Some things that will matter, and some things that won't
Certain things in the news today probably won't amount to a hill of beans in the long run:
And some things may:
We tend to pay attention to the wrong stories.
While Bush is shaking hands for the cameras in Annapolis, and Oprah is shaking hands for Obama, and Lott is shaking hands with Lord knows whom, other stories are percolating that will probably have a much more significant long-term effect.
The France/China deal could be a harbinger of China's desire to move away from dollar-based transactions toward the euro; this could have seriously negative effects on our global market position. The stem cell debate might have just taken a 90° turn. War in Iraq and the Balkans may become a long-term fact of life we'll just have to live with. The Gates money could be the final nail in the coffin for polio, which is still endemic in four countries (Nigeria, India, Pakistan, and Afghanistan). All of these stories are probably going to be way more significant over the long term than the stories currently making headlines.
And all of them are certainly a lot more important than the latest chapter in the story of the random missing white girl. Although the girl's family certainly deserve answers, that case should never have been national news. Too many other stories of greater importance are being given short shrift.