c12-4 (national security)

On the Washington Times, I read an article titled "Mexico vows to resist Trump immigration plans". According to the article, on Wednesday Mexico vowed to resist Trumps plans on controlling illegal immigration from Mexico to the US. Due to recent immigration bans, many ilegal citizens were applying for citizenship because they feared of what might happen to them. Policies were beginning to be issued in order to put pressure on Mexico to stop illegal immigrants in their country. Most illegal immigrants come from Mexico and US officials are trying to make consequences more harsh and raise the risks for people who are trying to sneak in. However the White House does want to keep the relationship between the two countries strong. The Trump administration plans on making the immigration policy stronger not by "mass round- ups" but by "removing them a lot more quickly".

c12-3 (national security)

Today I read an article on Fox News.This article was about how Trump would be willing to move Bannon from his national security council. Bannon is currently the chief strategist and if Trumps new National Security advisor wanted him removed from the council, Trump would definitely take it under consideration. This is because Trump said that the new appointee, Lt. Gen. H.R. McMaster, has the power to structure the National security team any way he wishes. But ultimately all decisions concerning this will be made by the president. However during meetings with potential advisers, Trump said that he would give them 100% authority over the committee. But as of now, McMaster has not indicated any changes that he would possibly want to make.

c12-2 (presidency)

Today I read an article on BBC News titled " President Trump: Seven Ways the word Could Change". The first change it mentions is The US relationship with Russia. During the election Trump showed great respect for Russia and Putin. Many people believe that Trump's ties to Russia is overshadowing his presidency. But Trump insists that Putin is someone that he can trust. Another change will have to do with free trade. Will Trump put an end to it? According to this article, the trade policy could be the biggest change made by Trump. According to the article "Since winning the election, he has focused on threatening companies, particularly automobile makers, that he will slap a tariff of 35% on goods manufactured in Mexico." His reasoning behind all of this is to create more jobs in the US. Another Change in an end to the One China policy. One China refers to Taiwan believing that Beijing is a province. For decades Taiwanese leaders and US leaders have never been in direct contact even though our militaries ally. Trump recently broke this trend. Other changes also include the Iran nuclear accord being rethought, more nuclear weapons, and climate change regulations.

c12-1 (presidency)

Today I read an article on Politico about how Trump is handling our economy. Nearly half of the respondents approve his methods while the other half does not. Others issues that respondents voted on included national security and the threat of terrorism, immigration, and foreign policy. Majority of voters disapprove in all categories. However, the poll took place before information on illegal immigration was released. Also, other polls taken by other companies such as CBS and Quinnipiac University show similar results. Now, recent polls show that majority of people agree that further measures should be taken to ensure that illegal immigration will not pose a threat. However, the majority also agrees that illegal immigrants should have an easier path to citizenship.

c11-4

Today I read an article on USA Today. This article was about the recent ruling of the US appeal courts that rejected Trump's executive order to ban immigration from several Muslim countries. In response to this, Donald Trump expressed his anger via Twitter. In a tweet he said,"SEE YOU IN COURT, THE SECURITY OF OUR NATION IS AT STAKE!" Though this may seem un called for or inappropriate, this would not be the first time that Trump took out his frustrations over social media. He actually has a long history of doing this. His recent ban on immigration has started many protests and uproars all over the country. The settling of this will hopefully calm things down. Trump is obviously still very concerned about the security of our nation but will have to come to terms with the courts decision.

c11-3

Today I read an article on ABC news. This article was about the new Attorney General, Jeff Sessions. The US Senate made this official today with a vote 52-47 and only one Democrat voting in favor of Session's confirmation. many democrats and Civil Rights groups strongly opposed Session's nomination due to racist allegations in his past and failure to be confirmed as a federal judge. Sessions also tried to address these allegations stating,"I hope my tenure in this body shows you that the caricature of me wasn't accurate. It wasn't accurate then, and it's not accurate now." A number of his Republican colleagues, including Senate judiciary committee chairman Chuck Grassley, defended both his reputation and qualifications. After being confirmed, Sessions thanked those who voted for him and for the respectful debate that took place. Trump also sent Sessions a congratulations via Twitter.

c11-2 (bureaucracy)

An article on NPR, talks about multiple recent twitter accounts that have been made for federal agencies. They look as if they were actually made by federal agents but the creators of the accounts remain anonymous. According to the article, these "rogue" accounts tweet out facts about climate change and directly oppose the Trump administration. What makes these rogue accounts different is that they could be a logical way to oppose a media blackout. Multiple accounts have been made that oppose the Trump administration climate change research. These accounts intend to "flood the Web with real climate facts". The real question, however, is whether or not these accounts are actually influencing anything that they aim to.

c11-1 (bureaucracy)

This article on Politico is about how Donald Trump and his administration plan on cutting the sizeof the government workforce. This order that he plans to sign will freeze most of federal hiring. However, many employees have the power to delay or end his agenda. These employees can leak information to Capitol Hill and to the press. They can also use bureaucracy skills to slow it down completely. His administration also plan on reducing the size of domestic agencies. According to this article, the easiest way to do this would be to make slight budget cuts to each one of the agencies. By making all of these cuts, Trump could anger employees who belong to many unions that he promised not to mess with. Also, he could anger employees in key battleground states. "Unions that are representing federal workers are already railing against Trump's proposal." According to Jeffery Davis Cox, a reduction in federal employees could also cost taxpayers even more money. On the other hand, many employees are scared for their jobs due to the fact that Trump might get even more support that will make it easier to fire federal workers. Because of this fear, many believe that some workers will just leave rather than sticking around to see what happens. Most wont have anywhere to go if they are fired.

C9-4

On USA Today, I read an article about Trump's plans to nominate former Georgia Governor Sonny Perdue as secretary of Agriculture. The nomination is expected to happen on Thursday, the day before Trump's inauguration. Perdue and Trump has had a previous relationship before Trump was elected. During his campaign, Perdue was on Trump's agriculture advisory committee.

 "I told the president-elect Trump that I would be happy to serve from Georgia, where I am very happily living with my wife and 14 grandchildren, or I'd be happy to serve him if he thought I could be helpful to him here in D.C.", says Perdue.

Perdue, once a democrat state senator, ;switched parties and was elected Governor of Georgia from 2002 until 2011. He then created Perdue Partners which is an international trading company.

C9-3

On CNN I read an article about Melania Trump. According to inside knowledge, Melania Trump is considering a man over many other candidates for to become the new white house secretary. This role has traditionally been filled by a woman up until the first openly gay man was appointed by President Obama. The social secretary essentially does a lot of planning and managing the white house while serving as a conduit between the First Family and the residence staff. She has not been discussing it publicly but has been deliberating privately.

After becoming the official first lady Melania plans to live in New York with their 10 year old son Barron as he finishes school. It is unknown when she will decide to move in the White House. The social secretary will report to the First family but mainly the First lady. The first African American social secretary, Desiree Rogers, was appointed by President Barack Obama. She helped the family a lot with their transition but left after 14 months due to security issues.

C9-2 (political parties)

Today i read an article on US news about how the Republican party is taking full control over Washington and our country. The GOP is the dominant party not only nation wide but state wide as well. Political Scientist Bill Galston even says that there is a sudden collapse within the Democratic party similar to one in the 1920s. Because the GOP is in control, it is evident that more people support conservative views that democratic ones. This means that with support from those who support his views, it will be easier for Tump to push his agenda. According to the article, trends predicted that the Democratic party would have full power and that whites would become the minority group in numbers as african american and Latino communities grew. These trends were proved wrong during this election. On the other hand, there is an empty seat on the Supreme court for Trump and the senate to fill. This means that there is a possibility for a 5-4 majority of the Republican party in the Supreme Court. Due to some justices aging more seats may need to be filled as time goes on. The GOP also holds majority over state legislative and state governorship. This is just a few of many examples of how much power the GOP has and how they can enforce their views across the country.

C9-1 (political parties)

Today I read an article on CNN. This article was about how many democratic leaders are planning on boycotting president-elect, Donald Trump's, inauguration. This began to happen right after the news announced the possibility of Russia's involvement with the election and Trump's win. Some Dems even say that they will protest. Members of Congress are said to be more free than the administration therefore it is okay if they decide to boycott or protest. Many members have publicly announced their absence. Many say that it is hard to support something that does nit feel right and others say that they refuse to partake in a celebration of Donald Trump. An example of someone who will not be attending is Georgia Rep and Civil Rights activist John Lewis. After he announced that he would not be attending, Trump publicly insulted Lewis by saying that he was "all talk and no action". This angered even more people and made them decide to boycott as well. Some have even decided to attend different events in place of the inauguration for example, The Women's March in DC. 

France Government

1. France’s government is divided by the executive, legislative, and judicial branches. It is also a unitary state, a republic, and a constitutional republic. France also has a president who is elected through universal suffrage and serves for 5 years no more than two terms. there is also a prime minister, a council of ministers, and a parliament of France.

2. Here are roughly 8 parties in France. 

3. The main conservative party is called, Les Republicains 

UMP - Union for a Popular Movement - (Union pour un Mouvement Populaire)

PS - Socialist Party - (Parti Socialiste)

MoDem - Democratic Movement - (Mouvement démocrate)

PCF - French Communist Party - (Parti Communiste Français)

Verts - The Greens - (Les Verts)

NC - New Centre - (Nouveau Centre)

4. The government does not control the parties.

5. Most issues are social and economic.  

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%.