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POLITICS

Cabinet Nominations

President-elect Trump is assembling his cabinet (sans Ikea instructions).

Here’s his list so far, pending Senate confirmation: 

• Senator Marco Rubio (R-FL) for Secretary of State (no formal offer yet), signaling the admin’s hawkish stance toward China

• Rep. Elise Stefanik (R-NY) for U.S. ambassador to the United Nations; Trump called her a “strong, tough, and smart America-first fighter.”

• Former Rep. Lee Zeldin (R-NY), for EPA head, tapped to “restore U.S. energy dominance” while protecting the environment.

• Immigration hardliner Governor Kristi Noem (R-SD) for Homeland Security secretary

Trump has also tapped Elon Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy to lead a newly planned Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), tasking them with cutting wasteful spending, eliminating regulations, and restructuring federal agencies.

Meanwhile, Democrats got a little good news: Democrat Ruben Gallego defeated Republican Kari Lake in the Arizona Senate race. 

(We’re also covering this story tomorrow in Decaf, The Pour Over for Families. Sign up—for free—here.)

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ETERNAL PERSPECTIVE
Politicians come and go, often disappointing supporters and opponents alike. Put your hope in the Lord, who has no term limit, rules with compassion, and executes justice perfectly. 

“But the Lord sits enthroned forever; he has established his throne for judgment. And he judges the world with righteousness; he executes judgment on the nations with fairness. The Lord is a refuge for the persecuted, a refuge in times of trouble. Those who know your name trust in you because you have not abandoned those who seek you, Lord.”
Psalm 9:7–10 (CSB) (read full passage)

ECONOMY

Digital Gold

Bitcoin has shot to the moon (AKA nearly $90,000).

The blockchain buck has seen a 30% gain since Election Day (see chart), with investors optimistic that the Trump administration will be friendly towards cryptocurrency. Miners—those who verify and add transactions to the blockchain (like a public ledger)—are betting on Trump’s campaign promise to stockpile bitcoin nationally and make the U.S. “the crypto capital of the planet.”

Elon Musk-backed dogecoin (another cryptocurrency) rocketed 36% in the last 24 hours, riding the wave of Musk’s anticipated Pennsylvania Avenue influence. Tesla is also up 40% since the election. 

In other crypto news, the estate of defunct crypto exchange FTX is attempting to claw back $1.8 billion from its rival Binance over a “fraudulent” share repurchase in 2021; Binance has rejected the “meritless” claim.

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Verse to consider whether your assets are rocketing to the moon or rolling around in the dust… “Instruct those who are rich in the present age not to be arrogant or to set their hope on the uncertainty of wealth, but on God, who richly provides us with all things to enjoy.” 
1 Timothy 6:17 (CSB) (read full passage)

FROM OUR PARTNERS

Mr. Generous

Last month, The Pour Over had the unique joy of giving away someone else's stuff… so we wanted to give them a shoutout.

Mr. Pen donated a ton of school supplies to students, teachers, and staff at a school near TPO’s HQ. From highlighters to pens, the TPO-favorite supplies were an instant hit, bringing a bunch of smiles (and some dabs!).

Founded by teachers in Louisiana who knew the daily struggles of students and educators, Mr. Pen’s mission centers on giving back to schools nationwide. Beyond gracing the world with the best supplies for Bible study and journaling, their generosity just makes Mr. P thaaaat much better. 

Check out the highlights from the Christmas-in-October school supply gifting here!

WORLD NEWS

Hot Topics

Nearly 200 global leaders are meeting to turn down the world’s thermostat.

The U.N. Climate Summit (COP29) kicked off Monday in Azerbaijan to tackle rising temps and emissions. This year’s summit, dubbed “the Finance COP,” focuses on setting funding goals for climate action in developing nations. The U.N. climate chief warned that achieving goals is “near impossible” without more cash.

While 2023 hit record greenhouse gas emissions worldwide, major emitters––including China (~27%), the U.S. (~14%), and the E.U.(~8%)––have cut emissions. Still, climate advocates want bigger cuts and criticize the U.S. for its recent record oil production, a trend expected to continue under President-elect Trump, who has promised to re-exit the Paris Climate Agreement.

President Biden sent a U.S. delegation but is not attending himself. The summit will continue through November 22.

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CHRISTIAN PERSPECTIVE
Though we may not all agree on the best way to balance the health of the earth and the needs of humanity, we can pray for wisdom as we seek to be thoughtful stewards of God’s good creation. 

“Then the Lord God formed the man out of the dust from the ground and breathed the breath of life into his nostrils, and the man became a living being.… [He] took the man and placed him in the garden of Eden to work it and watch over it.”
Genesis 2:7, 15 (CSB) (read full passage)

Congress is beginning its lame-duck session as the GOP prepares to take control in Washington. Some news outlets are saying Republicans have clinched the House majority, while others haven't called it yet, with results outstanding in 16 races. During the final stretch for outgoing lawmakers, Congress will fund the government (hopefully), hold new-member orientation, and elect new leaders.
 

Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby, head of the Church of England, has resigned after an investigation revealed he failed to report decades-long abuse of boys by a volunteer at Christian summer camps. Welby resigned following mounting pressure from victims; he was reportedly made aware of the abuse shortly after becoming Archbishop in 2013 but didn’t inform authorities.
 

Shaboozey's got a new history... the singer-songwriter’s “A Bar Song (Tipsy)” is holding strong atop the Billboard Hot 100 for the 17th week, a record for a song with no accompanying credited acts. Shaboozey, who recently received six Grammy nods, is two weeks from tying the all-time record held by Lil Nas X’s “Old Town Road” featuring Billy Ray Cyrus.
 

Shots were fired at a Spirit Airlines plane attempting to land in Port-au-Prince, Haiti, on Monday, diverting it to the Dominican Republic. One flight attendant sustained minor injuries. Later Monday, JetBlue said one of its planes also sustained bullet damage. The incidents occurred the same day Haiti’s new prime minister, who has pledged to restore national security, was sworn in.
 

Freaky Fast? How about Futuristic Fast? Amazon is reportedly developing “smart” (augmented reality) eyeglasses for its delivery drivers to guide them through buildings, not just to buildings, with directions on things like avoiding gates or aggressive dogs. The tech is designed to shave seconds off delivery times, fending off rivals like Walmart, but could take years to perfect.

WHIPPED CREAM ON TOP

The most unique hotel in every state…

What We’re Learning
Spanish, with Babbel*

My wife is Puerto Rican, and yeah… I just smile and nod along when the Spanish starts flowing at family get-togethers.

Enter Babbel. After a brief questionnaire, I have a tailored plan based on my time (I chose just 5 mins/day… I’m a busy newsletter operator) and the poco bit of Spanish I already know. As the top language learning platform, the options are flexible and endless: live online classes with native-speaking teachers, app-based exercises, games, and more, all in a customized curriculum for me.

So… join me! If you don’t start speaking a new language in just three weeks, they’ll give you your money back. And right now, Babbel is offering its biggest discount ever: 60% off for their Early Access Black Friday sale!

Señor Nate Wells | Head of Business

How We’re Saving
Cash back with Upside*

My hack for deflating inflation is cash-back apps… like Upside.

Upside earns money by recommending gas stations, restaurants, and grocery stores, including the gas station I already frequent near my house. The process is so easy: whenever I need to fill up, I just redeem the offer, pay as usual, and earn cash back. Then, I can cash out directly to my bank or snag a gift card to pay for my next fillup. Take that, inflation.

Download the FREE Upside App and use promo code POUROVER to get an extra 25 cents back for every gallon on your first tank of gas.

Steph Juliot | Writer