The Pour Over Today - Wednesday, July 12, 2023

Episode Date: July 12, 2023

Today, we're talking about the NATO summit, extreme weather across the U.S., stalled military leader nominations, and other top news for Wednesday, July 12th. Stay informed while remaining focused on Christ with The Pour Over. Click here to get National Weather Service advisories Sponsored by The End of the Road podcast - available wherever you listen to podcasts

Today we're talking about the NATO summit, extreme weather across the U.S., stalled military leader nominations, and other top news for Wednesday, July 12th. Stay informed while remaining focused on Christ with The Pour Over. Here's the quote of the day. The early church didn't say, look what the world is coming to. They said, look what has come into the world. Carl F. H. Henry. Let's jump right in with some espresso shots.

The 2023 NATO summit is wrapping up today in Lithuania, and this year's meeting featured a public DTR with two countries. Bachelor number one, Ukraine, and bachelor number two, Sweden. NATO finally said it'll conduct a periodic review of Ukraine's standards of democracy ahead of an invitation, which Ukraine has long pursued, so you're telling me there's a chance. Though timeline details for the review remain vague. Ukrainian President Zelensky called NATO's lack of clarity absurd, arguing that Ukraine's inclusion in NATO would be the best way to deter Russia. Then there's Sweden. Turkey had opposed the Nordic country's inclusion, claiming Sweden was complicit in allowing Kurdish rebels to operate within the country.

Turkey lifted its veto Monday, paving the way for Sweden to get a rose and become NATO's 32nd member. While we cannot control the negotiations of diplomats across the world or bank on geopolitical wins, we can trust in God's unsurpassed power and ultimate victory. Isaiah 26, 1 and 3 say, We have a strong city. He sets up salvation as walls and bulwarks. You keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on you, because he trusts in you. Outside is serving up too much of good things.

First, we've got rain in the Northeast. Flash floods claimed one life and left drivers swimming from their cars in New York and prompted emergency warnings for central Vermont. West Point, New York saw a staggering 7.5 inches of rain in six hours on Sunday, a once-in-a-millennium event. Then there's heat in the south. Phoenix, Arizona is approaching two weeks of over 110 degrees Fahrenheit with no signs of letting up. Saturday's temps could hit 118 degrees Fahrenheit, but stay a chilly 91 degrees overnight. They're not the only ones frying

eggs on the sidewalk. A heat advisory is in effect for much of Texas and South Florida, where high humidity push heat indexes to 112 degrees Fahrenheit. Need more info on your area? Check out the link in our show notes to get National Weather Service advisories. Christians can look forward to an eternity where there's redemption not just for people, but for creation itself. Job 12 verse 10 says, The life of every living thing is in his hand, as well as the breath of all humanity. For the first time in 164 years, the U.S. Marine Corps is without a confirmed commandant. Top military positions are nominated and confirmed by the Senate. The Marines' top

officer stepped down on Monday, having completed his time in the four-year position. His replacement, however, hasn't been confirmed yet. In fact, 265 military leadership positions are waiting to be confirmed, and there's a retired Tiger standing in the way. Former Auburn football coach turned senator Tommy Tuberville has been blocking military nominations and promotions for several months in protest of a Department of Defense policy financing travel for service members crossing state lines to obtain abortions. A bipartisan group of seven former U.S. Defense Secretaries urged Senate leadership to, quote, confirm these uniformed nominees, unquote,

but Tuberville has shown no sign of ending his protest. Being peaceable, gentle, and open to reason in the face of culturally hot topics is a sign of God's wisdom in us. Romans 12 verse 18 says, if possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone. This episode is brought to you by the End of the Road podcast. This episode is brought to you by the End of the Road podcast. Imagine your longest day of travel, then keep going. The End of the Road podcast explores what God is doing in some of the most remote travel-for-a-day-by-canoe-through-jungle places on the planet. Each week, you'll hear an interview about places you'll likely never go, cultures you'll likely never experience, with people you'll likely never forget.

It's part adventure travel, part extreme mission, and entirely worth your time to listen. Find the End of the Road podcast wherever you listen to podcasts. In other brews, here's a rapid round of updates. Larry Nassar, the disgraced former USA Gymnastics doctor convicted of sexually abusing hundreds of female gymnasts, was stabbed 10 times in the neck, back, and chest by another prison inmate on Sunday. Nassar, who is serving a 175-year sentence, was rushed to the hospital and is in stable condition. North Dakota Governor Doug Burgum is testing a new presidential campaign fundraising strategy, giving away money. An invite to the Republican debate stage requires 40,000 individual donors.

To hit that number, Burgum is offering $20 gift cards in exchange for $1 donations until he's given away $1 million. And you thought going to ERAs was expensive. million. And you thought going to ERAs was expensive. The appeal of drugs like Ozempic, Saxenda, and Wegovi, which are increasingly popular for off-label weight loss treatment, may be getting skinnier. The European Medicines Agency is broadening an investigation into potential suicide risks after approximately 100 possible cases of self-injury and suicidal thoughts were reported by patients using the drugs. Former President Trump's team has requested the trial into his alleged mishandling of classified documents be pushed until after the 2024 election, arguing he cannot receive a fair trial during the

election cycle. Special Counsel Jack Smith has pushed for a December 2023 trial, saying it's in the public's interest to begin as soon as possible. Northwestern University is looking for a new head football coach. Coach Pat Fitzgerald was fired after 17 years of leading the Wildcats following allegations of team hazing. Fitzgerald maintains that he was not aware of the hazing, a claim seemingly backed up by reports. However, he is, quote, ultimately responsible for the culture of his team, unquote, according to university president Michael Schill. And that's all we have for today. Thank you 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 sincerely appreciate your support and we hope you have a great day. We'll see you on Friday.