On October 26, 2017, President Donald Trump declared the opioid epidemic in the United States a national health emergency.

People living in developed nations around the world have much for which to be thankful. Food, clothing, and shelter is available at a standard far above that of the majority of the earth’s population. But, these things are by no means to be taken for granted. How many people are truly thankful to have such blessings, and to whom?

Over the last five years, the sexually transmitted infection (STI) gonorrhea has increased by 63 percent among Australians living primarily in cities. Gonorrhea has no visible symptoms in 80 percent of cases and can lead to sterility. Australian researchers note that the majority (75 percent) of new cases erupt among heterosexual young people aged 20-29 (BBC, November 6, 2017).

Saudi Arabia closed its border with Yemen after Houthi rebel missiles fell near the international airport in Riyadh (Telegraph, November 6, 2017). The Yemeni proxy war between Saudi Arabia and Iran is heating up and increasingly worrisome.

“Most U.S. adults now say it is not necessary to believe in God to be moral and have good values (56%), up from about half (49%) who expressed this view in 2011.