The Pour Over Today - Wednesday, March 23, 2022

Starting point is 00:00:00 Today we're talking about Biden's travels to Europe, a plane crash in China, confirmation hearings for a Supreme Court nominee, and other top news for Wednesday, March 23rd. Stay informed while remaining focused on Christ with The Pour Over. Here's the quote of the day. Scripture is like a pair of spectacles which dispels the darkness and gives us a clear view of God. John Calvin. Let's get started with some espresso shots.

Starting point is 00:00:23 John Calvin. Let's get started with some espresso shots. Today, President Biden heads to Brussels for an emergency NATO summit where he will share his latest plan to punish Russia and support Ukraine. This may include scaling up troops deployed along the alliance's eastern edge. The summit comes as NATO officials warn that the war is approaching a stalemate. Deadly battles still rage in Ukraine, but neither side is taking significant ground or showing signs of giving up. The 27-day war has already displaced 10 million Ukrainians, which is over one quarter of its population. Putin is fighting other battles as well. Intelligence suggests Russia is planning to ramp up their cyber attacks on U.S. companies, so lock your digital doors. The Kremlin's most famous domestic critic, opposition leader Alexei

Starting point is 00:01:04 Navalny, was sentenced to nine more years in prison. The war has created massive need and Christians should be a source of enduring support. Roads of Hope is supporting orphans and refugees in and around Ukraine. Consider partnering with us and donating $10. You can email us a receipt so we can track it or buy a t-shirt. We've got a link for you in the show notes. Deuteronomy 10.18 says, God executes justice for the fatherless and the widow and loves the resident alien, giving him food and clothing. Monday saw China's worst air disaster in 12 years. Flight 5735 was carrying 132 people on a short trip between two cities in southern China when it seemingly dropped out of the air. Video captured by a nearby mining company appears to show the plane in a near-vertical

Starting point is 00:01:49 nosedive, and flight trackers show that it dropped more than 20,000 feet in roughly a minute. This is approximately 250 miles per hour. No survivors have been found, though searches continue. Officials don't know what happened. The plane was relatively new, about seven years old, and the model, which is a Boeing 737-800, has a strong safety record. It happened during initial descent, which is a statistically safe period of a flight. An investigation is underway, but will require some international cooperation. This was a U.S.-designed plane with French components that was being operated by a Chinese company. Here's a verse to consider when saddened and confused by seemingly random tragedy.

Starting point is 00:02:27 Weep with those who weep. Romans 12, 15. The Senate's confirmation is all that stands between Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson and the Supreme Court, but she spent the week being peppered with questions by senators. In her opening remarks, Jackson thanked God and acknowledged the historic nature of her nomination. She told senators she takes her, quote, duty to be politically independent very seriously, and she pledged to decide cases on the Supreme Court, quote, without fear or favor. In general, Democrats have been congratulatory and Republicans skeptical. During questioning, Jackson refused to weigh in on political issues, like whether the nine-member high court should be expanded, and she defended her record on everything from sentencing in child pornography cases

Starting point is 00:03:06 to being a public defender for Guantanamo Bay detainees. Judge Jackson needs 51 votes to be confirmed, which is expected but not certain. The Supreme Court is an important and powerful institution, but as Christians, our hope is never contingent on who the justices are or what decisions they make. It's much more secure than that. 1 Peter 1, 3, and 4 says, Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. Because of his great mercy, he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead,

Starting point is 00:03:34 and into an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, kept in heaven for you. This podcast is brought to you by the Christian Standard Bible. Broadly speaking, there are two approaches to translating the Bible. You can translate words or translate phrases. The result is over 450 different English translations, and 2 Kings 4.29 can be read in many different ways, including, quote, gird up your loins or, quote, don't lose a minute and everything in between. The Christian Standard Bible was translated using optimal equivalence, pursuing both linguistic precision and readability. That means you're reading the same words spoken in 30 AD, except when word-for-word translation breaks the English language. So quit procrastinating and

Starting point is 00:04:14 gird up your loins. Check out all the CSB has to offer. We've got a link for you in the show notes. In other brews, here's a rapid round of updates. Maryland and Georgia have temporarily suspended their state gas tax, which saves drivers about 30 cents per gallon to provide some relief at the pump. A dozen other states are considering similar gas tax holidays, while California is mulling over a flat $400 rebate to taxpayers. The U.S. has declared that Myanmar's military committed genocide against its Rohingya minority people, citing evidence of intent to destroy the Rohingya

Starting point is 00:04:52 with reports of killings, mass rape, and arson. Hundreds of thousands of Rohingya Muslims have fled Myanmar since the military began cracking down, and thousands have been killed. Does giving out earth-shaped stress balls make a company more climate-friendly? A new SEC proposal would require public companies to disclose to investors their greenhouse gas emissions and the risks that climate change poses on their business. Critics say the proposal is outside the commission's lane and expertise. Miami Beach wants a break from spring break. The city declared a state of emergency and implemented a midnight curfew after two shootings injured five people over the weekend. The mayor says spring break is something the island city doesn't ask for but is forced to endure.

Starting point is 00:05:35 If you're happy and you know it, maybe you live in Finland. The World Happiness Report named Finland the happiest country for the fifth year in a row. And its northern European neighbors, Denmark, Iceland, Sweden, and Norway all made the top 10 as well. The United States ranked 16th, and Afghanistan came in last. That's all we have for today. Thanks so much for listening. If you're thinking, I want to help more Christians stay informed while remaining focused on Christ, here's a breakdown on how you can best support us. If you're listening on the Apple Podcast app, you can give us a five-star rating and drop us a review. We do actually read these and take them to heart. Like this one from username NWLatteLover. I appreciate this podcast's commitment to news without theatrics and bias. An added and appreciated

Starting point is 00:06:14 element is the hope of God inserted throughout. Highly recommend. Thanks so much for taking the time out of your day to submit a review. We're so grateful for the feedback. If you're listening on Spotify, give us a follow and hit the notification bell to never miss a new episode. There is also an option to leave a five-star rating, but it's a newer feature and it's only doable on your phone. And finally, the simplest way to help us grow is to send this episode to a friend. We hope you have a great rest of your day and we'll see you back here on Friday, March 25th.

The Pour Over Today - Wednesday, March 23, 2022

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