Read Time: 5 min 54 sec | Listen to Podcast

U.S. NEWS

(Proposed) Reform

President Biden wants to reform Uncle Sam’s highest court, saying change is necessary to regain public trust after recent “extreme opinions.”

Announced Monday, his proposal includes:

1. Term limits for SCOTUS justices: the sitting president would appoint a justice to an 18-year term every two years, preventing any single president from exerting “undue influence for generations to come.”

2. A binding code of ethics: the Supremes’ recently adopted code of ethics has no means of enforcement; Biden says adding some is “common sense.”

The president also called on Congress to pass the “No One Is Above the Law Amendment” limiting SCOTUS’s recent decision giving presidents broad immunity from criminal prosecution.

Just one problem… implementing these ideas would require broad agreement in Congress, and Republicans are not on board, making the proposal unlikely to go anywhere.

__

ABOVE ALL, LOVE
Jesus showed compassion when people expected rejection, gentleness when people expected anger, and love when people expected hate. Whether you’re discussing constitutional amendments this week or replying to a coworker, be imitators of Christ.

“No foul language should come from your mouth, but only what is good for building up someone in need, so that it gives grace to those who hear.”
Ephesians 4:29 (CSB) (read full passage)

OLYMPICS

Flipping Out

U.S. gymnasts are mining medals in Paris. 

The men’s gymnastics team has new bronze hardware after landing its first medal in 16 years on Monday. Pommel horse specialist (and overnight sensation) Clark Kent Stephen Nedoroscik secured the team’s podium spot with the team’s highest score of the day. 

Meanwhile, the women’s gymnastics team’s ‘redemption tour’ is redemptioning. After “settling” for silver in Tokyo, the team led by the returning Biles, Chiles, Lee, and Carey clinched gold by a whopping 5.8 points yesterday. Now, Simone Biles is the most decorated American gymnast ever, with eight medals (including five gold). 

Men’s individual finals begin at 10:30 a.m. Central today; the women return to the arena tomorrow. Team USA has already accumulated nearly 30 medals overall, putting Uncle Sam squarely in the lead (see live medal counts). 

__

CHRISTIAN PERSPECTIVE
The commitment of Olympic athletes to their sport encourages us to press on as we seek to win an “imperishable crown” at the end of our faith journey, and the joy of fans for their country can give us a foretaste of the greatest celebration in history. 

“Now everyone who competes exercises self-control in everything. They do it to receive a perishable crown, but we an imperishable crown.”
1 Corinthians 9:25 (CSB) (read full passage)

SPONSORED

Hop On Board

Yes, wait times at the doctor’s office in the U.S. can be frustrating, but did you know:

• In sub-Saharan Africa, there is only 1 surgeon for every 200,000 people 

• Globally, 5 billion people lack access to safe surgical care

For over 45 years, Mercy Ships has been meeting this need. Their custom-built civilian hospital ships bring state-of-the-art surgical care to children and adults who otherwise would go without—and it’s completely free of charge.

One of those children was Umu, who had a potentially deadly (but easily operable) tumor. Her family was devastated… but now she’s thriving!

Want to learn more about Mercy Ships? Check out this short video to find your place on board!

WORLD NEWS

Two Winners

Protests have erupted across Venezuela as both sides are claiming victory in this week’s presidential election.

The National Electoral Council—which is run by the incumbent, Nicolás Maduro’s government—officially says Maduro won 51% to 44%, giving him his third consecutive six-year term. Opposition leaders said they weren’t allowed to have witnesses present during counting, but the tally sheets they obtained for ~9 million votes (73%) show a landslide victory for their candidate, Edmundo Gonzalez.

U.S. Secretary of State Blinken joined other regional leaders like Peru and Chile in expressing serious concerns and calling for transparency from election officials. Russia and China both congratulated Maduro on the victory.

Ahead of the election, many opposition supporters promised to leave Venezuela if Maduro was re-elected, citing the country’s economic collapse and violent repression under his power.

__

CHRISTIAN PERSPECTIVE
Just as many Americans view the outcomes of foreign elections with a certain level of detachment, Christians view earthly political outcomes as secondary to the campaign of our eternal home, where we hold our truest citizenship.

“From now on, then, we do not know anyone from a worldly perspective.… in Christ, God was reconciling the world to himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and he has committed the message of reconciliation to us. Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, since God is making his appeal through us.”
2 Corinthians 5:16, 19-20 (CSB) (read full passage)

Three young girls were killed in a mass stabbing at a Taylor Swift-themed dance class in Southport, England, on Monday; 10 others were wounded. Police have arrested and charged a 17-year-old male suspect, who they believe acted alone. Taylor Swift said on Instagram that she’s “completely in shock,” and King Charles III offered condolences following the “utterly horrific incident.”  
 

The FDA has approved a blood test for colon cancer, the second-highest cause of cancer death (~53,000/year) in Americans. Research shows the test, called Shield, was 83% effective at detecting colorectal cancers. Shield does not replace colonoscopies, but could significantly boost detection rates as fewer than 60% of eligible people actually receive routine colon screenings.
 

Former President Trump has agreed to a “victim interview” with the FBI as part of the investigation into the assassination attempt against him. The interview, a standard and voluntary part of FBI investigations, comes after investigators uncovered texts showing the shooter was identified as suspicious 90 minutes before the attack—information which reportedly never made it to Trump’s security detail.
 

Western terrains aren’t catching a break. West Texas has experienced over 100 earthquakes in the last week, prompting emergency declarations. The seismic tremors—rare for the region—are believed to be caused by oil and gas activity. Meanwhile, California’s Park Fire has grown to the fifth-largest in state history; a suspect accused of starting the fire has been charged with arson.
 

Meta is handing over some of its spare change in a $1.4 billion settlement with Texas over data privacy. Texas’s Attorney General filed the suit in 2022, alleging that Meta “ran facial recognition software” on photos and videos uploaded to Facebook by millions of Texas residents without obtaining consent, in violation of state law.

WHIPPED CREAM ON TOP

A lot of dominos falling…

What We’re Attending
Global Leadership Summit*

Believe it or not, we do more than just write three emails a week at The Pour Over. 

While they don’t let me get anywhere near the newsletter content, we’ve got marketing, sales, and near-daily dumpster fires. It’s easy to grind through the day-to-day work in the business instead of working on the business. That’s why Jason and I are prioritizing the Global Leadership Summit. 

GLS is a masterfully executed conference with world-class speakers that will grow your leadership skills and capacity whether you lead a Fortune 500 company or a small team.

Join us and thousands of others on August 8-9 at a local summit or online.

Nate Wells | Head of Business

How We’re Searching the Interwebs
Freespoke*

Do you trust your browser to prepare you for November? There’s a simple way to get your questions answered while protecting your family from the worst parts of the internet.

Freespoke is a search engine that does a few important things differently:

• News results show all sides with media biases labeled (left, middle, right)

• Their new election page delivers news, stats, and commentary from all viewpoints

• No adult content—they’re a partner in protecting families from obscene content

Plus, when you search “The Pour Over,” we’re the top result (not some coffee brewing method), and that search is kept private.

Try searching on Freespoke and search beyond the bias.