Is Donald Trump a Threat to Democracy?

http://nyti.ms/2hVbbr2

Thought this was an interesting final question to consider for the semester given the topic of your democracy papers and the results of the election this fall. The authors of this article argue that he is a threat based on:

1. his promotion of violence during his campaign.
2. statements to jail his political opponent.
3. his questioning of the legitimacy of the popular vote outcome.

The authors also warn of his authoritarian tendencies, attempts to diminish the news media's role by direct communication with voters through twitter. Lastly they raise the question of whether our democracy would survive a conflict. A few questions then:

1. Is Trump really a threat to democracy?
2. Is the bitterness and divisiveness that has emerged in our two party system a threat to democracy?
3. President Obama tried to create a more collaborative culture in Washington DC, but instead politics has become more divided. How can the national political system be improved?

Trump responds immediately to 'Saturday Night Live' skit mocking his tweets

http://www.usatoday.com/story/life/entertainthis/2016/12/04/trump-responds-immediately-saturday-night-live-skit-mocking-his-tweets/94933756/

In an article written on the USA Today website, Trump expresses his feelings toward actor Alec Baldwins impression of him on SNL a.k.a. Saturday Night Live. Within only one hour of the shows live broadcast, Trump immediately responded, outraged that SNL would mock him the way they did. Trump said "Just tried watching Saturday Night Live - unwatchable! Totally biased, not funny and the Baldwin impersonation just can't get any worse. Sad". This response, given from his twitter feed, provides the american people with evidence to believe Trump is an inferior president and he will be bothered by little things like mocking him. In the past many other presidents were mocked and were not bothered by the impressions made on SNL: Michael McKean as Bill Clinton, Darell Hammond's as George W. Bush, Fred Armisen playing president Barack Obama. 

With this in mind, do you believe Trump will continue to be disturbed by the medias mocking of him? 

Is it possible that Trump will grow into the president we want and need?

Will Trump ever discontinue the comments he makes on twitter and pay more attention to his presidential duties?

Family Fights Government In Land Dispute Near Area 51

http://www.foxnews.com/science/2016/12/12/family-fights-government-in-land-dispute-near-area-51.html

Lying along the border of Area 51 is Joe Sheahan' s family' s Nevada Groom Mine, which is currently in danger to the likeliness of the government. The family has been encountered by many government affiliated corporations who by all means tried obtaining this valuable piece of land with intimidation and 'embarrassingly low' prices says family lawyer James Leavitt. The family´s Nevada mine currently is 400 acres, 5,000 feet above sea level,  and holds minerals that were recently looked for by the Joe´s family in 2015. Since the early 1900´s, the family has been battling the government with health risks such as radiation from nuclear tests that have not been warned to the family, and now the government have taken the family deed after the Sheahans refused their offer for their piece of land. Now, Joe Sheahan and his family fight to find an agreeable value for the land, but if the establishment of an agreed amount cannot come to take place then the Sheahans are ready to take the battle to a jury trial. 

1) Why do you think the Sheahan´s Nevada Groom Mine is so important for the government to acquire? 
2) Do you think that the sight of extra terrestrial activity can play a part in the reason why the government desperately wants this piece of land? If so, explain what this could mean to the reputation of then government. 
3) If your family was to own this property, would you be terrified to oppose the government or legally fight this battle in court? Explain. 

Republicans Ryan and McConnell back Russia vote hack probe

http://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-38294765

The Speaker of the House Paul Ryan and Senate Majority leader Mitch McConnell both support the initiative to look into Russia hacking the election. They state that any foreign intervention in the polls is "unacceptable." The two say that they will use their own intelligence committees to investigate the allegations. The CIA has been investigating the matter, and there has been no concrete evidence of Russian tampering that has come up yet. Trump defends himself, tweeting: "Can you imagine if the election results were the opposite and WE tried to play the Russia/CIA card. It would be called conspiracy theory!". While both Ryan and McConnell support the investigation of the election, Ryan states, "As we work to protect our democracy from foreign influence, we should not cast doubt on the clear and decisive outcome of this election." If the accusations came out to be true, then current relations with Russia would become a lot worse than they already are. It is also possible that the recount effort led by Jill Stein will skyrocket in support, and Trump may not be allowed to take office. On the other hand, if the accusations were false, it would make the Democratic party and those against Trump seem vengeful and unwilling to accept a fair, democratic election. 

Do you think Russia had any influence on the outcome of the election?
What would happen if they were found to actually have done it?
Would there be any sort of impact if Russia didn't do anything?

Beijing 'seriously concerned' after Trump questions 'one China' policy

After the most recent presidential election, China is "seriously concerned" after Donald Trump questioned whether the United States should keep its long-standing position that Taiwan is part of "one China." China has responded saying that co- operation with the United States is out of question. China believes that unless Trump adheres to the one- China policy, it will spark a real crisis between the countries. The article continued by claiming that Trump is "ignorant as a child" in foreign policy. This editorial spoke about how Trump did not understand that the one- China policy bought or sold because he only understand business and believes that everything has a price. Earlier this month, Trump slammed China on twitter criticizing their currency policy and military posturing.

1. Do you agree with China's decision to make cooperation with the US out of question? 

2. Why do you think Trump was called "ignorant as a child"

3. Is Trump harming his presidency with these actions?

http://www.cnn.com/2016/12/12/politics/china-trump-one-china-reaction/#

Advice to Melania Trump

Use this link

In recent years, there has been an astronomical increase in cyberbullying, thanks to social media. The effects of bullying has led to numerous deaths. Bullying that used to happened in school is now initiating a new era on social platforms such as Facebook and Snapchat. Despite the all the hate and disagreement from this election, Melania Trump is a stark contrast in that she plans to promote unity. While Michelle Obama chose to focus on healthy eating, Melania Trump chooses to focus on cyberbullying, something she has dealt with especially with the duality of being a model and Donald Trump's wife. Some advice for Melania is for her to focus on the positive, teach kids that hurting the attacker will only continue the bullying cycle, and increase social-emotional programs that will help students recognize their own emotions. 

Discussion Questions:

 1) Do you agree with Melania's efforts or do you think that she should focus her attention elsewhere? 

2) We all have seen or experience bullying in various forms. How do you think bullying, specifically cyberbullying, should be targeted?  

3) Do you believe social platforms should allow for censorship of any type of bullying? 

Is Trump winning the game, or is it all just a scam? 4 Incredibly Accurate Things People Who Like Click Bait Will Get~

This guy is the 45th President of the Free World  

article link Very reliable and honest Washington Post
Very smart and funny contributing source: Buzzfeed

The President-elect Donald J. Trump announced today that he successfully negotiated a deal with the Japanese telecom and Internet company Softbank, in which Softbank will invest $50 billion in the United States and create approximately create 50,000 jobs. It is important to note that Softbank is the majority shareholder of the Sprint company and its transition to America is a great sign of prosperity to come--relative to Trump's overall message to "Make America Great Again." Furthermore, in order to create jobs in America, Softbank plans to invest into multiple start up companies across America. This is an interesting trend for Trump to already be doing presidential cool stuff when he hasn't even been sworn into office yet. This also builds upon his recent Carrier deal he made to keep 1,000 jobs in the United States from moving to Mexico. It's also interesting to note that the CEO's son of Softbank claimed that if Hillary Clinton was President this deal would have never happened. All of Trump's campaign talk and promises to create more jobs and uphold America's strength seem to already be happening. In addition to the trustworthy Washington Post, CNN is also telling me that this deal is all just a political stunt that is aimed to glorify Trump's future presidency--somehow this has to be all a massive plot to induce more racism and xenophobia. So there you have it, two polar opposite viewpoints of this deal from two very reliable news outlets.
Discussion Questions:

1. Are Trump's actions of salvation worth his redemption for all his xenophobia to get to power? 
2. Is it all just a scam? 
3. Why are foreign companies more inclined to invest in America now? 
4. How can Bernie Sanders still win the election? 

President-elect Donald Trump dismisses Green Party recall effort as a ‘scam’

article

Former Green Party presidential candidate Jill Stein has called for a recount in voted in a few states, including Pennsylvania and Wisconsin. Trump has tweeted about this saying that it is a scam and that Jill Stein is only doing this to get money. She recently dropped her recount suit in Pennsylvania and she's loosing votes in the Wisconsin recount. After Trump tweeted about dropping the recount, Jill Stein changed her mind and said she was still going through with it. However, I do not think a recount would do anything to change the results of this election. She then stated that she would escalate her efforts and file a federal lawsuit in Pennsylvania to get the recount. Trump also believes that the only reason he lost the popular vote was because thousands of people voted illegally.

1. Do you think there should be recounts in some states?

2. If some states do get recounts, do you think it can change the results of the election?

3. Do you think Jill Stein is just doing this to get money?

Ghost Ship Fire in Oakland

http://www.nytimes.com/2016/12/04/us/warehouse-party-fire-oakland-search.html?_r=0

A fire in Oakland, CA resulted in 33 deaths at a warehouse that was used for parties and living space. The fire is regarded as one of the worst structure fires in the United States in over a decade. The building, which was known as the “Ghost Ship,” had legal permits to serve as a warehouse, but not residents or performances. The cause of the fire was thought to be from faulty electrical circuits. A resident reported to attempt to install a new refrigerator, which may have triggered the electrical malfunction. In another part of the building on Friday night, an electronic dance party was going on. It is unclear how many people were attending the party, but there were 25 permanent residents at the ghost ship. There were only two exits in the building, so many people were trapped inside from not being able to get through one of them in time, or not being able to find an exit at all. The building was an accident waiting to happen; everything about it was a safety hazard. Filled with highly flammable objects, and scraps of wood and other objects littered the surrounding of the building. The warehouse no time at all to engulf in flames. With the inferno burning stronger and faster, few people were able to escape in time. One local who had visited the warehouse before noted that “that place was a tinderbox. Anybody who went in there who had any kind of authority should have not allowed it to continue.” It is still unclear whether or not law enforcement had any knowledge of this building, but it is still questionable about how this disaster was able to happen. Even though everything about the building was already highly illegal, some people still think that laws could further restrict these occurrences from happening. The owner of the building, Dereck Ion Almenia, even remarked that he cared most about his possessions that were destroyed in the fire. To the residents, he was known to be arrogant and apathetic. His carelessness only adds to the tragedy. If he did something to help meet some regulation standards or at the least cared about his residents, this fire could have been prevented. Historically, tragedies like this happen as a result of neglect to the law, such as the Triangle Shirtwaist Fire. Being one of the worst structure fires in the United States in over a decade, this proves that there are still improvements that need to happen with stricter regulations.

Questions for discussion:

1. How could law enforcement help prevent occurrences like this in the future?
2. Because everything about this building was highly illegal, who is to blame for the fire?
3. What do you think of the owner’s response to this catastrophe?

Army Halts Construction Of Dakota Access Pipeline

A pipeline over 1,000 miles long is being built to transport Bakken oil from North Dakota to Chicago. Most of the pipeline has already been built, with the exception of a 20 mile segment near the Standing Rock Sioux reservation. For the past six months, protests of this section of the pipeline have been happening. The protests have garnered new attention in the past few weeks, especially with environmentalists, celebrities, war veterans, and more joining the Native Americans in protest. 

The protests have proven successful. Construction of the pipeline has been called to a stop by federal officials who are now searching for alternative options. Those in protest have thanked the Obama administration for taking such steps to stop the construction of the pipeline, and they hope that Trump respects the decisions made. Already, the CEO of the company in charge of the pipeline has called to Trump to make the approval of the project a priority. Many are worried that this is just a temporary victory. 

1) Do you personally believe that the pipeline should be built? Weigh the importance of this vital energy with the water safety in North Dakota.
2) Will Trump respect this decision or allow the pipeline to be built?
3) Is this really just a temporary victory for protestors? 

Article

Its not the end of the world yet. Trump might have a chance with his policies.

Are we still trying to stop global warming? During President elect Trumps campaign he claimed that climate change is a hoax and that he is committed to end the Clean Power Plan at the center of Emission Reduction system. He also promised a new beginning for the fossil fuel industry. Yes, the idea of international diplomacy will become more difficult as China and India process their energy policies as there is a possibility that the US will walk away from their commitments. Its very likely that the Trump Administration will dismiss the Clean Power Plan and the renege on the paris record. The least we can do is keep the nations nuclear plants online, continue tax incentives for wind and solar energy, and stays out of the way of the shale energy revolution. Trump wants to bring back coal jobs, but he might have to go in a different direction due to his on promoting natural gas and committing to energy independence. President Obamas cap and trade bill limited emissions that were higher than what they were told to be. The demise of The Clean Power Plan will not make that much of a difference. The transition from coal to gas will happen anyway. A study commissioned last December by the Environmental Defense Fund concluded that most states could comply “by relying exclusively on existing generation, investments already planned within each state and implementation of respective existing state policies.” Climate objectives could blend with Trumps goal of energy independence. The United States could pretty much become energy independent by 2040 — reducing its annual oil imports to 1 million barrels a day from 6 million in 2014 — as long as Washington sticks to current policies. The Trump administration only has to maintain the Obama administration’s CAFE standards, which require the average fuel economy of cars and light trucks. A recent analysis by scientists at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology concluded that the promises made in Paris would reduce the concentration of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere at the end of the century to 710 parts per million from 750. For this to work, the United States, as the dominant economic player, must play ball. The clock is ticking, but we still have some time.

1. Do you believe that Trumps policies will work for a better America?
2. Do you believe Climate Change should be addressed seriously?
3. How do you think Trump will affect this issue in four years?

http://www.nytimes.com/2016/11/29/business/economy/trumps-climate-policies-may-work-out-in-the-planets-favor.html?smid=pl-share&_r=1

Vote Recount Push Advances, but Reversing Trump’s Win Is Unlikely

Jill Stein, Presidential candidate for the Green party is raising money for the votes to be recounted in Wisconsin, Michigan, and Pennsylvania because she believes that the votes possibly could have been hacked or interfered with. Stein is demanding that the votes be counted by hand, but the elections commission rejected it and Stein said she would sue. Stein stated, “We would not want to be collaborating with the Clinton campaign on this.” However, Clinton will have her lawyers present at the recount, but will not be contributing any money towards it. 7 million dollars are needed to be raised for the recount to happen and 6.3 million has already been raised. Wisconsin needs to receive 3.5 million dollars for the recount and if they do, it will begin on Wednesday, finished on Dec 12th, certified on Dec 13th, and the Electoral College votes on Dec 19th.

In response to this, Mr. Trump’s spokesman, Jason Miller, said in an email that the “mere talk of a recount by someone who got less than 1%” — Ms. Stein — “is a joke.” Trump is calling this scam by the Green party, and is also accusing states such as California, Virginia and New Hampshire for voter fraud.

Article link

Do you think it is possible for this recount to reverse Trump’s win?

Do you support the vote recount?

Should Clinton help fund the vote recount?

Donald Trump Doesn't Know His First Amendment Rights

Article Link

Following president-elect, Donald Trump's tweet stating that he feels that people who burn the American flag should be severely punished or even have their citizenship revoked, people are becoming concerned with whether or not they believe that he will protect and preserve the rights set forth in the Constitution once he is inaugurated in January.
His tweet saying that he feels that those people should be punished not only shows that he does not know his First Amendment rights that protect his freedom of speech, but he also neglects many of the bizarre things he says against minorities, women, and other americans.
The Supreme Court has ruled that flag burners are constitutionally protected by the first amendment. On top of that, Supreme court has also made known that it is impossible to strip someone of their citizenship.
Some find his tweets to be meaningless. However, people must not neglect the fact that social media allows him to spread his thoughts and opinions to millions of people all over the world and that he will become one of the most powerful people in the country in January once he is inaugurated.

Discussion Questions:
- What do you think this tweet shows about Trump and how prepared or ready he is to become president?
- Do you think that Trump says bizarre things he may not really mean to gather more attention?
- Do you think that the people of our country should be concerned with the fact that he may not be familiar with all of the rights set forth in the Constitution?

Obamacare is probably toast - and a lot of poor, white Trump voters will get hurt by it

Donald Trump has nominated Tom Price, a GOP representative and an Affordable Care Act critic, as his secretary for Heath and Human Services. Unlike many Republicans, Price at least has given a lot of thought to how to replace the Affordable Care Act. But Price's own plan would roll back the Medicaid expansion, a substantial amount of financial assistance for others getting coverage, and a fair part of regulation of the individual market. And therefore, most likely, a lot of the 20 million people who would lose coverage due to repeal will still be without coverage, and there will no longer be protections for those with bad medical conditions.

Essentially, conservatives want way less government spending and regulations designed to help poor and sick people, protect consumers, and enforce a minimal standard for coverage. So, they're willing to tolerate way lower standards in those areas, although some want conservative reforms to try to make very cheap coverage widely available. On the other hand, liberals think we should spend and regulate to point where the nation can move toward universal care and see expanded and improved coverage as part of a bigger effort to progress towards a higher minimum standard of living. Obviously, conservatives won the election, and they get to control the country. For better or for worse.

According to the Gallup-Healthways Well-Being Index that demonstrates that a lot of poor and middle-class whites (who voted for Trump in disproportionate numbers) have benefited from Obamacare, meaning they're probably going to suffer from its repeal (and even its replacement with something that covers far fewer people).  The Index statistics from earlier this fall conveyed that generally, the national uninsured rate has plummeted to a new low of 10%, a drop of over six percentage points since the law went into effect, which alone is a huge achievement.But this drop is even more pronounced among whites. Gallup-Healthways says that among whites without a college degree who have household incomes of under $36,000, the uninsured rate has dropped from 25% in 2013 to 15% now (a drop of 10 percentage points). It's often noted that the law has disproportionately expanded coverage among African-Americans and Latinos, which is true, but it has also done so among poor whites.

It seems more likely that we'll see a substantial rollback of the progress toward universal health care we've seen in the past few years. News companies love to go to "Trump's America" to hear voters explain that Trump spoke more directly to their economic struggles than Democrats did. Maybe now we'll get more news coverage of those citizens of "Trump's America" who are set to lose their health care, too.
 http://www.sfgate.com/opinion/article/Obamacare-is-probably-toast-and-a-lot-of-poor-10642359.php

1. Do you agree with Trump's nomination of Tom Price as his secretary of Health and Human Services? Do you agree with Price's view on healthcare?
2. Are you more conservative or liberal when it comes to healthcare?
3. How do you think other countries view America now that Trump is our president-elect?

Trump falsely claims 'millions of people who voted illegally' cost him popular vote

Source: http://www.cnn.com/2016/11/27/politics/donald-trump-voter-fraud-popular-vote/index.html


Donald Trump claims that millions of people who voted illegally cost him popular vote, only because in Virginia, New Hampshire, and California Trump has said that it was, "serious voter fraud". In Wisconsin, Trump made the Green Party recount the popular vote and this has never been caused before until now. Just because of this one thing that he said he is making everyone second guess the electoral democracy as working probably and not being misuse. Donald has tweeted saying that, "...I won popular vote if you deduct the millions of people who voted illegally" but yet again there is no real hard core evidence that states illegal voting. He could've gotten the idea of that by seeing stories on conspiracy websites. The Clinton campaign and White house checked and did not find anything wrong but they are still going to guarantee that the recounts are "fair to all sides". In 2012, Donald Trump tweeted, "the electoral college is a disaster for democracy" and four years later on November 15, 2016 he tweeted again saying, "the electoral college is actually genius and that it brings all states, including the smaller ones, into play. Campaigning is much different!" he tweeted that one week after the election day. It is really unexpected accusation for a president elect to make.


Discussion questions:
Why did Trump change his mind about the Electoral college? How is it genius all of a sudden?
Why Does he care about the Popular vote if he already won ?
How could he say 'millions of people who voted illegally' cost him popular vote if he doesn't have evidence to back it up?

Donald Trump’s bogus claim that millions of people voted illegally for Hillary Clinton

https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/fact-checker/wp/2016/11/27/trumps-bogus-claim-that-millions-of-people-voted-illegally-for-hillary-clinton/

Soon-to be president Donald Trump said on Twitter that millions of people have voted for Hillary Clinton illegally. Clinton had won the popular vote by 2.2 million votes, which Trump claims to be BS and that he should have won the popular vote as well as the electoral college, which really matters in the election. Although many controversial rumors have been spreading to claim this true, there has been no direct evidence to support this. Conservative fraud specialist Gregg Phillips tweeting out that the election had been rigged and that the number of votes by non-citizen voters exceeded 3 million, as well as claiming other false statements such as Obamacare was "the biggest voter registration fraud scheme in the history of the world" because of the fact that it provided opportunities for voter registration.

What do you think about Trump's claim on that the election was "rigged"?
Why do you think that Trump would make a false statement like this?
How do these actions affect your outlook on Trump as a future president ?

Trump Picks Nikki Haley and Betsy DeVos As First Women For Cabinet

Article Link

Regarding Trump's selections for his cabinet consisted of white, male individuals. However, Donald Trump has introduced the first two women in his administration. Trump selected South Carolina Governor Nikki Haley as the US's envoy to the United Nations and Betsy DeVos as the education secretary. Both women were former critics of Trump, naming him an "interloper," and Haley admitted she was "not a fan." Although Haley has been viewed as an influential political figure, many of her stances were not known at the time. Upon further research, she was described to be a "political heavyweight," and this assured diplomats that Trump is taking the UN seriously with his choice of ambassador. There is a relief among diplomats since Trump did not elect someone who would be perceived to be a person to downgrade the job of UN ambassador. Trump highly speaks of Haley, referring to her as "a proven deal maker... [and] a great leader representing us on the world stage." Haley is a woman representing a minority who supported Marco Rubio during the primaries and then Ted Cruz, and she attacked Trump's proposal to ban Muslim immigrants. Trump had called her views on immigration "weak" and an "embarrassment." Trump's election of DeVos was also believed to bring in a strong leader in education, despite the fact she supported Trump's rivals.

Discussion Questions:
1. Do you think Trump's election of women, one being a minority, is representative of change in his previously outspoken remarks?

2. Why do you think Trump elected people who have previously disagreed with his political views, and how will this affect his public image?

3. Why do you think Haley and DeVos agreed to join the cabinet despite somewhat conflicting views, and how do you think they will influence the nation?

Syrian Children's Hospital Targeted by Airstrikes

http://www.middleeasteye.net/news/aleppo-siege-hospitals-taken-out-operation-after-targeted-chlorine-and-vacuum-bombs-1961812765

A children’s hospital along with two other hospitals were targeted by Syrian and Russian warplanes in Syria. A spokesperson from the IDA said that the heavy bombardment forced the staff to evacuate all patients for safety. According to Aleppo’s health director, every hospital in the eastern part of the city has now been destroyed depriving some Syrians from the medical help they need. Families spent their days and nights in basements or bomb shelters for protection. The White Helmets team which rescues survivors and puts out fires said they were struggling to reach all bomb sites and help all those injured. Medical facilities are now moving underground to dwindle the chance of being targeted. A White House National Security Adviser Susan Rice warned the Syrian regime and its ally, Russia, that they will be held accountable for the bombings of hospitals in rebel-held portions of Aleppo. Donald Trump has numerously said that he is open to working with Assad and Russia, whose forces are currently heavily striking East Aleppo. His election has incited fear in many Syrians as they believe with his winning the presidency, the target on their country will only increase.

Do you believe that with this new election, Syria will face an increase in attacks?

Is it hypocritical for America to condemn the bombings by Russia even though we have continuously turned our back on Syria?

How could America intervene and help Syria?

Trump Nominates Jeff Sessions for Attorney General

Source: http://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-38027519


Trump has nominated the conservative Jeff Sessions as the Attorney General of the US. Sessions was once nominated to be a federal judge in 1986 ,but the Senate didn't confirm him as a federal judge due to alleged racist remarks. Trump says that Sessions has one of the best legal minds in the world and is respected by many legal scholars. Sessions doesn't want a path to citizenship for undocumented immigrants and wants the wall between the border of the US and Mexico. Some Democratic senators are concerned with how Sessions will act with the Civil Rights Division at the Department of Justice.

Discussion Questions:
Do you think it is okay for someone who allegedly made racist comments be nominated as Attorney General of the US?

How will Sessions' Conservative mindset affect immigration to the US?

What laws do you think Sessions will see as the most important to enforce?

Bernie Sanders: 'Maybe I Would Have Been Elected President'

Source: http://abcnews.go.com/Politics/bernie-sanders-elected-president/story?id=43597187

      Bernie Sanders claims that he could've beat Donald Trump, who only won because 

America was "desperate and in despair, and not because they were racist. Sanders had 

high hopes in the election but ended up losing behind Trump and Hillary. Sanders slammed 

Trump on his racist beliefs: "I call on Mr. Trump to rescind the appointment he made of Mr. 

Bannon. A president of the United States should not have a racist by his side...Unacceptable." However, Bernie is giving Trump a shot at being president, and believing in him although they have many different beliefs. Sanders knows that he has made an impact on the election by stating: "My campaign brought millions of people into the political process, the overwhelming majority of whom ended up voting for Hillary Clinton." Bernie believes that the democratic party needs a change by hoping that the party is able to stand up to the powerful people who are destroying the middle class. If the democratic party isn't willing to stand up to the powerful and rich, Sanders believes " I don’t see much of a future for the Democratic Party." During his speech, Sanders exclaims that he knows majority of the citizens aren't racist, sexist, and homophobes, so Trump won't be able to pass racist policies.

Discussion Questions:

- Did Bernie Sanders really have a chance against Trump? How so?

- Did Sanders create a huge impact on the political world?

- What is your opinion on the Democratic Party standing up to the rich and powerful?

- Will Trump be able to pass racist policies now that he's president?

Students Taking Part In Trump Protests

Days after Trump was elected president of the United States many were frustrated about how the election went down and felt that their voices were not heard. Many decided to go out and protest either violently or peacefully and that is what hundreds of students across the United States decided to do, many are unable to vote, but still proceed to have their voices heard. One very astounding case of these Protest was when History Teachers at a High School in New York City allowed their Students to skip their Classes and attend the Protests that were at Trump Tower. Many other High School Students decided to even travel to New York City to protest with other Students. Other Teachers at the High School objected the decision of letting the History Teachers allowing their Students to leave the School. Officials from the Department of Education told the press that the Students who did skip class on Tuesday will face punishment. 

Do you believe that Students should take part in protests such as these?

Do you think Students should be allowed to skip School to be apart of these protests? Why?

Do you believe that Students should be punished for speaking up? Why or Why not?

http://www.foxnews.com/us/2016/11/16/some-new-york-city-students-allowed-to-skip-class-to-join-in-trump-protests.html

Is America Punitive

WE DON’T agree with President-elect Donald Trump on much, but we happen to share his view that the Obama administration overreached in trying to rewrite immigration law unilaterally. Still, tough enforcement is one thing; gratuitous cruelty is another. Mr. Trump would be straying squarely into the second category if his immigration crackdown targets youngsters whom Mr. Obama has shielded from deportation since 2012. Under that program, 750,000 undocumented immigrants and mainly teenagers and 20-somethings who grew up in America and graduated from U.S. high schools — have received work permits and Social Security cards. Most have jobs; they pay taxes, open bank accounts and, for the most part, live productive, law-abiding lives. It would serve no public policy purpose to pursue this cohort of young people, most of whom were brought to America as children by their parents, and are undocumented through no fault of their own. Half have relatives who are U.S. citizens; roughly a quarter have children who were born here.To round them up, or threaten them with deportation, would mean hounding families who have lived here for well over a decade. Most of the youngsters are as culturally American as their U.S.-born neighbors; many are building careers that will contribute to their communities. They make no secret of their immigration status or whereabouts, having registered openly with the government under the Obama administration’s program. For Mr. Trump to use that database to target them would be a mistake that would brand his new administration as callous and recast this country as America the Punitive. Mr. Trump’s worst instincts on immigration were underscored by news that a notorious hardliner, Kris Kobach, would serve on his transition team. Mr. Kobach, the Kansas secretary of state, has been behind countless crusades over the past decade, many of them thwarted in federal courts, to harass and intimidate immigrants. Mr. Kobach vowed Thursday that the Trump administration would build that “beautiful” wall, and there’s no doubt Mr. Trump has a mandate to do so. It would be a massive waste of money — a $15 billion to $25 billion project that would do nothing to stop visa over-stayers, who represent a third of undocumented immigrants, and relatively little to deter illegal border crossings, already near a 40-year low. No wall is impermeable, and more Mexicans have left the United States than entered since the Great Recession of 2008. And no, Mexico won’t pay for the wall.

Questions:

1. Why does Mr. trump want to get rid of immigrants?
2. Is America Punitive now?
3. Are we anti feminist now that Donald Trump is a president?

Could Electoral College Elect Clinton?

http://www.msn.com/en-us/news/politics/could-electoral-college-elect-clinton/ar-AAklfwV?li=BBnbcA1&ocid=wispr

People are currently petitioning electoral candidates to change their to reflect popular vote of the last election rather than electoral college. This article analyzes whether that is legally possible and technically achievable. From a legal stand point of view the article states that other then having to pay a fine electoral candidates can change their votes without breaking the law. On the other hand in the whole history of the United States that has never been done and had never even been attempted. 

Question:

1) Can the electoral college elect Hilary Clinton on December 19th?

2) Why would the electoral college never allow this to happen?

3) Why would Obama and Clinton herself oppose such a move?

Trump: 'I'll take $1 salary as President'

http://www.thedailybeast.com/cheats/2016/11/14/trump-i-ll-take-1-salary-as-president.html?via=desktop&source=copyurl

       

Donald Trump was elected President of the United States on Wednesday, November 9th, 2016. During an interview on the show "60 minutes", he said that he would not take the regular salary of $400,000 as president. "“I think I have to by law take $1, so I’ll take $1 a year." Trump said during the interview. Being a billionaire, it is true that he does not need the money anyway. However, it's still ideal for the president to take the money anyway.

1. What are some reason why Trump may not have taken the money?

2. What does this decision say about Trump?

3. Do you think Trump is trying to make a statement with this decision?

'Knife fight' as Trump builds an unconventional national security cabinet

http://www.cnn.com/2016/11/14/politics/trump-shortlist-national-security-worldview/index.html

Trump is now deciding his cabinet, now that he has won the election of 2016. People are beginning to realize that President Trump's short list of possible role takers are all unconventional. Trump has come to a agreement with who will take key national security appointments. Sen. Jeff Sessions is now the leading contender for attorney general, and is in the mix for secretary of defense as well, say multiple sources with knowledge of the transition. On another note, retired Lt. General Ron Burgess, former director of the DIA, is a leading contender for director of national intelligence. Also retired General Michael Flynn is leading candidate for national security adviser. For the secretary of state it is possible that Rudy Giuliani may take the role. John Bolton is also in the circle of possibility of secretary of state. Also Senator jeff sessions is a possible candidate for attorney general or secretary of defense. Lastly Lt.Gen. Michael Flynn is a possible for national security adviser. The Knife fight is between these roles and people that Trump will choose for his cabinet of staff.

Why do you think Trump has such a short list of people for these key positions?

Why do you think this short list is unconventional?

Why do you think this is called a knife fight?

What does Trump Really Believe?

Trump believes the world is a "zero-sum place". Even his supporters have cautioned that his proposals should not be taken literally. Trump says he wants big tax cuts for businesses, and to rebuild the falling bridges and run down airports. These strategies don't seem to add up. The tax cuts he talks about, come right out of the Republican playbook. When experts look at his proposals, they can not "price"them because they are so vague, yet they can infer federal deficits will soar. Trump made a point to talk about the $20 trillion debt the US has in every debate. We have yet to see if this is the promise he will keep in his first year as president. One big topic he always talks about is making things; yet fails to mention the work that goes into that and the work Americans he plans to deport can do. All in all, Trump's proposals are vague and incoherent. It is hard to see a clear future with Trump as the new president.


Questions:
1. Do you think Trump will stay true to what he has been saying in the debates?

2. Do you think Trump will be an effective president?

3. Trump's statements/proposals often time don't add up. Do you think this will effect his ability to have a well run presidency? In other words, does he know what he is doing?


http://www.nytimes.com/2016/11/10/us/politics/world-is-about-to-find-out-what-donald-trump-really-believes.html?ref=politics

#CalExit gains more interest after Trump's election to president

http://www.cnn.com/2016/11/10/politics/calexit-donald-trump/index.html

After Donald Trump won the election, there has been an increased interest in California to secede from the United States. About 60% of Californian voters support Clinton and fear the future under Trump’s presidency, so the movement to constitutionally exit the US is attracting attention of many more people than before. Supporters are actually calling for a vote to be held about this proposal in 2019, hoping to see how many people in California support or oppose California being a state rather than a nation.

The “Yes California” campaign website states that "as the sixth largest economy in the world, California is more economically powerful than France and has a population larger than Poland,” implying that they believe California will be able to compete and possibly even thrive as its own entity rather than being part of the United States.

This secession is considered highly unlikely to actually happen, especially considering that similar instances of contemplating seceding have happened in other states as well and ultimately resulted in nothing happening. However, the idea is being rapidly spread through social media platforms and often protests as well.

1. Looking at the statistics, do you think California could actually sustain itself as its own nation?
2. What is your own opinion on #calexit? Should it be taken into more serious consideration or ignored?
3. How do you feel about this reaction to Trump’s win from many people in California? Is it appropriate to the situation?

Donald J. Trump is the 45th President of the United States of America

The results are in, and Donald J. Trump has been elected 45th president of the United States of America. Many people are outraged and afraid of what this means for the country, on top of the house and the senate also being under Republican control. The future of the country is promised to be very different from the way it was before, in one way or another. After a dominating performance in the election, a man known for merely novelty had defeated a long time recognized politician, Senator Hillary Clinton. A year ago this would have been considered impossible, to some people it still is. Half of the country is on constant protest, saying phrases such as "not our president" and so on. Many people are afraid that all the diversity work this country has done to accepted each other will be reversed and that we will go backwards as a nation. Only the future holds the answer.


-Do you believe America's anxieties are deserved? Or are people overreacting
-Do you think Trump can change the minds of all those against him and show that he is a good president?
-What does the future look like when Trump gets officially sworn in in 2017?

White House Turns Red

As we fall deeper into the presidential election, our current president Obama is preparing to leave the white house. In doing so, in his departure he has invited one of the NBA leading teams, the Cavaliers, to come visit before facing the Washington Wizards.

The Cavs. will visit the White House on November 10, of this year. As Obama's has been the face of the black community within the nation for almost this past decade. The team had a few words regarding their position on that as he steps down:

"He's been a great role model, especially to African-American kids. What he did was something that you never thought could be possible. Being a black president, for me to be there when he's on his way out and his last term is ending, I think that's pretty significant as well." - Lebron James

"Having our first black president was a big thing for me and for my family and I know for a lot of others. "I know having a chance for these guys to see a black president in office is a big thing. It's a big deal. So, that's one of the reasons why I wanted it to be while he was still in office because you never know if it will ever happen again." - Tyronn Lue

Being a fan of basketball himself, Obama is as eager to once again be able to see one of his favorite teams. Giving him the opportunity to congratulate the Cavaliers on their recent win in the NBA Championships.

Questions:

• How do you think Obama stepping down will affect the Black communities?
• As a bay area local, how does it make you feel that our president favors our NBA Chap. rival?
• Do you think that Lebron James is the greatest players within the NBA?
• In the change of presidency, do you think that there will be ever another "goat" that could be live up to Obama term?