News Post 40

On USA Today I read an article about an unarmed elderly man with dementia who was shot by police officers in California. The officers who shot the many have been placed on administrative leave. A neighbor had called to complain about the elderly man and said that he had a gun on him. At the scene, no gun was found on Fransisco Serna. When the police arrived to respond to the 911 call, Serna was walking outside his house with his hands in his pockets. Serna did not listen to the police officers when many of them asked to see his hands. About 15-20 feet away from him, Officer Selman shot the man down with seven rounds. Mr Serna was pronounced dead at the scene. His family said that he liked to take walks at night to clear his head and make it easier for him to sleep. According to the Alzheimers Association, dementia patients often wander and when they do they may seem confused. Perhaps Mr Serna was innocent and yet another innocent life was taken. This goes back to the issues of gun control and what we should to help prevent "accidents" and make our country safe.

News Post 39

On CNN politics, I read an article titled "Ohio governor bans abortions after 20 weeks while vetoing 'heartbeat' bill". John Kasich has vetoed the heartbeat bill which bans abortions after six weeks. While doing this, he also approved a law that doesn't allow abortions after 20 weeks of pregnancy. While pro- Choice advocates saw this as "troubling", many pro life advocates saw this as a step closer to challenging Roe vs. Wade. The current law states that there shall be no abortions of what the statute calls viable fetuses (fetuses that can survive outside the womb). However in 90 days there will be no viability tests therefore after 20 weeks of pregnancy, under any circumstances, abortion will not be allowed. If given, the doctor responsible would be charged with a 4th degree felony. Many states have limitations on abortions and Trump plans to challenge Roe vs Wade in the future.

News Post 38

On CNN, I read an article about the recent Yahoo hacking. This hack to information from over 1 billion accounts. According to this article, a "third party" has stolen over a billion accounts in August 2013. The stolen data includes names, email addresses, and passwords but not financial information. This is a common pattern from Yahoo. It seems as if they are always being hacked. The company is now notifying users who might have been affected by the hack. Many are concerned that Yahoo dod not take enough precaution. The company's stock has dropped 2.5% since the incident.

News Post 37

On ABC News, I read an article about how amazon has officially completed its first drone delivery. The company calls this "prime air". A video was released showing new and innovative this process.

"After the package is added to the drone, 'an electrically powered Amazon drone makes its way down an automated track and then rises into the sky with the customer's package on board,' according to Amazon."

This drone has to fly below 400 feet and cannot carry more that 5 pounds. There is also a GPS to ensure "safe flying."This new technology will change the face of the way we send things. Although it is only happening for a few costumers in the UK, we hope that it will come to the US very soon.

News Post 36

Today I read an article on ABC News. This article is titled "Colorado School District to Allow Teachers to Arm Themselves". This week a school in Colorado has officially decided to let teachers be armed during school to not only protect their students. The school district vote was 3-2. Now volunteers will be able to do this after going through training. Although this may seem absurd to most, school board member Michael Lawson said that it was a good idea because it protected students from mass shootings and from violence connected to marijuana growth in the state. However, the school board president worries about things such as accidents happening involving the students and the guns. He says:"We need to leave that to the professionals."There are also other states that back the idea of teachers being able to carry guns. These states include California, Texas, and Oklahoma. Teachers are now currently undergoing training while school districts will have to figure out how to pay 3,000 dollars per weapon. Teachers are also required to have a permit.

News Post 35

On CNBC, I read an article about Trump's pick for the head of the Department of Energy, former Texas Governor Rick Perry. According to the article, by picking Perry, Trump is just "adding to the list of oil-drilling advocates skeptical about climate change filling out his Cabinet selections." This recent news is worrying environmentalists because they fear what Trump's new administration might do to the climate. Trump's transition team mentioned in a statement that how Perry led Texas to being one of the top oil producing states in the country.

"Rick Perry created ... a business climate that produced millions of new jobs and lower energy prices in his state, and he will bring that same approach to our entire country as secretary of energy," Trump said in the statement."

Because he has picked Rick Perry, it is an indication that Trump will most likely favor the fossil fuel industry during his term. If approved, Perry will be responsible for the nation's energy policy and nuclear weapons program. Perry advocates for less restrictions on the fossil fuel industry and is also on the board of directors for the Dakota Access pipeline in North Dakota which has been receiving a lot of protests.

News Post 34

Today I read article on CNN (money). This article was about how Trump's secretary of state nominee, Rex Tillerson, has sparked a conversation about how the Trump administration plans to deal with LGBTQ equality. Tillerson is the CEO of the company ExxonMobil.


"Rex Tillerson's nomination raises critical questions as to how a Trump administration plans to protect LGBTQ employees and contractors affiliated with the State Department, and ultimately whether it will continue American efforts to advance equality through U.S. foreign policy," HRC president Chad Griffin said in a statement."

When Tillerson was an executive, Exxon and Mobil merged together and Mobil's domestic partner benefits for gay and lesbian workers was removed along with their anti discrimination policy. Due to his executive position, Tillerson was ultimately responsible for this.

The Human Rights Campaign in 2002 gave the company a 14% on their overall corporate equality. When Tillerson became CEO, the company began to make some progress. Most recently in 2013, Exxon reintroduced health coverage for same sex spouses of its employees. Adjustments were also made in 2015 to protect gender identity and sexual orientation discrimination. Now, the company has been given an 85% from the Human Rights Campaign. Although it is a definite improvement, it does not compare to the hundreds of other top notch companies who were given 100%.

News Post 33

On CNN Politics, I read an article about Inauguration day in Washington DC. During the event, many iconic landmarks will be gated off during the event and the festivities happening before and after. Protesters and activist will no longer be able to protest that day. The Women's March in Washington is always held the day on January 21, the day after the inauguration. Instead of denying the activists permits to march on the property, they are trying to find a suitable alternative for the group. Tens of thousands of people are expected to take part in this march. The march has been approved. It would have been hard to deny it due to the fact that there are thousands of people involved and this particular election has been very difficult to many women across the country.

News Post 32

Breaking News on CNN: Trump will most likely pick ExxonMobil CEO Rex Tillerson to be his nomination for secretary of state according to multiple sources. Trump's pick has no experience in foreign policy, similar to Trump, but has many relationships with leaders in other countries by closing large deals for the world's largest energy company. Trump believes that Tillerson's expert negotiation skills will do us well especially in the oil business and managing the state department. Many fear that both Trump and Tillerson will bring US policy far more in line with Russia than we should be. This article also says that Tillerson will do just fine fitting in with the majority of Trumps Cabinet due to the fact that they are "corporate titans" and "Wall Street Players". But before he can even assume the position, he must satisfy senators by proving his knowledge that doesn't retain to just business. There isn't much talk about Tillerson's actual stance on foreign policy therefore he will have to prove himself even more.

News Post 31

Today I learned, in an article on CNN, about how Miami is free of locally transmitted Zika viruses. This also means that the state of Florida is officially clear of the virus! The article said that these cases began to show up in July in this area. The article also provided the many symptoms of the virus.

"Our state has no local transmission, so we welcome all tourists to come enjoy our weather and our beaches," Scott said. "This state is open for business."

According to this article, although the state has made a major milestone, the risk is not over yet. Due to the state being a popular destination for tourists, the virus can easily end up there again. The virus is very much still present in the state. Floridians should also especially be careful during the holidays which is a very popular time for tourists.

New Post 30

Breaking news on CNN says that Mitt Romney has just confirmed on facebook that he is not Trump's pick for secretary of state.

"It was an honor to have been considered for secretary of state of our great country. My discussions with President-elect Trump have been both enjoyable and enlightening. I have very high hopes that the new administration will lead the nation to greater strength, prosperity and peace."

Trump called Romney over the phone to deliver the news. During the 2016 election, the two had an ongoing feud. Romney made remarks about Trump calling him a 'fraud' and 'childish'. Trump responded back insulting Romney about his loss to President Obama and much more. Romney even asked for Republicans to unite against Trump during the election. This made it very surprising to many that Mitt Romney was even in the running for secretary of state. However, the two set their feelings aside and through multiple meetings discussed the possibility of Romney becoming the new secretary of State.

News Post 29

On CNN I read an article on Russia hacking GOP individuals prior to the election. Emails of democratic party groups were made public. Also the intelligence community thinks that the hacking was meant to influence the election in Trump's favor. There were also troll farms that spread fake news about Hillary Clinton. Even before the election, the intelligence community believed that Russia's intent was to aid Trump during the election. The FBI even argued on this issue. Some were concerned about the certainty of this assessment: "FBI is very conservative in its conclusions and typically doesn't give any definitive assessment if a conclusion can't be proven without a doubt. The CIA constantly has to make judgments based on an incomplete picture."

Regardless, they believe that Russia "engaged in criminal activity inside the United States."

News Post 28

Today I read an article on USA Today College about the legalization of Marijuana in 4 new states. On election day, four states(California, Nevada, Massachusetts, and Maine) voted on whether or not they would legalize the use of marijuana. This article talks about how although the drug may be legal in your state, its recreational use on college campuses in not permitted. Some Faculty for the universities have said that though legal in some states, it is still illegal at the national lever therefore it should not be used on campus because it will effect the learning ability of the student. However, on other campuses some faculty is saying to loosen up on the restriction. Schools also wont budge on the restriction because of things such as federal funding. Many national organizations are pushing for reform on this issue.

News Post 27

Today I watched a video article on USA Today about New Texas Abortion Restrictions. on December 19th, a new law will go under effect that states that embryonic and fetal tissues must be buried or cremated regardless of religious beliefs. The rule is set to restrict women's rights to access safe and legal abortions by raising the reproductive health care.

News Post 26

On CNN, I read an article about how New Jersey Governor Chris Christie  turned down multiple positions on Trump's administration team. The positions he rejected included: Homeland security secretary, secretary of veterans affairs and ambassador to Italy, and many more. He had wished to be attorney general and since then has not been offered the position. The position has actually been offered to someone else.

Blog Post 25

I read an article on CNN about Climate Change. The article talks about Donald Trump's views on the issue. Trump says in an interview that "Nobody really knows if climate change is real." The article also states that Trump is currently deciding on whether or not the US will withdraw their commitment to limit environmental output. During his campaign Trump repeatedly called climate change a 'hoax' but now he is taking an interest in the issue.

Blog Post 24

Today I read an article on USA Today. This article is about the school bus crash that crashed into a tree in Chattanooga Tennessee. As of now, six children have been killed and 23 have been taken to the hospital. The Chattanooga police chief, Fred Fletcher, says that speed is being investigated because it might have played a huge factor in the crashing of the bus. According to the article, crashes like these could lead officials to begin additional talks about safety.
“To me it’s a good discussion to have,” Haslam said. “I think when this is over it’s time to have a good conversation about everything around school buses.”
Many condolences goes out to the families and friends effected by this tragedy. The school system plans to take control and assure the safety of students on school buses.

Formal and Informal Powers of the Senate

What are the formal and informal powers of the Senate? How do you know?


Formal Powers are ones written int he constitution. These include: Impeachment- has the sole power of conducting impeachment trials., Nominations- advises and gives consent, Treaties- approve, amend, and adopt changes of a treaty by a 2/3 vote. Expulsion- expel members of the Senate, Censure-they can determine the rules of its proceedings, Investigations, Contested Senate Elections.

Informal Powers are not specifically mentioned in the constitution. These include rules that they make up on their own. For example, Filibuster.

News Post 23

Today I read an article on the New York Times titled "Donald Trump Appears to Soften Stance on Immigration, but Not on Abortion". This article covered many thing on Donald Trump, but the main focus of the article was to talk about Trump and how he is easing up on how strict he will enforce certain policies. For example, part of Trump's brand during his campaign was the "build a wall" slogan. Now, Trump sees it as only being a fence in some areas. Also, he does not plan on getting rid of Obamacare entirely. He plans on keeping it for those with pre existing medical conditions. He also does not plan to deport all undocumented immigrants anymore, instead he only wants to deport those who are a danger and or criminals. However, Trump is not letting up on his views of abortion. He promises to name a supreme court justice who opposes abortion rights. As Trump changes hos mind on many issues, a majority of America is anxiously waiting to see what their lives will look like in the next 4 years. Others are even protesting. With a unified government, it is scary to think of what will happen in the future and how certain issues will be handled.

Elections...

The congressional race that I covered in class was California's district 25. The candidate that I studied was Bryan Caforio. Bryan is a part of the democratic party. Caforio is a family mad who advocates for the working class. Because he was so popular with the people, I believed that Bryan would win the race. However the incumbent, Steve Knight, was re elected into office. The end result was 54% to 46%. A close race but not close enough.

The new President of the United States is Donald Trump. Donald Trump ended the night with 279 electoral votes and Clinton having 228. This shocked everyone. At the beginning of the night, most people could have promised that Clinton would win which is why they were so surprised when she lost. However, Hillary did win the popular vote. This election is one for the books mainly because loyal democratic states flipped in this election and became republican. But it truly was a very close race. Majority of the states were nearly split in half. But in the end, Trump won. Some are happy while others are devastated. All we can do is hope for the best in the future.

Missouri Senate Race

The two candidates for the Missouri senate race are the incumbent, Roy Blunt (R), and Jason Kander (D). This race is considered a toss up race because Kander is continuously raising his numbers in the polls, even though the majority of the state is republican.

Roy Blunt was born into a middle- class family. he has 4 children and six grandchildren. In his later years, he served as a history teacher and the President of his alama mater: Southwest University. He also has served as a county official. He has been elected into office seven times since 2010. As the current senator of Missouri, Blunt plans to support the growth of jobs and opportunity, stop government over reach, expand America energy, support farm families, defend and protect America, honor veterans, provide quality health care, and strengthen infrastructure.

Jason Kander is the democratic candidate for the seat in the senate. He has a wife and a son named Truth. Growing up, his parents were juvenile probation officers. Kander also worked as a police officer with his dad at night. Because of his parents work, he grew up having to follow rules and be obedient always. After 9/11, Jason joined the military and worked as a intelligence officer fighting off forces such as Al- Queda. He also worked as the state legislature and is the current Missouri secretary of state. He supports veterans, small businesses, pushes for honest and open government, stands up for women, supports farmers, protects the environment, and advocates for the black community ever since the police shooting in Ferguson.

Media Coverage:

This has been a very tight race and both candidates have been attacking one another on the media. For Roy Blunt, he has been attacked for renting a house in Missouri but not actually living there throughout the  year. His wife lives in DC with their son and he owns a house up there. He has been marked absent two times more than he has been marked present. Also, after the Orlando shooting, they had a twitter war. Blunt insulted Kander on his position on gun control. In response Kander released a shocking campaign video that increased his votes in the polls.

News Post 22

Today I read an article on USA Today about a smoking chimpanzee. At a North Korean zoo, a 19 year old chimp is given a pack and a lighter once a day and smokes as it pleases. Even if the chimp does not have a lighter, it will find a way to light the cigarette. Many people find this crazy, but the zookeeper claims that the chimp does not actually inhale the smoke therefore it is completely safe. Other chimps at zoos in China and South Africa are doing similar things too. The PTA president Ingrid Newkirk says that giving chimpanzees tobacco and getting them addicted as a form of entertainment is cruel.

"Gradually, zoos are learning that spectacles such as chimpanzee tea parties, elephant rides, and photo ops with tiger cubs are inappropriate and exploitative," Newkirk said in a statement.

News Post 21

Today I read an article on the LA Times titled 'This Democrat's legal past both helps and haunts him in California's most competitive congressional race". This article is about one of the candidates, Bryan Caforio, in California's District 25 Congressional toss up race. Bryan Caforio, an attorney mainly supports the middle class. One of his goals, if elected, is to protect those who are taken advantage of by large businesses/ corporations. However, this article claims that this could be al an act due to Caforio's past as an attorney. Caforio has reportedly defended many large corporations in the past for situations similar to those he is fighting against during this election. His past is catching up to him. Will it effect this upcoming election?

News Post 20

On the Washington Times, I read an article titled:Black Lives Matter agrees with Clinton’s ‘implicit racism’ message but doesn’t trust her. This article discusses some of the points made by Hillary Clinton during the first presidential debate. Jeff Mixon is a leader of a Black Lives Matter group in Ohio. He says that he likes what he is hearing from Clinton, however he is not sure whether or not she will keep the promises that she makes. This includes federal funding for racial sensitivity training amongst police officers and promising to keep less African American and Hispanic men in prison. People are worried because she seems to know exactly what to say, however, people are unsure if she is being honest or just telling the people what they want to hear.

News Post 19

Today I read an article on NBC News about the recent Houston mall shooting. This article was about a shooting in Texas that injured at least 9 people. The shooter was eventually shot down by police. Later, police were seen taking an item out of the suspects car that appeared to have a swastika on it. Also, the shooter was identified as a normal man who worked as a lawyer who seemed to be having "troubles" at his firm. Police also found more nazi related things in the suspects home. It was also later revealed that the shooter was dressed in a military uniform. Prior to the strip mall shooting, gunshots were heard at a nearby apartment complex. One of the resident's husband was even shot. Anohter resident was shot at through the class of his car. The Governor, Greg Abbott, asks that all texans keep these victims in their thoughts and prayers.

News Post 18

On The New York Times, I read an article about the Congress meeting in 5 days to avoid shutdown over funding. According to this article, Congress must decide by midnight on Friday if they will pass the legislation Also, many Democrats and some Republicans are choosing to oppose the funding bill. This is becasue the legislation provides no money to deal with current disasters (Such as the Flint water crisis). There will be a test vote held on Tuesday but it could be rejected which would make it difficult to find a new compromise. The article also states that "The fight is something of a surprise since it initially appeared that lawmakers would provide the funding to keep the government open until Dec. 9 with little conflict."

News Post 17

Today I read an article on US today about actor Isaiah Washington. In this article it says that Washington has announced that he wants all African Americans to boycott work on Monday."No work. No school. No shopping for 24 hours". He posted this announcement on Facebook as part of the Black Lives Matter movement. The purpose of this is to make a statement to show how the lves of African Americans are needed and do matter.  According to Washington, this protest is also to  "maintain the safety of our people, while significantly impacting America's broken judicial system that is oppressing us by removing our labor, our bodies and our money from it...for 24 hours." This protest is expected to happen on September 26, 2016.

News Post 16

Today I read an article on CNN titled: Senate to vote Wednesday to override 9/11 Lawsuit Veto. This article is about the bill that 9/11 victims and family that was vetoed by Obama. This bill gives these families and victims the the legal right to sue Saudi Arabia because the terrorist attacks. Obama vetoed this bill because "he did not believe he law would hurt the effectiveness of the administration's action against terrorism by taking questions of foreign states' involvement in terrorism 'out of the hands of national security and foreign policy professionals and placing them in the hands of private litigants and courts."' In order to veto Obama's veto, the senate will need a two thirds vote. People are afraid that if they do sue, it might cause many problems between the countries. If two thirds votes in favor of vetoing the veto, the bill will pass and become legal.

News Post 15

Today I read an article on USA Today about an Ohio police officer shooting a 13 year old boy who drew a BB gun. The officers received a report about a robbery than involved a gun. There were three people who fit the description that they were going to take into custody. However, when approached, a group of men fled and one apparently reached for his waistband while on the run. The police officers thought he was reaching for a gun but later found out that it was a BB gun. They shot the young man down and later found out that he was a 13 year old boy named Tyree King. Here is a quote from the police statement:

"Officers followed the males to the alley ... and attempted to take them into custody when one suspect pulled a gun from his waistband. One officer shot and struck the suspect multiple times,"the police statement said.

News Post 14

Today I read an article on CNN. This article was about Melania Trump releasing her records to prove that she followed all correct procedures when immigrating to the United States in 1996. Here is a quote from the article:

"I am pleased to enclose a letter from my immigration attorney which states that, with 100% certainty, I correctly went through the legal process when arriving in the USA," Trump wrote in a post on Twitter, with a photo of the attorney's letter attached.

This uprise began when Melania was accused of illegally working as a model on a vistor's visa. Photos were posted from the 90s, by the New York Times, that showed her being in New York in 1995. However, Trump's Lawyer says that this is impossible because Melania was never even in the US in 1995.

News Post 13

Today I read an article on The Telegraph. This article was about how the US Government could kill 45,000 wild horses. The reasoning behind this is to make room for more cattle farms. Based on a vote by the National Wild Horse and Burro Advisory Board of the Bureau of Land Management (BLM), free roaming horses could possibly be slaughtered. Their plan, at first, was to just remove the horses to a new spot, however their numbers were rapidly increasing. Groups, such as the Humane Society, are very upset by this and are claiming that there are more human alternatives rather than killing the horses or removing them from their natural habitats.

According to this article, the US has fewer than 50,000 horses roaming in the US and 270,000 mustangs have been removed from private land since 1971.

Whether or not the BLM will go through with these plans is unknown.

News Post 12

On CNN, I read an article about Texas Senator, Ted Cruz, condemning the multiple protests from athletes during the national anthem. Cruz tweeted about the events saying:

"To all the athletes who have made millions in America's freedom: stop insulting our flag, our nation, our heroes".

Cruz also was reported saying:
"It's sad when you see rich spoiled athletes that don't recognize what an incredible blessing this country is."

This all started when 49ers quarter back, Colin Kaepernick, refused to stand during the national anthem. This trend started to spread amongst multiple teams and athletes. Many conservatives were appalled by the way Obama responded to the events by saying that they were "exercising their constitutional right. Cruz then responded by saying:

"I was disappointed to see President Obama stand with Kaepernick and say, 'that's right, disrespect the flag.' That's not the job of the President. The President should be standing up for America and the president should be encouraging every American to honor the flag that so many have bled and died for."

News Post 11

On ABC News, I read an article called "Clinton Pneumonia Diagnosis Revealed After Abrupt 9/11 Memorial Departure". This has been one of the top stories on the news lately because of the effects it might have in Clinton's campaign. On Friday, Clinton's personal doctor revealed that she had been diagnosed with pneumonia. In a video that spread rapidly, Clinton was seen falling and needing assistance to get into her car. Her doctor said that this was due to her illness and dehydration. Because of this incident, her opponent Donald Trump saw this as an opportunity to call her out on her health issues by saying that she"lacks the mental and physical stamina to take on ISIS".  Now, Clinton is all rested up and claims that she is feeling great.

News Post 10

On ABC News I read an article about President Obama meeting with Congressional leaders to talk about Zika- money and government money. President Obama hopes that before the next election, they would have come to some agreement to already have funding taken care of for this virus. Other things were talked about in this meeting with the top four Congressional leaders such as disaster relief. There is also a short term bill to fund the government through December 9.

News Post 9

Today on CNN I read an article called " Obama to veto 9/11 Victims Bill". This article is about Obama planning on veto a bill passed unanimously through the senate to sue Saudi Arabia for the attacks. The White House Press Secretary said that it would be "an effective, forceful way for us to respond to terrorism." Many agreed with this, thus the passing of the bill. The bill has yet to reach Obama, but he plans to veto it. In this case, the Lawmakers are expected to override the veto. This would be the first time in Obama'a presidency for this to happen. 

News Post 8

Today I read an article on USA Today titled "Donald Trump Protests Format for Presidential Debates". This article was about Trump complaining about how he does not think that there should be moderators during the debate. He says this because he believes that they will rig the whole thing in Clinton's favor.

 "Let Hillary and I sit there and just debate because I think the system is being rigged so it’s gonna be a very unfair debate, and I can see it happening right now because everyone’s saying that he was soft on Trump."

News Post 7

Today I read an article on CNN about Hurricane Hermine in Florida. The bulk of the hurricane is taking place Apalachicola. Some counties have ordered mandatory evacuation because of the life threatening possibilities. This article says that when Hermine hits landfall, it would be the first to do so since Wilma in 2005. Many states, such as Georgia and North Carolina, have called for a state of emergency in many of their counties and many have also called for state wide curfews. There are many other concerns that include how tall the flood will be and the fear of this being an opportunity for Zika to spread.

News Post 6

Today I read an article on USA Today called the Epipen Maker Ties Bonuses to Profit Targets. This article is about how Mylan (MYL) has raised the prices of EpiPens in order to get more profit from the company. Epipens have the ability to save many people's life, this is why there is so much controversy over this topic. The price has risen from less than 400 dollars to now over 600 dollars. They predict that this change would make a potential $82 million increase for the top five executives.
According to the Article, "Mylan management might see EpiPen price hikes as a way to make the aggressive targets." After ongoing debate the company finally decided to release a generic version of the EpiPen for half the price of the name- brand.

News Post 5

Today I read an article on USA Today. This article was about Obama visiting a suburb in Louisiana that was devastated by the flood. In his speech that he gave, Obama talks about how in situations like this, politics and parties do not matter because all of America will need to pay attention to this crisis in Louisiana. Obama got a lot of hate for this from a lot of people, including Donald Trump, because he was seen at a golf tournament raising money for the democratic party instead of coming to Louisiana days before he actually visited. However, later in the article, it says that Obama stated that the Federal Emergency Management Agency has enough money to cover the costs of the flood.

News Post 4

Today I read an article on CNN that was talking about Trump's speech that he gave earlier in the week in Michigan. In this speech he said:

"You're living in poverty, your schools are no good, you have no jobs, 58% of your youth is unemployed -- what the hell do you have to lose?"

In this attempt to woo African American voters into voting for him, he ended up actually offending them by categorizing an entire race by saying that they are all in poverty and are in need of help. He also asks the audience "What do the have to lose?" Many people found this offensive as well. The article says that this is not the first time Trump has talked about this 58%. 42.7% of this percentage are of people from ages 16-24 Who did have a job in July. This 58% is an incorrect statistic because not everyone in that percentage may be looking for a job. This also caused a lot of debate as well. 

News Post 3

In an article on USA Today, I read about Ethiopian Runner Feyisa Lilesa, celebrated his silver medal victory in protest. As he crosses 2nd at the finish line, Lilesa crosses his arms above his head as a sign of protest of the Ethiopian Government. Later on in an interview he ponders what might happen to him when he returns home from the 2016 Rio Olympics:

"If I go back to Ethiopia maybe they will kill me,” Lilesa said. “If not kill me, they will put me in prison. I have not decided yet, but maybe I will move to another country."

The government back in Ethiopia did assure him that he would not have to worry about any of those things happening to him upon his return.

It's crazy how in the US it is our right to say what we feel and speak out our opinions without feeling threatened. However, in other countries, people fear that an open mind may lead to their imprisonment or death.

News Post 2

Today I read an article on CNN titled "Judge Temporarily Blocks Obama School Transgender Bathroom Policy". This article talked about how a Texas federal judge issued an injunction that blocks federal Government agencies from acting against states that do no agree with the Obama Administration's policy on public bathrooms in schools. This policy states that people should go to whatever bathroom matches with their sexual identity; not their actual gender. Many people believe that this rule protects the countries transgender community, while others believe that it puts students' privacy and rights at risk. At first, if a state did not follow this policy there would be consequences. However, now that this Texas judge has spoken out, the court has overruled this policy. Many people are excited about this decision, but others are disappointed and see it as "a step in the wrong direction" for our country.

News Post 1

Today I read an article about how there were new cases of the Zika virus transmission found in Miami Beach. The exact  location of where the Zika Virus is spreading is called Miami- Dada County. Three of these new cases were travelers visiting the beach for vacation. The Governor of Florida, Rick Scott, reached out to the US Center for Disease Control and Prevention for Help. He then announced that they will provide the public with the information that they need when it is needed. Because of this, the press is blaming Rick Scott for keeping this information hidden in order to keep a steady flow of tourism. This relates to government and politics because it concerns the health and well being of citizens. Also, the people of Florida have a right to know everything that is going on in order to prevent themselves and their children from contracting this disease.

Summary of Most and Least Religious States Article

In an article on Pew Research, an experiment was conducted to see how religious each state was. They measured how religious they were on four levels: worship attendance, prayer frequency, overall belief in God, and how important religion is in ones life. According to this article, a very religious state would score a 2 out of 4 or higher and a not so religious state would score 1 out of four. This study showed that most states in the south ( Alabama Mississippi, Tennessee, etc) scored exceptionally high while states in the northern parts of the country ( Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Vermont, etc.) scored very low.

I think that politicians would find this information very useful. This is because by knowing what level of religion each state represents, it will make it easier for them to target certain areas in the country with similar religious views. This is good because it could possibly help them win an election.

What I Have Done so Far!

I was really excited to start AP Gov this year because I am very passionate about our country's history and the way that problems were solved then and now. So far, we have taken a typology quiz to find out where we fit in political typology. We have also taken another quiz to find out how much we knew about the news around the world. After discussing our results on these quizzes, we were assigned to analyze data and determine what trend represented the data. This was very challenging because I have never done anything like it before. Lastly, I created this blog!

The News IQ Quiz: http://www.pewresearch.org/quiz/the-news-iq-quiz/

The Typology Quiz: http://www.people-press.org/quiz/political-typology/