Trump Refuses to Repeal Second Amendment

U.S. President Donald Trump recently posted this Tweet about his thoughts on the Second Amendment.  Many democrats believe that the Second Amendment should be repealed, especially considering the recent school shootings around the country.  This Amendment deals with the issue of the right to bear arms.  The president has been open about his opinion on the idea of repealing this Amendment.  He is evidently not planning on doing so.  The president has not been known for his advocacy for gun control.  He states in his post that the country needs more Republicans this year, and that they must always hold the Supreme Court.

https://www.nytimes.com/2018/03/28/us/politics/trump-second-amendment.html

https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump?ref_src=twsrc%5Egoogle%7Ctwcamp%5Eserp%7Ctwgr%5Eauthor

1.)  Do you think the Second Amendment should be repealed?  Why or why not?

2.)  Do you think there are ways besides repealing the Second Amendment to prevent gun violence, or is the repeal necessary?

3)  Do you think gun violence will continue to worsen if the Amendment is not repealed?

Dozens Dead by the Philippine Drug War

Link to Article 

In Manila, dozens of drug dealers and users are killed by an organization lead by the President of the Philippine, Rodrigo Duterte. This organization is called the Philippine Drug War or also known as the War on Drugs. On December 5, 2017, over the past two months, as many as 50 people were killed with suspicion of selling and/or using drugs. Police officers took part in an operation called Double Barrels Reloaded and raided more than 3,000 houses killing a total of 46 people who used or sold drugs. However, recently the government stated that there were fewer than 4,000 deaths but the exact number is unknown. Some attacks were issued by the governments and those victims who died were often found with cardboard signs around their necks which indicated they were drug dealers or users. Mr. Duterte asked the United States and the European Union for criticism on his antidrug campaign. James Walsh, a State Department Official overseeing the American Policy has suggested that he should reduce the number of extrajudicial killings. 

Discussion Questions: 

1. Is this type of violence beneficial to the community? Why?

2. How does the death of an individual affect the families and surroundings? 

3. Is this type of action protecting or destroying human rights?

4. What are some other alternatives besides killing to prevent or lessen the use of drugs? 

Trump vs China: Imposing Tariffs & A Possible Trade War

As a means of “punishment”, President Donald Trump intends on hitting China with
around $60 million in tariffs on imports.  The nation’s largest retailers and big-box stores
are warning President Trump of the consequences of imposing such tariffs. Prices will
be raised, causing items such as everyday necessities to be more expensive which wouldn’t
leave customers very happy.  This could possibly spark a trade war between China and the
United States, as China has mentioned that they are not afraid of stepping into such a situation.
Products could face duties of up to 25%, but they are willing to negotiate before starting a trade war.
Trump signed an order that is the “first of many” trade actions and could possibly result in restrictions
on Chinese investment in the US and also duties of up to 25%. If the US does not reach a negotiation
with China within a specified time frame, China has warned that they will impose a 15% tariff on
120 goods worth almost $1 billion.  Their second move would be to impose a 25% tariff on 8 goods
around $2 billion. This was a direct response to the US’s steel and aluminum tariffs.

Discussion Questions:

How will this affect consumers in the US?

How will this affect relations between the US & China?

Do you believe that Trump will come to a negotiation with China or start a trade war? Why?

https://www.yahoo.com/news/think-twice-tariffs-president-trump-cheap-imports-keep-voters-afloat-090013393.html

Iran angered by US imposition of cyber sanctions

Article

   

The Mabna Institute is one of the Persian leading management of giving expert advice to professionals of the firms. This Institute is claimed of theft for valuable intellectual property and data. The US punishments inflicted on 10 citizens and the tech firm of cyber attacks on at least 320 universities worldwide, as well as US firms and government agencies. The Mabna Institute was official in the year 2013, and US prosecutors presumed that this company was constructed to help Iranian research organisations steal information. The hackers are known to be fugitives of justice and will face expulsion in many countries. The intrusions made were done at the command of the Iranian government. President Trump sees the agreement negotiated by Obama administration, is flawed, and he has vowed to withdraw from it. When he decides where to renew a presidential waiver of US sanctions lifted in exchange for Iran's reversal of an alleged nuclear program. This will cause the US to punish Iran for other activities made like, the development of long-range ballistic missiles, its use of proxy forces to fight wars in Syria and Yemen, and the buildup of asymmetric capabilities, including cyber warfare. This will add even more tension between the Islamic Republic and the US. 

Discussion Question:

   Do you think that because of Washington's stance of belligerence against the Islamic Republic caused this cyber attack?

The Iranian company and 10 individuals of the alleged cyber attacks, involving hundreds of universities has the US impose sanctions. How will these sanctions affect both Iran and the US?

China Removes Presidential Term Limit

Article

Xi Jinping 

China’s president, Xi Jinping, holds an enormous amount of power and has obedience ranging from the highest officials to the small village committees, and with the recent decision by the National People’s Congress to get rid of the two term limit, setting up Xi to rule China for another decade, his power over people will increase. Chinese officials say that by extending Xi’s presidency, China will be ensured stable policies, and one way they are trying to ensure that happens is by centralizing power under Xi. However, this may cause real problems for China because Xi has put people of extreme loyalty and obedience into positions of power and they enforce his policies very rigidly and sometimes over-eagerly to try to please him. This sometimes results in people’s rights being infringed upon, but Xi has cracked down on rights lawyers, rights advocates, and people who question the government. One example of this is last summer, in northern China, officials had coal stoves ripped out and coal deliveries stopped in order to make the switch to natural gas which helps with China’s reduction on emissions, but in the winter, the supply of natural gas fell short, leaving many in the cold.

Discussion Questions:

What do you think the elimination of the presidential term limit means for the future of China?

Should other countries be concerned about China getting rid of their presidential term limit? Why or why not?

What can the people of China do to incite change in the government if they are unhappy with the leadership?

Nerve agent used to poison Ex-Russian spy living in the UK

Link to Article 1 BBC
Link to Article 2 ABC
On Sunday, March 4, an Ex-Russian spy and his daughter, living in the UK, were both targeted in a nerve agent attack in the town of Salisbury. The UK, US, France, and Germany are all blaming Russia for the attack, due to the victim being an Ex-Russian spy. Russia is refusing to explain to the UK how and why Sergei Skripal, the Ex-Russian spy, and his daughter were targeted. The UK in response has sent 23 Russian diplomats back to Russia until they get answers. Due to the US supporting its closest ally and blaming Russia, this might create tensions between the US and Russia.

Discussion questions
Should the Russians pay for what they claimed they didn't do? If so, how should justice be served?
Should the US get deeply involved with this situation and back up our closest ally? Why or why not?
Should the US/Europen nations put restrictions on Russia, to keep them at arm's length? If so, what kind of restrictions?

Rex Tillerson Fired as Secretary of State

Link to Article

On Tuesday, March 13th, President Trump released news to the world that surprised almost no one whatsoever, by rather humorously revealing on Twitter that Rex Tillerson had been fired from his position as Secretary of State. It's no secret that Tillerson and President Trump have been at odds ever since Tillerson assumed the position in February of 2017, with their disagreements ranging from issues concerning the Iran nuclear deal, to the Paris Climate Accords, to relations with Russia. Tillerson has also made an effort in the past to separate himself from the President's comments, saying that he "speaks for himself".
In light of this news, many experts have stated that it appears as though the catalyst for the firing is Trump's desire to form a new team in preparation for the negotiations with North Korea. This doesn't seem to be entirely true however, and there seems to be many contributing factors, as President Trump has openly stated that he has had his eye on Pompeo for the position for a while now. The complete fallout of the ordeal has yet to be fully realized, and the removal of Tillerson from the White House will ultimately have effects on many issues, specifically concerning the direction of the negotiations with North Korea. For now we will just have to wait and see what will arise from all of this, as at the moment it remains rather uncertain.


What do You Think?

Five administration officials have already either been resigned or been fired within the last two weeks. What issues could potentially arise from the seemingly constant departures from the administration?

How do you think the firing will effect negotiations with North Korea?

Should a president and their Secretary of State always have similar ideals and concerns on issues to maintain fluidity, or is it important that there be disagreement and negotiation between the two? This question can be outstretched to other positions outside of the Secretary of State and Rex Tillerson.

Students Across the Nation Walk Out to Protest Gun Violence in Schools

Article link

Thousands of students across the nation walked out of their classes at 10:00 am on Wednesday, March 14 to protest the rash of gun violence at schools that began nearly 20 years ago and has intensified in the past decade. Students in Florida, which experienced to most recent shooting marched to the state house demanding universal background checks and a ban on assault weapons such as the one used last month at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, FL. Students in the Washington D.C. area marched to the U.S. Capitol building with similar demands on the nation's lawmakers. At Aragon students and teachers sat silently for 17 minutes on the football field observing a minute of silence for each of the victims. Parents and children from the neighborhood attended the event and brought signs of support.

Discussion Questions

1. Why did you choose to participate in the walk out or not?
2. What changes do lawmakers need to make to break the pattern of school shootings?
3. Is it time to rethink the 2nd amendment or are there better ways to address the problem?

Far Northern Permafrost may unleash carbon within decades

Permafrost is soil that has remained frozen for years  under topsoil. It contains carbon-rich organic material.As rising Arctic air temperatures cause permafrost to thaw, the organic material decomposes and releases its carbon to the atmosphere in the form of the greenhouse gases carbon dioxide and methane. Permafrost in the northern Arctic was thought to be unaffected by global warming due to its extreme environment. A new NASA led study shows that it will thaw and become a permanent source of carbon to the atmosphere. The study shows that as the thawing goes on, carbon emissions over the next 300 years will be about ten times the amount of human produced fossil fuels in the year 2016. The study also showed that southerly permafrost areas will not become a source of carbon until the end of the 22nd century because arctic processes will counter the effect of thawing soil in those areas. It was a surprise that the colder region would transition faster than the warmer area. Over the course of the model simulations, northern permafrost lost about five times more carbon per century than southern permafrost because plant growth increased faster than expected in the south. During photosynthesis, plants remove carbon dioxide from the air, so increased plant growth means less carbon in the atmosphere. As the southern Arctic gets warmer, the increase in photosynthesis will balance the permafrost emissions until late 2100s.   

https://climate.nasa.gov/news/2691/far-northern-permafrost-may-unleash-carbon-within-decades/

Discussion questions: 

1) How does the thawing of permafrost affect you?

2) What can be done to prevent the thawing of permafrost? 

3) How does the thawing of permafrost affect other organisms on the planet? What does this thawing mean for our planet?

North Korean Leader, Kim Jong Un has invited President Donald Trump to a meeting.

        Article Link
   

         
        Recently, the North Korean leader, Kim Jong Un has invited President Donald Trump to discuss issues that need to be confronted. The White House press secretary, Sarah Sanders said last Friday, "President Donald Trump will not meet with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un unless North Korea takes 'concrete and verifiable actions' towards denuclearization". Later, the South Korean national security adviser stated Kim is "committed to denuclearization", but no further proof did not backup the adviser's statement. If this meeting is carried out, it could possibly produce a problematic situation. This meeting could also benefit the world in general because if President Donald Trump meets Kim Jong Un, it could disable the threat of nuclear weapons from North Korea.


Discussion Questions:

1. What political issues do you think will be discussed at this meeting?

2. Do you think North Korea will completely denuclearize?

3. How do you think the other countries will react to the current situation?

     

Italy Faces Political Paralysis After Populist Jolt

Article Link


After the national election in Italy this week, it is unknown how the results will pan out. The elections were a very divided issue, unable to produce a winner due to two major parties, neither of which had won a large enough majority to create a parliamentary system. The two parties, the anti-establishment 5 Star Movement, and a center-right coalition including former premier Silvio Berlusconi and the anti-immigrant League, both have radical populist ideals. One option is for the two parties to both merge to form a single government, which would greatly affect the European Union's rules due to their ideology. However, this decision would face many political problems that arise from both parties' political strategies. Both parties have appealed to their respective sides of Italy, either the wealthier North or the depressed South.


Discussion Questions:
1. What does this show about demographics, especially when compared to "recent" US and French elections featuring populists?
2. What is the proper way to deal with a massive immigration issue, which leads to countries forming political coalitions to deal with said immigrants?
3. How do you think the EU will respond to Italy's new political policies, should these two populist parties come into power?

Climate change is affecting the PENGUINS!

Article Link: Will King Penguins go extinct?

The King Penguin in its flirting phase
Scientific name: Aptenodytes patagonicus

With the rising temperatures in the Arctic region and throughout the world, there must be an issue that is apparent. One of these Problems is the King Penguin, the changing temperatures affect these animals so drastically, that by 2100 the King Penguin will have to find a new habitat, that is much cooler. King Penguins are the second-largest penguin species, the first being the Emperor Penguin.

Since the temperatures are rising in the air, so does the ocean, with this new rise of heat, not only are the penguins affected but the fish. The fish with the new temperature must adjust to it, this is known as range shift. Range Shift is the natural reaction to the sudden rise or drops in temperature; it affects long-term migratory movements. With the temperature off the charts the penguins, who enjoy dining on fish will soon need to find a new main dish.

 

The graph depicts how temperature has risen and the number of penguins have decreased

The fish tend to favor over colder water, making it almost impossible to catch them, the parents will have to travel longer and farther out to find fish for their children. Without a flourishing supply of fish, the downfall of the Penguin population is near.

In today's world with more and more industries popping out of nowhere, we might not know where climate change is happening, but yet we do studies have shown the area where temperatures are fluctuating the most is Antartica. 

Here are some facts on penguins ~ 

• Penguins lost the ability to fly, but they are the fastest swimming species of any birds. They can stay underwater for 20 minutes.
• Penguins swim so fast that they propel themselves 7 feet above the water. The technique porpoising, the method is adapted by dolphins.
• Penguins can drink salt water; they can do this because they have a special gland that filters salt from the bloodstream.

Discussion Questions:

1. What is your favorite penguin?
2. What should be done to help not only penguins but other animals that are affected by climate change?
3. What economical and political issue does climate change bring up?
4. What does the decrease of penguins mean for the planet earth?
5. With the sea levels rising, how does this affect the citizens and their homes?
6. What human activities are we doing to speed up the process of climate change?
7. What are some ways you can slow down the process of climate change?

-nick lee

Trump Admin tries to repeal Obama regulation

Article Link

The Trump administration moved to repeal one of Obama's climate change regulations. This regulation is against the release of climate changing methane into the atmosphere. Methane traps more heat than carbon dioxide and is also responsible for 9 percent of all domestic greenhouse emissions. This rule is focused on the potential harm that the releasing of methane is onto the environment and what it could lead to for the future of the planet. Under this regulation, oil and gas companies are enforced to gather any leaked methane, write new plans for decreasing waste and renew their equipment. The Interior Department's Bureau of Land Management says that the rule cost too much and is too much of a burden, but also say that the rule is the same as 950,000 cars off of the road and that it avoids 180,000 tons of emissions yearly. This rule would cost the oil and gas companies up to $279 million to enact the regulation, making the repeal of this particular regulation a priority to them. Lawmakers approve of the repeal saying it is "a necessary step" and that it "scorned domestic energy" while Environmental activists express that it would, "allow unchecked waste of natural gas, unnecessary pollution and the loss of revenue to communities."

Discussion Questions: 

1. Do you  agree with the the Trump administration and Lawmakers, that the regulation should be repealed? Why or why not?
2. Why do you think Obama would create this regulation given that it would have such a negative outcome to the oil and gas companies?
3. Do you think that the environmental stability should outweigh the economic stability of companies? Why or why not?

Is it time to lower the voting age to 16?

Article Link

In 1971 the 26th amendment to the Constitution lowered the voting age from 21 to 18. As we approach the fifty year anniversary of that amendment it may be time to consider lowering the voting age from 18 to 16. When teenagers are in high school, they learn about civics and current events, and may know as much as or more about election issues than voting age adults. Also, why not get them in the habit of voting at a young age so when they go to college and begin careers they are already civically engaged? The United States has low voter turnout compared with other developed nations, and this proposal may be a solution to get more people involved in choosing the leaders who will make the rules of the society that they live in.

Discussion Questions

1. Are 16 year old students well enough informed to vote in elections?

2. Would the study of government need to be moved up from senior year to freshman or sophomore year if this change were made?

3. Do you believe allowing 16 year old students to vote would increase voter turnout in future elections by building civic engagement among young people?

4. Is this too much of a knee jerk reaction to the school shooting epidemic, or is this actually a good idea?

A Mass Kidnapping in Nigeria Leaves 110 Schoolgirls Missing

Article Link

Militants of a radical Islamist group called Boko Haram opened fire as they drove into Dapchi, Nigeria, on machine-gun mounted trucks. They then entered a boarding school and kidnapped more than a hundred girls. Soon after the attack, the Yobe state government claimed that the army had rescued dozens of girls, which led to celebration in Dapchi. However, the government issued a retraction the following day, saying that the girls had not been found or rescued. On top of that, Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari took a week to acknowledge the missing girls and to launch a search. There is also evidence that the government knew that Boko Haram was planning mass abductions in the Yobi State weeks before it occurred. Instead of tightening security in the area, the military withdrew troops from Dapchi a week before the attack. The UN has condemned the abduction of the schoolgirls but hasn’t taken action against Boko Haram.

Discussion Questions

Should the Nigerian government negotiate with Boko Haram?

The seven-year insurgency in Nigeria has left 20,000 dead and two million people homeless. Does this warrant the involvement of the UN?

Should Buhari be impeached for mishandling this situation?