The Pour Over Today - Wednesday, January 5, 2022

Episode Date: January 5, 2022

The jury reaches a verdict in the Elizabeth Holmes trial, the debate over social media’s role in policing content flares up again, COVID hits the classroom, and other top news for Wednesday, January 5th. Stay informed, while remaining focused on Christ, with The Pour Over. Today's episode is sponsored by For What It's Worth. Subscribe to this free newsletter in just one click. Seriously… one click:https://sparklp.co/prtn/667d7c?email=*|EMAIL|*(By subscribing you agree to the Terms of Service and Privacy Policy)

The jury reaches a verdict in the Elizabeth Holmes trial, the debate over social media's role in policing content flares up again, COVID hits the classroom, and other top news for Wednesday, January 5th. Stay informed while remaining focused on Christ with The Pour Over. Thanks so much for joining us. Here's the quote of the day. If there is no absolute moral standard, then one cannot say in a final sense that anything is right or wrong.

Francis A. Schaefer. Let's jump right in with some espresso shots. This week, Facebook suspended Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene's account for violating the platform's COVID-19 misinformation policy. This came shortly after Twitter permanently banned Greene's personal account for the same reason. And thus, a national debate has been re-sparked. Are social media companies censoring dissenting voices or slowing the spread of misinformation? Senator Rand Paul and podcasting behemoth Joe Rogan both think big tech is overstepping, with Paul announcing he's leaving YouTube for Rumble and Rogan telling followers to join him on Twitter alternative Getter, quote-unquote, just in case. Meanwhile, the social media companies say they are private companies with policies meant to protect their users,

and if you violate them, there are consequences. They've also said that if Congress doesn't like how they're self-policing, they should regulate the industry. 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. Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak, and slow to anger, for human anger does not accomplish God's righteousness. James chapter 1, 19-20 Elizabeth Holmes, who was once called the next Steve Jobs, has been convicted of

defrauding her investors. Holmes founded Theranos, a blood analysis startup with a too-good-to-be-true premise that turned out to be, well, too good to be true. The jury deliberated for 50 hours over seven days before the judge allowed them to issue a split verdict. She was convicted on four charges, found not guilty on four charges, and the jury remained deadlocked on three charges. Her conviction is the first high-profile investor fraud charge to stick in Silicon Valley. The place, not the TV show. And it serves as a warning to other entrepreneurs tempted to adopt the fake-it-till-you-make-it strategy. Holmes faces up to 20 years in prison. While we doubt getting COVID was anyone's New Year's resolution, over 1 million new COVID cases were reported on Monday. The explosion of cases means many

parents' Christmas wishes of sending their kids back to school—kidding, kind of—aren't coming true just yet. Unable to staff classrooms, many major school districts who promised in-person learning had to abruptly change their lesson plans and start the semester virtually. Pfizer's FDA emergency use authorization was extended to children ages 12 to 15, the first booster authorized for that age group. Next up is the CDC's thumbs up. The CDC already updated some of their recommendations, authorizing boosters for immunocompromised 5 to 11-year-olds. Average U.S. case counts are now nearly 500,000 per day, with hospitalizations climbing as well, and deaths largely remaining flat. It can be hard to remain hopeful as the pandemic drags into yet another year. Yet,

even in the darkest times, Jesus is working all things, yes, even COVID, for the good of those who love him. We know that all good things work together for the good of those who love God, who are called according to his purpose. Romans 8.28 This episode is sponsored by For What It's Worth.

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In other brews, here's a rapid round of updates. Here's a rapid round of updates. The Albany District Court has declined to prosecute former New York Governor Andrew Cuomo for allegedly groping a former aide, saying they did not believe they could prove any crime beyond a reasonable doubt in court. Apple has already crossed off one New Year's resolution, become the first U.S. company worth $3 trillion. Their stint above 3T was brief but no less impressive for it. They became the first U.S. company to pass $1 trillion in August 2018 and have sold

a lot more AirPods since then. Gunman attempted to assassinate Haiti's acting president and prime minister, Ariel Henry, at a church on Saturday. The attempt failed but underscored the lawless conditions of the country six months after Henry's predecessor, President Moise, was assassinated by Colombian mercenaries. Gangs are now estimated to control over half of Haiti's territory. Dozens of U.S. cities shattered their annual homicide records in 2021. Chicago ended the year as the homicide capital of the country, with 797 murders, its highest in a quarter century. Other major cities surpassing yearly homicide records include St. Paul, Portland, Tucson, Toledo, Baton Rouge, Austin, Rochester,

and Albuquerque. Your old BlackBerry has been officially promoted to a paperweight. Your old BlackBerry has been officially promoted to a paperweight. The once cutting-edge company announced it has ended support for classic BlackBerry devices, meaning you can't use data, send texts, or make calls, even to 911. If your thumbs really miss those tiny keyboards, most devices sold after 2013 will still work. And that is all we have for today. Thank you so much for joining us. will still work. And that is all we have for today. Thank you so much for joining us. If you found this podcast helpful or encouraging, please consider giving us a five-star rating. You can do so on Spotify and Apple Podcasts. And if that's asking for too much, we would request to just

share it with a friend. Have a great rest of your day, and we will see you on Friday.