The Pour Over Today - Wednesday, July 26, 2023

Episode Date: July 26, 2023

Today, we’re talking about Twitter’s rebrand, an obstruction at the Southern Border, wildfire evacuations in Greece, and other top news for Monday, June, 27th. Stay informed while remaining focused on Christ with The Pour Over. Sponsored by The End of the Road Podcast - available anywhere you listen to podcasts

Today we're talking about Twitter's rebrand, an obstruction at the southern border, wildfire evacuations in Greece, and other top news for Wednesday, July 26th. Stay informed while remaining focused on Christ with The Pour Over. Here's the quote of the day. I have given God countless reasons not to love me. None of them has been strong enough to change him. Paul Washer Let's get started with some espresso shots. Even buoys and lawsuits are bigger in Texas. The Department of Justice sued the Lone Star State on Monday

over the floating wall Governor Abbott ordered built in the Rio Grande. The strong, wrecking ball-sized buoys block a.2-mile migrant crossing hotspot, the latest Operation Lone Star directive aimed at turning the tide of illegal immigration. The DOJ says the buoys violate the Rivers and Harbors Act, which bans any water obstructions placed without federal approval. The Biden administration called the barrier inhumane and a public safety risk. Abbott's response? See you in court. The governor stands behind the barrier as an effective deterrent, arguing that he hasn't overstepped his constitutional authority

and that his hand was forced by federal inaction. Illegal border crossing dropped 42% from May to June, but remain around 100,000 a month. Big buoys will likely have little impact on the kingdom of God. Care for your current home while focusing ultimately on our eternal home, a city whose walls keep out injustice and whose gates are always open. Revelation 21 verse 3 says, Behold, the dwelling place of God is with man. He will dwell with them and they will be his people, and God himself will be with them as their God. himself will be with them as their god. If you dislike birds and love short URLs,

we've got good news. Twitter is now X.com. Elon Musk explained the reasoning in a tweet, or X, Monday night, saying the name Twitter made sense when it was just 140 character messages going back and forth, like birds tweeting. But longer posts and soon-to-come comprehensive communication and the ability to conduct your entire financial world don't fit with the bird. Musk has previously said he wants to turn Twitter into the everything app. TikTok also joined in the change-up fun, announcing its own version of text-only posts. The posts, which look similar to Instagram stories and are expected to compete with Twitter slash X, allow users to add backgrounds, sounds, stickers, and up to 1,000 characters of text. Social media can be both fun and useful when it's in its proper place, but is easily misused.

It's never a bad idea to take stock of your own social media diet to make sure first things are first. Colossians 3 verses 2-4 say, Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things. For you died and your life is hidden with Christ in God. When Christ, who is your life, appears, then you will also appear with Him in glory. Wildfires have prompted the largest fire evacuation in Greece's history. Roughly 22,000 people have fled from the Greek islands of Rhodes and Corfu after fires tore past defenses on Monday. It's peak tourism season, and travelers are staying in airports, schools, and conference centers until they can get flights home.

Wildfires aren't uncommon, but this year everything seemed to strike at once. Nearly 50 new fires are sparking each day thanks to dry weather and suspected arson. Yesterday, a water-dropping plane fighting wildfires crashed, killing two crew members. Help is coming in from the EU and beyond, including Egypt, Turkey, Jordan, and Israel. Over in the U.S., smoke from the Canadian wildfires is, yes, still creating poor air quality in many of the northern states. Here's a verse to consider when lamenting constant natural disasters. For I will create new heavens and a new earth.

The past events will not be remembered or come to mind. Isaiah 65 verse 17. This episode is sponsored by the End of the Road podcast. Isaiah 65, verse 17. podcast will take you to some of the most challenging and remote places on the planet. Hear firsthand accounts of what life is like and what God is doing in the jungles of Congo, a war-torn city in the Middle East, and other places with cultures you'll likely never get to experience. If you want to hear fascinating stories, experience wild and remote places, and have your heart more inclined towards Christ, listen to the End of the Road podcast, available anywhere you listen to podcasts. In other brews, here's a rapid round of updates.

Carly Russell, the Alabama woman who went missing for two days after telling 911 that she saw a toddler on the highway, has admitted to fabricating the viral story of her abduction and assault. Russell apologized for the hoax in a statement given to the Hoover Police Department by her attorney. Israel's 120-seat parliament passed the conservative coalition's controversial judicial reform bill 64-0 after opposing lawmakers vacated the chamber to boycott the vote. The bill prevents Supreme Court justices from invalidating government decisions the court deems unreasonable. In Jerusalem, protests quieted Tuesday after reaching a fever pitch Monday. In Washington, President Biden called the bill divisive and rushed.

Jason Aldean's song, Try That in a Small Town, had relatively few streams until its controversial music video dropped. Now it's number two on the all-gen relatively few streams until its controversial music video dropped. Now it's number two on the all-genre Billboard Hot 100. The music video depicts footage of a flag burning in protests against the police. Critics suggested that the video has racist undertones and promotes violence. Aldean called the critiques not only meritless, but dangerous. Saudi Arabia wants Mbappe, mbad. After missing out on Lionel Messi, Saudi team Al-Halal offered a record transfer fee of $332 million on top of a reported $776 million one-year salary to 24-year-old French soccer star Kylian Mbappe. The 2018 World Cup

champion is in a standoff with his current team, Paris Saint-Germain, which confirmed the bid. Your package may arrive on time after all. UPS and the Teamsters Union, representing 340,000 of their workers, have reached a preliminary deal which, if approved, will avoid a very disruptive strike. The deal includes pay raises for both part- and full-time employees and ends mandatory overtime on driver's days off. 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 5-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.