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The birth rate in the United States just keeps setting one dismal record after another.  In fact, according to the CDC it just dropped to the lowest level ever recorded.  We are literally not even replacing ourselves, and that has all sorts of implications for our future.  For instance, if we don’t produce enough offspring, there simply will not be enough workers to support Social Security and Medicare and those programs will inevitably collapse.  A society with lots of old people and relatively few young people will result in poverty for everyone.  So the truth is that the birth rate crisis is going to ultimately affect all of us.

In order for the population of our nation to remain perfectly stable, women need to be giving birth to an average of 2.1 children because not all children make it to adulthood.

Sadly, the birth rate in the United States is now way below replacement level.

The CDC just announced that the birth rate in the U.S. fell below 1.6 children per woman in 2024…

The United States’ total fertility rate fell to a record low in 2024, dipping below 1.6 children per woman, according to new federal data released Thursday by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). This marks a significant demographic milestone for a country that once stood apart among developed nations for maintaining a replacement-level birth rate of around 2.1 children per woman.

Our society is not growing.

Our society is dying.

If you go back to the early 1960s, our birth rate was hovering around 3.5 children per woman, but it has been on a downward trend ever since…

In the early 1960s, the U.S. total fertility rate was around 3.5, but plummeted to 1.7 by 1976 after the Baby Boom ended. It gradually rose to 2.1 in 2007 before falling again, aside from a 2014 uptick. The rate in 2023 was 1.621 but inched down in 2024 to 1.599, according to the CDC’s National Center for Health Statistics.

So what has caused such a dramatic shift?

According to CBS News, on average U.S. women are waiting longer to have children, and many are choosing never to have children at all…

The U.S. was once among only a few developed countries with a rate that ensured each generation had enough children to replace itself — about 2.1 kids per woman. But it has been sliding in America for close to two decades as more women are waiting longer to have children or never taking that step at all.

I think that it is important to also point out that many couples simply can’t have children today.

Infertility has been steadily rising among women, and among men sperm counts have been falling precipitously since the 1970s.

If we do not do something about this, eventually most males will simply be unable to produce offspring at all.

For couples that are able to produce babies, many are putting off parenthood due to the rising cost of living.

Most Americans are just barely scraping by from month to month these days, and having a kid is really expensive.

In fact, it takes hundreds of thousands of dollars to raise a single child to adulthood in the United States…

Raising a child from birth to age 18 in the United States can cost between $200,000 and $310,000, according to some sources. It is even pricier in some states, including Massachusetts, where families can spend up to $650,000.

Child care is a huge part of this: parents can expect to pay anywhere from $3,000 to $21,000 annually on child care.

When I was growing up, my father worked and my mother stayed home with the kids.

But that is very rare in America today.

Most women are working, and that is another reason why the birth rate has been falling.  It is just very difficult to have a full-time career and to be a full-time mother…

This “shift” includes the fact that most women in high-income countries now work, while it was previously “reasonable to consider having children as a widespread priority for women.”

But they do not attribute this to “whether women work at all after they are married or have had their first child” but rather “the tension between a lifetime career and the way motherhood interrupts or alters that lifetime career progression.”

But even women that don’t work are having fewer children.

So how do we explain that?

The answer is actually very simple.

Throughout human history, children have been considered to be a blessing to be cherished, but our culture regards them as a burden to be avoided.

We have a very “me-centered” culture, and we now prioritize ourselves over everything else.

The idea of “making sacrifices” for your family and your children is anathema in this day and age.

Young people are frequently told that they will “ruin their lives” if they get married too early or have children too early.

Our society encourages them to run around and have lots of fun before they “settle down”.

Of course many are choosing not to “settle down” at all.

Our movies, our television shows and our music glorify the single lifestyle.  As a result, a higher percentage of Americans are single than ever before.

But has that made us happier?

No, we have a raging loneliness epidemic in this country that I have written about on numerous occasions.

We were designed to love and be loved, and the family unit has always been the basic building block of society all throughout human history.

There is one last cause of our birth rate crisis that I wanted to mention.

If we stopped aborting a million babies a year, that would completely solve our birth rate crisis right there.

Of course that isn’t going to happen, and that is extremely unfortunate.

Given enough time, if we stay on the road that we are currently on it would lead to demographic collapse…

If trends continue on their present path, demographers warn, there won’t be enough people to work to support society. The extreme labor shortages would lead to stagnation, poverty, and ultimately — in the most dire scenarios — the collapse of civilization itself.

Of course I don’t believe that our society actually has enough time left for such a scenario to play out.

We are committing societal suicide in so many other ways, and the clock is ticking.

Michael’s new book entitled “10 Prophetic Events That Are Coming Next” is available in paperback and for the Kindle on Amazon.com, and you can subscribe to his Substack newsletter at michaeltsnyder.substack.com.

About the Author: Michael Snyder’s new book entitled “10 Prophetic Events That Are Coming Next” is available in paperback and for the Kindle on Amazon.com.  He has also written nine other books that are available on Amazon.com including “Chaos”, “End Times”, “7 Year Apocalypse”, “Lost Prophecies Of The Future Of America”, “The Beginning Of The End”, and “Living A Life That Really Matters”.  When you purchase any of Michael’s books you help to support the work that he is doing.  You can also get his articles by email as soon as he publishes them by subscribing to his Substack newsletter.  Michael has published thousands of articles on The Economic Collapse Blog, End Of The American Dream and The Most Important News, and he always freely and happily allows others to republish those articles on their own websites.  These are such troubled times, and people need hope.  John 3:16 tells us about the hope that God has given us through Jesus Christ: “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.”  If you have not already done so, we strongly urge you to invite Jesus Christ to be your Lord and Savior today.

If you ask 1,000 different Americans about the state of the U.S. economy, you will get 1,000 different opinions.  But what is the truth?  In this article, I am going to share information with you that is indisputable.  I like to examine things from an analytical point of view, and so I always want to know what the cold, hard numbers are telling me.  And what the cold, hard numbers are telling me is very troubling.  The following are 10 economic facts that nobody can deny…

#1 The Conference Board’s index of leading economic indicators fell more than expected last month, and during the entire first half of 2025 it declined at an even faster rate than it did during the second half of 2024…

The Conference Board Leading Economic Index® (LEI) for the US declined by 0.3% in June 2025 to 98.8 (2016=100), after no change in May (revised upward from –0.1% originally reported). As a result, the LEI fell by 2.8% over the first half of 2025, a substantially faster rate of decline than the –1.3% contraction over the second half of 2024.

“The US LEI fell further in June,” said Justyna Zabinska-La Monica, Senior Manager, Business Cycle Indicators, at The Conference Board. “For a second month in a row, the stock price rally was the main support of the LEI. But this was not enough to offset still very low consumer expectations, weak new orders in manufacturing, and a third consecutive month of rising initial claims for unemployment insurance.

#2 We just learned that sales of previously-owned homes have fallen to their lowest level in nine months…

Sales of previously-owned homes in the United States hit their lowest rate in nine months, according to industry data released Wednesday, as high home prices and mortgage rates weighed on the market.

Existing home sales dropped by 2.7 percent last month to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 3.9 million, said the National Association of Realtors (NAR).

#3 It is being reported that millions of Americans that are on existing health insurance plans will be hit with “double-digit rate hikes” next year…

Consumers who buy health insurance through the Affordable Care Act marketplace will likely face double-digit rate hikes next year.

Insurers plan a median premium increase of 15% for 2026 plans, which would be the largest ACA insurance price hike since 2018, according to a Peterson-KFF Health System Tracker analysis published on July 18.

And many working-age consumers who get their health insurance through the workplace won’t be spared, either. Benefits consultant Mercer said more than half of big employers expect to shift a larger share of insurance costs to employees and their families next year by raising deductibles, copays, or out-of-pocket requirements.

#4 The price of beef in the United States has risen 9 percent since January…

First it was eggs, now it’s beef.

The last time Americans likely noticed spiking prices at the grocery store was when eggs reached record-highs. Since then, egg prices have fallen after the deadly avian flu outbreak was contained and producers built back supply.

Now, beef prices are hitting records, rising almost 9% since January, according to the Department of Agriculture, and retailing for $9.26 a pound. June’s consumer price index showed steak and ground beef prices are up 12.4% and 10.3%, respectively, over the last year.

#5 More Americans than ever are using “buy now, pay later” loans to pay for groceries…

25% of BNPL users say they’ve used the loans to buy groceries. That’s up from 14% just a year ago, amid rising prices at the supermarket. One-third of Gen Z BNPL users say they’ve done so, making it the fourth-most common BNPL purchase for that age group, trailing clothing, technology and home decor.

#6 The official rate of inflation just increased at the fastest pace that we have seen in 5 months…

Consumer prices in June posted the biggest increase since the beginning of the year and are likely to keep the Federal Reserve from cutting interest rates later this month, but there were only scattered signs of tariff-related inflation.

The consumer-price index rose 0.3% last month, the government said Tuesday, and matched Wall Street’s forecast. It was the biggest rise since January.

#7 A recent survey found that 23 percent of Americans have decided to delay retirement.  That figure is up from 14 percent last year…

Older Americans are kicking the can down the road on retirement over concerns about the economy and their own financial readiness to step back from work.

That’s according to a new survey from F&G Annuities & Life, which polled 2,000 U.S. adults over 50 years old. The life insurance and annuities company found that 23% of those polled have already decided to delay their retirement as they grapple with questions about their financial readiness, up from 14% in 2024.

The findings come at a time when the median savings of 55-year-olds is just $50,000, far from enough to fund a secure old age, according to another recent study by Prudential Financial.

#8 According to another recent survey, nearly 70 percent of Americans are feeling “anxiety and depression” because of the state of their finances…

Americans are feeling increasingly uneasy about their financial future.

Nearly 7 in 10 (69%) say financial uncertainty has led them to feelings of anxiety and depression, according to a recent survey from Northwest Mutual — an 8-percentage-point increase from 2023.

#9 The percentage of the U.S. population that is dealing with food insecurity has almost doubled over the past four years…

In May, 15.6% of adults were food insecure, almost double the rate in 2021. At that time Congress had beefed up SNAP benefits and expanded the Child Tax Credit driving down poverty rates, and giving people more money for food.

#10 Freight-related companies all over the country are conducting mass layoffs…

Another wave of closures and layoffs has hit workers and companies tied to commercial transportation, manufacturing, lumber production, distribution and logistics across the U.S.

Over the past several weeks, there have been 4,137 job cuts announced, according to media reports and Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification (WARN) Act notices.

The companies facing layoffs include: Republic National Distributing Co. (1,756), Canfor Corp. (290), Bluestem Brands (160), DeRoyal Industries (153), Weaber Lumber (145), Howard Miller Co. (133), Ohio Eagle Distributing (124), Pocino Foods Co. (124), Western Forest Products (112), Americold Logistics (110), Lightspeed Logistics Miami LLC (110), Cartparts.com (104), MacMillan-Piper (92), GSC Enterprises Inc. (80), SalonCentric (79), Auto Warehousing Co. (75), BRP Marine US Inc. (72), Marshall Excelsior Co. (71), Backyard PlayNation (66), Spectrum Plastic Group (34) and CHS Inc. (25).

This would not be happening if the U.S. economy was in good shape.

When the economy is strong, lots of stuff is being shipped all over the place.

Sadly, a lot more layoffs are on the horizon.

In addition to facing another major economic downturn, we have also entered the “AI revolution”.

According to author Robert Kiyosaki, AI is going to “cause massive unemployment”…

Rich Dad Poor Dad author Robert Kiyosaki has a sobering take on one of today’s hottest trends: artificial intelligence (AI).

“BIGGEST CHANGE in MODERN HISTORY,” he declared in an X post on July 1. “AI will cause many ‘smart students’ to lose their jobs. AI will cause massive unemployment. Many still have student loan debt.”

Kiyosaki isn’t alone in sounding the alarm. Dario Amodei, CEO of Anthropic — the AI company behind the large language model Claude — recently warned that AI could wipe out half of all entry-level white-collar jobs and push the unemployment rate as high as 20%.

Thanks to AI and other technological advancements, our society is now in a period of exponential transformation.

Many would argue that many of the changes that we are witnessing are not for the better.

It is going to be very challenging to make good decisions in this environment, because many of the old rules no longer apply.

Michael’s new book entitled “10 Prophetic Events That Are Coming Next” is available in paperback and for the Kindle on Amazon.com, and you can subscribe to his Substack newsletter at michaeltsnyder.substack.com.

About the Author: Michael Snyder’s new book entitled “10 Prophetic Events That Are Coming Next” is available in paperback and for the Kindle on Amazon.com.  He has also written nine other books that are available on Amazon.com including “Chaos”, “End Times”, “7 Year Apocalypse”, “Lost Prophecies Of The Future Of America”, “The Beginning Of The End”, and “Living A Life That Really Matters”.  When you purchase any of Michael’s books you help to support the work that he is doing.  You can also get his articles by email as soon as he publishes them by subscribing to his Substack newsletter.  Michael has published thousands of articles on The Economic Collapse Blog, End Of The American Dream and The Most Important News, and he always freely and happily allows others to republish those articles on their own websites.  These are such troubled times, and people need hope.  John 3:16 tells us about the hope that God has given us through Jesus Christ: “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.”  If you have not already done so, we strongly urge you to invite Jesus Christ to be your Lord and Savior today.

You don’t have to convince insurance companies that 2025 has been “the year of the disaster”, because they have been getting pummeled by record high losses. As you will see below, there have been tens of thousands of wildfires in the U.S. so far this year, and we just keep getting hit by one “1,000 year storm” after another.  Nobody can deny that what we have been experiencing is not even close to normal.  Of course if someone actually did want to try to make the argument that “everything is fine”, that individual would have to explain why insurance companies are facing “record-high global insurance losses” from the first six months of this year…

Raging wildfires and severe storms contributed to record-high global insurance losses — totaling an estimated $84 billion — for the first six months of the year, according to a report from reinsurance broker Gallagher Re.

That total does not even include any damage from the series of historic floods that we have witnessed during the month of July.

As CNN has noted, in recent weeks we have seen “100-year to 1,000-year deluges happening nearly simultaneously in multiple states on multiple days”…

This summer, in particular, has been defined by a tragic surge in deadly flash floods across the United States, underscoring the escalating volatility of our warming world.

It’s no accident this is the summer of flooding, climate scientists say, with 100-year to 1,000-year deluges happening nearly simultaneously in multiple states on multiple days.

Large parts of the US have seen an unusually humid summer with record amounts of moisture in the air. When cold fronts and other weather systems come along, that moisture can get wrung out, squeezed like a water-laden sponge, yielding heavy and often highly localized downpours.

None of us have ever seen anything quite like this.

Since July 4th, the U.S. has been hammered by one historic flooding event after another…

First and foremost, there was the devastating Texas flood that killed more than 130 people on the night of July 4. But flash flood events have been focused elsewhere as well. Three people were killed in a flash flood related to torrential rains falling on a wildfire burn scar in Ruidoso, New Mexico, on July 8.

Some major roads in Chicago were suddenly under water when a 1,000-year rainfall event struck in early July. In portions of North Carolina, the remnants of Tropical Storm Chantal led to deadly heavy rain and flooding the same weekend as the Texas tragedy. In New York City, water rushed into the subway tunnels when the city saw its second-heaviest rainfall total in one hour on July 14, with widespread flash flooding lasting into the 15th. And this past week, it was Kansas City’s turn to flood on July 17.

And that CNN article didn’t even mention the terrible flooding that occurred in Maryland on July 19th…

More than 100 flood-related emergency calls were reported in Montgomery County, Maryland, on Saturday evening, July 19, 2025, after thunderstorms brought up to 127 mm (5 inches) of rain in less than two hours, prompting a Flash Flood Emergency from the National Weather Service.

Sadly, similar floods have been happening all over the world.

For example, on Monday more than 11 inches of rain fell on one section of eastern China in just 12 hours…

Very heavy rainfall inundated parts of eastern China today, with Lianjiang County in Fuzhou, Fujian Province recording 296 mm (11.65 inches) of rain within just 12 hours.

The extreme rainfall event caused widespread flooding in residential and commercial zones, overwhelmed underground infrastructure, and triggered a landslide that blocked a tunnel in central Fuzhou.

For those that wish to dig even deeper, I recently posted an article in which I listed 13 catastrophic flooding events that occurred within a period of 13 days.

This has certainly been “the year of the flood”, but it has also been “the year of the fire”.

It all started with the record-setting fires in southern California in January.  Overall, so far this year firefighters have been called out to battle more than 40,000 wildfires in the United States…

Year to date, wildland firefighters have been called to nearly 41,000 blazes, by far the highest number in federal data going back to at least 2015.

How is it possible for us to have record-setting flooding and record-setting wildfires in the exact same year?

I really encourage you to think about that question.

Something very unusual is going on.

The wildfires that absolutely devastated southern California in January were the costliest in the entire history of our nation, and they hit U.S. insurance companies really hard…

The January wildfires that raged across Southern California were among the costliest and most destructive in Los Angeles County’s history. It forced tens of thousands of Californians to decide whether they would rebuild their homes or relocate from a state increasingly facing the risk of wildfires.

In February, State Farm General, which is California’s largest insurance provider, said it received more than 8,700 claims and paid over $1 billion to customers in the wake of the wildfires. Citing a “dire” financial situation, the company requested an emergency interim rate hike averaging 22% for homeowners from state officials, putting more pressure on California homeowners.

I feel really bad for those homeowners.

Moving forward, insurance rates in California are going to be absolutely insane.

In the eastern half of the country, approximately 200 million people are about to experience a “triple-digit heat wave”…

According to AccuWeather, more than 200 million people across 37 states will experience the triple-digit heat wave by Friday.

Officials have issued extreme heat alerts for the Mississippi Valley, while the entire Chicago area is under an extreme heat watch through Thursday.

This week, humidity from cornfields has intensified the already severe heat dome, extending from Texas to the Great Lakes.

Over 100 cities are expected to challenge overnight heat records, raising serious risks for heat stress, especially where there is no air conditioning.

It is going to be really, really hot.

If you live in the eastern half of the nation, I hope that you are prepared.

Meanwhile, our planet just won’t stop shaking.

Since July 8th, there have been approximately 1,200 earthquakes at Mt. Rainier…

As of Friday, researchers had analyzed 780 of about 1,200 tremors recorded at the 20 seismic stations on or near the volcano since July 8, according to the Pacific Northwest Seismic Network (PNSN).

There is a reason why I featured Mt. Rainier so prominently in my new book.

One of these days, it is going to blow.

When that day finally arrives, you won’t want to be anywhere around.

On the other side of the Pacific Ring of Fire, there have been 136 major aftershocks in the aftermath of a magnitude 7.4 earthquake that hit Kamchatka…

A powerful M7.4 earthquake occurred east of Petropavlovsk-Kamchatky, Kamchatka, Russia, at 06:49 UTC on July 20, 2025.

According to data provided by the United States Geological Survey (USGS), the mainshock was preceded by six foreshocks, the strongest of which was an M6.6 at 06:28 UTC, approximately 20 minutes before the main event.

Since the sequence began, the USGS has registered a total of 136 earthquakes of magnitude 4.0 or greater in the region through 09:00 UTC today. Of these, 40 had magnitudes above 5.0, and five exceeded magnitude 6.

And let us not forget that one area of Japan has been getting hammered by thousands of earthquakes in recent weeks.

I have a feeling that all of this activity is leading up to something really big.

On top of everything else, a small asteroid that almost just hit us wasn’t even discovered by our scientists until it had already flown past Earth…

A newly discovered asteroid designated 2025 OS flew past Earth at a distance of just 0.03 LD (0.00007 AU / 10 457 km / 6 498 miles) at 03:21 UTC on July 19, 2025.

This is 79th known asteroid to fly past Earth since the start of the year and the 6th so far this month.

2025 OS was first observed by ATLAS Chile, Rio Hurtado at 07:26 UTC — about 4 hours after it made its close approach.

The good news is that space rock was very small.

But I am entirely convinced that very large space rocks will be making a lot of headlines in the not too distant future.

Of course I am also entirely convinced that we are going to see a lot more floods, a lot more fires and a lot more seismic activity.

We really have entered a time of great planetary chaos, and what we have been through so far is just the beginning.

Michael’s new book entitled “10 Prophetic Events That Are Coming Next” is available in paperback and for the Kindle on Amazon.com, and you can subscribe to his Substack newsletter at michaeltsnyder.substack.com.

About the Author: Michael Snyder’s new book entitled “10 Prophetic Events That Are Coming Next” is available in paperback and for the Kindle on Amazon.com.  He has also written nine other books that are available on Amazon.com including “Chaos”, “End Times”, “7 Year Apocalypse”, “Lost Prophecies Of The Future Of America”, “The Beginning Of The End”, and “Living A Life That Really Matters”.  When you purchase any of Michael’s books you help to support the work that he is doing.  You can also get his articles by email as soon as he publishes them by subscribing to his Substack newsletter.  Michael has published thousands of articles on The Economic Collapse Blog, End Of The American Dream and The Most Important News, and he always freely and happily allows others to republish those articles on their own websites.  These are such troubled times, and people need hope.  John 3:16 tells us about the hope that God has given us through Jesus Christ: “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.”  If you have not already done so, we strongly urge you to invite Jesus Christ to be your Lord and Savior today.

By the time we got to this stage, I always thought that far more people would be awake.  Perhaps the reason why so many Americans are still sleeping is because the major wars that are currently raging are happening on the other side of the planet.  It is easy to relax when nobody that you know personally is in the line of fire.  But the truth is that if World War III continues to escalate, it is just a matter of time before the whole world will experience a tremendous amount of pain.

It has now been about a week since President Trump issued an ominous ultimatum to the Russians, but instead of backing down the Russians have only intensified their efforts in Ukraine.  Meanwhile, fighting in the Middle East has flared up on several fronts.  The following are 15 ways that World War III has progressed during the past 7 days…

#1 Israel is warning more local residents to evacuate as the IDF pushes even deeper into Gaza…

On Sunday, the Israeli military (IDF) issued new evacuation orders for parts of central Gaza, which even after years of war with Hamas is an area where Israeli ground forces have rarely operated, further restricting access between Deir al-Balah and the southern cities of Rafah and Khan Younis.

This strongly suggests that indirect efforts to achieve another ceasefire are far from producing anything effective, and it points to Prime Minister Netanyahu pursuing his ultra-controversial plan for mass resettlement of Gaza’s Palestinian population.

Netanyahu has continued to assert that intensifying military pressure in Gaza could compel Hamas to negotiate on terms favorable to Israel and for the return of remaining hostages.

#2 A series of IDF airstrikes just caused a tremendous amount of damage to the port of Hodeida in Yemen…

Israel pounded Yemen’s Huthi-held port of Hodeida with air strikes on Monday for the second time in a month, stoking fears of escalation as it warned Yemen could face the same fate as Iran.

Huthi-controlled areas of Yemen have come under repeated Israeli strikes since the Iran-backed rebels began launching missile and drone attacks on Israel, declaring they act in solidarity with Palestinians over the Gaza war.

In its latest raids, Defence Minister Israel Katz said Israel struck “targets of the Huthi terror regime at the port of Hodeida” and aimed to prevent any attempt to restore infrastructure previously hit.

#3 In the middle of last week, Israel conducted hundreds of airstrikes inside Syrian territory…

Over the past day, the IDF has struck and continues to strike tanks, rocket launchers, weapons and pickup trucks loaded with heavy machine guns on their way to the As Suwayda area in southern Syria,” the IDF said in a statement Wednesday, using another common spelling for Sweida.

The IDF said it has “decided to reinforce its forces in the area of the Syrian border” and “will continue to operate, both in defense and offense, to ensure the security of Israeli civilians.”

The IDF’s two main goals are to prevent a buildup of a threat on border in southern Syria and to prevent the massacre of the Druze in Syria, according to an Israeli military official. The official said Israel is sending more troops to the occupied Golan Heights and the border, with at least one brigade shifting from Gaza to the north.

#4 Avigdor Liberman is warning that Iran is making plans for a “war of revenge” against Israel…

Meanwhile, on Saturday evening, MK Avigdor Liberman, a former defense minister and head of the right-wing opposition party Yisrael Beitenu, said that Iran is preparing for a war of revenge against Israel.

Asked about his opinion on the damage to Iran’s nuclear facilities, Liberman said he trusts the statements of the Israeli intelligence and security officials, saying that what disturbs him is the Iranian regime’s plans for a “war of revenge.”

“But something is more disturbing, Iran is currently breathing, talking, acting solely for a government of revenge, for a war of revenge, that’s the only thing they’re interested in, revenge,” Liberman said during an interview with Channel 12 News on Saturday evening.

#5 According to NBC News, a new intelligence assessment has determined that two of Iran’s nuclear enrichment sites were not badly damaged by U.S. airstrikes…

One of the three nuclear enrichment sites in Iran struck by the United States last month was mostly destroyed, setting work there back significantly. But the two others were not as badly damaged and may have been degraded only to a point where nuclear enrichment could resume in the next several months if Iran wants it to, according to a recent U.S. assessment of the destruction caused by the military operation, five current and former U.S. officials familiar with the assessment told NBC News.

The assessment, part of the Trump administration’s ongoing efforts to determine the status of Iran’s nuclear program since the facilities were struck, was briefed to some U.S. lawmakers, Defense Department officials and allied countries in recent days, four of those people said.

#6 It is being reported that Israel is preparing to conduct more airstrikes in Iran “if necessary”…

-In a recent meeting with Prime Minister Netanyahu, President Trump, while preferring a diplomatic solution, did not object to Israel’s readiness to launch further strikes.

-This stance comes as Israeli intelligence believes Iran could still recover a significant amount of near-bomb-grade uranium from the damaged Isfahan site.

-The situation has created a high-stakes standoff, with Washington leveraging the threat of future attacks to push Tehran toward a deal, while an unconvinced Israel prepares to act alone if necessary.

#7 A top Iranian military official is claiming that his country is “fully prepared to resume combat from exactly where it stopped”…

Major General Mohammad Pakpour, commander of Iran’s Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), said his forces are “fully prepared to resume combat from exactly where it stopped.” Speaking during a meeting with Iran’s Army chief, Major General Amir Hatami, Pakpour stressed that “the aggressors will not be spared” and praised the unity and determination of the Iranian people. He added that Iran will respond with full force only if war becomes necessary.

#8 Last night, the Russians conducted a massive aerial bombardment of key targets deep inside Ukrainian territory…

Russian forces have carried out a coordinated overnight strike on Ukraine’s military-industrial complex and airfield infrastructure, the Defense Ministry in Moscow has said.

In a statement on Monday, the ministry reported that a group strike used long-range air-, sea-, and surface-launched precision weapons. It also included Kinzhal hypersonic ballistic missiles and attack drones, officials added.

“The goal of the strike has been achieved. All designated targets have been hit,” the ministry stated.

#9 NATO responded to the Russian bombardment by scrambling fighter jets for the 13th time in recent weeks…

Vladimir Putin unleashed yet another round of bombardments on Ukraine – close to the borders of four Western nations – forcing Nato to scramble its warplanes.

It is the 13th time in a few weeks that the alliance has publicly admitted to deploying jets in response to a widespread Russian attack, but the number could be much higher.

Missiles and drones pounded the Ukrainian city of Ivano-Frankivsk – one of the heaviest attacks in the war – reaching between 60 and 105 miles from Poland, Slovakia, Hungary and Romania.

#10 Controversial U.S. General Peter Donahue just threatened the Russian enclave of Kaliningrad…

Donahue said that Kaliningrad, a Russian exclave surrounded by Poland and Lithuania, is surrounded by NATO and that the alliance could “take that down from the ground in a timeframe that is unheard of and faster than we’ve ever been able to do,” Defense News reported.

Leonid Slutsky, the chairman of the Foreign Affairs Committee of the Russian State Duma, responded to those comments in remarks reported by Russian state media TASS.

“An attack on the Kaliningrad Region will mean an attack on Russia, with all due retaliatory measures, stipulated, among other things, by its nuclear doctrine. The US general should take this into account before making such statements,” Slutsky said.

#11 In just a few days, NATO forces will conduct military exercises on Georgian soil very close to the Russian border…

Multinational military exercises under the name Agile Spirit 2025 will be held from July 25 to August 6 across locations in Georgia and Türkiye, Georgia’s Ministry of Defence has announced.

Now in its twelfth iteration on Georgian soil, the exercise aims to enhance combat readiness, improve operational interoperability, and strengthen defence cooperation among participating nations, Caliber.Az reports.

The drills will include a wide range of components such as command and staff exercises, a Georgian-American tactical convoy along the Senaki–Vaziani route, joint live-fire operations, a special operations forces mission, and the certification of Georgia’s Defence Forces Combat Training Centre.

#12 Dmitry Medvedev says that he is entirely convinced that western leaders literally want to destroy Russia…

To Western elites, an independent and strong Russia has always seemed a historical anomaly and a very effective rebuff to the idea of their `civilizational superiority’, Medvedev maintained.

“Today’s developments – a proxy war, or actually a full-out war involving the launch of Western-made missiles and satellite reconnaissance, sanctions packages, and loud statements on militarization in Europe – are yet another attempt to destroy the `historical anomaly’ that the West hates so much, to destroy our country,” he noted.

#13 German Chancellor Friedrich Merz has announced that Germany will soon be providing Ukraine with long-range missiles…

Germany will provide Ukraine with new long-range missiles “very shortly, very soon,” German Chancellor Friedrich Merz said on July 17, without mentioning the name of the weapons being supplied.

“Ukraine will be much better positioned and use these systems and get the support of us with regard to those systems in the weeks and months to come,” Merz said.

#14 Russian television host Vladimir Solovyov is suggesting that Russia should nuke the United Kingdom…

The UK and its European allies appear to have been the latest victim of Russia’s threats for World War 3 during last night’s (July 20) Russian state TV show “Sunday Evening With Vladimir Solovyov”, which featured host Vladimir Solovyov and head of the Russian state-controlled broadcaster RT Margarita Simonyan. In a curated clip, translated by Russian Media Monitor and published on YouTube, Mr Solovyov, a propaganda puppet of Vladimir Putin’s, began by referring to the events in the West as “delirium”.

“Therefore, anyone in Russia who is thinking that everything is fine, we’ll make up soon and so on, come to your senses […] The West has embarked upon a war with us. The West is convinced that this is the only option”. He then described the German Chancellor, Friedrich Merz, as a “German lowlife” and played a clip in which the politician discussed Germany’s plans to defend itself against Russia in a world that has been “largely changed by Russia”. Mr Solovyov also suggested using the RS-28 Sarmat, Russia’s most advanced intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM), or the Poseidon, an unmanned underwater nuclear-powered drone capable of travelling up to 100 mph and with a warhead of up to a 100-megaton nuclear bomb. “If there is no Britain, Germany will be left alone,” Mr Solovyov threatened.

#15 Dmitry Medvedev has publicly stated that Russia is now essentially in “a full-fledged war” with NATO and that launching “preventative strikes” should be on the table…

The escalating support for Kiev has led some in the Kremlin to argue for Moscow to take a more aggressive position against Ukraine’s Western backers. Dmitry Medvedev, former Russian President and current deputy head of the National Security Council, suggested launching preemptive attacks.

“What is happening today is a proxy war, but in essence it is a full-fledged war,” Medvedev, who is now a senior Russian national security official, told the Tass news agency. “We need to act accordingly. Respond in full. And if necessary, launch preventative strikes.”

When global leaders are openly talking about the possibility of using nuclear weapons, that is definitely a sign that we are dangerously close to a point of no return.

We need to reverse course while it is still possible to do so.

But that isn’t going to happen, is it?

All over the globe, leaders have come down with a very bad case of “war fever”, and that should deeply alarm all of us.

Sadly, for now the warnings from those of us that are concerned about where all of this is heading are falling on deaf ears, and that is extremely unfortunate.

Michael’s new book entitled “10 Prophetic Events That Are Coming Next” is available in paperback and for the Kindle on Amazon.com, and you can subscribe to his Substack newsletter at michaeltsnyder.substack.com.

About the Author: Michael Snyder’s new book entitled “10 Prophetic Events That Are Coming Next” is available in paperback and for the Kindle on Amazon.com.  He has also written nine other books that are available on Amazon.com including “Chaos”, “End Times”, “7 Year Apocalypse”, “Lost Prophecies Of The Future Of America”, “The Beginning Of The End”, and “Living A Life That Really Matters”.  When you purchase any of Michael’s books you help to support the work that he is doing.  You can also get his articles by email as soon as he publishes them by subscribing to his Substack newsletter.  Michael has published thousands of articles on The Economic Collapse Blog, End Of The American Dream and The Most Important News, and he always freely and happily allows others to republish those articles on their own websites.  These are such troubled times, and people need hope.  John 3:16 tells us about the hope that God has given us through Jesus Christ: “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.”  If you have not already done so, we strongly urge you to invite Jesus Christ to be your Lord and Savior today.

All of the other crazy things that have been happening in the world have kind of overshadowed the fact that there has been a lot of very alarming shaking along the Pacific “Ring of Fire” lately.  Dozens of volcanoes have been erupting, hundreds of sizable earthquakes have been occurring, and a lot of people that live in the affected areas are really freaking out.  Is all of this shaking leading up to some sort of a historic disaster?  Only time will tell, but it is being reported that scientists “are concerned about the increasing activity in the Pacific Ring of Fire”…

Nothing can draw attention quite like the thought of imminent doom via volcanic eruption. With nearly 50 volcanic eruptions already recorded this year and more anticipated in the coming months, Geologists are concerned about the increasing activity in the Pacific Ring of Fire.

If you are not familiar with the Pacific “Ring of Fire”, the following is a pretty good summary from National Geographic…

The Ring of Fire is a string of volcanoes and sites of seismic activity, or earthquakes, around the edges of the Pacific Ocean. Roughly 90 percent of all earthquakes occur along the Ring of Fire, and the ring is dotted with 75 percent of all active volcanoes on Earth.

The Ring of Fire isn’t quite a circular ring. It is shaped more like a 40,000-kilometer (25,000-mile) horseshoe. A string of 452 volcanoes stretches from the southern tip of South America, up along the coast of North America, across the Bering Strait, down through Japan, and into New Zealand. Several active and dormant volcanoes in Antarctica, however, “close” the ring.

The entire west coast of the United States and the entire southern coast of Alaska sit directly within the “Ring of Fire”.

And recent shaking on U.S. territory is raising a lot of eyebrows.

Just yesterday, a magnitude 7.3 earthquake prompted a tsunami warning for much of southern Alaska…

Thousands of Americans along Alaska’s coastline raced to higher ground on Wednesday, abandoning their homes after a major earthquake triggered a tsunami warning.

The US Geological Survey (USGS) detected a 7.3 magnitude at approximately 12:38pm local time (4:30pm ET), centered in the Pacific Ocean just south of the Alaska Peninsula near the Shumagin Islands, southeast of Sand Point.

Sirens wailed and emergency alerts lit up phones across the region, warning residents across a vast stretch of southwestern Alaska, from Kennedy Entrance near Homer to Unimak Pass near Unalaska, to evacuate immediately.

Thankfully, a major tsunami was not generated, but it was definitely a really big reminder of the danger that we are facing.

Elsewhere in Alaska, volcanoes that were dormant for a long time have been stirring to life…

Meanwhile, in Alaska, two volcanoes are drawing intense scrutiny. Mount Spurr, dormant since its last eruption in 1992, is now showing increased seismic activity and ground deformation, prompting the USGS to raise its alert level to “Advisory” and warn that an eruption could occur within weeks. Not far away, Great Sitkin Volcano has been slowly oozing lava for years. While the activity is not explosive, its persistence signals a long-term eruption that shouldn’t be ignored.

Even Alaska’s Mount Iliamna, long considered sleepy, has stirred with seismic swarms in recent weeks, prompting experts to resume heightened monitoring.

Maybe you don’t care much about Alaska because it is so far away.

But we are seeing increasing seismic activity in the continental United States too.

In fact, Mt. Rainier was just hit by “the largest earthquake swarm ever recorded at the volcano”…

More than 300 earthquakes hit Washington’s Mount Rainier in early July, the largest earthquake swarm ever recorded at the volcano. The swarm, a cluster of earthquakes in the same area in rapid succession, began July 8. Within two days, 334 earthquakes had been identified by the Pacific Northwest Seismic Network.

Over the past decade, I don’t know anyone that has written more about Mt. Rainier than I have.

One of these days it will suddenly erupt, and the death toll will be enormous.

Further south, we are being told that an absolutely gigantic underwater volcano off the coast of Oregon could literally erupt at any time…

Heading down the West Coast, seismologists are also monitoring the Axial Seamount, a massive undersea volcano 300 miles off Oregon. It has been attracting attention for months as scientists prepare for an eruption they expect sometime in 2025.

Of course the most heavily populated areas in the U.S. that are located along the Ring of Fire are located in California.

When “the really Big One” finally strikes, the geography of California will be permanently altered and Los Angeles will be destroyed.  I don’t know how I can warn any more strongly about this than I already have.

We are currently in a particularly dangerous period, because we know that there tends to be more seismic activity when solar activity is very high, and right now our Sun is behaving in some very strange ways.

On Wednesday, an absolutely colossal explosion of solar plasma carved out a “canyon of fire” on the Sun that was 250,000 miles long…

A massive explosion of solar plasma erupted from the sun on Wednesday, and scientists say this may be just the beginning.

NASA satellites caught the dramatic moment when a blazing arc of superheated material burst from the Sun’s northeastern edge, large enough to stretch across 30 Earths.

The violent blast carved out a 250,000-mile-long ‘canyon of fire’, with walls of glowing plasma rising more than 12,000 miles high, roughly the height of Earth’s diameter.

That was certainly a very alarming development.

Why isn’t it getting more attention?

It is being reported that the blast was so huge that it actually “twisted and tore the sun’s magnetic field”…

NASA says the blast was so intense it twisted and tore the sun’s magnetic field, leaving behind a glowing trench of charged particles where the explosion ripped through.

Similar outbursts from the sun have already wreaked havoc, including a May solar storm that sparked auroras across the US, lighting up skies from California to Alabama and prompting warnings about possible power outages and satellite disruptions.

We need to keep a close eye on the Sun, because it is becoming increasingly unstable.

At the same time, our planet is becoming increasingly unstable.

This story is going to have an apocalyptic ending, but most of you already knew that.

Michael’s new book entitled “10 Prophetic Events That Are Coming Next” is available in paperback and for the Kindle on Amazon.com, and you can subscribe to his Substack newsletter at michaeltsnyder.substack.com.

About the Author: Michael Snyder’s new book entitled “10 Prophetic Events That Are Coming Next” is available in paperback and for the Kindle on Amazon.com.  He has also written nine other books that are available on Amazon.com including “Chaos”, “End Times”, “7 Year Apocalypse”, “Lost Prophecies Of The Future Of America”, “The Beginning Of The End”, and “Living A Life That Really Matters”.  When you purchase any of Michael’s books you help to support the work that he is doing.  You can also get his articles by email as soon as he publishes them by subscribing to his Substack newsletter.  Michael has published thousands of articles on The Economic Collapse Blog, End Of The American Dream and The Most Important News, and he always freely and happily allows others to republish those articles on their own websites.  These are such troubled times, and people need hope.  John 3:16 tells us about the hope that God has given us through Jesus Christ: “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.”  If you have not already done so, we strongly urge you to invite Jesus Christ to be your Lord and Savior today.

There has never been a month quite like July 2025.  We are only about halfway through the month, and there has already been more than a dozen catastrophic flooding events around the world.  As you will see below, many of those flooding events have occurred in the United States, and now forecasters are warning us that more flooding is on the way.  Yesterday, I talked about how one prominent meteorologist has declared 2025 to be “the year of the flood”, and he is not exaggerating one bit.

In this article, I wanted to put together a complete timeline of events in order to give my readers a more complete picture of what has been happening all over the world.  What we have been witnessing is totally insane, and there is nothing remotely “normal” about it.  The following is a timeline of 13 catastrophic flooding events in just 13 days…

#1 July 4th – Texas

A “1,000 year storm” caused the Guadalupe River to rise 26 feet in only 45 minutes…

Flooding began on the morning of July 4, after significant rainfall accumulated across Central Texas. Six flash flood emergency warnings, which included the cities of Kerrville and Mason, were issued the same day. The Guadalupe River rose about 26 ft (7.9 m) in 45 minutes.[4] It surged an estimated 29 ft (8.8 m) in the Hunt area, where more than 20 children were declared missing from a summer camp.

#2 July 6th – North Carolina

A “1,000 year storm” dumped almost 12 inches of rain in a 24 hour period…

Days later, on Sunday, Tropical Storm Chantal drenched parts of North Carolina. Extensive flooding was reported across the central portion of the state, with some areas receiving nearly 12 inches of rain in only 24 hours. Local officials are still confirming the total number of deaths from the flooding, all while the region is under another flood watch Thursday.

#3 July 8th – New Mexico

A “1,000 year storm” caused flash flooding that killed multiple people in the town of Ruidoso…

In New Mexico on Tuesday, at least three people were killed by devastating flash floods that swept through the remote mountain village of Ruidoso, about 180 miles south of Albuquerque.

#4 July 8th – Chicago

A “1,000 year storm” poured five inches of rain on the Windy City in just 90 minutes…

And in Chicago that same day, 5 inches of rain fell in only 90 minutes over Garfield Park, prompting multiple rescues on the west side of the city.

#5 July 10th – Japan

100 millimeters of rain caused horrific flooding in Tokyo…

Footage recorded on Thursday (10 July) shows queues of cars in an underpass in Shibuya, Tokyo driving through huge floods as 100mm of rainfall accumulated across the capital.

Multiple “record-breaking short-duration heavy rain” warnings were issued, mainly in the Kanto-Koshin region amid the record breaking rainfall.

The downpour also caused the Meguro River to reach the “flood risk water level,” the threshold at which evacuation orders can be issued by local authorities.

#6 July 10th – Vermont

The town of Sutton, Vermont got hit by “biblical flooding” on July 10th for the third year in a row…

A quaint Vermont town has been inundated with biblical flooding on the same day for the third consecutive year, causing havoc for locals.

In an eerie case of Deja-vu the town of Sutton was hit with five inches of rain over a few hours on Thursday afternoon, according to the National Weather Service (NWS).

The quick downpour caused flash flooding and left parts of the community severely damaged.

#7 July 11th – Spain

“Torrential rain” caused such violent flooding in northeastern Spain that cars were being picked up and tossed around like toys…

Torrential rain and strong winds have caused mass flooding across the northeastern region of Spain, turning streets into rivers and damaging homes.

Cars were captured on camera floating down the El Cardener River in Catalonia after it swelled, while other vehicles were completely submerged.

Two people are reportedly missing after witnesses said they saw them fall into the Foix River in Cubelles, around 50km from Barcelona, with local reporters saying that the fire brigade believes they were swept away by the river. A search is being conducted to try to find the pair. Meanwhile, at least 71 patients were evacuated from a hospital near Barcelona amid the flash floods.

#8 July 11th – Iowa

Extreme rainfall forced authorities to declare a flash flood emergency…

A series of severe storms affected eastern Iowa on July 11, bringing very heavy rainfall, flash flooding, large hail, and damaging winds. The National Weather Service (NWS) issued multiple warnings, including a rare Flash Flood Emergency for parts of the Quad Cities Metro area.

This elevated warning level is reserved for situations where flash flooding poses a severe and immediate threat to life and property. Unlike standard Flash Flood Warnings, an Emergency designation is only issued when rapidly rising water inundates structures, strands vehicles, and overwhelms drainage systems. In recent decades, while the region has experienced urban and river flooding, formal Flash Flood Emergencies remain rare.

#9 July 14th – New York City

The second-wettest hour in the recorded history of New York City caused floodwaters to pour into the Big Apple’s subway system…

Shocking video showed water rushing into the subway system in Manhattan during Monday night’s downpours.

Video captured by an eyewitness at 23rd Street and 28th Street on the No. 1 train line showed the water even rushing into the subway car as riders stood on the seats to avoid the water.

“What happened last night is something that is a reality for our system that when you hit, when you go north, an inch and three-quarters in an hour, the city sewer system, the storm water system gets backed up and gets overwhelmed and tunnels into the stations,” said MTA CEO and Chair Janno Lieber.

#10 July 14th – Tampa Bay

A “1,000 year storm” that dumped 12 inches of rain caused widespread flooding…

A squall line of severe storms blasted through the Bay Area late this afternoon — triggering a tornado warning, with confirmed damage in eastern Hernando County, and a rare flash flood warning in Plant City, which was particularly hard hit.

Doppler radar estimates that as much as 12 inches of rain hit the city in just a few hours, more specifically between 8-10 inches fell in just three hours.

That much rain, in that short period of time, meets the criteria for a one-in-1000-year rainfall.

#11 July 15th – Moscow

Much of the Russian capital was suddenly underwater after Moscow received “a month’s worth of rain in under two hours”…

Torrential rains triggered flash floods in Moscow on Tuesday, inundating roads and disrupting transit across the Russian capital.

Videos posted on social media showed cars submerged in murky water, traffic backed up on flooded highways and water pouring into tunnels and underground parking areas.

Authorities said parts of the city received a month’s worth of rain in under two hours. No one was reported injured.

#12 July 15th – North Carolina

Just days after the last historic floods, North Carolina got hit again.  This time Burlington, Mount Airy, and Greensboro were hammered the hardest…

Flash floods caused widespread disruptions across central North Carolina on July 15, 2025, inundating roads, basements, and intersections in cities such as Burlington, Mount Airy, and Greensboro. Emergency services responded to flooded roadways, downed trees, and multiple sinkholes, while the Burlington City Council canceled its scheduled meeting due to the conditions.

#13 July 15th and 16th – Mexico

Floodwaters poured into “streets, homes, and businesses” after very heavy rainfall caused water levels to rise very rapidly…

Torrential rain caused deadly flooding in La Martinica, Zapopan, Jalisco late Tuesday, July 15 into Wednesday, July 16, 2025, submerging streets and resulting in one death and 12 injuries. Municipal officials described the event as the most severe urban flooding in the past 12 years.

Torrential rainfall lasting around 90 minutes triggered severe flash flooding in the neighborhood of La Martinica, Zapopan, Jalisco late Tuesday, July 15. The overflow of a local canal caused water levels to rise rapidly, reaching depths of up to 4 m (13 feet), inundating streets, homes, and businesses.

Sadly, it appears that we will soon have more entries to add to this list.

Right now, forecasters are warning that North Dakota, South Dakota and Minnesota could soon be hit by yet another “1,000 year storm”…

The United States is bracing for another significant weather event, dubbed by meteorologists as a potential “1,000-year-storm.” This week, North Dakota, South Dakota, and Minnesota are in the crosshairs, with severe storms expected to bring flash flooding, large hail, damaging winds, and even tornadoes.

Officials and experts are urging residents to prepare as the threat follows on the heels of devastating weather in the South and Midwest earlier this summer.

And we are also being told that a very dangerous weather system could soon bring up to 10 inches of rain to the Gulf Coast…

The weather system has a 40% chance of becoming a tropical depression as it moves west toward southeastern Louisiana on Thursday, the federal agency said. The tropical weather will affect Alabama and Mississippi as well.

Regardless of whether the system worsens, heavy downpours could cause flooding, officials warned.

New Orleans is bracing for three to five inches of rain through Saturday, but some localized areas could see more than eight to 10 inches, especially near the coast, the National Weather Service said.

I realize that I covered a tremendous amount of material very quickly in this article.

The reason why I did that was to make a point.

When you step back and take a look at the bigger picture, there is no way that anyone can claim that the chaos that we are witnessing all over the world is normal.

Unfortunately, I am entirely convinced that what we have been through so far is just the beginning.

So buckle up and hold on tight, because a lot more shaking is on the horizon.

Michael’s new book entitled “10 Prophetic Events That Are Coming Next” is available in paperback and for the Kindle on Amazon.com, and you can subscribe to his Substack newsletter at michaeltsnyder.substack.com.

About the Author: Michael Snyder’s new book entitled “10 Prophetic Events That Are Coming Next” is available in paperback and for the Kindle on Amazon.com.  He has also written nine other books that are available on Amazon.com including “Chaos”, “End Times”, “7 Year Apocalypse”, “Lost Prophecies Of The Future Of America”, “The Beginning Of The End”, and “Living A Life That Really Matters”.  When you purchase any of Michael’s books you help to support the work that he is doing.  You can also get his articles by email as soon as he publishes them by subscribing to his Substack newsletter.  Michael has published thousands of articles on The Economic Collapse Blog, End Of The American Dream and The Most Important News, and he always freely and happily allows others to republish those articles on their own websites.  These are such troubled times, and people need hope.  John 3:16 tells us about the hope that God has given us through Jesus Christ: “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.”  If you have not already done so, we strongly urge you to invite Jesus Christ to be your Lord and Savior today.

Do you feel financial stress on a regular basis? If so, you are certainly not alone. As you will see below, a new survey has discovered that more than two-thirds of the entire country is feeling “anxiety and depression” due to financial stress. The cost of living is totally out of control, and it is absolutely crushing the middle class. Earlier today, we learned that the official rate of inflation has gone up again. Apparently it was the largest increase in five months, but I don’t put much stock in the official government numbers because I know how much they have been manipulated. In fact, the formula for calculating the official rate of inflation has been altered dozens of times since Jimmy Carter was in the White House, and every time they change the formula the goal is to make inflation look lower than it actually is. To me, what really matters are the prices that we are hit with on a day to day basis, and those prices have been skyrocketing.

I am old enough to remember when summer vacations were actually affordable.  Gasoline was under a dollar a gallon, and you could stay at cheap motels for less than 20 dollars a night as you drove across the nation.

But these days even a vacation that lasts for just a few days can put you deep into debt…

After stepping off the plane in Nashville, having paid far more than expected for your flight, the rental car desk awaits.

Four days with a Toyota Camry costs $670. A Starbucks coffee on the way to the hotel is another $7.

Your budget hotel somehow costs $500 for the weekend, breakfast not included. Eating out for dinner means the day’s spending is comfortably into four figures.

Who can afford that?

Summer vacations have become a thing of the past for much of the population, and that is extremely unfortunate.

Of course the cost of just about everything else has been rapidly rising as well.

Let me give you some examples.

For the past five years, U.S. home prices have been rising at a pace of almost 10 percent a year…

Over the past five years, U.S. home values have increased by roughly 8–9% per year on average, while over the past ten years, they’ve risen about 6–7% per year on average. In other words, national home prices saw an exceptionally rapid climb in recent years, far above historical norms.

I can understand why so many young people are so frustrated right now.

The average price of a home in the United States has now risen above half a million dollars.

But they keep telling us that inflation is low.

Give me a break.

Health insurance has also been getting a lot more expensive…

Average monthly premiums for families with employer-provided health coverage in California’s private sector nearly doubled over the last 15 years, from just over $1,000 in 2008 to almost $2,000 in 2023, a KFF Health News analysis of federal data shows. That’s more than twice the rate of inflation. Also, employees have had to absorb a growing share of the cost.

The spike is not confined to California. Average premiums for families with employer-provided health coverage grew as fast nationwide as they did in California from 2008 through 2023, federal data shows. Premiums continued to grow rapidly in 2024, according to KFF.

Who can afford a monthly health insurance premium of $2,000?

In the old days, they would call that “highway robbery”.

And don’t even get me started on the price of food.

There was a time when some Americans would actually purchase dog food to eat in an attempt to cut costs, but now even the price of dog food has soared into the stratosphere…

The average unit price of dog food was $5.78 in 2021, but last month the figure was $8.42.

Rising food prices are the number one reason why the number of Americans facing food insecurity has nearly doubled over the past four years.

Anyone that actually believes that things are “fine” is simply not living in reality.

Things are so bad that approximately one-fourth of the U.S. population is now using “buy now, pay later” loans to pay for everyday living expenses…

A growing number of consumers are taking out “buy now, pay later,” or BNPL, loans to cover everyday living expenses, data shows, a sign of the precarious financial state facing many U.S. households.

A quarter of Americans now use BNPL loans to pay for groceries, up 14% from last year, according to a recent survey from LendingTree. The personal finance firm also found that more people are using such financing to pay for clothing, technology and housewares.

Of course once those companies get you hooked, they will hammer you with high interest rates.

But many Americans are just desperate to find a way to survive from month to month.

According to one recent survey, almost 70 percent of the population is feeling “anxiety and depression” because of their finances…

Americans are feeling increasingly uneasy about their financial future.

Nearly 7 in 10 (69%) say financial uncertainty has led them to feelings of anxiety and depression, according to a recent survey from Northwest Mutual — an 8-percentage-point increase from 2023.

Other surveys have come up with similar results.

For example, here is one that found that “65% of middle-income Americans believe their income has not kept pace with rising expenses”…

Middle‑income Americans are still adjusting to a higher cost of living and ongoing financial pressures, according to the latest Primerica® U.S. Middle‑Income Financial Security Monitor™ (FSM™). The survey finds that 65% of middle-income Americans believe their income has not kept pace with rising expenses — a sentiment that has remained remarkably consistent for more than four years, highlighting the challenges families feel as prices outpace paychecks.

“Middle‑income families are making tough decisions every day to cover the essentials and save for the future, and it continues to shape how they perceive the overall economy, with many feeling less confident and more cautious about what lies ahead,” said Glenn J. Williams, CEO of Primerica. “That makes it even more important for families to seek sound financial advice. A financial professional can help families find the money in their budgets, reprioritize expenses and build a realistic path to save for the future. Even starting with a small amount can make a significant difference over time.”

And that same survey discovered that 80 percent of middle-income Americans rate the economy poorly…

Middle‑income Americans continue to rate the economy poorly. More than three-quarters (80%) rate it negatively — a figure that has remained consistent over the past year. Amid ongoing economic uncertainty, a strong majority (83%) say they want to take steps to protect themselves financially for the long term — yet only 36% are actually doing so.

A lot of people get upset with me when I write like this, but it is the truth.

We really are experiencing the kind of long-term economic decline that I have long warned about.

If you are feeling constant stress because of the state of your own personal finances, I want you to understand that there are tens of millions of other Americans that are in the exact same boat.

Decades of very foolish decisions have brought us to this point, and the American people should be very upset at those that are responsible for bringing this crisis upon us.

Michael’s new book entitled “10 Prophetic Events That Are Coming Next” is available in paperback and for the Kindle on Amazon.com, and you can subscribe to his Substack newsletter at michaeltsnyder.substack.com.

About the Author: Michael Snyder’s new book entitled “10 Prophetic Events That Are Coming Next” is available in paperback and for the Kindle on Amazon.com.  He has also written nine other books that are available on Amazon.com including “Chaos”, “End Times”, “7 Year Apocalypse”, “Lost Prophecies Of The Future Of America”, “The Beginning Of The End”, and “Living A Life That Really Matters”.  When you purchase any of Michael’s books you help to support the work that he is doing.  You can also get his articles by email as soon as he publishes them by subscribing to his Substack newsletter.  Michael has published thousands of articles on The Economic Collapse Blog, End Of The American Dream and The Most Important News, and he always freely and happily allows others to republish those articles on their own websites.  These are such troubled times, and people need hope.  John 3:16 tells us about the hope that God has given us through Jesus Christ: “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.”  If you have not already done so, we strongly urge you to invite Jesus Christ to be your Lord and Savior today.

So is this how it all ends?  I don’t even know how to describe the emotions that I am feeling right now.  There was so much hope a few months ago that there would be peace, but both sides appear completely uninterested in making substantial compromises at this point.  Instead, both sides are poised to dramatically escalate the war.  If we continue going down this path, it isn’t going to end well.  For decades, our leaders have been conducting war game scenarios in which a conflict in Ukraine leads to a nuclear war.  Now a conflict in Ukraine could lead to a nuclear war for real.  I feel like I am watching a slow-motion train wreck happen without any way to stop it.  It really is quite a sickening feeling.

We have a very limited window of opportunity to make peace with the Russians, and we are totally blowing it.

In February, I specifically warned that President Trump must not resort to threatening the Russians over the war in Ukraine because it would backfire severely.

When I woke up today, I learned that is exactly what Trump has decided to do.

Trump has issued a very ominous ultimatum.  If Russia does not end the war in Ukraine within 50 days, the U.S. will impose “very severe tariffs” on all nations that do business with Russia.  In addition, Trump has approved a massive new weapons package for Ukraine…

Trump announced July 14 that the United States is sending weapons to NATO, which plans to transfer the equipment to Ukraine, and also threatened steep tariffs aimed at impacting Russia’s ability to finance the war.

Trump said that the United States would put secondary tariffs on countries that do business with Russia if a peace deal is not reached within 50 days.

“We’re going to be doing very severe tariffs if we don’t have a deal in 50 days,” Trump said.

The deadline that Trump has set falls in September, which I found to be very interesting.

If Russia does not end the war in Ukraine by the deadline, and that is very unlikely to happen, Trump says that all countries that do business with Russia will be hit with 100 percent tariffs…

“We’re going to be doing secondary tariffs if we don’t have a deal within 50 days. It’s very simple,” Mr. Trump said in the Oval Office, alongside NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte. “And they’ll be at 100%.”

“We are very unhappy, I am, with Russia,” the president explained.

China does a tremendous amount of business with Russia.

Are we going to hit the Chinese with 100 percent tariffs?

That would not be good for our economy at all.

Much more importantly, the enormous new weapons package that Trump is sending to Ukraine will significantly escalate the conflict.

It is being reported that the U.S. will sell approximately 10 billion dollars in weapons to European countries, and those European countries will turn around and distribute those weapons to Ukraine.

According to NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte, nations all over Europe are very eager to participate in the “first wave” of this program…

Rutte, who said the decision was built on the “tremendous success” of last month’s NATO summit when nearly every nation in the alliance agreed to increase their defense spending to reach 5% of their nation’s GDP, called the move “logical.”

“This is again European nations standing up,” Rutte added. “I’ve been in contact with many countries, I can tell you at this moment Germany, massively, but also Finland and Denmark and Sweden and Norway, we have the Kingdom of the Netherlands, Canada – they all want to be part of this.

“And this is only the first wave. There will be more,” Rutte confirmed. “So what we will do is work through the NATO systems to make sure that we know what Ukrainians need.”

This isn’t going to end the war.

It is just going to make it even worse.

Apparently this new aid for Ukraine will likely include long-range missiles that will be capable of striking targets deep inside Russian territory…

Now, two sources tell Axios that it’s likely a new weapons package will include long-range missiles capable of attacking deep inside Russia to include Moscow. They noted that a final decision hadn’t been made. “Trump is really pissed at Putin. His announcement tomorrow is going to be very aggressive,” warmongering South Carolina Sen. Lindsey told Axios.

At the end of 2024, the Biden administration brought us right to the brink of nuclear war by allowing the Ukrainians to fire long-range missiles provided by the United States deep into Russian territory.

Now we are going to do it again?

Are we mad?

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy certainly sounds like he can’t wait to get his hands on the long-range missiles that are coming…

Ukrainian forces will continue targeting Russian troops and doing everything possible to bring the war onto Russian territory, including preparing new long-range strikes, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said.

“Our units will continue to destroy the enemy and do everything possible to bring the war onto Russian territory. We are preparing our new long-range strikes,” Zelenskyy said.

According to a decorated British Army commander named Hamish de Bretton-Gordon, the plan is for Ukraine to receive long-range missiles that “can strike Moscow”…

Mr de Bretton-Gordon told The Sun: “These weapons can strike Moscow – over 400 miles from the border. That allows the Ukrainians to strike drone factory production and ammunition sites, and others.

“So this will have both psychological as well as physical effects.

“People in Moscow will realise that they potentially could be targeted.

“And when you also add to it the American bombings on Iranian sites that were supposed to be impregnable, it shows that American missile and drone technology rather superior to the Russian air defence system.”

Let me ask you a question.

If another country launched long-range missiles at Washington D.C. and New York City, what would we do?

The answer to that question is obvious.

If long-range missiles provided by the United States start falling in Moscow, the Russians will respond very forcefully.

In fact, Hamish de Bretton-Gordon has openly admitted that the Russians have already been strongly considering the use of nuclear weapons…

In a Telegraph op-ed, the former Colonel and expert on weapons of mass destruction stated: “The fact that Putin and his gangsters have threatened nuclear attack continuously since the wider war in Ukraine began suggests they are thinking about it in detail.”

The former Colonel expressed concern over the prolonged conflict in Ukraine, stating: “As three days have become three years plus, they may think they can finish off Ukraine quickly with tactical nukes and we would not react.”

We are playing with fire.

Meanwhile, the government of the Philippines is quietly coordinating with Taiwan in anticipation of a coming war with China…

Faced with intensifying Chinese encroachment at sea, the Philippines increasingly sees its national security as intertwined with that of Taiwan and is quietly ramping up both formal and informal engagement with the self-governing island, including on security, according to government officials, defense analysts and diplomats here.

This marks a significant departure from Manila’s conservative approach toward Taiwan and could pave the way for the Philippines, a U.S. treaty ally, to play a bigger role if China makes good on its threats to invade Taiwan.

“Any force projection of China within our area is a matter of extreme concern,” Philippine Defense Secretary Gilbert Teodoro said in an interview Thursday.

And we are being told that Israel is preparing for the next time that it will strike Iran…

-In a recent meeting with Prime Minister Netanyahu, President Trump, while preferring a diplomatic solution, did not object to Israel’s readiness to launch further strikes.

-This stance comes as Israeli intelligence believes Iran could still recover a significant amount of near-bomb-grade uranium from the damaged Isfahan site.

-The situation has created a high-stakes standoff, with Washington leveraging the threat of future attacks to push Tehran toward a deal, while an unconvinced Israel prepares to act alone if necessary.

In my new book entitled “10 Prophetic Events That Are Coming Next”, I specifically warn about war with Russia, war with China, and war in the Middle East.

And I have warned about these wars over and over again in my articles.

But sometimes I feel like I am banging my head into a brick wall because most people don’t seem to get it.

This isn’t a game.

Decisions that are being made right now will greatly alter the course of human history, and hundreds of millions of lives are hanging in the balance.

Michael’s new book entitled “10 Prophetic Events That Are Coming Next” is available in paperback and for the Kindle on Amazon.com, and you can subscribe to his Substack newsletter at michaeltsnyder.substack.com.

About the Author: Michael Snyder’s new book entitled “10 Prophetic Events That Are Coming Next” is available in paperback and for the Kindle on Amazon.com.  He has also written nine other books that are available on Amazon.com including “Chaos”, “End Times”, “7 Year Apocalypse”, “Lost Prophecies Of The Future Of America”, “The Beginning Of The End”, and “Living A Life That Really Matters”.  When you purchase any of Michael’s books you help to support the work that he is doing.  You can also get his articles by email as soon as he publishes them by subscribing to his Substack newsletter.  Michael has published thousands of articles on The Economic Collapse Blog, End Of The American Dream and The Most Important News, and he always freely and happily allows others to republish those articles on their own websites.  These are such troubled times, and people need hope.  John 3:16 tells us about the hope that God has given us through Jesus Christ: “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.”  If you have not already done so, we strongly urge you to invite Jesus Christ to be your Lord and Savior today.