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U.S. NEWS

Anniversary Lawsuits

Two years after nineteen children and two teachers were killed at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, TX, the victims’ families have filed new lawsuits.

They’re suing the gun manufacturer, the maker of Call of Duty, and Meta. The suits accuse the companies of “grooming” young men to carry out violent video game fantasies in real life, claiming they introduced the gunman to the weapon, conditioned him to see it as a solution to problems, and trained him to use it. 

Video game creator Activision cited the millions who enjoy Call of Duty without turning to violence. Meta and the gun manufacturer haven’t commented.

Last Wednesday, victims’ families reached a $2M settlement with the city of Uvalde and announced additional filings against 92 officers who were at the school for over an hour before stopping the gunman.

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Verse to consider when the darkness in our world feels overwhelming… “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God… In him was life, and that life was the light of men. That light shines in the darkness, and yet the darkness did not overcome it.”
John 1:1, 4-5 (CSB) (read full passage)

WORLD NEWS

Murders in Haiti

Gang members shot and killed a U.S. missionary couple and a Haitian man who worked with them in Port-au-Prince Thursday. 

Davy and Natalie Lloyd were serving in Missions of Haiti, a missions organization headed by Davy’s dad. The organization runs an orphanage for 450 children and two churches. Jude Montis was a local pastor with a wife and two young children who’d been with the organization for 20 years.

Violence reigns in Haiti.

Gangs—which control 80% of the capital—have burned police stations, shot up the airport, and broken 4,000 inmates out of the country’s largest prisons. Last year, Kenya offered to lead a U.N.-backed multinational police force to restore order to the Caribbean nation, which should arrive in three weeks. The U.S. has provided weapons, training, and funding but not troops.

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CHRISTIAN RESPONSE
Join us in prayer for the families of the Lloyds and Jude Montis that the “God of all comfort” would move in power in this time of incredible tragedy. (2 Corinthians 1:3-4)

“Grant, O Lord, to all who are bereaved the spirit of faith and courage, that they may have strength to meet the days to come with steadfastness and patience; not sorrowing as those without hope, but in thankful remembrance of your great goodness, and in the joyful expectation of eternal life with all who love you.”
Book of Common Prayer, page 264

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Anxious Much?

Election Year [ih-lek-shuhn yeer]: a 365-day period that includes a trip to the ballot box, prompting higher-than-average news-induced anxiety. 

At The Pour Over, we believe in keeping readers informed without the jitters.

Our anger-and-anxiety-free, Christ-first news coverage is and always will be free. We’re supported by ads (thanks, sponsors!) and readers who choose to pay (this could be you!). That’s right… some readers choose to pay for a free product. We <3 them.

With the election approaching, more people than ever are looking for an alternative to politically motivated, anger-inducing news. Help us reach them by choosing to pay. As a sweetener… we’re giving new annual members one of our new Election Collection T-shirts!

WEATHER

Turbulent Weather

Nearly 700 people are presumed dead after a massive landslide sheared off the side of Papua New Guinea’s Mount Mongalo on Friday.

It’s taken a grim toll on the remote village’s estimated 4,000 inhabitants, leaving nearly 1,300 people homeless and 150 homes buried, with 250 more homes condemned. Since the earth is still shifting, rescue efforts have been all but impossible, and convoys are struggling to get supplies to survivors. 

Existing tribal tensions have made things worse, with eight locals killed in a dispute between rival clans on Saturday. 

Stateside, several communities in Texas, Arkansas, and Oklahoma were devastated by tornadoes that killed at least eight people and caused significant property damage over the weekend. This follows a twister that killed five in Iowa last Tuesday.

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ETERNAL PERSPECTIVE
Natural disasters remind us that all of creation is broken. Christians can look forward to a perfect eternity in which redemption exists, not just for people but for creation itself.

“For the creation was subjected to futility ​— ​not willingly, but because of him who subjected it ​— ​in the hope that the creation itself will also be set free from the bondage to decay into the glorious freedom of God’s children.”
Romans 8:20-21 (CSB) (read full passage)

If cheese is not sticking to your pizza, add glue. If you have digestion issues, eat one small rock per day. Those are among the suggestions Google’s new “AI Overviews” search feature made to users, leading to online mockery. Google says these were “isolated examples” that are being fixed. For now… just ignore Google’s spicy spaghetti with gasoline recipe.
 
 
Carlo Acutis, a 15-year-old Catholic Italian computer wizard who died of leukemia in 2006, will likely become the youngest contemporary saint. On Thursday, Pope Francis attributed a second miracle to Acutis: a woman healed after her mother’s prayers at Acutis’ tomb. With two healing miracles under his (posthumous) belt, Acutis can receive sainthood if the Consistory of Cardinals approves. 
 
 
Two-time PGA Tour champ Grayson Murray took his own life Saturday, one day after withdrawing from the Charles Schwab Cup Challenge, citing illness. The thirty-year-old had overcome alcohol and mental health challenges to win the Sony Open this year with a 40-foot putt. Murray’s family thanked the golf community for its support. 
 
 
The United Nation’s top court ordered Israel to “immediately halt its military offensive in Rafah,” as well as allow war crimes investigators and more humanitarian aid into Gaza. It stopped short of calling for an all-out ceasefire. Israel has signaled it will ignore the order and has committed to bring home its hostages and “promise the security of its citizens.”
 
 
Morgan Spurlock, the director and star of the documentary “Super Size Me,” died on Thursday of cancer at age 53. The Oscar-nominated film, which documented Spurlock's month-long McDonalds-only diet, grossed over $22 million and helped reform the fast food industry on a kids-sized $65,000 budget. He went on to direct other documentaries and shows on a range of topics.

WHIPPED CREAM ON TOP

What a way to watch a sunset…

What We’re Listening To
Biblical reflection > angry updates, with The Table Podcast*

I’m a TPO writer, so of course, I listen to news podcasts. But lately, I’ve been so drained by the constant doom and gloom of it all.

My podcast feed needed a serious reboot, and I’m so thankful for “The Table Podcast.” Dallas Theological Seminary gathers trustworthy academics and church leaders each week to talk about God and culture (a range of topics that includes pretty much… everything) to show how theology touches every corner of our lives.

If you want a listen that makes you wiser, builds your faith, and keeps you engaged in the culture without all the battle cries, come to “The Table Podcast.” Listen here and follow along on your favorite pod-catcher.

Steph Juliot | Writer

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