_{Posts February  6  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}

California’s first judicial recall in 86 years to appear on Santa Clara County ballot [SJ Merc, 2/6/18]:  Santa Clara County supervisors Tuesday ordered the recall of Judge Aaron Persky to be placed on the June 5 ballot, setting the stage for voters in California to decide whether to oust a sitting judge for only the fourth time in more than a century. 

_{https://www.mercurynews.com/2018/02/06/5045019/}

_{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:}

_{The American Presidency [TOPIC 15]}

Trump's Lawyers Want Him to Refuse an Interview in Russia Inquiry [NY Times, 2/5/18]: Lawyers for President Trump have advised him against sitting down for a wide-ranging interview with the special counsel, Robert S. Mueller III, according to four people briefed on the matter, raising the specter of a monthslong court battle over whether the president must answer questions under oath.

https://www.nytimes.com/2018/02/05/us/politics/trump-lawyers-special-counsel-interview.html

White House moves to distance Trump from market plunge [Politico, 2/5/18]: Aides quickly coordinated statements and TV appearances after stock swings overtook the president's speech. https://www.politico.com/story/2018/02/05/trump-stock-market-fall-white-house-391976?lo=ap_a1

Trump's Male-Dominated Appointments Close the Door for Women [“Take Care” blog, 2/5/18]: In his first year in office, President Trump has catapulted dozens of attorneys to the peaks of their careers. Those he has tapped for the bench and to run U.S. Attorneys’ Offices have a lot in common: they have had prestigious clerkships, they have achieved political and local influence, and they are mostly white and mostly male. In this post, we’re going to focus on the disparities between the number of men and the number of women appointed to these positions. 

_{https://takecareblog.com/blog/trump-s-male-dominated-appointments-close-the-door-for-women}

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

Citizens United Unleashed [Slate, 2/5/18]: A new ruling draws on the conservative First Amendment precedent to potentially re-enfranchise thousands of Floridians.

_{https://slate.com/news-and-politics/2018/02/a-new-ruling-uses-citizens-united-to-give-rehabilitated-felons-their-voting-rights-back.html}

California legislative staff get whistleblower protections [AP, 3/5/18]: California legislative staff members on Monday applauded the passage of a bill granting whistleblower protections to legislative staff members who say they are badly needed to ensure sexual misconduct and other misbehavior can be reported without fear of retaliation. It passed the Assembly unanimously and was quickly signed by Democratic Gov. Jerry Brown, taking effect immediately.

http://customwire.ap.org/dynamic/stories/U/US_CALIFORNIA_LEGISLATURE_SEXUAL_MISCONDUCT_CAOL

_{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:}

Democrats and FBI Abuses: In the 1970s, progressives stood up for civil liberties [WSJ Op-Ed, 2/5/18]: Today they've reverted to the J. Edgar Hoover era.

https://www.wsj.com/articles/democrats-and-fbi-abuses-1517876451?shareToken=st6c6644916ac64d6391adc25989e1c558&reflink=article_email_share

_{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:}

#MeToo Has Done What the Law Could Not

_{[P[=Ed in MY Times, 2/4/18[}

_{https://www.nytimes.com/2018/02/nd Immigration [TOPIC 40-42}