If I were you, I wouldn't consider any other coins as alternative to Bitcoin since the latter is the only cryptocurrency with the strong background. You'll never probably be sorry. But think twice before making your final decision, just in case
Mixing religion and politics together is a very serious mistake and must be avoided at all costs. Despite the fact that some religions declare love, peace, etc., etc., any of them religions is capable of doing an irreparable harm to most positive government initiatives. Verdict: NOT EVER!
Yes, the media are concentrated primarily on bad news, but they can't destroy Bitcoin and cryptocurrency. Their role is probably to swing the market and cause FUD to "promote" active trade
I'm positive that is going to happen soon and I hope they will provide options so that we could choose either BTC or USD. That would be just fantastic!
The cryptocurrency market situation looks usual to me (if 'usual' is an appropriate word with cryptocurrencies). Just a little up and down. If you're a hodler you might feel frustrated going down and excited going up, but for traders it is a good chance to earn a little money