Hello! This is the inaugural article of the College Candy Kaleidoscope: a summary of the day’s news. I am your host (don’t laugh) Kandy Korrespondant! So, without further ado…

Reverend Jeremiah Wright, the now infamous pastor of Presidential contender Barack Obama, said on Monday that attacks on his fiery sermons represent a societal failure to understand black church traditions.

On Monday officials reported that a Drug Cartel war near the California-Mexico border town of Tijuana has resulted in at least fifteen deaths.

On Sunday, the New York Times exposed correspondence between the US Department of Justice and Congress stating that US intelligence officials working to stop terrorist attacks may use techniques banned under international law. This contradicts an Bush’s executive order last summer stating that the CIA would observe international law during detainee interrogations.

Three NYPD detectives on trial for the 2006 fatal shooting of 23 year old Sean Bell were acquitted on Friday. Bell died in a hail of bullets outside of a strip club hours before he was to marry Nicole Paultre. The detectives defended their actions saying that they thought Bell and his two friends were on their way perpetrate a drive-by shooting. None of the victims were armed and no gun was recovered from their car. Bell was shot 50 times. Read More »

Four months ago, I traveled to Colombia with an expired ATM card. Although I had planned my trip, considering where I would go, for how long, and how much I would spend, I just didn’t bother to look at my card’s expiration date.

With just a hundred bucks on me, I managed to get money wired, but the mishap taught me a great lesson: there is far more that goes into planning a trip than meets the eye. Having access to cash is absolutely important, but knowing how much you can spend can also make your trip that much smoother.

Responsible travelers plan their trip and their finances before they even board the plane. Constructing a realistic travel budget will keep you from overspending, but it will also allow you to enjoy your time on the road. Now more than ever, with the fluctuating value of the dollar, it is important (and practically necessary) to establish a budget before you leave for a trip.

Here is a list of questions you should answer to get you started:

How much are you willing to spend per day? — This will establish a ballpark budget for your trip and, if you know how long your trip will be, it will also tell you how much you can spend. Know how much money you want left in your bank account when all is said and done. Read More »