You get a job! You get a job! Unemployment is down and Jobs are up! by Daniel E.

https://www.nytimes.com/2018/12/07/business/economy/jobs-report.html

On December 7th, 2018, the Labor Department released its monthly hiring and unemployment figures for November. 155,000 jobs were added in the month of November. Economists were expected a gain of 190,000 but were off about 35,000 give or take a few jobs. The monthly average for September, October and November was 170,000. With more jobs, the unemployment continues to drop shown in the graph below. 

For the 98th month (about 8 years)  in a row, employers increased payrolls, and monthly job gains are still averaging above 200,000 this year alone. Yearly wage growth remained at 3.1 percent for the second month in a row, a level not seen since the recession. But the report is unlikely to discourage policymakers at the Federal Reserve from raising benchmark interest rates when they meet on Dec. 18 and 19. But unfortunately good news always comes with bad news, General Motors said last month in a statement that they would idle five plants and cut close to nearly upto 14,000 jobs in the United States because of a slowdown in auto sales. In the meantime, the labor market is mostly thriving. The unemployment rate and jobless benefits are at or near record lows. The average monthly increase in payrolls this year is more than enough to keep the jobless rate below 4 percent.

Do you have a job? If you are old enough, are you looking for a job? How do you feel that unemployment is continue going down? Do you think unemployment will continue going down, or will it go back up?

(Feel free to check your state or surrounding states unemployment rates! Link is: https://www.bls.gov/)

Money for Mailbox Access by Hannah T.

https://www.cbsnews.com/news/trump-plan-to-revive-the-u-s-postal-service-sell-access-to-your-mailbox/

Checking the mail is something people do every day. Anybody who has ever went and checked a mailbox has probably received many things in the mail that could be considered ‘non-essential.’ ‘Non-essential’ mail can be things such as flyers for advertising events or credit card offers from a number of companies. The Trump administration is trying to stop this from happening as much. To fix this, they want companies, such as UPS and FedEx, to pay money for access to a certain mailbox. Paying for access would allow them to continue sending the ‘non-essential’ mail. The Trump administration thinks that doing this will revive the U.S. Postal Service.

The U.S. Postal Service has gone downhill and they are losing more and more money every year. This year is their 12th straight year of losing money. According to President Trump, the U.S. Postal Service loses about $1.50 per package they deliver from Amazon. Amazon is a huge company that people are using 24/7, so the USPS is losing hundreds of thousands of dollars every single day. Charging for mailbox access could help the USPS start gaining money and stop losing money.
What do you think about this? Do you think selling access to mailboxes will really help the USPS?

Who Is Next? by Caroline J.

https://www.nytimes.com/2018/12/09/us/politics/nick-ayers-trump-chief-of-staff.html?module=inline

Being the Chief of Staff to the President of the United States is no easy task. Although the difficulties of this job have most certainly increased with our current President Donald Trump. The obvious choice for the President was Nick Ayers. Ayers is the current chief of staff to the vice president of the United States Mike Pence. Ayers would have replaced John F. Kelly. Surprisingly, Nick Ayers declined the job. Sources who are close to him have said he will be leaving Washington, and the current administration, all together at the end of the year. He will supposedly be returning to Georgia to spend more time with his family. Many people do not believe the excuse of “more family time”. It has been speculated that the President is too hard to manage, and Ayers wanted no part of it. Many have said that Trump was unprepared for this turn of events and that he does not have a second option in mind.
         
President Trump has made a statement saying that he will fill the position in the next week or two. He choice for Chief of staff will have a great deal of work on their hands. Assuming that they stick with the job, they will have to manage Trump during the current political battles he will be facing in Washington, but looking past that, the next Chief of Staff will have to help assist during the next presidential election.
           
Why do you think Ayers really declined the job offer? Was Trump expecting to be told no? Who will be Trump’s choice? What do you think the next Chief of Staff would have to do to keep our hard to handle president in check?

John Kelly

Nick Ayers

China, U.S. Agree to 90- Day Trade Halt by Gavin S.

https://www.reuters.com/article/us-g20-argentina-trump-statement/china-us-declare-90-day-halt-to-new-tariffs-white-house-idUSKCN1O101

https://www.foxnews.com/politics/u-s-china-agree-to-90-day-truce-to-has-out-trade-sifferences

During the G20 Summit meeting this past Saturday, President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping reached an agreement to halt new trade tariffs. This new 90-day truce has been enacted in order to resolve trade disputes between the two nations and ease tension in the U.S.-China trade war. President Trump agreed that he would not boost tariffs on over $200 billion of Chinese goods by January 1st if an agreement is reached. In response, China has since agreed that it would buy an unspecified but “very substantial” amount of agricultural, energy, industrial, and other products from the United States. 

Though the United States and China have reached this temporary agreement, high taxes and tariffs still remain. The U.S. has already imposed tariffs on $250 billion of Chinese products. In response, China has placed taxes on $110 billion of American goods. Despite this, the two countries seem to be making progress. According to investment strategist Matthew Asia, “The two sides appear to have had a major change of heart to move away from conferentation towards engagement.” China has also agreed to label fentanyl as a controlled substance, meaning that anyone selling the opioid to the United States will be subjected to maximum penalty under Chinese law. 

Do you think an agreement will be reached in 90 days? If so, how it will affect trade between China and the United States? Do you think both nations will eventually be able to resolve the trade war?

Cohen in Court by Ethan D.

https://www.foxnews.com/politics/ex-trump-attorney-michael-cohen-pleads-guilty-to-lying-to-congress-in-russia-probe
https://www.nytimes.com/2018/12/03/nyregion/michael-cohen-trump-strategy.html

President Trump’s former personal attorney, Michael Cohen, has recently pled guilty to lying to Congress in relation to the Special Counsel Investigation led by Robert Mueller. This investigation is dealing with the 2016 Presidential Election and Russian government interference. Cohen first pleaded guilty to eight federal crimes in August 2018, including tax evasion and making false statements. His most recent confessions involve the plan of building the Trump Tower in Moscow. These confessions are shining a new light onto the Trump-Russia investigation showing that Cohen will now fully cooperate with Mueller. Cohen has said that his choices are best for his family and himself, while President Trump is calling him weak and lying to get a reduced sentence.

Mueller has recently said that Cohen will not be further prosecuted by his Office in regards to his cooperation. However, Cohen still faces a possible five years in prison and a fine of up to $250,000. His sentence is planned for Wednesday, December 12.

Do you think Cohen is telling the truth?
What do you believe Cohen’s court sentence will be?
What does this mean for Trump and the investigation?

Former U.S. President George H. W. Bush Passes by Kalli B.

https://www.nytimes.com/2018/11/30/us/politics/george-hw-bush-dies.html

On Friday, November 30, the former United States President George H. W. Bush passed away in his home in Houston, Texas. He was 94 years old. George Bush had been battling a form of Parkinson’s disease that forced him to use a wheelchair or motorized scooter. He proceeded his wife, Barbara Bush, in death by eight months. The couple had been married for 73 years. George Bush was the 41st president of the United States, and his son was the 43rd. Mr. Bush helped steer the country during a tumultuous time period in world affairs; however, he was denied a second term of presidency after support collapsed after an economic downturn and his inattention to domestic affairs. Mr. Bush was a Republican. He was a transitional figure in the White House, had 40 years in public service, a decorated Navy pilot, and was the last of the WWII generation to occupy the Oval Office. He helped end 4 years of Cold War and nuclear engagement threats. Yet despite these accomplishments, the people thought he was detached from their everyday lives.

It is a sad time for the Bush family, friends, and supporters of George H. W. Bush. It is important that our nation remembers his legacy. Mr. Bush worked hard for our great country and he will be remembered for his many great accomplishments.

What do you think about Mr. Bush? Was he a good president? How did he affect the country? What will he be most remembered for?

Trump Warns Border Wall Fight Could Lead to Government Shutdown by Gunner F.

https://www.foxnews.com/politics/trump-warns-border-wall-fight-could-lead-to-government-shutdown

Immigration is a current issue in our government that sparks a lot of controversy. Last week, President Donald Trump threatened Congress with a government shutdown if he did  not receive his $5 billion to help fund his border wall project. Trump claims that if he does not get this money by December 8, 2018, he will shutdown the government. The caravan of migrants camped out on the other side of the border has been a good motivator for Trump to get the wall up and running. In January, the House of Representatives will be a majority of Democrats. As a result of this, Republicans are trying to get and secure funding for the wall before January when the Democrats take over. Many people question where the funding for the wall will come from.

President Trump has promised his supporters a  big wall stretching across the United States-Mexico border since the beginning of his presidential campaign. I feel like this would be a good way to slow the loads of immigrants trying to illegally cross the U.S. - Mexico border. This shutdown could affect how our nation funds the wall. Many of Trump’s opposers are against the building of the wall.

Do you think the the wall is a good idea? Do you think building a wall is ethical? What could be a better alternative to the wall?

Trump Withdraws from NAFTA by Elizabeth B.

https://www.politico.com/story/2018/12/02/trump-trade-canada-mexico-1006164

Trump has recently announced that he will inform Canada and Mexico that he is withdrawing from the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) in six months. His intention with this is that Congress will approve his new trade deal with the two U.S. neighbors. Trump made this remark about NAFTA, “It’s been a disaster for the United States.” Many see Trump’s withdraw from the NAFTA deal as a threat to pass his new deal. Some believe he does not believe his new deal is not popular enough to be approved on its own and he felt he needed to threaten Congress.

Trump’s deal contains new provisions on digital trade and strengthens intellectual property rights protections. Some support the deal because they believe it will contain some of the same ideas as the original. House Democrats are concerned mainly with the labor and environmental provisions. Now the legal question that may arise with the withdraw is if Trump is has this kind of ability to interfere with the constitutional authority of Congress to set tariffs and “regulate commerce with foreign nations.” Trump’s new deal will impact how the nation trades with other nations and ultimately affect the power that a president has on trade for the United States.

Do you think this withdraw gives President Trump too much power? Do you think the new deal will benefit the United States?