By: Meredith Francis ~Campus News Editor~
President Obama announces $4 trillion budget
President Barack Obama unveiled his $4 trillion budget, which will be sent to Congress for negotiations. The budget focuses on helping poor and middle-class families, proposing an overall tax hike on large corporations and the wealthiest Americans in order to pay for those programs. The budget is expected to face opposition from the Republican-held Congress.
French soldiers attacked outside Jewish center
A man armed with a knife attacked three French soldiers outside a Jewish community center in Nice, France, on Jan. 3. Two of the soldiers were wounded. Though the motive of the attacker is not known, France continues to be on high alert following the terrorist attacks on Charlie Hebdo and outside a kosher supermarket in early January that left 17 dead.
ISIS video shows murder of Jordanian pilot
ISIS released another video that purportedly shows a Jordanian pilot being burned alive. Lt. Muath al-Kasasbeh was captured by ISIS militants after a bombing mission in Syria when he was forced to eject from his aircraft. This is the second murder in a week by ISIS following last week’s beheading of Japanese journalist Kenji Goto. ISIS had demanded in previous weeks that one of its own fighters being held in Jordan be released before it released Kasasbeh and Goto.
Measles outbreak continues across U.S.
An outbreak of measles has now spread across 14 states, with 102 confirmed cases. Measles, which is a highly contagious respiratory virus that also results in a rash, can spread through coughing or sneezing. Because there is a vaccine for the disease, the recent outbreak has sparked debate on vaccines, as some parents elect not to vaccinate their children for fear of certain side effects. The outbreak is believed to have originated at Disneyland in California. Roughly 90 of the cases are in California