The debt deadline looms, and everyone’s getting nervous. Congress and President Obama have until August 2nd to reach a deal to raise the U.S. debt limit. If they don’t, America’s bank accounts will effectively be completely drained, meaning some of the nation’s bills just won’t get paid, including, quite possibly, Social Security checks to needy seniors. President Obama even went all stern Mama on Congress this week in a press conference, pushing for a quick agreement:  ”We might as well do it now. Pull off the Band-Aid…eat our peas.” Never one to miss an opportunity for publicity, USA Dry Pea & Lentil Council jumped on the comment, responding, ”We know that if tasty and nutritious meals featuring peas are served more frequently in the White House and in the cafeterias of both houses of Congress, it will contribute to a balanced diet, if not a balanced budget. Eating more lentils, couldn’t hurt either.” Uhhh… ok, then.

The U.S. Women’s soccer team made it to the World Cup finals, but lost to Japan yesterday in an extra time, penalty shoot out. We were so close! You still have to give props to the team, though, who captured the country’s attention in the past week. The ladies came from behind and beat Brazil in a stunning, 11th hour comeback last Sunday. More technically, it was a 122nd minute comeback- Abby Wambach made the latest goal in the tournament’s history. Later in the week, the ladies owned France in the semi-finals, earning the U.S. its first trip to the finals since 1999. So even though we lost to Japan, there’s still a lot to be proud of..]

Rupert Murdoch’s been hacking our cell phones. OK, maybe not our cell phones, we’re not quite important enough. But the man behind News Corp., the world’s second largest media conglomerate, has gotten in deeper and deeper trouble as more info has been released about the private phone lines his company’s been listening in on. Targets include former U.K. Prime Minister Gordon Brown, Hugh Grant, and, perhaps most atrociously, the families of 9/11 victims.  This week, the FBI launched an official investigation into the accusations, and the British newspaper in the middle of the scandal, News of the World, shut down after 168 years. Murdoch even took out a full page ad in Saturday’s U.K. papers saying “We are sorry”… hmmm sorry you did it, or sorry you got caught? Everyone’s covering this story- except, of course, Murdoch’s own FOX News.

The epic, final Harry Potter film stomped all over every box office record this opening weekend. The massive lines of gold-and-maroon bedecked, lightning-tattoed fans outside almost every theater on Thursday night might’ve been a clue. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2 raked in a total of $467 million in ticket sales worldwide, beating the previous record of $394 million held by Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince.Which leads us to another issue… Warner Bros. will be dealing with a serious drop in income now that the movies are over with. The film debuted in 59 different countries, and “the phenomenal result is a true testament to the universal and timeless appeal of J.K. Rowling’s beloved book,” Warner Bros. president of international distribution Veronika Kwan-Rubinek said. “Whether in German, Russian, Spanish, Japanese or any other language, fans everywhere have embraced the finale.” Harry Potter clearly can’t be stopped- just ask Voldermort.

Pic o’ the Week

President Obama shook Army Sgt. First Class Leroy Arthur Petry of New Mexico’s prosthetic hand as he awarded him the Medal of Honor last Tuesday. Petry is only the second active duty soldier to receive the distinction for actions in Afghanistan and Iraq, and he certainly deserved it- when a live grenade was thrown at him and two friends in 2008, he quickly lunged for it, sacrificing his hand but saving himself and his buddies. At the ceremony, Pres. Obama said that “true heroes still exist, and they’re closer than you think.” We couldn’t agree more.

Photo credit: Charles Dharapak—AP

Here are five reasons why you should care–and how the shut down of the Federal Government is going to affect you. Which it will.

1. Once the government shuts down, all official offices will be closed, including the sector responsible for travel visas and passports. So all you kids with upcoming study abroad prospects, great summer vacation plans or those of you with expired visas and hopes of a quick trip to Canada (for some legal 19-year-old drinking) can kiss that all good bye.

2. When the IRS closes, they won’t be able to send out that tax refund you’ve been setting aside for cute new spring dresses to rock to class once it warms up. Sure, the post office will still get packages out, but what good is online shopping if you can’t pay for it?

3. If your parents work for the government they’ll be sent home, without pay. Or worse, they might be asked to come in and work for free. Federal employees aren’t just senators and representatives, but account for 4.4 million employees. Check out this HUGE list of all the jobs that are funded by the government.

4. Military personnel will go unpaid. Know someone abroad fighting for our freedom? Apparently that sacrifice isn’t enough. Now they’ll be serving for free until this is resolved.

5. The EPA will cease cleaning up toxic waste sites once offices close on Friday. Yum, toxins in my Nalgene seem like a fun change.

Both sides are arguing about where and how to spend funds, and wasted time and failed negations have left us with only hours until the deadline. Among those issues are the Republicans’ aim to defund Planned Parenthood and refuse to approve a budget that includes Planned Parenthood, which provides healthcare to thousands of low-income women and children.

Luckily, we’ve put together a comprehensive guide to the biggies.

But, none of these issues really matter unless you actually choose to exercise your vote. So, here are 5 reasons to get out (or online to fill out an absentee ballot) and vote!

It’s Your Right
As a liberal democracy, America allows each citizen to have an equal voice in society. Certainly, some are a bit louder than others. But, that voice is represented in the form of a check mark on a ballot: the vote. This right, which can seem insignificant in our contemporary (and cynical) society, is so important that it has caused social wars for those without it. Now, considering every American citizen receives the possibility to exercise this awesome right on their 18^th birthday, everyone is on a level playing field. When you vote, you’re not only relishing the freedom of America, but the freedom of governmental liberalism.

You Want a Job
Tired of hearing adults at so-and-so’s graduation party console you with the now-classic “Well, in this economy, it’s just so tough to get a job”? Applying for exorbitant numbers of jobs, complaining, and moping around your room will not get them to pipe down. But a package that stimulates the economy by creating jobs, which is a point of partisan contention in this election, will shut them up. And, such a plan will help your future. It’s a win-win. However, no one can win if you don’t get out and vote.

You Get a Sticker
And who doesn’t love stickers?

The Issues Matter
These issues can’t just be ignored. They may seem trivial to your life at the moment, but they will greatly affect your life in several years. Most legislation does not take affect immediately. So, your vote now will decide your taxes, health care, (and even) salary, etc., in 5-10 years. It may seem like a hassle to fill out an absentee form, but it’s 100% worth it in the long run.

Apathy is Not Awesome
In Obama’s recent interview with Rolling Stone, he urges citizens to “shake off this lethargy” and vote. Obviously, his personal purpose with this statement is to target Democrats since there is a very high chance that the party will lose their majority vote in Congress after this election. But, Obama’s message should resonate with many students our age — no matter your party. We’re educated, we have a decent amount of free time, and all these decisions will decide our future in America. Yet, many of us will remain on our couch November 2, 2010, watching Dexter OnDemand instead of helping mold our country. Not. Cool. So, get out and vote. Especially in this election, when your vote will be extremely important in determining which party will have control of Congress, and therefore what kinds of legislation will be passed in the next two years.

At the risk of sounding cheesy, I have one message for the CollegeCandy readers. Exercise your right and VOTE! Yes, it’s a total cliché, but it’s one that can help change our country and our futures.

Whaa?

The Associated Press reports that the new law “would ban the promotion of a postseason NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision game as a national championship unless it results from a playoff.” Maybe I’m not the most qualified person to be writing about this, since I’ve read that sentence ten times and I still have no idea what it means. Even though I’m from Pittsburgh, a city that proudly calls itself “a drinking town with a football problem,” I have been to exactly one professional and one college football game in my life. I didn’t know until a few minutes ago that the “BCS” was a thing, or that Congress had any say in how college football works.

But I know one thing: Georgia Representative John Barrow, who cast a dissenting vote only after saying, “With all due respect, I really think we have more important things to spend our time on,” is totally right. Even the head of whatever the BCS is, Bill Hancock, thinks that Congress “has more important issues than spending taxpayer money to dictate how college football is played.”

Maybe the House is just spending time worrying about sports because they want to try to fix something they actually can fix—inventing a better system for college football must be a lot easier than passing a health care bill that Democrats and Republicans both can agree on. Hell, college football may be the only thing both parties can agree on. But even if we can get both sides of the aisle to come together for an issue, this particular one makes our government look pretty bad, PR-wise.

Sure, it’s not like they’re sitting around reading “My Pet Goat” while the world is crashing down around them, but there’s still got to be a better way for state representatives to spend their time.

For the last ten years of her life, Ledbetter has fought for equal pay rights in the work place for women. After experiencing pay-based discrimination because of her sex (and learning about it through anonymous letters in her work mailbox), Ledbetter filed a complaint of gender discrimination with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC). Making a long story short (however, you should read the whole story over at CNN), President Obama stepped in and signed the Lilly Ledbetter Equal Pay Restoration Act this past week making the fight for women’s rights and equality better upheld through the law.

While I feel gratitude for Ledbetter’s ongoing battle with the Supreme Court and Congress to pass this act that will give women the rights they warrant and money that is rightfully theirs, I know that work is still left to be done.

It may seem hard to believe, but to this day, full-time working women get paid “on average, only 77 cents for each dollar full-time working men get paid,” according to the Wage Project. This happens in every occupation across the nation, and while it impacts women in different ways, the reality of it is that hardworking women with outstanding college degrees lose money in their pockets simply because of their sex.

Think about it. Imagine working at the same place, doing the same job as a man (who has the same degree and amount of experience as you), putting in the same hours, only to find out he is, in fact, making more money than you on an annual basis. How is that fair? It’s not, at all.

But it is reality.

Amazing women across the nation have been fighting for women’s rights for equal pay for decades now. In 1963, the Equal Pay Act (EPA) was signed by John F. Kennedy in hopes to help stop the divide within the work place. While it drew attention to issues involving work discrimination because of sex, it did not necessarily revolutionize the issue over night. Nearly 50 years ago, when the EPA was signed, women were only making 55 cents to the male dollar. In the last four and a half decades, only 22 more cents have gone into making up for those earnings.

As a young woman about to enter the workplace after college, I am outraged to know that I won’t make what my fellow male peers will. However, while it is scary to know that such discrimination still exists, I do feel some relief knowing that laws are out there to protect us, and a President looking out for us, too.

A few months ago, we at CollegeCandy attempted to do a roundup of all the hotties on Capitol Hill.

The results were less than appealing.

Someone upstairs heard our cries and brought us this: the hottest guy ever to step foot into the House of Representatives. Might we introduce you to Aaron Schock, the newest and youngest (27, baby) Congressman from Illinois.

Time to send naughty photos write a letter to my congressman. Get your congressional eye candy below.

Flynt, the fat guy who founded Hustler, and Francis, the genius creep behind Girls Gone Wild are outraged at the fact that the economy has bent the porn industry over and given it to them hard. Too graphic? Sorry.

Let me, rephrase. Apparently, XXX DVD sales have dropped a whopping 22%! That’s enough to make anyone’s panties jaw drop…

Flynt says that with the economy at a low, sex is the farthest thing from people’s minds (I wonder where he’s gettin his info from, cuz we’re pretty sure it’s not the farthest thing from our mind) and “It’s time for Congress to rejuvenate the sexual appetite of America.”

Yes, Congress. Share some of that sexual appetite we know you are all hiding, you sexy lawmakers, you.

The two men are asking for a $5 billion bailout and Mr. Francis himself is marching up to Washington to propose the bailout himself. Um, really? Seriously?

This gives whole new meaning to a stimulus package.

I thought I was watching Chicago, but instead I was tuned in to MSNBC. It’s a story that journalists are calling “jaw-dropping,” “shocking,” and “appalling.”

Illinois Governor Rod R. Blagojevic was arrested this morning by federal authorities on charges of corruption. He has allegedly been attempting to sell President-elect Barack Obama’s vacated US Senate seat to the highest bidder. The US Attorney’s office in Illinois released an affadavit this morning claiming that Gov. Blagojevic was overheard on wiretaps attempting to “sell or trade” the former senator’s seat in Congress for “personal” benefits. Both he and his Chief of Staff, John Harris, were indicted this morning and are expected back in federal court later this afternoon.

In addition to allegedly trying to sell Obama’s former Senate seat, Blagojevic is accused of witholding state aid from The Tribune Company (which filed for bankruptcy yesterday), until the Chicago Tribune agreed to fire staff members who had been critical of him in the past. Sha-dy.

Federal prosecutor Patrick Fitzgerald announced at a press conference that Gov. Blagojevic’s actions have begotten “a new low” in politics, and “[His] conduct would make Lincoln roll over in his grave.” Yeowza!

The allegations come on the heels of the aforementioned bankruptcy of one of the premeire media companies in the United States. As an ironic twist of fate, running against the famously corrupt image of Illinois politics was a prominent platform issue of Blagojevic when he was running for governor. If convicted, Blagojevic would be the second Illinois governor in two years (and fourth all-time) to be imprisoned for a crime, after former Governor George Ryan was sent to jail in 2006 for racketeering. In the meantime, several prominent Illinois politicians and authorities are calling for a special election to fill Obama’s Senate seat, so as to minimize the corruption of the position.

Bankruptcy, corruption, press, courts, Chicago, and all that jazz.

Yesterday we talked about how to best protect yourself against breast cancer before the age of 40. Today we’ll tackle how to join the fight against the disease. From government policies to medical research, life and death decisions about cancer are made every day. No one can control this disease, but there are plenty of opportunities to fight it. Here’s how to get involved.

Run, Relay, Race

No matter where you live, noncompetitive running, walking and relay events are regularly available for participation. Designed to raise funds and awareness, these events are a great way to support the cause with friends, sneak in some exercise and celebrate survivorship.

In 2006, more than 450,000 walkers across the country took part in Making Strides Against Breast Cancer, raising over $40 million to help the American Cancer Society fight this disease.

Another amazing event to take part in is Relay For Life. Held in more than 4,800 communities across the country, teams of eight to 15 people camp out overnight and take turns walking around a track or path for 12 to 24 hours. The event usually begins with a survivor lap in which cancer survivors take a victory lap around the track. Afterwards, candles are lit to remember those lost to the disease.

Donate

Can’t stomach the thought of so much exercise? Donate. Whether it’s a one-time donation or a single pledge or regular, repeated donations throughout the year, every little bit helps. Click here to donate to breast cancer securely and confidentially online using your credit or debit card. You can also opt to send a check or money order via snail mail.

Volunteer

We’re all tight on money these days, so offer to participate. You can make a difference to breast cancer patients and survivors in your community with the simple click of a mouse. Visit the Network for Good to find a huge range of volunteer activities happening in your neighborhood.

You can also ask your local hospital or medical center for opportunities to loan your time and talents. For example, the Comprehensive Breast Center in New York offers group yoga and cooking programs for patients. Other organizations, such as CancerCare, provide transportation, home services and child care for those going through treatment. Find out where they’re most lacking in help.

Plan, Party, Pink

Ready to play hostess? If you’re interested in breast cancer fundraising, visit the National Breast Cancer Foundation and fill out their fundraiser questionnaire. Depending on your resources, NBCF will work with you to prepare an official agreement and plan your event.

If business is in your blood, consider selling pink items. The pink ribbon has become the international symbol of breast cancer awareness, thanks to the Susan G. Komen Foundation, which first started handing out pink ribbons in 1991 at its New York City race for breast cancer survivors. Buy in bulk at the Pink Ribbon Shop (a portion of every sale is donated to cancer organizations) and donate the proceeds to a charity working towards finding a cure. To date Pink Ribbon Shop purchases have led to donations of $27,191!

Advocate, Educate

Breast cancer is a political, medical, psychological, social, and economic issue. It doesn’t start (or end) in a doctor’s office. Petition lawmakers, statehouses and Congress to make breast cancer a top priority. Promote early breast cancer detection by supporting educational funding and healthcare initiatives. Most importantly, endorse and back programs that increase innovative, high-impact research.

In 2004 the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS) started the Sister Study, a nationwide study to learn about the environmental and genetic causes of breast cancer. Through continued donations and funding, researchers are close to their goal enrolling 50,000 diverse women in the program. Visit the Sister Study site here to find out how you can help.

Whether you are one of the thousands of women effected by breast cancer or hearing about the disease for the first time, every effort counts. Don’t wait to get involved!

So yeah.  At the moment, the world is stuck on “panic”.

But here’s a funny video that involves a baby.  Whenever we want to panic, we sit back and think about cute babies and things usually go back to normal.  Maybe the government should start watching more YouTube videos that involve cute little chubby baby cheeks?

PS: We're slightly concered about what was done to this kid to make him cry on cue...

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