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ELECTION

Six Days

An estimated 50 million voters already have their stickers as both candidates urge Americans to hit the polls (or post office) early. 

Some voters in Oregon and Washington need to re-vote after two ballot drop boxes were set on fire in what officials called “a direct attack on democracy.” A fire suppression system saved all but three ballots in Oregon (those voters have been identified and contacted), but hundreds of ballots were destroyed in Washington. Authorities are investigating and urging Washingtonian voters to check their ballot status online. 

Meanwhile, the Trump Campaign is distancing itself from comedian Tony Hinchcliffe, who described Puerto Rico as an “island of garbage” during the former President’s rally at Madison Square Garden. VP Harris has spotlighted the comment, claiming Trump “abandoned” Puerto Rico after back-to-back hurricanes in 2017.

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CHRISTIAN PERSPECTIVE
If all the election news coming from every direction is overwhelming to you, remember that your mission remains the same regardless of what’s new in the news cycle: love God and make disciples. 

“Go, therefore, and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe everything I have commanded you. And remember, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”
Matthew 28:19-20 (CSB) (read full passage)

TECH

Pocket Robots

Apple just upped its IQ.

The iCompany debuted its long-awaited Apple Intelligence update Monday––its first venture into AI tools for newer iPhones, iPads, and Macs. After updating their software, users can join a quick waitlist in Settings… and just minutes later, they’ll have their own friendly pocket robot.

The initial A(pple)I features include Writing Tools (make your text sound friendlier!! or more professional); summaries of the 87 group text notifications you missed; a tool to remove unwanted photobombs; and a glowed-up, more conversational Siri that can do things like “find that picture I took with a giraffe last year.”

Apple plans to release Genmoji (custom emojis) and Image Playground (a place to create AI-generated cartoon images) in December, likely in the iOS 18.2 update.

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CHRISTIAN PERSPECTIVE
Whether you’re thrilled by innovation or intimidated by new threats, live with joy and pursue holiness because believers already know how this story ends. Technology will never outsmart God or thwart his plan to renew and glorify all who are in Christ. 

“But based on his promise, we wait for new heavens and a new earth, where righteousness dwells. Therefore, dear friends, while you wait for these things, make every effort to be found without spot or blemish in his sight, at peace.” 
2 Peter 3:13-14 (CSB) (read full passage)

SUPPORT

Fighting Goliath(s)

The news shapes us more than we realize, especially around election season. 

That’s scary. We want Christians to become more like Christ, not Fox or CNN.

TPO is designed to help people stay informed without losing their focus on Christ, and it’s working (850,000+ readers)! We just still have so far to go. We’re not fighting against one Goliath, but multiple; they’re massive news organizations that want viewers to become angry, fearful, and hateful.

People see the problem more clearly than ever in 2024 and are looking for an alternative. 

Help us reach them by choosing to pay for The Pour Over. This is totally optional. TPO is free, but you can choose to pay $49/year or get a recently discounted Lifetime Membership for $99 (one-time payment). 

Thanks for helping us fight to keep Christians focused on Christ, even when reading the news.

WORLD NEWS

Out of Israel

Israel is active on all fronts.

On the homefront, the Israeli parliament voted overwhelmingly to ban United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) operations in Israel after hearing evidence that the humanitarian organization has been infiltrated by Hamas. The Biden administration and international community strongly oppose the move, worried it will push the UNRWA out of the region and deepen Gaza’s humanitarian crisis.
 
In northern Gaza, more than 50,000 civilians have been evacuated as Israel seeks to eliminate “pockets of Hamas militants.” After the IDF surrounded a refugee camp and conducted a hospital raid, some 600 terrorists were apprehended and hundreds more killed. An overnight Israeli strike in a residential area of the same city killed 50-100 Palestinians, including civilians.

Farther north in Lebanon, Hezbollah, whose previous commander was killed in September, named its new leader. 
 
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Verse to consider as you pray for the peaceful end of conflicts worldwide…“I will cut off the chariot from Ephraim and the horse from Jerusalem. The bow of war will be removed, and he will proclaim peace to the nations. His dominion will extend from sea to sea, from the Euphrates River to the ends of the earth.”
Zechariah 9:10 (CSB) (read full passage)

Washington Post owner Jeff Bezos defended the paper’s new policy against endorsing presidential candidates Monday, saying endorsements “do nothing to tip the scales of an election,” and instead “create a perception of bias.” His op-ed comes after 3 of WaPo’s ten editorial board members resigned and reports that 200,000 subscribers (8% of its digital audience) have pressed the cancel button.
 

The people have spoken in the Land of the Rising Sun. Japan's Liberal Democratic Party, which has held power almost continuously since 1955, lost its single-party majority in Sunday’s election. The LDP won only 191 seats in the lower house (down from 247) following high inflation and a scandal with top party leaders receiving kickbacks for political favors.
 

JPMorgan Chase is suing customers who participated in a viral “money glitch” TikTok challenge (which turned out to be just good ol’ fashioned check fraud). The lawsuits, filed Monday, follow a technical glitch that allowed thousands of people to deposit fake checks and withdraw funds before they bounced; one man reportedly withdrew over $290,000 using the method.
 

Ladies and gentlemen… NBA legend… actor Laurence Fishburne? A newly unveiled statue of Miami Heat’s Dwyane Wade has sparked backlash for looking like… people other than the 3-time NBA champion (see photos). Wade himself chose the moment depicted in the statue, made multiple trips to the art studio during its sculpting, and called it “beautiful” at its unveiling Sunday.
 

The Beef is back. Ronald’s bringing back onionless Quarter Pounders after FDA testing ok'd McDonald’s beef and narrowed in on slivered onions as the culprit for a recent E. coli outbreak. You may also finally be able to get a McFlurry after a court ruled restaurant owners can now repair previously digitally locked McBroken ice cream machines (check yours here).

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What We’re Subscribing To
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I love knowing how to specifically pray for believers when there is tragedy in the news, and there’s something powerful about knowing I’m joining thousands of other Christians in praying for our persecuted brothers and sisters! Join me (it’s free).

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