News and Prophecy Staff

Deutsche Welle reports, “Spitting, hitting, shoving: Physical aggression is an everyday occurrence in schools. But a new study by the German teachers’ union shows that it is on the rise—and is even increasingly directed at teachers” (November 14, 2016). According to the article, “A 14-year-old boy chokes his male teacher with a shoelace. A mother beats up her child’s female teacher. A 15-year-old attacks four teachers with his fists.

In spite of positive job growth in the U.S., “the percentage of working-age Americans in the labor force remains stuck near its lowest level since the late 1970s. Although retiring baby boomers are the main reason, there’s another troubling factor that experts predict won’t be solved by stronger economic growth. Too many men in their prime don’t have a job and aren’t even looking for one. Experts trying to figure out the reasons are probing the roles of criminal background checks, painkillers and even video games.

President Duterte of the Philippines recently stated that “if China and Russia decide to create a new world order, he would be the first to join them and leave the U.N.” (Wall Street Journal, November 17, 2016).

The sexually transmitted infection syphilis is on the rise among millennials and many blame the sex “hookup” app Tinder.

The Roman Pope has been working hard to reach out to and welcome the return of Protestant denominations to the Catholic fold. “Pope Francis and Dr. Justin Welby, the Archbishop of Canterbury, jointly presided at a Vespers service on October 5, and signed a statement affirming their commitment to ecumenical progress.