Thursday, February 23, 2017
C12 Blog Post 4 Trump administration takes back protection of transgender students
According to an article from The Washington Post, on Wednesday the Trump administration revoked the federal guidelines saying that transgender students could use public school bathrooms. Trump's administration is ordering nation's schools to ignore the memo's the Obama administration had in place and worked on for the past two years. The letter that the Trump administration wrote offers no new guidance, and the old memo needs to be withdrawn because of the lack of extensive legal analysis, had confusions and drew legal challenges, and didn't go through the public 'vetting' process. Even though the letter did have any guidance it did say "schools must ensure that all students, including LGBT students, are able to learn and thrive in a safe environment." Many protest are going on now because of revoking the guidelines and we have to wait to see how everything pans out for the transgender students and the Trump administration.
Wednesday, February 22, 2017
C12 Blog Post 3 Federal Agenies are asked by the Senate to Preserve Records on Russia
In my AP Government class we are learning more about Federal Agencies and Bureaucracies. This is about Senate Intelligence Agency asking Federal Agencies to keep/ preserve all records of Russia's impact on the 2016 Election, that is relevant to the committee's investigation. The committee is working on a bipartisan investigation into Russia's involvement in the 2016 election. Also including any interactions with Trump staff and Russian officials after the election. National Security Advisor, Michael Flynn, resigned last week because he misled Vice President Mike Pence and other top government officials about conversations he had with the Russian Ambassador after Trump's victory.
Tuesday, February 21, 2017
C12 Blog Post 2: McCaster needs Senate confirmation to keep his three stars
President Donald Trump's new national security advisor, Lt. Gen. H.R. McMaster, needs Senate confirmation to still be a three start general in his new post. McMaster's job doesn't need Senate approval. But to keep being on active duty as a three star general does need approval by the Senate. Under the military's arcane system ranking three and four star generals rankings is considered temporary and tied to the position. An other option for McMaster is he retire from active duty or take the national security job as a two star general. On the other hand, the White House has already said that he will remain on active duty and isn't likely to accept a demotion.
C12 blog post 1: Scott Pruitt confirmed as EPA Administrator
On Friday, Oklahoma Attorney General Scott Pruitt got Senate confirmed to be the administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), a federal agencies which Mr. Pruitt repeatedly sued during the Obama Administration. The vote was close but the Republican majority, in the Senate, lead got him confirmed. The vote still happened even though Democrats wanted to push back Scott Pruitt's confirmation. Democrats boycotted the vote until Pruitt released emails that he had exchanged with gas companies, while he was Attorney General. When Pruitt was Oklahoma's Attorney General he filed 14 lawsuits against EPA challenging their regulations. Also, Pruitt is known as a climate changed skeptic so it's going to be interesting as what he does for EPA as the administrator.
Thursday, February 9, 2017
C11 Blog Post 4
In class yesterday we were talking about how the First Lady Melania Trump, has staffed few people for the east wing. According to an article from The New York Times, Melania Trump has chosen Anna Cristina Niceta Lloyd, a Washington event planner, as her social secretary. From a statement from the White House said that Ms. Niceta Lloyd, also known as Rickie, will be overseeing all the social events and gatherings such as; state dinners and the White House Easter Egg roll. By Melania Trump hiring Ms. Niceta Lloyd, it has started in the right direction to get the East Wing to be staffed. In class yesterday my teacher said she was not able to schedule a White House tour because there has been no one there to do it (no one staffed). It has been a concern from some people by Melania staffing the East Wing from afar, but by her hiring Ms. Niecta Lloyd its slowly going in the right direction.
C11 Blog post 3 Ninth Circuit Court Judges rule on Trump's Travel ban
On the San Francisco based 9th Circuit Court of Appeals, three judges will be ruling some time before Thursday to immediately reinstate Trump's Travel ban. The three judges are Judge William Canby, Judge Richard Clifton, and Judge Michelle Friedland. Judge William Canby is rarely hearing cases anymore because of his age. Therefore it was unusual that he heard oral arguments over Trump's ban. During the arguments he challenged the justification of the ban and came to the rescue of the attorney that is challenging the ban, when another judge was giving the attorney a hard time. Judge Richard Clifton, apparently had the toughest questions for the two states challenging the ban, Washington and Minnesota. One of the questions he asked was "what evidence the attorney had that the president's travel ban was motivated by religious prejudice". Out of the three Judges, Judge Michelle Friedland was most sympathetic with Washington's case. She kept asking the Justice Department's lawyer over the basis for this travel banned. Therefore, in my opinion the judges ruling is a toss up. I think it could go either way but their decision won't be till sometime Thursday (today).
Tuesday, January 31, 2017
C11 Blog Post 2 "Rogue' Federal Twitter Accounts Multiply"
An article given out in my Government class is about "Rogue" twitter accounts. Rogue twitter accounts that are accounts that look like official federal agencies. These accounts claimed to be run by members of the organization, but some have changed who says to be running the account. Therefore we don't know for sure who is running theses accounts because the owners have not come forward. Many of these rogue accounts such as AltUSNatParkServie and AltUSForestService have been tweeting about climate change and opposing the Trump administration. These rogue accounts are not a new thing. Why rogue accounts are getting so much attention now because many have formed as the result of the Trump's administrations "gag" orders on a few of the federal agencies. The Environmental Protection Agency has been reported targeted by Trump administration over its climate research. Now the accounts just want o share facts and spread information, some include jokes and comments directed to Trump. They are just advocating for participatory democracy. Which they have the right to do.
C11 Blog Post 1 Revenge of the Bureaurcrats
According to to an article from politico, given out in my AP Government class, Trump is playing to shrink the size of the government work force. He wants to shrink the size of the domestic agencies, but also slighting strengthening the defense workforce. The easiest way to make the reduction is by budget cuts to each agency. It is difficult to shrink the federal workforce because they belong to unions that can get their representative in Congress to help them. By reducing the work force it can anger workers all over the country. Unions (representing federal workers) are already protesting against Trump's proposal. They are counting on whistleblower laws to protect employees who had questions about his administration's activities. Many federal workers are concerned because House Oversight and Government Reform Committee Chairman Jason Chaffetz (R-Utah) is pushing a legislative package that would make it easier to fire federal workers.
Friday, January 27, 2017
C10 Blog Post 4
In my Ap Government class the other day, we were given an article that was discussing the Senate may do a filibuster on Donald Trump's nominee for the vacant Supreme Court seat. According to an article from Politico, that Trump told the Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell to deploy the "nuclear options. This means that the Republicans want to change the Senates rule on the Majority vote, if the Democrats block the Supreme Court nominee. If getting rid of the filibuster it may not be could because it would make it much easier for future presidents to nominated and confirm more ideologically extreme nominees and basically throwing away the 60- vote threshold for legislation.
C10 Blog post 3 Trump talks about the canceled meeting with Mexico's President
According to a video by NBC News, at the GOP retreat in Philadelphia commented on the cancelation of the meeting with Mexico's President. During President Trump's speach he reiterates what he said during his campaign which is "the American people are not going to pay for the wall." In he speech at the retreat he said he has made that clear with Mexico's Government. President Trump says they are working on a tax reform bill to help finance said wall, "if we decide to go that route" (Trump). This bill is said to increase American exports and reduce trade deficits.
Thursday, January 26, 2017
C10 blog post 2 Judge holds getting rid of Planned Parenthood
In my AP Government we have been discussing the Judiciary system. This is an article from Fox news about U.S. Districts Judge Sam Sparks from Texas blocked Texas from getting rid of Planned Parenthood from the states Medicaid program. Sparks has postponed the hearing till February 21, 2017, but most expect there will be a ruling before then. Planned Parenthood says it provides abortion service to women with 11,000 and lower income in Texas through Medicaid each year. Sparks is the same judge who stopped or put on hold new Texas rules requiring the burial or cremation of fetal remains. Texas has been very bold and aggressive about getting rid of Planned Parenthood. They did this by taking about the Planned Parenthood out of the women's health care program back in 2013.
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C10 blog post 1 talking about raising taxes on imports to help build the wall
An article from CBS News, says Thursday Sean Spicer, White House spokesman, told the news that President Trump is going to raise 20 percent of taxes on imports. This taxation is more specifically focuses on Mexico. Therefore this money could help go to pay for the wall Trump has reportedly says we are going to build on the border with Mexico. Spicer said they are going to use a "using compressive tax reforms as a means to tax imports from countries." This is a proposal that is meant to raise billions of dollars to help go to the construction of said wall in Trump's campaign. According to Spicer this choice is only one of many options about how to finance the money to build the wall. Mr. Spicer even said that President Trump is willing to work with Congress to get the job done. Even though he claims he has already figured out a way to pay for it.
Tuesday, January 17, 2017
According to an article from CBS News, if Obamacare was repealed without a replacement plan 32 million Americans would be without insurance by 2026. This estimate was predicted by the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office and released Tuesday. The CBO also evaluated what would happened if there was a bill similar to replace Obamacare, it would eliminate Obamacare's mandate penalties and subsides, but also leaving the insurance market reforms in place. If there is no replacement plan it is estimated that 18 million people would become uninsured the first year and premiums would rise 20-25 percent. Trump also as said when he repeals Obamacare he will have a plan for everyone, but there has been no details told about this plan.
Blog Post C9-3 Supreme Court Blocks Special Election
According to the New York Times, last Tuesday the Supreme Court blocked a trial courts ruling that order a special election in North Carolina. Since in Class we are studying the Supreme Court this article goes with that subject. The Supreme Court's brief gave no reasoning on why. They said that it would be temporary on what the lower courts decision and would last as long as it takes the justices to consider an appeal. Back in August the trail courts found the state's legislative map was corrupted with unconstitutional racial gerrymandering, but they let the November election to continue, saying it was to late to change it. An appeal of the August decision is already in front of the Court. State Officials separately asked the justices to step in a block the November ruling. If they allowed the special elections to proceed it would disrupt the lawmakers obligations that is was the officials said.
Monday, January 16, 2017
C9-2 Re-write of the tax code
According to Politco, Stephen Miller, incoming senior White House advisor for policy, asked Republican House staff that the proposal to allow parents to write off their tax bills for some child cost to be included in the re-write of the tax code. Ivanka, Trumps daughter, was the one that came up with the idea as well as a proposal saying companies should provide six weeks of paid maternity leave. Miller and the Means and Ways panel said the maternity idea would be pursued separately from tax reform legislation, but nothing is said in stone yet.
Blog post C9-1 Ohio's Supreme Court Rejects a challenge to the lethal injection
Since we are studying the Supreme Court in class, this article from NBC News is about an death row inmate challenging the lethal injection. The inmates case was saying how it was unconstitutional that how since the state messed up the first time with the injection its unconstitutional to try again. The inmate, Rowell Broom, got inserted with the needles over 18 times, but the vein would not hold. The Ohio's Supreme Court rejected his appeal. The ruling said he was never in jeopardy of execution since he was in his cell when the first needles were being inserted. He was never in the death chamber and the lethal chemical had not begun to flow so Ohio's Supreme Court turned down the case.
Sunday, January 8, 2017
Norway's Government
- Norway has a Constitutional Monarchy. The Executive power is the King's council. The Cabinet is the Prime minster of Noway and the Legislative power is both the government and the storing (supreme legislature of Norway), which is elected within a multi-party system. The Judiciary is independent of the executive branch and legislature.
- Norway has eight political parties.
- Det Norske Arbeiderpartiet (DNA) is the Labour Party which is social democracy and is the ruling party of Norway.
- The Ministry of Culture responsibilities are coordinating the policies of the voluntary sector. Organizations that provide welfare services have more contact with the ministry responsibilities. The Non- Profit Organizations are intended to make the interactions between voluntary associations and public authorities easier. Doing that is aimed to strengthen the legitimacy of voluntary activity.
- Norwegian Labour Party (DNA) is based on an ideological issues. The Progress Party (FPR) is based around social issues. The Conservative Party (H) is organized around economic issues. Socialist Left Party (SV) is organized around social issues. Centre Party (SP) is organized around ideological issues. Christian People's Party (KrF) is organized around social issues. Liberal Party (V) is organized around both economic and social issues. The Party Red (R) is organized around social issues.
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