News

The World Wildlife Fund recently reported that “The world populations of fish, birds, mammals, amphibians and reptiles fell overall by 52 percent between 1970 and 2010, far faster than previously thought” (Reuters, September 29, 2014). Two major reasons cited for the dramatic drop in animal numbers are loss of natural habitat and exploitation from over-hunting and over-fishing (ibid.).  

“After decades of mutual suspicion—and one short border conflict—Beijing and Moscow are drawing closer as they simultaneously challenge the U.S.-led security architecture that has prevailed since the Soviet collapse” (Wall Street Journal, October 1, 2014).

Already this year Germany has spent more on U.S. investments than it did in the previous two decades (Wall Street Journal, September 22, 2014). “The latest deals bring to almost $70 billion the total value of German acquisitions announced in the U.S. so far this year, according to Dealogic” (ibid.). The motive behind these acquisitions is that Europe’s economy is still contracting, while the U.S. economy is expanding—making the U.S.

On October 3, 2014, “Left Behind” hit theaters—a “reboot” of the 2000 film based on the best selling, Rapture theory-promoting book Left Behind by Tim LaHaye and Jerry Jenkins. So far, the reviews have not been pretty (e.g., the Chicago Tribune gave it zero stars), but, given the topic, the most important question about the movie is the one not addressed in most movie reviews. Is the main premise of the movie actually true? Is a “rapture” coming?