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HEADLINES ON February 7, 2017
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- Headline: Super Bowl Ads Spark Political Conversations. Impact: The trend of political ads during the Super Bowl leads to an unexpected rise in 'commercial activism,' where brands start sponsoring activists instead of athletes, ultimately resulting in a Super Bowl halftime show that features a debate panel instead of a musical act. Because who doesn’t want to watch politicians dodge questions while trying to catch a football?. Fact: Ever wonder how much a 30-second Super Bowl ad costs? Just enough to fund a small country’s entire education budget for a year. But hey, at least you get to see a talking animal!.
- Headline: Health Law: Repeal to Repair Discussion. Impact: The shift from 'repeal' to 'repair' becomes a defining moment for political language, sparking a new trend where politicians must always use euphemisms. This eventually leads to a bizarre future where no one can say 'tax' without first saying 'investment in the future.'. Fact: Politicians have a special talent for turning 'no' into 'maybe' and 'impossible' into 'we'll think about it.' It's basically a superpower, but with less spandex..
- Headline: New Jersey Alters Its Bail System and Upends Legal Landscape. Impact: New Jersey's bail reform serves as a blueprint for other states, leading to a nationwide movement that accidentally inspires a reality TV show called 'Bail or Fail,' where contestants compete to win their freedom. Spoiler alert: No one wins.. Fact: New Jersey eliminating cash bail is like getting rid of the last piece of pizza at a party: it sounds great until you realize you still have to deal with some really hungry people..
- Headline: Fueled by Bribes, Somalia’s Election Seen as Milestone of Corruption. Impact: Somalia's corruption-fueled election becomes a cautionary tale for other nations, resulting in a bizarre movement where elections are held in secret locations with the hope that bribery will be too difficult to orchestrate. This leads to a series of ridiculous hide-and-seek style elections.. Fact: In Somalia, bribery is so common during elections that they’ve considered changing the national anthem to a rap song about cash flow. Because why not make it catchy, right?.