What is going to replace Obamacare

We all know Obamacare is under attack under the Trump regime.  One of the most  talked about issues that conservatives try to attack is Obamacare.  This healthcare reform has been essential to many Americans who can't afford health insurance or even qualify for insurance due to health issues.  Millions and Millions of people rely on this policy so that they can live their lives on a daily. However, many Americans are being deprived of that safety net and that security that Obamacare has to offer because of this "new proposal" of healthcare reform. How are people going to feel safe if there is no plan out there that will take care and encompass the amount of people Obamacare has.  This is very scary for people in the working class to have a brand new ideal that puts their lives at risk.   Donald Trump said:
     "So we’re doing the health care — again, moving along very well — sometime during the month of March, maybe mid- to early March, we’ll be submitting something that I think people will be very impressed by,”
    What is the plan Donald?  There are millions of people who are relying on you to support their lively hood, but you continue to stall and procrastinate until March.  This also is an effect of party polarization because parties don't want to help out the people, they just want to get credit for party ideals so they can stay incumbents.  It's extremely shameful the people's lives are hanging in the balance because they don't want to give Democrats credit.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/national/health-science/a-divided-white-house-still-offers-little-guidance-on-replacing-obamacare/2017/02/26/3981bb8c-fb8c-11e6-be05-1a3817ac21a5_story.html?tid=hybrid_experimentrandom_2_na&utm_term=.265cac4665d5

Budget Cuts

                 45th has made the move to increase government spending on the Defense Department but keep his promise on not touching large programs like Medicare and Social Security and their budget. In turn the money that goes toward this new budget for defense must come out of the budget of smaller programs like the Environmental Protection Agency's budget. 45th wants to show he is a man of action so his first step in this process to prove himself is to put more money towards our military. A question I have for you though is why must money be taken out of protecting the environment to put towards "protecting" us? Throughout the article they talk about how this plan came to be and what it means. Basically it is to show the people of this country that he was about his word when he said what his plans were for the country during his campaign. It is meant to bring those who didn't vote and those who voted against him on his side. What I don't get though is how would putting more money into defense that we wouldn't necessarily need bring people onto his side. With him being able to put out orders to do this and with the department he chose this should unsettle us as the people in this country. Why must we spend MORE on war and "defense". Who is attacking us that we need to increase the budget on fighting but decrease the budget on keeping our environment protected. You would think with all the affects our way of life has on the earth we would strive to keep it stable and healthy more than we do now. Yet 45th is going to decrease the resources this program has for something we won't necessarily need. If he can decrease the budget on a program that is needed so much like the Environmental Protection Agency imagine the other programs that must give up money to support this newfound budget for the Defense Department. Now we have to watch his next move because I doubt increasing spending on defense would be for nothing. There could be a bigger step after this since this was to show he was about his word just like his Immigration Ban was. Doing this to show his followers that he is about action but whose to say it is the right action? If you want to read more on this article click here and comment your thoughts:https://www.nytimes.com/2017/02/26/us/politics/trump-budget.html?hp&action=click&pgtype=Homepage&clickSource=story-heading&module=first-column-region&region=top-news&WT.nav=top-news&_r=0

Trump's sharp increases in military spending

Trump wants to assemble a budget for the upcoming fiscal year that includes sharp increases in defense department spending and drastic enough cuts to domestic agencies that he can keep his promise to leave social security and Medicare alone. Trump will demand a budget with tens of billions of dollars in reductions to the environmentalbum protection agency and Senate department. Personally, I don't know how to feel about this plan. I understand that others may think there are issues that are more important than others but, at the same time, you shouldnt just cut funds for an agency to fund another one that isn't underperforming. I would like to know Trump's reasoning behind his decision because I am confused as to why the defense department spending has to increase. This goes back to the executive order where he put a ban on those countries. He thought he was doing America a favor but what he realized is that he actually hurt many people and separated many families. I believe this plan has the potential to do the same damage. What do you think about this plan? Is it worth it or is there a better way?






https://www.nytimes.com/2017/02/26/us/politics/trump-budget.html?hp&action=click&pgtype=Homepage&clickSource=story-heading&module=first-column-region&region=top-news&WT.nav=top-news&_r=0

GOP changes to Obamacare could cost states, reduce coverage, governors are told

https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/gop-changes-to-obamacare-could-cost-states-reduce-coverage-governors-told/2017/02/25/074ae840-fbba-11e6-9845-576c69081518_story.html?utm_term=.db5e4c993e70We might be saying good bye to Obama care because Republicans plan on replacing the Affordable Care Act but replacing the Affordable Care Act could significantly reduce the number of America citizens with health insurance and has the potential to cost states billions of dollars over a span of  five years, according to an analysis prepared for the National Governors Association. The 36-page document attempts to evaluate the impact of possible changes included in a Republican leadership plan that outlines the direction Congress could be heading in as it attempts to fulfill President Trump’s promise to repeal and replace Obamacare. Republican governors have held meetings among themselves and with other members of Congress and they're seeking consensus on what they should do moving forward. Trump had a working lunch with governors Saturday. Scott Walker of Wisconsin and Rick Scott of Florida to discuss health-care changes and the states’ role. A group of nine states led by Republican governors, including states that did and did not expand Medicaid under the provisions of the ACA, began meeting some time ago. That group has now broadened to 12 states. This relates to AP Gov because its show how a bill becomes a law but it is not in the traditional way. I think 45 didn't pass it to the whole congress is because he wast sure how much his party would agree with it. Maybe this is why he had a meeting with certain senators before all the republics met, he probably put the idea in their head and they would try and convince the other senators. If trump gets his way many Americas will no longer have the support they need, this will result in alot less people getting medical attention and could lead to some deaths. How do you feel about the ACA? should people receive more care?

Truth Behind Sweden

This article speaks on Trump as a president. The article is about Trump's remarks on an imaginary incident. " The Embassy of Sweden in the United States confirmed that it asked for "explanation" following Trump's Saturday speech in Florida." This is seen as an issue world wide for the mere fact that Trump is in charge of U.S. and finds it okay to tell lies whenever he feels suited. As the article states, Sweden asked for a simple explanation, when in other cases, this could drive us to feud with other countries. 
I saw this an issue because of the position Trump is in now. He is still resorting to twitter, telling lies and doesn't seem mindful of what the harm he could do. My question is what could be done by President Trump to adjust to the power he now has? Another question that came to mind was, " Is Trump's celebrity status interfering with his new position?


http://www.nydailynews.com/news/politics/sweden-mocks-president-trump-remark-imaginary-incident-article-1.2976611

The cost of silence: Why more CEOs are speaking out in the Trump era (Group D)

       It seems as though no matter where you look, you will always find articles about the drastic affects the election of Donald Trump(AKA "45") has had on the country. And while scrolling through the Business Section on the "Washington Post", I was able to see that no one is left out from the aftermath of this election. The article discusses how big businesses and companies are forced to take political stands, and most importantly, why they would take them and the major effects it will have. As said in the article, we as consumers contribute to these businesses and make them run. In the past, there were very rare occasions where businesses got involved in politics. And when they did, it was behind the scenes and no one knew about it. After all, when in business, getting involved in politics is the last thing you want to do. However, because of this election, many CEOs and big businesses are being forced to take a stand. Many of us will not support any company that do not reflect our views and goes against our morals. Also, the same workers for these companies are signing petitions for their bosses to take stands. In government quite often do we see big businesses and interest groups get involved and influence decisions in government. If more and more get involved in government and stand against trump, it will become more difficult for trump to make ridiculous decisions that affect the majority. I believe that these companies should not hesitate to take a political stand in such an important election. Especially if they do not agree with what is happening. At this point expressing a political viewpoint can either make or break businesses.  What do you think businesses should do in this situation? Should they stay silent and risk it? Should they take a side?






Article Link

(Group D) "Schools of Oppotunity"

    Schools of opportunity started in 2014 and was created to "close opportunity gaps through research proven practices and not standardized testing..." This can mean a lot to different people and it can also mean different things. I personally see this as a way to even the playing field for people who do not score well on tests. When you pass a test in school like a state test that goes a long way in someones schooling like high school. For example in New York it is better to take as many regents as you can so you can receive an advanced regents diploma. But just because you pass the test does not mean everything is smooth sailing after that. It is what you get on that test that determines if everything is smooth from then on out. For example a 65 is passing but a 95 is excelling. Just because someone got a 65 does not mean that are "dumber' than the person with the 95. It just means that the person with the 95 might know more information on that topic or the person with 65 blew it during the test. He or she might have been second guessing themselves because they felt pressure to score greatly. Now because of the low grade on that one test colleges might second guess this persons knowledge of the subject and make them take remedial classes. The college system has every right to do this but when they do that sometimes it just is not fair to the person. In my opinion they should at least ask for an explanation on why they got that grade. Then ask the student if they feel like they can do better with their current knowledge. This all my opinion and I agree with the fact that there should be other ways to assess ones knowledge. This deals with government because the regents is a New York based test that the government approves of and distributes. The regents were first administered in November of 1865, the tests are really old and do not need to be apart of New York anymore. The nation has made many improvements since then and many people believe we no longer need to assess people by test. The following link is help people understand the other ways of assessing ones knowledge.
 https://whatedsaid.wordpress.com/2010/09/15/10-ways-to-assess-learning-without-tests/


"Schools of opportunity must strive to ensure that all students have access to rich, challenging and supported opportunities to learn". Yes I believe that is a great way to create equality in the classroom but some people do not deserve the same treatment and opportunities as others. That is because of the behavior of some students. They maybe very intelligent but their behavior might lead to them getting excluded from things like advanced placed classes. This is a problem for some teachers because they deal with everyday and some do not know how to deal with that. This has nothing to do with government but it is in the article and I thought I should share my opinion on it.https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/answer-sheet/wp/2017/02/14/more-than-test-scores-schools-of-opportunity-to-recognize-high-schools-that-create-full-learning-experiences-for-every-student/?utm_term=.272b0f4a7a67

Homophobia in sport: English Rugby Union praised for tackling abuse

English rugby has been praised for crunching down on homophobia in the sport. A British government select committee released a report on Sunday. It investigates the prevalence of homophobia in UK sport and how the ruling bodies were dealing with it. In November 2014, two rugby fans were banned for two years and ordered to pay $1,250 to a charity of gay referee Nigel Owens' choice after the Welshman was verbally abused while officiating an international match between England and Wales at Twickenham. I think it is very important to address homophobia in sports, because a lot of people are condemned just because of their sexuality. The day and age that we are we living in now there are so many new and different things that if you can't be open to them you can't really progress. This is more than just about the issue of homophobia it is also about racism and sexism. In America we should address these issues in sports because it is a bigger platform to get the point across. Millions of people around world watch sports of all kind and that makes it easier for more people to get the message. What do you think about English rugby clamping down on homophobia. Its up to the people learn to become more optimistic about these things and we need political figures that embody that too. We don't need people like Donald Trump who are still continuing with the stoic mentality that blacks and women are inferior. It has been proven that anyone is capable of great things. Once we learn to accept others and look out for each other rather than persecute those who are different we can make this world a better place. How do you think we can make things better not only in sports but in everyday life?

http://www.cnn.com/2017/02/11/sport/homophobia-rugby-england-nigel-owens/index.html

the intermediate-range ballistic missile launch

Trump goes to North Korea and Launched an intermediate-range ballistic missile this was his first Challenge to international rules since he was sworn in three weeks ago. The launch was unexpected and disrupted what was meant to be an easygoing weekend of high-level male bonding with the more sobering aspects of global diplomacy. This act was highly irresponsible and could come to contribute to his future impeachment if he continues to act this way. with this act of missile launching it could draw unnecessarily and unwanted  attention to trump and the U.S having other countries show off their missiles and retaliate. As seen North Korea while Trump is having dinner Mandamus-level missile flew 310 miles off North Korea's eastern coast before crashing into the Sea of Japan. the young leader Kim Jong-un has spooked the country's neighbors. During his per-election intelligence briefings, Trump requested supplemental information about North Korea from US intelligence officials. National security analysts have identified the nation's nuclear program as one of the imminent threats facing Trump as he begins his tenure in the White House. In his talks with Abe at the White House on Friday, the North Korea threat weighed heavily. Abe said during a concluding news conference that he and Trump had agreed to "strongly demand" the country "abandon (its) nuclear and ballistic missile program." so i guess maybe Trump has seen how dangerous missiles could be and wants to put an end to them before they could hurt our country. Is this something that could benefit the country? will Trump make a move to end nuclear warfare and missiles? http://www.cnn.com/2017/02/12/politics/trump-shinzo-abe-mar-a-lago-north-korea/index.html   

Please leave

 We can agree that President Donald Trump is the biggest a-hole in America thus far. He wrote on twitter that our legal system is broken. That's funny because I'm pretty sure that mostly everyone in America has came her legally. This is suppost to be America, land of the free and home of the brave. What good is that motto if Trump is taking away the freedom from anyone coming to America. He is the biggest racist there is, because he is banning people that come from a Muslim background. Just because that is where they come from, doesn't make them an automatic terrorist. According to the article, it takes nearly 2 years to for them to get all the documents together for that person to became a legal citizen of America. This relates to APGOPO because Trump is making theses new cruel policies and people are protesting against it. It is a good thing that the courts are going against his words to. Trump is the biggest clown ever and I don't even think he knows whats he's doing. He needs to leave already.

https://www.nytimes.com/2017/02/11/us/politics/refugees-donald-trump-syria.html?ref=politics&_r=0

Trump V. Sen. Elizabeth

President Donald Trump provoked Democrats by letting them know "Pocahontas is currently the substance of your gathering" The sources said the Warren came up with regards to Trump's extemporaneous examination of the condition of the Democratic Party. Trump made his remarks in what seemed, by all accounts, to be a reference to Warren's feedback of Attorney General Jeff Sessions in  his affirmation procedure. Her remarks incited Republicans to conjure an arcane run to cut her off.Trump utilized his deprecatory crusade epithet for Warren  a reference to her cases of having Native American family line  a few circumstances in  the meeting, which one source portrayed as "equivalent amounts of odd and totally cumbersome." At a certain point, Trump said the main reason Warren asserted Native American legacy was "on the grounds that she has high cheekbones," one of the sources said. The White House and Warren's office haven't reacted to a CNN ask for input. The story was initially detailed by Politico. For Trump, it was an unscheduled and spontaneous, come back to a successive crusade riff assaulting Warren, who at the time filled in as a top surrogate to Democratic chosen one Hillary Clinton. In doing as such, he was diving once more into inquiries over Warren's family from her 2012 Senate race, which Warren protected at the time, to some degree, by referring to the high cheekbones of her granddad. "She has less Native American blood in her than I have, OK?" Trump said in a July rally in North Carolina. "Trust me ... She goes, 'Well take a gander at my cheekbones.'" Trump, in a comparable line of assault amid a Washington state rally in May, called Warren "an aggregate fake."

I personally think that Donald trump has strong animosity towards people of diversity as well as people of color. Donald trump should have no interest in warren's background or her high cheekbones. These things are personal, and not only that but he is the president and this position should not be played with like a child and that's how trump is acting. Like a child. It is clear that Donald trump thinks he can discriminate who he want and do what he pleases, but as time goes he will realize that this running America isn't a game and he should pull his pants.

Link

Bag Fee for New York City Is Delayed by State Legislature

This article talks about how the recent proposed city law on plastic bags was postponed. The law basically made it so that people would have to pay five cents extra for each plastic bag they needed when doing things such as grocery shopping. The purpose of this law is cause people to lean more towards bringing their own bags which would in turn cause less plastic bags to be used up. This would in theory create a much healthier and safer environment as a whole. For instance in the article it says "Environmentalists have said the law would reduce waste and cut the amount of bags sent to landfills. They also said many of the bags end up in the ocean where they present a hazard to sea life, or they simply fill city streets and tree branches with unsightly trash." Naturally there are also opponents of this law who say that this will only hurt those who are already struggling in today's society due to financial strain. Specifically it says "But opponents argued that the tax would place an undue economic burden on shoppers, especially the poor. Dog owners also wondered how they would cope without free bags to clean up after Fido during walks." It is because of all this dissension that this law was postponed so close to its launch date. In the article it said that a bill would be passed by the assembly so that the city bag-fee law  would be held off until at least January 2018.  Initially the state senate meant to pass a bill that would terminate the bag fee; the Assembly version that just postponed it was the product of a compromise between the two houses of the Legislature, according to a legislative aide who spoke on the condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to speak publicly about the internal discussions. The purpose of this is mainly so that people can have more time to debate on whether or not this is the right move to take for our environment. Many times in the past the government has, both on local and national scales, taken large measures to both try to help the environment and make more money. Do you feel as though this is really just for the environment or that there are some other underlying motives at play? Also do you feel as though this is something that other local governments in other states should start to consider being it is supposed to be for the benefit of the environment as a whole? 

Link : https://www.nytimes.com/2017/02/03/nyregion/new-york-plastic-bag-fee.html?rref=collection%2Fsectioncollection%2Fnyregion&action=click&contentCollection=nyregion&region=stream&module=stream_unit&version=latest&contentPlacement=9&pgtype=sectionfront&_r=0

President tweets attacks on federal judge who put immigration ban on hold

President Donald Trump had attacked a federal judge this weekend on twitter and saying if anything was to happen to Americans it would be his fault for putting a hold on the travel ban. He said that releasing this ban would potentially allow really bad people into America. My thing is why does our president run and puts everything on twitter first.Its the 21century there is so many ways you can communicate with people other than social media. I find it really sad that he has to attack a fellow colleague and try to embarrass him . Do you think that the president of the United States of America should be able too use social media in the way he does ? Should twitter just block the president from posting since the things that he post can be found offensive to many people ? What can the people do to try and advocate for his account being blocked ? I honestly feel that him banning these middle eastern countries he's trying to start a war and burns many bridges and basically destroy everything former president Obama has created.

http://www.cnn.com/2017/02/05/politics/trump-twitter-attacks-judge/index.html

Trump & Pence v/ The world

Another week into the Trump administration and so far there has been a lot of controversial decisions being made by the current president. To say that his recent reforms has been received with an "unfavorable response" is a bit of an understatement. There has been nonstop protest in major cities across the countries with no end in sight. Untrustworthy and blatant responses from the Trump administration has caused media chaos. All in the past two weeks and among all of this the most problematic reform from the Trump administration has been his travel bans on five middle eastern countries including Yemen and other countries that are " producing terrorist " in Trump's opinion. If we remember the night that Trump ,somehow, was elected as the 45th president of the united states one of the promises that was given to the people was to reunite the citizens after such a polarizing election. Obviously the exact opposite happened , we are more segregated after the election than during it. This past week a judge decided that he did not want to support the outlandish immigration ban placed by the current president. In typical Trump fashion he responded on social media and other outlets attacking him and condemning him for not making the decision Trump wanted. What makes it worse is that trump is being backed by his vice president which is what is expected of any co leader but in this situation it would have been better for Pence to have never got involved or commented on the topic. What this situation does for the American people is create a division, either you're on the Trump side or against him. With all the protesting and tension it would be great if the president could show more unity and comradery. Do you agree with Pence's action and does Trump have the right to callout anyone who does not agree with his decisions.http://www.msn.com/en-us/news/politics/pence-defends-trumps-attack-on-judge/ar-AAmDCp1?li=AA5a8k&ocid=spartanntp