millions of Americans to submit to a facial recognition check through the third-party app ID.me to access their website, following a wave of criticism from privacy advocates and lawmakers on both sides of the aisle. Grab your milk duds. The Oscars unveiled their nominations this week. The Power of the Dog leads the way with 12 nominations, and Lin-Manuel Miranda is hoping to become a member of the elite EGOT club with his nomination for Encanto. You can

Starting point is 00:05:17 check out all the nominations in the link in our show notes. The Nord Stream 2, a Russia to Germany natural gas pipeline, is completed, but not yet operational, and President Biden says it never will be if Russia invades Ukraine. The threat to end the pipeline, which would be a significant economic blow to both Russia and Germany, was implicitly endorsed by German Chancellor Scholz during a joint press conference in D.C. Police arrested the 39-year-old man suspected of opening fire, killing one person and critically injuring a second in a Washington State grocery store. The suspect fled the scene and evaded capture for roughly 12 hours. Court documents say that he had been, quote,

Starting point is 00:05:56 spiraling mentally before the shooting. Michelle Roccati's spinal cord was completely severed five years ago, but he's walking again thanks to a groundbreaking new electrical spinal implant created by Swiss researchers. The researchers stress that this isn't a cure for all spinal injuries, but acknowledge the major advancement, and we're sure that Michel agrees. Well, that's all we have for today. Thanks so much for listening. If you're looking for a way to support this podcast

Starting point is 00:06:23 and help more Christians stay informed while remaining focused on Christ, here's a quick breakdown of how you can best support us. For those listening on the Apple Podcast app, please give us a five-star rating and feel free to drop a review. We actually read every single one of these and take them all to heart. Like this review we got from username Redeemed Mama. I am someone who struggles with anxiety and has always avoided the news as much as possible. Now that I found this podcast, I can stay informed but not go into a tailspin over exaggerated or politically skewed stories. I get the facts three days a week and then scripture that puts everything into perspective. Thanks, Redeemed Mama, for taking the time out of your day to submit a review. We're really grateful for the encouragement and the feedback.

Starting point is 00:06:59 If you're listening on Spotify, please give us a follow and hit the notification bell to never miss a new episode. There's also an option to leave a five-star rating if you're listening on Spotify, please give us a follow and hit the notification bell to never miss a new episode. There's also an option to leave a five-star rating if you're listening on your phone. And finally, the simplest way to help us grow is to send this episode to a friend. We really appreciate all the support and we hope that you have a great rest of your day. And we'll see you back here on Friday.

The Pour Over Today - Wednesday, February 9, 2022

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