Thursday, June 8, 2017

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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