‘She Has a Name,’ Alicia Machado, and It Is Everywhere

Near the end of the debate, Clinton tells us that Trump had called 1996 Miss Universe winner "Miss Piggy" and "Miss House Keeping". He was at the pageant and he was commenting on her body weight saying,"this is somebody who likes to eat". At the time she was 19. After the debate her name had been mentioned in multiple articles. A spokeswoman for Trump said that these accusations were totally baseless. Alicia Machado says,"For me, this election has been like a bad dream, watching this guy again do the stupid things and stupid comments so misogynous and so machista," Ms. Machado said on the call. A Republican political commentator noticed how Alicia was also an actor in telenovelas and that she is a powerful messenger to reach Hispanics, which is what Clinton needs. 

What is your opinion on this issue? 

How would you react if you were Alicia Machado?

Do you think this a good step forward for Clinton? 

Congress rejects Obama veto of Saudi 9/11 lawsuits bill

For the first time in Obama's presidency, Congress has overridden his veto to allow a bill to become a law. Both the House and Senate had unanimously voted to pass the bill initially, allowing the families of 9/11 victims to sue any member of the Saudi Arabian government who is suspected of playing a role in the 9/11 attacks. A 1976 law previously protected foreign countries from American lawsuits, but this new legislation, called the Justice Against Sponsors of Terrorism Act, amends this law. President Obama argued firmly against passing the bill, saying that it would undermine the relationship between American and Saudi governments and put US service members at risk for lawsuits against actions in Iraq and Afghanistan. Later, when the veto was overridden, members of the Obama administration and the President himself classified it as "'the single most embarrassing thing the United States has done' in decades." Obama acknowledged the fact that denying the legislation would be no easy decision in light of the lasting resentment of the American people towards perpetrators of the 9/11 terrorist attacks. He expressed however, that the repercussions would overshadow any glimpses of justice. The House voted 348-77 in favor of overriding the veto and the Senate had a 97-1 vote.

Discussion:

How does Obama's upcoming exit from office influence Congress's treatment of his executive decisions?

If both Congress and the Obama administration feel so strongly about opposing viewpoints, who is in the wrong?

Should the veto be a final decision?

Clinton puts Trump on defense at first debate

http://www.cnn.com/2016/09/26/politics/presidential-debate-hillary-clinton-donald-trump/index.html

Hillary Clinton forced Donald Trump onto defense over his temperament. Clinton delivered the best zinger of the night in response to critics from Trump for staying off the campaign trail recently. Trump made some good points on the economy and jobs, but towards the end if felt repetitive. Trump made false claims as he made inaccurate statements on everything from laws. A CNN/ORC poll of debate found 62% felt Clinton won compared to 27% for Trump. One of the most powerful statements was when Trump acknowledge that President Barack Obama was born in the US. Clinton blasted him and said that he was telling a "racist lie". Clinton destroyed Trump towards his treatment of women. As said"This is a man who has called women pigs, slobs and dog," Clinton said. She accused him of calling a Latina beauty contest "Miss Piggy" and a housekeeper because of her ethnicity, which lead trump thrown off as he was asking "Where did you find this?" Through out the whole debate Trump had good points as well as Clinton, but Trump was very repetitive of what he was saying and it seemed like he could not finish some of his statements.

Who do you think should have the debate?
How are the results affected by the election in November?
Who do you think will mostly win in the election?

Charlotte police shooting: What happens next

http://www.cnn.com/2016/09/26/us/charlotte-police-shooting-what-happens-next/index.html

As we have all heard in recent news, police shootings have been very present in these last few months, and they are causing serious issues in certain cities. These shootings have sparked protests in defense of those who have been shot and for there families, in order to bring justice to the topic and to take a stand on the issue. In my opinion these protests are for a good cause as they are drawing attention to a very prominent topic. Just last week, a man was fatally shot in Charlotte, North Carolina as police were going to serve a warrant to him and thought that the man was threatening them with a gun and being belligerent so they took a serious action. As the saying goes, there is always two sides to a story. In this case, video footage from the now widowed wife of Keith Lamont Scott, was released with her stating that the man was just ill and not too shoot him. The police obviously saw a threat of the man, and made the decision to take action. After this shooting, as previously stated large protests were arranged and the city enforced a curfew for everyone and a heavier police present. The a majority of the population, including myself agree that this a wrong doing and something must be made out of it, but to others this might have been the best thing to do in the situation. This is where the question comes.

1. Do you think a that shooting the man was the right thing to do, or was there another way to go about this?
2. Do you think that officers are doing this truly out of fear for their lives, or just because of a certain mindset that they have?
3. What do you think we could do as a nation to prevent these types of things from happening in the future?

Will Trump Invite Gennifer Flowers to the debate?

http://www.cnn.com/2016/09/25/politics/presidential-debate-preview-2016/index.html

Trump caused for the media to start talking about the rumor of Gennifer Flowers attending the debate that will be viewed by many on Monday night. Gennifer Flowers is the woman who Bill Clinton had an affair with during his presidency, while married to Hillary Clinton. Trump is trying to bring attention to him a couple of days before the Monday night debate by saying that he is considering of inviting  Gennifer Flowers and having her sit front row, but he is also saying that he does not want Ms. Flowers to attend the debate. Gennifer Flowers confirmed the she will be attending the debate, but she did not mention that she was invited by the candidate Trump.  It is said that Trump is trying to cause for Hillary Clinton to loose control by talking about the invitation of Gennifer Flowers, but Hillary is focused what is important which are the issues and she is not bringing up anything about his personal life regarding marriages. This is not the first time that Trump has mentioned something that relates to the affair of Bill Clinton and Gennifer Flowers, he will continue to use this idea to try and make Hillary say something that will make her look like a weak candidate that pays attention to Trump's words regarding the affair. By what Clinton's campaign manger has been saying; she will be focused on what really is important, by talking about what will help America and talk about her solutions regarding the issues there is today. 

1) Do you think that Trump is being smart by bringing up Gennifer Flowers?

2) Does Trump look like a good candidate by bringing up an affair to a debate?

3) Do you think that the affair will affect Clinton in any way?

4) What do you think Trump's voters think?

Will Trump Invite Gennifer Flowers to the debate?

http://www.cnn.com/2016/09/25/politics/presidential-debate-preview-2016/index.html

Trump caused for the media to start talking about the rumor of Gennifer Flowers attending the debate that will be viewed by many on Monday night. Gennifer Flowers is the woman who Bill Clinton had an affair with during his presidency, while married to Hillary Clinton. Trump is trying to bring attention to him a couple of days before the Monday night debate by saying that he is considering of inviting  Gennifer Flowers and having her sit front row, but he is also saying that he does not want Ms. Flowers to attend the debate. Gennifer Flowers confirmed the she will be attending the debate, but she did not mention that she was invited by the candidate Trump.  It is said that Trump is trying to cause for Hillary Clinton to loose control by talking about the invitation of Gennifer Flowers, but Hillary is focused what is important which are the issues and she is not bringing up anything about his personal life regarding marriages. This is not the first time that Trump has mentioned something that relates to the affair of Bill Clinton and Gennifer Flowers, he will continue to use this idea to try and make Hillary say something that will make her look like a weak candidate that pays attention to Trump's words regarding the affair. By what Clinton's campaign manger has been saying; she will be focused on what really is important, by talking about what will help America and talk about her solutions regarding the issues there is today. 

1) Do you think that Trump is being smart by bringing up Gennifer Flowers?

2) Does Trump look like a good candidate by bringing up an affair to a debate?

3) Do you think that the affair will affect Clinton in any way?

4) What do you think Trump's voters think?

Suspect charged in Washington mall shooting

          The suspect in the Washington mall shooting on Friday, September 23rd has been charged with 5 counts of first-degree murder. Unfortunately, four women and one man lost their lives in the shooting that occurred inside Macy's of Burlington's Cascade Mall. Although more details about the suspect has been released, his motives remain unclear because authorities say it is too early to determine if this was an act of terrorism. After walking inside and opening fire with a rifle, he fled the mall, and 24 law enforcement agencies went on a manhunt throughout the state for the suspect. Authorities refused to comment on the type of weapon that was used or the state of mental health; however, they did say that this man was arrested for a simple assault earlier in the year.

What is your opinion on what we can do to avoid future shootings in public places?
Do you think repealing the second amendment would have an effect on the number of mass shootings? Why or why not?

Link to Article

Tulsa Officer Betty Shelby opened fire in 'heat of passion'

http://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-37453089

Tulsa Officer Shoots Innocent African American

         Officer Betty Shelby shot and killed on Terrence Krutcher a father of four. She is being charged with being emotionally involved that the confrontation escalated. Ms. Shelby said that she was, "Fear for her life and thought he was going to kill her." Ms. Shelby was yelling at Mr. Krutcher with her weapon drawn she was telling him to got on his knees but he did not listen but he had his hands up while walking. The prosecutors say that she killed him in a fit of anger or she killed him as she was trying to detain him. If she is convicted she gets minimum of 4 years.

1. Do you think she should get minimum of 4 years
2. How would you react if you were Mr Krutcher's family
3. Do you think that Ms. Shelby acted in anger or self defense

Racism, Accountability And Baskets Of Deplorables

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/lincoln-mitchell/racism-accountability-and_b_12082058.html?section=us_politics

Hillary Clinton while being the first lady described a vast right winged conspiracy, that are very wealth and are trying to train young conservatives. Within the last 20 years Clinton has changed her vocabulary, and now refers to this group as a basket of deplorables. This was an attack on approximately 22% of the electorate, which is risky but she wants to separate herself from Trumps racism. The article describes Trumps campaign as one of the most racist ones since George Wallace in 1968. Some examples of Trumps racism is seen when states, "Mexicans are rapists" as well as advocated violence against African Americans, and made wide spread anti Muslim comments.

1. Is Hillary trying to hide her own racism, underneath Trump's prominent racism?
2. Was "basket of deplorables" a good term used by Hillary?
3. How do you think voters of different races will react to these candidates?

Obama Sees ‘Personal Insult’ if Blacks Don’t Rally for Hillary Clinton

Recently democratic leaders have showed concern for the lack of support shown from young black voters towards Hilary Clinton. This caused Obama to come out with his own campaign message "It's about me". He has given supporting speeches for Hilary before, but this one was more unique in a sense that it was a personal topic. During the speech he told African Americans that he would take it as a "personal insult" if they did not vote for Clinton on election day. Although Obama won't be on the ballot himself he wants others to vote for Clinton because "our progress is on the ballot". Since the message came out Clinton has the advantage of 83 percentage points compared to Trump according to the New York Times/CBS News Polls. 

1. Do you think Obama's speech was sincere or just a tactic used to get Clinton more votes?
2. With only 50 days left before the election, do you think Obama's speech was the only was Clinton could have earned that much more of support from black voters? If not, what other ways do you think she could have accomplished this?

3. Do you think the diction Obama used in his speech was insensitive to voters? Would you feel pressured to vote for Clinton?

Source: http://www.nytimes.com/2016/09/19/us/politics/obama-trump-clinton.html?ref=politics&_r=0

Three Attacks, 1 Day. Who is Responsible?

Saturday, September 17th, there were 3 different US attacks. There was a bombing in New York, later that day there were pipe bombs throughout a town in New Jersey, and then that night in Minnesota there was a stabbing spree. In New York, there was one bomb that went off which injured 29 people, but in addition there was a pressure cooker wired up to blow up left on the street a few blocks away. In the New Jersey bombing, the pipe bomb was placed in a trash can with a cell phone timer, most likely attempting to disrupt the Marine Corps charity run. There were hints in the Minnesota attack, with ISIS. The attacker was possibly a "soldier of the Islamic State," though there was no immediate evidence he'd had contact with the terror group. But all three events are being investigated as possible terrorist attacks. No organization has accepted responsibility yet. Since the events are still very recent, there is more information to be found.
What should the US do about consant and more frequent attacks on the homefront?
What are some suggestions to help prevent future attacks? Such as what can the government do?
How do you predict the presidential candidates will react/comment on these attacks? 

Source : http://www.cnn.com/2016/09/19/us/new-york-new-jersey-minnesota-attacks/index.html

Without apology, Trump Now Says:'Obama Was Born In' The U.S.

http://www.npr.org/2016/09/16/494231757/without-apology-trump-now-says-obama-was-born-in-the-u-s

On Friday, Donald Trump acknowledged for the first time that President Obama was born in the United States, ending his long history of stoking unfounded doubts about the nation’s first African American president but also seeking to falsely blame Democratic rival Hillary Clinton for starting the rumors. What makes Donald Trump such a singular figure — in modern politics and, perhaps, ever — is his refusal to take ownership of the outrageous things he has said and done. Not only does Trump refuse to apologize, he blames others for his own actions. There must be 10 hours of video of Trump, ranting about Obama not being an American citizen; even claiming that he was sending a team to Hawaii to look into it. Now Trump says Secretary Clinton's camp started it.

1)      Who do you believe started the rumor or doubt about President Obama’s birth place? Do you believe the doubt was justified?

2)      What are your thoughts about Trump’s refusal to apologize? Do you see that as a measure of his strength as a leader?

3)      Would you like your kids to be like Donald Trump? Is he a role model? The guy who refuses to apologize, who can’t admit he’s wrong, who blames others for his own actions and can’t take ownership for his own actions. 

Presidential Transparency at an All Time Low

http://www.cnn.com/2016/09/12/politics/hillary-clinton-donald-trump-transparency/


The 2016 presidential election has presented us with more presidential transparency than we have ever seen in the modern era. This basically means that the general public has very little knowledge about the presidential candidates. This starts with Hillary Clinton's health status, which continues to be extremely unclear. This past Sunday, September 11, Clinton fainted at a public 9/11 memorial event. She blamed it on dehydration and overheating, but was soon diagnosed with pneumonia. As Clinton's unknown health conditions may seem bad enough, Trump's current ideals are far less known. By "departing decades of tradition," Trump has opted out of releasing his tax returns. By doing this, he is hiding key information about his investments and financial interests. Both candidates have refused to travel with a crew of security behind them in efforts to emphasize their courage for their actions.

1. Do you feel comfortable with the fact that both presidential candidates are showing an extreme lack of transparency?

2. Do you think Clinton's health will affect her chances of winning the election?

3. Would you feel safe voting for somebody who refuses to release their tax returns?

Hillary Clinton's Doctor Says Pneumonia Led to Abrupt Exit From 9/11 Event

http://www.nytimes.com/2016/09/12/us/politics/hillary-clinton-campaign-pneumonia.html?ref=politics&_r=0

Hillary Clinton is being treated for pneumonia and dehydration, her doctor said on Sunday, hours after she abruptly left a ceremony in New York honoring the 15th anniversary of the Sept. 11 attacks and had to be helped into a van by Secret Service agents.The incident, which occurred after months of questions about her health from her Republican opponent, Donald J. Trump, and his campaign, is likely to increase pressure on Mrs. Clinton to address the issue and release detailed medical records, which she has so far declined to do.

1.) Would you want our President with an illness that is unpredictable?

2.) Should she really consider getting full medical attention?

3.) Do you think she would lose more votes due to the illness?

Hillary Clinton Is Set Back by Decision to Keep Illness Secret

At the 9/11 memorial Hillary Clinton stumbled while trying to get into her car. Hillary was diagnosis with pneumonia on Friday and she did not tell anyone about it because she thought “I just didn’t think it was going to be that big a deal,” On Monday Hillary's campaign worked hard to reassure her supporters that she will be fine and that she will be alright for the upcoming election. From her not informing her supporters or any voters who where watching at that time that she had a possibly deadly illness could affect the numbers of supporters she may receive.  

1. Would you want to know if one of your candidates for president has a deadly illness?
2. Would this affect your vote if they tried to keep their illness a secret?
3. Some people are asking if she is hiding anything else about her health do you think she is ?


Source:
http://www.nytimes.com/2016/09/13/us/hillary-clinton-pneumonia.html?ref=politics&_r=0

Duterte wants U.S. troops out of southern Philippines

     

     

     Newly elected president of the Philippines Rodrigo Duterte demands America to withdraw special forces in the southern Philippines citing their presence to "complicate offensives against Islamist militants notorious for beheading Westerners". Special forces were first deployed in Philippines by U.S. in 2002 to train and advise Philippine units fighting Abu Sayyaf militants with ties to ISIS. Although most of the special forces were relocated by 2015 some still remain to protect westerners in the region and provide "logistics and technical support". 

  

     On a domestic note Rodrigo Duterte who is also known as the Donald Trump of the Philippines has already caused tension between US and Philippines relations after calling Obama a "son of a b***h" and accusing white westerners for inviting trouble by visiting a country where terrorist groups like Abu Sayyaf kidnap them for ransom. On top of this his relations with the UN is also deteriorating after calling UN human rights experts "stupid" for criticizing his war on drugs and then threatening to leave the UN shortly after. 

1. What is your opinion surrounding the war on terrorism?

2. Should the U.S. scale back on its use of foreign intervention?

3.  Is Duterte a leader to be reasoned with?

Source: http://www.reuters.com/article/us-philippines-usa-duterte-idUSKCN11I10J

Question1

On Sunday September 11, 2016, Hillary Clinton nearly faints while leaving the 9/11 memorial in New York. The cause of her fainting was that she had been diagnosed with Pneumonia. Although modern medicine can easily have her back on her feet, it raises concern for the future of the probable president of the United States. Clinton's health has many of her supporters concerned with her being able to compete against Donald Trump who is using her health issues to his advantage. Two decades ago, Bob Dole, a former Republican presidential nominee, congratulated the Brooklyn Dodgers baseball team. He was 73 years old then and the Brooklyn Dodgers had not existed in over 40 years. This led to the media quickly questioning if he was maybe too old to run for president and was nicknamed "Bob Old". Presently, many are calling Hillary Clinton's near-collapse a "Dole" moment, which could potentially make her seem unable to fit the position of president.
Discussion Questions:
1. Do you think that Hillary Clinton's health can cause her to lose support in her campaign?
2. Can her health issues potentially make her not only lose support but maybe even make people look towards supporting Donald Trump?
3. If you belonged in either the Republican or Democratic party, would you decide to look for a new candidate? Why or why not?

Source: https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2016/sep/12/hillary-clinton-pneumonia

House of Representatives pass 9/11 legislation

On Friday September 9th Congress passed a September 11th Legislation which would allow for families of the victims from the September 11th attacks 15 years ago to sue Saudi Arabia. Despite the many objections from Saudi Arabia, the Senate passed this 4 months ago. 15 of the 19 hijackers in 2001 were Saudi nationals which is why suing Saudi Arabia would be "valid". The White House has hinted that Obama may veto this legislation because of the belief that it would backfire. If U.S. citizens are allowed to sue Saudi Arabia in U.S. courts then the message is being sent that other foreign nations could sue the U.S. This would also strain the already weak relationship the U.S. has with Saudi Arabia. In order for the veto to be overruled a two-thirds vote would be needed from the Senate and House of Representatives. Some argue that if the Saudi Arabian government had nothing to do with the September 11th attacks then they should have nothing to fear but so far there has been no comment made from Saudi Arabia on the issue.

1) What is your opinion on this legislation?
2) What do you think Obama should do? Should he veto the legislation?
3) If you were/are a family of a victim of the 9/11 attacks do you think it is fair to sue Saudi Arabia? Why?

http://www.smdailyjournal.com/articles/wnews/2016-09-10/house-passes-sept-11-legislation-as-obama-veto-threat-looming/1776425168084.html

             Donald Trump Vows to Bolster                                                 Nation’s Military Capacities

http://www.nytimes.com/2016/09/08/us/politics/donald-trump-speech.html?rref=collection%2Fsectioncollection%2Fus&action=click&contentCollection=us&region=stream&module=stream_unit&version=latest&contentPlacement=3&pgtype=sectionfront&_r=0
 On Wednesday, In Philadelphia at the Union League of Philadelphia, Donald J. Trump spoke about national security and stated, that when he takes his position as President of the United States of America, he will expand our military in vast numbers, and has planned to spend at least $90 Billion a year. Donald Trump did not say who are how the money payments would be settled, not even if people would raise the money. Which puts many Americans into concern, If he will make our country go into debt. Donald Trump, also spoke about finally defeating and eliminating ISIS within the first 30 days of his Presidency.
1) Do you trust Donald Trump handling the Country considering he went it to debt 3 times handing his own businesses?
2) Do you trust him possibly drafting many Americans into war?
3) Do you trust him with protecting kids and families in the Middle East, if he attempts to eliminate ISIS?

Donald Trump started off his campaign with a strong opinion on immigration. He started off with wanting mass deportations, temporary ban on Muslim immigration, and a wall along the border with Mexico paid by Mexico. Trump has stated that there will be a wall built along the Mexican border and insists in saying that Mexico will pay for it through increased border-crossing fees and NAFTA tariffs. Some of Trump's surrogates want to add technology  to this wall to track and prevent illegal immigration. In addition, Trump said he wanted to deport millions of immigrants but recently in one of his speeches he declined to answer whether he was going to take this action by force.



Questions:
1. What was Trump's position on immigration back then, what is his position now and why do you think it changed?






http://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2016/08/31/us/politics/donald-trump-immigration-changes.html?ref=politics&_r=0

Do two wrongs make a right?

In Bellingham, Washington a man named Ray Gilbride who is a true Trump supporter has had about seven of his Trump signs stolen, he has only caught one on camera. Fed up with it he had decided to “shock them back” literally. Gilbride rigged up his Trump signs that would zap anyone who would touch them. Police say that Gilbride has a right to protect his property as long as no one gets hurt. Gilbride does have a freedom of speech but does he really have to shock people in order to get his message across that he supports Trump?

Would you still attempt to steal the sign if you knew that it would give you a slight zap?

Should this man be allowed to shock the people that try to steal his signs?

Source: http://www.king5.com/news/local/trump-supporter-shocks-political-sign-thieves_/314503688

Obama: Colin Kaepernick ' exercising constitutional right '

The San Francisco 49ers quarter back has refused to stand for the national anthem to express his protest of police violence against African American. On Monday president Obama said that Kaepernick is exercising his constitutional right to make a statement, What he did generated more conversation around some topics that needs our attention and he never doubted his sincerity but he just cares about more legal legitimate issues. Kaepernick's fans were shocked of his action , although some of them were supportive and understanding his point and why he refused to stand for the national anthem

Discussion Questions:

1. Do you think Kaepernick did the right thing?

2. Are we all engaged in the democratic process?

3. What would you rather do to draw everyone's attention to the injustice in the world?

Source:
http://www.cnn.com/2016/09/05/politics/barack-obama-colin-kaepernick/index.html

Trump Goes to a Black Church Service in Detroit

Article

On Saturday, Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump visited Great Faith Ministries International in Detroit. Despite him being unpopular with Black voters, he was treated with respect. He even wore a prayer shawl that Bishop Wayne T. Jackson, the church's pastor, gave him. After saying that the Black communities in the US are full of crime and poverty, Trump says that he cares about making their lives better. In relation to Trump's visit to church, Trump wishes for the nation to turn back to Christian heritage. After visiting the Church, Trump and former presidential nominee Ben Carson visited Ben Carson's childhood home and spoke with the current owner of the home, Felicia Reese, possibly for gaining support from the Black community.

Questions:

1. Do you think Trump really wishes to help the Black community, or is he only saying that to get support?

2. Does Trump really wish to make the country look to Christianity?

Without conservative Supreme Court majority, voter-law challengers make gains

Source: https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/courts_law/without-conservative-supreme-court-majority-voter-law-challengers-make-gains/2016/09/05/5ac74948-704e-11e6-9705-23e51a2f424d_story.html

Since the death of Justice Antonin Scalia, Democratic lawyers and the Obama administration has been successful in overturning strict voting laws. Republicans in the Senate refuse to hold a hearing for Obama's court nominee, Merrick Garland, and this is causing the high-court to be deadlocked 4 to 4. Because of this the state courts and lower level federal judges decisions are being held. The Ohio Democratic Party is fighting for the reinstatements of the "Golden Week." This is a period of time in which people can register and vote at the same time. After eight years of Obama's nominations, state officials highlight the uprising of Democratic influence in the judiciary. For example, in North Carolina the three-judge panel that ruled the state's law that was intentionally discriminatory was solely composed of judges that were nominated to the court by Democratic presidents.

Discussion Questions:
What do you think some of the effects of the Supreme Court acquiring a new Conservative judge will be on the Judicial system?
What do you think some of the effects of the Supreme Court acquiring a new Liberal judge will be on the Judicial system?
What do you believe will happen in our government when the newly elected President nominates his or her pick for the supreme court?