Emmanuel Macron: From political novice to president

Emmanuel Macron, an independent who has never held office, was elected president of France on Sunday, defeating Marine Le Pen. Macron is a 39 year old former investment banker who has been labeled by critics as inexperienced. Macron promises to reform France's welfare and pension system, to fight terrorism by increasing defense spending, and to "put France back at the heart of the EU." What is your opinion of the outcome of the French election?

FBI Cheif James Comey Fired by Trump

Donald Trump fired the director of the FBI, James Comey, over his handling of the inquiry into Clinton's emails, according to the administration. This came after it emerged that the former director gave "inaccurate information to congress" about the emails. This is only the second time that the head of the FBI has been fired. What do you think of the situation? What are the implications of this? Do you believe, as some democrats have suggested, that it was a "cover up" or an attempt to subvert the ongoing investigations into ties between Russia and the Trump campaign?

Stephen Colbert investigated over 'homophobic' anti-Trump joke

Last week, Stephen Colbert's CBS program, The Late Show, included a clip in which Colbert joked about Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin. Colbert's monologue has been critically described as crude, sexual, and even homophobic. The response to his jokes has triggered an investigation by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC). Colbert and CBS could be fined if the clip is determined to be "indecent." The investigation has caused an outcry by free speech advocates over government censorship. Do think that the FCC should be investigating Stephen Colbert for his comments? Why or why not? What do you predict the outcome of the investigation to be?

http://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-39828336

Pope Francis angered by America's 'mother of all bombs' name

Last month, the United States dropped a GBU-43/B Massive Ordnance Air Blast Bomb (MOAB) in Afghanistan. The target of the bombing was a network of tunnels used by ISIS militants. The powerful MOAB has become popularly known in the military and by the public as the "Mother of All Bombs." Recently, Pope Francis criticized this name, stating that "A mother gives life and this one gives death." The opinion of the Pope is historically a powerful political factor, even beyond the Catholic world. Do you think the Pope's criticism of the bomb's nickname is justified or simply an overreaction? What is your opinion on America's use of this bomb, as well as America's general military involvement in the fight against ISIS?

http://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-39830311