electoral college

I liked the first video best: electoral college for dummies.  It was the least biased with the most information and really taught me how it worked.  It focussed on telling us how it worked instead of rudely talking about how terrible it was. The first video talked about to legitimacy of it (although it could use some work) and why we use this system.

Hillary maintains lead in Iowa

Hillary Clinton has a double digit lead over Bernie Sanders in Iowa.  55% of the people surveyed support Clinton, where as only 33% of surveyors support Sanders.  Clinton's lead is exemplified due to women voters and older voters.  She only has a 5 point lead over Sanders with male voters, but Sanders still has more votes of people under the age of 50.  The democratic caucus will likely be happy with whoever the nominee ends up being.

Syed Farook's Bank Records

Syed Farook withdrew $28,000 from his bank account two weeks before he and his wife took part in the San Bernardino Massacre.  Investigators are researching what the money was for.  Possibly, to pay back Enrique Marquez who bought the riffles used in the shooting that killed 14 and wounded 21.  $10,000 were converted to cash and days before the shooting multiple $5,000 transactions occurred.  Investigators continue to search to find what all of this money was used for.

Donald Trump-Complete Shutdown of Muslims Entering US

After terrorists attacks involving muslim extremists in France and California, Trump wants to issue a complete shutdown of all muslims entering the US.  The ban would include everybody, including muslims seeking tourist visas.  Trump claims he saw footage of muslims cheering after 9/11 which is why he continues to give anti-islamic statements.  A significant amount of GOP voters in North Carolina agree with Trump and believe that Islam should be illegal in the United States. Trump has shared his voice over twitter as well as other social media sites where other republicans have condemned him. 

Planned Parenthood Shooting

A man was recently accused of killing three people at a planned parenthood clinic and is being held on suspicion for first degree murder.  He, at least, will be held for life in prison, and at most be given the death sentence.   Robert Lewis Dear was convicted of shooting a police officer and two civilians at the clinic.  Dear is anti abortion and anti-government views as well.  The shooting, that injured nine along with the three killed, is being said to have been domestic terrorism. 

Gun Threat Closes University of Chicago

There was an online anonymous threat to the University of Chicago for Monday, November 30.  The FBI warned the school that the shooting was said to happen at the quad at 10 am.  The University felt it was necessary to cancel classes on Monday as a safety precaution after what has been happening world wide and across other campuses.  Students were encouraged to stay off campus and inside.

Amanda Blackburn Case

A pastors pregnant wife from Indiana was murdered and an 18 year old man was arrested for it.  Larry Taylor was faced with the murder charges of Amanda Blackburn.  There are still 2 other suspects that detectives are working towards finding more information on.  All three men went into the Blackburn home after Davey Blackburn had left to go workout and confronted Amanda.  Detectives say that when two of the suspects left the house to steal money of one of the Blackburn's care, Taylor raped Amanda, then shot her, all while a 15 month old baby was in his crib upstairs.

States Reject Refugees

After the terrorist attacks in Paris, governors of many states have rejected to accept any refugees into their states.  Michigan and Alabama have both stated that they will not be open to accepting any refugees because one of the Paris attackers was undercover as a refugee.  Governors believe that accepting refugees puts the people of their states at high risks of Islamic Terrorism.  Governor Bentley of Alabama says "As your governor, I will not stand complicit to a policy that places the citizens of Alabama in harms way."

New Orleans Shooting

Hundreds of people gathered at a playground in New Orleans for a music video shooting late Sunday night and two groups started shooting at each other, and 16 people were injured.  Police were already on the way to the scene before extreme violence broke out because people heard gunshots from around the block.  Detectives are still trying to find more evidence on the shooting or find surveillance videos.

Protestor Assaulted at Donald Trump Rally

At a campaign rally for Donald Trump a man began to shout "black live matter" in the middle of Trump's speech.  He was wearing a shirt that had the same phrase on it and was then tackled to the ground by people attending the rally.  No arrests were made and there was no need for medical attention but kicks and punches were thrown. The man was escorted out along with 3 other people who were asked to leave the rally. 

ISIS Threats

ISIS fighters have threatened not only France, but Italy and the US as well.  There have been threats of them blowing up the White House, and attacking New York City.  In the video there is evidence of an explosive being put together and talk of targeting time square.  Obama spoke on how terrorists goals is to intimidate its targets before reaching them, and that New York will remain un intimidated.  Although some of the footage is not new, NYC will remain in contacts with the FBI and keep their city aware of what is going on.  The FBI states that there have been no direct threats towards the US yet.

Kenya

Kenya has had a multi party system of over 50 parties since 1992, but two parties have dominated since 2007.  The KANU, short for Kenya African National Union represents those closely associated with urban oriented Nationalism and is highly centralized.  The KADU, short for Kenya African Democratic Union represents more rural and pastoral tribes and fears concentration of power by any central government.  The main conflict between these two tribes is tribalism because each party has a core group of tribes committed to such party.  Since 1964, KANU has been most dominant.  Kenya's Republic government style has a new constitution that has recently been adopted and 3 branches of government.  Executive, Legislative, and Judiciary, like the United States.  The Executive branch hosts the President.  Most conflict in Kenya arises around topics such as borders and land.  Kenya suffered from political violence ever since they became an independent country.  The KANU activists started gangs during the 1992 elections and ever since have had violent discrepancies with many.  In the 2007 election, more than 1000 Kenyans lost their lives due to violence over disagreement among parties.  They are working to solve this problem with reforming institutions and ensuring accountability.

Walmart's Wages

Veteran's from everywhere come home and find work somewhere with very simple tasks.  Companies speak so highly of their veteran plans and how they treat them when in all honesty their actions don't meet their promises.  This year Walmart started a program called "Greenlight a vet" where they focus "to help create visible and actionable national support for America's veterans and their families,"  and aim to hire 250,000 veterans by 2016.  Though they may be providing jobs,  they are not providing wages for veterans or anyone who works there to support a family event hough Walmart made $400 billion in profit last year.  Veterans are not asking for special treatment, they would just appreciate their hard work, commitment, and selflessness to be acknowledged.

Donald Trump's Immigration Plan

Many are saying that Trump "won" the debate for toning himself down a little and giving clear, well spoken answers.  Trump plans to deport 11 million illegal immigrants from the United States, but fails to talk about how this drastic change could hurt our economy.  He simply thinks we need them out, they are illegal, therefor do not belong in our country.  He stayed calm while debating the topic of immigration which is a large step in the world of Donald Trump.  He reminded us that our country is a country of laws, and if we continuously break them and do nothing about it then we are not a country at all.

Republican Debate

All republican candidates came came in needing to focus on different things.  Jeb Bush needed to big performance, Marco Rubio and Ted Cruz wanted to continue to dominate and uphold their momentum in the race.  Ron Paul just wanted to be heard.  Rubio did well and hit all the important subjects, but en Carson was asked difficult questions that Rubio avoided.  Ted Cruz's performance could help him rise above the other candidates.  Cruz stayed moderate on some topics that other candidates were found to be slamming parties.  Donald Trump's debate skills have seemed to improve because he gave longer and more in depth responses regarding foreign policy.

University of Alabama Police Beating

After Alabama's big win everyone was celebrating.  When police were called about loud music they made their way to the apartment students began to quiet down. It is unclear what cause the commotion, but when the police arrived students in other apartments saw kids being thrown out the door on to the ground.  video shows police beating the students with batons and using stun guns.  Students were arrested and cops have been put on administrative leave until the case is resolved. 

Sexting in Colorado

Teenagers in Canon City, Colorado are starting to worry about getting charged with child pornography after sending around nude photos.  Many students at Canon City High School are under investigation and police are informing attorneys that many of these student will have to register as sex offenders.  All patrol officers in Cannon City will be participating in the investigation for the nest month, which has sent their community into a wide spread panic.  In some cases, students are being sent to juvenile court.  Footballs games were cancelled because the coach figured out that many players were involved in the situation. 

Man Behind the Mosque

1) Assume that the documentary, The Man Behind the Mosque, provided an accurate and research-based perspective on how the “Ground Zero Mosque” became a story. Based on what you saw there, what steps can you remember the cable-news media covering the story taking to investigate who was actually behind the Mosque in terms of mission, goals, and funding?
- people spoke on personal and family needs
-some irrelevant people were asked question when they had nothing to do with it
2) Who brought the story of the “Ground Zero Mosque” to Fox News, the station that broke the story and led coverage of the story?
-Obama
3) It can be argued that much of the cable news coverage of the story was just that – coverage of a “story,” and how people felt about this “story,” rather than actual reporting.  Explain how we can see this at work
- People spoke about their personal opinions
- "reports" are all biased to whether or not they were effected by 9/11
- coverage included only very strong opinions one way or another.  No facts were included, only how people were effected by the situation
- such varied opinions 
4) The journalists of Frontline included coverage of and interviews with the staff of Park 51 (the NYU grad and a couple other part-timers).  Do these individuals appear ever to have been interviewed on cable-news?
- no
5) What sources did Cable news appear to rely on for knowledge and expertise about Islam?  How credible did you find these sources?  Why?
- they relied on the muslim guy (forgot his name) but he is not reliable he is a biased source
6) How relevant is the ownership of a media source for understanding its goals and how its goals may shape bias in its coverage?  
- it is important to know the bias because often times you might get information to sway opinions
7)Who was, at the time of the Ground Zero Mosque story, the second largest shareholder in the News Corp?
- saudi prince
8) If you bring up the topic of the Ground Zero mosque today, many people might say something like, “Oh yeah . . . What ever happened to that?”  Think about it:  Given the level of urgency that was attached to the story, why did cable news just stop covering the story of the Mosque at Ground Zero?
- the progress on debating the situation was not going anywhere 
-eventually agreed to not build there so it wasn't relevant

How American's Get TV and News at Home

link

This article focuses on the different ways people at home get their news.  The 3 main ways are Local Tv News, Network TV News, and Cable TV news.  The article touches on how influential these different sources are to people and how much time people spend watching and getting news information.  Overtime people have become more reliant on television so newspaper and radio numbers have dropped.

top 10 facts:
1) "the cable news audience devotes twice as much time to that news source as local and network news"
2) "cable television seems to have an outside ability yo influence the national debate and news agenda"
3) "when the audience is largest cable talk shows tend to hammer away at somewhat narrow new's agenda that magnifies the day's more polarizing and ideological issues."
4) "most dedicated cable news viewers 72 minutes."
5) "significant declines in Americans' reliance on newspaper and radio over time."
6) "local news audience is highest during the late 11 p.m. newscast"
7) "more than half of the adult Americans watch more than one form of television news."
8) "Fox News and MSNBC appeal to different politically segments audiences"
9) "there is more crossover news consumption on the television side of the three competitive cable news outlets than there is on their digital properties."
10) "people in the top category for each platform-the heaviest users in terms of time spent-are far more engaged than those in tiers two and three."

intro to media

1) list as many types of media you can think of:
-twitter
-instagram
-facebook
-snapchat
-radio
-television
-newspaper
-magazines
2) investigate ownership of media in the US.  Find an article or chart that will allow you to identify the corporations that actually own mainstream media outlets like ESPN, Disney, FoxNews, CNN, NBC, Etc.,  Write down what you find.
-90% of media is controlled by 6 companies

3) Find a list that identifies universities with what are considered the top programs for journalism. Pick anyone you like, and then go to the website to investigate that school’s journalism program, as if you were a prospective student.  What can you learn about the professional values, standards, and practices associated with professional journalism?  (Write it down)
-Emmerson College
-Northwestern University
-University of Texas at Austin
-Boston University
-University of Southern California
---think critically, write effectively
---media center: broadcast tv, radio studios, editing suites
4) Historically, the media in the United States has often been viewed as playing the role of “watchdog.” Do research to understand the watchdog role of the media so that you can answer these questions:  Who is being watched?  Who is being protected?  And from what?
-mainly monitor government officials
-ex. watergate scandal
-protect people 
-keeps people honest
-gets the truth to the people
5) What have you heard about “liberal bias”? (Don’t do research for this one – just write down what you have heard about this phrase.  If you have never heard this phrase before, say so, and then explain what you think it might mean.) 
-i have never heard the term before
-I know bias means a swayed opinion or a lack of opinion so i am guessing that liberal bias is opinions that swing more towards the left wing, lacking conservative opinions

Chipotle E Coli Scare

Chipotle shut down many of their locations in Washington and Oregon due to an E Coli scare.  Nobody has died but seven people have been hospitalized.  The source has not been confirmed but medics are relating the break out to Mexican themed restaurants.  Chipotle has closed 43 stores in the areas to take caution.

Budget Deal

The senate voted 65-35 and approved a budget deal that would help to raise the US debt ceiling.  This was done in the hopes of preventing a government shutdown in the future.  18 republicans joined the democrats and sent it to get Obama's signature.  This also sets a budget for the government through 2017 with $80 million increase for military and domestic programs.

Spring Valley High School Officer Suspended

An officer slammed a girl to the ground after she disrupted a class. "If she had not disrupted the school and disrupted the class we would not be standing here today. So it started with her and ended with my officer.  What i'm going to deal with is what my deputy did." The sheriff at the school said.  Videos show the girls sitting at her desk and the officer comes over and pulls her backwards, tipping her desk over and slamming into the floor.  Originally when the officer puts his arm around her neck she punches him in the face which is why further actions were taken. 

No Charges for Officer

An officer in South Carolina faces no charges after shooting and killing 19 year old Zachary Hammond during a drug investigation.  The U.S. Justice department will continue to investigate the incident.  The officer was not charged with anything because his actions were considered those of self defense because Hammond was "trying to run over him".  Of coarse, though, the family will continue to fight it and believe his sons civil rights were violated. 

Floyd Cook Manhunt Continues

Floyd Cook, accused for shooting police in two different states in still on the run.  The recent five day manhunt ended in a small town in Tennessee, but Floyd is still running, only two of his friends were captured.  Cook is 62 years old and is a rapist and a robber who shot a police officer in Tennessee.  An officer on the hunt for Floyd saw a car they believed was associated with the criminal, so the officer shot at the car, and the people in the car fired back at the marshals.  Later, marshals in Kentucy recognized the same car and went after it.  Cook (in the car) hit a tree, got out of the car, openly fired at the marshal, and continued to run.  Some Kentucky school districts have shut down classes in the fear that they might cross Cooks path while waiting for the bus. 

Paul Ryan Sworn in as House Speaker

Paul Ryan has been sworn in as Speaker of the House, and being 45 years old this makes him the youngest man to ever be Speaker of the House.  He is also the most conservative Speaker that has ever been sworn in.  Ryan defeated democrat Nancy Pelosi on Thursday.  Ryan is the 62nd speaker in history, but the 54th person to to fill the office. 

Speaker of the House

1. Here's what the constitution has to say about the Speaker of the House: Article 1 Section II "The House of Representatives elects its Speaker as the first order of business at the start of each two-year term or when a Speaker dies or resigns during the legislative term. The practice is customary, for it occurs before the House formally adopts its rules of procedure for the legislative term. " link
2. Here are the leadership roles that exist in each house of congress: Speaker of the House presides over proceedings on the House floor, influences which bills go to which committees, influences committee assignments for new members, appoints the party's other leaders, and rules on questions of parliamentary procedure. The majority leader is "usually the second ranking member of the majority party, is the party leader on the floor. Often hand-picked by the Speaker, the majority leader helps plan the party's legislative program." The Minority Leader "heads and organizes the minority party. Because the party has less voting power than the majority party has, this person's influence is usually limited. If the minority party succeeds in the next congressional election, the minority leader could well be the next Speaker."  The Vice President is the president of the senate.  He can only vote in the case of a tie.  the vice president rarely sits with the senate so the President Pro Tempore sits in. He oversees debate in the house. Floor Leaders "are the real leaders in the Senate, although they generally have less power than do leaders in the House" link
3. This is how the Speaker of the House would become the President (presidential succession): "The succession follows the order of Vice President, Speaker of the House, President Pro Tempore of the Senate, and the cabinet, which currently has fifteen members." link
4. The longest serving speaker in history is: "Longest-serving Speaker of the House:
   Samuel Rayburn of Texas served as Speaker for a total of 17 years, two months, and two days." link
5. The first woman to serve as speaker of the house was: "On January 4, 2007, Nancy Pelosi of California became the first woman to serve as Speaker of the House." She was a part of the democratic party. link
6. When did Newt Gingrich serve as speaker: "After the 1994 mid-term elections, Newt Gingrich became the first Republican Speaker of the House in 40 years." link He is famous for leading the republican revolution in the 90s and having to resign because of an ethics violation. He wrote a book called contract for america and wanted to be president.  Still a famous conservative commentator.  
7. John Boehner just resigned as Speaker of the House.  ---This is why he quit now: "Boehner said the main driver behind his resignation was concern for his conference, he also recalled emotionally when he and the Pope found themselves alone during the visit Thursday -- something Boehner, a devout Catholic, had sought since taking the helm of the House GOP caucus." link he served since 2010 as Speaker of the House. He could not lead or control the republican party anymore because his party argues about many things and he is sick of it!!! link
8. Kevin McCarthy was a likely successor but failed to get enough people on his side. link
9. Republicans in congress hope Paul Ryan will enter the race for speaker because they thought he was most capable of leading a divided party.  They see him as young, dynamic, and conservative.  "“Chairman Ryan appreciates the support he's getting from his colleagues but is still not running for Speaker," Ryan's spokesman Brendan Buck said in a statement Friday.'" link
10. Paul Ryan is chair of Ways and Means committee.  This is what this committee does: "The Committee on Ways and Means is the oldest committee of the United States Congress, and is the chief tax-writing committee in the House of Representatives. The Committee derives a large share of its jurisdiction from Article I, Section VII of the U.S. Constitution which declares, “All Bills for raising Revenue shall originate in the House of Representatives.”" link
11. a congressional committee is: "Committees decide which bills and resolutions move forward to consideration by the House or Senate as a whole. Committee chairmen have enormous influence over this process." There are over 50 committees in congress and more than 100 including sub committees. link
12. Why Paul Ryan may chose not to take the job: "Paul Ryan has built his career on the idea that he can lead Republicans to the fiscal promised land of limited government by rewriting the country’s tax code and overhauling entitlement programs he contends are drowning the nation in debt. Choosing to run now for speaker in the chaotic, fractured House is no way to achieve those goals. That’s why when  Rep. John Boehner (R-Ohio) announced last month he would step down as speaker and the Draft Ryan pleas began, the former vice presidential nominee’s answer was a resounding “no.”" link  He is also a family man and it would put him on the road over 100 days a year and not give him any family time.  He also wants to be president oneday.
13. if i were in Paul Ryan's position: I would do the same as Paul Ryan.  If i had a specific goal in mind i would not take opportunities that push me in a different direction and does not help me reach my goals.  best reasons for taking the job: it would be good to show appreciation and leadership and having the ability to step up to the plate for your country. 
14. has a speaker of the house ever risen to presidency:  James K Polk is the only president who had previously been speaker of the house.  link  Being speaker of the house is a very important role but it is not necessarily a stepping stone to the white house.  it is actually very rare considering James K Polk is the only person who has ever done so.
15. what is a congressional caucus? "A congressional caucus is a group of members of the United States Congress that meets to pursue common legislative objectives. Formally, caucuses are formed as congressional member organizations (CMOs) through the United States House of Representatives and governed under the rules of thatchamber. In addition to the term caucus, they are sometimes called coalitions, study groups, task forces, or working groups." link  There are 76 total caucuses.  45 congressional caucuses. committees focus on a certain issue.  caucus provide a forum for such issues. link
16. what is the house freedom caucus? "a congressional caucus consisting of conservative Republican members of the United States House of Representatives.^[6] It was formed by a group of Congressmen as a "smaller, more cohesive, more agile and more active" group of conservatives. Many members are also part of the conservative House group the Republican Study Committee.^[7][8] According to its mission statement, “The House Freedom Caucus gives a voice to countless Americans who feel that Washington does not represent them. We support open, accountable and limited government, the Constitution and the rule of law, and policies that promote the liberty, safety and prosperity of all Americans.”" link tea party. they want the speaker to be respectful, someone who isn't going to tell them what to do, and give them more control. link
17.  ADDITIONAL ARTICLE SUMMARY  The house republicans fate lies in the hands of the freedom Caucus.  This include the most conservative members. They are not extremely fond of the representative from California running for speaker Rep. Kevin McCarthy who ended up pulling out of the race. They have not decided whether or not as a whole they support Paul Ryan. Right now they are sticking with Daniel Webster from Florida.  Webster inspired Boehner because of how well he managed the fiscal battles.  Giving the freedom caucus more power would increase the chances of the White House potentially shutting down.