This article is written by a student writer from the Her Campus at Merrimack chapter and does not reflect the views of Her Campus.
Want to know what’s going on in the world (or at least appear to) but don’t have time to read or watch the news? Here is a concise version of what is important to know now.
Obama and Romney had a post-election lunch together at the White House
After winning the presidential election, President Obama invited his challenger Mitt Romney for lunch on Thursday. The men ate white turkey chili and southwestern grilled chicken salad. What was actually said in this lunch meeting will never be known by anyone except the candidates, as the meeting was closed to all press. However, we do know that the main subject of this talk was about the country’s leadership role in the world. After a particularly nasty campaign from both sides, this casual meeting may show some signs of reconciliation and more importantly, bipartisanship going forward.
Fun Fact: In the picture taken of the two men at the White House, there is a pair of boxing gloves very clearly displayed in the background. Was this a purposeful symbol or simply a mistake?
Fun Fact: In the picture taken of the two men at the White House, there is a pair of boxing gloves very clearly displayed in the background. Was this a purposeful symbol or simply a mistake?
Palestine Wins Statehood Status at U.N.
Despite intense and vocal opposition from both the United States and Israel, the U.N. voted on Thursday to upgrade Palestine’s status in the U.N. Officially, Palestine went from “Non-member observer entity” to “Non-member observer state.” Only nine countries, including the U.S., voted against this motion. So what does this mean? Palestinians are hoping the country’s new status will provide leverage in their complicated dealings with Israel. Officials in the United States including Secretary of State Hillary Clinton maintain that this is not a productive idea, and will not encourage peace between Palestine and Israel.
Lindsay Lohan Got Arrested…Again
According to most of twitter and other social media outlets, Lohan’s big comeback “Liz & Dick,” wherein Lohan played icon Elizabeth Taylor, was a monstrous failure. The made-for-TV movie premiered on Lifetime on November 25. A few days later, on November 29, Lohan was arrested for allegedly assaulting a woman at a New York nightclub. The starlet could once again face jail time, as she is still on probation from a jewelry theft arrest from last summer.
According to most of twitter and other social media outlets, Lohan’s big comeback “Liz & Dick,” wherein Lohan played icon Elizabeth Taylor, was a monstrous failure. The made-for-TV movie premiered on Lifetime on November 25. A few days later, on November 29, Lohan was arrested for allegedly assaulting a woman at a New York nightclub. The starlet could once again face jail time, as she is still on probation from a jewelry theft arrest from last summer.
A ‘Fiscal Cliff’ Resolution Seems Unlikely, but Possible
What’s this Fiscal Cliff everyone’s talking about? In short, it is a man and media made economic disaster. It will take effect in January and it involves $7 trillion worth of spending cuts and tax increases over the next ten years. Though this seems like a solution to fix the state of the economy, in reality it is too much too soon. It also focuses on the wrong parts of the economy- reducing spending in both defense and non-defense budgets, expirations on tax cuts for the wealthy, and extended unemployment benefits, among other things. This solution would decrease the deficit, but because of the nature of the cuts, it could also cause a recession. The math is complicated. The concise version of what you need to know is that President Obama and the severely divided congress need to work together and reach a solution before the end of 2012, or the Fiscal Cliff will become a reality. Why does a solution seem unlikely? Well, when Senate Democratic leader Harry Reid met with Republican House Speaker John Boehner on Thursday, Reid left the meeting and told reporters, “I don’t understand his brain.” So we’ll see.
What’s this Fiscal Cliff everyone’s talking about? In short, it is a man and media made economic disaster. It will take effect in January and it involves $7 trillion worth of spending cuts and tax increases over the next ten years. Though this seems like a solution to fix the state of the economy, in reality it is too much too soon. It also focuses on the wrong parts of the economy- reducing spending in both defense and non-defense budgets, expirations on tax cuts for the wealthy, and extended unemployment benefits, among other things. This solution would decrease the deficit, but because of the nature of the cuts, it could also cause a recession. The math is complicated. The concise version of what you need to know is that President Obama and the severely divided congress need to work together and reach a solution before the end of 2012, or the Fiscal Cliff will become a reality. Why does a solution seem unlikely? Well, when Senate Democratic leader Harry Reid met with Republican House Speaker John Boehner on Thursday, Reid left the meeting and told reporters, “I don’t understand his brain.” So we’ll see.