Happy Tuesday! It’s January 10, 2023 and there are 358 days left in the year. On today’s NOTICE News: President Biden made a visit to the U.S.-Mexico border over the weekend, where a surge of migrants trying to enter the country has brought on a major crisis. Plus: could cancer be used to beat cancer? Scientists may have had a breakthrough in the battle against the deadly disease. All today on NOTICE News. Here’s a transcript of today’s show.
Discussion Questions
- What is a migrant, and what might cause one to leave their home country?
- While the migrant situation at the southern border is complicated, what could be consequences of the current situation continuing as it is?
- How does what is happening at government buildings in the capital of Brazil mirror what happened at the U.S. Capitol two years ago?
- What is ironic about the method being used to combat brain cancer in the new research findings coming out of Massachusetts?
- What makes brain cancer more virulent or hostile to the body than other cancers?
- Why is the prospect of a cure for cancer so impactful, and why especially for brain cancer?
Writing Prompts
- Often when there’s a crisis, the president will travel to the scene of what’s going on. Why might that be a key moment in either a tragedy or issue warranting national interest?
- MRNA vaccines use similar technology to the vaccines developed in the U.S. to fight Covid-19. In terms of eventual reception by the population, what could be some pros and cons of new cancer-fighting technology being associated with vaccines developed during the pandemic?
- There have been scientists working around the clock to develop cures for cancers for decades. Why do you think such efforts have been put into this particular disease? What does the sudden advancement in vaccines suggest about investing in scientific research?
Further Reading
- Our top story: President Biden visits the U.S.-Mexico border as political issue heats up (Reuters)
- Explainer: Why Are Migrants Crossing The U.S.-Mexico Border In Record Numbers? (Reuters)
- From Headlines: California faces more torrential rain, high winds and flooding (Reuters)
- Learn more about scientists’ work to create a vaccine against brain cancer (Harvard Univserity)