5 of 7 Senate makes history by confirming Loretta Lynch as U.S. attorney general


Loretta Lynch was  confirmed as U.S. attorney general on Thursday. All Democrats voted for her. She made history by becoming the first African American woman to hold the post. President Obama said that "America will be better off for it" when talking about her confirmation. However Senator Ted Cruz said that she was unfit for the job and was the only one not to show up for the vote. There has been a lot of firsts for America with Obama, Sotomayor, and now Lynch.

4 of 7 Man in gyrocopter that landed at the Capitol was tracked for 30 miles



The Florida postal carrier that was flying the gyrocopter, which he eventually landed on the Capitol's lawn, was tracked by security for 30 miles through protected airspace. However, they decided not to shoot him down for fear that tourists on the National Mall might be harmed. It was said that a "lack of communication and some human error" was the reason that the postal carrier was allowed to land on the Capitol's lawn. I watched a video of the man in his gyrocopter on the news, people are crazy.

3 of 7 Senate approves stalled human trafficking bill, clearing way for Lynch vote 



It was a 99-0 vote that moved the chamber past legislation that had been delayed for 6 weeks after the Democrats withdrew their support for the bipartisan bill over an anti-abortion provision. But Senators finally reached a compromise on that provision. Although the matters weren't related, the bill became intertwined with the nomination of Loretta Lynch to be the next attorney general. Her nomination was effected when Senator Mitch McConnell said he would not schedule a confirmation vote on the attorney general nominee until they finished the trafficking bill.

2 of 7 Opponents of gay marriage ponder strategy as issue reaches supreme court


John G. Kallam Jr. is one of six county magistrates in North Carolina to step down rather than condone same sex marriage. Like three quarters of Rockingham County, NC voters, he voted yes when adopting a constitutional ban on same sex marriage. He was shocked however when a federal judge overturned the ban. He was then obliged to perform civil marriages, but he decided to step down instead of going against his faith. As Supreme Court gets ready to hear arguments on same sex marriage, America seems more ready for it than even just a year ago. While about 1/2 of Americans now condone the idea of gay marriages.

1 of 7 At New York reception, Ted Cruz is said to strike different tone towards gays



Senator and Republican presidential candidate, Ted Cruz, has positioned himself against same sex marriages. He urged pastors nationwide to preach in support of marriage between man and woman which he said was "ordained by God." However at a reception held for him at the apartment at two gays he struck a different tone about the matter. He even said he wouldn't mind if one of his daughters was gay. He did not however mention his opposition to same-sex marriage, only saying that marriage is an issue that should be left to the states.

5 of 6 Obama won't endorse Hilary Clinton just yet 



Obama praised former Secretary of State but stopped short of offering his endorsement to former opponent. Saying it was a little too early for an endorsement since she just announced running, but he did say that she was talented, tenacious, is a great friend, and thought she would make a great president.

4 of 6 Marco Rubio announces he's running for president in 2016 



First speaker of the Florida House of Representatives, then U.S. Senator in 2010, Rubio is now running for president. In his announcement he states that "our identity as an exceptional nation is at stake, and I can make a difference as president."

3 of 6 New drilling rule planned, 5 years after BP oil spill 



Obama administration plans to impose new regulations for offshore oil drilling. New rules can be put in place to help prevent catastrophes like explosions and oil spills. As the plan to open up new waters to drilling, they put in place the third and biggest new drilling regulation.

2 of 6 president Obama meets Raul Castro, making history



 This meeting was the first face to face discussion between the leaders of the U.S. and Cuba in half a century. It was called a historic meeting. Obama said efforts would continue tore establish diplomatic relations of the countries and to reopen embassies in Havana and Washington. Obama also said that while the countries will continue to have differences, they can also continue to work on common ground and interests.

1 of 6 Hilary Clinton starts to detail rationale for run as campaign begins



This is Hilary's second attempt to run for president. If successful she would be the first female nominee from either party, with a good chance of becoming the first female elected president. In her announcement of running for office she stated that she wanted to fight for American families, allowing them to get ahead and stay ahead.

4 of 5 Has Obama approval leveled off?

Obama's approval rate may be leveling off in the new year after increasing in late 2014. Recently his rating show that 47 percent approved of the job he is doing as president while 48 percent do not approve. This is a perfect example of how we just studied that it is normal for the presidents approval rate to be lower that 50%. And even though it seems bad, it is actually no big deal.

3 of 5 House, in reversal, will vote on years funding for homeland security

We talked about this in class a little bit recently. I think this article was saying that Republicans do not like the idea of this bill as much because they see it funding Obama's immigration policy. I wasnt quite clear on this though. This funding would save the department from a partial shut down. I think this bill is good to pass because we need security. Maybe its just a matter of less money being funded for the department. I think especially after September 11 that security has definitely been improved and a lot of new measures have been taken to improve security so maybe its time for this department to have a small break.

2 of 5 Justice department to fault Ferguson police, seeing racial bias in traffic stops

The Justice Department has almost completed a critical report against Ferguson police saying that years of bias and discriminatory traffic stops of African Americans created the built up anger and racial tension that lead to the shooting of the black teenager. The protests and violence after that shooting were so extreme I find it hard to believe that it was built up by simple traffic stops. However, for the people living in Ferguson that cant pay traffic tickets, traffic stops may become routine which could build up the anger. This sort of topic is one that reminds me of the assembly With Mr. Gees views versus Mr. Hilincks views on whether or not to voice opinions with more force or wait patiently for things to resolve.

1 of 5 psychiatric drug overuse is cited by federal study 

Federal investigators have said that there is a common widespread overuse of medications by older Americans with Alzheimers disease. They recommended that all physicians take action against over prescribing and unnecessary prescribing.  This overuse has especially been seen in patients of nursing homes. And they are trying to take action against this. This article related to another class I'm taking. In human phys we saw that the most unnecessary prescriptions are related to cold and flu. And I thought this article sort of went along with that.

5 of 4 Texas lawmaker wants to make it a crime for transgender individuals to use the restroom that matches their gender identity



A bill has been introduced that would make it a crime for transgenders to use the bathroom of the gender that they identify with. The bill says that the gender of someone is established at birth and by the individuals chromosomes. I thought this was interesting because it reminds me of white and black bathrooms sort of. It was interesting to think about from both views because transgenders truly believe they are the opposite sex but I bet some people would really freak out being in the bathroom with somebody that was physically of the opposite sex.

4 of 4 What parks and recreation taught my son about feminism (and so much else)



The last season of parks and rec. has started. A parent speaks about how the show has reinforced principles and morals to her son that she cared about, but in a way that wasnt beating him over the head with it. The shows she says offers commentary on social and political issues. I thought this was funny because we talked about this show today in class. Maybe I need to watch it more!

3 of 4 American Sniper trial halted due to ice storm



The trial in Texas was postponed due to the ice storm. This trial pertains to the man charged with shooting and killing former U.S. Navy SEAL, Chris Kyle. Chris Kyle was an American hero who has a best selling autobiography and a movie that was recently released. I have seen the movie and it is an amazing story. Based on what I know from the movie, when he returned home he helped vets and he was actually shot when he was working with someone.

2 of 4 PETAS Killing machine loses in landslide 95-2 vote in Virginia

 

peta stands for people for the ethical treatment of animals. The bill to rein in peta's killing passed the House of Delegates. Shelters will now be required to further efforts to get animals adopted instead of just killing them. So shelters will now be shelters instead of last resorts. I think this is a good bill to be passed although Im sure this will crowd the shelters which also isn't a good thing for animals. So it has its up and downs.    

1 of 4 Bush spouse backs Jeb, but is wary of family business



Columba Bush has been anticipating the day her husband would run for president. But her feelings about supporting him are conflicted. Her husband, Jeb Bush, was the former governor of Florida. She blamed politics as the reason behind marriage problems and even as the reason of her daughters drug addiction. So I guess it would be likely that she would be wary about him running or even becoming the president. Running for president would put her and her family in the spotlight like never before.  

5 of 3 These states don't require vaccinations for home-school students

4 of 3 Obama hosts student, teacher from million-dollar humans of N.Y. campaign




I thought it was cool that I found this post because humans of New York is an instagram account that I have looked at before and there has been a lot of posts recently about this school they've helped in Brownsville. After the first post about he student Vidal people have reached out and raised money for Mott Hall Bridges Academy. The money will go to support summer programs and start a scholarship fund for the graduates of the school.

3 of 3 Illinois considering recreational marijuana bills-And they could help lower racial disparity in pot arrests


Adults would be able to use recreational amounts of marijuana without fear of jail. These two bills are the first in the state aimed at reducing marijuana related penalties and charges. Although the charges from marijuana would go down, they would not be acquiring the same high revenue tax from legalization like Colorado did. It would solve the issue of the unproportional arrests of black and Latinos versus whites.

2 of 3 Obama was breaking barriers 25 years ago today



Obama has been the first black president of the Harvard Law Review and the United States as well. He was 28 when he became the first black person elected for the position of president of the review. In his 1990 interview he stated that he thought his election was a step in the right direction but also wanted to reassure that everything still wasnt ok for blacks. I think that goes right along with what people can say about him being the first black man in the oval office.

1 of 3 U.S. and Europe working to end Ukraine fighting



Ukraine is fighting with Russia. The U.S. is trying to decide whether to send arms to the Ukraine government. The U.S. has sent arms to allies in similar situations but this time the circumstances are complicated. Obama has considered sending defensive systems that would help to block the attacks.

5 of 2 John Boehner reveals how he survives the state of the union


Boehner sat directly behind the president while he gave his speech. people have made fun of him asking if he practiced scowling before. He said he focused on the back of Obama's head during the speech. He said it is he presidents night so he sits there and tries not to make the news even though he has a lot going through his mind.

4 of 2 House passes anti abortion bill on anniversary of Roe v. Wade



The House passed a bill that would put a ban on federal funding for abortions. The bill prevents women having abortions through Medicaid and also prevents women from buying a private insurance plan with abortion coverage. Democrats wanted tried to motion the bill back to committee but the Republicans denied this and passed the bill. The president is said to veto the bill if it passes Senate.

3 of 2 Budget forcast sees end to steep declines in federal deficit 



The federal budget deficit will continue to decline over the next year but despite Americas economy being on the ups, the deficit will rise again in 2017 because of an aging population. Now lawmakers face the problem about what to do about increased Medicare and social security spending that reflects the aging population but not the good economy. The forecast might get Obama to change his policy proposals. I was wondering how they actually estimate these budgets?

2 of 2 Romneys consideration of candidacy is closely related to his faith, allies say



A fellow Republican suggested to Romney that he should run again not for redemption but for a higher calling from his faith. Last time Romney did not embrace his religion as openly last time but this time he will. He feels that his religion is tied to his sense of service to our country. His last run was complicated by the fact that his team didnt want him to say anything about being Mormon at all. But now he will embrace it and show himself as a faith and family man.

1 of 2 In state of the union, Obama defiantly sets a broad agenda



On Tuesday president Obama claimed credit for improving the economy. It was his sixth state of the union address and was an hourlong address. He vowed to focus his final two years on programs that had taken a backseat. The three main issues he called Congress on were making community college free for most students, enhance tax credits for child care and education, and impose new taxes on high income earners. He didn't talk about any of his loses.

5 of 1 At 78, McCain savors a new dream job in Senate



Six years after losing to Obama in the presidential election, McCain now has the only other job in Senate besides president that he ever wanted, Chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee. He is in charge of overseeing the nations defense policy and Americas military. McCain states that Obama's decision not to send more troops to Iraq has put America at risk, fearing that an attack like the one in Paris could happen in the U.S. McCain has completely different views on foreign policy than Obama does. McCain, a former Navy pilot and the son and grandson of admirals, says that running Armed Services is a fulfillment of a lifelong political aspiration.

4 of 1 In new Congress, Wall St. pushes to undermine Dodd-Frank reform



Obama signed the Dodd-Frank act into law in 2010. The continuing assault on the Dodd-Frank law has achieved some success, especially compared to opponents of the Affordable Care Act 2010. In the last month, the nations biggest banks and investment firms have twice won passage of measures to weaken regulations that are intended to help lessen the risk of another financial crisis. The current efforts to undermine Dodd-Frank have been textbook lobbying.

3 of 1 Third chance for Romney? G.o.p. is torn



When Republicans were gathered at the Oklahoma capitol this week talk turned to Romney's possible pursue for a third presidential bid. But even his supporters and admirers said don't do it, while saying that he had his chance and that people might look on for new candidates. Opinions on Romney range from support to indifference and even hostility. Some party leaders believe that his weaknesses are constant, such as his awkward demeanor and his inability to connect with the working class and minority voters. However, it is said that of all the other candidates, Romney is the only one to have proven that he can raise billions of dollars and be a vote getter in a national race.

2 of 1 As 2016 race gains steam, Christie sees no need to rush



Governor Chris Christie is preparing to make his first steps toward a presidential campaign, with his plans to set up a political action committee. While among aggressive jockeying between his likely rivals Bush and Romney, Christie has delivered the message, Relax, to his top supporters and donors. The governor says that there is more than enough political money should he make his formal announcement in the Spring. After several years as a likely presidential candidate, Christie does not feel as much pressure to show momentum.

1 of 1 House votes to revoke legal protections for millions of immigrants



On Wednesday the House voted to undo revisions of Obama's immigration policy. This revoked legal protections for millions of illegal immigrants. The vote outraged Democrats, while many Republicans worried that their party would be perceived as hostile towards immigrants. While it has been said that Obama will not sign any bill that blocks his executive actions on immigration, the action in the House showed how the Republican led Congress will debate the presidents immigration actions. This will cause lawmakers to struggle to find compromise on funding the Department of Homeland Security.Democrats accused Republicans of jeopardizing Homeland Security funds at a time when the U.S. can not be caught off guard. The final outcome will not be decided for weeks but Wednesday was the first action from House conservatives.