Cruz Under Fire

Cruz Under Fire



     Ted Cruz has been taking some heat recently from some of his biggest campaign supporters. Many of Cruz's backers are angry at Cruz for not being aggressive enough. They think the reason that he's not been winning the race for the republican nomination is the fact that he's not being the "crusader against Washington" that he is. They think that he's not being aggressive enough towards the current government, which is why Trump has been so successful, and they think that he's not been aggressive enough in directly countering Trump himself. Another issue that Cruz's supporters are concerned about is that fact that he has been so far unable to neutralize Marco Rubio and turn the republican primary into a two-man race. Do you think Cruz has a chance at the nomination? What should Cruz change if he wants to see success similar to that of Trump's?

Trump wins Nevada

Trump Wins Nevada



     Donald Trump recently won the Nevada caucus by a wide margin. He continued his trend of blowing out the rest of the republican competition, carrying 46% of the delegates. Trump has been utilizing the anger shared by many young voters, especially republicans, to rally support and secure more votes. He's somewhat of a political outsider and his views are radical, so its been a surprise that he's been as successful as he has been. At this point, as much as GOP dislikes him, it's hard to see an outcome that doesn't involve Trump winning the republican nomination. Rubio and Cruz virtually tied for second in Nevada; however, it looks less and less like either of the two can be considered as plausible winners of the primary. Do you think that Trump should win the nomination? Why do you think Trump has been so successful in his campaign even given his radical ideology and lack of political experience.

Why Sandy Hook Parents are Suing a Gunmaker

Why Sandy Hook Parents are Suing a Gunmaker

In December 2012, Sandy Hook Elementary School experienced a shooting that would change the lives of families and community members forever. 26 people (six were adults, twenty children) were killed by gunman Adam Lanza, and the parents of the deceased are now fighting to sue gun distributing company Remington, who manufactured and sold the used firearm. The company argues the 2005 federal law, The Protection of Lawful Commerce in Arms Act, protects them, because it says the gun manufacturers are granted immunity "from any lawsuit related to injuries that result from criminal misuse of the product". Parents argue back the loophole of "negligent entrustment", which says that one party can be held liable for negligence because they negligently provided another party with a dangerous instrument. Remington never came in contact with the shooter when selling, so families are pointing that to be negligent. What do you think the verdict of this lawsuit will be? Do you think the Sandy Hook families are stretching it with their accusals towards Remington, or should the gun company be held responsible?

Jeb Bush's Doomed Campaign

Jeb Bush's Doomed Campaign

Now former US Presidential Candidate Jeb Bush has dropped out of the race, after admitting that 2016 was "simply not his year". He had shown poor results in polls over the past few months, but the New Hampshire primary had him coming in fourth and beating Marco Rubio- an encouraging triumph, but it wasn't enough to save his campaign. When Bush started to realize he wasn't going to be as big as he'd originally planned, he claimed "slow and steady wins the race", and was even known to hand out toy turtles to kids. Slow and steady didn't do it for Jeb, and we never would have anticipated this a year ago when Bush was an anticipated GOP front runner. What do you think killed his candidacy? Or was it doomed to begin with? Do you think his association with the Bush family had anything to do with it, even though Jeb stated several times during his campaign, "I am my own man"?

Pope Says Trump 'Not Christian' in a Sign of Global Concern

Pope Francis made headlines yesterday after he criticized Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump, calling Trump's position on immigration "not Christian." Trump then responded, saying that Pope Francis was "disgraceful" for questioning his faith. Trump has previously said that Mexico sends rapists and drug-runners in the United States and promises to build a wall to keep said people out of the country, at the expense of the Mexican government. Many have questioned if the Pope's comments will prove to be damaging or beneficial to Trump's campaign. 71 percent of Americans identify as Christian today, so they might side with the Pope. Do you think what the Pope said will hurt or help Trump? Also, do you think it was justified for the Pope to say what he said?

Scalia’s Death Offers Best Chance in a Generation to Reshape Supreme Court

With the recent passing of Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia, an opening in the supreme court has presented itself. The court now has four conservative justices and four liberal justices, meaning whoever the president nominates could determine if the court is held by a majority of liberal or conservative justices. The Supreme Court has been controlled by conservatives for several decades, and now Obama has a real chance of changing that, stating that, "The court is now divided on many issues. This would be a deciding vote." If a liberal justice joins the Supreme Court, it could make a huge difference in cases like Citizens United, which passed with a 5-4 vote. This would also help to shape cases like abortion laws and gun rights in the future. Many experts, however have pointed out that any change will be gradual. This is a huge decision for Obama, and further complicates the current presidential race. Do you think that the Obama will choose to nominate a moderate or a liberal judge. Also, do you think that the Senate will decline his nomination, should he nominate someone liberal?

White House Chides Schumer for Protest of Counterterrorism Cuts

Senator Chuck Schumer of New York recently drew criticism from the Obama Administration for complaining about cuts to the security budget for the state's urban areas. These cuts come after much of the Homeland Security grants given to the state over past few years went unspent. Schumer, however, argues that the funds should still remain available even if most of the money is not spent. Do you think the threat of terrorism and other hostile activities is real enough to warrant this type of increased funding? Do you agree with Senator Schumer or the Obama Administration? Is there such a thing as too little spending when safety is on the line? Conversely, how much spending is too much for this type of issue?

Chinese Missiles in South China Sea Underscore a Growing Conflict Risk

With China's recent attempt to increase its military influence by positioning surface-to-air missiles on a disputed island in the South China Sea, much concern is being raised over the nature of the nation's intents. These actions come at an especially inopportune time, as President Obama has recently attempted to bolster American influence in the region. This raises the concern that China is attempting to warn off the Americans in a hostile manner. Do you think the Chinese should be trying to send their message in this way? Should President Obama adhere to their warning? What do you think this means for countries like  Vietnam and the Philippines, who are both vehemently resisting Chinese expansion this area, and who would be opposed the hostile takeover of such an island?

Clinton Versus Sanders: The Rift Between Older And Younger Black Voters

As the primary process continues, the candidates are finding themselves in less ethically homologous states. The South Carolina primary, "a primary in which black voters regularly make up half or more of the electorate" nears and Sanders is "working to convince black voters who have known the Clintons for years, if not decades, to support him and not Hillary Clinton." There is a much larger support for Clinton among the African American vote, especially in these southern states. In many ways they feel that Clinton is more experienced, has represented a large African American constituency in the past, and would be a continuation of the Obama administration whose "approval rating with black voters regularly hovers over 90 percent." Sanders, whose career started in the civil rights movement, regularly talks about criminal justice reform and the needs of African Americans in his stump speech. He has also been endorsed or he works with many prominent figures in the African American community. Regardless, many are seeing this fight as only a positive thing for the community. How do you think the African American vote will play a role in the coming election and then policy going forward?

Apple, The FBI And iPhone Encryption: A Look At What's At Stake

Last December, Syed Farook and Tashfeen Malik attacked the Inland Regional Center in San Bernardino, Calif., where they later lost their lives in a police shootout. During their investigation the FBI recovered a iPhone 5c used by Syed Farook. This iteration of iPhone has multiple security features, including an encryption of all outgoing data making the phone "uncrackable" unless you have it physically and you have the security PIN. This pin is also protected by "an auto-erase function that deletes a phone's content after 10 incorrect passcode entries, a mandatory delay between entering passcodes after a certain number of failed attempts, and the requirement that passcodes be entered manually instead of being quickly plugged in by a computer." This prohibits the FBI from cracking what would be a 30 minutes worth of computer guess and check. Because of this the FBI requested and then court ordered Apple to create a program to enter the iPhone and disable these security features so the iPhone can be opened and the data kept on it. Apple greatly resisted this, citing a fundamental right to personal privacy. We have studied in class the uneasy relationship between national security and personal freedom. How do you think Apple should act? Are they right or do they need to create this program that could be used on every iPhone the FBI needs to get into?

5 Ways Scalia's Death Complicates The 2016 Election

After the death of former Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia, there has been a lot of uproar and debate over who Obama will nominate for his replacement and whether or not the nomination will be accepted or not by the Senate. But how does this factor into the upcoming election? Will the nomination ordeal aid the Democratic Party or hurt them in the general election? What about primaries? Will it increase voter turnout this election?

Jeb Bush Adds a Weapon (His Brother) Despite Worries It Could Misfire

One of the biggest campaign strategies is having celebrities and well-known figures endorse a candidate. A few days ago, Jeb Bush's campaign had a special guest: his brother, former president George W. Bush. Reporters and politician commentators are divided on whether this a good stately or not. Do you think the strategy will help Jeb Bush get votes and/or gain popularity in the polls? Why or why not? Is there anything in it for President George W. Bush? Is the reminder of the Bush legacy a good thing or a bad thing for Jeb Bush's campaign?

Justice Antonin Scalia's death quickly sparks political battle

Following the death of Supreme Court Justice Scalia, Republican and Democratic leaders must decide whether President Obama or the next president will nominate the next justice. Obama said the would nominate the next successor, but Republican Senate Majority Leader McConnell said the next president should make the decision. However, Senate Minority Leader Reid argued that the President should send a nominee right away. Do you think President Obama should send a nominee, or should they wait a year for the next president to take office? If they do wait, how do you think this will effect the Supreme Court and its decisions?

How the outsiders won -- and the insiders crumbled

The New Hampshire primary is over, with Bernie Sanders and Donald Trump winning their respective races by large margins. While Sanders is not technically an "outsider," he was seen as a fringe candidate until only recently. Most saw Donald Trump as a fringe candidate when he first announced his candidacy as well, but he is now the clear front runner. What about both of these candidates' platforms makes them appeal to voters (albeit extremely different voters)? Do you think their momentum will continue throughout the primaries?

Judge Handling Clinton Email Case Fumes Over State Department Delays

Judge Handling Clinton Email Case Fumes Over State Department Delays

A State Department lawyer has failed to produce emails in the Hillary Clinton email case - and this is not the first deadline that was missed. The lawyer was unable to give a detailed excuse for missing these deadlines. Because of the ongoing primary elections, it is critical that the case keeps proceeding, as it could have great sway in Democratic nomination.

What effect do you think Clinton's campaign has on the ongoing investigation? How will the investigation affect her campaign as it continues on? What consequences could the investigation, especially if she is found in the wrong, have on the candidate's potential future as president of the United States?

North Korea Nuclear Effort Seen as a Top Threat to the U.S.

North Korea Nuclear Effort Seen as a Top Threat to the U.S.

National intelligence director James Clapper reported North Korea as the United States' biggest threat regarding nuclear weapons - a title previously held by Iran. Though Washington has not forgotten Iran, as it does pose a variety of other problems, North Korea's recent testing of nuclear weapons and launching a satellite leaves us to worry about their capability to launch an attack. With the United States government struggling to control North Korea's government, Obama has persuaded Chinese president Xi Jinping to use its own influence to rein in North Korea. Thus far, the US has taken action by moving to install an air defense system for South Korea - an act which could upset the Chinese government. What more could the US government do, if anything, to address the situation? As North Korea has been testing nuclear weapons illegally for years, it seems that there is little that will keep them under control. Should the government act more directly, before the threat becomes a reality? Or should we instead take a more passive approach?

Obama’s Last Budget, and Last Budget Battle With Congress

On Tuesday, Obama sent the last budget proposal of his administration to Congress. The budget asks for over $4 trillion for the fiscal year 2017 (starting October 1st). Due primarily to a rise in entitlement eligibility and a December tax cut, the 2017 deficit is predicted to increase to $616 billion from $438 billion last year. This deficit will be approximately 3.3 percent of the country's GDP; economists say that a deficit below 3 percent of a country's GDP is necessary for "economic prosperity." What do you think about the predicted deficit? Do we need to scale back entitlements and/or other government programs to reduce it? Or should we raise taxes to pay for the increase in the number of people eligible for social security?

In cybersecurity bid, Obama wants to retire outdated government systems

With all of the recent breaches of the federal government's computer and data systems, Obama has signed an executive order to ensure that all branches are using the most secure practices to protect the government data. In Obama's annual budget proposal, he included $19 billion for updating cybersecurity for the federal government, but GOP lawmakers are wary of supporting the new budget proposal. Do you think that much should be spent on improving cybersecurity, or are there more important issues to spend the money on? Do you think the GOP lawmakers don't agree with the budget because they are making it an issue between the parties, or do you think they really don't approve of how much he wants to spend?