Posted: June 1, 2020

Big things are happening in Hong Kong. The United State’s Secretary of State Mike Pompeo made an important announcement. He says that China’s government has taken over too much of Hong Kong’s freedom to rule itself.  

Hong Kong belongs to China. But it hasn’t always. For 150 years, Hong Kong was a British colony. In 1997, the United Kingdom gave Hong Kong back to China. But first, Great Britain made China promise a few things.

China agreed to give Hong Kong 50 years of freedom. That means Hong Kong has its own borders. It has its own legal system and rules. The people of Hong Kong have freedom of speech. The territory has its own money. It also has its own popular languages. (Most people in Hong Kong speak Cantonese and English. In China, the majority of people speak Mandarin.)

The 50-year promise China made to Hong Kong was a “one country, two systems” policy. China and Hong Kong are one country. But each is ruled differently. Sadly, China is breaking its promise.

The 50 years aren’t up yet! But there is terrible tension in Hong Kong. China wants control. Hong Kong’s people want freedom.

They have worked hard to grow Hong Kong. It is an important financial center. Companies around the world invest money in Hong Kong’s banks and businesses. If China takes away Hong Kong’s freedom, those businesses could be in big trouble.

In the United States, Mr. Pompeo’s message is clear. Things are changing in Hong Kong. It’s looking a lot more like China. Unless something changes, the Hong Kong that we know may soon be gone.

Posted: May 29, 2020

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WORLD Watch News in 3 is the newest current events resource from WORLD News Group. Each day, it delivers a lively three-minute roundup of top news headlines. News in 3 is a preview of WORLD Watch, coming in August.

WORLD Watch will be a daily, 10-minute current events program for teens that delivers headline news, in-depth feature stories, and thoughtful perspective to help students develop critical thinking skills and discernment.

Posted: May 28, 2020

Archaeologists dig deep at an airport under construction near Mexico City. They find the bones of about 60 mammoths!

That’s a mammoth treasure. And a mammoth problem. Now Mexican archaeologists have too many mammoths—almost too many to study.

The archaeologists started digging in October. They have found about 10 mammoths per month. They may keep unearthing the ancient animals at that pace. When the airport project finishes in 2022, the dig will end too.

“There are too many. There are hundreds,” says archaeologist Pedro Sánchez Nava.

The excavations happened on the shores of an ancient lake, once known as Xaltocan. The lake is gone now. But it once produced lots of grasses and reeds. These attracted mammoths. The beasts could eat 330 pounds of the stuff every day! “It was like paradise for them,” says Mr. Nava.

About six miles away, people found two mammoth pits last year. The pits were dug thousands of years ago. It seems hunters chased mammoths into the six-foot-deep traps. The big, wooly creatures couldn’t climb out. Those pits held the bones from at least 14 mammoths. Some of the animals appeared to have been butchered.

People have always had different ideas about ancient bones. The Aztecs found mammoth bones hundreds of years ago. They thought the enormous bones meant giants had once lived in their valley. Some archaeologists imagine early humans as hunters with spears chasing mammoths across a plain. But this discovery shows them something else: People may have been smarter—and mammoths may have been clumsier—than they thought. And people back then may have eaten a lot of mammoth—maybe every day.

Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. — Proverbs 3:5

Posted: May 27, 2020

Joel Johnson hadn’t owned a bicycle since he was 15. The coronavirus pandemic changed all that.

Mr. Johnson first bought a bike to avoid the germs on crowded buses and trains. As he biked through San Francisco, California, he made a discovery: He has a passion for pedaling. Soon he upgraded to a new road bike.

He’s far from alone. Thousands of cooped-up Americans are snapping up new bicycles or dusting off their old ones. Biking helps keep bodies and minds healthy. It’s also a safe alternative to public transportation.

Meanwhile, bike shops are bustling with business. Bikers new and old wait in line. Mechanics struggle to meet demand. Around the country and even the world, bicycles are selling out. Officials expand bike lanes to make space for commuters on two wheels.

Dale Ollison is a bike mechanic at Hank and Frank Bicycles in Oakland, California. “We have a three-day sale once a year literally called ‘the madness sale,’” he says. “This just feels like two straight months of madness sales.”

Mr. Ollison’s city now has a “slow streets” program. Officials closed 20 miles of city streets to cars. Now bikers and walkers use this safer outdoor space. San Francisco has closed parts of 12 streets as well. People there swarm to an online city biking class.

Biking is good for your body. And that feeling of freedom you get when sailing by on a bike is good for your mind. Bikes don’t pollute air like cars do. Is gas expensive? A bike helps with that too.

Of course, many people loved biking long before the coronavirus. These bikers hope the new biking trend will lead to more changes that make city biking easier. New bike lanes? Bike-friendly streets? Longtime bikers say, “Finally!”

Posted: May 26, 2020

This surely is a heavy fish.

Actually, it was a locked safe. A six-year-old boy reeled it in from the bottom of a South Carolina lake. He didn’t know he was helping crack a nearly decade-old case!

Knox Brewer of Johns Island, South Carolina, took up “magnet fishing” as a way to pass the time during the coronavirus pandemic. He hunts for metal objects under water.

This month, the magnet attached to his line stuck to something heavy in the mud below. A bystander helped Knox pull in and pry open the treasure—a waterlogged lockbox. It held jewelry, credit cards, and a checkbook.

“I knew the right thing to do was go ahead and call the local authorities, get them involved, and try to solve this mystery,” Knox’s dad, Jonathan Brewer, tells WCIV-TV.

Authorities say the sunken safe belonged to a woman who lived across the street from the lake. She said it had been stolen from her home eight years ago.

Most of the expensive items had been taken by the time Knox made his discovery. But the find still turned out to be a valuable catch. The Brewers said they were able to reunite the woman with charms from an old bracelet.

“The first thing that she did was just kneel down,” says Mr. Brewer. She hugged Knox and thanked him and thanked him.

If you seek it like silver and search for it as for hidden treasures, then you will understand the fear of the Lord and find the knowledge of God. — Proverbs 2:4-5

Posted: May 25, 2020

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On this day we take a break and thank God for those who gave their lives in military service to the United States of America. We pray for the families who lost loved ones.

Posted: May 22, 2020

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WORLD Watch News in 3 is the newest current events resource from WORLD News Group. Each day, it delivers a lively three-minute roundup of top news headlines. News in 3 is a preview of WORLD Watch, coming in August. WORLD Watch will be a daily, 10-minute current events program for teens that delivers headline news, in-depth feature stories, and thoughtful perspective to help students develop critical thinking skills and discernment.

Posted: May 21, 2020

How high is Mt. Everest? A Chinese government-backed survey team plans to find out. Its mission is to measure the mountain’s current height. As long as the weather is OK, the team expects to reach the mountaintop on Friday morning.

It’s “take-two” for the surveyors. Bad weather forced them to return to base camp. But they’re back at it again. The official Xinhua News Agency reports that the team has taken up its former position on the way to the top.

Everest straddles the border of China and Nepal. Both countries called off spring climbing. They wanted to prevent the coronavirus from spreading through crowded camps of climbers. A deserted summit means plenty of space for scientific measurements. But how will they measure the mountain?

China has a network of Beidou satellites. They’re similar to America’s Global Positioning System (GPS). The team will use the satellites to survey the mountain. It will also measure Everest’s natural resources like forests, minerals, and water sources. The team is looking for answers to more questions such as: How deep is the snow? What’s the weather like? How fast does the wind blow?

God made Everest the highest peak in the world. “The mountains rose; the valleys sank down to the place that you appointed for them,” says Psalm 104:8.

According to the Himalayan Database, 876 people climbed the peak in 2019. There probably won’t be as many climbers this year. But this Chinese team is determined to make it to the top!

Posted: May 20, 2020

Dell Kaplan has plenty of time to chat. She doesn’t mind a phone call with a complete stranger. “It gets pretty lonely here by yourself,” says the 81-year old. Ms. Kaplan, meet Holly Ryckman. She works at a library in Plano, Texas. Every week she makes phone calls to older adults. Ms. Ryckman is one of 15 city staffers who together make about 50 calls weekly. Their goal is simple. Make small talk.

 The pandemic has been hard on older adults like Ms. Kaplan. She’s missing out on meals with friends, family get-togethers, and going to classes at a nearby college. The phone call program connects her with people while she’s stuck at home.

“It’s really just to give them a social outlet that they might not have otherwise,” says Ms. Ryckman.

What do the strangers chat about? Everything! People talk about hobbies, vacations, and happy memories. One volunteer used the phone call to teach a woman how to play online checkers with her grandchild.

Phone programs are popping up across the country. Laurie Onofrio-Collier is one of about 1,000 volunteers making phone calls with the AARP’s Friendly Voice program. “I get off the phone with a smile,” says Ms. Onofrio-Collier. She wants each person she calls “to feel uplifted, to feel good.”

In 1 Thessalonians 5:14, Paul gives the church instructions. He wants them to be in close connection. “And we urge you, brothers, admonish the idle, encourage the faint-hearted, help the weak, be patient with them all.” 

Ms. Ryckman and Ms. Kaplan didn’t know each other when they started chatting. But they became friends. When it is safe to leave her home, Ms. Kaplan plans to meet her new friend in person. Until then, the two will keep chatting over the phone.

Posted: May 19, 2020

Restaurants are beginning to open again. But there will be rules to follow. How will diners maintain social distancing? One restaurant owner has a creative answer. He’s reserving tables. Well––sort of. The Inn at Little Washington has dressed up dummies sitting in its dining room. The life-sized dolls will help diners stay safely spaced. They may also add some fun to dinner time!

The Virginia restaurant’s pretend guests are wearing fine 1940s-style attire. Gentlemen mannequins don sleek suits. Ladies model lacey dresses. The dummies sit in chairs at tables. They aren’t going anywhere. They’re ready for the restaurant’s re-opening. That will happen on May 29.

Across the country, restaurants are going to look different when they open. To limit the spread of the coronavirus, fewer diners will be able to sit inside. Restaurants can use only half their indoor tables. The other half must stay empty. That makes for an odd and somber (serious) feel. Maybe the mannequins will make use of the extra space in a fun way.

Famous chef Patrick O’Connell owns the Inn at Little Washington. He decided to solve the social distancing problem with the dressed-up dummies. “This would allow plenty of space between real guests and elicit a few smiles and provide some fun photo ops,” says the five-star chef. 

Mr. O’Connell is working to keep his diners safe. But will people like sharing a meal with mannequins? He thinks so. “We’re all craving to gather and see other people right now. They don’t all necessarily need to be real people.” Or do they?

He’s right that people want to spend time together. God created us to enjoy friendships. Sharing a meal is one way we can connect with friends. Do mannequins replace dinner guests well? They may make people smile and keep everyone at a safe distance. But they’ll never replace real friends.           

Posted: May 18, 2020

There is happy news in the Netherlands. The Ouwehands Zoo’s giant panda Wu Wen had a cub on May 1. The baby looks and sounds strong. It’s a few weeks old, and ready to meet the world––by video, of course.  

The first video shows gentle Wu Wen snuggling her squealing little one. The cub squirms and yelps as Mom carries it in her mouth. Wu Wen is a patient parent caring for her tiny cub.

China loaned the giant panda to the Dutch zoo. The cub’s father is a panda named Xing Ya. Both parents arrived in the Netherlands in 2017. The new cub belongs to China, just like its parents. Four years from now, it will go to China.

There are around 420 pandas living in captivity in zoos and reserves around the world. There are wild pandas too. An estimated 1,864 pandas live in the wild. That’s not very many! The birth of a panda cub is great news for the endangered species.

Marcel Boekhoorn owns Ouwehands Zoo. He’s thrilled. “I couldn’t be happier with the birth of this panda cub. This is the positive news that everyone was expecting,” he says. 

Wu Wen and her cub need time alone. They’ll stay in the den. The cub has lots to learn! According to the Ouwehands Zoo’s website, the cub won’t leave the den until it learns how to walk and follow Wu Wen.

For now, zookeepers will keep an eye on the cub by video. When it finally leaves the den, zookeepers will see whether the baby is a boy or girl. That’s going to be a big surprise!

Posted: May 15, 2020

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WORLD Watch News in 3 is the newest current events resource from WORLD News Group. Each day, it delivers a lively three-minute roundup of top news headlines. News in 3 is a preview of WORLD Watch, coming in August. WORLD Watch will be a daily, 10-minute current events program for teens that delivers headline news, in-depth feature stories, and thoughtful perspective to help students develop critical thinking skills and discernment.

Posted: May 14, 2020

COVID-19 hit Gallup, New Mexico, hard. For protection, the town locked down. Police officers barricaded roads. They made sure visitors stayed away. The message was clear, “If you don’t live in Gallup, please stay out.” Can a city close? Gallup did.

Gallup sits right next door to the Navajo Nation, an American Indian territory. Gallup is pretty small. It’s home to 22,000 people. But weekly, tens of thousands of people pack into town. Many come from the Navajo Nation. The size of Gallup can quadruple quickly! More people means more risk for spreading the coronavirus.

Closing Gallup means thousands of people can’t get supplies. Some living outside of Gallup don’t have good water. Gallup does. It has a coin-operated water station. Many grocery stores outside of town are tiny. Gallup has a big Walmart and a Tractor Supply Co.

 Last week, hundreds of cars sat in line at a roadblock. Drivers hoped to enter town. They couldn’t. Why? The governor decided to keep Gallup closed.

Gallup’s streets are empty. There are very few cars. There are no crowds even at grocery stores. Surely shutting down Gallup will help stop the spread of the virus.

Have you had to wait for something to open? Sometimes waiting is hard to do. Psalm 27:14 encourages us, “Wait for the Lord; be strong, and let your heart take courage; wait for the Lord!”

Gallup will open again. In fact, the complete lockdown lifted a bit just this week. The town is welcoming a few more people. Barricades are coming down. Roads have a little more traffic. Travelers aren’t turned away. But only essential stores are open––at least for now.

Posted: May 13, 2020

They’re big and pink, and they have very long necks. This spring, flamingos are stretching those necks and spreading their wings. Record numbers are flocking to a lagoon on the coast of Albania.

Did you think everyone was staying home during the coronavirus pandemic? Not these big birds. Close to 3,000 flamingos are hanging out together at Narta Lagoon in the Adriatic Sea. They’re gathering in other parts of the world too.

According to Time, Mumbai, India, has a record number of flamingos this spring. The Bombay Natural History Society thinks the birds have moved in because human activities have moved out.

Albanian bird watchers agree. Scientist Nexhip Hysolokaj thinks flamingos are “a very delicate species.” He says not having vehicles or visitors around suits them. “They have found food and calmness, and that has likely helped them increase the numbers,” says Mr. Hysolokaj.

It’s quiet by the lagoon. Work at the nearby saltworks has stopped. That’s a “Welcome!” sign for waterfowl. There are more pelicans and herons at the lagoon too.

Researchers will study the flamingos. They want to know if the “coronavirus calm” is helpful to them. Will the birds stay at the lagoon to nest and breed? A quiet lagoon crowded with feathered life is a treasure. It might even boost tourism later. But will flamingos continue to flourish with tourists around? Maybe not. After all, the flamingos came back when there were fewer humans to fear.

I know all the birds of the hills, and all that moves in the field is mine. — Psalm 50:11

Posted: May 12, 2020

The polar vortex was unstoppable. It swooped down south over the weekend. Along with it came chilly temperatures and unexpected snowfall. The vortex slammed into the Northeast United States just in time for Mother’s Day. Even some Southern states saw below-freezing temperatures.

A polar vortex is a spinning pocket of cold air that swirls around the Arctic. The vortex’s frigid air usually stays far, far north. But every now and then, it slips down south. With it comes bone-chilling cold and snow.

It was f-r-e-e-z-i-n-g at the Mount Washington Observatory. The observatory sits on top of the highest mountain peak in the northeast. On Saturday afternoon, the wind chill dropped to 22 degrees below zero! Job 37:10 says, “By the breath of God ice is given, and the broad waters are frozen fast.”

Some higher elevations in New York and New England got close to 10 inches of snow. People saw traces of the white fluffy stuff along the coast from Maine to Boston.

John Cannon is a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Gray, Maine. “This is a rare May snow event,” he says.

Snow in May? The snow didn’t stick around for long. But it still made it into the record books. In New York City’s Central Park, the flakes tied a record set in 1977. That was the only other year that it snowed so late in May at the park.

The polar vortex came two days after Vermont began lifting restrictions on outdoor activities like tennis and golf. The cold weather frustrated some people. After all, everyone’s been cooped up for a couple of months due to the coronavirus pandemic. Governor Phil Scott tweeted, “Just like better weather is ahead, better days will come as well. We will get through this, together.”

Posted: May 11, 2020

Sunglasses? Check. Cap? Check. Mask? Double-check. Authorities in California have an important message: “Leaving home? Don’t forget a mask.”

California counties have different mask rules. Some recommend mask wearing. Others require it. People in Napa County must cover their faces in public. If you want to go on a hike in Los Angeles County, you must wear a mask. In the Bay Area, police can ticket people who refuse to cover their faces. Across the state, authorities ask people to respectfully follow posted mask rules.

Masks may help stop the spread of COVID-19. For weeks, some people have been wearing masks at essential businesses like grocery stores and medical clinics. Slowly, more stores are reopening. Many post signs reminding shoppers to cover their faces. Waiting in line? Cover your face. Looking around? Make sure you’re masked.

Dannie Holzer wears a mask most of the time. “I wear it because I respect other people, and I don’t know what immune deficiencies they may have,” she says.

Matthew 5:16 is a good reminder that our actions can point others to Christ. “In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven.”

Most Californians are willing to follow the mask rules. Barbara Ferrer is the Director of the Department of Public Health in Los Angeles County. She says there is a “tiny group” of people who aren’t wearing masks in public. Ms. Ferrer urges shop owners to politely refuse service to people without face coverings.  

There are different ways to mask up. Some people cover their faces with T-shirts. Others use bandanas. Many wear homemade cloth masks.

Masks are becoming a part of life. How many have you seen lately?