Posts for October 8, 2015
These are the posts that are accumulated in our
newsletter which goes out every 4-6 days during the school year. The posts are
organized by the major units in our Con 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] Here are some recent articles that are relevant to
this unit:
The Supreme Court's Loss of Prestige
[Slate, 10/7/15]:
For the first time in a long time, more people disapprove than approve of its
performance.
How U.S. Supreme Court
Just Made It Tougher to Challenge California Vaccine Law [KQED, 10/6/15]: The U.S. Supreme Court will not hear a
challenge to a requirement in New York state that all children be vaccinated
before they can attend public school. The justices on Monday let stand lower
court rulings that the policy does not violate the constitution.
II.
Defining the Political System: Federalism and Checks and Balances [See TOPICS 11-15 in the 5th
edition of Constitutional Law] Here are recent articles that are
relevant to this unit:
III. The Political System: Voting and
Campaigns [See TOPICS 16-20 in the 5th edition of Constitutional
Law] Here are some recent articles that are relevant to this unit:
House 2016: Is it Possible for Republicans to Kick
Away Their Majority? [Sabato’s
Crystal Ball, 10/8/15]: A three-part path to a highly unlikely GOP electoral
meltdown.
New Hampshire: Toss-up Central [Sabato’s Crystal Ball, 10/8/15]: Competitive races abound in the Granite State.
Legislation and the Legislative Process (TOPIC 20)
Kevin McCarthy’s future
not so clear [SF Chron,
10/7/15]: In a closed-door meeting Thursday of the largest Republican House
class since Herbert Hoover was president, Bakersfieldian and current majority
leader Kevin McCarthy is expected to win a plurality of his caucus to become
the next House speaker. For that he needs just 124 votes. But that doesn’t mean
he’ll win the real vote on the House floor Oct. 29, more than three long weeks
away.
IV. Criminal Law and Procedure (4th,
5th, 6th, and 8th amendments) [See TOPICS 21-28 in the 5th edition of Constitutional Law] Here are some recent
articles that are relevant to this unit
'Debtors' Prison' Challenged in Washington [CNS, 10/8/15]: Benton
County, Wash. runs a "modern-day debtors' prison" where poor people
who can't afford fines are sent to jail or put on work crews, a class action
claims in state court.
http://www.courthousenews.com/2015/10/08/debtors-prison-challenged-in-washington.htm
Supreme
Court Justices Deeply Divided Over Death Penalty In New Term [Nina Totenberg on “All Things Considered,” NPR /
USA Today 10/7/15]: The death penalty reared its
head again at the U.S. Supreme Court Wednesday. This time, the issues were far
more technical but still a matter of life and death.
http://www.npr.org/sections/itsallpolitics/2015/10/07/446632593/supreme-court-justices-deeply-divided-over-death-penalty-in-new-term
http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2015/10/07/supreme-court-death-penalty-murder-kansas/73521982/
Enough
is a enough on capital punishment [Op-Ed in Tulsa World, 10/7/15]: We had once been fervent supporters
of capital punishment. Gradually, as we have seen the fallibility of the
capital punishment system, we have come to the conclusion that the death
penalty serves no one and, as we saw recently in Oklahoma, is simply cruel to
all involved.
http://www.tulsaworld.com/opinion/readersforum/mark-white-and-mark-earley-enough-is-a-enough-on/article_bd9e872c-b41f-567f-b97e-f385ac9b7faa.html
High
court weighs 3 death sentences in Kansas cases [AP,
10/7/15]: The
Supreme Court on Wednesday seemed likely to rule against three Kansas men who
challenged their death sentences in what one justice called "some of the
most horrendous murders" he's ever seen from the bench.
V. 1st
Amendment (Speech, Religion, Press and Assembly) [See TOPICS 29-33 in the 5th
edition of Constitutional Law] Here are
some recent articles that are relevant to this unit:
First Five: Pope Francis and the
American ideal, unconstitutional sex parties, and a Lebanese joke [Newseum, 10/8/15]: Scouring the
web for First Amendment news is our job. Enjoy First Five, your regular dose of
First Amendment news.
Appeals court throws out Texas flag-desecration law [Austin (TX) American-Statesman, 10/7/15]: A Texas law banning desecration of
the flag is unconstitutional, the state’s highest criminal court ruled
Wednesday.
VI. 14th
Amendment, Discrimination, Privacy, Working, Citizenship & Immigration [See TOPICS 34-41 in the 5th edition of Constitutional
Law]
Here are some recent articles that are
relevant to this unit:
California
governor signs Fair Pay Act into law
[Jurist, 10/7/15]: A good summary of articles from Jurist.
Jackson: “Real Teeth” in
Landmark Pay Equity Bill [CalBuzz,
10/8/15]: Calling it “a very important milestone,” Governor Brown this week
signed SB 358, trekking to Rosie the Riveter National Historic Park in Richmond
for an celebrating the tough new pay equity bill aimed at closing the historic
wage gap between women and men.
LAUSD rehires lawyer who said teen was mature enough to
consent to sex with teacher [LA Times, 10/7/15]: The Los
Angeles Unified School District has rehired an outside attorney it fired last
fall after he said it was more dangerous for a teen to cross a street in
traffic than to consent to sex with her teacher, district officials said
Wednesday.
L.A. charter school
expansion could mean huge drop in unionized teaching jobs [LA Times, 10/7/15]: If a proposal for a
massive expansion of charter schools in Los Angeles moves forward, the
casualties would likely include the jobs of thousands of teachers who currently
work in the city’s traditional public schools.
No comments:
Post a Comment