Posts for June 8, 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:
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:
Delaware house approves bill guaranteeing abortion
access [Jurist, 6/8/17]: The Delaware legislature approved a bill on
Tuesday that guarantees access to abortion. The bill, which was previously
approved by the state Senate, was approved by a vote of 22-16 after five hours
of debate and discussion.
The
American Presidency [TOPIC 15]
Trump’s Use
of Twitter Puts Him in Constitutional Hot Water [Newseum,
6/7/17]: Twitter was an invaluable tool for candidate Donald Trump, allowing
him to bypass traditional media channels and connect with a passionate base of
followers. But as president, Donald Trump’s frequent use of Twitter is
turning out to be a major liability for him.
Comey Says White House Defamed Him
After Firing [CNS, 6/8/17]: FBI Director James Comey opened his
much-anticipated testimony before the Senate Intelligence Committee on Thursday
by saying the Trump administration defamed him and flat-out lied about the state
of the FBI as it struggled to explain why President Donald Trump fired him.
Rep. Sherman joins Green in push to impeach Trump [Politico,
6/7/17]: Another Democratic lawmaker has joined an effort to draft articles of
impeachment against President Donald Trump. Rep. Brad Sherman (D-Calif) joined
Rep. Al Green (D-Texas) at a press conference on Capitol Hill Wednesday, where
they announced they were drafting documents to push the president's ouster.
Trump demanded 'loyalty,' asked for end to Flynn
investigation, Comey to testify [Politico, 6/7/17]: President Trump
demanded "loyalty" from former FBI Director James B. Comey and asked
him to drop at least part of the bureau's investigation of former National
Security Adviser Mike Flynn, Comey plans to testify to Congress Thursday.
Intelligence officials won't answer if Trump asked them
to influence Russia probe—but say they did not feel pressured [LA
Times, 6/7/17]: Two senior U.S. intelligence officials repeatedly refused to
say Wednesday whether President Trump had asked them to intervene or to
publicly downplay the FBI investigation into supposed ties between the Trump
campaign and Russia.
Constitution Can't Stop Trump From Blocking Tweets [Bloomberg, 6/7/17]: Twitter as a private company can
set the rules, even for a public figure like the president.
Rep. Schiff: Trump Might Go Down As ‘Worst President in
Modern History’ [KQED, 6/7/17]: Former FBI Director James Comey’s
written testimony ahead of his hearing on Thursday corroborates suspicions of
“very incriminating” allegations against President Trump and Russia’s meddling
in the 2016 presidential election, said Rep. Adam Schiff, a ranking member of
the House Intelligence Committee.
Trump ‘all in’ on Senate Obamacare repeal [Politico,
6/7/17]: The president is taking a soft touch but is increasingly engaged as
Senate Republicans try to gut the health law.
West Wing aides fearful of directly attacking Comey [Politico,
6/7/17]: The White House has outsourced its counter-messaging effort during
Comey’s testimony, as aides try to avoid more personal legal risk.
Pence cancels interview with PBS [The Hill,
6/7/17]: Pence’s cancellation came shortly after former FBI Director James
Comey released his opening statement one day before his highly anticipated
testimony to Congress on Thursday.
Democrats to sue Trump over conflicts of interest [Politico,
6/7/17]: Dozens of House and Senate Democrats plan to sue President Donald
Trump in the coming weeks, claiming he is breaking the law by refusing to
relinquish ownership of his sprawling real-estate empire while it continues to
profit from business with foreign governments.
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:
A Democratic Donnybrook in the Old Dominion [Sabato’s Crystal Ball,6/8/17]: Previewing the Virginia primary.
Legislation and the Legislative
Process (TOPIC 20)
GOP senators admonish Kamala Harris over persistent
questioning [AP, 6/8/17]: The Republican chairman of the Senate
intelligence committee admonished California Sen. Kamala Harris, along with
other Democrats, and asked her to be more respectful Wednesday as she pressed
top intelligence chiefs testifying before the panel.
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
Driving Stoned: San Diego Scientists Try To Find DUI
Limit For Marijuana [KPBS, 6/7/17]: On Friday and Saturday nights,
according to roadside surveys conducted by the National Highway Traffic Safety
Administration, one out of five drivers has a drug other than alcohol in their
system. The agency says the drug that showed the greatest increase between 2007
and 2014 was marijuana.
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:
Supreme Court Rejects Religious Liberty Case [Newseum, 6/7/17]: The U.S. Supreme Court made
headlines in military and free-speech advocacy circles on Monday when it
rejected an appeal by a former Marine, who was court martialed for displaying
Biblical phrases at her desk.
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:
Privacy in the Cellphone
Age [NY
Times editorial, 6/7/17]: Odds are you
need to use that phone in your pocket many times a day — and doing so leaves
you no choice but to constantly relay data revealing your location and
movements to Verizon, AT&T or whatever cellphone company you pay for the
service. For most people, most of the time, that’s not a concern, if they’re
aware of it at all. But how easy should it be for the government to get its
hands on that data? This is about the Carpenter case which will be in the
next edition of our Con Law student text.
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