News

Less than a year after Typhoon Haiyan (the strongest storm ever to hit land) struck the Philippines and killed more than 6,300 people, another powerful storm, Typhoon Rammasun (a Thai word for god of thunder), packing 100 mph winds pounded the Philippines this week. The typhoon toppled trees, destroyed thousands of homes, displaced nearly half a million people and left some 40 people dead (Houston Chronicle, July 16, 2014).

Germany’s fourth World Cup championship has rekindled long-suppressed feelings of pride and patriotism in a nation that has felt constrained by its militaristic past. However, the victory could be one more critical factor in the transformation of a nation that is at a crossroads in its history.

“Germany may be America’s most important European ally, but the relationship between the two countries is on the rocks” following the discovery of a CIA spy in Berlin. This is just one more nail in the coffin of German-American relations following the Snowden leaks (CNN, July 11, 2014). “The New York Times soberly noted that German-American relations have reached their low point with the expulsion of the CIA’s representative from Berlin.

Contrary to the comments of some U.S. leaders, most Americans profess to be Christians and they believe that the Bible is “the inspired word of God” (Gallup, June 4, 2014). A recent Gallup poll indicated that about 75 percent of Americans claimed to be Christians and viewed the Bible as “the actual word of God...

It is not easy being Jordan today—“Struggling for calm in a region of chaos… Sandwiched in between Iraq and Syria, Jordan’s destiny seems to be one of a constant struggle for survival” (CNN, June 18, 2014). King Abdullah’s “voice of moderation” in a region of strife-torn nations is also crying out for international assistance to manage 1.3 million Syrian refugees. His pleas resulted in half a billion dollars of support from the U.S.