Pestilence

U.S. measles cases hit 971, highest single-year total since 1994
UPI reports: "Measles cases in the United States have hit a high of 971, shattering the 943 cases in 1994 to be the highest number of cases in 25 years -- and it comes barely halfway into the year. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported the number on Thursday afternoon, the agency's second measles count released this week. Monday's report, of 940 cases reported through May 24, already was the second highest since 1994."

Comment: I'm not sure I have any more to say about this. I'm opposed to those "anti-vax" parents failing to understand the risk. Since we know there are many more potent diseases out there waiting in the wings it seems foolish to subject people to suffering from a curable disease. It's just a tragedy.

Earthquakes

Seismologists find possible early warning sign of a pending megaquake
UPI reports: "Geologists have found a possible early signature of massive earthquakes. New research suggests the telltale seismic pattern shows up between 10 seconds and 15 seconds into a seismic event. Scientists discovered the warning sign after analyzing GPS records of peak ground displacement during dozens of earthquakes."

Comment: It's time to start paying extra attention to the quake reports from USGS and other sources, a megaquake could be around the corner.

Earthquakes

Magnitude 8 earthquake strikes Amazon jungle in Peru
The AP reports: "A powerful magnitude 8.0 earthquake struck a remote part of the Amazon jungle in Peru early Sunday, collapsing buildings and knocking out power to some areas but causing only one reported death.

Comment: I don't usually check the headlines on Sunday. I follow that traditional approach of reserving Sunday for the things of God and for quiet time for reflection and fellowship with friends and family. However, today I received a breaking news alert and so I wanted to note this very large earthquake, perhaps one of the largest ever recorded, taking place today in Peru. Fortunately, the epicenter was not in a populated area otherwise there may have been massive damage and loss of life.

Rumors of War - Persia

U.S. sending 1,500 troops to Middle East over Iran tensions - UPI.com
UPI reports: "The Pentagon will send an additional 1,500 troops to the Middle East to counter Iranian influence in the region, President Donald Trump said Friday. [...] Officials said the deployment will largely involve engineering capabilities, as well as surveillance and reconnaissance units and those involved with Patriot defense missiles. Their comments might indicate that no immediate plans for a U.S. ground invasion are under consideration."

Comment: It looks like this is a relatively small increase in forces designed to boost capabilities and readiness. Hopefully it will serve as a deterrent to Iran.

Covenant With Many

Palestinians say US conference doomed without political plan
The AP reports: "The White House announced Sunday it will unveil the first phase of its long-awaited Mideast peace plan at the conference, saying it will focus on economic benefits that could be reaped if the Israeli-Palestinian conflict is resolved. The plan envisions large-scale investment and infrastructure work, much of it funded by wealthy Arab countries, in the Palestinian territories. But officials say the June 25-26 conference will not include the core political issues of the conflict: final borders, the status of Jerusalem, the fate of Palestinian refugees or Israeli security demands. [...] The Palestinians have already said they would reject any peace plan offered by the U.S., saying Trump is unfairly biased toward Israel."

Comment: I think the Trump team is to be commended for trying a novel approach focused on economic development first and putting the political issues on the back burner.  They are wise to focus on things people can agree about (the need for jobs and investment) and delay discussion of the things they most likely will never agree about (Jerusalem and borders). Will it work? Stay tuned!

Rumors of War - Persia

US aircraft carrier seen as barometer of tensions with Iran
The AP reports: "So far, the Lincoln and its accompanying ships have yet to enter the gulf through the Strait of Hormuz. It has been filmed by the U.S. Navy on Friday carrying out exercises with other American warships in the Arabian Sea, which is over 1,000 kilometers (620 miles) away. [...] Iran has increasingly threatened to close the strait if it is unable to sell its own crude oil to the global market as a result of the U.S. pressure campaign following Washington’s withdrawal a year ago from the 2015 nuclear deal between Tehran and world powers. Any transit through the strait also carries the risk of a catastrophic mistake by either side spinning out of control."

Comment: In other words, a window of time is approaching in which there will be maximum opportunity for  miscalculation or error leading to conflict.

Pestilence - Famine

New crop-destroying pest enters China amid devastating swine fever epidemic - UPI.com
 UPI reports: "A new pest that threatens key agricultural commodities is spreading through China as the nation is reeling from an African swine fever epidemic that may wipe out hundreds of millions of hogs. [...] The moth has arrived as China is losing a large percentage of its food supply to the rapid spread of African swine fever, which has spread to hogs throughout the country."

Comment: This could have serious implications for the global food supply. 

Rumors of War - Persia

Trump tells aides he does not want U.S. war with Iran - Reuters
Reuters reports: "U.S. President Donald Trump has told his top advisers he does not want to get the United States involved in a war with Iran, three U.S. officials said on Thursday. [...] But he has also made clear that he will protect U.S. interests in the region, one official said. U.S. intelligence showed heightened activity by Iran or its proxies that U.S. officials took as a threat against American targets in the region. "

Comment: It seems like the drumbeat of war had increased rather dramatically in the last week but now it seems like things may be cooling down. From a slow boil to a simmer perhaps? 

Rumors of War - Persia

Iran abandons parts of nuclear deal amid heightened Mideast tensions - UPI.com
UPI reports: "Iran said Wednesday it will stop complying with parts of the 2015 nuclear deal by surpassing the cap on enriched uranium and heavy water production. [...] Threats against U.S. military forces prompted the Pentagon to send an aircraft carrier strike force, B-52 bombers and a Marine expeditionary force to the Middle East. [...] Tensions related to Iran are also impacting other neighboring countries. This week, Iran-backed Houthi rebels attacked two oil pumping stations in Saudi Arabia, prompting Riyadh to strike back with more than a dozen airstrikes against rebels in Yemen. The pipeline attacks occurred a day after two Saudi oil tankers were targeted off the coast of the United Arab Emirates."

Comment: The European signatories to the Iran nuclear deal criticized the U.S. for withdrawing, saying that Iran was indeed abiding by the deal.  That is apparently no longer the case. Will the EU, Russia and China now join in "snap-back" sanctions on Iran? I think the "Iranian Crisis" has only just begun.

Wickedness Increases

Man pleads guilty in mall attack against boy, faces 19 years
The AP reports: "A man who reportedly told investigators that he went to the Mall of America 'looking for someone to kill' pleaded guilty Tuesday to throwing a 5-year-old boy from a third-floor balcony and faces 19 years in prison.

Comment: Who goes to a shopping mall hoping to kill someone? Only a person with great evil in their heart could do such a thing.  It's cases like this that suggest we should bring back the death penalty...maybe public hangings or firing squads. The taxpayers should not have to pay to feed, cloth and house vicious murderers. Let's just send them on their way and let them meet their maker.

Rumors of War - Kings of the East

China could ‘mass produce’ guided missile destroyers, analyst says - UPI.com
UPI reports: "China could be adding more guided missile destroyers to its fleet following the launch of two Type 052D guided missile destroyers on Friday. Chinese analysts told state tabloid Global Times on Sunday Beijing wants to add more destroyers at a time when friction between China and the United States is rising over trade and maritime security."

Comment: It now seems clear that China is intent on claiming all of Asia within their sphere of influence. The only real question is, will the rest of the great powers accede to this or will they fight for Taiwan, Japan, Vietnam, South Korea and the rest? This is a slow building crisis and the moment of decision nears.

Persecution

Asia Bibi, free from blasphemy charge, arrives in Canada - UPI.com
UPI reports: "Asia Bibi, a Pakistani Christian woman who spent eight years on death row over blasphemy charges, has moved to Canada, her attorney said Wednesday. Bibi's charge was overturned by Pakistan's highest court last year, but she remained in jail and was moved to various safe houses for fear of reprisals. The former farm worker was convicted in 2010 of speaking against Islamic Prophet Muhammad during an argument with Muslim women."

Comment: Please join me in offering a prayer of thanksgiving for the safe arrival of Asia Bibi in Canada.  What a long ordeal she has been through. It is encouraging to know that her journey has ended safely. Let's pray for those Christians who remain in Pakistan, that they will have patient endurance and steadfast faith.

Future Fear

U.N.: 1M species threatened as global extinction rates speed up
UPI reports: "According to the new report, the planet's species extinction rate is accelerating. More than half a million species are currently without sufficient habitat for long-term survival. Several thousand are likely to disappear within a few decades."

Comment: This is a great tragedy. I believe we are called to be good stewards of God's creation. We should not callously destroy the abundant life He has created.  In the end, we will end up harming ourselves because so much of what we take for granted is dependent on the cycle of life that includes these animals threatened with extinction.

Rumors of War - Persia

U.S. deploying carrier, bombers to Middle East to deter Iran: Bolton - Reuters
Reuters reports: "The Trump administration is deploying a carrier strike group and bombers to the Middle East in response to troubling 'indications and warnings' from Iran and to show the United States will retaliate with “unrelenting force” to any attack, national security adviser John Bolton said on Sunday. [...] a U.S. official said the deployment has been ordered 'as a deterrence to what has been seen as potential preparations by Iranian forces and its proxies that may indicate possible attacks on U.S. forces in the region.' [...] Though he cited no specific Iranian activities that have raised new concerns, Iran has recently warned it would block the Strait of Hormuz if it was barred from using the strategic waterway."

Comment: This could be a significant development. Trump's transition from a neo-isolationist to a neocon interventionist could be complete.  I can't help but think that Bolton has had a huge influence in that regard. I think we should follow these developments very carefully.

Pestilence - Famine

Pig 'ebola' virus sends shock waves through global food chain 
Bloomberg reports: "What started with a few dozen dead pigs in northeastern China is sending shock waves through the global food chain. Last August, a farm with fewer than 400 hogs on the outskirts of Shenyang was found to harbor African swine fever, the first ever occurrence of the contagious viral disease in the country with half the world’s pigs. [...] It was too late. By then, the disease had literally gone viral, dispersed across hundreds of miles in sickened animals, contaminated food, and in dirt and dust on truck tires and clothing. Nine months later, the contagion has spread nationwide, crossed borders to Mongolia, Vietnam and Cambodia, and bolstered meat markets globally. [...] The strain of African swine fever spreading in Asia is undeniably nasty, killing virtually every pig it infects by a hemorrhagic illness reminiscent of Ebola in humans. It’s not known to sicken people, however. [...] Increased Chinese meat imports will result in higher food costs that impact on economies across the globe. The extent of those ripple effects depends on how quickly the epidemic can be stopped."

Comment: As you know, there are many countries in the world whose food supply is always precarious. A shock in the supply chain can be weathered easily by many wealthy countries, but there are those that will tip quickly into famine if this epidemic is not quick contained. 

Pestilence

Congo Ebola deaths surpass 1,000 as attacks on treatment centers go on - Reuters
Reuters reports: "The death toll from an Ebola outbreak in Congo rose above 1,000 on Friday, with attacks on treatment centers continuing to hamper efforts to control the “intense transmission” of the second-worst epidemic of the virus on record. The World Health Organization said it expected the nine-month outbreak to continue spreading though the east of Democratic Republic of Congo, and announced plans to expand vaccinations in the coming weeks once a new treatment by Johnson & Johnson is approved. The WHO is already using another experimental vaccine made by Merck."

Comment: Wishing them luck with the experimental vaccine. What a terrible disease!