# 7-26-23 - Twitter’s Rebrand, Israel’s Unrest, and Sam Altman’s Orb

An episode of [Pray News](https://invisiblenetwork.ai/podcast/1697158801), 26 Jul 2023, 14 min.

Audio: https://podtrac.com/pts/redirect.mp3/traffic.omny.fm/d/clips/e73c998e-6e60-432f-8610-ae210140c5b1/ce9a673d-e313-4c0a-9df4-b4d6010c32c6/4e5dfd58-bc1f-495f-a1c6-b4d7002867fa/audio.mp3?utm_source=Podcast&in_playlist=992944cf-642c-431f-a11e-b4d6010c32cd

This is PrayNews, your beacon of hope in the stormy seas of current events. Sign up to receive PrayNews in your inbox every weekday: https://www.praynews.com/ Today’s News at a Glance: • Bye Bye Birdie! Elon Replaces the Iconic Twitter Symbol with an ‘X’. • Unrest in Israel signals a potential threat to its democracy. • Sam Altman’s new project has people spooked about a dystopian future. Download the Pray.com app and make prayer a priority in your life. Watch and listen to inspiring sermons, dramatized Bible stories, and relaxing Bedtime Bible Stories at Pray.com, the digital destination for faith. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

## Transcript

[0:00] Speaker 1: Jesus said to him, You shall love the Lord your
[0:02] Speaker 1: God with all your heart, with all your soul, and
[0:05] Speaker 1: with all your mind. This is the first and great commandment.
[0:08] Speaker 1: A second likewise is this, You shall love your neighbor
[0:11] Speaker 1: as yourself. Matthew 22, 37-39 Dear Heavenly Father, we ask
[0:17] Speaker 1: that you guide us in fulfilling these commandments. Help us
[0:21] Speaker 1: to love you with every part of ourselves, our hearts, souls,
[0:24] Speaker 1: and minds. Let our thoughts, words, and actions reflect your
[0:28] Speaker 1: love and devotion to you. Inspire us to extend compassion, kindness,
[0:33] Speaker 1: and understanding, just as we would wish these upon ourselves.
[0:38] Speaker 1: In an ever-changing world, we know we always have the
[0:41] Speaker 1: same calling, to glorify you and impact the world for
[0:45] Speaker 1: your kingdom. Empower us in these things. We pray in Jesus' name. Amen.
[0:52] Speaker 1: Welcome to Pray News, where hope is our only bias.
[0:55] Speaker 1: Today's news at a glance, bye-bye birdie. Elon replaces the
[0:58] Speaker 1: iconic Twitter symbol with a Hex. Unrest in Israel signals
[1:03] Speaker 1: a potential threat to its democracy, and Sam Altman's new
[1:06] Speaker 1: project has people spooked about a dystopian future. The world
[1:10] Speaker 1: is vast, ever-changing, and chaotic. All the madness can leave
[1:14] Speaker 1: us anxious and worried about the future. But we look
[1:17] Speaker 1: at all this news without fear, because we worship an
[1:20] Speaker 1: unchanging God who can calm the storms of life. If
[1:23] Speaker 1: you have found peace from Prey News, consider rating us
[1:27] Speaker 1: and leaving us a review. We would love to hear
[1:29] Speaker 1: how this take on the news has blessed you. Let's
[1:32] Speaker 1: dive into today's news after a quick word from these sponsors.
[1:37] Speaker 1: We have yet another update from Elon Musk and the
[1:40] Speaker 1: Twitter saga. Twitter's blue bird has sung its last song
[1:44] Speaker 1: and is flying off into the sunset. Elon Musk, tech billionaire, icon,
[1:48] Speaker 1: and relatively new owner of Twitter has banished the avian symbol,
[1:52] Speaker 1: replacing it with a new logo, a flickering white X.
[1:56] Speaker 1: Early Monday, users woke up to a transformed Twitterverse, the
[1:59] Speaker 1: new X logo boldly marking its territory where the blue
[2:03] Speaker 1: bird once perched. Musk, known for his propensity to stir
[2:06] Speaker 1: the pot, announced the logo swap in a tweet. Quote,
[2:10] Speaker 1: soon we shall bid adieu to the Twitter brand and
[2:13] Speaker 1: gradually all the birds. Musk quit, possibly causing ornithologists everywhere
[2:18] Speaker 1: to panic. Twitter CEO Linda Iaccarino, meanwhile, cheered on the metamorphosis,
[2:23] Speaker 1: describing X as an all-encompassing hub with audio, video, messaging,
[2:28] Speaker 1: and banking capabilities. Yes, you heard that right, banking. From
[2:32] Speaker 1: chirps to cha-chings, the platform can be well on its
[2:36] Speaker 1: way to becoming the biggest financial institution in the world,
[2:39] Speaker 1: according to Musk. Given Twitter's recent struggles, though, we aren't
[2:42] Speaker 1: holding our breath. But Musk has been doubted before. He
[2:46] Speaker 1: could surprise people with his adaptability. The X logo isn't
[2:50] Speaker 1: exactly a wild, out-of-the-blue, pun intended, idea. It actually harkens
[2:55] Speaker 1: back to Musk's online banking startup, X.com, a precursor to PayPal.
[3:00] Speaker 1: So it's not entirely out of character for Musk to
[3:03] Speaker 1: resurrect this particular letter from his past successes. The blue bird,
[3:07] Speaker 1: rest in peace, has had its final say. Musk's new
[3:11] Speaker 1: favorite letter is now projected on the side of Twitter's
[3:14] Speaker 1: office in San Francisco. In an authentic Muskian twist, he's
[3:18] Speaker 1: pondering what to call tweets and retweets now. Could it
[3:21] Speaker 1: be Xs and re-Xs? Only time will tell. While some
[3:25] Speaker 1: former Twitter officials are reeling over the rebranding, others are
[3:28] Speaker 1: just waiting to see what happens next. Will consumers flock
[3:32] Speaker 1: to the new changes or take flight? And in this
[3:35] Speaker 1: corporate world, are advertisers willing to put their nest eggs
[3:38] Speaker 1: in the X basket? All right, that's enough of the
[3:40] Speaker 1: bird puns. Twitter has had many ups and downs since
[3:44] Speaker 1: Musk took control. The tech mogul's controversial approach to content
[3:48] Speaker 1: moderation saw advertising revenues take a nosedive. Yet Musk remains
[3:52] Speaker 1: bullish about Twitter's future, his optimism seemingly unwavering. Twitter's bluebird
[3:57] Speaker 1: logo was more than just a symbol, it was the
[4:00] Speaker 1: face of the platform that revolutionized how we share news
[4:03] Speaker 1: and opinions. It's gone for now, leaving behind many victories
[4:06] Speaker 1: and many failures. We will wait to see if X
[4:09] Speaker 1: will be a symbol of new horizons for the company
[4:11] Speaker 1: or a foreshadowing of doom. There's no way to tell now.
[4:15] Speaker 1: But this story also reminds us that change is a
[4:18] Speaker 1: constant in life, and the Twitter transformation is no exception
[4:21] Speaker 1: to this. It's a stark reminder that in this world,
[4:24] Speaker 1: even the most recognized symbols can be replaced at a
[4:26] Speaker 1: moment's notice. With new technological innovations, the world is becoming
[4:31] Speaker 1: more fast-paced and ever-changing. Constant change, innovation, and cultural shifts
[4:36] Speaker 1: can make many anxious and uncertain about the future. Amid
[4:39] Speaker 1: anxiety and restlessness, we can find peace by worshiping an
[4:43] Speaker 1: unchanging God. His character has remained the same throughout generations,
[4:48] Speaker 1: and his mission for us has remained the same even
[4:50] Speaker 1: as culture shifts. Love the Lord your God with all
[4:53] Speaker 1: your heart, soul, mind, and strength, and love your neighbor
[4:56] Speaker 1: as yourself. That is our calling as Christians. The oscillating
[4:59] Speaker 1: and shifting tides of institutions and leaders will never change
[5:03] Speaker 1: that mission. With these things in mind, let's lift this
[5:05] Speaker 1: in prayer. Lord, as we navigate these waves of change
[5:08] Speaker 1: in the tech world and beyond, remind us of the
[5:11] Speaker 1: constant presence of your love and wisdom. Help us to
[5:14] Speaker 1: embrace innovation, yet keep our hearts anchored in your unchanging word.
[5:18] Speaker 1: Amidst the fleeting symbols of this world, may we continually
[5:21] Speaker 1: find solace in your enduring truth. We ask this in Jesus' name. Amen.
[5:26] Speaker 1: Our second story of today is about some unrest happening
[5:29] Speaker 1: in Israel. Protests have engulfed Israel following the passage of
[5:33] Speaker 1: a bill that curbs some powers of the country's Supreme Court.
[5:36] Speaker 1: The legislation, which limits the Supreme Court's authority to nullify
[5:40] Speaker 1: government decisions deemed, quote, unreasonable, has sparked widespread demonstrations and
[5:45] Speaker 1: caused significant concerns about Israel's democratic health. The amendment was
[5:50] Speaker 1: ratified by Israel's parliament on Monday following a failed compromise
[5:53] Speaker 1: attempt to resolve a constitutional crisis that has shaken the
[5:57] Speaker 1: country for months. As a 64-0 vote passed the amendment,
[6:01] Speaker 1: opposition lawmakers abandoned the session in protest, with some shouting, shame.
[6:07] Speaker 1: Large-scale demonstrations against the amendment commenced early Monday, with protesters
[6:11] Speaker 1: chaining themselves to posts and blocking roads outside the parliament.
[6:15] Speaker 1: By evening, thousands had taken to the streets across the country,
[6:19] Speaker 1: blocking highways and engaging in confrontations with the police. Nineteen
[6:23] Speaker 1: people were arrested. The amendment is part of a broader
[6:26] Speaker 1: judicial overhaul announced in January by the government. Critics argue
[6:30] Speaker 1: that these changes may pave the way for power abuses
[6:33] Speaker 1: by removing effective checks and balances on executive authority. The
[6:37] Speaker 1: tension has even reached the military, with protest leaders claiming
[6:41] Speaker 1: that thousands of volunteer reservists would refuse to report for
[6:44] Speaker 1: duty and the government continued its plans. This has led
[6:48] Speaker 1: to warnings from former top military officials that Israel's war
[6:51] Speaker 1: readiness could be at risk. Following the amendment's passage, the
[6:54] Speaker 1: White House called on Israel's leaders to reach, quote, as
[6:58] Speaker 1: broad a consensus as possible, unquote. Through political dialogue, Tel
[7:02] Speaker 1: Aviv's main share index dropped as much as 2.5% after
[7:06] Speaker 1: the vote in Knesset. The shekel slid to 1% against
[7:11] Speaker 1: the dollar. Opposition leaders have pledged to challenge the change.
[7:15] Speaker 1: The crisis has also prompted a strike by Israeli doctors
[7:19] Speaker 1: and the potential for a general strike by the public
[7:22] Speaker 1: sector union. Furthermore, foreign investor flight has weakened the shekel
[7:26] Speaker 1: in the economy. This crisis has strained Israel's ties with
[7:30] Speaker 1: its closest ally, the United States, which deemed Monday's vote
[7:34] Speaker 1: very unfortunate. As a Christian outlet, our thoughts and prayers
[7:37] Speaker 1: are with all the people of Israel, a nation that
[7:39] Speaker 1: holds significant historical and spiritual importance to Christians around the world.
[7:44] Speaker 1: And as followers of Christ, we believe in the principles
[7:46] Speaker 1: of peace, justice, righteousness, which we see being challenged by
[7:50] Speaker 1: these events. The current situation in Israel serves as a
[7:54] Speaker 1: stark reminder of the need for prayerful engagement with our
[7:57] Speaker 1: political systems. We believe in a just society where power
[8:00] Speaker 1: is held accountable and democratic systems that serve as a
[8:04] Speaker 1: check against potential abuses of power are crucial to ensuring
[8:07] Speaker 1: that justice prevails. We pray for wisdom and discernment for
[8:11] Speaker 1: the leaders of Israel that they may make decisions that
[8:13] Speaker 1: serve the best interests of their people, not the government.
[8:16] Speaker 1: We pray for unity, understanding, and peaceful dialogue among the
[8:20] Speaker 1: citizens and leaders of Israel to navigate this difficult time.
[8:24] Speaker 1: We pray for safety during protests, as we know that
[8:26] Speaker 1: that can be an issue. And in these trying times,
[8:29] Speaker 1: we encourage our listeners to remember the biblical principle found
[8:32] Speaker 1: in Proverbs 21. When justice is done, it brings joy
[8:35] Speaker 1: to the righteous, but terror to evildoers. We trust that
[8:38] Speaker 1: God's justice will prevail in Israel. We pray for the
[8:41] Speaker 1: comfort and safety of all those affected by these events,
[8:44] Speaker 1: and we pray ultimately for peace. So let's pray, acknowledging
[8:49] Speaker 1: that no matter how much we talk about issues, the
[8:51] Speaker 1: Lord is the one who's in control. Dear Lord, we
[8:54] Speaker 1: lift up the nation of Israel to you during this time.
[8:57] Speaker 1: We know that they are precious in your sight. We
[8:59] Speaker 1: pray for wisdom and discernment for its leaders, that they
[9:02] Speaker 1: may be guided by your principles of justice, peace, and righteousness.
[9:06] Speaker 1: We pray for unity among its people and the courage
[9:08] Speaker 1: to uphold democratic values that uphold the dignity of life.
[9:12] Speaker 1: As we are reminded in your word, when justice is done,
[9:15] Speaker 1: it brings joy to the righteous and We trust that
[9:17] Speaker 1: your justice, your love, and your peace will endure. God,
[9:21] Speaker 1: comfort those affected by these events and guide this nation
[9:25] Speaker 1: towards peace. In Jesus' name, amen. This next story is
[9:29] Speaker 1: about Sam Altman, a tech giant and his new project, WorldCoin. Now,
[9:35] Speaker 1: I have a question. What's round, shiny, and can potentially
[9:38] Speaker 1: identify a human being with just a gaze? You might
[9:41] Speaker 1: be thinking the Eye of Sauron from Lord of the Rings,
[9:43] Speaker 1: but we're afraid you're wrong. But love that guess. It's
[9:46] Speaker 1: actually Sam Altman's basketball-size iris-scanning orb from his latest crypto project, WorldCoin,
[9:53] Speaker 1: now officially rolling out its services globally. The main pitch
[9:57] Speaker 1: here is fascinating. In a world filled with new technology,
[10:01] Speaker 1: separating the men from the bots is becoming more challenging.
[10:05] Speaker 1: Enter WorldCoin's concept using biometric data, your eyes in this case,
[10:10] Speaker 1: to verify identities. Once you're confirmed as a genuine homo
[10:15] Speaker 1: sapien and not a robo sapien, you get issued some
[10:18] Speaker 1: of the company's crypto tokens, fondly called word coins. The
[10:22] Speaker 1: coins are considered a universal basic income, which is a
[10:25] Speaker 1: buzzword for a lot of people. You may be reading
[10:28] Speaker 1: this and thinking it sounds like something from Blade Runner.
[10:31] Speaker 1: You're not alone. Many people are seeing this orb and
[10:34] Speaker 1: are reasonably spooked about its dystopian-like features. Despite the dystopian overtones,
[10:39] Speaker 1: this project has attracted over $ 250 million in funding from
[10:43] Speaker 1: heavyweight investors. The service is available in many countries already. However,
[10:48] Speaker 1: the land of the free, and home of the stringent
[10:50] Speaker 1: regulatory approval, is not among the orb's destinations, at least
[10:54] Speaker 1: not yet. Your eyeballs are safe, for now. Altman, who
[10:57] Speaker 1: also happens to lead OpenAI, yes, the AI that may
[11:01] Speaker 1: have made humans harder to distinguish from robots, is attempting
[11:05] Speaker 1: to solve an issue arguably exacerbated by his own technology.
[11:09] Speaker 1: Sam Altman is like a window salesman whose son is
[11:12] Speaker 1: actively throwing baseballs through people's windows. WorldCoin's mission aims to
[11:17] Speaker 1: address the so-called cyber attacks in the Web3 crypto sphere,
[11:22] Speaker 1: where hackers could create multiple fake accounts and potentially scam everyone.
[11:27] Speaker 1: WorldCoin's innovation lies not in the crypto tokens themselves, but
[11:30] Speaker 1: in their approach to identity authentication. Critics raise concerns over
[11:35] Speaker 1: the use of biometric data and potential security threats, especially
[11:38] Speaker 1: given every piece of hardware always has a backdoor. WorldCoin
[11:42] Speaker 1: reassures that it deletes your iris image as soon as
[11:45] Speaker 1: it's scanned, and only an iris hash, a set of
[11:48] Speaker 1: numbers associated with you, is stored. The WorldCoin journey has
[11:51] Speaker 1: not been without bumps, including criticisms of deceptive marketing tactics
[11:56] Speaker 1: and potential violation of privacy laws from lower-income countries. However,
[12:00] Speaker 1: despite these hiccups, they've already collected 2 million users and
[12:04] Speaker 1: aim for 2 billion by the end of 2023. As
[12:08] Speaker 1: for whether the public will buy into the idea of
[12:10] Speaker 1: WorldCoin's value, a critical factor for any cryptocurrency success, only
[12:14] Speaker 1: time will tell. Now, looking at this from a Christian perspective,
[12:18] Speaker 1: the Bible teaches us that God knows us inside and out.
[12:22] Speaker 1: He is the author of our identities. He wove us
[12:26] Speaker 1: together in our mother's womb, according to Psalm 139. And
[12:29] Speaker 1: while WorldCoin's approach is certainly more literal, it raises critical
[12:34] Speaker 1: questions about the sanctity of personal identity. One might argue
[12:38] Speaker 1: that this innovative venture aims to solve significant societal problems,
[12:42] Speaker 1: such as income inequality and digital fraud, but at the
[12:45] Speaker 1: same time, we have to be vigilant about how our
[12:47] Speaker 1: personal information is used, ensuring that it respects our God-given
[12:51] Speaker 1: dignity and worth. We must be discerning about who we
[12:54] Speaker 1: give control to and what their motives might be for
[12:58] Speaker 1: wanting that control. As we witness the rise of potentially
[13:01] Speaker 1: paradigm-shifting technologies, let's also remember the importance of community and
[13:05] Speaker 1: personal connection. values central to our faith. As the technological
[13:09] Speaker 1: world increases, and as this digital space becomes larger, let
[13:15] Speaker 1: us never forget that we have neighbors to love beside us.
[13:18] Speaker 1: After all, while our iris scans may be unique, it's
[13:21] Speaker 1: our relationships and actions that truly define us as individuals. Remember,
[13:26] Speaker 1: the future may be digital, but our faith is eternal.
[13:31] Speaker 1: With that being said, let's lift this story up in prayer.
[13:34] Speaker 1: Dear Lord, as we witness the unfolding of new technologies
[13:37] Speaker 1: and their potential impact on society, guide us and give
[13:40] Speaker 1: us wisdom and understanding on how to respond. Help us
[13:43] Speaker 1: to remain vigilant about our personal information and to discern
[13:46] Speaker 1: the intentions behind such ventures. Remind us that while innovation
[13:50] Speaker 1: can bring about change, our identity is grounded and unchanging
[13:54] Speaker 1: in you. Bless us with wisdom to navigate these changing
[13:58] Speaker 1: and chaotic times, keeping our faith in you at the
[14:01] Speaker 1: forefront of our actions. We pray these things in Jesus' name. Amen.
[14:06] Speaker 1: Thank you for joining us today on Pray News. It
[14:08] Speaker 1: is our aim to be informed and transformed. If you
[14:11] Speaker 1: have been impacted by this take on the news, consider
[14:14] Speaker 1: rating us and leaving a review. We would love to
[14:17] Speaker 1: hear how it's impacted you. We pray today that you
[14:19] Speaker 1: would proceed with hope, love, and determination to be a
[14:22] Speaker 1: force for good. And join us daily for Pray News,
[14:25] Speaker 1: where hope is our only bias.

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