Ash Spill Shows How Watchdog Was Defanged

http://www.nytimes.com/2014/03/01/us/coal-ash-spill-reveals-transformation-of-north-carolina-agency.html?_r=0

There has been more and more information leaking out everyday dealing with the Duke Energy coal ash ponds being illegally drained into the Dan River. Federal prosecutors have begun a criminal investigation into the spill and the relations between Duke and regulators at the environmental agency. The spill, which coated the river bottom 70 miles downstream and threatened drinking water and aquatic life, drew attention to a deal that the environmental department’s new leadership reached with Duke last year over pollution from coal ash ponds. It included a minimal fine but no order that Duke remove the ash — the waste from burning coal to generate electricity — from its leaky, unlined ponds. Environmental groups said the arrangement protected a powerful utility rather than the environment or the public. Our governor, Pat McCrory, use to work at a high position in the Duke company. Once he was elected governor he immediately passed laws loosening environmental policies, fired the whole staff that dealt with environmental issues, and attached a 60 paged rider to a bill that went unnoticed until the bill was passed. The rider basically claimed that Duke Energy wasnt responsible for any leakage from their ponds. This relates to our class because we talked about riders and bills. I think Duke and Our governor should take full responsibility for their actions and be punished for harming the environment.

Global seismic network takes to the seas

http://www.nature.com/news/global-seismic-network-takes-to-the-seas-1.14855

This article discusses the benefits of seismic testing in the oceans to map the image of earths interior. This article does not mention, however, the risks in no way are worth the benefits! This sonic blast is louder than 2 jet engines when shot underwater. It kills and displaces thousands of of marine life. The east coast is indanger of this testing. i am doing my senior project on the bad effects of this testing and am spreading awerness to the public. WE DO NOT WANT THIS TESTING IN OUR OCEANS. It will mess up the biodiversity of our already stressed oceans.This relates to ap gov because to appeal ths legislation the people would need to sue to gov in a trial court in order to get national recognition. 

Arizona's anti-gay bill veto unlikely to end 'religious freedom' movement

http://www.cnn.com/2014/02/26/politics/religious-freedom-states/index.html?hpt=hp_t1

The latest political buzz has been about the bill that if passed would allow business owners to close their doors to gay and lesbian people. The argument is that it is within the owner's religious freedom to do this.  Arizona's governor, Jan Brewer, has decided to veto the bill saying that, "It could divide Arizona in ways we cannot even imagine." To me, this seems like a waste of time. Discrimination is never a viable option as seen through the history of our nation and of the world. In our modern age we should be more concerned with who is more qualified for the career and not base their character off of what they personally believe.  I hope to see this bill vetoed in all states to show a message that all people are equal and the merit of a person should not be instead judged on their way of life but judged by what they contribute to society. This relates to AP Gov bc we have been talking about the different steps a bill goes through in order to be approved and become law.

Lawmakers push Obama to reclassify marijuana

http://politicalticker.blogs.cnn.com/2014/02/13/lawmakers-push-obama-to-reclassify-marijuana/?hpt=hp_t2

This article deals with the issue of where marijuana should stand as a drug. As of now it is labeled as a schedule one drug along with heroin, ecstasy, and LSD to name a few. Obama has come out and said, "I smoked pot as a kid, and I view it as a bad habit and a vice, not very different from the cigarettes that I smoked as a young person up through a big chunk of my adult life. I don't think it is more dangerous than alcohol." It is documented that marijuana has lead to no deaths where as alcohol has lead to hundreds of thousands in the past few years. Americans spend their tax money on sending people to jail who have charges with possessing marijuana but is this really a worth-while law? The government is beginning to show signs that they believe marijuana should become a legal substance to buy, sell and possess. This will bring great revenue as the states who have already made marijuana legal have seen an immense amount of buyers. I am for the legalization because it will keep a lot of people out of jail who don't belong there and will create a greater revenue for our country.   

Seismic Testing

http://www.savingseafood.org/council-actions/mid-atlantic-fishery-management-council-opposes-boem-seismic-testing-on-the-us-east-3.html

The issue of seismic testing is becoming larger and larger by the day. The government wants to conduct seismic tests off the east coast to test for natural resources under the oceans crust. This will have a detrimental effect on the marine life if the proposed plan is approved. The seismic blasts, which are louder than a jet engine, have the ability to burst marine mammals eardrums and displace countless numbers of fish and turtles who will be scared of the seismic waves. The government tried to conduct these experiments along the California coast but organizations such as Oceana stepped up and deafened the ocean's ecosystem. This is a huge issue as it will have multiple negative effects on not only our local economies but the health and diversity of the thriving ecosystems of the Gulf Stream which fisherman rely heavily on for their own survival. In my opinion the government only cares about money and their personal wealth while disregarding the environmental impact they leave behind. The public needs to be educated on the dangers of this issue in order to protest against the plan for offshore seismic testing.

Review: NSA snooping program should stay in place

http://www.cnn.com/2013/12/18/politics/nsa-report/

The NSA has been scrutinized by the media and public for their snooping around taking information from electronics and saving it for "safety reasons."Although this seems like a clear violation of our right to privacy, Obama thinks otherwise and thinks we need to keep this controversial program in place. Because of the Patriot Act the government has the right to strip you of your rights and do whatever they feel the need to do if you are considered a terrorist or threat to the security of the nation. The NSA claims they are only collecting all this information to protect the U.S. from possible threats but is that what is really going on? Of course they wouldn't tell us the truth behind their reasoning so one can only guess. The presidential Review Group on Intelligence, which was only created because Edward Snowden was able to expose all this corruption to the public in our government, decided that the organization needs more strict judicial oversight and boundaries. This is the first step in taking action to protect our civil liberties guaranteed to us by the constitution and hopefully there will be many more to provide a clear distinction on how deep the government can go into our personal lives.

"Known Unknowns about Obamacare"

http://www.cnn.com/2013/12/04/politics/obamacare-secrets/?iref=obinsite

President Obamas new Obamacare has received a huge amount of scrutiny, especially due to the fact that the website made to sign up for this health care policy did not work at all. Now they say they finally have fixed the issues on the website but why are they not being upfront about three things: How many people actually visited the site, how many signed up, and just how messed up the information that the insurance companies are getting. This new health care policy is obviously a total mess and they people running it aren't even giving reasons for it, they are simply avoiding discussing the issue. White House press secretary Jay Carney said that over one million people visited the site which proves that a massive amount of people would like quality affordable health insurance. However, they are being blocked by the system which won't allow them to receive health care. The most disturbing issue is that the information that is going to insurance companies is not accurate and this is how they decide what to charge you on a monthly bases. My personal opinion is that they need to shut it down completely and actually fix all the bugs and issues embedded into the program before embarrassing themselves again.