tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10549106274658464652024-03-18T01:27:11.056-07:00The Hitchhiker's Guide to National AffairsDON'T PANIC! This blog is authored by Seniors at Aragon High School, San Mateo, CA.Unknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger5032125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1054910627465846465.post-53203836359671704812024-03-09T18:48:00.000-08:002024-03-09T18:55:39.501-08:00 How our Government Almost Shut Down This Week<span id="docs-internal-guid-6b13419e-7fff-ff23-b232-6b529fa35d1d"><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 36pt;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">On Friday March 8th 2024, the Senate passed a bill that would prevent part of the US Government from shutting down the next day; a 75-22 vote on a 670 billion dollar spending plan going to Congressional agencies, such as agriculture, transportation, housing, energy, veterans affairs, justice, and more. But what are government shutdowns?</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 36pt;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Government shutdowns happen when Congress fails to pass 12 annual Bills of Appropriation by specified dates. Bills of Appropriations are what allows bureaucracies to spend and incur obligations. Under the Antideficiency Act, these agencies are not allowed to continue operations until the bills are passed. This group of bills’ due date was set at March 8th, the day the Bill of Appropriation from last year was set to expire. The next batch expires on March 22nd. </span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 36pt;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Government shutdowns are when departments of government cease their operations, with only the most essential employees still hard at work. Bureaucracies, who are unable to spend and operate without permission from Congress, are unable to provide the people with their needs. Shutdowns are disruptive to the US economy if left that way for an extended period of time. From inconveniences, such as passport applications being paused, to more serious cases, such as the inability for small businesses to apply for loans and the reduced number of food safety inspections for the government, active Americans will feel the shakeup of the shutdowns. Recent shutdowns in the past occurred at 2018 and 2013, and costed the government billions of dollars</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 36pt;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="border: none; display: inline-block; height: 183px; overflow: hidden; width: 275px;"><img height="173" src="https://lh7-us.googleusercontent.com/SChzsL-2AsuNIsLhvpDWu1qjx6bZMjv2lb4N6Z5UtS68svq8LTfr72dk5_2KHSY7lGkulqZgu6f1HwRP8LqS0-r60sJHOCeyAS8YiqR1uZZBfhooOwSUljCnEZlH_PQgGcfrjp3Fn7XDRzvt2bCT7e4=w261-h173" style="margin-left: 0px; margin-top: 0px;" width="261" /></span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 36pt;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">With this batch being passed like a last-minute-high-school-final-project by 435 of America’s top representative officials, what happened here?</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 36pt;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">With the recent polarization of America’s politics, especially on issues such as immigration and war, the two parties fighting for control of both houses have an incredibly difficult time negotiating on how to spend the budget for the next fiscal year. From the conflict in Ukraine and Palestine, to the border down south, agreement just seems harder each month. This holds especially true for Republicans’ iron stubbornness on border control holding up the vote, similar to House Republicans blocking the Senate Foreign Aid bill that was passed through Senate back in February. Though the eventual success of the bill gives encouragement to some, it also harbors worries to others.</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="text-wrap: nowrap;"> </span></span><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">"To folks who worry that divided government means nothing ever gets done, this bipartisan package says otherwise," said Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer after the long fought passage of the bill</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="text-wrap: nowrap;"> </span></span><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">“I would urge my colleagues to stop playing with fire here,” Republican Senator Susan Collins, the vice chair of the Appropriations Committee, expressed “ It would be irresponsible for us not to clear these bills and do the fundamental jobs that we have of funding government. What is more important?”</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="text-wrap: nowrap;"> </span></span><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">But we are not out of the woods yet with this problem. The next bills, which feature important departments such as military, homeland security, healthcare, and more, must be passed to uphold our government. As issues show little evidence of being resolved, more and more demands from Republicans start popping up on border control, abortion, and LGBT rights as an opportunity to take advantage of the desperation of the Democrats. Policies such as ankle monitors on immigrants awaiting court, more restrictions on birth control, and a bill that prevents Planned Parenthood from being federally funded may all be on the table.</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="text-wrap: nowrap;"> </span></span><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">“I made it very clear from Day One and throughout the negotiations,” Democrat Negotiator Sen. Patty Murray said Thursday. “We will not accept any, not one, not tiny, not little, not big abortion rider on these bills.”</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="text-wrap: nowrap;"> It seems clear that the gridlock on Congress is tightening as we approach our next Appropriation Bill. </span></span><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Whether the stubbornness and polarization will get the best of our government as compromises break down with increasingly pressing demands, time will tell. To be specific, the time of approximately 3 units of Econ notes. Go get 'em!</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Sources:</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><a href="https://www.reuters.com/world/us/us-senate-poised-pass-spending-package-averting-government-shutdown-2024-03-08/" style="text-decoration-line: none;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="color: #1155cc; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; text-decoration-line: underline; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Reuters</span></a></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/2024/03/08/government-shutdown-senate-funding-bill/" style="text-decoration-line: none;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="color: #1155cc; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; text-decoration-line: underline; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Washington Post</span><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="color: black; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="text-wrap: nowrap;"> </span></span></a></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><a href="https://www.brookings.edu/articles/what-is-a-government-shutdown-and-why-are-we-likely-to-have-another-one/" style="text-decoration-line: none;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="color: #1155cc; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; text-decoration-line: underline; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Brookings Institute</span></a></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><a href="https://www.crfb.org/papers/government-shutdowns-qa-everything-you-should-know#howcancongressavoid" style="text-decoration-line: none;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="color: #1155cc; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; text-decoration-line: underline; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">More information on Government Shutdowns</span></a></p><div><br /></div></span>Ray Zhanghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18085715671750527788noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1054910627465846465.post-40012523535152560962024-03-09T17:49:00.000-08:002024-03-09T17:49:32.638-08:00 Biden’s 2024 State of the Union Address<p><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Instead of the “yearly policy recap” that most of history's State of the Union Addresses tend to fulfill, Biden’s address last Thursday was an unpredictable political battle, with multiple conflicts between Biden and Republicans in the room. </span></p><span id="docs-internal-guid-657598f4-7fff-d49a-6339-3a97ca0104c1"><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="border: none; display: inline-block; height: 395px; overflow: hidden; width: 592px;"><img height="395" src="https://lh7-us.googleusercontent.com/NEIgNOwdMSEtXFS7NJBKgbTavNEbppMl46LCfooRDo3b8Uq68OqgDCX1uZJAboKDrs3mDgGv0DaMu2is-a70H1guJZJwslIpj7xfK3oG8RZh5O2H0_GhfROQWP5Dh-H3HsLi9CoEpN0ONfGvl7Jbxl4" style="margin-left: 0px; margin-top: 0px;" width="592" /></span></span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">According to CNN, Biden referenced Trump 13 times, not directly by name, but instead by calling him his “predecessor” or “a former American President.” Contrasting many of his policies with Trump’s, Biden used the massive platform of the State of the Union address as something of a campaign speech. This relates to the “bully pulpit,” a term from our Government unit on the presidency which refers to the idea of the President using their prominent position as a method of influencing public opinion for their political gain.</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Biden made many comparisons between his and Trump’s policies on the economy, covid, reproductive rights, infrastructure, and other key issues. However, when reading </span><a href="https://www.cnn.com/interactive/2024/03/annotated-fact-checked-president-biden-sotu/" style="text-decoration-line: none;"><span style="color: #1155cc; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; text-decoration-line: underline; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">CNN’s annotated and fact-checked version of his speech</span></a><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"> (which I highly recommend), it is clear that some of his figures and bold statements are out of context, or extremely optimistic. For example, Biden noted how his administration added 15 million jobs in 3 years, stating that it was a record. Although his increase in jobs was a record, CNN emphasizes that the context of the pandemic does minimize the significance of the record, as Biden took office right around the time when the economy began to recover.</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Not only did Biden reference Trump’s policies, but he also discussed how Trump “bowed down” to Russia during his Presidency. Early in his speech, he also highlighted January 6th, calling Trump’s plots to steal the election “the gravest threat to our democracy since the Civil War.” With the conservative anti-democracy “</span><a href="https://www.project2025.org/" style="text-decoration-line: none;"><span style="color: #1155cc; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; text-decoration-line: underline; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">project 2025</span></a><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">” becoming more mainstream in the Republican party, Biden’s bold statement might be more true than most would expect.</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"> </span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Biden’s address contained multiple instances of verbal combat with Republicans on the floor. Margerie Taylor Greene interrupted his speech, yelling “say her name!”, in reference to the death of Laken Riley, a nursing student from Georgia who was killed by an undocumented immigrant. Few Republicans expected Biden to respond to the comment, but Biden did exactly as Margerie Taylor Greene requested - he said Riley’s name, and proceeded to discuss the border protection bill which he seeks to pass in the future.</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="border: none; display: inline-block; height: 351px; overflow: hidden; width: 624px;"><img height="351" src="https://lh7-us.googleusercontent.com/O99N-35vqeV9xZzxfUlqGI9p1casFxEYeCTXTWr_aADoSMyXlDU5jwo0GKHFyue8oGKgDfGZ61g8e7cw0M30OL6bN6ieSb7bc2JQ4sEIr3f-25aE7W87Gy-qysOltSbg-UlBhnPEwdreB5ZYxlVTBy8" style="margin-left: 0px; margin-top: 0px;" width="624" /></span></span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="border: none; display: inline-block; height: 416px; overflow: hidden; width: 624px;"><img height="416" src="https://lh7-us.googleusercontent.com/gDb4yxGlXMMQZni93JB2HGfUM-c7JaQM48f5-SYYJb7UClROsQdtNwh-FcG6nOJWii5bmgHI7-7fP-y4T7tSDV6t48xNpPh5iID-oIzgy1zzNBVxK47W_oYotlw-2Wrv6Tp-AY6lFLEFsgAGlaOlMRE" style="margin-left: 0px; margin-top: 0px;" width="624" /></span></span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">In my opinion, Biden gave a surprisingly energetic and forceful speech which may have increased his popularity among voters. His speechwriters did a fantastic job of writing an optimistic and fact-based speech which put his last 3 years in a positive light. His speech also felt powerful and action-oriented, while also appearing politically moderate. He denounced Trump without saying his name, and his improvised comebacks to Republicans’ boos and screams were quite impressive. It’s difficult to know whether this will have a substantial impact on the 2024 election, but I believe it was a solid speech as a whole.</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Questions for the comments:</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Did you see the speech? How did you feel after first viewing it?</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Do you think this increased Biden’s popularity?</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">How do you feel about Biden’s increased use of the bully pulpit? Is it fair to use the State of the Union Address as a political speech?</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Sources:</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><a href="https://www.npr.org/2024/03/08/1236782758/state-of-the-union-address-biden-trump" style="text-decoration-line: none;"><span style="color: #1155cc; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; text-decoration-line: underline; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">https://www.npr.org/2024/03/08/1236782758/state-of-the-union-address-biden-trump</span></a></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><a href="https://www.cnn.com/2024/03/07/politics/takeaways-joe-biden-state-of-the-union-address/index.html" style="text-decoration-line: none;"><span style="color: #1155cc; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; text-decoration-line: underline; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">https://www.cnn.com/2024/03/07/politics/takeaways-joe-biden-state-of-the-union-address/index.html</span></a></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><a href="https://www.cnn.com/interactive/2024/03/annotated-fact-checked-president-biden-sotu/" style="text-decoration-line: none;"><span style="color: #1155cc; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; text-decoration-line: underline; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">https://www.cnn.com/interactive/2024/03/annotated-fact-checked-president-biden-sotu/</span></a></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><a href="https://www.project2025.org/" style="text-decoration-line: none;"><span style="color: #1155cc; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; text-decoration-line: underline; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">https://www.project2025.org/</span></a></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><a href="https://apnews.com/article/laken-riley-biden-speech-immigration-d756dbe1c499c6fd0fc53be04290b371" style="text-decoration-line: none;"><span style="color: #1155cc; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; text-decoration-line: underline; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">https://apnews.com/article/laken-riley-biden-speech-immigration-d756dbe1c499c6fd0fc53be04290b371</span></a></p><div><br /></div></span>Leo.Levitthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18129949104011205435noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1054910627465846465.post-10027207472737212032024-03-05T10:49:00.000-08:002024-03-08T09:17:21.991-08:00From Courtroom Drama to Political Theater: Trump's Journey to 2024<p><br /></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDR9kHBbd9BypSD5WjdA2QXbujQejkvgWXCRUORP-rWxpOTGwau9qxcS1W_QsOGWc3udfzNV6g0PaMWOgGtGHoPS1mpDXdjDCDko8WGNtk1_y0AwVVi9p5WgPw8KmQJoLWM7iZbEsXBV1XTLCn4d4WGkQ2yrSGZ9d5XUrJPakBSBwh_S-mhSqGSH5Nlmve/s300/download%20(2).jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="168" data-original-width="300" height="168" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDR9kHBbd9BypSD5WjdA2QXbujQejkvgWXCRUORP-rWxpOTGwau9qxcS1W_QsOGWc3udfzNV6g0PaMWOgGtGHoPS1mpDXdjDCDko8WGNtk1_y0AwVVi9p5WgPw8KmQJoLWM7iZbEsXBV1XTLCn4d4WGkQ2yrSGZ9d5XUrJPakBSBwh_S-mhSqGSH5Nlmve/s1600/download%20(2).jpeg" width="300" /></a></div></div><br /><p></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.656; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><br /><br />In a turn of events filled with drama the Supreme Court recently made a decision regarding former President Donald Trumps potential comeback, to the presidential race. This ruling, which swiftly resolved a case with implications for the 2024 election has sparked discussions and stirred emotions nationwide.<br /><br />Imagine this; a courtroom setting where the future of a political figure is at stake. In a twist the Supreme Court in a decision without any disagreements overturned a previous ruling by the Colorado Supreme Court. The earlier ruling had stated that Trump could not run for president again under Section 3 of the Amendment.<br /><br />However the Supreme Court had thoughts on the matter. It stated that it is Congresss responsibility to enforce Section 3 against those seeking office, not states. This decision caused shockwaves in the realm affirming the governments authority in matters related to presidential eligibility.<br /><br />What adds another layer of intrigue to this ruling is its timing— days before the Colorado elections. It almost feels like all eyes were, on this decision that could potentially shape American politics moving forward. When the verdict was revealed Trump quickly seized the spotlight praising the decision, as a " victory for America!!!" on his social media platform.<br /><br />Essentially this judgment signifies more than a standard; it showcases the delicate balance, between federal power and state independence.<br /><br />In the great arena of American politics, where the stakes are high and the narrative twists endlessly, Trump’s journey to 2024 is an interesting story—one that continues to captivate and divide the nation, and give us all on the edge of our seats, eagerly awaiting the next scene in this political epic.<br /><br /><span style="font-family: arial;">Source:</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">-[NBC]<a href="https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/2024-election/haley-wins-republican-primary-washington-dc-rcna140421">https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/2024-election/haley-wins-republican-primary-washington-dc-rcna140421</a></span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">-[New York Times]<a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2024/03/04/us/politics/trump-supreme-court-colorado-ballot.html">https://www.nytimes.com/2024/03/04/us/politics/trump-supreme-court-colorado-ballot.html</a></span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">-[AP News]<a href="https://apnews.com/article/supreme-court-trump-colorado-ballot-2390f3204e3ecaad3c617f9db0ff9d2e">https://apnews.com/article/supreme-court-trump-colorado-ballot-2390f3204e3ecaad3c617f9db0ff9d2e</a></span></p>Henry Livingstonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14079435644627026633noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1054910627465846465.post-39235777743744125152024-03-04T09:51:00.000-08:002024-03-08T09:19:16.064-08:00Exploring the Aftermath of Election 2024: A Closer Look at Political Dynamics<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEizGHL8A3U16BcntRzeBSsfly18Tu0cXeL5Ux2o1D4-ZB2_sZ989V3ofryOc_6iZ_mVYDmefBc3kd7Dkxy6W_FNi6r25nEAu9u7t6rrFz8O4i-SeF1tkwPX-yMU7Fov3Y5Mgrg2iwDI5QDGNB0aLBsgIqv2HF-wjF6VSsrs1UxInuOU2R2trFNF3mh0Hc3y" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="784" data-original-width="1200" height="209" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEizGHL8A3U16BcntRzeBSsfly18Tu0cXeL5Ux2o1D4-ZB2_sZ989V3ofryOc_6iZ_mVYDmefBc3kd7Dkxy6W_FNi6r25nEAu9u7t6rrFz8O4i-SeF1tkwPX-yMU7Fov3Y5Mgrg2iwDI5QDGNB0aLBsgIqv2HF-wjF6VSsrs1UxInuOU2R2trFNF3mh0Hc3y" width="320" /></a></div><br /><br />In the aftermath of Election 2024, the political landscape is buzzing with activity as the nation grapples with the implications of its recent decisions and the path forward. As we take stock of the fallout, it's clear that divisions within the Republican Party are deepening, reshaping alliances and sparking heated debates across the political spectrum.<br /><br />As the race was called for Haley, Trump campaign spokeswoman Karoline Leavitt didn't hold back, launching a fiery critique of Haley and the Republican establishment in Washington. With a nod to Trump's signature style, Leavitt dubbed Haley the "Queen of the Swamp," painting her as a symbol of the entrenched interests that Trump supporters have long sought to upend. Despite Haley's credentials and support from congressional Republicans, her ties to Washington insiders seem to have alienated her from segments of the GOP base.<br /><br />Haley took an unconventional approach by campaigning in Washington ahead of the primary, signaling a strategic shift in her bid for support. Although the Washington primary was relatively small compared to others, it served as a battleground for competing visions within the Republican Party. Managed by the D.C. GOP, the election underscored the tension between party rules and national directives, highlighting the complexities of intra-party dynamics.<br /><br />Trump's dominance leading up to the Washington primary, with significant wins in Missouri, Michigan, and Idaho, solidified his position as a formidable force within the Republican ranks. With a substantial delegate count in his favor, Trump holds a significant advantage over Haley as they gear up for Super Tuesday. Despite lagging in polls, Haley remains steadfast in her commitment to stay in the race, setting the stage for further political intrigue.<br /><br />As Haley continues to campaign vigorously, securing key endorsements such as that of Maine Sen. Susan Collins, the future of the Republican Party hangs in the balance. The clash between traditional Republicans and the Trump faction encapsulates the broader struggle for the party's identity, with far-reaching implications for American politics.<br /><br />Amidst the drama and uncertainty, one thing is clear: the landscape of American politics is evolving rapidly. As we navigate the road ahead, it's essential to approach these challenges with empathy and foresight, recognizing the enduring impact of today's decisions on tomorrow's course.<p></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><br /></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Sources:</span></p><span id="docs-internal-guid-52db441d-7fff-d877-5b74-fe396e701c28"><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">-[Washington Post](</span><a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2024/03/03/gop-primary-dc/" style="text-decoration-line: none;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="color: #1155cc; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; text-decoration-line: underline; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2024/03/03/gop-primary-dc/</span></a><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">)</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px; white-space-collapse: preserve;">-[CBS News](</span></span><a href="https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/2024-election/haley-wins-republican-primary-washington-dc-rcna140421" style="text-decoration-line: none;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="color: #1155cc; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; text-decoration-line: underline; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/2024-election/haley-wins-republican-primary-washington-dc-rcna140421</span></a><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="font-size: 14.6667px; white-space-collapse: preserve;">)</span></p></span>Henry Livingstonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14079435644627026633noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1054910627465846465.post-58975753331264796002024-03-03T23:42:00.000-08:002024-03-03T23:42:01.013-08:00Michigan Primaries and Uncommitted Voters<div><span id="docs-internal-guid-cc09b845-7fff-538f-646d-eb1473f3a699"><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEi0gBAK637Z-Mr02lGQsSoewlmTMy5RqoBZBJjor4_N9IFMgy3Zdre_8w3om_hER5FWXqaTj64Zm7ZtYxAR1bSvvHrcUFzGCXd7z4zqowxKvacuB0PpAiIjAYi5sT2t2s_eVscihplZSerKh7pF7BZ80UfqOM0-ELwma5PD-b2YLndbJZI-HolYdagXQbg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="1366" data-original-width="2048" height="333" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEi0gBAK637Z-Mr02lGQsSoewlmTMy5RqoBZBJjor4_N9IFMgy3Zdre_8w3om_hER5FWXqaTj64Zm7ZtYxAR1bSvvHrcUFzGCXd7z4zqowxKvacuB0PpAiIjAYi5sT2t2s_eVscihplZSerKh7pF7BZ80UfqOM0-ELwma5PD-b2YLndbJZI-HolYdagXQbg=w500-h333" width="500" /></a></div><br /></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Michigan has always been an important state, or state to watch during primaries for a variety of reasons. It's a swing state, an early primary date in the election calendar, and recently, because of its high Middle Eastern North African (MENA) population. While other equally important things happened in the recent Michigan primaries (Nikki Haley’s Campaign) I want to focus on Michigan’s MENA population. </span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">In the context of the ongoing conflict in Palestine/Israel, the MENA population in Michigan has grown more important. </span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Mr. Biden won Michigan in 2020 by 150,000 votes. There were 100,000 uncommitted voters in Michigan, mainly because of Biden’s policy in Gaza. </span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">We have no right to tell MENA (Middle Eastern North African) people how to feel about an ongoing genocide. Witnessing members of one’s community being killed every day is enough to make someone not want to support a president, and we have to understand that Biden cannot win without the support of MENA in Michigan. </span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #0d0d0d; font-family: Roboto, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">While in office, it is crucial to consider critiques raised by some minorities, who constitute a significant portion of his voter base, regarding various aspects of President Biden's policies and actions</span><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">. Biden could not codify Roe v. Wade, he was largely responsible for cop city in Atlanta, and the removal of affirmative action happened under his presidency. Yes, some good things did indeed come during his presidency, such as student debt forgiveness, but that is largely due to the democratic party having a leader, it wouldn't matter which Democrat would be in office for that bill to pass. The president is not a monarch.</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">This should be a wake-up call to all voters to be more civically active at the local level, as much as they are on the national/presidential level. The organization of 13% of Michigan’s voters to vote uncommitted is enough for Biden to change his policy towards Gaza, however little. The organization of the uncommitted voters in Michigan is proof that change can only effectively start from the grassroots. </span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><br /></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Sources:</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">Photo: <span style="background-color: white; font-family: nyt-imperial, georgia, "times new roman", times, serif; font-style: inherit; font-variant-caps: inherit; font-variant-ligatures: inherit; font-weight: inherit; letter-spacing: 0.01em;">Pete Marovich for The New York Times</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: nyt-imperial, georgia, "times new roman", times, serif; font-style: inherit; font-variant-caps: inherit; font-variant-ligatures: inherit; font-weight: inherit; letter-spacing: 0.01em;"><a href="https://www.cnn.com/2024/02/27/politics/takeaways-michigan-democratic-republican-primaries/index.html">https://www.cnn.com/2024/02/27/politics/takeaways-michigan-democratic-republican-primaries/index.html</a><br /></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2024/02/28/us/politics/michigan-primary-biden-trump.html?searchResultPosition=3">https://www.nytimes.com/2024/02/28/us/politics/michigan-primary-biden-trump.html?searchResultPosition=3</a></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/elections/2024/02/28/uncommitted-votes-meaning-michigan/">https://www.washingtonpost.com/elections/2024/02/28/uncommitted-votes-meaning-michigan/</a><br /></p></div>Urjaswee Debnathhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08168238794066482585noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1054910627465846465.post-36500479947372105482024-03-03T20:33:00.000-08:002024-03-03T20:33:46.591-08:00Apple’s Vision Pro: Revolutionary Technology or Luxury Cash Grab?<p> <span> </span><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="font-size: 11pt; white-space-collapse: preserve;">On February 2nd, Apple released a new product: the Apple Vision Pro. A futuristic virtual reality device with eye and hand-tracking capabilities, Apple’s headset has taken the internet by storm. Although many critics claimed sales would be slow due to the price tag of $3,500, the first batch of 200,000 has completely sold out. The Vision Pro has infiltrated even the most important moments in life, as on February 10th, a Groom wore the Vision Pro to his own wedding day.</span></p><span id="docs-internal-guid-a50d60d3-7fff-aba0-f14f-59ada46fcef0"><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="border: none; display: inline-block; height: 366px; overflow: hidden; width: 366px;"><img height="366" src="https://lh7-us.googleusercontent.com/yn0qmTFa_A8bNWL0ldx4Fh3WqBG5DIoXVD17AfTfmakJ9eFQTmOsfol-SJLgsh2Mn2yyIp-TpuSwb1MOhonEzLpGJSFaVUMrh2VaeUm8XlcX8XYCojDsgB3iZk2xHJ_c9qRXBLT-kdNj2vXLLB2LecQ" style="margin-left: 0px; margin-top: 0px;" width="366" /></span></span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span> </span>As Apple’s first new release since the 2015 Apple Watch, the Vision Pro has a plethora of features that appear to be extremely innovative. One reviewer posted a video of him watching 5 NBA games, texting his friends, and scrolling through web pages at the same time. Apple has also stated that users can form 3-dimensional recreations of their recordings, allowing anyone to relive their own memories. With 6 microphones, 12 cameras, 5 sensors, 2 OLED displays, the M2 Chip, and Siri packed into the device, some reviewers say the Vision Pro is worth every penny.</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="border: none; display: inline-block; height: 298px; overflow: hidden; width: 529px;"><img height="298" src="https://lh7-us.googleusercontent.com/k8GjQCuZSmcXFtucqLgvsl113H6lGfkJnMfS163DnV6yGf8YlS5vhUhN4xxPBbuNdphJMb4FwgNqCf05viW54GkDNuPcvG2e_sR2kibmcZ_oDkRSVd-BC-5NYhmSl7EIm8PdgBFxEoG62ZlDzPgRQzM" style="margin-left: 0px; margin-top: 0px;" width="529" /></span></span></p><br /><br /><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span> </span>However, many attribute Apple’s sales success to the hype of the product. Apple has an abundance of fans who will buy any product they release, no matter its true utility or value. This has led many to question whether the Apple Vision Pro provides actually helpful features. The headset takes away a substantial amount of one’s peripheral vision, and many reviews have said that it is an inherently isolating experience. Through augmented reality, a user sees the real world while maintaining access to digital features. Yet, there are reported issues such as motion blur that make it difficult to interact with the real world, unless a user is inside their home. Other than streaming from multiple sources and interacting with existing videos in new ways, the Vision Pro functionality for the consumer is questionable. </span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span> </span>As of March 2024, Apple has a market cap of $2.774 Trillion. In the last few years, the company has spent over $20 billion in research and development and filed over 5,000 patents for the new Vision Pro. Due to its massive size as a company and its investments, Apple cannot afford to create a product just for the “tech bro” who has the excitement and funds to buy a $3,500 augmented reality device. Apple must create a product for the regular consumer. Experts say that Apple will bring down the Vision Pro’s price to make it more affordable, and forecasts for Apple’s shipment of Vision Pros (found below) are extremely ambitious. However, will it ever have the functionality to garner the interest of the average consumer?</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEh6-GIWUNYo37xbomFXRfUyzd_hYDjBFGx5LLZRg36BjVOMxWL0RHl6mxJCZiV4lH3laV0nXDOqRIJKWnEQvnC-IW9c6hRu4ALrkJlCAlin94vMRVAuNS8--5hevtbWu2pC2JuQUjM1wwyJD9qm9VIDroUiFI9XhZVWilUPIcKtSnnoSlfd5pFTUrBjO4mk" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="671" data-original-width="777" height="401" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEh6-GIWUNYo37xbomFXRfUyzd_hYDjBFGx5LLZRg36BjVOMxWL0RHl6mxJCZiV4lH3laV0nXDOqRIJKWnEQvnC-IW9c6hRu4ALrkJlCAlin94vMRVAuNS8--5hevtbWu2pC2JuQUjM1wwyJD9qm9VIDroUiFI9XhZVWilUPIcKtSnnoSlfd5pFTUrBjO4mk=w464-h401" width="464" /></a></div><a href="https://wire19.com/prediction-on-apple-vision-pro-shipment-in-first-year-of-launch/"><br />https://wire19.com/prediction-on-apple-vision-pro-shipment-in-first-year-of-launch/</a> (data originally from Statista)<p></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span> </span>In my opinion, the Vision Pro does not have enough utility to be a product for 90% of American consumers. Even if the price is lower, I do not believe that Vision Pro will obtain the level of success that other Apple products have achieved, such as the iPhone, iMac, or Airpod. Past devices have allowed people to engage with the digital world without diminishing the real-world experience. Anyone can open their smartphone and in seconds, gain access to whatever content or information they desire. With most current popular Apple products, there is a low opportunity cost of losing social interaction in the real world, with massive benefits for interaction in the digital world. The Apple Vision Pro has the huge opportunity cost of losing one’s peripheral vision and casual social connection with others. </span><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="font-size: 11pt; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Yet, some of these flaws can be ameliorated through long-term innovation. If Apple drastically simplifies the design, makes the user experience less intrusive to daily life, and lowers the price, I can see a future where augmented reality becomes the new norm.</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Some questions for discussion in the comments:</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">What do you think about the Apple Vision Pro? Is it a step towards a utopian or dystopian society?</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">If you had $3,500 lying around, would you buy one?</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Do you think the Apple Vision Pro could be a viable product for the consumer?</span></p><div><span><br /></span></div><div><span><br /></span></div>Sources:</span><div><span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><a href="https://time.com/6590633/apple-vision-pro-developers/#:~:text=So%20far%2C%20signals%20about%20the,plunge%20on%20a%20new%20product" style="text-decoration-line: none;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="color: #1155cc; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; text-decoration-line: underline; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">https://time.com/6590633/apple-vision-pro-developers/#:~:text=So%20far%2C%20signals%20about%20the,plunge%20on%20a%20new%20product</span></a><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">.</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><a href="https://www.tomsguide.com/computing/smart-glasses/apple-vision-pro-review" style="text-decoration-line: none;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="color: #1155cc; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; text-decoration-line: underline; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">https://www.tomsguide.com/computing/smart-glasses/apple-vision-pro-review</span></a></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><a href="https://seekingalpha.com/news/4073143-apples-vision-pro-us-sales-slow-global-release-date-remains-mystery" style="text-decoration-line: none;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="color: #1155cc; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; text-decoration-line: underline; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">https://seekingalpha.com/news/4073143-apples-vision-pro-us-sales-slow-global-release-date-remains-mystery</span></a></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><a href="https://www.zdnet.com/article/what-is-apples-vision-pro-price-features-hands-on-insights-and-everything-you-need-to-know/" style="text-decoration-line: none;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="color: #1155cc; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; text-decoration-line: underline; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">https://www.zdnet.com/article/what-is-apples-vision-pro-price-features-hands-on-insights-and-everything-you-need-to-know/</span></a></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><a href="https://www.zdnet.com/article/what-is-apples-vision-pro-price-features-hands-on-insights-and-everything-you-need-to-know/" style="text-decoration-line: none;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="color: #1155cc; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; text-decoration-line: underline; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">https://companiesmarketcap.com/apple/marketcap/#google_vignette</span></a></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><a href="https://humanprogress.org/apple-vision-pro-is-half-the-price-of-the-apple-ii/" style="text-decoration-line: none;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="color: #1155cc; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; text-decoration-line: underline; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">https://humanprogress.org/apple-vision-pro-is-half-the-price-of-the-apple-ii/</span></a></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><a href="https://www.digitaltrends.com/computing/apple-vision-pro-2-displays-lower-price/" style="text-decoration-line: none;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="color: #1155cc; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; text-decoration-line: underline; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">https://www.digitaltrends.com/computing/apple-vision-pro-2-displays-lower-price/</span></a></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><a href="https://www.yahoo.com/lifestyle/groom-wears-apple-vision-pro-085002536.html?guccounter=1&guce_referrer=aHR0cHM6Ly9uZXdzLmdvb2dsZS5jb20v&guce_referrer_sig=AQAAAF7s5QLyrO4RsdjU0TPIn6EaH3w8J2sTtJ9fGZmlxahDzYInzX-_bvu6F0Bes8aew_j9WnV9MZfXd2aiP0Kq-LFB96jTLVEds_Ni09im7ECj-i60O8kNETx0gaE4F862piRimrsM87mbX-w_pvxIKksuWDNecbKgjDyaLG4ufGHy" style="text-decoration-line: none;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="color: #1155cc; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; text-decoration-line: underline; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">https://www.yahoo.com/lifestyle/groom-wears-apple-vision-pro-085002536.html?guccounter=1&guce_referrer=aHR0cHM6Ly9uZXdzLmdvb2dsZS5jb20v&guce_referrer_sig=AQAAAF7s5QLyrO4RsdjU0TPIn6EaH3w8J2sTtJ9fGZmlxahDzYInzX-_bvu6F0Bes8aew_j9WnV9MZfXd2aiP0Kq-LFB96jTLVEds_Ni09im7ECj-i60O8kNETx0gaE4F862piRimrsM87mbX-w_pvxIKksuWDNecbKgjDyaLG4ufGHy</span></a></p><div><br /></div></span></div>Leo.Levitthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18129949104011205435noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1054910627465846465.post-17775769822943569082024-03-02T22:23:00.000-08:002024-03-02T22:23:28.842-08:00CDC Releases New Updated Guidelines for COVID-19<p><span style="white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-family: trebuchet; font-size: medium;"><span> </span>This past week the Center for Disease Control (CDC) said goodbye to its mantra of a 5 day quarantine period. This change comes as a result of improvements in the trends of hospitalization and deaths in the past year. CDC Directory Mandy Cohen explained, “We wanted to see if the trends would hold through another respiratory season. We wanted to see continued decreases in hospitalizations, decreases in deaths, even with [mutations]” (CBS).</span></span></p><span id="docs-internal-guid-8d97ce48-7fff-5847-0e6f-68e14a28332d"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><img height="276" src="https://lh7-us.googleusercontent.com/JrYNzKG7dxt1AkQ2hCtxdJ30MROgdjbSfO6_N9Q4VCWXo5np-H0Yo-OdMK8WduZ-XyMPs21LlK9GKpMW9qhQlVShu8ca9eyaOVdNodZIdYlvPTx2LMjB7hWnxhpCOQFq-ooil6ZReeqLtrZAsrvquLs=w414-h276" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; margin-top: 0px;" width="414" /></span></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: trebuchet; font-size: medium;">COVID hospitalizations have decreased significantly since their pandemic peak (https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2021-12-24/covid-icu)</span></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-family: trebuchet; font-size: medium;"><br /></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-family: trebuchet; font-size: medium;"><span> </span>The coronavirus dropped to being the 10th leading cause of death in the United States last year, down from the 3rd at its peak (AP). The agency made it clear that while it is no longer an emergency, COVID still remains a public health threat, and that it should not be ignored (CBS). In the report released on Friday, the agency explained they would switch to a “unified, practical approach to addressing risk,” an attempt to make guidelines easier to follow by creating a single set of guidelines for numerous respiratory illnesses, including COVID, the flu, and respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) (CBS).</span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-family: trebuchet;"><span> </span>So what exactly are the new guidelines? </span></span><span style="font-family: trebuchet; white-space-collapse: preserve;">The CDC is now recommending to only return once symptoms are mild and improving and it has been over a day since having a fever. However, they do recommend using a mask during 5 additional days of precaution once you are no longer staying at home. It is important to note that there were no changes in the guidelines for individuals working in healthcare or in nursing homes (CDC). </span></span></p><span style="font-family: trebuchet; font-size: medium;"><br /></span><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><img height="163" src="https://lh7-us.googleusercontent.com/lOKD3AAKVSmqXn5yC_5RJnwhAJkOubXwpcujwAaeH8cj17yzRZ4wfCy3g81_ldB0-nBwIlApqb4mNKNKrUA7flakdoPGUTpfD0Io_zSjkmbZkWs2jYsNvc5jH05lO-Pi2fNWFndxEQwnW7kL5BE0Shg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; margin-top: 0px;" width="624" /></span></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span id="docs-internal-guid-45e70b17-7fff-c8a7-264a-7f3f18fd70b9"><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-family: trebuchet; font-size: medium;">An example from CDC guidelines demonstrating how the updated COVID recommendations would be implemented (https://www.cdc.gov/respiratory-viruses/prevention/precautions-when-sick.html)</span></span></p></span></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-family: trebuchet; font-size: medium;"><br /></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-family: trebuchet; font-size: medium;"><span> </span>Despite the CDC moving forward, not everybody is ready to yet. Director of the Pandemic Center at Brown University’s School of Public Health Jennifer Nuzzo said that her “biggest worry in all of this is that employers will take this change in guidance to require employees to come back to work ... before they are ready to, before they feel well enough, and before they are not likely to pose harm to their co-workers” (AP). Each week, there are still over 20,000 hospitalizations and 2000 deaths due to the virus, particularly in individuals of age 65 years or older.</span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-family: trebuchet; font-size: medium;"><span> </span>It seems like COVID has reached a point now where it is starting to be treated similarly to other viruses like the flu and RSV. In 10 to 20 years from now, it may be treated like a common cold, an incredibly large change from its connotation just a couple of years ago, at the height of the pandemic. The coronavirus has undoubtedly had a massive impact on the way that we view our health, with many individuals still continuing to wear masks for a multitude of reasons. While its widespread reign of terror may be over, its impact on the globe economically, socially, and scientifically, will be felt for centuries.</span></span></p><span style="font-family: trebuchet; font-size: medium;"><div><span><span style="font-family: trebuchet; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></span></div><br /></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-family: trebuchet; font-size: medium;">Sources:</span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><a href="https://www.cdc.gov/respiratory-viruses/prevention/precautions-when-sick.html" style="text-decoration-line: none;"><span style="color: #1155cc; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; text-decoration-line: underline; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-family: trebuchet; font-size: medium;">https://www.cdc.gov/respiratory-viruses/prevention/precautions-when-sick.html</span></span></a></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><a href="https://apnews.com/article/covid19-isolation-guidelines-cdc-5354fe4ef002458c4c0174292e982af9%5C" style="text-decoration-line: none;"><span style="color: #1155cc; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; text-decoration-line: underline; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-family: trebuchet; font-size: medium;">https://apnews.com/article/covid19-isolation-guidelines-cdc-5354fe4ef002458c4c0174292e982af9\</span></span></a></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><a href="https://www.cbsnews.com/news/cdc-covid-recommendations-isolation-masks-tests/" style="text-decoration-line: none;"><span style="color: #1155cc; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; text-decoration-line: underline; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-family: trebuchet; font-size: medium;">https://www.cbsnews.com/news/cdc-covid-recommendations-isolation-masks-tests/</span></span></a></p><div><br /></div></span>Zachary Schankerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07933331682627637130noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1054910627465846465.post-7226554675831629382024-02-29T23:30:00.000-08:002024-02-29T23:34:26.354-08:00Why We Are Approaching a Government Shutdown, and How It Will Affect Us<p><span style="caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><span> </span>For the past few months, the threat of a government shutdown has been a persistent one. Caused by Congress’ failure to enact annual appropriations bills (discretionary spending split among 12 subcommittees), government shutdowns halt the movement of all non-essential government functions. This is due to the 1884 (but later amended) Antideficiency Act, which prohibits any spending of federal agencies without an appropriation or other form of approval from Congress. Since last fiscal year (which ended September 30th), funding decisions have been repeatedly postponed, with a deadline of this Friday, March 1st. However today (February 29th), both the House and Senate have passed a temporary stop-gap bill, delaying 6 of the appropriation bills to March 8th and the remaining 6 to March 22. This has effectively narrowly avoided the partial government shutdown that would have otherwise started this Saturday.</span></span></p><span id="docs-internal-guid-dbbb3c1c-7fff-b08d-98ec-b46ca4d03756" style="caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); text-size-adjust: auto;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjh8uN_L5NPLfPRqyCKFDqvCg0n1iU4qUGfHysr-f62Z2ov7uE01K6zSQJwzLR2bNZZkI6mSeAdlXDjmwq2B63eoGjHbc-f1zp60WlIEmEjdkxMiJTNCuHayKLHiWNd1D04WrM-m-1hl3mqh73LdUhYndIy7unKzgCJjxUB7IEm0uOspj4biMtcqOoimEul" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="512" data-original-width="1024" height="160" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjh8uN_L5NPLfPRqyCKFDqvCg0n1iU4qUGfHysr-f62Z2ov7uE01K6zSQJwzLR2bNZZkI6mSeAdlXDjmwq2B63eoGjHbc-f1zp60WlIEmEjdkxMiJTNCuHayKLHiWNd1D04WrM-m-1hl3mqh73LdUhYndIy7unKzgCJjxUB7IEm0uOspj4biMtcqOoimEul" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">President Biden met with Congressional leaders Mike Johnson (House Speaker) and Chuck Schumer (Senate Majority Leader) to discuss government shutdown concerns</span></div><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span> </span>Although there are many factors that can lead to difficulties for Congress to apportion money, this particular delay was influenced by policy disagreements in the House. Some of the central areas include national security, immigration and the border crisis, abortion, spending levels, as well as funding for allies. Because of these disputes, some House Republicans (Freedom Caucus) have viewed the looming possibility of a government shutdown as a negotiation strategy.</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><br /></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgrKU7jXSfO037H7sLkgh7Yu1SParMcUTcIL4VhaN3u8Ar9g83SlQt-WFSm_gjlfoEsnzLWgpRIDNmd7ZivczXizhA4FQinVx6L3Hopxm7nYE6yBlpGrlWt5EYBrNp4qznsLrYNSFO3A9_JkHDI3xjd_mQnRxU2CEFO7QVovoUh98qR73RVf2kl_KzjkvOK" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="427" data-original-width="1024" height="133" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgrKU7jXSfO037H7sLkgh7Yu1SParMcUTcIL4VhaN3u8Ar9g83SlQt-WFSm_gjlfoEsnzLWgpRIDNmd7ZivczXizhA4FQinVx6L3Hopxm7nYE6yBlpGrlWt5EYBrNp4qznsLrYNSFO3A9_JkHDI3xjd_mQnRxU2CEFO7QVovoUh98qR73RVf2kl_KzjkvOK" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><span> </span>Although the subcommittees halted by government shutdowns are deemed “non-essential”, the pause in their funding has detrimental effects on the economy as well as the American people. Although generally reduction in GDP growth is recovered in the weeks following, in the 2018-2019 five-week partial government shutdown, the Congressional Budget Office estimated that about $11 billion were lost, with $3 billion unable to be recovered. These estimates did not include indirect losses, such as effects on businesses’ abilities to apply for federal loans. However, it is difficult to use past shutdowns to assess future ones. Especially since the 2018-2019 shutdown was the longest in history and took place at the end of the fiscal year, whereas we are now at the beginning of the fiscal year, its economic impact is not indicative of the economy’s outcome if there is to be a government shutdown in the near future.</span></span><div style="font-family: georgia; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgtVjikAw1pJDnTJ9jo2a8pL-2nKOsA3u-dwTX4cUrcxtV2vp2vjs0zpcy_kLbv1OHBlVjt4JBdL64-deTCKS9crktRhDqOXPrZ4Z3wxPQcolXDvFcYEwAw34HHGZstZAL7wN-KVKBdUUafPJb-W3z8RK-9cacLelvd2MeVSZzMPHH4ZzsCsLqUWHjvkbwo" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="890" data-original-width="693" height="487" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgtVjikAw1pJDnTJ9jo2a8pL-2nKOsA3u-dwTX4cUrcxtV2vp2vjs0zpcy_kLbv1OHBlVjt4JBdL64-deTCKS9crktRhDqOXPrZ4Z3wxPQcolXDvFcYEwAw34HHGZstZAL7wN-KVKBdUUafPJb-W3z8RK-9cacLelvd2MeVSZzMPHH4ZzsCsLqUWHjvkbwo=w379-h487" width="379" /></a></div><p dir="ltr" style="font-family: georgia; line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span> </span>During government shutdowns, hundreds of thousands of “non-essential” workers are furloughed, while hundreds of thousands others, such as TSA officers, work without pay. The delay of paychecks to bureaucrats can be detrimental to their livelihood and families, for oftentimes they rely on their regularly scheduled paycheck. The low morale of government workers is also tied to reduction of work an affected agency can do. Certain components, such as national parks without state or local funding, would be forced to close. Other services–such as the processing of employee visas, securing grants or loans, and obtaining marriage licenses–would slow and potentially halt. Federal food assistance programs under the Department of Agriculture such as the Supplemental Food Program for Women, Infants and Children (WIC) and the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), would likely be unable to meet demands. These are just a few of the issues that could arise from a prolonged government shutdown.</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="font-family: georgia; line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 9pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span> </span>Government shutdowns also decrease American trust in the government (68%), as well as support for both political parties. As House Speaker Mike Johnson has said, “‘This is not a time for petty politics’”. Hopefully, members of Congress can come to an agreement and pass funding legislation before the time created by this new stop-gap bill runs out. </span></p><p dir="ltr" style="font-family: georgia; line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 9pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><br /></p><p dir="ltr" style="font-family: georgia; line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 9pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><br /></p><div style="line-height: 1.96364; margin-bottom: 9pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: left;"><a href="https://time.com/6836517/house-short-term-spending-measure-shutdown/" style="text-decoration: none;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">https://time.com/6836517/house-short-term-spending-measure-shutdown/<br /></span></span></a><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><a href="https://abcnews.go.com/Politics/congress-faces-looming-government-shutdown-deadline/story?id=107550520" style="text-decoration: none;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">https://abcnews.go.com/Politics/congress-faces-looming-government-shutdown-deadline/story?id=107550520</span></a><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> <br /></span></span><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><a href="https://www.appropriations.senate.gov/news/majority/schumer-mcconnell-johnson-jeffries-murray-collins-granger-delauro-joint-statement-on-fy24-appropriations-agreement" style="text-decoration: none;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">https://www.appropriations.senate.gov/news/majority/schumer-mcconnell-johnson-jeffries-murray-collins-granger-delauro-joint-statement-on-fy24-appropriations-agreement</span></a><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> <br /></span></span><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><a href="https://www.reuters.com/world/us/us-congress-makes-last-minute-bid-avert-government-shutdown-2024-02-29/" style="text-decoration: none;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">https://www.reuters.com/world/us/us-congress-makes-last-minute-bid-avert-government-shutdown-2024-02-29/</span></a><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> <br /></span></span><a href="https://www.gibsondunn.com/what-a-government-shutdown-means-for-you/" style="text-decoration: none;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">https://www.gibsondunn.com/what-a-government-shutdown-means-for-you/<br /></span></span></a><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><a href="https://www.brookings.edu/articles/what-is-a-government-shutdown-and-why-are-we-likely-to-have-another-one/" style="text-decoration: none;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">https://www.brookings.edu/articles/what-is-a-government-shutdown-and-why-are-we-likely-to-have-another-one/</span></a><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> <br /></span></span><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><a href="https://abcnews.go.com/Politics/affected-partial-government-shutdown/story?id=107590352" style="text-decoration: none;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">https://abcnews.go.com/Politics/affected-partial-government-shutdown/story?id=107590352</span></a><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> <br /></span></span><a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/2024/02/25/government-shutdown-congress-gop/" style="text-decoration: none;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/2024/02/25/government-shutdown-congress-gop/<br /></span></span></a><a href="https://www.cnn.com/2024/02/29/politics/house-stopgap-bill-vote-shutdown/index.html" style="text-decoration: none;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">https://www.cnn.com/2024/02/29/politics/house-stopgap-bill-vote-shutdown/index.html<br /></span></span></a><a href="https://www.americanprogress.org/article/5-reasons-why-careening-from-near-shutdown-to-near-shutdown-is-bad-for-america/" style="text-decoration: none;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">https://www.americanprogress.org/article/5-reasons-why-careening-from-near-shutdown-to-near-shutdown-is-bad-for-america/</span></span></a></div><p dir="ltr" style="font-family: georgia; line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 9pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span id="docs-internal-guid-202c54ca-7fff-7d3b-63fd-c4e1d1664e48" style="caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); text-size-adjust: auto;"></span><br class="Apple-interchange-newline" style="caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); text-size-adjust: auto;" /></p><h4 style="line-height: 1.96364; margin-bottom: 9pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: left;"><br /></h4><p dir="ltr" style="font-family: georgia; line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 9pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span id="docs-internal-guid-a6966811-7fff-0046-7469-e5ac6d4a9331" style="caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); text-size-adjust: auto;"></span><br class="Apple-interchange-newline" style="caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); text-size-adjust: auto;" /></p><br class="Apple-interchange-newline" style="caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); text-size-adjust: auto;" />Annie Sabanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04464643975598096765noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1054910627465846465.post-12962550600387644622024-02-28T17:59:00.000-08:002024-02-28T17:59:55.337-08:00UN Budget Cuts Lead to Unfortunate Changes in Afghanistan By: Arianna Koop<p dir="ltr" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 36pt;"><br style="text-indent: 0px;" /></p><p dir="ltr" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 36pt;"><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">When the United Nations World Food Programme or WFP for short was founded, the main goal the founders had in mind was to help feed those who did not have stable access to food. With the help of this new program, millions of people were given aid. However in recent months, the WFP has undergone several changes leading to a lack of funding and causing those in charge to make difficult decisions. </span></p><p dir="ltr" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 36pt;"><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">According to </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Cindy McCain, the director of WFP, “To put it succinctly so that it's easy for everyone to understand, for every 1% cut at WFP, this means 400,000 people are pushed further into hunger.” Unfortunately, with this change in funding amounts, the WFP struggles to provide emergency food as well as enough food that would sustain families for a longer term. Along with that, the rations being provided to people have also been downsized and some families have been cut off altogether.</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 36pt;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> What was once a program able to provide much needed resources to those seeking aid in Afghanistan has now unfortunately also been forced to cut off another two million families on top of the eight million that have already been unable to get further help. Many of these families who are in need are mostly made up of women who have been left widowed and need to provide for their families. Due to the fact that the Taliban is currently running the government in Afghanistan, a lot of women have been unable to find jobs, with families even sending their young sons out to go find work and help provide for the household. One such mother in Afghanistan has resorted to feeding her young child a type of allergy medicine to help curb the effects of going hungry via sedation–a common side effect of the drug. But that is not all, doctors have also stated that many families like this one have also had to resort to using other drugs such as antidepressants as a way of helping their children make it through this unimaginably tough time. Without the much needed help that would usually come from the WFP, unfortunately, malnutrition rates nowadays have been the worst that the UN has ever seen in Afghanistan and change must be brought about soon.</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 36pt;"><br style="text-indent: 0px;" /></p><p dir="ltr" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt; white-space: pre-wrap;">Sources:</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 36pt;"><br style="text-indent: 0px;" /></p><p dir="ltr" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><a href="https://www.npr.org/2023/09/12/1198925108/un-food-programme-hunger-starvation-security" style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="color: #1155cc; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">https://www.npr.org/2023/09/12/1198925108/un-food-programme-hunger-starvation-security</span></a></p><p dir="ltr" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 36pt;"><br style="text-indent: 0px;" /></p><p dir="ltr" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><a href="https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-67707715" style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="color: #1155cc; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-67707715</span></a></p><p dir="ltr" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 36pt;"><br style="text-indent: 0px;" /></p><p dir="ltr" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><a href="https://news.un.org/en/story/2023/09/1140662" style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="color: #1155cc; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">https://news.un.org/en/story/2023/09/1140662</span></a></p><p dir="ltr" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 36pt;"><br class="Apple-interchange-newline" /><img height="202" src="blob:https://www.blogger.com/3f9b8ca5-6ba3-44dc-9f46-6e0ddfbf5b5f" width="358" /><img height="221" src="blob:https://www.blogger.com/96c14259-822a-4530-ba85-877e85a53917" width="395" /></p>Arianna Koophttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16417093834663889001noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1054910627465846465.post-72317803613614115922024-02-27T21:07:00.000-08:002024-02-27T21:07:20.222-08:00US Supreme Court to Hear Landmark Social Media Cases<p>We’ve devoted numerous class periods to the discussion of the US Supreme Court’s role around social media and online free speech, and now, the Supreme Court is set to make a pivotal decision which may transform the internet as we know it. As expected, the controversy primarly circulates around the theme of whether social media companies engage with First Amendment-protected speech by moderating content, here more specifically around misinformation and hate speech. The Supreme Court’s concerns have risen around two laws passed by Florida and Texas after the 2021 Capitol riot, and now they are ultimately being addressed as court justices hear two landmark cases on Feb 26, 2024.</p><p>The Republican-backed laws, passed by Florida and Texas, prohibited tech companies from removing certain political content which they deemed objectionable on their social media platforms. At the time, the states claimed that such laws were necessary to prevent platforms from discriminating against conservatives. State officials add on, claiming these restrictions on content moderation are constitutional as “they seek to regulate social media platforms’ business behavior, not their speech.” Yet this directly leads to, as a group of political scientists claim, “dangerous and violent election-related speech” which is then treated equal to innocuous posts. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhovyHaVk3oBQf9cWc8VvTj4gZqzKefet7X70syL5QSBeLj8-bYzbeAXnjfLIKuBDD6GWIdP79VQ6vEuHH133a9wVIPImxrWgXEJzVxg0qh6j3zwxi7x5k9Ua-ShzFmW8Dw1QREaL2QbYTcU_dXqVsFTG93OE1wuuB4b18rvbQJmVzsj-TZmO4yBoNvysA/s1200/download.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="675" data-original-width="1200" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhovyHaVk3oBQf9cWc8VvTj4gZqzKefet7X70syL5QSBeLj8-bYzbeAXnjfLIKuBDD6GWIdP79VQ6vEuHH133a9wVIPImxrWgXEJzVxg0qh6j3zwxi7x5k9Ua-ShzFmW8Dw1QREaL2QbYTcU_dXqVsFTG93OE1wuuB4b18rvbQJmVzsj-TZmO4yBoNvysA/s320/download.jpeg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">(Conservative Supreme Court heard arguments Monday: https://www.latimes.com/politics/story/2024-02-26/supreme-court-hears-a-1st-amendment-clash-on-whether-texas-and-florida-can-regulate-social-media)</span></div><p>Now, the Supreme Court considers arguements on if Texas and Florida should be given such control over tech companies. The two cases being held on Feb 26, 2024, NetChoice v. Paxton and Moody v. NetChoice, will ultimately result in a pivotal ruling: whether states can forbid social media companies from blocking or removing user content that goes against platform rules.</p><p>With the the First Amendment protecting the freedom of speech and expression of citizens from being censored by the government, supporters of the state laws claim against tech companies, who they believe are left-leaning, stating that the laws “protect the First Amendment rights of conservative users from censorship.” After being removed from Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube due to his inflammatory comments during the Capitol Riot, Donald Trump displayed support for the state laws, arguing that the right for tech companies to “discriminate” against a user is not protected by the Constitution. Similarly, conservatives within the US have long attacked major companies on moderation policies under their belief that they are unfairly biased towards left-wing views, and Gov Greg Abbot, who signed the Texas bill, claimed the law made it so “conservative viewpoints in Texas cannot be banned on social media.” Florida's solicitor general also added on, claiming companies act with too much power when they attempt to moderate posts, treating the First Amendment as if designed to enable the suppression speech rather than prevent it.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgz2bwI9hTaY60SY7d0CzIC92Me1lvFAwS0UwIscfmdUZA4VJ-ZD92AbafVE4g1TRZJTTgecqZ0C7qiIH9X3aYGkM0YLqEgBA2jMc-fwtSys86bet9rc_nWEK6vrd6fl4BtX7sDywPup-eJQAYovPWYO-4iH7vb87vHFtSr4MRiWDYDhB9dOCEJluAICk0/s1110/gettyimages-1813807607.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="740" data-original-width="1110" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgz2bwI9hTaY60SY7d0CzIC92Me1lvFAwS0UwIscfmdUZA4VJ-ZD92AbafVE4g1TRZJTTgecqZ0C7qiIH9X3aYGkM0YLqEgBA2jMc-fwtSys86bet9rc_nWEK6vrd6fl4BtX7sDywPup-eJQAYovPWYO-4iH7vb87vHFtSr4MRiWDYDhB9dOCEJluAICk0/s320/gettyimages-1813807607.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">(Social Media: https://www.cnn.com/2024/02/26/tech/supreme-court-social-media/index.html)</span></div><p style="text-align: left;">While at the current stage of the case it remains unclear how justices will ultimately rule, the divide against some of the court’s conservatives is evident and many strong points against the state laws have been voiced. As discussed within our lessons of numerous court cases, precedent has carried an enourmous weight in being used as a strong justification for the support or disapproval of a new case. Paul Clement, a lawyer presenting cases on behalf of NetChoice, brought up previous Supreme Court rulings which held that “private organisers could not be forced to carry messages they did not agree with.” Similarly, Federal opposition to the state laws have brought up prior rulings which have ephasized editorial control as being “fundamentally protected by the First Amendment.” Furthermore, a major justification for such opposition is that the platforms which the state laws attempt to attack, are private parties which thus does not make them bound to the First Amenment. Clement offerred a humorous example to support this arguement which prompted laughter in the courtroom, stating that a Catholic website could exclude a Protestant from participating in a discussion as it is a private forum and the government can not tell the website, as a private party, that they have to let the Protestant into the Catholic party. </p><p>If ruled in the favor of the states, decades of precent against “compelled speech” could potentially be reversed, and such could incite consequences which reach far beyond social media. Firstly, if companies were prevented from moderation content, they would practically be forced to carry all content, nevertheless the amount of antisemitism or pro-suicide content the posts carry as suggested by Clement. Moreover, the Florida law and arguement is so broad, that it brings out the question that if the law continuous to be upheld, not only would social media most definitely change in a variety of ways, but platforms such as Gmail, Amazon’s web services, and even Google lose all power of moderation. Despite such claims, the ruling remains uncertain as of now, and some justices are even signaling a desire to send the case to lower courts, suggesting a ruling will not be made until further review on the states’ laws’ provisions are made.</p><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">Sources:<br />https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-68407977<br />https://www.cnn.com/2024/02/25/tech/us-supreme-court-landmark-social-media-cases/index.html<br />https://www.cnn.com/2024/02/26/tech/supreme-court-social-media/index.html<br />https://abc7chicago.com/supreme-court-social-media-texas-florida/14469953/<br />https://www.nytimes.com/live/2024/02/26/us/supreme-court-arguments-social-media</span></div>Mir Majumdarhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09408792305433307749noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1054910627465846465.post-9076477805926226252024-02-27T19:59:00.000-08:002024-02-27T20:03:39.606-08:00Israel and Hamas Deny Biden’s Claim of Breakthrough for Ceasefire<p> <span style="font-family: trebuchet;"> <span style="font-size: medium;"> </span></span><span style="font-family: trebuchet; font-size: medium;"><span style="text-indent: 36pt; white-space-collapse: preserve;">This past Monday, President Joe Biden told reporters that he had hope Israel and Hamas would reach a ceasefire agreement by the following Monday (March 4th). Biden’s remark was likely a well-timed attempt to influence the Michigan primary, which took place the following day. Michigan, which is a November swing state, has a large Arab-American population, many of whom have protested Biden’s current policy by urging voters to pick “uncommitted” in the primary polls (CNN - Biden). </span><span style="text-indent: 36pt; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Israel and Hamas officials, however, played down such a possibility of a ceasefire, finding the President’s remarks to be premature. The head of Hamas’ political division in Gaza, Basem Naim, said that Biden’s claim “did not match the reality on the ground.” Anonymous Israeli officials felt the same, stating that Hamas was continuing to push “excessive demands,” limiting the likelihood of a ceasefire (Guardian).</span></span></p><span id="docs-internal-guid-462c2ae2-7fff-c983-5442-6e9ef3d725fc"><span style="font-family: trebuchet; font-size: medium;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img height="128" src="https://lh7-us.googleusercontent.com/eY3TXONU1M2YT28MVakC_Z0ab4aMBRd4zuBWm5kKMGyVSYipxJ1CoIlnUdR2NdsVxLTo2yhlzPUBtEFTjOlt7s0Hh1h_GvndHNf-VaApHGsEf1ZjRXKFEF6a8BvOy_bcK9Mvm9RGKqNyJNJMgH9-_Ww" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; margin-top: 0px;" width="227" /></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span id="docs-internal-guid-4554aa5b-7fff-a1cb-405b-349e8aac74d8"><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span>President Joe Biden talks on Late Night with Seth Meyers (https://www.cnn.com/2024/02/27/politics/joe-biden-israel-international-support/index.html)</span></span></p></span></td></tr></tbody></table></span></span><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: trebuchet;"> The current draft of the proposal contains a 40-day pause of all military activity and a 10:1 exchange of Palestinian prisoners for Israeli hostages, resulting in 40 Israeli hostages being freed and 400 Palestinian prisoners. The deal would also allow 500 aid trucks to enter the besieged territory each day, up from below 100 currently, and bakeries and hospitals in Gaza would be repaired (Guardian).<br /></span><span style="white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-family: trebuchet;"> The unofficial deadline for this deal is the start of Ramadan, which is expected to be March 10th (AP). When asked, Biden stated, “Ramadan is coming up, and there’s been an agreement by the Israelis that they would not engage in activities during Ramadan as well, in order to give us time to get all the hostages out.” Tensions in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict almost always inflame during Ramadan, which is only expected to be more extreme given the current state of the conflict.</span></span></span></p><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><span><span style="font-family: trebuchet;"><div style="text-align: center;"><span id="docs-internal-guid-161eddde-7fff-1050-1d9f-1f3de0b57a8b"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img height="193" src="https://lh7-us.googleusercontent.com/Qr9DeSMXXLFb7wMWrDDJzuPpz00mV4hQTvQDm79jrrgX1Cu9oKuEDYVE6x1yQBq7WOm6UxyH08n1q5SU_kfgpBk7BAP8XVT8hWdv_mS9hXAtB1XcpZA0znXX0HXji_tNfddiVXGI7eLlYxBHPvEnSik=w320-h193" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; margin-top: 0px;" width="320" /></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span id="docs-internal-guid-30a67a9e-7fff-ec42-2898-d85ba68e62f9"><span><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Displaced Palestinians wait to receive food at a tent camp in Rafah. (</span><span style="color: black; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">https://www.theguardian.com/world/2024/feb/27/hamas-and-israel-pour-cold-water-on-bidens-hopes-of-imminent-ceasefire#img-1</span></span><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span>)</span><span>
</span></span></span></td></tr></tbody></table></span></div></span></span><span id="docs-internal-guid-4037e931-7fff-6a7f-8547-ceedb4f2b207"><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-family: trebuchet;"><span> </span><span> </span> The day after Biden’s interview, the top US humanitarian aid official announced an additional $53 million in humanitarian aid, primarily to support food assistance (CNN - USAID). On top of this, they have called for even more aid, as “more than two million people in Gaza are at “imminent risk” of famine” (CNN - USAID).</span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: trebuchet; text-indent: 36pt; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span> </span>Of course, additional aid does not come from anywhere. In every economic decision, there are trade-offs, and aid to foreign conflicts, such as in Gaza, is no exception. Instead of spending the $53 million on aid, Congress could direct this money towards a domestic issue, such as an affordable housing plan, or could reduce taxes. It is therefore the job of policymakers to judge each trade-off, and make a decision based on which one would be most beneficial. This is where the importance of ethics comes into play with normative statements: the decision of whether or not to fund aid to Gaza does not come just from an economic standpoint, but also an ethical one, as this aid is entirely humanitarian and is meant to reduce the suffering in the region. </span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: trebuchet; text-indent: 36pt; white-space-collapse: preserve;"> In the case that a ceasefire was near, I would not support the direction of funds towards Gaza until the ceasefire had been enacted, as only then would the aid be able to have the most impact without interference. However, given the current circumstances described by Israel and Hamas officials and the oncoming violence to be expected during Ramadan, I believe that policy makers made the right decision to send aid at this time, as there is no foreseeable end to the suffering of those in the Gaza region.</span></p></span></span><span><span style="font-family: trebuchet;"><div style="text-align: center;"><span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: left;"><span face="Calibri, sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><br /></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: left;"><span face="Calibri, sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><br /></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: left;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Sources:</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: left;"><a href="https://www.cnn.com/2024/02/27/politics/joe-biden-israel-international-support/index.html" style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #1155cc; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">https://www.cnn.com/2024/02/27/politics/joe-biden-israel-international-support/index.html</span></a></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: left;"><a href="https://www.theguardian.com/world/2024/feb/27/hamas-and-israel-pour-cold-water-on-bidens-hopes-of-imminent-ceasefire" style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #1155cc; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">https://www.theguardian.com/world/2024/feb/27/hamas-and-israel-pour-cold-water-on-bidens-hopes-of-imminent-ceasefire</span></a></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: left;"><a href="https://apnews.com/article/israel-hamas-war-news-02-27-2024-e17abedeaf5a005fcd5e7095fecacb7a" style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #1155cc; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">https://apnews.com/article/israel-hamas-war-news-02-27-2024-e17abedeaf5a005fcd5e7095fecacb7a</span></a></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span id="docs-internal-guid-e56693ab-7fff-ddab-9d74-4b0d70d1ceee"></span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: left;"><a href="https://www.cnn.com/2024/02/27/politics/usaid-gaza-aid-samantha-power/index.html" style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #1155cc; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">https://www.cnn.com/2024/02/27/politics/usaid-gaza-aid-samantha-power/index.html</span></a></p></span></div></span></span></div>Zachary Schankerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07933331682627637130noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1054910627465846465.post-2364711125168206152024-02-26T21:23:00.000-08:002024-02-26T21:26:50.399-08:00US Imposes Over 500 New Sanctions Against Russia <p><span> </span>As the second anniversary of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine passes on Feb 24, the war enters its third year with the US imposing sanctions on more than 500 targets connected to Russia’s war machine. Amidst heightened tensions between the two nations, the Biden administration's decision to impose this fresh slate appears to be in response to the death of Alexey Navalny. Navalny, who was imprisoned in 2021, has been a source of opposition against Putin, devoting his time to orchestrating a few of the largest anti-government protests in recent years and exposing corruption within the Kremlin. President Biden, who decided to meet with his widow and daughter, blames Putin for his death, claiming that “If Putin does not pay the price for his death and destruction, he will keep going.” While Congress struggles to reach agreements in providing aid to Ukraine, Biden continuously reiterates the dire need to support Ukraine, claiming that without it, “the costs to the United States — along with our NATO allies and partners in Europe and around the world — will rise.”</p><p><span> </span>The new slate of sanctions displays the US reliance on financial tools to hinder Russia’s war effort and apply pressure on its economy. While previously imposed sanctions ranged from being cyber-related to ceilings on exports, the recently imposed sanctions target Russia’s core financial infrastructure, along with those entities that are helping supply Russia with critical technology and equipment. While Russia has appeared to adapt to the series of sanctions levied by the US and other Western governments in the previous years, this recent announcement has been marked as “the largest single-day tranche of sanctions” and the Biden administration hopes to severely deteriorate the Russian economy. Yet with the West’s sanctions having thus far appeared as mostly failures in efforts to deter Putin’s motives, the effectiveness is uncertain.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCmOekOj_GTesRSgYcA3edLpMAD1KXXcWsNYzKNC4YPIRK2QP-8_gufzpx8iMhN4X5CDeyEnUl6IcK7SGBMy6EoCjDlqvhlcSDUWPVxTvGdj06VB-ol7rCYbOLINCBoghNu6ru4g1pXpy8Hl9IyUtjlhl-jfNVuD24FKdqHKtaXElIGQh6nQa6TGUnqVk/s1346/Screenshot%202024-02-26%209.17.22%20PM.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="888" data-original-width="1346" height="211" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCmOekOj_GTesRSgYcA3edLpMAD1KXXcWsNYzKNC4YPIRK2QP-8_gufzpx8iMhN4X5CDeyEnUl6IcK7SGBMy6EoCjDlqvhlcSDUWPVxTvGdj06VB-ol7rCYbOLINCBoghNu6ru4g1pXpy8Hl9IyUtjlhl-jfNVuD24FKdqHKtaXElIGQh6nQa6TGUnqVk/s320/Screenshot%202024-02-26%209.17.22%20PM.png" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">(<span color="var(--caption-text-color)" face="Post-Grotesk" style="background-color: white; text-align: left;">President Joe Biden meets with Yulia and Dasha Navalnaya on Feb. 22, 2022: </span><span style="text-align: left;"><span face="Post-Grotesk">https://abcnews.go.com/International/us-impose-500-sanctions-russia-parties/story?id=107464889#:~:text=The%20Biden%20administration%20on%20Friday,s%20invasion%2C%20administration%20officials%20said.</span></span>)</span></div><p><span> </span>The new sanctions begin digging further into Russia’s military supply chain, pursuing enablers in countries such as China and the United Arab Emirates. In fact, more than 24 entities providing Russia with assistance have been added to the sanction list. They include the Ministry of Defense and Armed Forces Logistics, which has enabled the production of attack drones used against infrastructure and civilian targets in Ukraine. Additionally, Russia’s two largest companies, SUEK, whose transportation and logistics operations assist the military, and Mechel, a specialty steel producer, have been targeted. This time, the Biden administration went further than simply major defense companies, also imposing sanctions against manufacturers of “lubricants, robotics, ball bearings and batteries used by the Russian military.”</p><p><span> </span>Furthermore, a major sanction has been placed against Russia's state-owned National Payment Card System Joint Stock Co. The NSPK is the “central bank-owned operator of the country’s Mir bank card — set up in 2014 as an alternative to Visa and Mastercard.” This widely used payment system has been targeted by the US Treasury as Russia has used it to bypass payment blockades by Visa and Mastercard since the invasion.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNioxoaB7l4YQ0Sxxstl_cwxWYz_vmLwgzE9z4eA8jJWx46RaSZjRGwqE37eEfF8EkNkdbE53rSM3LJolQswi7MdVFcqfRy5YW66EGrLI5c3ghtFkPKqup8llfTQsyPzqQTP0Z4rGRRPcEZDdZ4w6tC5GNC1Y06czVay9F2ylvgCuUDiWpBQ3PONy90kE/s1480/blogpic1.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="833" data-original-width="1480" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNioxoaB7l4YQ0Sxxstl_cwxWYz_vmLwgzE9z4eA8jJWx46RaSZjRGwqE37eEfF8EkNkdbE53rSM3LJolQswi7MdVFcqfRy5YW66EGrLI5c3ghtFkPKqup8llfTQsyPzqQTP0Z4rGRRPcEZDdZ4w6tC5GNC1Y06czVay9F2ylvgCuUDiWpBQ3PONy90kE/s320/blogpic1.jpeg" width="320" /></a></div><p></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">(President Joe Biden delivers remarks to US governors attending the National Governors Association on February 23: https://www.cnn.com/2024/02/23/politics/sanctions-russia-navalny-ukraine-biden-administration/index.html</span><span style="font-size: x-small;">)</span></p><p><span> </span>While the Biden administration has attempted to propose much greater foreign aid packages, all efforts are currently being blocked by Republicans in Congress alongside Trump’s opposition. Displaying the impacts of partisan majorities within Congress as we discussed in class, Kyiv and allies have made dire attempts, calling House Republicans to back the proposal in hopes of US military and economic support falling through.</p><p><span> </span>The Russian economy has grown by more than 3% since last year, which is faster than the US, yet US officials claim that such was only due to military spending that only makes Russia more vulnerable to targeted sanctions. Even with Russian energy dropping around 40%, they earned roughly $99 billion in oil and gas revenue last year. As the Biden administration attempts to explore further possibilities by taking much more drastic and aggressive measures, broader considerations hinder them. For example, even the cutting off of Russian oil sales may lead to a spike in prices, thus resulting in increased revenue for them while low-income nations are hurt. Over the past 2 years, around 2,000 sanctions have been imposed by Western nations in an effort to deteriorate the Russian war machine, yet expectations for many have fallen short. And while the new slate of imposed sanctions appears much more aggressive and addresses sectors previously left unaddressed, the expected effectiveness is truly uncertain.</p><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Sources:</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">https://www.nytimes.com/2024/02/23/business/us-sanctions-russia.html<br /></span><span style="font-size: x-small;">https://www.npr.org/2024/02/23/1233410578/biden-russia-sanctions-ukraine-war-anniversary-navalny<br /></span><span style="font-size: x-small;">https://www.cnn.com/2024/02/23/politics/sanctions-russia-navalny-ukraine-biden-administration/index.html<br /></span><span style="font-size: x-small;">https://www.cnn.com/2024/02/26/europe/navalny-prisoner-swap-putin-russia-intl/index.html<br /></span><span style="font-size: x-small;">https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/2024/02/23/us-sanctions-russia-navalny/<br /></span><span style="font-size: x-small;">https://www.cnn.com/2024/02/16/europe/alexey-navalny-russian-activist-obituary-intl/index.html<br /></span><span style="font-size: x-small;">https://www.politico.com/news/2024/02/24/russia-economy-west-sanctions-00142713</span></div>Mir Majumdarhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09408792305433307749noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1054910627465846465.post-6743785735731149192024-02-19T17:38:00.000-08:002024-02-19T17:38:55.690-08:00OpenAI's Sora: Navigating the Realities and Risks of AI-Generated Videos<p><span> </span><span> </span>Last Thursday marked a significant milestone in the world of artificial intelligence as OpenAI unveiled its latest creation, Sora—an AI video generator capable of crafting 60-second videos from minimal input, such as a short prompt or still image. While there are some bugs in “some spatial and cause-and-effect elements” as OpenAI puts it, Sora's creations are undeniably astonishing, boasting a level of realism that could easily be mistaken for genuine footage. However, this breakthrough raises critical questions about the authenticity of videos and the potential misuse of AI technology.<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgQJZx7_v3ciK6telEVqGb1B3yGIJ5qFK9wV6L5_Pc35W0E_H8y41Py9Yw6SZAWVzY4cAUgeCtVWp3YF3hMig3dHk5JB-9_Y3Uzn2_11f7kPAYzYxsss3Mg20A4gLrQxr_Bk9sZvj4SI9ieGG-clZsooAQONXNV-ZdQmk_hvmoYUajt8q94R2GLSpmiJg15" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="399" data-original-width="710" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgQJZx7_v3ciK6telEVqGb1B3yGIJ5qFK9wV6L5_Pc35W0E_H8y41Py9Yw6SZAWVzY4cAUgeCtVWp3YF3hMig3dHk5JB-9_Y3Uzn2_11f7kPAYzYxsss3Mg20A4gLrQxr_Bk9sZvj4SI9ieGG-clZsooAQONXNV-ZdQmk_hvmoYUajt8q94R2GLSpmiJg15" width="320" /></a></div><br /><br /><p></p><p><span style="white-space: normal;"><span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Experts are already concerned with these very questions before the software has even been released to the public. Sora is one of many products made with the goal of AI videos. Competitors including Amazon, Meta, and Elon Musk’s startup xAI have attempted this very feat, however, Sora stands out as the most successful in creating realistic content, sparking a significant conversation about the ethical implications and potential risks associated with this technology.. Hany Farid of the University of California, Berkeley notes, "This technology, if combined with AI-powered voice cloning, could open up an entirely new front when it comes to creating deepfakes of people saying and doing things they never did.” The main concern around misinformation with AI seems to be focused on the upcoming presidential election. With previous extreme reactions to misinformation around politics like the insurrection in reaction to a “stolen election” accusation, it is unnerving to think about the consequences of more easily spread information from AI videos. Oren Etzioni, the founder of a non-profit fighting against misinformation in politics due to AI claims AI videos “ [lead] to an Achilles heel in our democracy and it couldn't have happened at a worse time," right before the 2024 presidential elections. Other concerns have been raised as well around mental health, evidence in trials, and more. Fred Havemayer, head of US AI and software research at Macquarie, has predicted, “[AI videos are] a substantial issue that every business and every person will need to face this year.”</span></p><p><span style="white-space: normal;"><span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>While there is an abundance of worries that come with this new technology, OpenAI (claims) to be doing its best to minimize negative outcomes. For example, the company plans to take “several important safety steps ahead of making Sora available in OpenAI’s products” including preventing users from creating violent, sexual, or hateful images along with the inability of the software to make videos of politicians or celebrities. Your next-door neighbor, on the other hand, might not be as safe. Other suggestions around safety have been made like watermarks on videos, however, these watermarks could be easily edited out. While these measures seem like good intentions, it is a question whether they will make a difference in the negative effects of Sora.</span></p><p><span style="white-space: normal;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgCuzHiRWlnb9feedrS1KLnC3sfuP13dPifZS_pZRjUjPi2tHsY-YKu9GJsse899bebNPeTa-SxZW-3QD4aCCY4PFuMBW9MuJmovsxGbZL709lIY5IsdmJlHzSQG0bvenB1AMN_6sCYpQliuiUfDxGFOCwSGe3WKSjvmbivMKkulNxfa5CovrLl4aL_RIK4" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="1079" data-original-width="1920" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgCuzHiRWlnb9feedrS1KLnC3sfuP13dPifZS_pZRjUjPi2tHsY-YKu9GJsse899bebNPeTa-SxZW-3QD4aCCY4PFuMBW9MuJmovsxGbZL709lIY5IsdmJlHzSQG0bvenB1AMN_6sCYpQliuiUfDxGFOCwSGe3WKSjvmbivMKkulNxfa5CovrLl4aL_RIK4" width="320" /></a></div><br /><br /><p></p><p><span style="white-space: normal;"><span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>This situation is interesting as there is not a Supreme Court case that has set a precedent directly related to AI involving misdeeds. Artificial Intelligence was not even a conceivable idea when the Constitution was created which may hinder the federal government’s ability to form laws around it. A case that we learned about in class that could be related to a situation around false information from AI is New York Times Co. v. Sullivan. This case limited the First Amendment right to freedom of speech when involving defamation. Prior restraint is still unconstitutional, however, so suing for defamation because of an AI video may not undo all the damage it has done. If one is not a public figure this case will not help either. </span></p><p><span style="white-space: normal;"><span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>As society grapples with the advent of AI-generated videos, the landscape remains uncertain, with numerous challenges and ethical considerations. OpenAI's efforts to mitigate negative outcomes are commendable, but the true impact of Sora on our society is yet to unfold. With potential ramifications for politics, mental health, legal proceedings, and beyond, navigating the path ahead requires a delicate balance between innovation, regulation, and safeguarding democratic principles. The future will undoubtedly test the wisdom of our government officials in finding a safe and constitutional solution to this evolving technological landscape.</span></p><div><br /></div><div>Sources:</div><div>https://www.cbsnews.com/news/openai-sora-text-to-video-tool/</div><div>https://www.euronews.com/next/2024/02/18/sora-openais-new-text-to-video-tool-is-causing-excitement-and-fears-heres-what-we-know-abo</div><div>https://www.newscientist.com/article/2417639-realism-of-openais-sora-video-generator-raises-security-concerns/</div><div>https://www.forbes.com/sites/roberthart/2024/02/16/openais-sora-has-rivals-in-the-works-including-from-google-and-meta/?sh=37b69faf2843</div><div><br /></div>Olivia Lowhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00117683086221557615noreply@blogger.com14tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1054910627465846465.post-10981730708326877162024-02-18T23:58:00.000-08:002024-02-18T23:58:03.702-08:00Frozen Embryos Are “Children,” Alabama Supreme Court Rules<span id="docs-internal-guid-9bc12d3f-7fff-b088-0ce6-7541ae49f4ac"><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><br /></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">On Friday, February 16th, the Alabama Supreme Court reversed an earlier decision made by one of the state’s circuit courts (Mobile County Circuit Court), ruling that cryogenically preserved embryos are classified as “children.” </span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">In 2022, three couples filed a lawsuit against the Center for Reproductive Medicine in Mobile, AL under the Wrongful Death of a Minor Act, suing on the grounds that the clinic’s negligence had “wrongfully” killed their child.</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">One of the fertility clinic’s patients had somehow gained access to the cryogenic storage room, and when the freezing temperature of the embryo tube burnt their hand, they dropped the embryos onto the floor, killing them. The couples claimed that since the fertility clinic had “allowed one of its patients to leave from his or her room in the Infirmary’s hospital area and access the cryogenic storage area,” they could sue for wrongful death.</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">The original decision made by the county circuit court had stated that cryopreserved embryos were not considered “people,” and thus the lawsuit was dismissed because the Wrongful Death of a Minor Act did not cover embryos outside the womb.</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">However, the Alabama Supreme Court disagreed with the ruling, overturning it 8-1 on Friday. Alabama Supreme Court Justice Jay Mitchell wrote in the Court’s decision that the Wrongful Death of A Minor Act “applies to all children, born and unborn, without limitation. It is not the role of this Court to craft a new limitation based on our own view of what is or is not wise public policy.” </span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><br /></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="border: none; display: inline-block; height: 258px; overflow: hidden; width: 395px;"><img height="258" src="https://lh7-us.googleusercontent.com/-UzqWtXqxkjmW7-k34dcmbqhnwF3fSkmXYKzvha9VJR9HTqqost4ymbBcK1jWfGKrdCfjtmeLolS6NqIqVi0kzpzrqo9QSoTaS-uGBiFxG48VTyZxp0ebKLNvMoaJcPYL3zSkLMzP5M2j2-0SLcNFkw" style="margin-left: 0px; margin-top: 0px;" width="395" /></span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-style: italic; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">The Heflin-Torbert Judicial Building in Montgomery, home to the Alabama Supreme Court.</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">As we learned in class, Alabama’s Supreme Court decision is a clear example of judicial restraint, in which judges will limit the exercise of their discretion and keep to the language of the law as much as possible. The Court restricted its own power, refusing to add age limitations to the Act, prioritizing instead the original intent and wording of the law. Since the Act doesn’t specify that an embryo is not a minor or that embryos are not protected under the law, then the lawsuit is applicable, according to the Court. </span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">The Court’s ruling mirrors the recent pro-life state policy changes after the overruling of Roe v. Wade, in which Alabama legislators immediately banned abortions except in cases where the mother’s life is threatened or put at severe risk. </span><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; text-indent: 36pt; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Additionally, Alabama’s own state constitution explicitly outlines the rights of “unborn” children: “It is the public policy of this state to recognize and support the sanctity of unborn life and the rights of unborn children, including the right to life… Nothing in this constitution secures or protects a right to abortion or requires the funding of an abortion” (Alabama Constitution of 1901, Art. I, Sec. 36.06). </span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Many fertility clinics and medical institutions in Alabama warn against the consequences that the Alabama Supreme Court’s decision will have on medical procedures that involve embryos, such as in vitro fertilization, where egg cells are fertilized in a lab, and the embryo is placed into the mother’s womb. The procedure allows people with fertility issues or genetic disorders to have children and start their own family.</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">The Medical Association of the State of Alabama states that “the increased exposure to wrongful death liability would – at best – substantially increase the costs associated with IVF. More ominously, the increased risk of legal exposure might result in Alabama’s fertility clinics shutting down and fertility specialists moving to other states to practice fertility medicine.”</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">In Alabama, a deeply conservative state, most reproductive health clinics either shut down or have shifted away from abortions entirely after the fall of Roe v. Wade, instead focusing their sights on family planning and contraception. The personhood laws enacted in multiple states post-Roe v. Wade can also affect IVF procedures now that the rights of embryos are protected and the usage of embryos is becoming the subject of legal controversy. </span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="border: none; display: inline-block; height: 225px; overflow: hidden; width: 358px;"><img height="242.60092989396782" src="https://lh7-us.googleusercontent.com/JYtwh2h83Ga4NE2kJfi6aOP3p7-vUvSY7le5T96oH3kGTUaKINoNUORfv4MJC_WgJN4J5r1R4xBn8Dwo4fkkD-Sychxp0r7m7I8qqrhuDkfKCizCWZfmIZycYT9h7CgNps0vfVy4Gnboa2sxHX_dEx0" style="margin-left: 0px; margin-top: -17.60092989396782px;" width="358" /></span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-style: italic; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">112 million US residents face at least a 3.5-hour drive to the nearest clinic | CNN Analysis</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Medical professionals fear that fertility clinics, similar to abortion clinics, may become scarce if IVF and other embryo-related procedures become legally restricted. In states like Alabama where the lack of reproductive health clinics is already at a crisis-level high, the effects of such Court decisions and pro-life legislation can have heavy consequences on the future availability of comprehensive reproductive healthcare.</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Sources:</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><a href="https://mynbc15.com/news/local/alabama-supreme-court-rules-in-vitro-embryos-are-children" style="text-decoration-line: none;"><span style="color: #1155cc; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; text-decoration-line: underline; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">https://mynbc15.com/news/local/alabama-supreme-court-rules-in-vitro-embryos-are-children</span></a></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><a href="https://www.huffpost.com/entry/alabama-ruling-frozen-embryos-children_n_65d29a77e4b043f1c0aba2b9" style="text-decoration-line: none;"><span style="color: #1155cc; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; text-decoration-line: underline; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">https://www.huffpost.com/entry/alabama-ruling-frozen-embryos-children_n_65d29a77e4b043f1c0aba2b9</span></a></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><a href="https://www.politico.com/news/magazine/2023/05/29/alabama-abortion-clinic-problem-00096020" style="text-decoration-line: none;"><span style="color: #1155cc; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; text-decoration-line: underline; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">https://www.politico.com/news/magazine/2023/05/29/alabama-abortion-clinic-problem-00096020</span></a></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><a href="https://www.al.com/news/mobile/2024/02/frozen-embryos-are-children-alabama-supreme-court-rules-in-reviving-couples-wrongful-death-suits.html" style="text-decoration-line: none;"><span style="color: #1155cc; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; text-decoration-line: underline; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">https://www.al.com/news/mobile/2024/02/frozen-embryos-are-children-alabama-supreme-court-rules-in-reviving-couples-wrongful-death-suits.html</span></a></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><a href="https://www.al.com/news/mobile/2022/04/frozen-embryo-not-a-child-mobile-judge-rules-in-throwing-out-wrongful-death-claim.html" style="text-decoration-line: none;"><span style="color: #1155cc; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; text-decoration-line: underline; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">https://www.al.com/news/mobile/2022/04/frozen-embryo-not-a-child-mobile-judge-rules-in-throwing-out-wrongful-death-claim.html</span></a></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><a href="https://www.cnn.com/interactive/2022/us/abortion-laws-access-by-state/index.html" style="text-decoration-line: none;"><span style="color: #1155cc; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; text-decoration-line: underline; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">https://www.cnn.com/interactive/2022/us/abortion-laws-access-by-state/index.html</span></a></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Emily Ren</span> </p></span>Emily Renhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11854930458353027901noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1054910627465846465.post-67347447599818953332024-02-18T11:10:00.000-08:002024-02-18T11:10:58.087-08:00Trump's Plans for Sweeping Abortion Restrictions<p>Trump, who has so far avoided taking a stance on abortion, recently privately expressed support for a 16-week national abortion ban, with exceptions only for rape, incest, or to save the mother's life. With this position, he seems to be hoping to appease the conservative Republicans without alienating independent or more moderate voters, although the flippancy with which he treats such an important right -- as a political bargaining chip and nothing more -- is quite off-putting: “Know what I like about 16? ... It’s even. It’s four months," he said in a private conversation. </p><p>As appalling as it sounds to implement a nationwide restriction on abortion, it's important to know that a 16-week ban wouldn't actually have much of an affect on the state of abortions right now -- almost 94% of abortions take place before 13-weeks of pregnancy according to the CDC. Plus abortion is currently banned before or at 16 weeks in 20 states. However, as Trump's remarks implied, there's also no real medical reason for a 16-week ban (15-weeks has been called for by many anti-abortion activists), and many scans and tests for rare but potentially fatal conditions in fetuses take place after this mark. </p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjely7bMTOmLOMVsR_9mxxHm6n6r_8tJ83BZm23k-wu9JeEwl2GfJFM_nYJFRq4eNQUz9qH4qsPkPmRnIGkytrYMKIUvJO7b5_zdcnACS7cnl7XJGzw3qDEYpQGbnkFV3KF3ORK3nejmXsCTi_rFD5nPXMSos4YUnhg8rgHrqwxcnDkQ-IhLnJXrJYPRtxp/s760/240216-donald-trump-ew-1218p-867181.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="506" data-original-width="760" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjely7bMTOmLOMVsR_9mxxHm6n6r_8tJ83BZm23k-wu9JeEwl2GfJFM_nYJFRq4eNQUz9qH4qsPkPmRnIGkytrYMKIUvJO7b5_zdcnACS7cnl7XJGzw3qDEYpQGbnkFV3KF3ORK3nejmXsCTi_rFD5nPXMSos4YUnhg8rgHrqwxcnDkQ-IhLnJXrJYPRtxp/s320/240216-donald-trump-ew-1218p-867181.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="color: #666666;">Trump speaking at a rally (https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/2024-election/trump-campaign-scrambles-abortion-ban-report-democrats-16-weeks-rcna139223)</span></div></div></div><p></p><p>Also, while many countries do not allow abortion after 16 weeks -- the US is currently one of about a dozen that do -- these laws have very broad and much more flexible exceptions for a variety of reasons, like mental health or economic challenges. The bans currently in place in the US, however, do not -- for example, a few months ago, the Texas Supreme Court overturned a court order allowing Kate Cox to obtain an abortion. Cox was pregnant with a baby with trisomy 18, a rare condition where there is no live birth in about 70% of pregnancies (not accounting for the potentially short life-spans of babies who are born alive). She was frequently in and out of the emergency room, and doctors had declared that carrying the baby to term would have serious consequences to her health and ability to have more children. This is just one example of the strictness of US abortion bans, the likes of which Trump seems to support.</p><p>Trump has held off on publicly expressing his opinion prior to gaining the nomination according to the Times, so the fact that he's consistently and pretty obviously has a large margin on Haley has probably encouraged him to be more open about these ideas. He has historically been pretty inconsistent about supporting or opposing abortion, previously criticizing DeSantis's six-week ban in Florida. His campaign spokesperson Karoline Leavitt has officially stated that he has not committed to a national abortion ban, and that he'd be willing to “sit down with both sides and negotiate a deal that everyone will be happy with.” (Which is pretty ironic given how little negotiating has been happening, the lack of which has been due, at least in part, to Trump's influence, in Congress). </p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKHrhC4qPeHYvdLbacRZoKca9Tim8kxKaJUX7uI6T-ZVWiyRZ_yiKtJVZq80BGN5zOu-ijrT4FyZD5sx6lvcArOUFRF6sNhVQuxqzeuExCi71himdYi5cGTlafZuECSV_dWY05J0pjqeIdBcPXj4tnC_jewU8Btx_5wygrQ4hebRCLwsuhHEIZKhyvly6P/s645/Screen%20Shot%202024-02-18%20at%2011.04.54%20AM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="534" data-original-width="645" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKHrhC4qPeHYvdLbacRZoKca9Tim8kxKaJUX7uI6T-ZVWiyRZ_yiKtJVZq80BGN5zOu-ijrT4FyZD5sx6lvcArOUFRF6sNhVQuxqzeuExCi71himdYi5cGTlafZuECSV_dWY05J0pjqeIdBcPXj4tnC_jewU8Btx_5wygrQ4hebRCLwsuhHEIZKhyvly6P/s320/Screen%20Shot%202024-02-18%20at%2011.04.54%20AM.png" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="color: #666666;">The status of state abortion laws in the US as of 1/12/2024 (https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/ng-interactive/2023/nov/10/state-abortion-laws-us)</span></div></div></div><p></p><p>Beyond the nomination, however, Trump will have difficulty with abortion policy on the national stage as well -- nearly two-thirds of Americans disproved of the Supreme Court's decision to overturn Roe v. Wade (which was largely made possible due to Trump's three appointed justices), according to a CNN poll, and most do not support a national ban. The Democrats and Biden's campaign have been taking advantage of this issue in their campaign, and it seems to have hurt Republicans in elections as well. Plus, it just doesn't seem right (to put it lightly) for someone to take such a dismissive view on an issue that affects millions of lives and use it for their own political gain. </p><p>This goes to show how the Supreme Court, as we've learned in this unit, can and does have an influence on politics, and that their decisions, while missing the actual power of implementation, can open the door for legislators to take action. Plus, the overturning of Roe v. Wade also exemplifies the concerns many have about the undemocratic nature of the nomination process for justices, as the fact that Trump alone was able to choose three justices seems to highlight. </p><p>Sources:</p><p></p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>https://apnews.com/article/abortion-federal-ban-trump-2024-election-61c3edcd3780ce94be3bd8d65f100f23</li><li>https://www.nytimes.com/2024/02/17/us/politics/trump-allies-abortion-restrictions.html?searchResultPosition=1</li><li>https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/2024-election/trump-campaign-scrambles-abortion-ban-report-democrats-16-weeks-rcna139223</li><li>https://www.cnn.com/2024/02/17/politics/biden-democrats-attack-trump-abortion-report/index.html</li><li>https://www.nytimes.com/2024/02/16/us/politics/trump-abortion-ban.html?searchResultPosition=4</li><li>https://www.reuters.com/world/us/trump-privately-favors-16-week-national-abortion-ban-new-york-times-reports-2024-02-16/</li><li>https://www.politico.com/news/2024/02/16/trump-16-week-abortion-ban-00142007</li><li>https://www.nytimes.com/2024/02/17/upshot/trump-16-week-abortion-ban.html?searchResultPosition=3</li><li>https://www.nytimes.com/2022/01/22/upshot/abortion-us-roe-global.html</li><li>https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2024/feb/16/trump-16-week-abortion-ban-exceptions-report</li><li>https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2024/02/16/democrats-trump-abortion-report/</li><li>https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2024-02-16/trump-tells-allies-he-backs-16-week-abortion-ban</li><li>https://www.forbes.com/sites/mollybohannon/2024/02/16/trump-prefers-nationwide-16-week-abortion-ban-in-private/?sh=34a2e212551f</li><li>https://s3.documentcloud.org/documents/22122830/abortion.pdf</li><li>https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/ng-interactive/2023/nov/10/state-abortion-laws-us</li></ul><p></p>Rachel Mahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16368682538869566258noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1054910627465846465.post-66264684834855749282024-02-15T19:29:00.000-08:002024-02-15T19:29:02.822-08:00Supreme Court Declines to Prevent West Point From Using Affirmative Action<p dir="ltr" style="caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); line-height: 1.8; margin-bottom: 9pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-size-adjust: auto;"><span style="color: #404040; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span id="docs-internal-guid-dddc6fda-7fff-68ad-0880-46db6ad6867d" style="color: black; text-size-adjust: auto; white-space-collapse: collapse;"><span style="color: #404040; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Affirmative action, simply defined as efforts to provide educational or employment opportunities to historically marginalized groups, has long been a controversial topic. Affirmative action was first initiated around the period of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 to improve opportunities for African Americans, and today beneficiaries include a variety of minority racial groups, women, and disabled individuals. Although proponents of affirmative action appreciate the opportunities it provides socioeconomically or historically disadvantaged individuals, it is often at a detriment to those not included, which adversaries find discriminatory. Because Americans’ wishes for diversity and opposition to being judged or held to different standards due to their skin color conflict, various interest groups have popped up on both sides of the debate.</span></span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); line-height: 1.8; margin-bottom: 9pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-size-adjust: auto;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggAOAGvt0RieHhVahFw12T8tSGeaXXH8xFm7pJRUeCQzf84fUoZyZ_PwpFnTeif4ICMahrDYCxT4u72N8ocy_fvuMAGM-nEIRZijXzQRPe_TX0ynjolQ9V-stlGjRR3Bco_rgXrJXRhd21lX3VZyU2MwPOti9r836mOnX8nwvqoFjI5lF8S3xB6_9O1zyF/s424/Screen%20Shot%202024-02-15%20at%206.57.11%20PM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="305" data-original-width="424" height="230" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggAOAGvt0RieHhVahFw12T8tSGeaXXH8xFm7pJRUeCQzf84fUoZyZ_PwpFnTeif4ICMahrDYCxT4u72N8ocy_fvuMAGM-nEIRZijXzQRPe_TX0ynjolQ9V-stlGjRR3Bco_rgXrJXRhd21lX3VZyU2MwPOti9r836mOnX8nwvqoFjI5lF8S3xB6_9O1zyF/s320/Screen%20Shot%202024-02-15%20at%206.57.11%20PM.png" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">Public opinion poll from Pew Research Center</span></div><p></p><p dir="ltr" style="caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); line-height: 1.8; margin-bottom: 9pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-size-adjust: auto;"><span style="color: #404040; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Students for Fair Admissions (SFFA), founded in 2014, is one that appeared on the conservative side. They have frequently challenged race-based admission in schools, though their most notable achievements may be their successes with </span><span style="color: #404040; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; font-style: italic; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Students for Fair Admissions v. Harvard </span><span style="color: #404040; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">and </span><span style="color: #404040; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; font-style: italic; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Students for Fair Admissions v. University of North Carolina</span><span style="color: #404040; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">, which overturned precedent (Grutter v. Bollinger) and banned affirmative action in college admissions. The Supreme Court had held that both Harvard and UNC race-conscious admissions process violated the Fourteenth Amendment, namely the equal protection clause. </span></p><p dir="ltr" style="caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); line-height: 1.8; margin-bottom: 9pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-size-adjust: auto;"><span style="color: #404040; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiEkimt1--bNmHkQs0TmCC2wWuk8smbU5F_gK-2gBGJhXHxqnoE48LuN-8VmNy8NmA2S-27e9iFnhdCDCjTHh2ftEttHFBk5DLaseIq2_yewxbZ24VbVWwd6mzPCCLoE2VYxf3pZnr5SLIUuiHT08fMkgG2HKWvexNZnsDxAHZTK2id6aF2CsIUItsDWKSB" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="405" data-original-width="720" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiEkimt1--bNmHkQs0TmCC2wWuk8smbU5F_gK-2gBGJhXHxqnoE48LuN-8VmNy8NmA2S-27e9iFnhdCDCjTHh2ftEttHFBk5DLaseIq2_yewxbZ24VbVWwd6mzPCCLoE2VYxf3pZnr5SLIUuiHT08fMkgG2HKWvexNZnsDxAHZTK2id6aF2CsIUItsDWKSB" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">SFFA president Edward Blum at a rally one day before the trail of <i>Students for Fair Admissions v. Harvard</i></span></div><p></p><p dir="ltr" style="caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); line-height: 1.8; margin-bottom: 9pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-size-adjust: auto;"><span style="color: #404040; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Despite the Supreme Court’s 2023 ruling on affirmative action, they have held a different standard with the United States Military Academy West Point. Last month, SFFA sued West Point and requested the Supreme Court to stop their race-conscious admissions process on the basis of the inconsistency, but was denied. However, the Supreme Court had purposefully made military academies exempt from the 2023 ruling, due to “potentially distinct interests” there may be to consider applicants’ races. Because West Point is a "vital pipeline to the officer corps" (Department of Justice), their admissions strive to keep the officers as diverse as the enlisted personnel. Currently, there are some disparities, as Black and Hispanic representation among officers is only half of that of active personnel (11% to 20.2% and 9% to 18% respectively). </span></p><p dir="ltr" style="caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); line-height: 1.8; margin-bottom: 9pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-size-adjust: auto;"><br style="text-size-adjust: auto;" /><span style="color: #404040; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; text-size-adjust: auto; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Although affirmative action in college admissions and in military academies are essentially the same thing, the difference in outcomes comes down to strict scrutiny. In </span><span style="color: #404040; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; font-style: italic; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; text-size-adjust: auto; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Students for Fair Admissions v. Harvard</span><span style="color: #404040; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; text-size-adjust: auto; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"> (and UNC), the schools were unable to prove their race-conscious admissions served a “compelling governmental interest”, as well as employed racial stereotypes and failed to offer specificities. West Point, on the other hand, seems able to provide evidence supporting the necessity of affirmative action on their admissions. Regardless, as of now, the Supreme Court is leaving the case open to possibility.</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); line-height: 1.8; margin-bottom: 9pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-size-adjust: auto;"><span style="color: #404040; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; text-size-adjust: auto; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><br /></span></p><div style="line-height: 1.8; margin-bottom: 9pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: left; text-size-adjust: auto;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="color: #404040; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; text-size-adjust: auto; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Sources:<br /></span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; text-size-adjust: auto; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="color: #404040; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;">https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/supreme-court/supreme-court-declines-immediately-block-west-point-considering-race-a-rcna136527<br /></span></span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; text-size-adjust: auto; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="color: #404040; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;">https://www.reuters.com/legal/us-military-academy-west-point-can-continue-consider-race-admissions-judge-rules-2024-01-03/<br /></span></span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; text-size-adjust: auto; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="color: #404040; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;">https://www.britannica.com/topic/discrimination-society<br /></span></span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; text-size-adjust: auto; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="color: #404040; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;">https://www.oyez.org/cases/2022/20-1199</span></span></span></div><p dir="ltr" style="caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); line-height: 1.8; margin-bottom: 9pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-size-adjust: auto;"><span style="color: #404040; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; text-size-adjust: auto; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><br /></span></p>Annie Sabanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04464643975598096765noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1054910627465846465.post-38505037420537810672024-02-14T19:17:00.000-08:002024-02-14T19:17:45.629-08:00Secretary of Homeland Security Impeached<div><div>The Secretary of Homeland Security, Alejandro Mayorkas, was recently impeached (after a failed first attempt on February 6, 214-216) by an extremely close 214-213 vote in the House. He is the first cabinet secretary to be impeached since William Belknap in 1876. </div><div><br /></div><div>The vote was essentially divided along party lines, as all 214 votes for impeachment were from Republicans and all but three of the 213 votes in opposition were Democrats (the three Republicans that voted against impeachment stated that his actions were not severe enough to warrant an impeachment), whereas the Democrats were united in their opposition (two Democratic representatives were unable to vote due to COVID-19 and a delayed flight--had either voted, the impeachment would have failed again). House majority leader Steve Scalise proved critical, returning from cancer treatment to vote for impeachment after missing the previous attempt. </div><div><br /></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiJ7QCRt8_n8zMZKOXrcqeVtDgLCRn-W0wiMV5WtrV65sa5dgAT1V0bEMmObTx_Vv3J5QopF7LONTjR1Sa09a_8kFZAQbzr8T-suSf9OmeZtwfGty4vd7LthJcPRQGyzeEy3DRAjhiA_4rcZi4KMsjaR6eNsbozZxcgyt6Rc0D9cFcG1GysL76APnuv7rxM" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="482" data-original-width="360" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiJ7QCRt8_n8zMZKOXrcqeVtDgLCRn-W0wiMV5WtrV65sa5dgAT1V0bEMmObTx_Vv3J5QopF7LONTjR1Sa09a_8kFZAQbzr8T-suSf9OmeZtwfGty4vd7LthJcPRQGyzeEy3DRAjhiA_4rcZi4KMsjaR6eNsbozZxcgyt6Rc0D9cFcG1GysL76APnuv7rxM" width="179" /></a></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #666666; font-size: x-small;">Alejandro Mayorkas. (https://www.uscis.gov/about-us/our-history/explore-agency-history/commissioners-and-directors/alejandro-mayorkas)</span></div></div><div><br /></div><div><div>Democrats argue that the standards of impeachment written in the Constitution, "treason, bribery, or other high crimes and misdemeanors," were not reached, and that actions as severe as impeachments should not be used to express differences in political ideology and opinions about policy. Senate majority leader, Democrat Chuck Schumer, said that House Republicans "failed to present any evidence of anything resembling an impeachable offense," and President Biden condemned the impeachment as well.</div><div><br /></div></div><div>Republicans in favor of the impeachment blame Mayorkas for the current state of immigration, including the influxes that have overwhelmed states like Texas and even cities not near the border like Chicago, New York, Boston, and Denver. Mark E. Green, the chairman of the House Homeland Security Committee where the impeachment originated (not the House Judiciary Committee where impeachments typically begin, as we've learned in class) stated that their investigations "demonstrated beyond any doubt that Secretary Mayorkas has willfully and systemically refused to comply with the laws of the United States, and breached the public trust." The two charges against Mayorkas include replacing Trump-era policies like Remain in Mexico and violating the Immigration and Nationality Act of 1952 by implementing a "catch-and-release" system, as well as breaching public trust by misrepresenting the state of the border.</div><div><br /></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjHbbJSzmnS5HlfGSFEmuzhp4LHk4zxyBQmg8PokJ5-K6DTmP0t1DQdV-nznoaArhGUKJilPy7-beidInOL2j7Kvt-8nopsCUhwnOBsi1QruZs3U_p1JgKF6XHFY1tWn4iVOjsF-ydVExf-Hbv1t6laP9KYgooDmkBCGVOQQ7CmpHfWowZqJoJ2cuMiGueT" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="1599" data-original-width="2844" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjHbbJSzmnS5HlfGSFEmuzhp4LHk4zxyBQmg8PokJ5-K6DTmP0t1DQdV-nznoaArhGUKJilPy7-beidInOL2j7Kvt-8nopsCUhwnOBsi1QruZs3U_p1JgKF6XHFY1tWn4iVOjsF-ydVExf-Hbv1t6laP9KYgooDmkBCGVOQQ7CmpHfWowZqJoJ2cuMiGueT" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #666666; font-size: x-small;">The three Republicans that voted against impeachment, from left to right: Ken Buck, Tom McClintock, and Mike Gallagher. (https://www.cnn.com/2024/02/13/politics/alejandro-mayorkas-impeachment-vote/index.html)</span></div></div><div><br /></div><div>As we've seen in the past months, impeachments have become much more commonly used as political weapons, although convictions, which we've learned require a 2/3rds vote in the Senate, are much rarer. The charges against Mayorkas have been called "dead on arrival" in the Senate, which has a Democrat majority, due to this high bar. As a result, many have questioned whether this is a publicity stunt by the Republicans, who may be hoping to draw attention to immigration, which has emerged as a prominent concern ahead of the presidential election this year, in order to build support for Trump and his much more aggressive stance on immigration policy (if not for political motives, why impeach Mayorkas after Republicans recently refused to support a bill with much more restrictive immigration measures?). Additionally, some have suggested that this may be part of House Speaker Mike Johnson's effort to stabilize his position and appease Trump. This also relates to what we've recently covered in class about the balance between Congress and the bureaucracy and the role Congress plays as the "watchdog", although in this case, the check on power does not seem to be being used as intended. </div><div><br /></div><div>Political motives aside, it is definitely true that the border has been under a lot of pressure during the relaxed restrictions of the Biden administration. In 2022, the Border Patrol recorded 2.2 million illegal border crossings, a record amount (although previous numbers are considered extremely undercounted). However, while border policy has been very far from perfect and is definitely an extremely pressing issue, I'd be tempted to agree with the Democrats in that impeachment is not warranted. </div></div><div><br /></div><div>Sources :</div>https://www.nytimes.com/2024/02/13/us/politics/mayorkas-impeachment-house.html<div>https://www.cbsnews.com/news/alejandro-mayorkas-impeachment-second-house-vote/<div>https://apnews.com/article/mayorkas-impeachment-border-immigration-congress-3bff388c2f0d1cc718f43d901bc50690</div><div>https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-68286641</div><div>https://www.pbs.org/newshour/politics/what-you-should-know-about-the-impeachment-of-homeland-security-secretary-mayorkas</div><div>https://www.npr.org/2024/02/13/1230977868/house-impeachment-mayorkas-border</div><div>https://www.politico.com/live-updates/2024/02/13/congress/mayorkas-impeached-house-gop-00141296</div><div>https://time.com/6590641/alejandro-mayorkas-impeachment-house-gop/</div><div>https://www.cnn.com/2024/02/13/politics/alejandro-mayorkas-impeachment-vote/index.html</div></div>Rachel Mahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16368682538869566258noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1054910627465846465.post-31076820240490761562024-02-12T23:54:00.000-08:002024-02-12T23:54:01.642-08:00Trump Under Fire For “Unhinged” NATO Comments<p><span id="docs-internal-guid-6c73390f-7fff-c0a1-d84b-c6fe9f4e0e91"></span></p><p style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: left;"><span id="docs-internal-guid-53c2e929-7fff-1540-ee1b-5d171ac26e5f"></span></p><p style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Trump has a reputation for making claims and comments that may seem bewildering out of any other politician’s mouth, yet are somehow unsurprising when he says them—many of his quotes being overly exaggerated and incredibly controversial, garnering massive media attention. Aptly referred to as “Trumpisms,” his absurd lack of filter when it comes to his responses has recently struck again as Trump continues to build momentum for his campaign. </span></p><p style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><br /></span></p><p style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; white-space-collapse: preserve;">On Saturday night (February 10th), during one of his campaign rallies in Conway, South Carolina, Trump related a conversation between himself and who he said was a significant NATO ally, in which he stated that if a NATO member didn’t meet the defense spending guidelines, then he’d let Russia “do anything” to them.</span></p><span id="docs-internal-guid-4daba509-7fff-9c22-7ba8-8ec2f962467d"><p style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><br /></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 36pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">“One of the presidents of a big country stood up and said, ‘Well, sir, if we don’t pay, and we’re attacked by Russia, will you protect us?’” Trump recounted. </span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 36pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">“‘You didn’t pay? You’re delinquent?... No, I would not protect you. In fact, I would encourage them to do whatever the hell they want. You gotta pay. You gotta pay your bills,’” he responded.</span></p></span><span><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span id="docs-internal-guid-e3848b88-7fff-f3d1-6551-e5cc5f8ec2e2"><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: center; text-indent: 36pt;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap; white-space: pre;"><br /></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: center;"><span id="docs-internal-guid-30dcb3e1-7fff-2efe-93d5-fbffd37e3630"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="border: none; display: inline-block; height: 196px; overflow: hidden; width: 349px;"><img height="196" src="https://lh7-us.googleusercontent.com/uEujoAhB-oCApm9YztSop0_nzXPl5Bfcl3e-fhvou-C4cPvxpFZRZqg_UZO8lizzrqCWO8V0iFBhlvdGYbc_Vz97NM3LNZNBTCMIQKi2gdkkSNFk2_7H7c3JDDJTncRm7yqMyDaFhePd0jwUNO97Zzk" style="margin-left: 0px; margin-top: 0px;" width="349" /></span></span></span></p></span></span></span><p dir="ltr" style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14.6667px; line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: center; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-style: italic; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline;">Photo from NBC News</span></p><span><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: center; text-indent: 36pt;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-style: italic; text-indent: 36pt;">Donald Trump speaking at his campaign rally in Conway, South Carolina</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline;"><br /></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline;">And while most of Trump’s comments generally aren’t a direct reflection of his policy beliefs, this comment stoked a large amount of angry responses, especially at a time when many European nations were worried about their own national security during the ongoing Russo-Ukrainian conflict. Any perceived lack of commitment to NATO on the U.S. side could encourage more Russian overstepping of border boundaries. Many European leaders have criticized his statements:</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline;"><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="text-wrap: nowrap;"> </span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 36pt;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline;">“Any suggestion that allies will not defend each other undermines all of our security, including that of the US, and puts American and European soldiers at increased risk,” NATO Secretary General Jan Stoltenberg said in reaction to Trump’s comments.</span></p><div><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline;"><span id="docs-internal-guid-b8ffc420-7fff-8604-0224-7c9e40055071"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="border: none; display: inline-block; height: 265px; overflow: hidden; width: 393px;"><img height="265" src="https://lh7-us.googleusercontent.com/wq1qONWuUCqdhDBBeCMCrm8r5r0gsnVhjlpkS6KXyi8IzhdCe0csVQYSu10OF6RjMqZ22TCPf46YfFbDtz_pH1D_LNjS2DEi_q-zuUySoZiH3kLgMibFllymFHScDeQ5RhVknB_TrrAg48-GZWLdi4I" style="margin-left: 0px; margin-top: 0px;" width="393" /></span></span></span></span></div><div><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline;"><span id="docs-internal-guid-7c10d015-7fff-b891-51ca-59ea8d4826db"><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-style: italic; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline;">Photo from Sean Gallup/Getty Images</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-style: italic; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline;">Jens Stoltenberg, left, speaks with Donald Trump during a NATO summit in 2018</span></p></span></span></div><div><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline;"><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline;">The White House has even denounced his statements as “unhinged”: </span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 36pt;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline;">“Encouraging invasions of our closest allies by murderous regimes is appalling and unhinged – and it endangers American national security, global stability, and our economy at home,” said White House spokesperson Andrew Bates.</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline;">On the other hand, Florida Senator Marco Rubio on CNN’s “State of the Union” stated that others misunderstood Trump’s intentions. “That’s not how I view that statement,” he told host Jake Tapper. Rubio said Trump was simply using a story from his presidency to air his grievances about NATO. “He doesn’t talk like a traditional politician,” once again referring to Trump’s, well, Trumpisms. </span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline;">Initially created after World War II as a response to the growing power of the Soviet Union, the North Atlantic Treaty Organization now has 31 member states. Article 5 of the treaty states that an attack on any of the member states will be considered an attack on them all—this article was invoked after the 9/11 terrorist attacks on the U.S. As for defense spending, NATO members have agreed to spend 2% of their GDP as a target figure, but it is certainly not a required amount. And while some nations do fall short of the guideline, they’ve been upping their spending, “with European allies and Canada increasing spending for eight consecutive years” (Politico). </span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline;">Trump has always been critical of NATO, claiming that it takes advantage of the U.S. military power and taxpayer money without giving anything in return, despite its involvement with U.S. military operations overseas post-9/11 and giving the U.S. ability to keep a close eye on other parts of the world (most notably Russia and China) through the military alliance. His denouncement of NATO and U.S. ties to the treaty can have profound effects on the current Russo-Ukrainian conflict and NATO’s attempts to keep Russia and China in check, especially if he is re-elected for a second term and withdraws from the organization, as Trump’s past national security adviser John Bolton says he might do.</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline;">Sources:</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><a href="https://www.politico.com/news/2024/02/11/trump-nato-remarks-democrats-putin-00140848" style="text-decoration-line: none;"><span style="color: #1155cc; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; text-decoration-line: underline; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; vertical-align: baseline;">https://www.politico.com/news/2024/02/11/trump-nato-remarks-democrats-putin-00140848</span></a></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><a href="https://www.cnn.com/2024/02/12/europe/trump-nato-putin-europe-analysis-intl/index.html" style="text-decoration-line: none;"><span style="color: #1155cc; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; text-decoration-line: underline; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; vertical-align: baseline;">https://www.cnn.com/2024/02/12/europe/trump-nato-putin-europe-analysis-intl/index.html</span></a></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><a href="https://www.cnn.com/2024/02/12/europe/trump-comments-reaction-nato-stoltenberg-intl-hnk/index.html#:~:text=In%20a%20statement%20Sunday%2C%20Stoltenberg,increased%20risk%2C%E2%80%9D%20Stoltenberg%20said" style="text-decoration-line: none;"><span style="color: #1155cc; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; text-decoration-line: underline; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; vertical-align: baseline;">https://www.cnn.com/2024/02/12/europe/trump-comments-reaction-nato-stoltenberg-intl-hnk/index.html#:~:text=In%20a%20statement%20Sunday%2C%20Stoltenberg,increased%20risk%2C%E2%80%9D%20Stoltenberg%20said</span></a><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline;">.</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><a href="https://cnn.com/2024/02/11/politics/rubio-trump-nato-haley-husband-national-guard-cnntv/index.html" style="text-decoration-line: none;"><span style="color: #1155cc; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; text-decoration-line: underline; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; vertical-align: baseline;">https://cnn.com/2024/02/11/politics/rubio-trump-nato-haley-husband-national-guard-cnntv/index.html</span></a><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline;"> </span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline;"><br /></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">Emily Ren</p></span></div></span></span></span>Emily Renhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11854930458353027901noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1054910627465846465.post-85462159299262534622024-02-12T21:13:00.000-08:002024-02-12T21:15:47.748-08:00Trump Appeals to Supreme Court for Temporary Halt on Ruling Rejecting Absolute Immunity<p><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 12pt; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Last week, on February 6th, 2024, the D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals judges unanimously agreed with a 57-page decision that Trump would be eligible to be prosecuted for alleged crimes he committed while in office. This is considered a win for special counsel Jack Smith, who is charging Trump on 4 criminal counts, including conspiracy and fraud. He wants to put Trump on trial for his attempts to subvert the 2020 presidential elections. Trump quickly decided to appeal to the Supreme Court as he is the top Republican candidate and is likely to rematch with Joe Biden in November, 2024. </span></p><span id="docs-internal-guid-94dff15c-7fff-4147-4838-e92b4cbcd06e"><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="border: none; display: inline-block; height: 415px; overflow: hidden; width: 624px;"><img height="415" src="https://lh7-us.googleusercontent.com/1yNzqQSoyKf8K2LLWULc56g96C436gCMcYcKLK7CZfwzG3untjeas_5LRgJMSZxTtdQ1_o6tjdRJmh1hopIQrpgSLbhhxhIMG73pvle5BJS2V57MNX-RBHZB1fyALQAtZhZqZnuFsbQ_eGSC7f05EU4" style="margin-left: 0px; margin-top: 0px;" width="624" /></span></span><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><br /><br /></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Today, Monday, February 12, 2024, Donald Trump’s lawyers asked the Supreme Court to pause the appeal’s court ruling for criminal immunity. His lawyers claim their ruling is “a stunning breach of precedent and historical norms;” using the Constitution’s separation of power makes it so that the court cannot review the president’s official acts and that charges are only valid if Congress impeached the president. Although Trump was impeached twice during his presidency, the Senate acquitted him both times, meaning he can run for president again. However, the statement about the charges only being valid if the impeachment has succeeded is false, and the judges dismissed it as it lacked rationality and logic. They also said that allowing a previous president to face criminal charges would ruin the presidency and be a threat to democracy. The lawyers pleaded for the lower courts to consider Trump’s immunity further. </span><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Yet, D.C. judges counter that accusation by writing, “Any executive immunity that may have protected him while he served as President no longer protects him against this prosecution.” Although Trump was a president, his era has ended. He is now considered at the same level as any individual and subjected to criminal prosecution like anyone else; any protection he had when he was President no longer applies to him. It is to note that both liberal and conservative judges rejected Trump’s claims of immunity.</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">In hopes of preventing the proceedings, Trump requests the Supreme Court to grant a stay until the D.C. judges reconsider the ruling, an en banc review. An en banc is a French term used to describe a special procedure where all judges of that court, in this case, the D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals, hear a case. Trump’s application is still currently still on hold until the Supreme Court either accepts or rejects his grant. It takes 5 justices to grant a stay, 3 of whom were nominated by Trump himself.
</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap; white-space: pre;">Links:</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><b id="docs-internal-guid-4daa237b-7fff-da19-6cbd-0488543b492b" style="font-weight: normal;"><br /></b></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><a href="https://www.politico.com/news/2024/02/06/trump-is-not-immune-from-prosecution-for-bid-to-subvert-the-2020-election-appeals-court-rules-00139832" style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="-webkit-text-decoration-skip: none; background-color: transparent; color: #1155cc; font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap; white-space: pre;">https://www.politico.com/news/2024/02/06/trump-is-not-immune-from-prosecution-for-bid-to-subvert-the-2020-election-appeals-court-rules-00139832</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap; white-space: pre;"><br /><br /></span></a></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><a href="https://www.politico.com/news/2024/02/12/trump-immunity-ruling-supreme-court-00141034" style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="-webkit-text-decoration-skip: none; background-color: transparent; color: #1155cc; font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap; white-space: pre;">https://www.politico.com/news/2024/02/12/trump-immunity-ruling-supreme-court-00141034</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap; white-space: pre;"><br /></span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap; white-space: pre;"><br /></span></a><a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2024/02/12/us/politics/supreme-court-trump-immunity.html" style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="-webkit-text-decoration-skip: none; background-color: transparent; color: #1155cc; font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap; white-space: pre;">https://www.nytimes.com/2024/02/12/us/politics/supreme-court-trump-immunity.html</span></a></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline;"><br /></span><a href="https://www.cnbc.com/2024/02/12/trump-asks-supreme-court-to-delay-immunity-ruling-in-election-case.html" style="text-decoration-line: none;"><span style="color: #1155cc; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; text-decoration-line: underline; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; vertical-align: baseline;">https://www.cnbc.com/2024/02/12/trump-asks-supreme-court-to-delay-immunity-ruling-in-election-case.html</span></a>
<span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> <span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span>
- Jessica Xia</span>
</span></p><div><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><br /></span></div></span>Jessica Xiahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13814287149794519848noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1054910627465846465.post-90531285148940049912024-02-11T21:52:00.000-08:002024-02-11T21:56:58.275-08:00Biden Avoids Criminal Charges for Mishandling of Classified Documents<p></p><div><span style="font-family: times; font-size: medium;">On Thursday, February 8, Special Counsel Robert Hur released a report on the status of the federal government's response to President Joe Biden's alleged mishandling of classified documents. Hur had been appointed Special Counsel of the Department of Justice by current Attorney General Merrick Garland on January 12, 2023, to oversee the Department's proceedings in response to the situation.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: times; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: times; font-size: medium;">The first instance of classified documents being found in a space belonging to Biden occurred on November 2, 2022, when Biden's attorneys found a small collection of documents marked as classified in a "locked closet" while clearing out his offices at the Penn Biden Center, in which Biden had worked after completing his tenure as vice president under former president Obama. The attorneys promptly reached out to the office of the White House Counsel, allowing the found documents to be returned to the custody of the National Archives and Records Administration the following day. Three days after the statement of these findings was released, the White House confirmed rumors that had arisen of the presence of classified documents in the garage of Biden's home in Wilmington, Delaware. When asked by a reporter about the situation, Biden stated, </span></div><blockquote><div><span style="color: #666666; font-family: times; font-size: medium;">"My Corvette is in a locked garage. OK? So it’s not like they’re sitting out in the street. But as I said earlier this week, people know I take classified documents and classified material seriously. I also said we’re cooperating fully and completely with the Justice Department’s review."</span></div></blockquote><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEizrMU7CzravLdE-4i5LewgIdCjq-Gl2DAwMleeVVCLGtjKtEAU5I2dvTjKZq7Faqv8BVbMw6_05qquMJHK-d4LYKTjTt8_GPxheOhrirR09dJGDI_hT7zPTMRvCejlddI9GP7H22lJPugZIwkbyrQ2C-_VrJOkL6mE2XlTACfH41cw50TgSRjAlpdCDXI" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: times;"><img alt="" data-original-height="882" data-original-width="1320" height="273" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEizrMU7CzravLdE-4i5LewgIdCjq-Gl2DAwMleeVVCLGtjKtEAU5I2dvTjKZq7Faqv8BVbMw6_05qquMJHK-d4LYKTjTt8_GPxheOhrirR09dJGDI_hT7zPTMRvCejlddI9GP7H22lJPugZIwkbyrQ2C-_VrJOkL6mE2XlTACfH41cw50TgSRjAlpdCDXI=w408-h273" width="408" /></span></a></div></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: times; font-size: medium;"><i><span>Special Counsel Robert Hur, appointed by Merrick Garland to oversee the investigation into Biden's handling of classified documents. During Trump's presidency, Hur was the top federal prosecutor in Maryland. <span style="color: #666666;">(USA Today)</span></span></i><span style="text-align: left;"> </span></span></div><p></p><p></p><div><span style="font-family: times; font-size: medium;">As part of the updates included in the recent report, it is stated that Biden will not receive any criminal charges for the misplacement of the classified documents. This is a stark contrast from the state of former president Donald Trump's similar criminal proceedings that are occurring simultaneously -- Trump is under indictment for having resisted turning over classified documents he kept at his Mar-a-Lago estate in Florida, a situation that led to the estate being raided for these documents by the FBI. Trump and other Republicans have been keen to use the investigation into Biden as an argument against his 2024 presidential campaign, while liberals on the opposing side argue that Trump has placed himself in an objectively worse position by resisting authorities and receiving criminal indictments by making more irresponsible decisions with his classified documents.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: times; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: times; font-size: medium;">A focus of Hur's report that has gained wide media attention is Biden's capability of interacting with others and recalling vital information, especially due to his old age of 81. According to Hur, Biden's memory struggled greatly during his interviews with the special counsel's office, with Biden failing to remember when he ended his term as vice president or when his son Beau Biden passed away. </span></div><div><blockquote><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #666666; font-family: times; font-size: medium;">“We have also considered that, at trial, Mr. Biden would likely present himself to a jury, as he did during our interview of him, as a sympathetic, well-meaning, elderly man with a poor memory,” the report stated.</span></span></blockquote></div><div><span style="font-family: times; font-size: medium;">Biden angrily responded to this criticism during his remarks on the report on Thursday, with reporters later noting the tense mood of the room at the time.</span></div><div><span style="background-color: white; caret-color: rgb(38, 38, 38);"><span style="color: #666666; font-family: times;"><blockquote><span style="font-size: medium;">"How in the hell dare he raise that?" Biden questioned. "Frankly, when I was asked the question, I thought to myself, it was none of their damn business."</span></blockquote></span></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: times; font-size: medium;"><img alt="President Joe Biden delivers remarks at the White House." class="Image-p11edh-0 gubAgz" height="315" src="https://dynaimage.cdn.cnn.com/cnn/digital-images/org/0e948698-3194-4f5b-bb44-b77f6462057c.JPG" width="472" /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i><span style="font-family: times; font-size: medium;"><span> </span>Joe Biden delivers angered remarks in the White House on Thursday after Robert Hur's report alleges that he is significantly disabled by worsening memory as a result of his age. <span style="color: #666666;">(CNN)</span></span></i></div><div><span style="font-family: times; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: times; font-size: medium;">According to a CNN poll, 46% of Democrats raise Biden's age as a concern regarding his presidency. Although Biden will not be receiving criminal punishment for his mishandling of the classified documents found in his office and home spaces, the lasting effects of this investigation still remain to be seen in the upcoming 2024 presidential election. The events of the paralleling criminal proceedings involving former president Trump will also play a major role in his and Biden's reputations and approval over the coming months.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: times; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: times; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: times; font-size: medium;">Sources:</span></div><div><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><a href="https://apnews.com/article/biden-classified-documents-age-trump-2024-4791639cc06cc0affee55aba80c7e6b3"><span style="font-family: times; font-size: medium;">https://apnews.com/article/biden-classified-documents-age-trump-2024-4791639cc06cc0affee55aba80c7e6b3</span></a></li><li><a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2023/01/12/us/politics/biden-documents.html"><span style="font-family: times; font-size: medium;">https://www.nytimes.com/2023/01/12/us/politics/biden-documents.html</span></a></li><li><a href="https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/2024/02/10/biden-special-counsel-report-crossed-line/72539550007/"><span style="font-family: times; font-size: medium;">https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/2024/02/10/biden-special-counsel-report-crossed-line/72539550007/</span></a></li><li><a href="https://apnews.com/article/biden-politics-united-states-government-812ef44a5333f6d93423a67a683fa024"><span style="font-family: times; font-size: medium;">https://apnews.com/article/biden-politics-united-states-government-812ef44a5333f6d93423a67a683fa024</span></a></li><li><a href="https://www.cnn.com/politics/live-news/biden-classified-documents-report-02-08-24/index.html"><span style="font-family: times; font-size: medium;">https://www.cnn.com/politics/live-news/biden-classified-documents-report-02-08-24/index.html</span></a></li></ul></div><p></p>Joel Djingueuzianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00887118262442867664noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1054910627465846465.post-86012814458140027522024-02-10T15:21:00.000-08:002024-02-10T15:21:08.555-08:00What really happened in the Nevada Republican primaries?<p><span style="text-align: justify;">On Feb. 6, Nevada held both its Democrat and Republican primaries, and on Feb. 8, it held its Republican caucus. Nevada state law requires a primary election, but the Republican party decided to hold its own caucuses, which are meetings run by the party that only Republicans can attend. This decision makes the state-run presidential primary symbolic, as only the caucus winner will receive delegates from Nevada. One candidate cannot run in both the primary and caucus.</span></p><p style="text-align: justify;">As we learned in class, caucuses require that a candidate have strong grassroots support in the state, as participating in a caucus takes more effort and time for voters. Many believe a caucus gives Trump an advantage over other candidates, due to his grassroots appeal and the loyalty of his supporters. </p><p style="text-align: justify;">Nikki Haley chose to participate in the primary, refusing to pay $55,000 to participate in the Nevada caucus, while Donald Trump chose the caucus. Thus, Haley had no opportunity to win delegates from Nevada. Republicans in Nevada felt disrespected by Haley’s choice, as it implies she does not care about winning their delegates. Haley barely campaigned in Nevada, saying she would “focus on the states that are fair.”</p><p><br /></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhXhVtOd-kOZo2Yz1opDpmqM2VcnO-hBBt-ZqpXV_6a6_j6R_be1EDx9zyiJgL1f2X29ieakwLpFhl76qNvAX8osYX5XrtOMxa5nHW5FDxJ-cqmOPLggOMUj_42lHh27-9-c2xO-Pnvt4tGy9POQms4GUvniJ-ljg29RK_gysFOKioPBsSQqSetyZZk4Vw" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="1920" data-original-width="2880" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhXhVtOd-kOZo2Yz1opDpmqM2VcnO-hBBt-ZqpXV_6a6_j6R_be1EDx9zyiJgL1f2X29ieakwLpFhl76qNvAX8osYX5XrtOMxa5nHW5FDxJ-cqmOPLggOMUj_42lHh27-9-c2xO-Pnvt4tGy9POQms4GUvniJ-ljg29RK_gysFOKioPBsSQqSetyZZk4Vw" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;">Photo from Associated Press</div><div style="text-align: center;">Nikki Haley speaks at campaign event in Los Angeles</div><p></p><p style="text-align: justify;">According to NBC News, the primaries confused many voters, who prepared to vote in the Nevada primaries and did not see Trump’s name on the ballot. Additionally, Republican Nevada Governor Joe Lombardo publicly endorsed Trump and said he would vote for the option “none of the candidates,” which likely inspired other Trump supporters to vote for this option to show their support for Trump.</p><p style="text-align: justify;">The “none of these candidates” option was added to the ballot by Nevada lawmakers in 1976 for all statewide races to encourage participation. Post-Watergate, voters were frustrated by their options, and this allowed them to continue voting while expressing that dissatisfaction. In these primaries, this option similarly allowed Trump supporters to participate in the primaries while expressing their discontent with the way the primaries were set up.</p><p style="text-align: justify;">In the primaries, the “none of these candidates” option won with more than a 2-to-1 margin over Haley. Many view this loss as a significant blow to Haley’s campaign. In the caucus, Trump won all 26 Nevada delegates.</p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgnac2t69lJ6s19Lp0TJgTZbGyV9NBhU7wdWO46iLgAfymS-IxvLWcbw89zubbw1gQ040hCzWKsQKhCqCuwnFWCOx0tGp8pdbiz-VGGm8y8tPtmfMfbNFGnT56sKlfU8pQG3wMXHzd7C9XEi4DzDIIVUUuNvZY_5uffW1KqoUzcc4wjaJjXhiSKpB1E8bg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="1920" data-original-width="2880" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgnac2t69lJ6s19Lp0TJgTZbGyV9NBhU7wdWO46iLgAfymS-IxvLWcbw89zubbw1gQ040hCzWKsQKhCqCuwnFWCOx0tGp8pdbiz-VGGm8y8tPtmfMfbNFGnT56sKlfU8pQG3wMXHzd7C9XEi4DzDIIVUUuNvZY_5uffW1KqoUzcc4wjaJjXhiSKpB1E8bg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;">Photo from Associated Press</div><div style="text-align: center;">Donald Trump speaks at a campaign event in Las Vegas</div><p></p><p style="text-align: justify;">In my opinion, what went down in Nevada speaks to the current political climate. It reveals the loyalty and dedication of Trump’s base to turn up for the primaries to symbolically vote with the “none of these candidates” option. This in turn exemplifies how people are able to express their discontent in a democratic system through voting in elections. </p><p style="text-align: justify;">Due to the way this system was set up, there was no competition for the Nevada delegates; Trump was set to win as he was the only major candidate on the ballot for the caucus. Competition is vital for democracy, so this set-up without competition seems undemocratic.</p><p style="text-align: justify;">Furthermore, it accentuates the issue of organization for primary elections. Both the state and parties independently decide how they wish to organize the primary election, which can make the final process complex and incoherent. It was troublesome to see voters' confusion between primary and caucus and the candidate's choice. We discussed in class how complicated voting processes for the local, state, and federal government made voting less accessible. I believe this is dangerous for democracy, as confusing election processes deter political participation.</p><p style="text-align: justify;">What do you think about these Nevada elections? Did each candidate make the best choice given their circumstances? What could be the impact of this turnout on future elections?</p><p>Sources:</p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li aria-level="1" dir="ltr" style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; list-style-type: disc; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><p dir="ltr" role="presentation" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><a href="https://apnews.com/article/nevada-donald-trump-nikki-haley-none-candidates-d5ce36684eb7e41d7d2e74c6957e9196" style="text-decoration-line: none;"><span style="color: #1155cc; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; text-decoration-line: underline; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; text-wrap: wrap; vertical-align: baseline;">https://apnews.com/article/nevada-donald-trump-nikki-haley-none-candidates-d5ce36684eb7e41d7d2e74c6957e9196</span></a></p></li><li aria-level="1" dir="ltr" style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; list-style-type: disc; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><p dir="ltr" role="presentation" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><a href="https://apnews.com/article/nevada-2024-presidential-primary-biden-trump-haley-d731bf8ab1e7d4a7379c07d3a37b581b" style="text-decoration-line: none;"><span style="color: #1155cc; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; text-decoration-line: underline; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; text-wrap: wrap; vertical-align: baseline;">https://apnews.com/article/nevada-2024-presidential-primary-biden-trump-haley-d731bf8ab1e7d4a7379c07d3a37b581b</span></a></p></li><li aria-level="1" dir="ltr" style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; list-style-type: disc; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><p dir="ltr" role="presentation" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><a href="https://www.blogger.com/blog/post/edit/1054910627465846465/8601281445814002752#" style="text-decoration-line: none;"><span style="color: #1155cc; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; text-decoration-line: underline; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; text-wrap: wrap; vertical-align: baseline;">https://apnews.com/article/donald-trump-nikki-haley-republicans-california-primary-6bd5abd7776d8241556e5a085652c109</span></a></p></li><li aria-level="1" dir="ltr" style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; list-style-type: disc; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><p dir="ltr" role="presentation" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><a href="https://abcnews.go.com/Politics/nikki-haley-losing-candidates-option-nevada-republican-primary/story?id=107013869" style="text-decoration-line: none;"><span style="color: #1155cc; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; text-decoration-line: underline; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; text-wrap: wrap; vertical-align: baseline;">https://abcnews.go.com/Politics/nikki-haley-losing-candidates-option-nevada-republican-primary/story?id=107013869</span></a></p></li><li aria-level="1" dir="ltr" style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; list-style-type: disc; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><p dir="ltr" role="presentation" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><a href="https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/2024-election/haley-loses-nevada-republican-primary-without-trump-rcna137367" style="text-decoration-line: none;"><span style="color: #1155cc; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; text-decoration-line: underline; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; text-wrap: wrap; vertical-align: baseline;">https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/2024-election/haley-loses-nevada-republican-primary-without-trump-rcna137367</span></a></p></li><li aria-level="1" dir="ltr" style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; list-style-type: disc; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><p dir="ltr" role="presentation" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><a href="https://abcnews.go.com/Politics/wireStory/ap-called-nevada-gop-primary-candidates-107013778" style="text-decoration-line: none;"><span style="color: #1155cc; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; text-decoration-line: underline; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; text-wrap: wrap; vertical-align: baseline;">https://abcnews.go.com/Politics/wireStory/ap-called-nevada-gop-primary-candidates-107013778</span></a></p></li><li aria-level="1" dir="ltr" style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; list-style-type: disc; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><p dir="ltr" role="presentation" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2024/01/29/us/politics/election-2024-information.html" style="text-decoration-line: none;"><span style="color: #1155cc; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; text-decoration-line: underline; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; text-wrap: wrap; vertical-align: baseline;">https://www.nytimes.com/2024/01/29/us/politics/election-2024-information.html</span></a></p></li></ul>Carole Darvehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00324606826254797268noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1054910627465846465.post-41545341734711707762024-02-08T22:19:00.000-08:002024-02-08T22:19:25.749-08:00Supreme Court Hears Landmark Case on Trump's Eligibility for the Ballot<p><span style="font-family: times; font-size: medium;">Within months of the insurrection on the United States Capitol on January 6, 2021, spearheaded by avid supporters of then-lame-duck president Donald Trump, political scientists and commentators began to speculate on whether a little-known section of the 14th Amendment to the Constitution could be used against Trump for his role in inciting the incident. The 14th Amendment, a Reconstruction amendment protecting citizens' fundamental rights and establishing due process, has gained light for its third section, a paragraph referred to colloquially as the 'insurrection clause':</span></p><p><span style="font-family: times; font-size: medium;"></span></p><blockquote><span style="font-family: times;"><span style="color: #666666; font-size: medium;">"No person shall be a Senator or Representative in Congress, or elector of President and Vice-President, or hold any office, civil or military, under the United States, or under any State, who, having previously taken an oath, as a member of Congress, or as an officer of the United States, or as a member of any State legislature, or as an executive or judicial officer of any State, to support the Constitution of the United States, shall have engaged in insurrection or rebellion against the same, or given aid or comfort to the enemies thereof...."</span></span></blockquote><p><span style="font-family: times; font-size: medium;">Due to the intention of the insurrection clause to bar individuals from office if they have engaged in "insurrection or rebellion," some have argued that Trump ought to be rendered ineligible for and removed from the ballots of the presidential primary and general elections in 2024. Trump's impeachment by the House of Representatives exactly a week after the incident on account of incitement of insurrection has provided a legal basis for proponents of this argument.</span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: times; font-size: medium;"><img alt="Then-President Trump speaks on Jan. 6, 2021, in Washington. " class="image" decoding="async" height="322" sizes="100vw" src="https://ca-times.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/e5e2d81/2147483647/strip/true/crop/5888x3925+0+0/resize/1200x800!/quality/75/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fcalifornia-times-brightspot.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fb5%2F78%2F201402bda50327771b0cb37574d2%2F61301dae8e5443349dd3da02427c81a2" srcset="https://ca-times.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/403e992/2147483647/strip/true/crop/5888x3925+0+0/resize/320x213!/quality/75/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fcalifornia-times-brightspot.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fb5%2F78%2F201402bda50327771b0cb37574d2%2F61301dae8e5443349dd3da02427c81a2 320w, https://ca-times.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/19e171d/2147483647/strip/true/crop/5888x3925+0+0/resize/568x379!/quality/75/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fcalifornia-times-brightspot.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fb5%2F78%2F201402bda50327771b0cb37574d2%2F61301dae8e5443349dd3da02427c81a2 568w, https://ca-times.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/9741c8b/2147483647/strip/true/crop/5888x3925+0+0/resize/768x512!/quality/75/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fcalifornia-times-brightspot.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fb5%2F78%2F201402bda50327771b0cb37574d2%2F61301dae8e5443349dd3da02427c81a2 768w, https://ca-times.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/9a71384/2147483647/strip/true/crop/5888x3925+0+0/resize/1024x683!/quality/75/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fcalifornia-times-brightspot.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fb5%2F78%2F201402bda50327771b0cb37574d2%2F61301dae8e5443349dd3da02427c81a2 1024w, https://ca-times.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/e5e2d81/2147483647/strip/true/crop/5888x3925+0+0/resize/1200x800!/quality/75/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fcalifornia-times-brightspot.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fb5%2F78%2F201402bda50327771b0cb37574d2%2F61301dae8e5443349dd3da02427c81a2 1200w" width="483" /></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: times; font-size: medium;"><i>Former president Trump encouraging his supporters to march to the US Capitol Building on January 6, 2021, during the certification of Biden's victory in the 2020 presidential election. <span style="color: #666666;">(The Washington Post)</span></i></span></p><p><span style="font-family: times; font-size: medium;">The arguments in favor of holding Trump accountable for his actions on January 6 under the insurrection clause ultimately culminated in the case <i>Anderson v. Griswold</i> in Colorado<i>. </i>Filed on September 6, 2023, and with its final decision released on December 19, the Colorado Supreme Court determined that Trump's speech and actions towards his supporters on January 6 constitute insurrection and that Trump is liable for punishment under the 14th Amendment, leading to his removal from the primary election ballot in Colorado.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: times; font-size: medium;">Maine was quick to follow suit and move to have Trump removed from its primary ballot on the basis of the insurrection clause. But the decisions of both states have not come without swift objection from Trump and his legal team, who sued Norma Anderson and the others responsible for the initial suit of <i>Anderson v. Griswold</i> in a new case known as <i>Trump v. Anderson,</i> approved to be heard and pushed through by the US Supreme Court on January 5, 2024. On February 8, the case underwent oral argument, with the majority of justices displaying a notable lean towards Trump's point of view that he ought to remain on primary ballots.</span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: times; font-size: medium;"><img alt="Jonathan Mitchell, an attorney representing former President Donald Trump, speaks in front of the Supreme Court during oral arguments on February 8." class="Image-p11edh-0 gubAgz" height="272" src="https://dynaimage.cdn.cnn.com/cnn/digital-images/org/2c244d44-18a9-454b-b5dc-8c65d9e8b772.jpg" width="456" /></span></p><p></p><div style="text-align: center;"><i><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="text-align: left;">During oral arguments on the afternoon of February 8, 2024, Trump's attorney Jonathan Mitchell speaks before the Supreme Court.</span><span style="caret-color: rgb(153, 153, 153); color: #999999;"> </span><span style="caret-color: rgb(153, 153, 153);"><span style="color: #666666;">(CNN, illustrated by Bill Hennessy)</span></span></span></i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: times; font-size: medium;"><span style="background-color: white; caret-color: rgb(38, 38, 38);">“Your position has the effect of disenfranchising voters to a significant degree,” Justice Brett Kavanaugh argued towards an attorney representing Anderson. However, although Kavanaugh is a known conservative member of the high court, even liberal justices have proven skeptical of the reliability of the respondents' case and evidence. </span><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="caret-color: rgb(38, 38, 38);">“Why should a single state have the ability to make this determination not only for their own citizens, but for the rest of the nation?” asked Justice Elena Kagan. Additionally, Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson, a liberal justice appointed by current president Joe Biden, noted an important point raised by Trump's representatives -- the lack of the word "president" in the provisions of the insurrection clause. </span></span><span style="background-color: white; caret-color: rgb(38, 38, 38);">“I guess that just makes me worry that maybe they weren’t focused on the president,” she elaborated.</span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: times; font-size: medium;"><span style="background-color: white; caret-color: rgb(38, 38, 38);"><br /></span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: times;"><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="caret-color: rgb(38, 38, 38);">While the final decision of </span><i style="caret-color: rgb(38, 38, 38);">Trump v. Anderson</i><span style="caret-color: rgb(38, 38, 38);"> remains pending, many citizens have already used such questions and statements by the justices of the Supreme Court to make the conclusion that the Court is poised to rule in Trump's favor, upholding his placement on primary election ballots nationwide. Some left-leaning citizens may be quick to shun a development like this as a purely political act by the conservative majority of the Supreme Court, but there are also a number of liberal citizens who are not invested in the pursuance of the <i>Trump v. Anderson</i> case. </span></span></span><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: times;">“There is no doubt that Donald Trump is a threat to our liberties and even to our democracy,” California president Gavin Newsom explained, “but in California, we defeat candidates at the polls. Everything else is a political distraction.” Many theories and opinions such as these have already circulated and will continue to make their way into nationwide discussion, but of course, the </span></span><span style="font-family: times;">final decision in this case remains yet to be determined.</span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: times; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></span></div><p><span style="font-size: medium;">Sources:</span></p><p></p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><a href="https://www.theusconstitution.org/litigation/anderson-v-griswold/"><span style="font-size: medium;">https://www.theusconstitution.org/litigation/anderson-v-griswold/</span></a></li><li><a href="https://www.theusconstitution.org/news/release-colorado-supreme-court-decision-represents-a-win-for-colorado-voters-democracy-and-constitutional-accountability/"><span style="font-size: medium;">https://www.theusconstitution.org/news/release-colorado-supreme-court-decision-represents-a-win-for-colorado-voters-democracy-and-constitutional-accountability/</span></a></li><li><a href="https://www.cnn.com/politics/live-news/supreme-court-trump-ballot-colorado-02-08-24/index.html" style="font-family: times;"><span style="font-size: medium;">https://www.cnn.com/politics/live-news/supreme-court-trump-ballot-colorado-02-08-24/index.html</span></a></li><li><a href="https://www.latimes.com/politics/story/2024-02-08/supreme-court-trump-ballot-insurrection"><span style="font-size: medium;">https://www.latimes.com/politics/story/2024-02-08/supreme-court-trump-ballot-insurrection</span></a></li><li><a href="https://www.oyez.org/cases/2023/23-719"><span style="font-size: medium;">https://www.oyez.org/cases/2023/23-719</span></a></li><li><a href="https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2023-12-23/governor-newsom-on-trump-california-ballot"><span style="font-size: medium;">https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2023-12-23/governor-newsom-on-trump-california-ballot</span></a></li></ul><p></p>Joel Djingueuzianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00887118262442867664noreply@blogger.com2Washington, DC, USA38.9071923 -77.036870710.596958463821153 -112.1931207 67.217426136178844 -41.880620699999994tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1054910627465846465.post-28748950042437589962024-02-06T20:04:00.000-08:002024-02-06T20:04:21.369-08:00 Bipartisan bill “dead on arrival” in Congress<span id="docs-internal-guid-a9a0c6a7-7fff-b47a-7952-25e8487e14b8"><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><br /></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Following months of discussion between Senate negotiators from both Republican and Democratic parties, a comprehensive, bipartisan bill was proposed. It aims to alleviate domestic and foreign national security concerns. Summing up to $118 billion, the bill provides for border policy provisions, aid to Ukraine, Israel, civilians in Gaza, the West Bank, and “others caught in conflict zones,” and for allies to protect against the Chinese government in the Indo-Pacific region.</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">This act by Congress would be the first on immigration in decades. It was motivated by the recent dramatic increase in the number of immigrants from Mexico seeking asylum. The border provisions, in particular, would end the “catch and release” policies at the southern border to make the immigration screening process for migrants from Mexico seeking asylum tougher and more efficient. “Catch and release” policies are defined by Republican Senator of North Carolina Thom Tillis as “requir[ing] the government to release illegal immigrants into the United States' interior after detaining them for six months, if no other country accepts them for deportation.”</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Though the bipartisan bill was approved by the Republican chief negotiator, Republicans are now threatening to back out of supporting the bill, claiming that the provisions for border security are not adequate. Some Republicans are going as far as saying that the bill will encourage immigration. This backlash is led by Republican candidate Donald Trump, who called the bill a “gift to the Democrats.”</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><br /></span></p><div><span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjSRLND88DxDZ1LMVTFOIE69RbFMbJWfyhlCvTOshg366_O7yUvJbX-kcDiodzoG3RGsvsdgbzog6l-12gAOI7gOGWPCCY33MZYJWh3z7XbwY4K7UpFDFUBoZAzrRFEz2JVNbdknwgjFftEemAXJ6VQEvvGwR387l-boYMB7EMXK9pSTc7ZBj8VaXcWkqs" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="374" data-original-width="560" height="214" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjSRLND88DxDZ1LMVTFOIE69RbFMbJWfyhlCvTOshg366_O7yUvJbX-kcDiodzoG3RGsvsdgbzog6l-12gAOI7gOGWPCCY33MZYJWh3z7XbwY4K7UpFDFUBoZAzrRFEz2JVNbdknwgjFftEemAXJ6VQEvvGwR387l-boYMB7EMXK9pSTc7ZBj8VaXcWkqs" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;">Photo from NBC News</div><div style="text-align: center;">Donald Trump (left) and Senate minority leader Mitch McConnell (right)</div></span></div><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">To me, these events reveal the significant informal power Donald Trump has, despite not currently holding an elected position. The loyalty of the Republicans to his criticism of the bill is remarkable. This phenomenon can also relate to the power of affiliations in Congress. By privately meeting across chambers, Republicans decided to present a unified front against the bill, demonstrating how forming alliances in Congress is powerful.</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">We can also see the impact of social media on politics through these events, as the outrage from politicians regarding the increased polarization in Congress can be felt on social media directly by the public. Democrats criticize the sharp right turn Republicans took when the bill was revealed: Democrat Senator Brian Schatz from Hawaii wrote on X: “They literally demanded specific policy, got it, and then killed it.” Democrat Senator Chris Murphy from Connecticut calls this turn of events “embarrassing” for Republicans. </span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">I believe this development additionally reflects what we learned about public opinion and its power in holding politicians accountable: even without elections but through polls, the public can influence their elected officials. Some Republican Congress members are hesitant to support the bill due to recent polls that reveal Republicans are less willing to send more money to aid Ukraine.</span></p><div><span><br /></span></div><div><span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjfR6Bei4pFBjbQylfTIgNW8HshbUobjXu1OoaUx3grEaBUMl58CjvK1Ka3bFT4z_lPcH0qBRivWHE7AMTTZ93ubkkw8wW_hvVrImVmx0tqQ2IMVC6Kn13CU7-GBBy8CV8lsZYzO-_G7T7pNOC-IYpgIAZrVcxBO7vWmc4x3xvR_m2x1kEqRqk3NQYZ1v8" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="960" data-original-width="1440" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjfR6Bei4pFBjbQylfTIgNW8HshbUobjXu1OoaUx3grEaBUMl58CjvK1Ka3bFT4z_lPcH0qBRivWHE7AMTTZ93ubkkw8wW_hvVrImVmx0tqQ2IMVC6Kn13CU7-GBBy8CV8lsZYzO-_G7T7pNOC-IYpgIAZrVcxBO7vWmc4x3xvR_m2x1kEqRqk3NQYZ1v8" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">Photo from Associated Press</div><div style="text-align: center;">Speaker of the House Mike Johnson</div></span></div><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">While the Senate is more willing to pass the bill than the House is, they still face a 60-vote threshold to break cloture, which would stop the minority’s ability to filibuster. This concept is also relevant to our course, as the Senate’s capacity to filibuster makes the vote for passing the bill more difficult than a simple majority vote and hence less democratic. Though the vote will take place Wednesday, 2/7, Republicans are now requesting more time to review the bill, and it is unlikely that the vote will be successful. Furthermore, Speaker of the House Mike Johnson called the bill “dead on arrival,” capturing how, even if it passes in the Senate, more resistance will be found in the House. This development reinforces the polarization of Congress, which creates political gridlock that leads to stagnation in policymaking.</span></p><div><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Sources:</span></div><div><ul style="text-align: left;"><li aria-level="1" dir="ltr" style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; list-style-type: disc; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><p dir="ltr" role="presentation" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><a href="https://apnews.com/article/congress-border-security-ukraine-a39e188fa2c6a563203d2c69eaabdc6d" style="text-decoration-line: none;"><span style="color: #1155cc; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; text-decoration-line: underline; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; text-wrap: wrap; vertical-align: baseline;">https://apnews.com/article/congress-border-security-ukraine-a39e188fa2c6a563203d2c69eaabdc6d</span></a></p></li><li aria-level="1" dir="ltr" style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; list-style-type: disc; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><p dir="ltr" role="presentation" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><a href="https://apnews.com/article/senate-border-package-asylum-ukraine-1dde30b223ebe854a48fde0497c9f227" style="text-decoration-line: none;"><span style="color: #1155cc; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; text-decoration-line: underline; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; text-wrap: wrap; vertical-align: baseline;">https://apnews.com/article/senate-border-package-asylum-ukraine-1dde30b223ebe854a48fde0497c9f227</span></a></p></li><li aria-level="1" dir="ltr" style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; list-style-type: disc; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><p dir="ltr" role="presentation" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><a href="https://www.foxnews.com/politics/gop-senators-rally-against-bipartisan-border-deal-citing-bidens-power-suspend-emergency-bill" style="text-decoration-line: none;"><span style="color: #1155cc; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; text-decoration-line: underline; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; text-wrap: wrap; vertical-align: baseline;">https://www.foxnews.com/politics/gop-senators-rally-against-bipartisan-border-deal-citing-bidens-power-suspend-emergency-bill</span></a></p></li><li aria-level="1" dir="ltr" style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; list-style-type: disc; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><p dir="ltr" role="presentation" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><a href="https://www.npr.org/2024/02/04/1226427234/senate-border-deal-reached" style="text-decoration-line: none;"><span style="color: #1155cc; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; text-decoration-line: underline; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; text-wrap: wrap; vertical-align: baseline;">https://www.npr.org/2024/02/04/1226427234/senate-border-deal-reached</span></a></p></li><li aria-level="1" dir="ltr" style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; list-style-type: disc; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><p dir="ltr" role="presentation" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><a href="https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/congress/senate-republicans-threaten-block-border-security-immigration-bill-rcna137389" style="text-decoration-line: none;"><span style="color: #1155cc; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; text-decoration-line: underline; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; text-wrap: wrap; vertical-align: baseline;">https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/congress/senate-republicans-threaten-block-border-security-immigration-bill-rcna137389</span></a></p></li><li aria-level="1" dir="ltr" style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; list-style-type: disc; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><p dir="ltr" role="presentation" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2024/02/04/senate-border-bill-israel-ukraine/" style="text-decoration-line: none;"><span style="color: #1155cc; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; text-decoration-line: underline; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; text-wrap: wrap; vertical-align: baseline;">https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2024/02/04/senate-border-bill-israel-ukraine/</span></a></p></li><li aria-level="1" dir="ltr" style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; list-style-type: disc; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><p dir="ltr" role="presentation" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><a href="https://apnews.com/article/border-bill-opposition-republicans-senate-189ee196093a0dbfb1d522e2d552e31a" style="text-decoration-line: none;"><span style="color: #1155cc; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; text-decoration-line: underline; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; text-wrap: wrap; vertical-align: baseline;">https://apnews.com/article/border-bill-opposition-republicans-senate-189ee196093a0dbfb1d522e2d552e31a</span></a></p></li><li aria-level="1" dir="ltr" style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; list-style-type: disc; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><p dir="ltr" role="presentation" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><a href="https://www.tillis.senate.gov/2023/2/tillis-colleagues-introduce-legislation-to-end-catch-and-release-policy" style="text-decoration-line: none;"><span style="color: #1155cc; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; text-decoration-line: underline; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; text-wrap: wrap; vertical-align: baseline;">https://www.tillis.senate.gov/2023/2/tillis-colleagues-introduce-legislation-to-end-catch-and-release-policy</span></a></p></li></ul></div></span>Carole Darvehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00324606826254797268noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1054910627465846465.post-70299269114658360362024-02-05T21:43:00.000-08:002024-02-05T21:43:31.873-08:00Joe Biden Wins South Carolina Democratic Primary<p><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 12pt; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Joe Biden won the South Carolina presidential Democratic primary by a massive landslide. Competing against the former chairman and co-owner of Talenti Gelato Dean Phillips and self-help author Marianne Williamson, Biden received over 96% (over 125,000) of the overall votes. Biden’s re-election campaign cost about $400,000 and in the end won 55 South Carolina delegates.</span></p><span id="docs-internal-guid-a4f1de71-7fff-ce40-20cf-56291067a842"><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="border: none; display: inline-block; height: 214px; overflow: hidden; width: 624px;"><img height="223.66897320356856" src="https://lh7-us.googleusercontent.com/8NOOflP-o2ugQATnQo1UfF9KdZq7EaRT71ygc9f8UkqjRaIVpbR6vzgjr7oVQTqCBBu-0NJK4Gn9nLRfyZCYDWK13xR9WSfVtMIxGDhT94WKsB2YnbhcfQpR2FcGp5xYTkRy6K5iHexB6aihN97TCj_3cI19TOSgas9B8KmkypFqf-zR_n5ltpgMGsNvBQ" style="margin-left: 0px; margin-top: -9.66897320356859px;" width="624" /></span></span></p><br /><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">South Carolina isn’t the first state Biden has won over. In the New Hampshire primary, Biden won the majority Democratic votes through write-ins since his name was not on the ballot for the New Hampshire primaries. According to state law, New Hampshire was to host the first primary; however, the DNC (Democratic National Committee) wanted Biden to start in South Carolina because of his ‘not-so stellar’ track record (placed 5th in 2020) in New Hampshire and ultimately decided that he was not to participate. Biden still won through thousands of people writing his name down despite not being on the poll at 64.8%.</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Biden’s overwhelming victory shows that Williamson and Phillip are not serious threats to Biden and that he will be winning most, if not all, future Democratic votes in the primaries. From the looks of it, he is guaranteed to be the Democratic Party’s nominee. The next Democratic primary will be in Nevada on February 6th, so be on the lookout if you're interested!</span><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Links:</span><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><br /></span><a href="https://www.cnbc.com/2024/02/04/biden-nets-landslide-victory-in-south-carolina-democratic-primary-winning-96percent-of-votes.html" style="text-decoration-line: none;"><span style="color: #1155cc; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; text-decoration-line: underline; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">https://www.cnbc.com/2024/02/04/biden-nets-landslide-victory-in-south-carolina-democratic-primary-winning-96percent-of-votes.html</span></a></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><a href="https://www.politico.com/news/2024/02/03/biden-wins-south-carolina-primary-00139479" style="text-decoration-line: none;"><span style="color: #1155cc; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; text-decoration-line: underline; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">https://www.politico.com/news/2024/02/03/biden-wins-south-carolina-primary-00139479</span><span style="color: black; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><br /></span><span style="color: black; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><br /></span></a><a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2024/01/23/why-biden-isnt-new-hampshire-primary-ballot/" style="text-decoration-line: none;"><span style="color: #1155cc; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; text-decoration-line: underline; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2024/01/23/why-biden-isnt-new-hampshire-primary-ballot/</span></a></p><br /><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">(if any are interested in the primary calendars/results)</span><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><br /></span><a href="https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/2024-primary-elections/calendar" style="text-decoration-line: none;"><span style="color: #1155cc; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; text-decoration-line: underline; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/2024-primary-elections/calendar</span><span style="color: black; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><br /><br /></span></a></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><a href="https://www.cnn.com/election/2024/calendar" style="text-decoration-line: none;"><span style="color: #1155cc; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; text-decoration-line: underline; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">https://www.cnn.com/election/2024/calendar</span></a><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"> </span></p><div><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><br /></span></div></span>Jessica Xiahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13814287149794519848noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1054910627465846465.post-344353944755208402024-02-04T20:35:00.000-08:002024-02-04T20:35:24.918-08:00Why Will Nevada Have Both GOP Caucuses AND a GOP Primary?<span id="docs-internal-guid-1d39180c-7fff-be84-ab61-93c559197c6a" style="caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">This 2024 election year, for the first time ever, Nevada will hold both GOP caucuses and a GOP primary election. The US Constitution gives each state the power to conduct their own primary elections, whatever method that may be. Nevada has historically been one of the few states to hold caucuses for their presidential candidate nomination contests, but following the national shift away from caucuses after 2020 because of Covid, there has been a lot of opposition towards the caucuses. Critics emphasize the unfairness and inefficiency of caucus meetings, arguing that they only represent a small proportion of the population (often the citizens who live the closest) and are thus undemocratic because of the low voter turnout. Taking the widespread criticism for caucuses in stride, in 2021, Nevada legislature enacted a law stating that “a primary, preceded by 10 days of early voting, be held on the first Tuesday in February” (Vox). </span></p><div><span style="caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><br /></span></div><div><span id="docs-internal-guid-bef2fa2f-7fff-fcad-e794-0300dd98d873"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="border: medium; display: inline-block; height: 218px; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; overflow: hidden; width: 327px;"><img height="219" src="https://lh7-us.googleusercontent.com/jCe3wtIqo5hWDSRRFJaiCaM8IE4rC4nMLUNMUQKw8kOJAY1uIJSfHQuhyMboEnnsVYqPROy5wEB45DRfNA61tTGnpoycGQo1o5vBJ_n8R67EmMUWvg2BXecEidaxYwkhdSEDPe64qyUUMtQG_xd_ptA=w327-h219" style="margin-left: 0px; margin-top: 0px;" width="327" /></span></div><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: center;"><span style="color: #626262; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Patrick T. Fallon/AFP via Getty Images</span></p></span></div><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Even so, many politicians believed that removing caucuses would be disadvantageous, as Nevada would miss out on the media attention and publicity that caucuses consistently gather each year. “We want to make clear that we stand together in protecting the presidential nominating schedule as it has existed for many years,” a group of pro-caucus GOP lawmakers said after the law was put in place (Miami Herald).</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">There is a lot of politics behind what happened next, but to quickly summarize, the Nevada Republican party invalidated the results of the primary election, scheduled a state caucus, and barred candidates who participated in the state’s primary from receiving delegates in the caucus. In other words, the only thing that will count in the coming election are the results of the caucus. If it seems unfair, it’s because it is. Trump will be a candidate in the caucus, scheduled for February 8, while Nikki Haley’s name will be on the Nevada primary ballot, of which the last day to vote is February 6. It remains unclear why Haley chose not to be a candidate in the caucus.</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><br /></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: center;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #626262; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; font-style: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="border: medium; display: inline-block; height: 239px; overflow: hidden; width: 346px;"><img height="239" src="https://lh7-us.googleusercontent.com/KWZ5T8HYzPUiUG4iC9Cdmfd-RK37CbPhKGMwdNi0jQ10y_5LO0bPPDQzgvLJ56z2uIvw_FkClmLEagxdlx6G-nKVvVWWnkPbNNW_tBRe9z1vzzmY1SncjF70fxOOA_TxTzCZ6c-FoDvr8Ya5NMEpVts" style="margin-left: 0px; margin-top: 0px;" width="346" /></span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: center;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #626262; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; font-style: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Photo from the Associated Press</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><br /></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">So what’s the political significance of this mess? The biggest thing I have to say is that the double-election is disrupting the democratic process. As a journalist from Vox said, “Trump has effectively scooped up all of Nevada’s delegates before a single voter has even cast a ballot or entered a caucus site” (Vox). Plain and simple, it undermines a crucial aspect of American culture—our democracy, the ability we have to voice our opinions and VOTE for who we think will run our country the best. On top of that, this new system is bound to confuse voters, if it hasn’t already. The average citizen likely knows very little about the voting process in the first place, and this only blurs the procedure even more. Who knows what will happen when too many voters get confused about who is running in the primaries because they are not educated on how the election will work this year? The votes could be massively skewed.</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Furthermore, it is important to note that Trump’s expected caucus win in Nevada won’t tell us anything about his actual political dominance (at least compared to prior caucuses in Iowa and New Hampshire). I think it’s reasonable to say that Nevada's results will be quite diluted because of the double-election. Because Trump’s only opposition comes from very small, relatively low-profile candidates, he will secure the victory quite easily, but the distribution of votes would be very different than, say, if Nikki Haley were a candidate. In other words, we don’t know the full extent of Trump’s fan base, which clouds our view of his true campaign support, something that could prove to be disadvantageous as the election progresses.</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><br /></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><br /></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Sources: </span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span id="docs-internal-guid-6f281acf-7fff-01ab-6ccf-66a458b63bdd" style="white-space-collapse: collapse;"></span></span></p><ul style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-inline-start: 48px;"><li aria-level="1" dir="ltr" style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-weight: 400; list-style-type: disc; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><p dir="ltr" role="presentation" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><a href="https://www.miamiherald.com/news/nation-world/national/article284950842.html" style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #1155cc; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">https://www.miamiherald.com/news/nation-world/national/article284950842.html</span></a></p></li><li aria-level="1" dir="ltr" style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-weight: 400; list-style-type: disc; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><p dir="ltr" role="presentation" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><a href="https://www.vox.com/2024/2/2/24057477/nevada-caucus-primary-trump-haley" style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #1155cc; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">https://www.vox.com/2024/2/2/24057477/nevada-caucus-primary-trump-haley</span></a></p></li><li aria-level="1" dir="ltr" style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-weight: 400; list-style-type: disc; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><p dir="ltr" role="presentation" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><a href="https://www.pbs.org/newshour/politics/why-is-nevada-holding-both-a-caucus-and-a-primary" style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #1155cc; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">https://www.pbs.org/newshour/politics/why-is-nevada-holding-both-a-caucus-and-a-primary</span></a></p></li></ul></span><br class="Apple-interchange-newline" style="caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0);" /><p> </p>Maya Pappashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02393741214896350738noreply@blogger.com2