There’s always new and exciting news to report. But let’s face it; this past week has been a bit of an emotional roller coaster news-wise. Amidst all the clamor and chaos, a few themes have emerged. I would even go so far as to say we can learn something from it all - or maybe that’s just my AP English training kicking in. If you haven’t gotten a chance to read all of the headlines or follow what’s been trending on Twitter, here’s a compact list of some of the major stories, both good and bad, and why they’re important.

1. It’s Okay To Be A Dreamer

Unless you’ve been living under a rock for the past week, you know that the Powerball jackpot hit an all-time high at a whopping $1.6 billion. This disgusting amount of money is the largest lottery prize in American history. People across the nation were buying Powerball tickets despite the 1 in almost 300 million odds, because why not? When you only have $2 to lose and everything to gain, there’s really no reason not to give it a shot, I was told. My very own parents, aka: The Very Picture of Frugality, ended up buying four tickets.

I found myself asking why anyone would feel the need to waste perfectly good money on a ticket when they essentially knew for sure they weren’t going to win. The answer came to me in the form of a Matthew Gray Gubler Q&A session on Tumblr just a day before the winning numbers were drawn: it’s always nice to believe in something bigger than you. When Gubler was asked what his favorite piece of advice was, he said to have high hopes but low expectations. If you live that way, you will always find happiness. So, take it from Dr. Spencer Reid the next time you’re debating whether or not you want to spend the last few dollars in your wallet on a lottery ticket - It’s ok to dream, as long as you’re doing so consciously.

And someone did end up winning that monstrous Powerball jackpot after all. John and Lisa Robinson from Munford, Tennessee came forward on the Today Show last Friday as one of the three winners. Personally, I was relieved it wasn’t me who won. Although, I wouldn’t turn down a small loan of $1 million from the Robinson family to help pay off my student loans, if they offered. Hint hint, wink wink.

2. Science Is Mostly Here To Help, Not To Hurt

Multi-billionaire and Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg reignited the child vaccination debate when he posted a picture of his daughter, Maxima, on his Facebook page on the 8th. The post shows a chubby-cheeked Max perched on Zuckerberg’s knee, with the caption, “Doctor’s visit -- time for vaccines!” Naturally, this comment sparked the suspicion and disagreement of numerous anti-vaxxers.

Anti-vaxxers are part of a movement that denounces the use of vaccines on children for fear of adverse side effects - notably, autism spectrum disorder. However, the evidence against the alleged danger of vaccines is overwhelming. Since 2006, in 80% of all cases brought to the “vaccine injury court,”or, more accurately, the Office of Special Masters, the parties settle. This decision means no conclusion has been reached that proves the vaccine caused the client any harm at all. The vast majority of the side effects arising post-vaccination are “minor and transient,” and the benefits of immunity and protection still far outweigh the risks. One also has to consider another moral position: refusing to vaccinate your own child still puts other children at risk.

Another story concerning this debate recently emerged when Australian mother Catherine Hughes shared her story of her late son’s short but devastating battle with whooping cough. He developed the cough at only three weeks old, and passed away in the hospital a week later. Hughes claims she didn’t know about the CDC’s recommendation that pregnant women should get the vaccine during their third trimester. Vaccination in-utero protects the child even before they are born - an important fact that Hughes was never made aware of. She hopes her story will educate other mothers about the dangers of not vaccinating your children. It’s sad that the knowledge about vaccines exists but isn’t being shared, and anti-vaxxers are still perpetuating harmful misinformation. The facts don’t lie, folks. See: climate change.

3. No, We Don’t Live In A Post-Racial Society

I personally don’t remember the trending tag #OscarsSoWhite from last year, because I only just recently became a Twitter mogul. But I’ve been told it happened, and I don’t doubt that in the slightest. After this year’s Oscar nominations came out, the tag resurfaced in the form of #OscarsStillSoWhite. Why, you ask? I’ll tell you why. Not a single actor or actress nominated was a person of color for this year’s 88th academy awards, taking place on the penultimate day of February (the 28th - we’re in a leap year!) In fact, Alejandro González Iñárritu is the only person of color nominated for the entire awards show, but he’s competing for Best Director.

At the very least, Leonardo DiCaprio spoke up about the ongoing struggle faced by the First Nations people in his acceptance speech at the Golden Globes after winning Best Actor in a Drama. However, we can and should do more than simply bringing light to issues faced by people of color in this country. The Academy Awards has historically been a whitewashed association, both in the people who run it and the people who participate and win in it. Winners using their platform to speak for marginalized communities is a good first step, but clapping politely afterward and returning to a world of inaction is counterproductive.

Also, The Force Awakens wasn’t even nominated for Best Motion Picture - what’s up with that? IT’S THE HIGHEST-GROSSING FILM OF ALL TIME, PEOPLE. Let's get #JohnBodegaForBestActorAndAlsoBestOverallHuman trending.

4. Sometimes Bad Things Happen To Good People

The world took a heavy blow this past week when talented musician David Bowie and renowned actor Alan Rickman both passed away within four days of each other. Both died from cancer at the age of 69; Bowie from liver cancer and Rickman from pancreatic cancer. We were given a somber reminder of how short our lives are, and how important it is to treasure what and who we have. Neither of these men deserved the end they got, but I am still grateful to have lived in a time where I had the privilege of knowing their work and seeing what they’ve given their respective crafts.

After these tragedies, Joe Biden’s plan to cure cancer that President Obama announced at the State of the Union address has even more weight. At Obama’s final SOTU this past Tuesday, he appointed Biden to lead the initiative to cure cancer in America. His plan is a two-pronged approach that aims to “increase funding for cancer research and treatment, and facilitat[e] better communication among researchers, physicians, patients and lawmakers.” For Biden, the fight is personal. His son Beau passed away in May of last year after battling brain cancer. The article I sourced is a good read; if you have the time, give it a look. Biden’s plan won’t be without challenges, but from what I can see it looks like it has clearly-defined goals and a strong base of leadership and support. For everyone’s sake, I hope the progress Obama alluded to can be made. Curing cancer is definitely a change I can believe in.

5. The State Of Our Union Is Strong(ish)

A lot of things can be and have been said about Obama’s seventh and final State of the Union address on the 12th. That it was optimistic, noticeably shorter than the last, perhaps not serious enough, divisive, liberal, powerful, and much more. As a US citizen currently disillusioned with the state of the world, the handling of the refugee crisis, and whoever let Donald Trump run for president, I felt no qualms about the positive nature of Obama’s speech. Yes, he tackled important issues, but did so in such a way that I felt calmed and assured that we would be able to meet the challenges.

House Speaker Paul Ryan feels differently. In a response to Obama’s unnamed but obvious digs at GOP front-runner Donald Trump, he said, “I think it sort of degrades the presidency to then talk about primary politics in the other party.” To be fair, the current president shouldn’t really be offering up their opinions on the candidates for his job. But also to be fair, Donald Trump is the human equivalent of an angry sewer rat. Trump running for the presidency is like a garbage man applying for a neurosurgery position. It just doesn’t make sense, and could put a lot of people in mortal peril.

I think one thing that we can all agree on is the best part of the SOTU was, as always, Obama’s hug with the notorious RBG (Ruth Bader Ginsburg). I can confidently report that upon seeing this photo, ten extra years were added onto my life and my cubic zirconia earrings spontaneously turned into diamonds. For those who didn’t have the time or the opportunity to watch the State of the Union address this past Tuesday, you can read the full transcript here.

All in all, reading the news is tough sometimes. But rest assured that there’s always a light at the end of the tunnel that is American journalism. Or, in this case, Ruth Bader Ginsburg. Maybe she should run for president instead of The Donald.