Posts for February 7, 2017
These are the posts
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.
Showdown on Travel Ban in 9th Circuit [SF Chron, 2/6/17]: As the Trump
administration faced off against a group of states and their allies — including
high-ranking former national security officials and much of the tech industry —
a federal appeals court in San Francisco called a hearing Tuesday on whether to
reinstate the president’s ban on travel to the United States from seven
Muslim-majority countries. With the Supreme Court ideologically divided at 4-4
since the death of Justice Antonin Scalia nearly a year ago, the decision by
the Ninth U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals is likely to determine whether
President Trump’s Jan. 27 executive order will remain suspended for now.
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:
How Trump Chose His
Supreme Court Nominee [NY Times / Slate, 2/6/17]: Judge
Neil M. Gorsuch’s road to a Supreme Court nomination included stops at a fancy law
firm conference room, the dreary basement of a government office building,
President Trump’s gilded penthouse in Trump Tower, the White House’s Lincoln
Bedroom and a ride on a military jet.
At Stanford, Justice Ginsburg wishes for more civil
discourse [SF Chron, 2/6/17]: Drawing parallels from her 83 years of life to the
partisanship gripping the United States government, Supreme Court Justice Ruth
Bader Ginsburg on Monday night called for a return to civil discourse at a
Stanford University talk on how to live a “meaningful life.”
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:
California Democrats counter Trump's threat to defund [AP
/ SJ Merc, 2/6/17]: The war of words escalated Monday between Democratic
leaders in the nation's biggest state and Donald Trump after the Republican
president said California is "out of control" and suggested
withholding federal funding.
The
American Presidency [TOPIC 15]
A new obstacle to Trump's
immigration limits? [Constitution Daily, 2/6/17]: Lyle
Denniston explains why a technical dispute over language could delay a federal
appeals court ruling on President Donald Trump’s immigration executive order
until February 17 at the earliest.
Trump Barred From U.K. Parliament Over ‘Racism and
Sexism’ [Bloomberg / SF Chron, 2/6/17]: U.S. President Donald Trump
must not be allowed to address the U.K. Parliament during a state visit to
Britain, House of Commons Speaker John Bercow said.
White House rattled by McCarthy's spoof of Spicer [Politico,
2/6/17]: More than being lampooned as a press secretary who makes up facts, it
was Spicer’s portrayal by a woman that was most problematic in the president’s
eyes, according to sources close to him.
Will Trump’s ‘Art of the Deal’ bravado translate to
politics? [SF Chron, 2/6/17]: So far,
President Trump has acted much like he did in business, starting his
initiatives with forceful opening shots. That’s a classic negotiating tactic,
and his latest use of it appears to have come in his threat to cut federal
funding to California should it declare itself a sanctuary state.
DOJ Says Travel Ban Within President’s Power [Trial Insider / CNS, 2/6/17]: President Trump’s
executive order banning refugees and other aliens entry to the U.S. for at
least 90 days “is a lawful exercise of the President’s authority over aliens,”
Justice Department lawyers told the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in
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:
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
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:
Texas School Board Refuses
to Evolve [CNS, 2/7/17]: Against the
recommendations of scientists, teachers and school district officials, the
Texas State Board of Education preliminarily approved biology curriculum that
challenges the theory of evolution.
Republican state lawmakers propose laws to curb protests [FAC, 2/2/17]: Republican-controlled state legislatures are reacting
to events such as the Women’s March against Trump and Black Lives
Matter protests by proposing bills that levy penalties on protesters especially
those blocking roadways.
CNN endures freeze from Trump
administration [FAC, 2/2/17]: The Trump administration is
freezing out CNN by denying them access to government spokespersons. The
alleged intent is to reduce CNN's ratings. As this story broke, the administration
reversed itself by allowing CNN to interview a national security deputy. The
administration denied its intent to freeze out CNN.
Unprecedented number of Trump administration leaks brings
benefits and pose hazards [FAC,
2/6/17]: While trashing conventions at
record-setting pace, the Trump administration has also set a new record for
leaks.
Supreme Court nominee Gorsuch seen as First Amendment
defender [FAC, 2/6/17]: The Reporters
Committee for Freedom of the Press, , February 3, 2017, gave Neil Gorsuch,
President Donald Trump's nomination to the Supreme Court a favorable rating on
First Amendment issues.
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:
With Ninth Supreme
Court Justice Waiting in the Wings, Lawsuit Revives Movement to Eliminate
Mandatory Teacher Union Dues [EdLawProfs
blog, 2/7/17]: About a year after Friedrichs ended in a 4-4 tie at the
Supreme Court, another attempt is being made to stop union dues. Eight
California teachers filed a federal lawsuit Monday against their school districts
and the California Teachers Association, challenging mandatory union membership
and the union dues that come with it.
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