Don’t have time to watch or read the news? No problem! The Butler Collegian’s editor-in-chief has compiled a list of the top five things he thinks readers should know this week.

Let’s keep this relatively short, sweet and to the point. Come on down!

Fact 1: Bulldogs are the fourth favorite breed in America: Last Thursday, the American Kennel Club released its annual rankings of the most popular dog breeds in the United States, according to the Atlantic. “Make no bones about it, the labrador retriever fetched top dog honors for the 24th consecutive year,” reads the article in a punny fashion. However, bulldogs earned fourth place in the rankings, and French bulldogs ranked in the top 10 for the first time in almost a century, according to the Associated Press. Annette Noble, a communications chairwoman for Bulldog Club of America, said she is not surprised that bulldogs rose in the rankings this year. “They just have such character,” Noble said. The French bulldog went from 49th to ninth place in a decade. But in the end, labrador retrievers are still the top dog, placing in the top 10 since the 1970s.

Fact 2: Russian opposition leader Boris Nemtsov murdered: Boris Nemtsov, former deputy prime minister and regional legislator, was shot to death in Moscow last Friday night, according to the Atlantic. Nemtsov had been expected to help lead an opposition rally in the capital the following Sunday, according to the Washington Post. Nemtsov was deputy prime minister under then-Russian president Boris Yeltsin for more than a year and a half beginning in 1997. Nemtsov’s term was described as “the most pro-reform in post-Soviet Russia’s short history,” according to the Washington Post’s website. More recently, Nemtsov was known for his clear opposition to current president Vladimir Putin. In an interview with the Atlantic in 2013, Nemtsov criticized Putin for the Winter Olympics in Sochi, citing bribes and kickbacks that valued an estimate $26 billion. At the time, Nemtsov said, “Putin is part of a mafia; they do not turn in their own. He gave his friends an opportunity ‘to earn some cash,’ and now he is forced to deal with things as they are.”

Fact 3: Government study proves racial bias in Ferguson: The Justice Department has ruled that police in Ferguson, Missouri, made numerous discriminatory traffic stops against African-Americans, leading to years of racial animosity before Michael Brown’s death, according to the New York Times. Brown was shot by a police officer last summer. The report by the Justice Department criticized the city for disproportionately ticketing and arresting African-Americans in order to use the fines to balance the city’s budget deficits. African-Americans accounted for 86 percent of traffic stops in 2013 but make up 63 percent of the population, according to recent data published by the Missouri attorney general. Once these individuals were stopped, black drivers were twice as likely to be searched, even though searches of white drivers were more likely to turn up contraband. The report is expected to force Ferguson officials to negotiate a settlement with the Justice Department or face a civil rights lawsuit. In either case, significant changes will likely be made within the Ferguson Police Department.

Fact 4: Thousands of rape-kits are backlogged: In Houston, approximately 6,600 rape kits were backlogged over 30 years time, according to the Huffington Post. In 2013, Mayor Annise Parker pushed to test the kits and the results turned up 850 positive matches in the FBI’s national DNA database. Since then, prosecutors have charged 29 people and obtained six convictions so far. Unfortunately, the delay was costly and reports show that some suspects went on to commit more rapes before facing jail time, according to the Houston Chronicle. In other cities, such as Memphis, Tennessee, for example, there is a 12,000-kit backlog on file. Detroit also has 11,000 backlog kits that were discovered in 2009 in an abandoned police facility. While testing on those kits specifically, prosecutors in Michigan identified 100 serial rapists. It does not stop there. Cleveland had 4,700 kits backlogged, Las Vegas has 4,000, and national estimates for backlogged kits range from 100,000 to 400,000.

Fact 5: “The Powerpuff Girls” return to Cartoon Network: Cartoon-watching “90s babies” will likely remember “The Powerpuff Girls,” a Cartoon Network show that originally ran from 1998 to 2005. The show will make its return to the network after a decade-long hiatus, according to The Hollywood Reporter. The cartoon starred three young girls, Blossom, Bubbles and Buttercup, possessing special powers, and their scientist father and creator Professor Utonium, so Cartoon Network is looking to expand its outreach to female viewers since they already own the top spot as the number-one ranked network for boys aged 6 to 11 years old. Nick Jennings of “Adventure Time” will executive-produce the reboot. Interestingly enough, the concept of the show’s “sugar, spice and everything nice” opening theme was actually derived from a nearly 200-year-old English nursery rhyme called “What Little Boys Are Made Of.” The rhyme says: “Snips, snails, and puppy-dogs’ tails,” according to the Atlantic.

Bonus Fact: Ukraine is in big trouble: Ukraine is experiencing inflation rates over 270 percent, according to Steve Hanke, a Johns Hopkins professor and researcher for the CATO institute. Hyperinflation usually occurs after wars or revolutions or when governments have to print an excessive amount of money due to a failing economy, according to the Washington Post. Ukraine’s economy has been shrinking since the early 1990s because the country is relatively inefficient and corrupt compared to other nations, according to reports from the International Monetary Fund. Reserves in the country have dwindled exponentially, and its current war effort is draining more and more resources.

There you have it. Check the news section next week for another set of facts you can use to impress (and annoy) your friends with. Who doesn’t love a smart aleck, right?

P.S. I suppose it is not far-fetched to say that bulldogs like our very own Trip have their pick of the litter and are pretty “pupular” in the dog community. I would say they have another leash on life, am I right?

Written and compiled by Julian Wyllie