Posts for June 13, 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 (5^th ed.) student textbook.

Religious Studies Recognized as Esssential Part of K-12 Education [Newseum, 6/12/17]: Today the National Council for the Social Studies announced that it has added religious studies to its social studies curriculum.

http://www.newseuminstitute.org/2017/06/12/religious-studies-recognized-as-essential-part-of-k-12-education/

I. Introduction to Law, the Constitution, and the Supreme Court [See TOPICS 1-10 in the 5^th edition of Constitutional Law] Here are some recent articles that are relevant to this unit:

Lurking in latest SCOTUS class action ruling: long-running question of standing [“On the Case” blog, 6/12/17]: All eight of the U.S. Supreme Court justices who decided Microsoft v. Baker on Monday agreed that class action plaintiffs cannot engineer appellate review of a decision denying class certification by dismissing their individual claims. But the justices split on why – and a concurrence by three conservatives could signal renewed interest in the critical class action issue of constitutional standing for uninjured class members.

http://www.reuters.com/article/us-otc-standing-idUSKBN1932DV

II. Defining the Political System: Federalism and Checks and Balances [See TOPICS 11-15 in the 5^th edition of Constitutional Law] Here are recent articles that are relevant to this unit:

The American Presidency [TOPIC 15]

DC and Maryland AGs sue Trump for constitutional violations [Jurist, 6/12/17]: The attorneys general of Maryland and Washington, DC, filed suit Monday against US President Donald Trump, alleging that he has violated the constitution by accepting payments and gifts from foreign governments while in office.

http://www.jurist.org/paperchase/2017/06/dc-and-maryland-ags-sue-trump-for-constitutional-violations.php

How legitimate are the obstruction of justice claims? [MSNBC, 6/12/17]: Char.ie Savage, the legal and national security correspondent for the NY Times, discusses whether the obstruction of justice claims against the President hold up.

http://www.msnbc.com/deadline-white-house/watch/how-legitimate-are-the-obstruction-of-justice-claims-against-trump-964137027640

Trump Reinvents the Cabinet Meeting [CNN, 6/12/17]: Leave it to Donald Trump to reinvent the Cabinet meeting.

http://www.cnn.com/2017/06/12/politics/donald-trump-cabinet-meeting/index.html

Fact Check: The record behind Trump’s Cabinet preening [AP, 6/12/17]: President Donald Trump preened before his Cabinet and the cameras on Monday, making claims that are unsupported by the record. A sampling from a portion of the Cabinet meeting opened to the press: —“Great success, including MS-13. They’re being thrown out in record numbers and rapidly. And they’re being depleted. They’ll all be gone pretty soon.”

https://www.apnews.com/09e7087dae8446009ecd5f9d990ad337/AP-FACT-CHECK:-The-record-behind-Trump's-Cabinet-preening

See You In Court: 9^th Circuit Round 2 [“Take Care” blog, 6/12/17]: In a victory for the state of Hawaii and the rule of law, today the 9^thCircuit issued its opinion in Hawaii v. Trump, the case challenging President Trump’s entry ban. This post goes into great constitutional and statutory detail regarding the decision of the 9^th Circuit.

https://takecareblog.com/blog/see-you-in-court-ninth-circuit-round-2

Trump's Tweets Must Now Be Taken Seriously [Slate, 6/12/17]: The 9th Circuit's travel ban ruling declares the president's Twitter feed is a legally binding stream of consciousness.

http://www.slate.com/articles/news_and_politics/jurisprudence/2017/06/the_9th_circuit_just_decreed_that_trump_s_twitter_feed_must_be_taken_seriously.html

The Ninth Circuit Shows the Supreme Court How to Strike Down Trump's Travel Ban [The Atlantic, 6/12/17]: Sidestepping thorny constitutional questions and focusing on substance and procedure, the appellate panel offered the justices an escape route, if they care to take it.

https://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2017/06/the-ninth-circuit-shows-the-supreme-court-how-to-strike-down-trumps-travel-ban/530088/

Republicans to Trump: Hands off Mueller [Politico, 6/12/17]: Republican lawmakers have a warning for President Donald Trump: Don’t mess with Robert Mueller. Some Trump allies have begun agitating for Trump to fire the man appointed just last month as a special counsel to oversee the Justice Department’s investigation of Russian meddling in the 2016 presidential election. 

http://www.politico.com/story/2017/06/12/republicans-robert-mueller-trump-239460

III. The Political System: Voting and Campaigns [See TOPICS 16-20 in the 5^th edition of Constitutional Law] Here are some recent articles that are relevant to this unit:

Trump hearings hatch Democratic stars [Politico, 6/12/17]: Washington loves a blockbuster hearing, and the Democratic Party loves a breakout star. Thanks to the Trump White House, there’s been plenty of each.

http://www.politico.com/story/2017/06/12/trump-hearings-democrats-breakout-stars-239449

IV. Criminal Law and Procedure (4^th, 5^th, 6^th, and 8^th amendments) [See TOPICS 21-28 in the 5^th edition of Constitutional Law] Here are some recent articles that are relevant to this unit

The Man Who Spent 35 Years in Prison Without a Trial [Marshall Project, 6/12/17]: The Jerry Hartfield case is an extraordinary tale of justice delayed and denied.

https://www.themarshallproject.org/2017/06/12/the-man-who-spent-35-years-in-prison-without-a-trial?ref=hp-1-111#.sSMV4HvjP

Life After Life Without Parole [Marshall Project, 6/13/17]: Ronald Elston spent more than 30 years in prision, with no preparation for what he would do if he got out.

https://www.themarshallproject.org/2017/06/13/life-after-life-without-parole?ref=hp-2-111#.IoIZTiBLa

V. 1^st Amendment (Speech, Religion, Press and Assembly) [See TOPICS 29-33 in the 5^th edition of Constitutional Law] Here are some recent articles that are relevant to this unit:

NJ High School Under Fire for Erasing Trump Slogans From Yearbook [Fox News / Asbury Press, 6/12/17]: A New Jersey high school is under fire after President Donald Trump's name was digitally removed from two students' yearbook photos, and another student's quote from the president was also excluded.

http://insider.foxnews.com/2017/06/12/new-jersey-high-school-under-fire-erasing-trump-slogans-yearbook

http://www.app.com/story/news/education/in-our-schools/2017/06/12/wall-donald-trump-shirt-yearbook-censored/389314001/

VI. 14^th Amendment, Discrimination, Privacy, Working, Citizenship & Immigration [See TOPICS 34-41 in the 5^th edition of Constitutional Law] Here are some recent articles that are relevant to this unit:

Biometric Hand Scanner Violated Coal Miner's 'Mark of the Beast' Belief: Court [NLJ, 6/12/17]: 4th Circuit upholds ruling against company over refusal to make reasonable accommodations by interfering with a worker’s religious beliefs after the evangelical Christian likened the company's biometric hand scanners to clock in and out to the “Mark of the Beast,” as described in the Book of Revelation.

http://www.nationallawjournal.com/id=1202789469082/Biometric-Hand-Scanner-Violated-Coal-Miners-Mark-of-the-Beast-Belief-Court?cmp=share_twitter

International Law, Citizenship and Immigration [TOPIC 40-42]

They came to America looking for work. But once they got here, they couldn’t leave [Fresno Bee, 6/12/17]: They came to Fresno from Mexico with visas, passports and hopes of finding work. But once they got here, they worked in the fields for little pay, and couldn’t leave because their boss had their visas and other documents and threatened to tell immigration on them if they quit working for him, prosecutors contend.

http://www.fresnobee.com/news/local/crime/article155762519.html