Below are this week's Articles of Interest as compiled by Mr. Van Baker. This collection of articles is cultivated by Mr. Baker with the goal of highlighting some of the trends, upheavals, and things to watch for in our society. These articles are not necessarily the express views of the United Church of God, Mr. Baker, or me as the pastor, but they are informative of what is occurring in our nation and culture. In accordance with Christ's warning to correctly discern the times (Matthew 16:1-4), it is wise to be aware of what is going on around us. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------

‘Right to die’ bill passed by Illinois lawmakers, awaits Pritzker’s signature – The General Assembly approved Senate Bill 1950, also known as "Deb’s Law," sending it to Gov. JB Pritzker’s desk for his signature to become law. If enacted, the bill would allow terminally ill patients who are mentally capable and have a prognosis of six months or less to live to receive prescription medication that would end their lives, according to the ACLU of Illinois, which pushed for the legislation.
https://www.fox32chicago.com/news/illinois-right-to-die-bill-passes

Archaeologists Stunned by Lavish Assyrian-period Tomb in Northern Israel – Nearly 2,700 years ago, someone of great importance died and was buried on a remote, uninhabited hill in the Jezreel Valley, in today's northern Israel. Jewelry, glazed pottery, a shower of beads and a number of rare objects from lands near and far were heaped into [three] urns, which were then buried in a grave cut into the bedrock. Now archaeologists have uncovered this pair of unusual and mysterious graves, and are hailing the trove of artifacts as one of the richest and most diverse burials ever found in Israel. Dated to the 7th century B.C.E., the cremation burial contained many artifacts often associated with the Assyrian Empire and its colonial territories, the researchers reported [10/23] in Tel Aviv: Journal of the Institute of Archaeology of Tel Aviv University. This leads the researchers to suggest the ashes buried in the urns may have been the remains of a high-ranking official, possibly even the governor ruling over the former lands of the biblical Kingdom of Israel, vanquished by the Assyrians a few decades earlier.
https://www.haaretz.com/archaeology/2025-10-24/ty-article-magazine/archaeologists-stunned-by-lavish-assyrian-period-tomb-in-northern-israel/0000019a-1618-d582-a39e-5efceef30000

Supreme Court of Finland hears case over 6-year-old Bible tweet – The Supreme Court of Finland on Thursday [10/30] heard the landmark case of Päivi Räsänen, a Finnish member of parliament who has been repeatedly dragged into court over a six-year-old Bible verse tweet that criticized the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Finland for promoting LGBT pride month. Räsänen first drew the attention of authorities in 2019, shortly after she tweeted a photo from the book of Romans asking how the Finnish Lutheran Church could agree with "shame and sin" being presented as "a matter of pride."
https://www.christianpost.com/news/supreme-court-of-finland-hears-pivi-rsnen-case-for-bible-tweet.html

Silicon Valley executive says AI could hasten Christ’s return – A Silicon Valley technology executive said he hopes to accelerate the second coming of Jesus Christ through technological innovation. Patrick Gelsinger, CEO of Gloo, made the remarks during the “AI for Humanity” event at Colorado Christian University. “My life mission has been to work on a piece of technology that would improve the quality of life of every human on the planet and hasten the coming of Christ’s return,” Gelsinger told students.
https://premierchristian.news/us/news/article/silicon-valley-exec-aims-to-speed-up-second-coming

Silicon Valley bets $60 million on blocking the sun – Silicon Valley just wrote a $60 million check to "turn down" the sun. Stardust, an Israeli startup founded by two nuclear physicists, convinced some of the world’s wealthiest and most sophisticated investors to fund a plan that sounds like science fiction: dispersing reflective particles in the stratosphere to cool the planet by blocking sunlight. The technology mimics volcanic eruptions, which have temporarily cooled Earth by obscuring the sun with ash and debris. The question is whether billionaire-backed geoengineering represents human ingenuity or the ultimate act of hubris.
https://israel365news.com/413406/silicon-valley-bets-60-million-on-blocking-the-sun-as-joels-warning-of-darkness-looms/

Study finds women get more benefits from exercise than men – With the same amount of exercise, women experience a three-fold reduction in their risk of death from heart disease compared to men, researchers reported [10/27] in Nature Cardiovascular Research.
https://www.upi.com/Health_News/2025/10/29/exercise-benefits-women-men-study/6441761756213/