Tuesday, May 2, 2017

Posts for May 2, 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.

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:

Supreme Court rules cities can sue banks for predatory lending practices [Jurist, 5/1/17]: At issue were the questions of whether Miami qualified as the kind of party that could bring claims under the FHA and whether the harm the city said it suffered (lost tax revenue) was necessarily tied closely enough to the lending practices for the city to bring the claims.

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:

Supreme Court to hear separation of powers case [Jurist / Roll Cal, 5/1/17]: The US Supreme Court [official website] granted cert in Patchak v. Zinke on Monday. In Patchak, the court will decide if Section 2(b) of the Gun Lake Trust land Reaffirmation Act violates the separation of powers created in the US Constitution by calling on federal courts to drop cases related to certain provisions of the act.
See the background in Patchak at the SCOTUS blog:

California Gun Owners Call Magazine Ban Unconstitutional [CNS, 5/1/17]: Gun enthusiasts on Friday filed a federal challenge to one of California’s recently signed “gunpocalypse” bills, with four civil rights groups and seven individuals claiming the ban on the possession of high-capacity magazines violates their Second Amendment rights.

The American Presidency [TOPIC 15]

Top Ethics Officer Challenges Trump Over Secret Waivers for Ex-Lobbyists [NY Times, 5/1/17]: The federal government’s top ethics officer is challenging the Trump administration’s issuance of secret waivers that allow former lobbyists to handle matters they recently worked on, setting up a confrontation between the ethics office and President Trump.

Trump: Why was there a Civil War? [The Hill, 5/1/17]: President Trump during an interview that airs Monday questioned why the country had a Civil War and suggested former President Andrew Jackson could have prevented it had he served later.

Historians see a dark underside to Trump's Civil War riff [Politico, 5/1/17]: President Donald Trump on Monday once again defied the history books, this time claiming that Andrew Jackson was “really angry” about the Civil War – despite having died 16 years before the first shots were fired – and puzzled why a deal wasn’t cut to avoid the war altogether.

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:

Democrats say they now know exactly why Clinton lost [McClatchy, 5/1/17]: But new information shows that Clinton had a much bigger problem with voters who had supported President Barack Obama in 2012 but backed Trump four years later.

Legislation and the Legislative Process (TOPIC 20)

Congress claws back power from Trump [Politico, 5/1/17]: Congressional members didn’t just snub Donald Trump on his border wall: They also used the $1 trillion spending deal hatched over the weekend to rein in the president’s powers.

How Trump Could Get Fired [New Yorker, 5/8/17]: the Constitution offers two main paths for removing a President from office. How feasible are they?
See Robert Reich’s animated short video, “Umpeachment,” on YouTube [4/17]:

Should California allow bicyclists to roll through stop signs? [Sac Bee, 5/1/17]: Here’s a counterintuitive proposal currently circulating at the Capitol: Make California roads safer for bicyclists by allowing them to yield at stop signs, rather than coming to a complete stop, if there is no oncoming traffic. Assemblyman Jay Obernolte is prepared for your skepticism. 

Meet the Immigrant Legislators Putting Their Stamp on the Capitol [KQED, 5/2/17]: These eight immigrants are members of the state Legislature, and are helping to craft policy at the state Capitol — or in some cases to oppose it. 

5 Trump health care promises that won't become reality [Politico, 5/1/17]: Donald Trump broke the first campaign promise he made about Obamacare when he couldn’t scrap the law on the day he took office. He’ll get another chance to make good on the pledge this week, if the House takes up a revised repeal-replace plan.

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

‘Alternative Facts’ on Central Park 5 Face Fire [CNS, 5/1/17]: Taking a jab at “alternative facts,” a federal magistrate refused Monday to let unsubstantiated gossip connected to the Central Park jogger case slime the men who won $41 million for their wrongful-rape convictions.

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:

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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