Posts October 27, 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.

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:

HLS in the World | A Conversation with Six Justices of the U.S. Supreme Court [Harvard Law School on YouTube, 10/26/17]:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_EeU6Lo_i7I

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:

Louisiana 'dirt farmer' asks Supreme Court's help [AP, 10/26/17]: Some residents in bayou country deep in southeastern Louisiana raise alligators or crawfish. Some grow turnips. Until a local government stepped in, Chad Jarreau farmed dirt. To be more precise, he dug up dirt on his property in Cut Off, Louisiana, graded it again and again and sold it for use in construction projects.

Jarreau is not a wealthy man, but he had a batch of dirt on the edge of his 17-acre (7-hectare) property that was worth more than $150,000. Or it would have been, if the local flood control district hadn’t taken it to shore up protection against hurricanes in the low-lying area that brushes up against the Gulf of Mexico.

https://apnews.com/d8e92a21fb0c4a0e90246eabed274fd5/Louisiana-'dirt-farmer'-asks-Supreme-Court's-help

The American Presidency [TOPIC 15]

Trump declares US opioid emergency but pledges no new money [AP, 10/26/17]: In ringing and personal terms, President Donald Trump on Thursday pledged that “we will overcome addiction in America,” declaring opioid abuse a national public health emergency and announcing new steps to combat what he described as the worst drug crisis in U.S. history. 

https://apnews.com/6ca518a8b23b4ce99661c31afa29ed94/Trump-declares-US-opioid-emergency-but-pledges-no-new-money

Another Twist in the Emoluments Litigation [“The Origialism blog,” 10/26/17]: Via Josh Blackman, apparently the President's lawyers now say that maybe the President isn't covered by the Foreign Emoluments clause, or at least they are not conceding that he is.

http://originalismblog.typepad.com/the-originalism-blog/2017/10/another-twist-in-the-emoluments-litigationmichael-ramsey.html

McConnell preps judicial confirmation frenzy [Politico, 10/26/17]: The transformation of the federal judiciary has been one of the early successes of Donald Trump's presidency.

https://www.politico.com/story/2017/10/26/judicial-nominees-mitch-mcconnell-244210

III. The Political System: Voting and Campaigns [See TOPICS 16-20 in the 5^th edition o

of Constitutional Law] Here are some recent articles that are relevant to this unit:

Legislation and the Legislative Process (TOPIC 20)

Sexual harassment policies on Capitol Hill inhibit victims [Politico, 10/27/17]: Two female lawmakers and several congressional staffers are calling for an overhaul of Capitol Hill’s policies on sexual harassment, citing a culture of tolerance in a workplace long known as a boys’ club.

https://www.politico.com/story/2017/10/27/capitol-hill-sexual-harassment-policies-victims-244224

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 :

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:

There's no free speech right to refuse wedding cakes to gay couples [Volokh Conspiracy blog, 10/27/17]: Dale Carpenter posts at "The Volokh Conspiracy" about an amicus brief that he and Eugene Volokh have submitted in this case.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/volokh-conspiracy/wp/2017/10/27/theres-no-free-speech-right-to-refuse-wedding-cakes-to-gay-couples/?utm_term=.467298765c77

School Officials Receive Immunity from Lawsuit of Teacher Disciplined for Social Media Post [Newseum, 10/26/17]: The Court of Appeals of Georgia decided that a superintendent and county board chairperson could not be defendants in a First Amendment lawsuit filed by a teacher suspended for making a controversial Facebook post. 

http://www.newseuminstitute.org/2017/10/26/school-officials-receive-immunity-from-lawsuit-of-teacher-disciplined-for-social-media-post/

The decision in Atwater v. Tucker can be found at:

https://efast.gaappeals.us/download?filingId=d8afe2ce-4754-4800-81c9-6e2c7b43e7d8

Podcast: Young Censors [Newseum, 10/26/17]: Are today’s college students intolerant of free speech? In this episode, we talk to the Brookings Institute’s John Villasenor about the results of his recent survey. 

http://www.newseuminstitute.org/2017/10/26/podcast-young-censors/

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: