_{Posts February  9,  2018}

_{These are the 2,18 that are accumulated in our weekly newsletter which goes out throughout the school year. The posts are organized by the major units in our Constitutional Law (5th ed.) student textbook}

_{I.                Introduction to Law, the Constitution, and the Supreme Court [See TOPICS 1-10 in the 5th edition of Constitutional Law] Some recent articles that are relevant to this unit}

_{II.               Defining the Political System: Federalism and Checks and Balances [See TOPICS 11-15 in the 5th edition of Constitutional Law] Some recent articles that are relevant to this unit:}

State asks U.S. Supreme Court to review 'Indian Country' ruling that would require federal jurisdiction; State asks justices to review appellate decision with far-reaching implications [Tulsa World, 2/8/18]: Oklahoma would become a 'fractured, second-class state' if an appellate court ruling that greatly expanded what is considered 'Indian country' is allowed to stand, a petition filed on behalf of the state with the U.S. Supreme Court argues.

http://www.tulsaworld.com/homepagelatest/state-asks-u-s-supreme-court-to-review-indian-country/article_93677b07-6361-5c69-89e4-7a7981fbb36b.html

_{The American Presidency [TOPIC 15]}

DOJ makes last pitch for immediate SCOTUS review of DACA [Thompson Reuters News, 2/8/18]: Next week, the U.S. Supreme Court will conference on the Justice Department’s petition requesting review of a preliminary injunction ruling that keeps in place the Obama-era Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals policy. It’s easy to forget, amid political furor about the future of the young adults whose parents brought them to this country illegally when they were children, just how extraordinary the DOJ petition is. The Trump administration is asking the Supreme Court to depart from its normal protocols and grant relief the justices have eschewed for nearly 30 years.

_{https://www.reuters.com/article/legal-us-otc-daca/doj-makes-last-pitch-for-immediate-scotus-review-of-daca-idUSKBN1FT08B}

FBI surveillance of Carter Page might have picked up Bannon [Politico, 2/8/18]: The former Trump campaign adviser says he spoke to Trump aide Steve Bannon about Russia in January 2017, at a time when the FBI had a controversial warrant to monitor Page's communications.

_{https://www.politico.com/story/2018/02/08/carter-page-steve-bannon-fbi-communications-398992}

_{III. The Political System: Voting and Campaigns}

Congress Votes to Reopen Government, Passes Budget Deal [CNS, 2/9/18]:  The House moved swiftly early Friday to reopen the federal government and pass a $400 billion budget deal, endorsing enormous spending increases despite looming trillion-dollar deficits. President Trump signed the bill hours later.

_{https://www.courthousenews.com/congress-votes-to-reopen-government-passes-budget-deal/}

As deadline looms, Republicans consider new strategy for Pa. congressional maps [Philly Inquirer, 2/8/18\: It's official: The state legislature will not pass a new congressional map before the Pennsylvania Supreme Court's Friday deadline.

http://www.philly.com/philly/news/politics/state/pennsylvania-gerrymander-case-deadline-republicans-strategy-20180208.html

_{https://www.courthousenews.com/congress-votes-to-reopen-government-passes-budget-deal/}

#MeToo movement lawmaker investigated for sexual misconduct allegations –[CPR, 2/8/18]: California Assemblywoman Cristina Garcia — whose high-profile advocacy of the #MeToo movement earned her national media notice — is herself the subject of a state legislative investigation in the wake of a report that she sexually harassed and groped a former legislative staffer.

_{http://www.capradio.org/109759}

_‘

_{IV.              Cminal Law and Procedure (4th, 5th, 6th, and 8th amendments) [See TOPICS 21-28 in the 5th edition of Constitutional Law] Some recent articles that are relevant to this unit:}

Trump Promise Kept [Bloomberg, 2818]: Gorsuch Fits Scalia Mold on Criminal Law.

_{https://www.bna.com/trump-promise-kept-n57982088498/}

_{V.               1st Amendment (Speech, Religion, Press and Assembly) [See TOPICS 29-33 in the 5th edition of Constitutional Law] Some recent articles that are relevant to this unit:}

_{VI.              14th Amendment, Discrimination, Privacy, Working, Citizenship & Immigration [See TOPICS 34-41 in the 5th edition of Constitutional Law] Some recent articles that are relevant to this unit:}