C10-4: Utah Supreme Court Chief Justice Reflection

Today I read an article on the judiciary in Utah. Supreme Court Chief Justice Matthew Durrant delivered a speech to a colleague who's retiring, while he reflected on life in the Supreme Court twenty years ago. He exclaimed that twenty years ago the court had just begun looking at people's underlying problems and situations instead of just looking at the court case itself. Drug courts were just being introduced, and now they are required to be in every judicial district. Judges focus more on data and accountability than just deciding on a whim. It's important to see how the judiciary has changed on a small scale in Utah, and a much larger scale around the country, in just twenty years. There is no telling what more will change in the next twenty years, but Durrant says he will be on the bench to see it unfold.

C10-3: Georgia's Top Judge Calls

On WSB-TV2 Atlanta, I read an article on the judiciary. The Court Chief Justice P. Harris Hines noted that Georgia has added two more members to the court, making it nine instead of seven. He also added that there will be more representation in the superior court judges. Georgia is looking to improve their legal representation at the working-class level and make it so that Georgia can focus on high-level offenders instead of those on low-level probation. Hines wants to create a more socialized and safe Georgia and he's starting with reliability and stability in the new, younger judges so they can carry on the legacy. Other states should take into consideration Georgia's change of judiciary in the new year and learn from Georgia's example.

 

C10-2 Trump's Federal Hiring Freeze

The Washington Post just released an article about President Trump's recent actions in the White House. The hiring freeze that Trump claimed he'd put into effect after his presidency was signed today. Trump has made it so federal jobs and military cannot be hired and the extent of the freeze hasn't been determined. The National Treasury Employees Union, Tony Reardon said this about the freeze, "Our government depends upon highly-trained and experienced federal workers being able to carry on with their important work. This puts up a substantial roadblock for agencies," and I agree with him. This will hurt a lot of people applying for jobs at the federal level, those of which include my Mother. This is a specifically sore subject with me because my Mother recently got offered two high-paying jobs at our local military base, however she can't take them because of Trump's freeze. The effects of this freeze are widespread and Trump is facing copious amounts of criticism and backlash for his actions. Hopefully the freeze will be lifted soon through compromise and or changing policy.

 

C10-1: More than a million people marched against Trump

On Saturday the Women's March on Washington was said to have drawn in at least 2.5 million people. CNN claims that there were over 1 million people in other states having their own organized marches. This Women's march has been reported as being the most populated march since before 2009, merely because of Trump's inauguration. Many of my friends went to Washington or other states to protest their beliefs, so it's relevant for me to follow. More than that, Trump's only comment to the press so far has been complaining about his turn out for the inauguration ceremony, there was said to be less than any other inauguration before. Trump claimed that there were at least a million people there, but by the looks of pictures and other news on television, there seems to be major gaps in the National Mall. This turnout only amplifies the overarching truths of how the next four years with President Trump will prove to be.

 

C9-4: (Political Parties/Judiciary Post) From Drug Wars to Water Wars, Fifty Years on the Bench

I read an article about Judge Richard Mills and his journey as a law student in Macon, Georgia to a U.S. judge for the Central District of Illinois. Richard Mills sat through years and years of cases regarding famous gangs, water disputes in Alabama, Mississippi, and Georgia, and many different more. Mills was appointed a judge to the central district of Illinois by President Reagan. He's been a judge for fifty years and says each day is an adventure. I hadn't read anything about him before, but I instantly became interested when I read that he was a law student at Mercer University, because that's one of the colleges I'm looking at going to. Judge Richard Mills is described as an inspiring man, and one who has seen more controversy and conflict in the last fifty years than anybody else. Below is a picture of Richard Mills as a U.S. District Court Judge. 

C9-3 The Legacy of Martin Luther King Jr.

Today on CNN there were many articles detailing Martin Luther King Jr.'s achievements and remembering the man who changed civil rights in America. King has a holiday and many buildings and statues dedicated in his name for his work towards equality. Though his actions were considered controversial during the time, we now commemorate his hard work and dedication to the cause. The spread of pictures that I looked at described his entire life and the struggles he faced. If Martin Luther King Jr. was here today he'd be looking at a very different world with a new set of struggles and problems. We should all take Martin Luther King Jr.'s outlook and determination into consideration as we face our own daily problems and treat each other with equality and support. The problems in today's society and politics could be solved if we all took King's approach toward life.

C9-2 Full Transcript of the Donald Trump press conference (Political Parties Post)

On The Telegraph, I watched a video about Republican president-elect Donald Trump's first press conference since winning the election and it was unprofessional to say the least. There was little talk about new action, news, or issues at hand. Trump spoke about cameras being in our rooms that are too small to see, and he denied a company from asking questions. The Republican party hasn't spoken out about the way Donald Trump has been acting, but so far Donald Trump has the lowest approval rating of any president-elect in two decades. Another article by the Telegraph described this and stated that republicans and uneducated white males are the only people who approve of Trump. Overall, there is a 51% disapproval rate, causing the switching of parties and in the future possibly party dealignment. Trump has been one of the most controversial and disliked president-elects since Truman.

C9-1 Biden awarded presidential Medal of Freedom

On CNN, I read an article about Biden receiving the Medal of Freedom on Thursday. As one of Obama's last acts as president, he awarded his VP Joe Biden the medal saying that Biden has served his country and that Obama couldn't have made America what it is today without Biden. The sentimental speech was a surprise to Biden and while they will be leaving office soon, some believed that this was unprofessional. Obama joked and made Biden cry in his presentation, but many debated whether Biden deserved the medal or not. Biden himself claimed that he didn't deserve the medal, even though it came from the President's heart. Many will be sad to see the JoeBama duo go, me included.

Intro to Parties

       Germany is a republic with a bicameral system and parliamentary democracy. Germany has a Chancellor and his helpers, or ministers, are members of the Bundestag. The Bundestag is the national Parliament of Germany. The German president/head of state is currently Joachim Gauck. Joachim's ministers hold power in the Parliament.

       The president and the Chancellor are different and have different powers, the president has the power to suspend Parliament and to ratify new laws, but he has no specific powers. Germany's president elects the Chancellor and the Bundestag votes in a secret ballot, if the Bundestag doesn't approve of the choice then they choose a new Chancellor. There are seventeen political parties in Germany. There are fourteen parties supported by the Bundestag/Parliament and three parties supported by the state parliaments. The three parties supported by the state have significant power, which are: the Christian Democratic Union, the Christian Social Union, and the Social Democratic Party. The government doesn't control the minor parties, which there are twenty-two of, but the government has some say over the three major parties.

       The Christian Democratic Union is a conservative party and believes in NATO. They support all religions, Angela Merkel is the current leader of the CDU and the current Chancellor of Germany. They currently have no social or economic issues. The CDU and CSU are currently arguing over immigration and national referendums. CSU is an unofficial part of the Union that is in Bavaria that is the sister party of the CDU. The Social Democratic Party (SDP) represents the working class. The SDP wants to improve the economy and the free market while attracting the middle class. They have no ideological and social issues.