Blessy Chandy- energy

Story County Ethanol Plant Could Become Nation's Largest

soon to become the nation's biggest ethanol plant in DuPont. it is said to be a $200 million plant, that has the capacity to grpw 30 million gallons of ethonol. it will be located next to LIncolnWay Energy. the may share same infastructure, but it it is expected to have more capacity than other plants. the new DuPont plant plans on using corn residue as their main source, and to make this happen they have contacted more than 500 farmers. this will increse iowa's income and lower the uneployment level, because the plant will need more than 150 seasonal workers. even though things will be going well in Iowa, not everything is great in D.C. because there are oppositions from livestock producers not fully liking the increse in grain prices. while they are arguing others will be finding new hibrids that will be ables to plant more crops on the same acre. and so begins the evolution of Ethanol.

what i think this will do is, it will increase the prices of corn and other grains because their market will go up. even though it is predicted, i don't fully agree with it beacuse once on thing is increased everythin will increase alng with it. like the produce, and meats. this connects with our study beacuse we are talk8ing about interst groups that will later on take in the interests of theses other farmers.

Environment- Duncan Wyrwas

http://www.nytimes.com/2012/12/02/us/auctions-introduce-market-forces-to-conservation-but-hunters-cry-foul.html?ref=earth&_r=0

In the state of Utah, it's getting harder and harder to hunt. Instead of being able to buys tags easily, a new auction system has been put in place in order to limit the amount of deer being killed. It's also harder to apply for an auction when people who come from a lot of money can pay their way into auctions instead of having to wait. Programs have been put in place where land owners can sell private licenses for large amount of money, allowing them to make a profit, and meaning less people go hunting. This in turn is supposed to raise the amount wildlife available to hunt.
This has to do with the concept of elitism, where the people with the most money, have the most power. They can easily buy licenses and people without money have to wait years in order to get one. I think this is unfair to the average person who wants to hunt. If people to hunt they should be allowed to without having to go through this complicated system.

Economics- Jacks

Sales at Nation's Retailers Fell Short of Expectations in November

http://www.nytimes.com/2012/11/30/business/sales-at-nations-retailers-fall-short.html?ref=unitedstateseconomy


Summary: This article is about major chains like Macy's, Nordstrom, and Target all experience significant declines. Through the Thanksgiving and Black Friday period, the early period of the shopping season, rates are mixed. Some sources are saying the aftermath of Hurricane Sandy may have some kind of effect on the consumer this holiday season.

Course Connection and Reaction: In my opinion it is to early to tell whether people really want to get out and shop this year or not. Black Friday marks the start of a major shopping period but that doesn't necessarily mean that everyone goes. In connection to the course, chapter 17 describes economics in America. The consumers, workers, producers, and policymakers all play a role in politics. Americans also have a desire for more money, and essentially different policies result on how much money circulates throughout the country.

ecenomics-Max

http://www.nytimes.com/2012/12/03/business/some-economists-doubt-dire-effects-from-tax-increases.html?ref=us


the above link is about the hit the tax hikes and other changes will affect the investing market. the writer talkes about how the history of tax increases affecting the investiment market is little to none. seeing as most americans have no investments in taxable areas (only 14.7 percent of American households have mutual funds in taxable accounts, down from as high as 23.9 percent in 2001). the article goes on to say that the 2003 legislation that would be "revolutionary" in how people would vastly invest more due to a lack of many of the taxes put on dividens. the legislation actually helped a small ammount in getting higher investment rates.... but was nothing revolutionary. most of the changes to come are not investment related (An increase in the payroll tax, for example, could remove$95 billion from the take-home pay of Americans). overall the article tells the investers of America to calm down and continue to invest in the US.

the fact that investing wont be hit hard by new legislation is great news that may very well keep businesses afloat or even save them from future turmoil. the news makes all stories about the coming legislation seem as if the investers of the US are going to be ruined and will invest somewhere else as a result (which would probably slide the US into another ecenomic downturn) however thankfully this is not the case. the course connections would be that the media only reports a distorted version of this ( if it bleeds it leads), also the future legislation would have come from the congress (duhh) the congressmen could have very well been effected by the PACs of corporations looking out for their investers, hence the investing area of our economy was widely left out of new legislation (also because of it being such a key role in our economic system). but no doubt PACs run by investment minded men had some say in this new legislation.

Health Care - Josh Sumhlei

http://www.nytimes.com/2012/11/29/business/medicare-is-faulted-in-electronic-medical-records-conversion.html?pagewanted=1&ref=healthcarereform

President Obama is looking to reform the health care system of America. An important part of his plan is the implementation of electronic medical records. People who support electronic records claim that electronic records will improve patient care and reduce the costs of medical services. Some more benefits include reducing medical errors and duplicative tests. The problem with electronic records is the possiblity of abuse and fraud. Medicare officials have yet to create safeguards that would squander the issues of fraud and abuse. Apparently, there is an incentive program included in Medicare which is supposed to encourage hospitals to use electronic records. Hospitals must prove their electronic systems work well to qualify for payments from the incentive program though. So far, safeguards have not been developed to make sure that information regarding a hospital's electronic records systems is accurate. Also, the article states that hospitals are misusing electronic records and are actually charging more for services. Republicans in the House would like to suspend the incentive program until everything gets figured out so that taxpayer money won't be wasted. However, the secretary of health and human services, Kathleen Sebelius, says that would be unfair to those who put billions of dollars into installing systems and educating staffs.

There are a few course connections with this article. First of all, it says in Chapter 13 of the textbook that the Department of Health and Human Services is a cabinet department and Kathleen Sebelius is the secretary of that department. Also, health care is an issue that is on President Obama's policy agenda. Finally, we have discussed several times in class how the government is becoming more involved with issues. In this case, the government is becoming more involved with health care since it is trying to reform health care by spending money. I think this article did a terrible job of describing the benefits of electronic records. It did not describe exactly how electronic records would improve patient care or lower the cost of health care. The article also was kind of confusing when explaining the incentive program and the negative effects of the electronic records. I still do not understand how electronic records would improve health care. From an uneducated standpoint, I don't see the point in using electronic records because devices can malfunction and be hacked. I don't really see what's wrong with the good old fashioned paper.

Jonathan Gunti-Social Welfare

http://www.cnbc.com/id/41969508/Welfare_State_Handouts_Make_Up_One_Third_of_U_S_Wages

This article talks about are increase in welfare generally. Taking into account social security, medicare and unemployment insurance. So far it makes up 35 percent but it explains that we are down from what the U.K is at which is 41 percent. The economist gave the U.S a couple choices to decrease welfare. First wages would have to increase or welfare would have to decrease by 500 billion dollars. The republican led house tried to get a bill to pass decreasing federal spending but was stopped at the senate and white house.

Class connection-The article makes many connections the first connection is showing the rule of checks and balances the republican tries to pass a bill cutting spending and it is rejected by the democratic senate and white house. Second, this also shows how are government is in a gridlock even if one passes a bill the others can reject it. The U.S government has a big job in cleaning up welfare and both parties are locking heads. I believe that the republican run house was right to pass the bill in trying to reduct spending. Since I do not know the specific of the bill I cannot say if it was worth passing but the idea or reduction looks to be the right one.

Economy

Article: The GOP is tone-deaf on fiscal cliff
http://www.cnn.com/2012/12/01/opinion/hogue-fiscal-cliff/?hpt=zite_zite5_featured

Summary: This article discusses President Obama's plans to increase taxes and put spending cuts in motion if an agreement on the fiscal cliff is not met by January.  Republicans do not agree with this strategy and claim this will take us closer to the cliff.  The article also talks about how instead of helping people in need with financial aid, the Republicans make them seem lazy and portray them as freeloaders even though this is not always the case.  The Republican party is portrayed as very narrow minded in this article and not willing to compromise.

Connection: This article is a perfect example of gridlock.  In a divided government like we have, it is hard for the two parties to come to a compromise.  Therefore, little progress is ever made.  I do not understand this topic enough to take any side.  However, I know that our government cannot continue to be stubborn and expect changes to happen.  The Republicans seem especially stagnate and I believe they need to come to at least some sort of compromise.  There are even some Republican congressmen who have decided they should vote along with the democrats, which I believe is necessary for change to occur.

Health and Enviornment Megan Uhrich

Recent studies have shown that chemicals put in furniture to keep them flame retardant have been linked to causing cancer and hormone problems. They found that the harmful chemicals are found in 85% of sofa cushions that then migrate into the air that we breathe with unhealthily high levels. The reason for these chemicals is a single California rule about the combustibility of the chairs. And in recent tests the scientists have concluded that though it does keep the foam from lighting for a longer period of time, once it starts on fire the fire is more dangerous than it would have been.

CLASS CONNECTION: The EPA is spending a lot of government revenue to ensure that our enviornment is safe for everyone. the EPA was created in 1970 during Nixion’s Era. Also the government had a Superfund, which is a fund created by congress to clean up hazardous waste sights, and was formed by taxing chemical products like the ones used in the flame retardant. But through the money that the EPA has put into the experiments, they have found that the retardant is extremely toxic and harmful when caught on fire. I think they should find a different way to resist the flames than a toxic chemical concoction.

Environment- Allie Weis

http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-court-storm-water-20121202,0,6857234.story

The Supreme Court will hear a case from Los Angeles to decide for the first time who can be responsible for polluted storm water that runs into rivers and bays. In 1987 congress expanded the Clean Water Act to include storm water. Whats happening is that rivers in LA are showing signs of human waste and high levels of other toxic materials.  Storm water runoff pollutes rivers and bays along the coast more than anything else. LA agrees the rivers are polluted but disagrees about what the cause of it is. LA county flood district control believes that much of it comes from upstream and that you cant pin point where it comes from. The supreme court is showing issue in this topic, two cases will be heard about similar topics this week. two years ago the supreme court was not interested in this topic, but now the 9th circuit held the county responsible for the pollution so the supreme court has offered to hear their appeal.

This relates to the duties of the supreme court. They are responsible for interpreting the laws, and in this case interpreting the Clean Water Act. The Clean Water Act includes pollution of storm waters, and since this case is trying to figure out the source of the pollution, the supreme court has to decided whether or not this law is being carried out by LA. I think that it would be nearly impossible to identify the exact cause of water pollution in a body of moving water like a river, but then again maybe there is some scientific way to figure out where it started. I think that it is important to consider the case because storm water is part of the law, but I think it is unlikely that the source of pollution will be found to be per curiam.

Nicholas Baer - National Security

http://www.nytimes.com/2012/12/02/world/middleeast/us-is-stumbling-in-effort-to-cut-syria-arms-flow.html?pagewanted=1&ref=us

This article is about how Iran and Iraq are not cooperating with American Forces to stop weapons and deadly arms into Syria from Iran over Iraqi airspace. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, obtained an agreement from the Iraqi prime minister to inspect aircraft that might be containing deadly warfare being transported to Syria from Iranian aircraft. However, this agreement has not been carried out well seeing as the Iraqi's have only inspected two planes and have been accused of tipping the plane's off before they leave, being corrupt. Also, the Iraqi's complain that it is too expensive to force planes to land, and they cannot afford it. The United States is considering putting a no air zone over Syria as a last resort. It is a last resort because the U.S. is attempting to stay out of it "for fear of becoming entangled in the conflict."

I feel that this Syria and Iran are very significant factors in our National Security. The CLASS CONNECTION is that this foreign affair in particular could test how aggressive or passive President Obama will be in his second term. If worst comes to worst and we must enlist forces in the middle east, than President Obama would have to go to gridlocked Congress for approval. If a civil war-torn Syria or Iran were to obtain a weapon of mass destruction, the United States Security would be threatened. This could cause different interest groups to Lobby in Congress for their vote in this possible legislation. It will also be interesting to see if President Obama becomes more aggressive now that he is not fearing retribution from his actions in the polls because he cannot be re-elected

Sales at Retail Stores Down- Economic

http://www.nytimes.com/2012/11/30/business/sales-at-nations-retailers-fall-short.html?ref=unitedstateseconomy&_r=0

Major American chain stores such as Macy’s, Nordstrom, Kohl’s and Target are down low; sending shivers through the retail world. Black Friday, maybe the biggest shopping day in the United States, and the kickoff to the holiday shopping period showed dim results comparied to last years numbers. This shows a coming challege for stores in the coming weeks. Craig Johnson, president of Customer Growth Partners, said, “The traditional post-Black Friday lull, normally starting the following week, started on ... Black Friday!” Black Friday recorded a 1.6 percent increase in sales compared to the year before. Instead of the expected  3.3 percent increase.

I don't know what to think of this, but I don't thinks it's something we should worry too much about. I thinks that their has to be other years where percents were not what analyzers thought they would be, our economy is down and people our out of jobs, as well this was an election year; that could mean something. Also I don't think we should worry just because one day didn't make that much money, I mean it is a holiday, maybe people wanted to stay for seconds with their families. The course connection is like during the Great Depression where many stores closed down and went bankrupt, but some like Macy's started up and that helped get the economy going again.

Social Welfare- Caleb Rahn

Social Welfare

Republicans Propose Plan for Undocumented Young- Associated Press

http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2012/11/27/republicans-propose-plan-for-undocumented-young/

This article deals mostly with immigration, but has information pertaining to social welfare. Republicans have proposed a bill, which would allow teenagers of countries like Mexico, Columbia, and other South American countries a easier way to receive an American visa. Republicans have taken a very strong against illegal immigration, but also want to make it easier for immigration to occur. In this bill proposed by Republicans, immigrants with permanent visas would not be allowed public welfare, or federal benefits. The course connection can be found in the proposal bill. As we learned, a bill will be proposed in both houses of Congress, before the President can sign (or not sign) the bill to overall make it a law. During this stage of proposals, fillibusters, and holds can occur, overall slowing the process of making the bill a law.

In my opinion, I think this is a great idea. The United States is a country of immigrants, but I do not feel that Americans should have to pay these workers benefits or welfare, if it was needed. Social welfare and other benefits are for permanent citizens of the United States, and should not be handed out to workers from other countries that have a visa. Tax payer money could be used elsewhere, and in my opinion, immigration should be done legally, even if it takes time. Americans do not cross the border in masses, expecting to receive some sort of "prize". I am all for gaining citizens from other countries, legally, but if they are not legal, and only have a visa, welfare should not even be considered. 

Health Care- Carolyn Silverman

http://india.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/11/30/venture-capital-is-attracted-to-indias-affordable-health-care-business-which-targets-the-poor/

In New Delhi, India, a controversial issue is arising.  It is not the fact that affordable healthcare for the poor is needed, but whether or not they can make it a business.  This has all been brought to a boil by entrepreneurs turning charitable causes into revenue.  The problem is that unaffordable health care can put families with an extremely low income into a very large debt.  This has even resulted in women committing suicide because they had been pushed into unpayable loans.  Many issues stand in the way of health care in these areas such as not making poor people feel compelled to buy healthcare they don't need. 

This reminded me a lot of what was read in chapter 14.  We read about taxes and the national debt.  On a way smaller scale, this can be the same sort of process.  The people need healthcare, so they take out loans, which puts them in extreme amounts of debt, the same way the government needs something, takes out loans and has a lot of debt due to interest.  This makes me feel upset because health care is something everyone needs.  Hopefully this will get sorted out soon. 

Matt Albert- http://www.hstoday.us/industry-news/general/single-article/tsa-to-expand-use-of-bomb-sniffing-dogs-for-passenger-screening-in-2013/918f6ebedc9fbc5346ec299606447512.html

This article is about how the TSA (Transportation Security Administation) wants to increase the number of bomb-sniffing dogs through a research project that would try to figure out how the dogs sense of smell truly works. They also wish to improve their training to make them even more effective through this project. The TSA has scheduled meetings with the Department of Homeland Security on whether to authorize the funds to researchfor the project. The DHS has $650000 to spend on this project and hope to begin it very soon.

This article deals with this class because of its effect on national security. I feel that this project would be great for this nation to prevent explosives from being brought onto planes and other transportation agents. We live in a nation where anything can happen and it always seems to be the worst. If we train these dogs and they become super effective at doing their job, just think of all the lives that will be saved if somebody trys to bring explosives. This is an action that i completly agree with and i would hope that everyone else would to.

Tobey Pribyl - Social Welfare

"Is Red Cross Mismanaging Sandy Response?" by Steve Kastenbaum

http://cnnradio.cnn.com/2012/11/21/is-red-cross-mismanaging-sandy-response/?hpt=us_t5


As the assistance to those devastated by Hurricane Sandy last month by the Red Cross is beginning to wrap-up, some are asking if their readiness for a situation of this nature is really great enough. During the days following the storm, some affected by the storm were still left without any assistance from the relief organization. Due to the large number of victims of the storm, the organization is saying they are doing the best they can with the funds that are available. Although there were some management issues in the times of the storm, it may also be that we as a country have our expectations set too high for what the Red Cross can really do in these situations.

The course connection to this article is the vocabulary term "collective action", which is defined as groups forming and organizing to pursue their goals or objectives. The group, in this situation, is the Red Cross, which is an organization crucial to these emergency situations such as the earthquake in Haiti or Hurricane Sandy. As this article states, some of those affected by the storm are claiming that the organization and preparation by the organization was obviously lacking in their goal of helping everyone involved. Either way, the Red Cross has been a huge helping hand in the clean-up and first-aid following Sandy.

Economics- Ellen Justis

Economics-

http://news.yahoo.com/timothy-geithner-fiscal-cliff-balls-gops-court-140039110--abc-news-politics.html

Timothy Geithner on the Fiscal Cliff: The Ball Is in the GOP's Court

Summary:

In this article it states that the White House "has to get serious" because they fiscal cliff deadline is approaching quickly. Timothy Geithner (quoted primarily in the article) met with the GOP this week and said a big part of the meeting was coming to terms that there are going to have to be a lot of compromises. Both parties know where they stand but are not sure where they will have to meet to meet the deadline of the end of the year. The three main things that are being discussed are:

1. Tax cuts to the wealthy

2. Medicare spending

3. Economic stimulus

Geithner also states that the plan they are working on now suits most Americans, yet asks the top 2% percent of Americans to be taxed a bit heavier, something that has been very controversial throughout the whole debate between the two parties. The problem with social security is going to be handled separately and not with the fiscal cliff. To conclude the article, Geithner said he believes that Obama will replace him in January with someone who is equally as talented that will be ready for the next four years. 

Course Connection/Response:

This article directly relates to our class because our government is currently divided. This is why the fiscal cliff debate is such a challenge in resolving. In this article it also lists off a lot of leaders of the senate such as Senate Minority Leader (Mitch McConnell) and Speaker of the House (John Boehner). Currently in chapters 12 and 13 we have learned about these two positions. We also read an article in the magazine a week or so back that said how Obama had a difficult four years in front of him because of the divided government. This is a prime example because it has been a slow moving process because Congress cannot agree because it is divided.

Social Welfare

http://www.cnbc.com/id/41969508/Welfare_State_Handouts_Make_Up_One_Third_of_U_S_Wages


This article is just another article about how social welfare is still a growing problem in the US. Apparently 1/3 of the US bugget is spent on social welfare. And although the ecomomy is comming out of a depression the percentile of the money (35%) spent on welfare is the same. One idea economist had was to increase wages to 8.8 trillion or decline social welfare to 500 billion dollars. Although this is a problem because poeple are not willing to do either. People fear for the future when the population grows because social welfare will increase more rapidly with a larger population.
The corse connection in this artilce is that the house of representatives (led by republicans), proposed a bill of $61 billion dollar federal spending cut however the senate decided that this bill will never be passed. Another thing to remember is that the senate is democratic and thats probably not the only reason that they rejected this bill but it is just an example of what we are learning in class and how the bill has to go through both the house and senate and then the president to be passed. The bill has not gotten that far yet and probably wont if it cannot even get past senate especially sense the president is from the democratic party.

Ian Burklund- National Security

http://startingpoint.blogs.cnn.com/2012/11/09/did-navy-seals-threaten-national-security-in-revealing-secrets-for-a-video-game-fmr-navy-seal-commando-weighs-in/?iref=allsearch

Summary- This article is very basic and bluntly to the point. It is about seven US Navy Seals who showed off there tactical gear and disclosing the tactics used in duty. The seven of them worked for two days with pay, to help make a video game for the company electronic arts seem more realistic. The work done was unauthorized by their commanders and against military regulation. At least one of the Seals had been on the mission in which Osama bin Laden was killed. After their actions all of them were punished, the article did not specificy what there consequences were.

Reaction/ Course Connection- I feel that the Seals acted in a way which wouldn't hurt national security or national security. I can't fully decide if the commanders overreacted without knowing their punishments. But from what I saw on the article I don't believe that any sort of punishment should have been handed out. The course connection is in chapter 20 they mention the defense department which would be in control of the Navy Seals and the actions which they do.

National Security-Olivia Drexler

http://www.usnews.com/topics/subjects/national-security-terrorism-and-the-military

This article was short and to the point about how terrorism is still a threat to the United States and its people. Also, in this article it informed us of how our military and defense people such as Obama or other administration officials should respond to dangerous attacks. Many Americans wonder if taking off shoes, pat down searches, and not allowing large liquids onto airplanes is really necessary. The answer is yes. This is designed for our safety and protection from terrorism. However, on Christmas day a failed attempt to bomb a U.S. airliner headed for Homeland Security in Detroit was lucky for us Americans. Since then airports and its security has cracked down on safety even more severely. Another incident that encouraged the defense strategy against al Qaeda was a failed car bomb planted in a parked car in New York Times Square. Because of these dangerous attempts new changes have been made. To improve our safety including more noncombat troops in Afghanistan, new staff members in command, and a new defense Security. With the new budget that Bush helped put into place of $60 billion of funding toward troops and military aid, its bound to help decrease the terrorism threat and increase our safety as Americans.

My reaction to this article is very nervous. I didn't realize these threats and attacks in the United States were still able to happen. Although these attacks seem very rare, I think the new budget and ideas are a good improvement to help insure our safety and attacks in the future. The connection to this article and what we're learning in class is simple. How our government works together to provide for our safety as Citizens. How the people first bring about a concern or law then how it goes through our government system. Each representative on this specific committee will most likely get a say and get to vote on why this budget should go through o why it shouldn't. They may each also talk about their ideas from the people of how to keep us Americans safe or even how to improve our safety.

Social Welfare - Kyle Smith

http://articles.latimes.com/2012/nov/26/nation/la-na-state-disclosure-20121126

            After this year’s election, groups that helped either side of the race are now under suspicion from state regulators. Non-profit organizations that have spent millions of dollars on certain candidates have not been required to disclose their donors. These certain groups don’t want to reveal their financial backers, which is causing some unrest. For example, California’s Fair Political Practice Commission found a source of $11 million dollars in Arizona, that was tracked all the way to Virginia, and it is still uncertain where the original funding started.          

If it were up to me, anyone who donated money to a campaign should have to disclose their sources, otherwise they could be getting donations from North Korea or somewhere, who may want weaker officials in office. The course connection is; this battle between state officials and advocy groups is caused by the U.S. Supreme Court’s ruling of Citizens United vs. Federal Election Commission, which brought back political expenditures by corporations.

Economy - Wage Miller

http://www.nytimes.com/2012/11/27/health/investing-in-eyeglasses-for-poor-would-boost-international-economy.html

Although this article isn't necessarily directly about government, it does deal with money and the economy.

Eliminating the worldwide shortages of eyeglasses would cost up to $28 billion, however it could yield up to a $200 billion increase to the global economy. The $28 billion would account for training optometrists and creating more clinics that could prescribe eyeglasses, as it is estimated that 703 million people worldwide have a uncorrected case of nearsightedness or farsightedness severe enough to impact their work. Without reading glasses, skilled crafts become difficult after the age of 40 to 45 and vision impairment may lead someone to quit their job. If glasses were distributed to these people however, they could work longer and put more money and goods into the economy. Additionally, giving glasses to children that don't have them could vastly improve the accomplishments and schooling attained in their lifetime.

It surprises me how many people have impaired vision solely due to lack of glasses. I think it is an interesting concept to give everyone glasses which would in turn boost the economy, however it is risky. First of all, that is a big investment and secondly it is hard to say how many of those people would actually work longer or improve the economy in general, because not all of them would. Secondly, many third world countries are not exactly democratic or would be willing to give glasses to people. The course connection for this is that somewhere out there, there is probably an interest group that supports this cause. Everyday they could be lobbying or promising money in order to persuade a congressman to support them. Another potential course connection that we haven't necessarily learned about yet but relates to government is how governments may have to intermingle. Since this is a global issue, many governments would potentially have to work together and negotiate in order to come to a common agreement. Lastly, congressmen could have this on their agenda if the members of their state feel as though they need more eyeglasses in large numbers. That being said, some states could need them more than others.

economic

Internet criticism pushes China to act on pollution

For about the last five years China has been reported to have air pollution. It was only a few months ago that the Chinese embassy began to put a stop to it. To free China of it's air pollution China needed a sufficient amount of money.many volenteers have donated for the cause. Citizens have even sold oranges to finance for the device. Most citizens however are unaware of this pollution, when there are sudden outbursts of smogs the clinics are filled to the top. The few that know about the air pollution take it in a good way. A mother says that the tough weather and environment will make her child a tougher person. Whether people take it in a positive or negative manner the pollution can lead to many diseases, even turn into lung cancer. In. Beijing it is said to have 286 blue sky days, when a statistic belied by the heavy smog and over 16 cities.


Connection and reaction.
I think what China is trying to do is take things slowly. I don't agree with the fact many people find this in a positive way. Because this can lead to many infant deaths in the country. And birth defects. In all I think China should try a little bit harder and hurry in their recovery.

National Security- Jacks

Obama Foreign Policy To Face National Security Crises In Second Term, From Iran and Syria to China

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/11/07/obama-foreign-policy-second-term_n_2089122.html 

Summary: This article is predicting a difficult 2nd term for Barack Obama, in terms of national security. They bring up the points of violent uprising in Syria and the growing power of China in global trade and cyber-war attacks. The article continues on with more possible threats that could potentially involve the United States in the North Korea, Japan, and the Philippines. 

Course Connection and Response: Based off this article foreign policy will play a major role in the political agenda for the Obama administration in this next upcoming term. Referring to chapter twenty of the textbook, foreign policy involves making choices. The different instruments of foreign policy will play a major role in what is to come. Military involvement could possibly increase due to new actions taken place by foreign countries. Determining how much involvement the United States government should have will help to determine that. Other instruments of foreign policy like economics could as hit home in the future. Only time will tell what decisions will be made and how different foreign policies will be handled.   

Social Welfare - Josh Sumhlei

http://www.register-herald.com/todaysfrontpage/x1332339017/GOP-to-push-drug-testing-of-welfare-recipients

A recently elected state senator in West Virginia has proposed the idea of random drug testing for welfare recipients. The effort is led by Republicans, who have increased their numbers in the West Virgina House of Representatives this past election. If the bill were to be passed, anyone receiving public aid, not including unemployment checks, would be eligible to be drug tested. Since people who have jobs are required to undergo a drug test, many people think it seems fair that people who stay home should undergo a drug test. The intent of this is to help people receiving welfare break their dependence on drugs and to prevent children from living in a drug-filled household. If someone fails a drug test twice, then he or she must receive counseling, which can be through the private sector. If one were to fail three drug tests, he or she would no longer receive welfare. There are 28 other states which are proposing similar laws, and testing is already required in Tennessee.

There are a couple of course connections. The first connection is the recent election because an election is a linkage institution. The West Virginia senator acquired his senate seat in the election a few weeks ago. Another connection is federalism. The article states how the representatives in the legislative body of the state government can possibly enact this legislation if 5 conservative Democrats vote alongside the 46 Republicans of the House. I personally like the idea of drug testing welfare recipients. I like the idea of making people less dependent on drugs so that they can focus on providing for their families. I also like how it can prevent children from living with drug-addicted parents. I don't really see any bad things that can come from such legislation and I am pretty sure it would have a positive impact.

Environment-Jonathan Gunti

http://www.euractiv.com/climate-environment/us-worlds-biggest-oil-producer-d-news-516007

This article states what the international energy agency(IEA) states about u.s oil. It projects that the U.S could be oil dependent by 2017. This is all dependent if the U.S explores its oil shales that it has deep within the ground. The IEA also explains that if the U.S were to do this it would increase CO2 emissions beyond repair, this would also increase the temperature. Under George W. Bush we looked at other alternatives like corn. Drought and other natural disaster have caused these alternatives to be costly and unfruitful.  Nevertheless the IEA states it is indispensable part of the world economy.

Class-connection: First this articles brings together the idea of interest groups trying to appease both big business and environmental groups. The IEA is the world resource and information source for energy so it can be trusted. Second, this brings back what George Washington wanted of the U.S. being totally independent of other countries if they were to drill into the shales of oil. I believe that this would be costly to the environment and just getting the oil out would be difficult. We must continue to implore other alternatives to make up for our oil resources in the Middle East lessening.

payroll tax

http://www.nytimes.com/2012/11/25/opinion/sunday/douthat-our-enemy-the-payroll-tax.html?hp


this article covers the 2010 payroll tax cut that was agreed upon by republicans and democrats. this cut allowed for both sides to look better while americans didnt have to give more to the federal government. now the action is in danger of going untouched and may sunset by the end of 2012. due to the lack of attention and the parties fighting over other issues the action may very well die out. this article seems to be slightly opinionated on the level of the writer hating both parties for their overall stupidity. however this article does get the issue out there and sheds light on the issue of this payroll tax cut unlike any other media source.

this payroll tax cut must be renewed. it saves people from having to give EVEN MORE to the federal government. if the government cannot even keep their own spending under controll then why should the people of this country give more money to the government for them to simply waste away on ridiculous things. the article also mentions that the democrats must be the ones to take the reigns on this action, but BOTH sides should take this as an important focus for the people they represent.

Ellen Justis- National Security

National Security

http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2012/nov/25/mccain-egypt-risks-takeover-military-or-extremists/

Senators Threaten to end aid to Egypt

Summary:
In this article is discusses how the US may cut funding to Egypt's President, Mohammed Mosi, continues trying to step in with the recent conflict over the Gaza Strip. Senators John McCain and Carl Levin both said that it was good that Mosi, did step in yet his actions did cross the line a bit because it could potentially start new conflicts with Iran like it did in 1979. The funding would be cut from Egypt because Mosi is not being very democratic by his actions. Egypt can block weapons that are being sent by Iran to countries that are attempting to attack Israel and cause more conflict in the Gaza Strip area. If Egypt wants to continue being funded by the USA, Mosi will comply with what American leaders command. McCain and Levin are both on security councils that deal with these types of issues and our national security; both of which will be looking at how to deal with Mosi and the consequences of his actions.

Reflection:
This article talks about how Egypt is funded. This relates to national security because since Egypt is related to the USA, Egypt's actions could have consequences that could negatively effect our country and put us in danger. For this reason, John McCain said that there will have to be ramifications for his actions this past week when he tried to stop the violence. If Mosi was to stop the violence in such a way that offended say Iran, one of their enemies, Iran could have come after America because were are "affiliated" for lack of a better word with Egypt. This relates to our class because we have learned about the senate and this is one of their duties to respond to threats. It also deals with the National Security Council something we will probably cover in the future and their roles that they play with protecting our country.

Welfare-Duncan Wyrwas

http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2012-11-13/obama-s-welfare-state-needs-republican-guardians.html

With a Democratic president in office the United States may begin leaning towards a more European form of welfare. This means that more of the US budget would go towards welfare and also raise taxes. On the positive side, it would be easier for student to get financial aid. Hard working students would be able to get into better schools and money wouldn't limit their education. Welfare would also be more easily distributed to people who needed it. Over the years US politics have become less and less conservative. While politics is more liberal, a conservative view of fiscal agendas could help balance out the US and protect our interests.
The problem that arises with this is gridlock. With a democratic president, it will be harder for conservatives and the president to reach an agreement. Things may not get done because of the political divide between parties. If they do come to an agreement it will most likely be extremely compromised to the point where it is no longer helpful.

National Security - Nicholas Baer

http://www.cnn.com/2012/11/12/us/petraeus-cia-resignation/index.html

       In this article, the media sheds light on the infamous Petraeus Scandal. David Petreaus was the head of the CIA, until he resigned after the FBI had found evidence of his affair with Paula Broadwell. Broadwell was a Petreaus' personal biographer and was with him adn documneted his stays in Afghanistan. Petreaus resigned for a number of reasons, one being that the affair was against the conduct of how a decorated general should act. Another possible reason could be blackmail. The more important matter is if any information was comprimised, or if the nations security was put at risk because of petraeus' actions. 
      There is speculation that National Security could have been breached as a result of the affair with Broadwell, but it is very slim that the affair had anything ton do with the ambassadors slain in Benghazi, Libya. The COURSE CONNECTION is that this is another example of why the media is here, the reason we discussed in class; because the government occasionally lies to us and the people have the right to know how the government is working. this is like watergate in some ways in that the media does not trust the government and used investigative jouirnalism, though the FBI did most of the work, someone had to report the story. Another connection that we talked about in class is the tail directing or effecting the dog. The fact that the head of the CIA having an affair is not as significant as the fact that the nation has lost one of its best generals due to resignation because of media embarrasement and poor judgement.

National Security- Jacob Hovey

Article: China lands first jet on aircraft carrier
http://edition.cnn.com/2012/11/25/world/asia/china-aircraft-carrier-landing/index.html?npt=NP1

Summary: This article talks about the recent advancement of Chinese military of being able to successfully land a jet onto their one aircraft carrier.  The carrier is not even fully finished and its hull was bought after being abandoned by the Soviet Union.  This accomplishment seems very insignificant given the fact the the United States has 11 operational aircraft carriers.  The Chinese are predicted to build another carrier by 2015.

Connection: This article shows how much more technologically and militarily advanced the U.S. is compared to China.  It is almost funny to think that the Chinese have not even completed a single aircraft carrier while the West has had this capability for a century.  Considering that China is one of the biggest rivals of the U.S. right now, an important question results from these statistics.  Does the U.S. truly need to have 11 active aircraft carriers when our greatest threat does not even have one.  The class connection has to do with party platforms and national debt.  Part of President Obama's policy agenda is to make military cuts in order to lower the deficit.  Could getting rid of some of these possible unneeded warships prove to be the solution? Or are these assets to important to be cut from our military?

Carolyn Silverman Economy

http://www.nytimes.com/2012/11/25/magazine/skills-dont-pay-the-bills.html?pagewanted=1&_r=0&ref=economy

This article deals with the issue of having a shortage of skilled workers, which we find out is actually not true. Since 2000 there have been over six million jobs lost in the manufacturing industry. There were many jobs lost because of the chances for large businesses to ship jobs overseas where the labor is much cheaper, but the biggest reason for the shortage is because employers are unwilling to pay the wages needed to keep skilled workers. For example, one CEO said he will hire anyone qualified but he is only willing to pay $10 an hour, or $15 with an associate’s degree. After a few years they could make as much as $18 an hour, which is still not great for skilled work. Especially when compared to a non skilled job, such as a McDonald’s manager, can make $14 dollars right away without any training. Many people have been turning away from skilled jobs in favor of jobs such as a McDonald’s manager, where they can make a very comparable amount of money without having to receive training. What the author of the article believes is that since the students don’t get enough schooling in math and science in high school to be hired right away, they are not qualified to work for the manufacturers, making the issue education, not skilled workers.

I feel like the manufacturers need to raise the wage for skilled workers in order to help combat the job shortage.  This would help keep the United States relevant economically from a global stand point.  The first day of class we spoke about the debate on whether or not the United States is the greatest country.  This could very well put us below the international standard.  It would also help the workers who went to get an education pay off their school loans. 

Clinton Steps In- National Security

http://articles.latimes.com/2012/nov/21/world/la-fg-gaza-truce-talks-20121121


Secretary of State Hillary Clinton has arrived in the Middle East to press an end to rocket attacks on Israel. As well as to help broker regional peace with Israel and the Islamist militant group Hamas who have been at war for weeks. Agreements are appearing to start but as of yet Hamas is still bombarding Israel and has brought the death toll up to nearly 3,000. Clinton is now talking with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu with frequent calls being made by President Obama checking in on the situation, feeling that America must get more deeply involved in the situation. Netanyahu says he would prefer peace but that Israel "will have to take whatever actions necessary to defend its people."

I feel that this is a very sad situation, I'm am saddened that they seem to not be able to make peace yet. But, I do disagree with President Obama about us getting overly involved in this conflict. We have our own problems and conflicts of our own to deal with without getting into others problems. I understand that Israel is a great ally of ours and I like that Secretary Clinton is their to talk peace but that should be as far a we go at this moment. The course connection is like the non-vietnam supporters and the government and how they were against one and other even though they thought the same on other subjects just like the Middle East countries are.

Social Welfare – Kyle Smith

Social Welfare – Kyle Smith http://www.cnbc.com/id/41969508/Welfare_State_Handouts_Make_Up_One_Third_of_U_S_Wages

Government welfare and payouts take up more than 1/3 of all of America’s national wages. It is up 10% from 1960, and 21% since 2000. And it may even get worse as most of the baby boomers are just about to retire, and they will be looking for social security benefits. Most economists believe that the best way to help decrease this dependency is to either increase salaries by 35%, or decrease welfare benefits by 23%. But, according to the article, we aren’t the worst off; apparently the UK has up to 44% of their wages on welfare and government stimulus.

America is too dependent on government stimulus. And neither republicans nor democrats are helping much at all. When one group comes up with a solution or compromise, the other shoots it down. The coarse connection is with the unemployment rising, and welfare getting higher, interest groups may increase due to the fact that either salary to go up or welfare to go down. Our government will have to take more action to try to satisfy them all. (Hyperpluralism)

Health- Olivia Drexler

Article- http://www.naturalnews.com/032211_health_care_costs_lifestyle.html

This article is from a website known as natural news. It's about what the best way to lower medical costs is through eating healthier and minimizing doctors visits. Because our society is so obese and many of us hardly ever eat healthy never giving our body the nutrients it needs, we tend to be visiting the doctor wondering whats wrong with us. But the solution is simple, if we eat healthy with the right proportions and exercise daily, then we can minimize the cost of visits and living a healthier lifestyle. However, in a more serious way, before finding out whats specifically wrong with us three or four C-T scans and MRI scans could be needed. This can cause in most cases a lot of radiation to pass through the body. More radiation can be very hazardous while finding out exactly whats wrong with them, can also cause more damage as well. Over exposing increases the problem and put sick patients at an even higher risk. Obama care on the other hand, limits the amount of radiation available to these people and the number of times any radiation scan can be used.

This can connect to our class discussions in many ways. One way is with interest groups. Certain interest groups gain support and money from people if they believe a certain way with healthcare. For specifics, Obama care followers will spread his policy around and gain support. They then will get donations getting more advertisements and people to follow their policy. These interest groups will try and persuade and get nearly everyone to believe in their policy. Or they will try to provide everyone with what they want. Even with Obama care having specific guidelines to follow, these interest groups will push to get everyone to follow and believe in their policies.

Matt Albert-Environment http://www.livescience.com/24963-thousands-of-natural-gas-leaks-found-in-boston.html

This article talks about how researchers from Duke and Boston University discovered that under the surface of Boston are not hundreds but thousands of cracks in the natural gas chambers that run throughout the city. The researchers used a deice to measure methane through the ground as the car was driving. Methane was one of the main gases that was coming out of the cracks. Even though natural gas leaks arent uncommon, an explosion from one of these cracks in the center of Boston could cause widespread damage and caos. Even if they don't explode the constant release of methane, which is a greenhouse gas, can pose a huge environmental risk.

The course connection is that the local government has to decide if they want to repair only the dangerous cracks or to start replacing the entire tunnel system. I think the Boston government should have noticed or tested the chambers years before this ever happened. By trying to possibly cut costs on inspectors, the local government of Boston may of put hundreds, if not thousands of people in danger. I think that since this story became viral, the federal should place regulations on tunnels that contain any sort of natural or artificial in which they should be inspect quite extensively. It should become a federal law in order to prevent a cities government from putting an issue like this aside.

Ian Burklund- Healthcare 

http://www.foxnews.com/health/2012/11/07/how-healthcare-will-change-in-wake-obama-re-election/

Summary- This article brings up the three big things that will happen in healthcare now that Obama has been relected. The first is access to care which means we will lose our accesibility to certain types of healthcare and our ability to choose our doctor. Second is changes in deployment of patient care. Performing needed procedures and services will be a challange. Last the style of care Americans recieve will be impacted in a negative way. Doctors will be more geared towarded diesease prevention.

Reaction/ Course Connection- I am a completely against Obama care and what it does to our country. To be able to pull off this universal health care it will put us further into debt. And as stated in the article we will lose many of the abilities we have such as choice of doctor and style of care will worsen. Course connection as mentioned in chapter 19 the government is geared toward helping out the elderly because they are now one of the largest voting and lobbying forces in American politics.

Tobey Pribyl - Economy

"Fiscal Cliff Helps Mend Obama-CEO Relations" by CNN Money

http://money.cnn.com/2012/11/21/news/obama-biz-fiscal-cliff-ceos/index.html?section=money_topstories&utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+rss%2Fmoney_topstories+%28Top+Stories%29

As discussions and solutions to the fiscal cliff are brought up by President Obama, his overall relations with the business community are beginning to improve. The various financial and health care reforms from the President over the last four years has left him with a bad reputation in the area of business. According the the Center for Responsive Politics, businesses contributed more than fifty million dollars in favor of Mitt Romney in the recent election. But the government and company leaders have been forced to come together to avoid the upcoming Fiscal Cliff. By inviting leaders of twelve of the largest companies in America, President Obama is trying to tee-up for success with businesses in his second term.

The course connection to this article is the Ch.1 term "political issue", which is defined as a result of people disagreeing about a problem or the public policy needed to fix it. The problem, in this case, is the upcoming fiscal cliff due on the first of the year, which is going to effect nearly all businesses and millions of people across the country. This situation is the perfect example of the public and private sector uniting to help influence and come together on a policy that is in the country's best interest.

Social Welfare-Caleb Rahn

Social Welfare

Confidential police info found in Macy's parade confetti sparks investigation- foxnews.com

http://www.foxnews.com/us/2012/11/25/confidential-police-info-found-in-macy-parade-confetti-sparks-investigation/#ixzz2DH81wQ3I

The Macy's Thanksgiving Parade is notorious in the United States, and this year, not for a good reason. Recent reports by the New York Police say that several people discovered Social Security numbers, and other sensitive information imprinted on the confetti Macy uses. "There were thousands of pieces of white confetti paper all around us. We just picked up a handful and started going through it and we noticed there were more Social Security numbers, more address and phone numbers," Finkelstein said, MyFoxNY.com reported. Macy's responded with saying they use manufactured confetti, not shredded paper. The class connection can be found in the topic of Social Security. Every paycheck an American earns, money is taken out to fund assistance for retired people, and as of late, Social Security has become a hot topic. With democrat President FDR, Social Security was made to benefit all retired people, but if a identity thief were to steal the Social Security numbers, there would be many problems.

Even though it has not been confirmed, this is a troubling matter. Social Security is a big deal, and can lead to many problems if the wrong person discovers the number. Many people work hard for many years, in hopes to receive their payments they gave with each paycheck. But on the other side, Macy's has the money to buy commercial confetti and has no reason to use shredded papers. So it will be interesting to see what comes about on this story.  

Welfare- Megan Uhrich

http://www.dailyherald.com/article/20121125/entlife/711259943/

Many families are put through much stress and financial burden when the parents are deemed unfit because of their disabilities. According to the article, the U.S. legal system is not fully protecting the rights of disabled parents, violating the intent of the Americans with Disabilities Act. Deaf parents are even criticized for teaching their children ASL. Often times disabled parents are deemed unfit to raise their children, a bias that many families combat today. This article takes a pro disabled parenting stance by outlining reasons why disabled parents should be able to raise their kids.

CLASS CONNECTION:
The National Council of Disability is an example of an interest group using the media and the courts to raise awareness for their cause. It is difficult to fight the bias because citizens can’t agree on how much their government should really help and how much they should pay for it. Also because of the increased divided government, policy is difficult to pass. I think each individual case should be looked at individually, rather than putting a blanket on all disability cases.

Social welfare- Allie Weis

http://www.examiner.com/article/an-ebt-thanksgiving-more-americans-relying-upon-food-stamps-for-holiday-meal

This article talks about how this Thanksgiving 42.2 million Americans will be using food stamps to pay for their Thanksgiving dinner. Since President Obama has taken office in 2009 people applying for food stamps has increase by 40%. It is estimated that a person who lives on food stamps has an average of $1.25 per meal, and the average Thanksgiving meal costs a family $50. Thanksgiving is considered one of the three most important American holidays but for people living off of food stamps it is difficult to have this American holiday. Since the recession in 2007 more people have had to apply for food stamps than jobs created in that time so there has been more reliance on EBT for thanksgiving dinner.

This relates to the powers of state and national government. Is it state governments job to decide on who gets welfare support? or is it Obama's job to decide who gets welfare support. I think that it should be the states job to decide who gets welfare because they better know the needs of their people than the  federal government does. In my opinion I think that it is right for people to be able to celebrate this tradition but it is sad that they have to rely on food stamps to have this meal. It is a problem that the economy has not been very good the past five years so that more people have had to rely on food stamps. More people should realize that there are a ton of families in America that were not fortunate enough to have a Thanksgiving feast like my family was able to have.

Environment
http://www.nytimes.com/2012/11/23/us/gulf-of-mexico-dolphin-killings-inquiry-escalates.html?ref=earth

This article is about the mass killing of dophilns. The topic may sound pointless and not involve anything in class but after further review I saw it acutally does. Even though in the articles dophilns are not an endangered speices but the killing of them for no cause is a developing problem in some states. Six dophins were found dead over this past summer, and 700 since Feburary of 2010. With various causes of death such as bullet shots, stab wounds, and missing fins and jaws. This has become a federal case and rewards such as $30,000 have been offered to help stop this serial dophlin killer(s). The only problem is that only people can report sightings and finding the actual culprit will be very difficult for we cannot intervew the dophlins and find out the problem. This is a terrible problem for dophins are innocent lovable creaters and very important to the envirornment.

I saw this is a very interesting/ big deal because so many steps have been taken to try and stop this event. Also this is conneted to the class because there are also so many groups dedicated to and I thought it would be important to point that out. Some of the groups were; National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Institute for Marine Mammal Studies, marine institute, California-based Animal Legal Defense Fund, Greenpeace and an Animal Planet host, and the NOAA. Also the Marine Mammal Protection Act was a law made in 1972 with $100,00 fine and 1 year in jail.

National Security - Wage Miller

http://green.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/11/20/c-i-a-closes-its-climate-change-office/

The Central Intelligence Agency has recently closed its center on climate change and national security. Formed in 2009, this branch of the CIA was created to monitor the interplay between climate changes and intelligence and security challenges that could arise from them. Some issues that this center monitored include the national security impact of desertification, rising sea levels, population shifts, and heightened competition for natural resources. The agency did not say whether the closing was related to budget constraints or other political pressures, however when it was formed it drew fire from many Republicans that claimed the branch was unnecessary. Todd Ebitz, a CIA spokesman, claims that the agency will continue to monitor the security and humanitarian challenges posed by climate change, but not in a stand-alone office.

I think that it is fine that we are closing this branch, as I am not quite sure why we had it in the first place. While I agree that populations shifts and competition for natural resources could lead to problems, I don't think that that should be our main concern or anywhere close at this time. Additionally, as the article states, now the CIA can focus it's resources on preventing terrorism and keeping American's safe, which is what it was originally designed for. The course connection to this article is that although the CIA doesn't make laws or interpret them, it is a government controlled agency that works for the betterment of the nation. Now that we are in a relatively hard time economically, it is up to the government to decide where cuts need to be made, and I think this is a direct result of a lack in funding. The fact that Republicans didn't like the formation of this branch of the CIA also relates to political party interests and how maybe if a Republican was in office at that time, the center may never have been formed.

Social Welfare- Wyrwas

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/02/02/us/02welfare.html?ref=welfareus&_r=0


In the last 40 years the people who have needed Welfare has decreased. Even though unemployment has risen, the people who have needed welfare hasn't.  Michigan and Rhode Island have had the biggest welfare cuts.  Recently laws have been passed in order to discourage people from applying for State welfare. One problem with the people not applying for welfare, is that many become unemployed and then not apply for welfare, digging them into a deeper whole.
I think that it's great that less people are applying for welfare. If less people apply for it that means people are become less dependent on the government and more self reliant. Though if people don't get a job and don't apply for welfare they aren't contributing to society, but they aren't really taking away from it either.This  lowering in dependence is a good, but people need to find jobs as well.

Josh Sumhlei - Social Welfare

http://www.mlive.com/news/index.ssf/2012/11/5-year_limit_on_welfare_challe.html

In Michigan, a 5-year welfare limit is being challenged in the Michigan Supreme Court. In October 2011, the state Department of Human Services (DHS) director changed the welfare policy and ended benefits for people who had a lifetime total of 60 months of welfare. The federal limit is 60 months, but the state limit in Michigan is 48 months. However, months that are considered "hardship exemptions" are not included in the 48 months. An examples of a harship exemption is single parents. Also, the state law only counted back into 2007, while the DHS counted back until 1996. Many families under welfare discovered that they hit the 60 month limit, but not the 48 month limit due to the hardship exemptions. The debate on this issue is whether the families should follow the state law or the federal law. Apparently, some families are suing the DHS. Also, it is questioned whether the director of the DHS possessed the authority to make such a law and if the DHS has the power to enforce the law without going through a rule-making process. The 60 month limit is more strict in most cases and would possibly save $70 million a year.

The course connection is the judicial system and the issue of state and federal power. First of all, we have been discussing several court cases in class and how the court has been interpreting the laws. Also, we have talked about the Constitution several times and the powers of the state and federal government. I think the federal law is supposed to prevail in this case. If I remember correctly, the supremacy clause in the Constitution basically says that federal laws trump state laws, so I would think that the same thing would happen in this situation. In my opinion, five years is plenty of time on welfare and probably too much time. I think the Michigan law is too flexible even without the hardship exemptions. I foresee the 60 month limit prevailing in this situation, but I am not exactly sure on how everything works.

Environment 
http://www.nytimes.com/2012/11/14/business/energy-environment/energy-independence-in-america-would-not-be-fully-independent.html?ref=earth&_r

This article is about how the dependency of foreign oil is finally going to be over with. With new 
drilling technologies and techiques from international energy agency the US will not need to depend
on foreign oil. By 2030 the US is expected to be a net oil exporter. However the pros and cons are 
a out the same, because with the new production of oil more jobs will be created and the dependence 
on other country's oil will drop. But there are as many cons as pros in the way that the new development 
of oil will affect the temperature by increasing by 7 degrees for years ahead, and another big factor to 
realize is how will the world be impacted by this? With the US withdrawal from the global market
it is predicted that oil trade will still go on as if nothing happened.

But in my opinion this is false and will somehow hurt the global economy. In our class we have learned 
about how decicisions that are made don't only effect the person that makes them but also the ones
around them. Our influence on foreign oil just suddenly disappearing I think will start some 
future conflicts.

Ellen Justis- National Security

http://articles.latimes.com/2012/nov/09/world/la-fg-iran-drone-20121110

Iran Confirms it's planes fired on U.S. drone

Summary:
A couple weeks back and American surveillance drone was flying over international waters and was shot at by two Iranian jets. The event was not reported until about a week after the incident because it was classified mission. The Iranians were basically criticized by the US for shooting at the drone because according to the American government it was over international waters, but the Iranians believe it was over Iranian waters. This incident is important because it sparks talks that were put on hold during the election about the Iranians nuclear program. There have been previous incidents dealing with drones and Iran; last year in December the Iranians claim that they hacked an American drone, but US officials said it had technical difficulty and landed the drone before any more damage was caused. This could be potentially harmful to the US if it was indeed hacked because of vital information that could have been aboard on the drone. With the recent attack, Iran was not trying to destroy it, rather making a statement about their power, because if they had done so this would have heightened tension between Iran and the US.

Reaction:
Discussion about Iran's nuclear program has been resumed now that the election is over and is being closely looked at because Iran is a threat to our country's security. The President stated that he is he would take action to if Iran was making threats towards America. This relates to our course because these issues are covered by the media. In this case, people who watch the news stories can get basic information about the story. There is not much controversy on this topic, but how people react to the President speaking on Iran's nuclear program could be covered by the media. This also deals with the executive branch of government and defense since that is what branch the military is under and we will learn about the branches of government further in depth later in class.

Health Care--Jonathan Gunti

http://www.reuters.com/article/2012/11/16/us-family-docs-idUSBRE8AF1FE20121116

This article explains the increasing need for doctors. It estimated that 52,000 more doctors will be needed by 2025 to accommodate the growing population. This article also states that more medical students are thought of being given provisions to get them to go in to family care where the need for doctors are. The affordable Care Act is what makes these provisions possible for family care doctors.

Class Connection-I would first like to note that the statistics in the article were provided by Annals of Family Medicine so it can be a trusted site. This is an interesting article as it shows the need for health care reform and is a key item in agenda setting for campaigns in elections. Both Romney and Obama had quite differing views on this agenda. Obama-care was a key issue in the campaign the could have make or brake it for the candidates. I believe personally that healthcare is in dire reform but I do not think a national healthcare plan like obama care is wise due to the differences per state. It is kinda ridiculous on what they are asking for 52000 doctors but it is needed for the population. 

National Security

http://www.nytimes.com/2012/11/19/opinion/keller-honey-i-shrunk-the-pentagon.html?ref=opinion

firstly, this article was great to read. the article fairly showed each sides opinion (dems and republicans) on how to handle the fiscal cliff and what it will do to our national security's budget. the article describes that the fiscal cliff was made to have the majority of its effects hit the military budget in our country, seeing as the US spends 40 percent of the worlds national security spending over all other nations. this opinion article seems to be rather unbiased in his presentation of both sides of the story and how the defense workers must move foreward.

with the US spending totally unchecked in our security department, mabee these major cuts will force our government to rething and spend more wisely. when we spend 40% of the worlds security spending, it may be time to calm down and cut back. this connects to our class because of the divide between the president and the congress not being the same party (cannot for the life of me remember the term we used in class), that brought our nation to this fiscal cliff in the first palce. i would say that the medicine will be harsh at first but the major cuts must be made to save the United States.

Matt Albert- Health Care http://www.naturalnews.com/035951_Obamacare_Big_Pharma_health_care.html

This article is about how Obama and PhRMA are in talks about Obamacare. The article talks about the ongoing talks between Obama, some select members of congress and the PhRMA about a big health care overhaul that would lead to Obamacare. Part of the article talks about how the select officials from congress were pressing the PhRMA to accept the prices of the Obamacare plan. The other part of the article talked about the exclusion of members from the House of Representatives. The Obama administration has been keeping this very secret and excluding the House and the public.

This article connects to this course because it demostrates that the government can be secrative to make sure that their plans are not met by negative influence and are not rejected by the opposition. The article also talked about how PhRMA is a powerful lobbying group and how they represent the drug and biotechnology industries. I feel that the government shouldn't keep things as big as this a secret to the public or even another part of congress. The people or at least the congressmen and women elected by the people should have the right to know whats going on in order to make this country a more informed and better place.

National Security- Jacob Hovey

Article: Iron Dome: Missile defense system a game changer, Israelis say
http://edition.cnn.com/2012/11/17/world/meast/iron-dome-israel-gaza-conflict/index.html?hpt=hp_c1

Summary: This article discusses a type of missile defense system being used by Israel heavily in the last few weeks.  It talks about the missiles being fired on Israel from Gaza.  The Iron Dome system fires its own, smaller missiles that intercept the enemy missiles and destroy them.  Israeli officials say that these systems have really made a difference in keeping their citizens safe. The interesting part of this story is that the program to make these defense systems was largely funded by the United States.

Connection:  The fact that the United States funded Israel can be loosely associated with interest groups.  It is as if the United States is an interest group who is funding Israel in hopes of influencing the majority of power in that region.  The U.S. is trying to put its allies in a better position to fight its foes (Radical Islamic Countries).  I think that these defense systems are fantastic.  They prevent innocent people from being killed and shield Israel from further attack.  I also think it is a smart choice for the U.S. to fund these systems.  Israel is an ally that the United States should strongly support.

National Security- Jacks

GOP says Intel right, narrative wrong in Libya

Summary: This article has to do with a despuit between the top Republicans in both the House and Senate vs the Obama administration. These republicans claim that political appointees from the Obama administration removed references to al-Qaeda groups from intelligence agencies accounts on the attack on Sept. 11 in Libya. Republicans are saying the administration altered unclassified documents to what the agencies knew of the attacks.
Course Connection and Reaction: As referred to in chapter 20 of the textbook, the president is the main force behind foreign policy and the White House is the first to receive a brief confidentia intelligence briefing on the subject dealing with foreign policy. It is their job from there to distribute the message to different branches of governement such as intelligenc agencies. I believe if they recieve new information that was more accurate they have the right to change it as they please. In this case the Obama administration is not at fault.

Allie Weis- Environment

http://www.washingtonpost.com/business/economy/bp-supervisors-are-scapegoats-defense-says/2012/11/16/5aa6ec10-3025-11e2-a30e-5ca76eeec857_story.html

When BP had the oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico, not only was it an environmental disaster but 11 people died. Through the investigation the justice department decided that two men are being indicted on charges for manslaughter. The two men evidently ignored a warning sign on the rig that something was going to go wrong, leading to the explosion of the rig. The lawyers are saying the the two men are scapegoats because the company has a culture of profit over prudence.  One of the two men did not testify because of a medical reason. The other man pleaded the fifth amendment when they were asked to testify.

This relates to the fifth amendment because the fifth amendment is the right to remain silent, which is what one of these two men did. The actual part of the amendment that he used was the refusal to testify against himself in a civil court. In my opinion if the men really believe that they are not responsible for this crime they should be doing everything in their power to make sure that their side of the story is heard. The normal person is going to think that if they are not testifying for themselves then they are guilty. Although the constitution protects the right not to testify, if these men really did not think that they were guilty they would be testifying.

Environment - Kyle Smith

BP Will Plead Guilty and Pay Over $4 Billion

 

Summary- The article explains what, and how much penalty fees it has to pay for its negligence in the Oil Spill on the Gulf in 2010. The article also elaborates on other companies it has to make settlements to, such as the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation and the National Academy of Sciences. Also, the $4.5 billion is just the tip of the iceberg; it may also owe over $21 billion in pollution fines under the Clean Water Act. However, BP is under fire from the Government, who believes BP is withholding documents that show that the intentionally under stated how much oil was actually spilt.

 

The good news is that BP is working with the Government to find a solution, and isn’t trying to worm out of its punishments, which shows that they really care, and want to help clean up the environment. Also, when I was watching something on CNN a few days ago, they mentioned something about BP also donating an extra $10+ billion to charities helping the environment. The course connection is, BP is paying interest groups money to keep them from protesting that BP is bad. This way they won’t talk to their congressmen and try to get BP from paying bones fines and stuff.

Securing the Artic- Nationl Security

http://articles.latimes.com/2012/nov/16/opinion/la-oe-myers-arctic-20121116



The rapid melting of Artic sea ice is creating new areas for both shipping and drilling. The once mythical sea route between the Atlantic and the Pacific oceans may become a reality by summer 2030; the US Coast Guard is already experiencing traffic problems in our maritime area. To combat this coming traffic, the coast guard has dispatched three Arctic-capable icebreakers: two heavy-duty icebreakers and a medium-duty icebreaker, as well as a Healy; though the Coast Guard is saying that still won't be enough to match other courties in the area. Other nations such as Norway, Canada and Russia have made developing both military/civilian ships their first priority, with Russia already having  25 icebreakers and some with nuclear-power already there.  With the United States lack of military funding in the Artic and security capabilities, the Coast Guard is saying they need more money and ships now to secure our areas now.

I think we do need to secure our maritime areas now so we can have them protected for the future. We can see that Russia is leading the pack and that other countries aren't far behind. We can't allow these newly created routes to be bombarded by traders and pirates that don't want to play be the rules and know that the US can't do anything about it because we have to few ships. The course connection is like the court case McCulloch vs. Maryland because just like McCulloch did not pay his taxes to Maryland, these traders in the Artic won't pay theirs taxes to the US for letting them use our routes. Overall I think it is in our best interest to protect our Artic trade routes now.

Nicholas Baer - Environment

http://green.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/11/16/obama-on-climate-policy-not-just-now-thanks/?ref=science

This article showcases how environmentalist are frustrated with the presidents poor attempts and responses to the climate change. They would like to see more done regarding taxation on carbon emissions and responsibility taken for how global warming caused superstorm Sandy and other recent natural disasters. However, President Obama had doubled the production of renewable energy in his 1st term and pledges to do more to help the future generation. The issue splits Democrats and Republicans. However, the president decided he will not include tax cuts on carbon dioxide emissions if the issue of the fiscal cliff is not solved.

COURSE CONNECTION: The fact of the matter is our country does not have enough money. The debate is between weather our government should use our money to produce new jobs, or to protect the environment. With the looming fiscal cliff, Congress will need to make a decision, and the president will need to work with both sides of the isle. I think the president should choose both; by creating jobs that help the environment and national parks, instead of having to choose one or the other because it is a lose-lose situation for our government and our future.