With much of the world misinformed or not informed at all about news and current events, I thought this week I would give y'all a few headlines that you should at least pretend to know about and why they're important to you.
Now, if you don't watch the news or don't care, I'm not one to judge. This is simply an FYI for those of you who may miss the stuff that impacts your everyday life whether you know it or not. In all honesty, I'd be a hypocrite to judge because I'm currently drowning my hangover in an extra large coffee trying to be productive today and care myself. These five pieces of news are important to at least brush up on because they touch on some sensitive issues that could impact the decisions made about OUR future and OUR lives. Whether we like it or not, our decisions impact others and when groups of us get together, the change and impact we have can be astronomical.
1. Facebook is building a drone.
Facebook recently launched a program which aims to provide Internet access to thousands if not millions of people. Why is this important? Because today, according to the Wall Street Journal, only one third of the world has access to Internet. If even a small portion of the other two-thirds had Internet, it would allow them to connect with their families, educate themselves, and create jobs for future graduates (aka you and me). Everyone deserves an opportunity to gain an education and break free from the chains of poverty which have been holding back developing country's children for too long.
2. The jobs report will be released this week on April 3rd.
Many people could care less about the jobs report that comes out every month. After all, it's pretty boring news, but these reports are extremely important. Why is it important? The jobs report acts as a meter of health for the economy. The more jobs we add every month means a healthier economy (in simple terms). Isn't that why we kill ourselves studying in college? To get a good job? Well this report can give you an indication of just how likely it is you will get a job right out of college. A healthy economy equals a lot of jobs.
3. Saudi Arabia launched airstrikes on Yemen last week.
Another crisis in the Middle East may not come as a surprise to many and it may seem like it doesn't matter in such an underdeveloped region of the world. However, It is of great importance to the U.S and the rest of the world. Why? Have you ever heard the phrase, “location location, location?" Well, the location of Yemen makes it a great port for the nearby oil and natural gas companies to ship their products. We've been blessed lately with low gas prices because we have an excess of supply, but when oil companies have to cut production in volatile countries and re-route their existing supply to ports further away, there's only one way for prices to go--up. Which means more expensive gas.
4. A police officer in Boston was shot.
Officer John Moynihan wasn't just any police officer. John was a veteran of the U.S Army Special Forces and a hero. The National Association of Police Organization recognized him for his heroic acts in the wake of the horrible Boston bombing. Why is this important? The report claims Officer Moynihan was shot after stopping a car that was reportedly seen leaving the scene of a gang shooting in a nearby neighborhood. This highlights the fact that gangs are still prevalent in America and their days are far from over. Also, the lack of respect for officers has sky rocketed among uninformed youths because of the viral videos on social media. I'm not going to act like I've never hated cops before, but in all honesty, many of them are just doing their best to keep the population safe.
5. Isis continues to attract Americans to join.
The list of Americans who have been caught trying to join the Islamic State has grown into the hundreds, and could possibly be in the thousands if you count the Americans we have yet to find. Why is this important? It not only shows the strength of the ISIS propaganda, but the willingness of Americans to threaten the safety of one another in the name of some abstract goal that will create more problems than it will solve. I don't believe ISIS to be a direct threat to the U.S. as a whole, but they can be a threat to small groups of Americans, which makes them a cause for concern. The problem seems easy to solve, right? Launch another military campaign and eliminate the threat. But foreign policy is more sensitive than many of us know and it's hard to launch a campaign and eliminate a threat without causing global outrage and numerous problems. An example of this is the financial burden on American Tax payers which younger people like you and I would have to pay back in the future.
