Posts for November 23, 2016
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.
A 40-Year Teaching Career Ending After Trump/Hitler
Comparison in Mountain View [KQED, 11/22/16]: After teaching history
and special education at Mountain View High School for 40 years, Frank Navarro
can barely get the words out of his mouth. They came haltingly, in fits and
starts.
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:
Senate trade-off: More
Obama judges, Trump gets nominees [AP, 11/22/16]: Republicans are gleeful over Democratic-engineered rule changes that
will make it easier for President-elect Donald Trump to get his Cabinet
nominees through the Senate. Yet Democrats see a lasting upside from what they
did: allowing President Barack Obama to shape the federal judiciary for years
to come.
Why Do We Pardon
Turkeys? Lessons in Human Morality [Justia,
11/23/16]: Professor Colb addresses the argument that nonhuman animals’ lack of
moral agency justifies our denying them the right to live free of our violence.
Colb contends that the notion that we owe duties only to those who can repay us
actually reflects an impoverished morality.
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:
The
American Presidency [TOPIC 15]
Does the Constitution put
limits on a president's private business ties? [Constitution Daily,
11/22/16]: Lyle Denniston, Constitution
Daily’s Supreme Court correspondent, explains why the American people
must rely upon Congress – no matter which party controls the House and Senate –
to monitor the relationship between a president and a family business.
Trump to withdraw from Trans-Pacific Partnership on first
day in office [Jurist, 11/22/16]: Trump
called the TPP a "potential disaster for our country" and said he
will instead focus on negotiating "fair bilateral trade deals that bring
jobs and industry back on American shores."
A Handy List of
Donald Trump’s Biggest Conflicts of Interest [TIME, 11/21/16]: Presidents
are not subject to Congressional oversight of conflicts of interest, and Trump
has shown little interest in voluntarily disclosing any potential conflicts
related to his global business interests. For clarity, here are five big areas
of potential conflicts of interest that will almost certainly expand over time.
Trump: ‘The president can't have a conflict of interest’ [Ppolitico,
11/22/16]: Donald Trump said on Tuesday that he faces no legal obligation to
cut ties with his businesses, even as he described how winning the presidency
has made his brand “hotter” and acknowledged advancing his business interests
during a conversation with a British politician.
Trump's charity admits to violating IRS self-dealing ban [AP,
11/22/16]: President-elect Donald Trump's charity has admitted that it violated
IRS regulations barring it from using its money or assets to benefit Trump, his
family, his companies or substantial contributors to the foundation.
Trump signals end to Clinton investigations [CNN
/ AP, 11/22/16]: After a campaign filled with Donald Trump's denunciations of
"Crooked Hillary" Clinton, the president-elect declared Tuesday that
"I don't want to hurt the Clintons; I really don't," and a top
adviser said he had no interest in pursuing further investigations.
15
Trump Flip-Flops in 15 Days [Politico, 11/22/16]: The president-elect has made
changing his mind a way of life. Why would his young presidency be any
different?
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:
Hillary Clinton's popular vote lead is 1.7 million and
growing [KPCC, 11/22/16]: Two weeks after Election Day, Hillary
Clinton leads President-elect Donald Trump by 1.75 million votes. Despite
Clinton's popular vote lead, Trump will move into the White House because he
won the Electoral College.
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
Advocates of Criminal-Justice Reform Hunt for Clues on Trump [CNS, 11/22/16]: One plank of the platform that won the election for
President-elect Donald Trump was a tough-on-crime promise to “Make America Safe
Again.” Now with Inauguration Day on the horizon, advocates of criminal-justice
reform wonder what putting Trump in the Oval Office will mean to the quiet, bipartisan
momentum their cause has built.
International commission recommends decriminalizing drugs
[Jurist, 11/22/16]: A report released Monday by the Global
Commission on Drug Policy recommends "no penalty whatsoever" for
low-level possession and consumption drug offenses. Calling
the global war on drugs "misguided," the panel cited human rights and
the rule of law as reasons for governments to take control of drug markets
through "sensible regulation."
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:
Fake News Gives Facebook a Nixon-Goes-to-China Moment [CNS, 11/22/16]: The fake-news scandal played out on
Facebook this year against a backdrop of the hotly contested presidential
election. With no sign of surrender from the forces of misinformation, the
Society of Professional Journalists is set to reach out in the coming days to
have the social-media giant reconsider how it views itself in the media
landscape.
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:
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