States Reopening

The country is slowly starting to reopen, and this week almost all states will begin the process of
reopening. For all states not everything will be opened the same because of population and number of
cases, but businesses and public places such as beaches, gyms, and parks will reopen in many states.
“More than 45 states by Sunday will have relaxed restrictions on some combination of businesses,
services or parks,”(CNN). Part of the lift of restrictions has been based on getting people working again.
This April the U.S has lost 20.5 million jobs according to the government. As it does seem good to be
reopening and getting people to work again it is also very concerning to people. “More than two-thirds of
Americans -- 68% -- are concerned about their states being reopened too quickly, according to a new poll from Pew Research Center,”(CNN). Reopening also risks another wave of the virus, and we won’t know about it until two to
three weeks later when symptoms kick in. Dr. Anthony Fauci member of the White House Coronavirus
Task Force said that if we lifted boundaries the virus could come back and we would be in the “same boat
that we were a few weeks ago.” There is definitely a concern throughout the country, and many think it is
too soon to reopen.

Additional link of states that have reopened.

1. Do you think that it is too soon for states like Georgia and Texas to start reopening?

2. Do you think all states should have been required to open at the same time?

3. Are the states that are open putting people in other states at risk?


4. Assuming that there is likely not to be a vaccine for over a year, would you be comfortable going

into movie theaters, sports stadiums, restaurants, and other public places?

Is Kim Jong Un in Bad Health?

 Over the past week, there have been rumors surfacing around the internet and various news platforms that the leader of the Democratic People's Republic of North Korea (DPRK), Kim Jong Un, is ailing and in bad health. Earlier this month, sources from inside North Korea reported that the leader underwent cardiovascular surgery on April 12th. However, three days after this surgery, Kim Jong Un was nowhere to be seen at an event that honored his deceased grandfather. His absence raises questions, as this event was one of the most important North Korean holidays. According to this same source, he has completely disappeared from the public eye since the surgery, which may indicate that something may have gone wrong. An unnamed United States official said the same, as a CNN report cited him saying that Kim Jong Un was in grave danger. However, the South Korean Presidential Office says otherwise. When asked questions regarding the Supreme Leader, they commented, “We confirm that Chairman Kim Jong Un is currently touring provincial areas with his close aides and we do not detect evidence to support speculation about his ill health”. In other words, they are saying that Kim Jong Un is still active and his surgery has not debilitated him. The president of the United States has also commented on the matter, and he said that he believed the sources from North Korea were incorrect. Clearly, there have been varying views on what condition Kim Jong Un may be in, and it's pretty hard to tell which ones are right and which are wrong. This is largely due to the fact that North Korea is an isolated nation-state under a dictatorship, and rarely reveals anything to the outside world. Even amid this Coronavirus pandemic, North Korea has not given much information on how it has affected their country. Earlier this month, they reported that their nation didn't have any cases of the virus, and haven't released any other information since. Since there isn't anything definitively known about his medical state, people have been jumping to conclusions on what may have happened. Some people have gone so far to infer that he may actually be dead and that the North Korean government has been trying to cover it up. If he were to be dead, his sister, Kim Yo Jong, would likely be the one to succeed him. She is one of Kim Jong Un's most trusted confidants, and her status as a sibling of Kim would allow her to become the next Supreme Leader. However, North Korea has a patriarchal line for leadership, which means that someone else could also seize power. There may be a dispute for control of the nation among the higher-ups of the North Korean government, which could create lots of conflict. This possible situation has already begun to affect the outside world, as the worth of the South Korean currency has gone down due to the possibility of their neighboring countries' leader being deceased. On the other hand, the death of Kim Jong Un could bring hope to North Korea, as the end of his regime could bring new hope to the isolated country. Use this article to answer the following questions.

In what ways do you think that transparency benefits a government? 

Why do you think there are varying opinions on what medical condition he is in? 

What do you think will happen if Kim Jong Un is dead?

Have you ever felt like you were being continually lied to?

Should states cancel school for the rest of the year?

Coronavirus has been ruining the lives of thousands for the last couple of months. It went from an irrelevant virus that caused disease in animals to a pandemic that is keeping everyone stuck in their homes. After only one month of the virus arriving to the U.S, over 123,000 public and private schools have been closed “until further notice” in order to keep everyone safe, leaving only 4 states with in-person classes still in session. According to The Washington Post, “there were a dozen states plus the Northern Marianas Islands in the Pacific that had ordered or recommended that all schools stay closed.” as of April 3rd, meaning that as long as Coronavirus continues to expand across the U.S, the amount of states that agree to canceling the remainder of the school year will grow. Governors all across the country are making quarantine a top priority. Governor Baker issued a "a stay at home advisory" meaning residents should not leave their houses unless it is necessary, and although recent surveys have shown that 74% of the United States’s registered voters either somewhat or strongly agree with social distancing, the number of confirmed cases has gone up by more than 454,000 since the beginning of March. About a week ago, a virtual conference call with area officials and a local scientist took place, where a “crucial question” surfaced. Should schools in Massachusetts stay closed for the rest of the year? The Mayor of Somerville, Joseph Curtatone, thought the answer was “very clear''. Mayor Curtatone said, “That is the most prudent and ... logical step to ensure that we don’t spike a new wave of transmission.". Slowly, governors will start making decisions on what to do with what's left of the school year, keeping the warnings scientists are giving them in mind. We can all agree that this pandemic has taken a toll on our social lives, but if you want a good summer and want to help get rid of this virus quicker, just facetime your friends and practice social distancing.

What is gained and lost by closing for the year?

How will this affect you and your family personally? 

If we do close, it means we will not have a graduation ceremony, how do you feel about that?

What do you think the Government should do in order to help lower the amount of cases the U.S is getting daily?

Coronavirus Gains Momentum in U.S., While Officials Worry Trump Isn't Taking it Seriously

Over the past week, The White House has faced a lot of criticism for its response to the coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak in the United States. On Thursday, President Trump challenged the the 3.4 percent death rate provided by the World Health Organization, saying: "Well, I think the 3.4 percent is really a false number," and he eventually concluded it was "way under 1 percent." Last week, he called the virus a hoax crafted to harm his re-election prospects. The government's response has also been criticized for a lack of coronavirus test kits in hospitals across the nation. This is all happening while coronavirus cases continue to rise in the United States. According to the New York Times, there have been over 250 confirmed cases of coronavirus nationwide. Washington State, New York, and California are among the states which are reporting the most cases. Washington State, in particular, has reported 14 deaths from the virus, causing The University of Washington to cancel physical classes, instead resorting to digital means. If that weren't enough, community spreading is beginning in many of those same western states, with many speculating that mild cases are dangerously going undetected. Understandably, the public is becoming increasingly worried about the exponential spread of the virus in the United States. Particularly, scientists and health officials are concerned about the government's response to the virus. They have said they believe people will not take the virus seriously enough due to Trump's responses, leading to lenient measures and more infections. Others are worried that Trump's regular dismissal of science, such as ignoring warnings about the climate crisis and misinterpreting the cause of California's wildfires, will continue. The White House has disputed these claims and insisted that they are both following the science and holding meetings every day with prominent health officials. Since the story of coronavirus has already changed so much in the past month, one can only imagine what it will be like in the future. Use both this article (for disease updates) and this article to answer the following questions.

1. How do you think the coronavirus outbreak in the U.S. will continue to progress? Do you think it will become as bad as it is in China? Why or why not?

2. Since coronavirus is progressing in the U.S., what do you think should be done to help stop infections? What would you do if you were in charge?

3. What do you think about The White House's response to the outbreak? Do you think their response to coronavirus is adequate? Why or why not?

4. Have you ever felt as though you were responsible for something that you were unfit to handle?

Presidential Pardon Controversy

On Tuesday, President Donald Trump pardoned several people who were convicted of white-collar crimes(crimes that are financially motivated and non-violent) and among those who were pardoned was the former governor of Illinois, Rod Blagojevich. 8 years ago, Rod Blagojevich was convicted on numeral federal charges that included his attempt to sell Barrack Obama's vacant seat in the Senate after he became president. President Trump spoke to reporters about his reasons to pardon Rod Blagojevich, "He served eight years in jail, a long time. He seems like a very nice person, don't know him(Trump)." Under Article II of the Constitution, it is stated that the president has this unique power of pardoning people. The president does not need approval from anyone to pardon someone, it does not pass through congress nor does it pass through anything else; the president is completely in control of who does and doesn't pardon. Others who were pardoned include former San Francisco owner Edward DeBartolo who pleaded guilty in 1998 for failing to report that he was extorted. Commissioner Bernard Kerik who committed tax fraud and made false statements and Michael Milken who pleaded guilty to felonies involving securities and tax fraud are just some of the white-collar criminals who got pardoned by President Trump. President Trump's motives were questioned and it's being questioned whether he was looking to soften how the public viewed these crimes. With the power to pardon, President Trump does not have to depend on others to decide who should and shouldn't get pardoned. Brian Kalt, a Law Professor at Michigan State University said, "He just declares it and it happens, and it's a guaranteed headline(Kalt)." The presidential pardon has allowed many people to leave jail much quicker than they should have according to the sentences they were given. Read this article and answer the following questions:

Do you think the people who committed the white-collar crimes(tax fraud, bribery, etc.) and got pardoned by the president should've been pardoned? Why or why not?

Do you think the president should have the constitutional power to pardon? Why or why not?

Do you think presidential pardons could be used in a corrupt way? How could it or How could it not?

Have you ever felt like you got away with something that deserved to have a greater punishment than you received?

Coronavirus controversy

          Coronavirus, a virus that has "literally only existed on planet Earth in humans for maybe two months,"-Kenneth T. Cuccinelli, is escalating quick. Thousands of people in china have been diagnosed in the past few days, and Americans are being brought from Wuhan, the Province where this virus all began, to a military base. While this is meant to help their sickness, this very well could be creating a more serious risk, and although being quarantined is crucial to prevent the virus, being put with 200 other Americans, could cause the disease to spread, and could allow a larger risk. China may be doing joint quarantines, but in the U.S self-quarantine is being relied on. There are too many Americans returning from China to have that responsibility. On Monday, the U.S had only 11 confirmed cases. Although compared to China this amount seems miner, getting rid of the virus is no easy task. "I am going stir crazy," says Claire Campbell, a college student recently diagnosed with the disease. The extent that the U.S is going, to prevent any non-Americans from entering the country if they have been in China is excruciating. For example, a Canadian attempting to enter the U.S by foot was recently sent out of the country due to his travel to China in nearby weeks. Additionally, the Federal Government has recently directed air carriers to prevent anyone who has traveled to China in recent weeks from boarding any American flights. As Coronavirus is becoming more serious, and a bugger risk, there is a major controversy, debating how to deal with the virus, and how to go about getting rid of it. Answer the following questions:

Do you think people should be quarantined all together, or separate?

Why do you think the U.S is going to more extreme measures than China, or other countries?

What do you think should happen next? What should be done to fully prevent the virus?

Have you ever gone to school sick and regretted it?

Espinoza vs Montana Department of Revenue Case

All of the actions which have lead to the Espinoza vs Montana Department of Revenue case started when the Blaine Amendment was founded in the anti-Catholic 19th century. This amendment prevented governments from funding Catholic and other religious schools. In 2015, the state of Montana decided to pass a scholarship program that allowed Montanans who donated to private schooling organizations up to $150 in state tax credits for their choice of any private K-12 education. Families were using this money towards religious schools and when the Department of Revenue caught on, they immediately shut them down due to the violation of the Blaine Amendment and the possibility of "draining the funds for publics schools and opening the floodgates to religious school"(Fox news).  Other people like Kendra Espinoza argued that states that being illegible for the program just because their goes to a religious school is "blatant discrimination". This case had also caught the attention of President Trump which he states that "the government should never stand between the people and god". So far, after the oral arguments on Wednesday, the supreme court seems to be closely split. If this case was to result in a win for Espinoza, this could lead to others states instituting similar programs in the near future. For more information go to https://www.nytimes.com/2020/01/21/us/politics/supreme-court-religion-school-vouchers.html?searchResultPosition=7

Which side do you think has the most just argument in this trial?

How do you think this ties to the separation of church and state?

Do you think the Blaine amendment is something that should be abolished?

Do you think your parents should contribute tax dollars towards public school education in your town.