Earlier this June, the Kansas state legislature voted to pass Senate Bill 30, a bill that would override many of the large tax cuts that were championed by Governor Brownback. Governor Brownback attempted to veto the passage of S.B. 30, but was overridden by the legislature in a surprising move by the State senators in his party. The Brownback…
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Foreign Policy Flip-Flop: NATO Policy
The North Atlantic Treaty Organization, or NATO, was founded in 1949 as a response to rising global threats. NATO is the paramount international defense alliance, and its members are some of the beacons of stability and democracy across the globe. Because of President…
Supreme Court Rules in Favor of Religious Pre-school
On the grounds of free exercise of religion, the Supreme ruled in favor of a Missouri church this week who had been denied state funding to refurbish their playground surface. The case Trinity Lutheran Church v. Comer, arose after the state of Missouri would not allow state funds to be given to the church’s preschool to resurface…
Cities, Companies, Universities Bypass Trump on Climate
After President Trump withdrew the US from the Paris Climate Accord on June 1st, private and public actors have both vowed to lead the country’s fight against climate change. The coalition “We Are Still In” released a statement on June 5th declaring their intent to “ensure the U.S. remains a global leader in reducing…
DoJ Information Sharing, Past and Upcoming Congressional Interviews, Key Witnesses
This past week, news of the Russia investigations was relatively quiet; the biggest stories were about witnesses who are expected to testify in upcoming congressional hearings, and information gathered, expected, or wanted by the congressional committees…
Mueller in the Spotlight, Congressional Intelligence Hearings, Cybersecurity Concerns
This week, news of the Russia investigations centered largely on special counsel Robert Mueller, on whom the White House and some Republican lawmakers have been attempting to cast doubt. Mueller met last week with the Senate Intelligence Committee and followed up this week with the…
Healthcare Vote Delayed due to Lack of Support
On Tuesday, Republican strategist and Senate majority leader Mitch McConnell was forced to delay the vote on the repeal and replace of the Affordable Care Act. He had ambitiously planned to push the bill that he wrote behind closed doors through the Senate before the July 4th recess, but could not unite the Republican party…
Veteran Affairs Bill
President Trump signed a bill into law that would directly affect the Department of Veteran Affairs. As a result of this passage, it will be easier to fire “bad” employees within the department while also ensuring more protection for workers when they bring misbehavior to attention. For example, if a worker notices any type of malpractice in the…
‘Dreamers’ to Stay in U.S. for Now, but Parents now Face Deportation
On June 15th the Department of Homeland Security signaled that the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals or Dream Act would remain in effect. In the same press release, it stated that the proposed program Deferred Action for Parents of Americans and Lawful Permanent Residents would be canceled This means that while the…
Cuba Reversal
On June 16th, President Donald Trump signed a directive with the intention of reversing Obama-era Cuba policy changes. The directive only dealt with a few regulations and left many in place. Specifically, private tours of Cuba are no longer allowed, and any educational trip will undergo an intensive audit. Furthermore, President Trump…