Russia invaded Ukraine three days ago. The world looks on as the Ukrainian people defend their homeland. Biden’s approval rating sank to 39% as the world fears the leader of the free world lacks the mental competence to lead us through this time of crisis. Americans are trying to understand what the war is about. Some fear that Russia, China and North Korea are working together to mount the third world war. Russia’s leader, Putin, is threatening a nuclear attack against Ukraine, and he threatens a nuclear attack against any nation that interferes with the invasion.
There is no doubt that attendance at churches, synagogues and masques is up sharply throughout the world, as the world prays for peace. I feel a glimmer of hope that those prayers are working, as breaking news just came on that Ukraine and Russia have agreed to hold negotiations as tensions rise.
My heartaches for the citizens of the Ukraine as they take up arms to defend their country’s independence.
Meanwhile, inflation dominates most conversations and the local news in America. Not long ago, the pandemic, masks mandates, and vaccine mandates ruled our conversations. Now, the never-ending topic of conversation is inflation. Unlike the virus, no one debates whether inflation is real. Everyone is feeling it. The latest stress out is insurance premiums increasing by thousands as building materials continue to increase substantially. All of the major news outlets identify the economy as the major driver of Biden’s dismal approval rating. Personally, I think the lack of confidence in his mental capacity is the actual driver. Dementia is not something what either political party hopes for in their president.
News of the pandemic has taken a back seat to the war. The latest pandemic news is debates on the original source of the virus and the lifting of mask mandates. The different media outlets continue to run stories that emphatically state that the virus was man made while others run stories that the virus originated from animals in the Wuhan market. Mask mandates are lifting even in the most left-winged states.
Crime continues to rise right alongside inflation. Houston now leads the nation in murders. News of murder is drowning out in local news as it becomes every day’s news. There is a terrifying number of unserved warrants for violent offenders in Harris County.
The crime wave is far from isolated to Houston. Across the nation, crime continues to rise. The number of officers shot in the line of duty is staggering. Political leaders are beginning to change horses and suddenly want to embrace police officers instead of “defunding the police”.
As I reflect on all of this, I wonder what tomorrow’s news might bring.