News and Prophecy Staff

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reports, “Suicide rates are climbing in nearly every demographic, age group and geographic area” in the United States (Time, June 7, 2018). Suicide deaths have increased by almost 30 percent since 1999 and “among all racial and ethnic groups and in every age range except adults older than 75.”

In a recently published study, researchers determined that the detonation of just 100 nuclear warheads by one country would cause catastrophic damage, including widespread food shortages on the other side of the globe (Telegraph, June 13, 2018). Such an event would also bring significant blowback and destruction on the nation that launched the weapons. One researcher noted, “modeling showed that if the U.S.

This week Pope Francis made a highly anticipated visit to the World Council of Churches (WCC) headquarters in Geneva. In an earlier interview, Evangelical pastor Martin Robra, a senior WCC official, commented, “[I]t looks as if we have reached a new spring with Pope Francis and his initiatives” (Vatican News, May 31, 2018). He stated further that “there is so much more that unites us than what separates us.” Concerning the future, Mr.

Public health officials are preparing for what they call “Disease X”—a hypothetical disease that would be virulent and infectious, with the potential to become a pandemic (a worldwide epidemic) and kill large numbers of people (The Economist, March 23, 2018). This disease might be manmade, a brand-new disease or a genetic variant of an existing disease.

The amount of plastic waste in our environment is skyrocketing worldwide, and it is having a devastating impact. In Thailand, a pilot whale recently died “after swallowing more than 80 plastic bags” (The Guardian, June 2, 2018). Experts estimate that over 100,000 marine animals die each year as a result of plastic ingestion.