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Five things you might have missed this week

This week brought out a new study that will be tough for meat lovers’ to hear, a young Katy student standing up for what she believes and heated jabs at the Republican presidential debate. Here is just a glimpse into what you might have missed in national headlines this week:

Politics: Republican presidential debate heats up, but no clear winners

The third Republican presidential debate came off as a battle between the candidates and the moderators, accusing them of bias and support for Democrats on Wednesday night. Ted Cruz criticized them saying their behavior illustrates why the American people don’t trust the media.

Ben Carson is the top contender for the Republican primary voters, according to the New York Times and CBS News survey polls. Carson is at 26 percent, while Trump comes right behind him at 22 percent, “although the difference lies within the margin of sampling error,” according to CNN.

Marco Rubio defended his less-than-stellar attendance record in the Senate, after Jeb Bush called for Rubio to resign from the Senate to focus on his campaign, because he’s been missing numerous votes in Washington.

Rubio responded by saying the only reason Bush brought his Senate votes up is because “we’re running for the same position, and someone has convinced you that attacking me is going to help you.”

Nation: Student faces a year in house of corrections for sexual assault

Owen Labrie, a 19-year-old student from a New Hampshire’s prep school, has been sentenced to a year in a house of corrections. He was charged for sexually assaulting an underage classmate as part of a game of sexual conquest on the campus according to CNN.

At the time of the sexual assault, Labrie was 18 and the girl was 15.

The girl said the experience led her to feel as if she “didn’t deserve to live.” While the victim spoke, her mother sobbed into her father’s shoulder.

Labrie will be on probation for three years after he is released, and he will undergo psycho-sexual risk evaluation.

Local: Katy student was told that God’s existence wasn’t a matter of fact by teacher

“Today I was given an assignment in school that questioned my faith and told me that God was not real,” seventh-grader Jordan Wooley told the Katy School Board Monday.

The student claims classmates who refused to say God was a myth were threatened with failing the assignment, the Chronicle reports. She said students broke down, crying and throwing their belongings to the ground.

“When I tried to argue, she told me to prove it,” Jordan said, explaining that her attempt to cite the Bible was discounted.

Since her hearing, social media had a field day, praising her for standing up for her beliefs, even Texas Gov. Greg Abbott had high remarks for Wooley.

“I’m proud of this 7th grader’s unyielding commitment to God,” he posted on his Twitter account. “She’s Texas tough.”

Science: Meat is linked to a higher risk of getting cancer, particularly colon cancer

According to a recent World Health Organization research study, processed meats like hot dogs, sausage, bacon and ham could contribute to cancer. The organization also said red meats can probably raise the risk according to The New York Times.

While processed meats are in the same dangerous league as cigarette smoking, “they do not all share the same level of hazard,” according to the NYT.

Based on the report, diets high in processed meat could be expected to contribute to about 30,000 deaths per year across the globe, though the true number could be far less.

Education: Obama administration calls for less standardized testing in schools

President Barack Obama seems to have had a change of heart, as he’s suggesting that no more than two percent of class time should be spent filling out standardized testing, according to The New York Times.

In the past, Obama was determined to scale up testing for students, pushing for programs like No Child Left Behind and Race to the Top, where higher expectations and accountability in students’ education could lift the performance of American students.

This lead to huge stress from students, parents and teachers, while conservatives claimed this to be a federal overreach, which lead the administration to initiate a step away from the one-size-fits-all approach to learning. Now, Congress will decide whether or not to actually change the rules.

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4 Comments

  • Challenging a viewpoint and encouraging critical thinking is one thing, but forcing students to concede to something under the threat of a failing grade is unproductive.

      • The administration interviewed 11 other students specifically to corroborate her story. None of them said the class erupted into distress in the way she said it did over the matter.

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