Justices: 28 states must slash wind-blown pollution

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This article is about a recent Supreme Court ruling about air pollution.  The question in this case was who should pay for air pollution that crosses state lines?  In a 6-2 majority ruling the Justices agreed that states in the Midwest and South whose polluted air flows north and east must follow a federally imposed solution.  This solution includes slashing ozone and fine particle emissions.  However, most of these 28 states that are included under this federally mandated rule are not too happy.  These states believe that the EPA is issuing a solution for them before the states themselves even had a chance to come up with their own plan of action.  Like it or not these states are going to have to comply with the rules.  Afterall, just as we've recently learned, theres no higher court than the Supreme Court.  Therefore, they have the final say; what they say goes.  Furthermore, federal law trumps state laws and since these are federally mandated rules the states must abide by them.

In my opinion I think the question is a bit bizarre in the first place.  How are we to place blame on specific states for air pollution when air is mobile?  I definitely agree that we as a nation and even more so as a world should cut back on our ozone and particle emissions.  As of right now, we only have this planet and its time to start acknowledging that and start treating our home accordingly.  I think it is a little stupid to place blame on only 28 states.  Rather every state in the nation should abide by these rules in order to make the Earth a healthier place to live.  By placing blame on specific states it turns them against each other when instead, we should all be coming together for the greater purpse of improving the planet we live on.

Obama Bids Health Secretary Goodbye as He Names Successor

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This article talks about Kathleen Sebelius and how she is saying her farewells as Heath Secretary.  The article does not explicitly say why Kathleen is leaving.  However, it does mention that Obama took the time to publicly thank her for her time as his Health Secretary.  While she was under this position, Kathleen helped to pass the 2010 Healthcare Law.  She had troubles getting the Obamacare exchange website running.  However, the end result was a sucess with almost seven and a half people enrolling in insurance plans under Obamacare.  As Kathleen leaves her position, President Barack Obama has appointed Sylvia Mathews Burwell the new Health Secretary.  Currently Sylvia serves as the director of Office of Management and Budget.  Obama says she knows what shes doing and can "deliver results".  He aslo hopes that the Senate will approve her in a timely manner, seeing as they unanimously approved her when she was appointed director of Office of Management and Budget.  This relates to AP GoPo because we've recently learned the different powers of the President.  One of these include the power to appoint members of his/her cabinet.  However, the senate must approve all presidential appointments.  Which, in this case, we see working first hand.

With this article there isn't much to have a lot of opinions on.  However, I can say that I enjoy learning something and then seeing it in action.  Also I love the way our government is set up with checks and balances; this being an example of one of them.  Obama has appointed a new Health Secretary and now he waits for the Senate's approval.  The awesome system of checks and balances  allows for no one branch of governement to gain too much power.... the beauty of AMERICA! :D

Ted Cruz: Religious Liberties Under Attack

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In the above article, the author writes about Ted Cruz encouraging students at a top Christian University to stand up for what they belive in and say no to parts of the Health Care Act.  Ted Cruz is a Republican senator from Texas.  On Wedneday he went to Liberty University in Virgina to speak to the student body.  Cruz told them that it is their "responsibility to push back" against President Barak Obama and the Health Care Act that includes coverage for birth control.  He believes that it is forcing businesses and religious groups to provide access to something that they may not be supportive of.  Ted Cruz also believes that the students have the power to change the country if they stand united against the government.  This article relates to AP GoPo because it deals with the 1st amendment, more specifically though, our right to freedom of religion.

In my opinion I don't necessarily agree with the point that Ted Cruz was trying to get across to the students of Liberty University.  I realize that some people do not believe in using contraceptives.  However, not everyone is like that.  Therefore, I think its okay to at least offer those who do believe in using contraceptives the ability to receive birth control.  If you are one who doesn't believe in using contraceptives then you don't have to receive birth control.  Its not like they're forcing you to take the birth control.  Furthermore, I realize that certain businesses are going to be headed by people who don't belive in using contraceptives, and they will have to offer them to people anyways.  However, like most things in life there are ways to try to get around it.  For example, those businesses could use propaganda techniques inside their facilities to persuade people not to take birth control.  Either way I think it is important for people to at least have the option of receiving birth control.

Potential GOP candidates 2016 Presidential Election

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This article talks mainly about four potential candidates for the Republican Party 2016 Presidential election.  These four men are Jeb Bush, Scott Walker, John Kasich, and Chris Christie. The four gentlemen met in Las Vegas for a four-day gatehring hosted by the Republican Jewish Coalition.  However, the focus of the article is not about these potential candidates and their viewpoints.  Rather, the article is geared towards gainning support from a mega donor Sheldon Adleson.  Adleson was a leader in financially supporting Newt Gringrich's presidential campaign in 2012.  He advocated especially hard, spending more than $90 million, to defeat Obama in 2012.  If any of these potential candidates are seen with Adleson's support it is a great advantage politically.  Jeb Bush was first to arrive in Las Vegas and the Adleson's hosted a gala in their private Las Vegas airport hanger in his honor.  This article relates to AP GoPo because it goes right along with campaign finance.  These potential candidates, although they have money, need much more in order to get nationally recognized by the public.  Therefore, they go to these meetings in hopes of persuading these mega donors to back them in their campaigns.  Personally I think the whole idea of campaigns and strategically playing this "game" to get the most money for your campaign is so interesting.  While it may not necessarily be the most ethically okay thing to do it is certaintly intriguing.  It is esentially social darwinism; survival of the fittest.  In this case however, "fittest" means whos got the most connections and money.