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. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Europe Is Getting Poorer – One of the major reasons for the creation of the European Union was to make Europeans wealthier. Along the way, however, something went seriously wrong. The European Union's economy has been stagnant for so long that the poorest state in the U.S., Mississippi, now has a higher GDP than any nation in the EU except Germany. And Mississippi looks to be on track to surpass Germany.
https://cbn.com/news/world/europe-getting-poorer-and-some-think-its-poverty-spikes-could-spark-revolution

Taxpayers to spend $477 billion on tax season – Taxpayers are expected to spend 6.93 billion hours and more than $477 billion to be in compliance with the 2026 tax filing season, according to a new report released Monday [4/13]. The report estimated the average American will spend 12 hours and $290 to complete their tax return. The report anticipated a decrease in compliance burdens from its peak of 7.93 billion hours in 2023. The report estimates that tax compliance costs include $319.7 billion in lost time and at least $157.1 billion in out-of-pocket expenses, including tax software and professional services.
https://www.thecentersquare.com/national/article_27a78f27-ea2a-4adc-809a-aa77befdb3ff.html

Automatic registration for US military draft to begin in December – Eligible men will automatically be registered into the military draft pool by December as part of an effort to streamline the previous process of self-registration and save money. The Selective Service System submitted a proposed rule to the Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs on March 30. Most men between the ages of 18 and 25 are already required to register with the Selective Service, but automatic registration was mandated in December 2025 as part of the fiscal 2026 National Defense Authorization Act.
https://thehill.com/policy/defense/5822914-automatic-registration-military-draft/

Planned Parenthood committed record 434k abortions in 2024-2025 – Planned Parenthood has released its 2024-2025 annual report, which revealed that despite a slew of fully-enforceable state abortion bans and numerous cuts to federal funding, the abortion giant has again managed to commit a record number of abortions in a nation, without Roe v. Wade.
https://www.lifesitenews.com/news/planned-parenthood-committed-record-434k-abortions-in-2024-2025-annual-report/

US Fertility Rates Drop to Record Low in 2025 as Births Fall – The U.S. fertility rate hit a record low last year, extending a nearly two-decade decline, provisional data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention showed on Thursday [4/9]. The decline also reflects global trends, as fewer women choose to have children against a changing social backdrop. In the U.S., the general fertility rate has fallen nearly 23% since 2007, according to the agency’s data.
https://www.dailysignal.com/2026/04/09/us-fertility-rates-drop-to-record-low-in-2025-as-births-fall/

Cancer risk is significantly higher for adults who have never married – Adults who have never been married face a significantly higher risk of developing cancer than those who have been married, according to a large U.S. study of more than four million cases. Marriage is already associated with earlier cancer diagnosis and better survival. But previous work on the links between marriage and cancer had focused almost entirely on what happens at and after diagnosis. Only a few small, older studies explored whether marriage affects the odds of getting cancer in the first place. Men and women showed slightly different patterns. Men who had never married were about 70% more likely to develop cancer than married men, while women who had never married were about 85% more likely to develop cancer than women who were or had been married. The study began in 2015 because that year, the U.S. Supreme Court legalized gay marriage, allowing same-sex couples to be included in the married category.
https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-04-cancer-significantly-higher-adults-large.html

'Plague-Level of Suicide' – Placing chaplains in public school districts has become a national trend, with New York becoming the latest state to embrace the idea. "Lots of states are looking to have safer schools, provide faith-based mental healthcare. And New York is just one of the new states added to the list," Rocky Malloy, Chief Executive Officer of the National School Chaplain Association, told CBN News. Malloy says the primary need for these chaplains is to address what he calls "the plague level" of student suicide. "Every state in the United States suffers with having children killing themselves," explained Malloy. "It's the number one cause of death for young people, either that or suicide by drugs.
https://cbn.com/news/us/plague-level-suicide-more-states-embrace-public-school-chaplains-combat-crisis

The anti-ageing tools biohackers are counting on to live to 150 – It’s interesting that despite all the developments in medical science in the past 30 years, that world record for human ageing hasn’t been beaten. In fact, despite more people than ever celebrating their 100th birthday, there are still only 77 people known to have reached 115.
https://health.yahoo.com/wellness/healthy-aging/longevity/articles/anti-ageing-tools-biohackers-counting-113000738.html