It’s Tuesday, August 18th, A.D. 2026. This is The Worldview in 5 Minutes heard on 140 radio stations and at www.TheWorldview.com.  I’m Adam McManus. (Adam@TheWorldview.com)

By Kevin Swanson and Timothy Reed

Arizona pastor murdered by crucifixion

Demonically inspired opposition to the Christian faith is on the rise here in the United States as well as overseas. 

A Christian pastor in Arizona was subjected to a crucifixion-type murder last year. The perpetrator, Adam Sheafe, confessed he did it because the pastor would not compromise on his teaching on the Biblical doctrine of the Trinity and the deity of Jesus Christ.  

The murderer, in this case, has been sentenced to life in prison.

“For this reason, the Jews persecuted Jesus, and sought to kill Him, because He had done these things on the Sabbath..  . but also that He said that God was His Father, making Himself equal with God.” That’s John 5:16 and 18.  

Ukraine has achieved an 8-1 casualty ratio with Russia since January

Ukraine is back on top in the Russia-Ukraine conflict. 

The Center for Strategic and International Studies reports that Ukraine has achieved as much as an 8-1 casualty ratio since the beginning of the year — up from a 2-1 ratio since the beginning of the war. 

The report also notes that the war is taking a toll on the Russian people. They suffer from a “sputtering economy, higher prices on groceries and other expenses, tax increases, significant internet restrictions, and an oppressive crackdown on freedom of speech.”

Russia has suffered an estimated 450,000 fatalities in the conflict. That compares to the United States losing 102,000 men in military conflicts since World War II.

Dramatic increase in military budgets in the Far East

Sabers are rattling in the Pacific.

Japan’s military budget is up 5% year-over-year. South Korea’s budget is up 7.5%. The Philippines’ budget is up 9%.  And Taiwan’s is up 16%. 

China’s build-up began 25 years ago and is now averaging 7% per year. China’s budget is running at $283 billion compared to Japan, South Korea, and Taiwan which are spending $150 billion combined. 

America’s deficit up 11%

Here in America, for the first 10 months of the fiscal year, the U.S. deficit registered an 11% increase year-over-year. That’s 31% above the average deficit produced by the Biden budgets between 2021 and 2025.

Proverbs 28:22 reads, “A man with an evil eye hastens after riches, and does not consider that poverty will come upon him.”

Gen Z investors believe sports betting is good investment

An online survey of 1,000 U.S. retail investors conducted in late March and early April, which was released this week, found that 52% of Gen Z investors were planning to shift money originally set aside for stocks or other investments into sports wagers over the past year. 

Only about one-third of Gen Z participants reported no involvement in sports betting at all, compared with 63% across all age groups in the survey.

Specifically, 26% of Gen Z respondents — those born between 1997 and 2007 — said they view sports betting as a deliberate, ongoing part of their wealth strategy. That figure drops sharply with age: 14% of Millennials, 6% of Gen X, and just 1% of Baby Boomers reported the same outlook.

Overall, U.S. sports betting has increased from $2 billion of waging to $166 billion in waging since 2018 – just eight years ago, according to Research Ground.  

Gen Z also loves cryptocurrency

In addition, Motley Fool’s recent survey found that Gen Zers are the most likely to invest in cryptocurrency at 49% compared to other demographics including 46% of Millennials, 26% of Gen Xers, and 11% of Baby Boomers.  

Plus, 57% of cryptocurrency purchasers think it’s an investment, and 26% use it for a monetary exchange.

But crypto is losing favor with American investors. Gallup’s recent poll found only 2% of Americans favor crypto for a long-term investment which is down from 8% four years ago. 

Real estate, stocks, and gold are the favorite choices for investors now.

The birth dearth in America

The National Center for Education Statistics reports that public schools in America have lost almost two million students since 2019. 

This is partially due to the birth dearth – or the decline in America’s fertility rate. Since 2015, it amounts to a loss of about one million children. Births to women in America topped out in 2007 at 2.12 or 2,122 births per 1,000 women aged 15–44.  Today, the birth rate is hovering around 1.57 or 1,570 births per 1,000 women.

By contrast, the average birth rate for homeschooling families is 3.5 children per family.

The Centers for Disease Control reveals that total U.S. births fell off during the first quarter of 2026  — a 2.1% drop off from the previous year. There were 4.3 million births in America in 2007, but only 3.6 million births last year. And we’re looking at another drop of about 700,000 students this year. 

This data points to an 18% drop in American births in 18 years.  Based on these recent numbers for American births, by 2031, the public schools will lose another 2.44 million students due to birth decline alone in this country. That’s not counting the number of students who drop out.

Shocker: Canadian male cyclist beating women in the sport

And finally, men, pretending to be women, are once again proving that they can beat women in women’s sports. 

A Canadian cyclist, by the name of “Mr. Ivy,” claimed to have transgendered into a woman; after which he won a women’s cycling championship. More recently, “Mr. Ivy” has gone on to win the Inter-Provincial Team title at the Canadian Women’s Mid-Amateur Championship golf tournament. 

This is actually the third time that he has won the women’s Canadian golf tournament. Not surprisingly, he has dominated in other recent golf competitions for woman as well.

Close

And that’s The Worldview on this Tuesday, August 18th, in the year of our Lord 2026. Subscribe for free by Spotify, Amazon Music, or by iTunes or email to our unique Christian newscast at www.TheWorldview.com.  Plus, you can get the Generations app through Google Play or The App Store. I’m Adam McManus (Adam@TheWorldview.com). Seize the day for Jesus Christ.

Extra print

U.S. Senate still has not passed Safeguard American Voter Eligibility

The United States Senate continues to drag its feet on the Safeguard American Voter Eligibility, or SAVE America, Act.

The Senate has now adjourned for five weeks, and has no formal plans to try and pass the SAVE Act before fall. 

President Donald Trump has repeatedly called on the Republican led Senate to secure American elections and to pass the SAVE Act, but to no avail.

Republican Senator Mike Lee of Utah said, “We did our best, left no stone unturned. I wish the outcome had been different, both as to adjournment and as to these votes. This fight’s not over. We’re just getting started.”

Contact your two U.S. Senators by phone or email and ask them to vote for the SAVE Act.

1,000 fake marriages to Chinese nationals in New York

The Department of Justice charged 11 individuals in New York last week in a massive marriage fraud scheme.

Per the Justice Department, more than 1,000 fake marriages were conducted, mostly between Chinese nationals seeking to obtain green card status in the United States. The operation had been running for more than 10 years.