If 2020 is known as the year of COVID-19 then 2021 is the year of wild weather. Across the globe weather has been behaving in abnormal ways and in some cases setting records. Across the US temperatures have hit historic highs in places used to the heat as well as places in the north where homes do not even have A/C units. In addition, meteorologists and hurricane trackers are predicting a longer than normal and more tumultuous than normal hurricane season. Throughout Europe torrential rain has brought deadly and destructive flash floods which have generated land slides. Finally, in Asia and the Middle East countries are adopting measures to produce rain that seem to come from science fiction novels.

Khuzestan, an oil-rich territory that was once seized by Saddam Hussein during the Iran-Iraq war, has been battered with droughts and hot temperatures for the entirety of 2021. While the region has been facing water shortages for many years, this year has been “especially difficult for the province,” according to AlJazeera.

Starting in 2022, the Cleveland Indians will be known as the Cleveland Guardians.

There is increasing concern that the recent surge of the COVID-19 Delta variant in the US may cause government officials to reinstitute prevention measures that America has just begun to rid itself of. The Delta strand of the virus is much more resistant to medical treatment, including the Pfizer vaccine, and is also more infectious than the original base virus. It is now the dominant strand of the virus around the world and accounts for over 80% of new cases in the US which are rapidly rising.

Under former President Trump’s administration in 2019 the US Senate reached a bipartisan agreement whereby the US debt ceiling would be suspended until July 31, 2021. That date is quickly approaching and Senate Republicans are indicating that they will refuse to raise the debt ceiling in order to combat current President Biden’s plans to spend an astronomical amount on his infrastructure bill. However, if the debt ceiling is not raised by July 31st then the US would likely eventually default on its debts resulting in a catastrophic economic panic and collapse around the world.

Israel announced plans on Thursday to allow only people who are deemed immune to COVID-19 or have recently tested negative to enter some public spaces such as restaurants, gyms and synagogues after a surge in coronavirus cases.

Republicans objected to opening debate on the bill because it was not yet written.

David Platt informed his congregation of troubled brewing early in July when three prospective elders failed to achieve a 75% majority vote to become elders.