As busy college students, it is all too easy to shut out the world outside of our college campuses, but now you can finally keep up with breaking stories from around the world. Here, you can get a sharp and easy-to-digest weekly roundup on what is going on in the news – and even better, you can read it in five minutes or less.
1. Cancer Society Urges Later and Less Frequent Screenings
The American Cancer Society issued new guidelines this week which called for later and fewer mammograms. Previously, it was suggested that women start having these screening tests performed at age 40, but new recommendations state that those with average risk can wait until age 45. This change reflects increasing evidence that mammographs are not greatly accurate and are not very useful in young women. Of course, women who still wish to get tested earlier and more frequently have the opportunity.
2. Justin Trudeau Will Be Canada’s Next Prime Minister
In a landslide win for the Liberal Party during Canada’s general election, Justin Trudeau has taken office as Prime Minister. Trudeau has a legacy to live up to, as his father was Prime Minister Pierre Elliot Trudeau and ushered in many reforms, including official bilingualism throughout the country. Justin Trudeau is promising changes in taxation legislation, voting procedures, marijuana policy, and federal spending.
3. Vice President Biden Will Not Run For Democratic Bid
Joe Biden has been in an invisible race against Hillary Clinton, Bernie Sanders and other Democratic presidential candidates. Although he never officially entered the race, he has been compared to these candidates and their campaigns since the race for office started a few months ago. His “dropping out” has put Clinton in a better position to win the presidential bid from the Democratic Party. Biden, with his wife and President Obama at his side, announced that period for a successful campaign has closed. Biden also said that he and his wife are still grieving the death of their son Beau, who died at 46 from brain cancer.
4. Paul Ryan Will Run for House Speaker
With John Boehner leaving his position as the House Speaker, the spot is open for another conservative representative. Paul Ryan of Wisconsin earlier this week named his price for what it would take for him to run: a united Republican force in the House. The House Freedom Caucus has recently announced their support for Ryan, which comes at a critical time in Congress – voting on government borrowing and spending will begin as soon as next week.
5. “Back to The Future” Day is Here
In Back to the Future Part Two, Marty McFly travels to October 21, 2015 to save his children. So what predictions did the movie make about 2015? Well, they thought everyone would be travelling on hoverboards (it looks like the Manhattan College Basketball team has been the first to pick up on this), that the Chicago Cubs would win the World Series, and that cars would use alternative fuel. More outlandish predictions included flying cars, dehydrated food and lawyers becoming extinct.