With the BP oil slick closing in on coastlines from Louisiana to Florida, owners of vacation rental properties are bracing for an unsteady summer season. (6/6/10 ABC News, Clark Fouraker)… Read Article
1. “Property managers on the Gulf coast aren’t letting their customers run east without a fight.” Discuss the measures taken by vacation rental managers to attract customers.
2. What did Amy Baker say about predicting the economic damage from the oil?
The Supreme Court ruled on Thursday, June 24 that petition signers on state ballot referenda do not have a constitutional right to keep their names anonymous. (6/24/10 ABC News, Ariane de Vogue and Ann H. Sloan) … Read Article
1. Discuss First Amendment scholars’ opinion on the Supreme Court’s ruling.
2. Discuss the caveat provided by Justice Samuel Alito in the Supreme Court’s majority ruling.
In a 5-4 decision the Supreme Court today ruled that the Second Amendment’s right to bear arms is applicable to all states and municipalities. The ruling will most likely overturn Chicago’s strict ban on handguns. (6/28/10 ABC News, Ariane de Vogue) … Read Article
1. Chicago Corporation Counsel Mara S. Georges argued that the Court should leave it up to the states and cities to regulate handguns. Do you agree with this point of view? On what constitutional basis do you think she makes her argument?
2. Justice Alito was also careful to note that in some cases the right to bear arms can be limited. Under what circumstance does Justice Alito considers limitation on the right to bear arms?
Three months after the $938 billion health care bill was signed into law, questions abound about whether the Obama administration can meet all the deadlines in the massive law while dealing with the political pressures of Congress. (6/28/10 ABC News, Huma Khan) … Read Article
1. Republicans have the Department of Health and Human Services of missing key deadlines. Discuss some the key deadlines missed and some of the important deadlines already met.
2. Discuss how seniors and young adults have already benefited from the law.
Wary of slamming on the stimulus brakes too quickly but shaken by the European debt crisis, world leaders pledged Sunday to slash government deficits in the most industrialized nations in half by 2013, with wiggle room to meet the goal. (6/27/10 Associated Press, Mark Smith)
1. Discuss how this year’s summit marks a shift from the last summit in Pittsburg.
2. Discuss the signs that G20 leaders declared war on government debt at the summit.
Posted in Banks, Economic Policy, Foreign Policy, Presidency, The Media, Videos
Elena Kagan pledged to be a model of impartiality and restraint if approved for the Supreme Court, “a wondrous instutition,” she said at the outset of Senate confirmation hearings. (6/28/10 Associated Press, Jerry Bodlander)
1. Discuss the Republicans’ opposition to Kagan’s qualification as a Supreme Court Justice.
2. “It’s not a coronation but a confirmation process,” said Senator Jeff Sessions. Discuss the next stage in the confirmation process, now that the opening statement is out of the way.
In a recent poll, we asked MPSL students their opinion on BP’s CEO taking time off for leisure. The result: about 45% of respondents think it was inappropriate for Tony Hayward to take time off for leisure in the midst of the oil spill disaster; about 46% think it is not inappropriate; while about 9% is not sure whether it is inappropriate for BP’s CEO to take time off for leisure. Results were retrieved on 6/28/10, 8:00 PM PST.
BP’s CEO Tony Hayward drew some sharp criticisms for taking time off for leisure in the midst of the oil spill disaster. What do you think?
The Supreme Court had a common-sense message Thursday for workers with cell phones and other gadgets provided by their employers: Use your own cell phone if you’ve got something to text that you don’t want your boss to read. (6/17/10 Associated Press, Mark Sherman) … Read Article
1. “… Justice Anthony Kennedy did make clear that governments can check to be sure their employees are following the rules.” Discuss your opinion of Justice Kennedy’s statement.
2. Do you agree with the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals that Quon’s constitutional right was violated? Why or why not?
I once interviewed for a job with a documentary producer who made boring if well-meaning films for public TV. By way of preparation, I studied up on the producer’s projects and gave a lot of thought to how my interests and experience dovetailed with his. Our chat went swimmingly until he asked me a question that caught me completely off guard: “Who is your favorite comedian?” (6/21/10 Forbes.com, Susan Adams) … Read Article
1. How do you prepare for an interview?
2. According to Rueff and Thanasoulis-Cerrachio, “Business schools teach students how to deal with case interview questions.” Discuss the purpose of the so called off-the-wall interview questions or case interview questions.
Posted in Student Issues, The Economy, Unemployment
Come August, Florida will join 24 other states by fully adopting strict class-size requirements – and this at a time when many states are considering loosening such restrictions due to budget constraints. (6/17/10 ABC News On Campus, Vanessa de la Vina) … Read Article
1. Compare the results of the studies by Harvard University and University of Wisconsin of the effects of class-size reduction on education performance. Are smaller class sizes worth the cost.
2. “In response to schools’ struggles with funding, state legislators (in Florida) have floated a new amendment that would loosen the current class size restrictions.” Should Florida suspend its class-size reduction policy because of current funding problems? Why or why not?
