Elizabeth Warren's Tax Plan by Daniel W.

https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/2020-election/elizabeth-warren-s-plan-tax-super-rich-has-been-tried-n963971
https://www.cnn.com/2019/01/27/politics/ocasio-cortez-warren-rich-tax/index.html

Elizabeth Warren, one of the first democrats to announce she is running for president, has announced her tax plan if she wins in 2020. Her self-proclaimed ‘Ultra-Millionaire Tax' has been a polarizing topic among rich and powerful democrats and middle and lower class democrats. Michael Bloomberg, a former democratic mayor of New York City who has a net worth of 47.5 billion dollars, criticized her plan. He compared it to socialism, as it taxes wealth as well as income. Warren’s plan goes even further than Alexandria Ocasio Cortez’s; Cortez’s plan is to raise the maximum tax rate to 70% without taxing net worth. The current maximum tax rate is 37% and hasn’t reached 70% since the 1970s. Warren’s tax seems small- 2% of net worth above $50 million and 3% of net worth above $1 billion. This isn’t true, however; because under a 2% wealth tax Americans would pay taxes each decade equal to a full 20 percent of his or her net worth. The senator’s team has claimed that this would raise $2.75  trillion over ten years. This has since separated Warren from the other democratic candidates in what could possibly be the farthest left primary in history. Since Bernie Sanders’ campaign in 2015, socialist ideas have become more popular across the nation and many democrats have changed their policy since then. This is important as it could continue to separate the country even more.
How will this impact donations from democrat billionaires? Will this “race to the left” unite democrats or separate them? What has caused this change from trying to appear more central to now trying to appear farther from the center? Do you believe that the democratic nominees will keep these promises if they take office, or are they just trying to get attention?

The State of the Union by Madison S.

https://www.cnn.com/2019/01/28/politics/state-of-the-union-date-february-5/index.html
https://www.cnn.com/2019/01/29/politics/donald-trump-nancy-pelosi-2020-power/index.html

President Trump was suppose to give his State of the Union address Tuesday, January 29th, but things have changed. The State of the Union address is a speech the President gives to Congress at the beginning of each calendar year in office. Usually the message includes a budget plan, economic report, and proposals that the President might have for the legislator.

This will be President Trump’s second State of the Union address. Nancy Pelosi wanted President Trump to postpone the address until the government opened back up. On Monday, they both agreed to push the State of the Union address out until February 5th. President Trump told Pelosi “"We have a great story to tell and yet, great goals to achieve!" Many in government affairs are not fearing President Trump as much. They “smell blood in the water”. In a news article from CNN it says, “Democrats suggest that Trump is beginning to take on the look of prey for opponents ready to pounce on his sub-40% approval rating.” Democrats are looking to push President Trump out of the running in the 2020 election.

What do you think will be in President Trump’s address?
Do you think President Trump will propose a new plan to build his wall?
How do you perceive Nancy Pelosi as a person?

The US and the Taliban Have Begun Making Significant Peace Negotiations by Jesse F.

https://www.nytimes.com/2019/01/28/world/asia/taliban-peace-deal-afghanistan.html

Recently, US officials and members of the Taliban made unprecedented strides in peace talks. Both sides have agreed to a general deal that would involve the Taliban ensuring that Afghan territory is never used by terrorists, and one that could involve US forces finally pulling out of the region.
Zalmay Khalilzad, the chief US negotiator, said that for this deal to work, the Taliban must agree to a cease-fire and direct peace talks with the Afghan government, which the group has always refused in the past.

Additionally, the Afghan government has been concerned that the US and the Taliban may agree to a deal that the government does not agree with, such as potentially changing the government structure in the country, and perhaps even including the Taliban in such a structure. Afghan president Ashraf Ghani has insisted that any discussions involving the Afghan government should be done between the government and the Taliban alone.
These peace negotiations are only preliminary at this point, and the particular details of the agreement will be determined in the future, as well as if this deal will actually be made and kept in the end.

Will the US, Afghanistan, and the Taliban eventually make productive and lasting peace negotiations? What do you think about US troops leaving Afghanistan? Is negotiating with the Taliban a good idea? And if these negotiations were to succeed, how might they affect the future of Afghanistan and the Middle East as a whole?

Democrats Divided on Israel by Bethany F.

https://www.nytimes.com/2019/01/28/us/politics/senate-israel-boycott-democrats.html

The Senate is pushing a bill that intends to show clear support of Israel. The legislature would end relationships with any business that boycotts Israel and reauthorizes US aid to them. Coupled with the recent Israel Anti-Boycott Act (H.R.1697), it is clear that Trump’s pro-Israel attitude is shared by many of his constituents and legislators. This is speculated to be an intricate way to isolate “extremist” liberals from more moderate members of the party. This could cause some candidates to lose the Democratic party’s backing in an attempt to maintain most of the party’s numbers.

Many are against this bill because it directly opposes the efforts of BDS aka Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (a global movement against Israel). Some have raises questions over whether this restricts the free speech of individuals and its constitutionality. Critics say that freedom to petition is guaranteed by the 1st Amendment and that political speech is protected.

Jewish individuals statistically are more likely to vote Democrat. This puts them at odds with the rising wave of liberals who oppose Israel’s actions. With presidential candidates beginning to announce their campaigns, could this cause a split in the Democratic vote? Do you think a candidate’s stance on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict could determine whether or not they are endorsed by superdelegates? Do you think this bill violates the Constitution?

CEO or President by Liberty C.

To see highlights from Howard Schultz 60 Minutes Interview: https://www.cbsnews.com/news/highlights-from-howard-schultz-60-minutes-interview/

Howard Schultz, former Starbucks CEO, announced in a 60 Minutes interview Sunday that he was “seriously thinking” of running as an Independent candidate in the 2020 Presidential Election. Schultz has already begun to receive criticism from the Democrats over this announcement. Many believe that by running an Independent, he is handing President Trump the re-election. Others such as Bernie Sanders and Elizabeth Warren have already made “pre-emptive strikes” against billionaires who will self-fund campaigns. This is possibly because of the threat of large companies or corporations influencing our elections. This is a serious threat that could shape public policy in favor of corporations instead of the American people.

Despite this, Schultz has already started the process of getting his name on the ballot in all 50 states. Schultz told CBS in an interview, "I want to see the American people win. I want to see America win. I don't care if you're a Democrat, Independent, Libertarian, Republican. Bring me your ideas. And I will be an independent person who will embrace those ideas..." In a New York Times interview, Schultz shared his plans for “criss-crossing the country” on his book tour before making the final decision. 

1) Do you think that by running, Schultz will help or hurt President Trump’s re-election?

2) Do you think billionaires running in the election could really pose a problem or not?

3) Do you think a former CEO would have what it takes to run a country?

https://www.cnn.com/2019/01/27/politics/howard-schultz-starbucks-2020-president/index.html

https://www.nytimes.com/2019/01/27/us/politics/howard-schultz-president-2020.html

https://www.foxnews.com/politics/ex-starbucks-ceo-howard-schultz-mulls-presidential-run-bashes-trump-as-not-qualified

Kamala Harris Joins the Race by Gabby S.

A new presidential candidate for the 2020 election has emerged. Kamala Harris is a Democratic Senator from California who has just thrown her name in the hat to run as the Democratic Presidential candidate in the next election. Mrs. Harris is only the second African American woman to serve in the Senate and has served for just two years. However promising she seems, Mrs. Kamala’s record has come into question. She is facing scrutiny from both sides of the isle, as liberals question her true ideology and progressives criticize her seemingly new liberal agenda. Aside from her criticizers, she appeals to both the liberal and progressive voters.

Senator Harris is joining a long list of presidential candidates in the runnning for the 2020 election; however, her record is something that stands out from many others. Mrs. Harris is known for her questioning of Trump officials, most noteably of Jeff Sessions. In her role as Senator, she has managed a “$25-billion settlement for California homeowners hit by the foreclosure crisis, defended California’s landmark climate change law, protected the Affordable Care Act, helped win marriage equality for all Californians, and prosecuted transnational gangs that trafficked in guns, drugs, and human beings,” as stated by her website.

What do you think about Kamala Harris’s party alignment? Has she shifted to the left in recent years in preparation for a presidential race? Do you think she can beat Elizabeth Warren and Kirsten Gillibrand for Democratic Candidate?

https://www.harris.senate.gov/about

https://www.nytimes.com/2019/01/21/us/politics/kamala-harris-2020-president.html

American Ranchers Struggle with Wildlife Management by Kalli B.

http://northernag.net/AGNews/AgNewsStories/TabId/657/ArtMID/2927/ArticleID/9410/Ranchers-Struggle-with-American-Prairie-Reserve-Wildlife-Conference.aspx

The mission of the American Prairie Reserve is to buy private ranchland, remove it from agricultural production, and convert it into the largest wildlife reserve in the continental United States. Many ranchers largely disagree with this philosophy. Their concern lies within the long-term effect that this transfer will have on their communities and culture. Moreover, these ranchers are worried that if the APR increases the number of bison and predators on lands that already belong to reserves, these animals could potentially cause a large amount of damage to neighboring ranches. Ranchers are not concerned with the wildlife, but rather the damage they can do to their property and livestock. The American Prairie Reserve is holding a free conference in Lewistown, Montana for ranchers to attend to express their concerns. Most of the “solutions” that people come up with are not realistic and “translate into higher costs of production, for a high-risk ranching industry that already operates on an extremely thin margin.” The ranchers now face a big decision: do they take valuable time away from the ranch to attend the conference or do they stay at home and miss their chance to make their opinion and expertise be known? It is important for our ranchers and farmers to protect their commodities and also important to preserve the wildlife.


What do you think the ranchers should do? Will their attendance make a difference? What is a solution you might propose?

Tensions Between Protesters Rise in the Capital by Peyton O.

https://www.cnn.com/2019/01/19/us/teens-mock-native-elder-trnd/index.html

A video surfaced over the weekend at the Indigenous Peoples March in Washington DC that is causing outrage across America. In the video, a teenager is seen smiling in the face of an elderly Native American man while he plays a drum and chants. Americans perceived the video as that the teenager in the video was mocking the man while other students stood in the background chanting along mockingly. However, a statement from Nick Sandmann, the boy in the video, says otherwise. Sandmann stated that him and his classmates were there for the march and were supporting it. As for the video, Sandmann explains that he was not mocking the man, but trying to deescalate the situation. He talked about how many other people at the march were yelling racial slurs and harassing his classmates. Him and his classmates decided to began yelling their school cheers, to drown out the hateful words. This was all confirmed in a new video that surfaced early this week. He said that the man, later identified as Nathan Phillips, approached him, and began chanting in his face, mocking his classmates cheers. Research on Phillips has also proved that he is a paid protester and was only at the march for that reason.

1. Who do you believe is telling the truth? Sandmann or Phillips?
2. Is there a reason for the Indigenous Peoples March? Are Indigenous people treated any different than other Americans?
3. Other political marches occurred that afternoon, such as March for Life. Do you believe these protests are changing any laws or regulations within our government?

Supreme Court Refuses to Appeal Football Coach Firing For Praying by Elizabeth B.

https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/2019/01/22/supreme-court-wont-hear-praying-football-coach-case/1943694002/

The Supreme Court on Tuesday refused to hear an appeal from a dispute between the Washington State school district and a football coach that was fired for kneeling and praying after a game.  Joseph Kennedy, former Bremerton High School football coach, was fired in 2015 for showing his religious beliefs by kneeling at the 50-yard line after a game.  Religious conservative groups argued that he was being denied his First Amendment right of freedom of speech. 

Four conservative justices wrote their concerns for religious liberty but agreed that the case was not up for review. In 2017, Kennedy sued but lost in the lower courts.  In his appeal to the Court he explained how his religious beliefs was a sign of showing thanks after every game.  This is affecting our nation as a whole because if coaches or school officials are not aloud to pray, this contradicts the Constitution.  Having the right of free speech allows everyone to express their beliefs, and this includes praying.  It has taken a long time for Kennedy to feel as if he would be able to right this wrong made by the school district and lower courts, but as of January 22, 2019, the Supreme Court refused to hear his appeal.

Do you think Kennedy is in the wrong? Why would the court not hear his appeal?  Is there more Kennedy can do?

Supreme Court Revives Ban on Transgender Military Service by Caroline

https://www.nytimes.com/2019/01/22/us/politics/supreme-court-transgender-military.html?action=click&module=Top%20Stories&pgtype=Homepage

On January 22nd the Supreme Court revisited an issue that was decided during Obama's Presidency. During 2016, The Military announced that transgenders that were already serving in the military would be allowed to continue serving openly. It was announced that on July 1, 2017 the military would allowed transgender individuals to begin inslisting. 

When President Trump took office, him and his administration took action to delay these decisions. He claimed that the issue needed further study and urged the Supreme Court to revisit the issue. While the issue was being studied further, Trump directed the military to return to the policy that was in place before President Obama was elected. 

During March of 2018 the administration announced that it was revisiting the policy. The new policy prevents transgenders from serving unless they serve in their biological sex. Also they are not allowed to undergo a gender transition. The exception to this new policy is the men and women who are currently serving in the military and began their gender transition during the Obama-era rules.

The supreme court lifted nationwide injunctions blocking the new policy. The vote was split 5 to 4 with the 5 conservatives voted in support and the 4 liberals voted against the policy. 

What are your thoughts on transgenders serving in the military? What are the pros and cons? Do you agree with the Supreme Court? What would should be done about this issue?

New migrant caravan leaves Honduras for journey to US border by Gunner F.

https://www.foxnews.com/world/new-migrant-caravan-leaves-honduras-for-journey-to-us-border

https://www.foxnews.com/world/migrant-caravan-freely-crosses-mexican-border-after-gates-were-left-open-authorities-avoided-confrontation

Last week, a new caravan of migrants left their lovely country of Honduras to come to the United States border. When leaving Honduras, there were about 500 migrants in the group.  In late 2018 we had a similar issue with a migrant caravan trying to get into the United States. They caused a lot of havoc at the border, clashing with our border patrol agents. This caused a lot of drama in our media and within the government. As you can see, things did not work out very well for that caravan. In an interview with President Donald Trump about this new caravan, he said “we are trying to break it up.” On Friday, the migrants entered Mexico to continue their journey to the border. Upon their entrance into Mexico, law enforcement did not interfere with the migrants in order to avoid violence like in 2018 with the last caravan. Depending on what point of entry they choose into the United States, they can have anywhere from 1,000 ot 2,000 miles to go. Some of the migrants even have their children with them. That is a long journey for a young, innocent child. Donald Trump also said in an interview about the caravan "drone isn't going to stop it and a sensor isn’t going to stop it, but you know what’s going to stop it in its tracks? A nice, powerful wall." This new caravan could affect our nation’s immigration policies. 


Do you think that we should let this new group in? Could this caravan possibly be a negotiation topic with the government shutdown? Do you think that a wall would be the best solution to this problem?

Government Shutdown Causes Restrictions on Food Inspections by Graysen G.

https://www.nbcnews.com/health/health-news/government-shutdown-stops-fda-food-safety-inspections-n956716

In early January of this year, the FDA cut back on regulations to some foods due to the ongoing government shutdown. Fortunately, inspections on meat and poultry are still happening, but the workers are going without pay. However seafood, fruits, vegetables, dairy, and other foods at a high risk for contamination are not given the same luxury. This means that the FDA is not looking for salmonella in cereal, E.coli in romaine lettuce, or listeria in ice cream which all could lead to serious illness or even death. Food borne diseases alone send around 128,000 people to the hospital yearly, with about 3,000 of these cases leading to death.

The efforts of those who are continuing to inspect without pay are weaker due to not receiving profit. With over 80% of the nation's food supply under FDA’s reach, the state of health in regard to food is set to quickly decline. With the end of the shutdown nowhere in sight, who knows how many people continue receiving bacteria filled food products? Food that is not inspected thoroughly will still be on shelves even after the shutdown stops, which means this epidemic might have no real end. 

How much longer do you think the government will be shut down for? Are food inspections necessary? How will the after effects of the lack of inspection affect U.S. citizens?

BY THE PEOPLE, FOR THE PEOPLE, AND TO PROTECT THE PEOPLE by Marissa Jones

Most all know that in Donald Trump´s campaign he claimed that he would, ¨Make America Great Again¨ and build the wall dividing the United States and Mexico. After Trump failed to come to an agreement with Congress on funding for the border wall, a partial governmental shutdown was issued. This has been the longest government shutdown in history and is still continuing to this day. President Trump had requested $5.7 billion to fund his border wall idea. Many people have given up on the idea of the wall because thousands are working without pay and the economy is losing terrible amounts of money. However, there are several groups of people that are still supporting Trump as hard as ever. In fact, Brian Kolfage, an Air Force veteran who is missing both his legs as well as a hand, started a GoFundMe to support the wall. Mr. Kolfage has accumulated around $16 million and is attempting to reach the $1 billion dollar limit on GoFundMe. He has more than 218,000 donors on his page and is trying to persuade everyone of President Trump's followers to donate $80 each so that they could at least support half the wall. He is just one of the many raising money to support this wall.
Is the wall considered more of a want or a need? Who do you think will give in first for the shutdown? Would the wall hurt our economy or be beneficial to our countrys issues?

Federal Judge Orders Removal of Citizenship Question for 2020 Census by Gavin S.

https://www.npr.org/2019/01/15/671283852/judge-orders-trump-administration-to-remove-2020-census-citizenship-question

https://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-census-decision/judge-rejects-citizenship-question-for-2020-u-s-census-idUSKCN1P91SF

On Tuesday a New York federal judge ruled against the decision to add a citizenship question to the 2020 census. U.S. District Judge Jesse Furman ordered the Trump administration to cease its plans in adding the controversial question to the upcoming census. In a 277-page opinion (available in the first link), Furman cited that the question would be hurtful to immigrants in the United States by discouraging them from partaking in the count. Furman then criticized Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross for his decision to add the question to the census, stating that the decision was “unlawful” due to violations of the Administrative Procedure Act.

The census questions asks, “Is this person a citizen of the United States?” A question of such nature has not been asked on a census since 1950. Experts from the Census Bureau cited that adding the question to the upcoming census would lead to an undercount and would hurt data quality. Despite this, the question is still up for debate. The Supreme Court has since agreed to weigh in on the legality of the evidence for the census citizenship question. Multiple hearings have been scheduled for the case, but it is unknown when a final decision will be reached.

Do you believe that the citizenship question belongs on the census? Do you think the question would be beneficial or detrimental to the results of the census? What could be a better alternative in order to receive more accurate census results?

Trouble for TSA by Hannah T.

https://www.cbsnews.com/news/tsa-government-shutdown-number-of-tsa-agents-calling-out-of-work-spikes-as-security-line-wait-times-grow/

With the current partial government shutdown, many companies have been shut down as well. The employees of these companies are not receiving any pay during the time of this shutdown. This is becoming a problem for just about everybody. Anybody who has ever been in an airport knows that TSA lines can be extremely long, or extremely short. The TSA agents are not currently getting payed, they are not showing up for work. There are some agents showing up, but not many. This is making the TSA lines at airports all across the country extremely long. Some people have had to wait many hours to get through TSA. With the long lines, people are risking missing their flights entirely. The shutdown is not only affecting government employees, but others too. Working without pay is not beneficial at all to these agents, so during this tough time, some people have tried to help out TSA agents through giving money to them or organizing group meals. 

Do you think it’s okay for the TSA agents to stop showing up? Because there is a major need for TSA agents, should they still be receiving pay? What can flyers do in order to help themselves so they don’t miss flights? What can flyers do to help TSA agents out as well?

Asa Hutchinson Gives Inaugural Speech by Dougie D.

https://www.google.com/url?sa=i&source=web&cd=&ved=2ahUKEwja4sbgi_HfAhUPOq0KHcjIBjoQzPwBegQIARAC&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.kark.com%2Fnews%2Fpolitics%2Fgovernor-asa-hutchinson-s-inaugural-address-transcript%2F1703675234&psig=AOvVaw3X1YsX2yphBPFltjnQFUnK&ust=1547686531117904

One Tuesday, Governor Asa Hutchinson gave his inaugural address on the steps of the Arkansas State Capitol Building in Little Rock. In this speech he spoke of his success in his first four years as governor.

One of his highlights from his first four years was about bringing people back to Arkansas. He stated that “Between 1940 and 1960, over 150,000 people left our state.” He continues by saying the “the trend has reversed.” People are starting to move to Arkansas and we are “retaining our homegrown talent.” He credits this to our competitive tax rates, industries and businesses, technology sector, tourism, and access to arts and education. 

Another highlight he gave was the fact that poverty has decreased. He claims we have moved 65,000 Arkansans out of poverty. Following that, Hutchinson stared “They have jobs and are making more money. And fewer Arkansans are on Medicaid, and fewer are having to rely upon the important safety net of SNAP and other benefits.”

Another highlight includes his success in improving opportunities in education in Arkansas. He claims that today, Arkansas leads the nation in computer science education. He also praised his Reading Initiative for Student Excellence program for being in over 300 schools. Rise is meant to ensure that students in grade 3 will be reading at grade level. He continues on with education, talking about investing more in education and raising teacher salary.

He ends his speech off stating his great confidence in the future and his understanding that freedom comes with responsibility. He stated “We also understand the responsibility that comes with freedom. Those two Sheila us as a nation and state...”

What do you think about his speech? Was his first four years as successful as he claims?

Supreme Court will hear partisan gerrymandering cases in March by Caroline J.

https://www.cnn.com/2019/01/04/politics/supreme-court-gerrymandering-cases/index.html

Video: http://fortune.com/2017/10/05/what-is-gerrymandering/

The Supreme court is set to hear two different cases regarding gerrymandering. This is very important to our country because the supreme court has never set a true precedent on this issue. These two cases come from Maryland and also North Carolina. Many of the justices agree that these issues are so extreme that they might violate constitutional rights, but they have yet to find a way to resolve the issue.

I believe that the reason this issue has been so greatly avoided is because of how divise that it is. Conservatives and liberals have differing opinions on how the courts should handle the issue. Some believe that the courts should steer clear of this issue all together. Others believe that the courts are responsible for setting a standard to protect the people from the powers of political figures.

In the past the Court has done everything to avoid cases revolving around Gerrymandering. Because of this, many have little hope that anything will change when these two cases are revisited in March. There might be some change in the decision of the court because of the newly appointed Supreme Court Justice.

How do you think these cases should be addressed? Should the Supreme Court set a standard? Will the decision change when the cases are revisited?