What You Missed
We’re at war again, although the professional obfuscators and spinners in the Obama administration prefer to call it “kinetic military action.” We’re bombing ISIS, an organization that seeks to establish a caliphate and basically murder everyone who isn’t Muslim (although, nevertheless, Obama insists that they are “not Islamic.”). I hope it goes better than our most recent wars have gone. ISIS is a terrible organization, and it would be in almost everyone’s best interest for the Iraqi army and the Kurds to put them down ASAP.
Res Life thought it would be a good idea to push back the date when students sign up for housing from March to October. This is obviously crazy, since it takes freshmen a while to find out who they want to live with. You don’t have to make a $200 deposit anymore, but that deposit was always refundable anyway, and there will be a $200 cancellation fee if you cancel between October and March. The justification is that students begin signing leases for some housing downtown, like 20 Hawley and Twin River, in the fall. But one of the benefits of living on campus was that it’s a good fall back option. Oh well. At least neither I, nor any of my friends, will be affected by this!
There is a panic about Ebola spreading to the United States. All indications, however, are that health officials are doing a decent job of containing it, and that Ebola does not spread as easily as, say, the common cold.
Gay marriage is coming to more and more U.S. states. Perhaps this is actually good for Republicans, considering gay marriage’s overwhelming acceptance by younger people.
Two Japanese scientists and a Japanese-born American won the Nobel Prize in physics on Tuesday for inventing blue light-emitting diodes, a breakthrough that has spurred the development of LED technology to light up homes, computer screens and smartphones worldwide.
The Mexican Army has taken over a town in Mexico after a mass grave containing 28 bodies was discovered. Awesome!
Pro-democracy protests are raging in Hong Kong. Right now, the leader of Hong Kong is selected by a handful of business elites, with strong input from the Communist government in mainland China. Hong Kong was promised democratic elections in 2017, but now the Chinese government is sounding shakier on that commitment. The Binghamton Review wishes the protesters the best of luck!
There will be a rally in New York City in favor of charter schools, and against failing New York City public schools. Representatives of the teachers union like to blame the dismal state of New York City schools on poverty, but charter schools have had a great deal of success teaching poor students. Liberals have a choice to make. Who do you support: poor, usually minority, students, or kleptocratic and shameless teachers’ unions?