Amid the Coronavirus Pandemic, Abortions are Contested in Court

Link: https://www.cnn.com/2020/03/30/politics/texas-order-abortion-block-coronavirus/index.html

Summary: As the coronavirus is sweeping the nation, many surgical procedures have been deemed nonessential in hopes of maximizing resources to be used in fighting the virus. In multiple states, abortions have been deemed nonessential, leading to the arrests or fines of doctors who perform them. Ohio, Texas, and Alabama are all states where such a decision has been issued and in these states, abortion rights activists and abortion clinics have contested the decision in court and won. Federal judges in all three states have found that these decisions violate a woman's constitutional right to choose a pre-viability abortion, as well as their Fourteenth Amendment right to privacy. In addition, Texas Judge Lee Yeakel has noted that during this pandemic, the risks of carrying out an unwanted pregnancy, as well as traveling to other states for abortions, outweigh the benefits of blocking abortions in hopes of preserving resources, as rationale for his decision to block the Texas coronavirus-related ban. Such decisions continue to emerge in other states and are likely to be fought as they have been in these three states.

Reaction: I'm happy to see that the coronavirus-related bans on abortions have been blocked on the basis of their constitutionality. In all three states, the governors and other high officials have historically supported anti-abortion legislation and I feel that each state is wrongly using the pandemic to prevent people from getting abortions, simply based on their opposition to abortion as a whole. I find it illogical to deem abortions nonessential, as the means that women may go about to get them in response to these bans could increase the spread of coronavirus and further drag down the health care system. Although we are in desperate times, I don't think it's time to violate women's constitutional rights, particularly when it comes to health.

Connection to US History: In 1973, in the US Supreme Court decision Roe v. Wade, the court ruled that a woman's right to a pre-viability abortion is protected by the Constitution.

Questions:

1. Do you think banning abortions is an effective way of preserving resources amid the coronavirus pandemic? 
2. Do you think a pandemic is a valid reason to violate constitutional rights?
3. Are there better ways to preserve medical resources? 

9,000 Retired Army Soldiers Volunteering to Fight Against Coronavirus

Link: https://www.cbsnews.com/news/coronavirus-response-retired-army-soldiers-volunteer-to-fight-covid-19/

Summary: Out of 800,000 officers and soldiers, a positive amount of 9,000 has expressed interest in volunteering against the fight of the coronavirus. For the ones with medical expertise, they would become critical care medics, anesthesiologists, nurses, and respiratory specialists. Others will deliver food to communities, do public outreach, and assist local clinics.  In this time of high needs for medical personnel, they will be a great help to the COVID-19 response. As a result, they are an inspiration to upcoming military and Public Health forces with their continued determination to combat national disasters.

Reaction: It was surprising to come across this news article because I wouldn't expect soldiers to be able to take an essential part against fighting coronavirus. Then, I was reminded that behind every nation's front line, there is a team of medical soldiers as well, to assist them in times of danger. Most of the 9,000 soldiers that volunteered were retired, so it was astonishing for me to see them still standing up for the country, adding on to the years of service they've already provided to the United States.

Connection to U.S. History: In 1942, Congress passed a law that established WAVES, Women Accepted for Volunteer Emergency Services. This forged a place for women in the military and deemed them as essential for assistance in the war. This relates to the nationalism former soldiers embody for the country today; at desperate times, volunteers are the one that can step up to help the country recover. 

Question: Is it worth it for the United States to spend time on retraining these soldiers for the crisis? Should their patriotic acts be repaid in anyway, even though it was voluntary? Do you think there are other ways to add more medical personnel to help those tested positive for the virus? 

Fox Business Parts Ways with Trish Regan, Host Who Dismissed Coronavirus as 'Impeachment Scam'

              Source: https://www.cnn.com/2020/03/27/media/trish-regan-fox-news/index.html

Summary: With coronavirus killing more and more people throughout the world, news reporter Trish Regan of Fox claims it is nothing but a scam. She says that coronavirus is a trick to criticize and paint President Trump as a monster. Therefore, she was faced with criticism and backlash, forcing Fox Business to dismiss her. Additionally, Fox News has been under attack because of its top hosts downplaying the epidemic as a way to impeach Trump.

Reaction: I'm so shocked at the fact that so many people are suffering from coronavirus and rely on the news to provide the truth to warn them about the seriousness of this issue, only for news reporters to say it is a farse. What political ploy is this extreme, to affect/kill thousands of people everywhere? 

Connection to US History: This relates to the Monica-Lewinsky affair with Bill Clinton in 1995 where although there was evidence of the affair already released to the public, Clinton denied any sexual interaction with the woman at first. However later he admitted to "inappropriate intimate physical contact". In this case, a person who is seen as a representation of the United States tried to downplay a clearly apparent affair, while today news reporters who are seen as reliant and providing the facts toward the public tried to censor and playoff something deadly like a joke. 

Questions: Why do you think these reporters or anybody would downplay the seriousness of such a severe issue? How can we prevent this type of censorship in further cases? In what cases, if any, is censorship ok?

Coronavirus Testing Kits and Equipment Remain in Short Supply

https://www.npr.org/sections/coronavirus-live-updates/2020/03/27/822939057/u-s-tops-100-000-coronavirus-cases-testing-kits-equipment-still-in-short-supply

Summary: Data from John Hopkins University showed that 101k+ people have been diagnosed with COVID-19 (as of 3/27), and more than 1,560 people have died. This means that the number of confirmed cases doubled from the number of cases three days ago, and the infection toll rose above that of Italy and China. VP Pence announced that 685,000 tests for the virus had been performed, and said that there would be airlifts of testing kits, ventilators and protective gear. FEMA is advising to have a plan to use the National Guard to move such equipment.

Reaction: In math class, I was to calculate the expected date U.S. would hit 100k cases based on available data (I got a later date), and this made me realize how quickly it will continue to accelerate. The idea of healthcare infrastructure being overwhelmed due to the brute amount of cases is very scary. Besides "flattening the curve" to reduce strain on healthcare equipment, I think the production and, importantly, widespread distribution of more equipment would help reduce the number of cases.

Connection: There was no vaccine/antibiotics (to treat secondary infections) available for the 1918 H1N1 virus (the "Spanish Flu" pandemic), so isolation, quarantine, good personal hygiene, use of disinfectants, and limitations of public gatherings was employed, although ineffectively to some degree. As of now, there is no vaccine for COVID-19 either, however, we are able to produce higher quality equipment, and science and technology will allow a vaccination to be produced eventually.

Questions:
1. Considering the amount of public safety measures (such as calls to stay home) put into place, are you shocked at the accelerating rate of infections?
2. What role will technology and production of equipment play into the eradication of COVID-19? Or, because of technological advancement, do you think the course of this pandemic will differ greatly from previous pandemics?

The U.S. Now Leads the World in Confirmed Coronavirus Cases

                   Source: https://www.nytimes.com/2020/03/26/health/usa-coronavirus-cases.html

Summary:   The United States became the country hardest hit by the 2019 novel coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. Until today, there are more than 81 thousand people who have been infected with the coronavirus and more than 1000 deaths in the US — more than China and other countries had reported. More than 160 million Americans asked to stay home to help to slow down the spread of this virus.

Reaction:  I think the reason why the US became the country hardest hit by the coronavirus is that most of the people aren’t taking coronavirus precautions seriously, especially the young people, because most of them think that they won’t get infected. 

Connection to U.S. history:  The 1918 flu pandemic (also known as the Spanish flu), wiped out more than 600 thousand American’s lives and infected more than 500 million people in the world (one-third of the world’s population). There were no effective drugs or vaccines to treat this flu at that time. 

Question:   The rate of transmission outside of China appears to be faster than China, do you think that the Chinese government hides their true number of confirmed cases (because the coronavirus started from China and China has the largest population in the world)? Explain.

Amazon warehouses are getting hit with corona virus cases

https://www.cnn.com/2020/03/25/tech/amazon-workers-coronavirus/index.html

Summary : Many people that work in Amazon's warehouses have been tested positive with the virus. This has caused some locations to close while the others stay open. The virus has impacted Amazon by making many people rely on their delivery services because Americans are sheltering in place. Because of the sudden demand, Amazon is now hiring 100k new workers as if it were a seasonal period, and are increasing wages.  Many employees have accused the company of "recklessly endangering " employees by not giving them paid time off.  They are now fighting to have leave count separately from sick leave. Many workers have reported that the social distancing policies and the other safety precautions are not ideal in the workplace and that there is a lack of control about the situation. For example, only a few are washing their hands, Amazon didn't notify their workers about a person testing positive, and Amazon hasn't provided their workers with materials like face masks. 

Reaction: I understand that Amazon has to stay open due to the demand of materials like soap and toilet paper because many Americans like us, are sheltering in place. Unfortunately by having them deliver these materials, we are increasing the risk of getting the virus. Amazon employees could potentially have the virus and then pass it on to whoever receives the package. A solution to this that I  have recently been doing is that when we receive the package we leave it in an area that we don't touch for three days. This way we wait for the virus to die before touching anything that could put us at risk. 

Connection to U.S. History: The fact that workers are fighting for paid leave and that leave should be separate from sick leave relates to the National Labor Relations Board which was created from the Wagner Act. The National Labor Relations Board gave rights to bargain for wages, hours, and working conditions. 

Question: Do you think that opening up more jobs and putting more workers at risk of the virus to meet the supply and demand is worth it?  

Yellowstone joins growing list of national park closures

https://www.sfgate.com/news/medical/article/Yellowstone-Grand-Teton-join-national-parks-15153964.php

Summary: On Tuesday, March 24, Yellowstone, Grand Teton, and Great Smoky Mountains, all popular national parks, have closed temporarily. Parks like Great Smoky Mountains reach an attendance of about 30,000 different people per day, a dangerously high number despite the social distancing efforts across the country in response to the Coronavirus. After push from state officials to close the park, the National Park Service responded with these closures. This comes following the indefinite closures of other national parks such as Alcatraz, the Statue of Liberty, and Yosemite. For the parks that are still open, entrance fees have been waived to encourage people to leave their homes and “implement some social distancing”. This has led to more dangerous circumstances like crowds of people still showing up to popular hiking trails and overcrowding on special tours as people tried to attend them before they were shut down.

Reaction: What the National Park Service is doing makes sense for the most part. The popular parks and locations that attract a lot of people should be closed. What confuses me is their effort to promote social distancing while encouraging people to come to these open parks for free. 

Connection to U.S. History: The closure of these parks relates to certain responses to the 1918 Spanish Flu in America. At the time, it was up to individual cities to decide how to fight the flu. St. Louis, Missouri, for example, called for the closure of schools and other large gatherings, leading to their mortality rate to be a fraction of other cities.

Question: Is the National Park Service encouraging social distancing by letting people enter open parks for free? Is there a better way for them to combat the virus?

Quarantine for New Inmates: Coronavirus in Prisons

Feds to quarantine all new inmates for 14 days to try to guard against COVID-19 in its 122 prisons

https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/2020/03/24/coronavirus-bureau-prisons-quarantine-new-inmates-14-days/2908560001/

Summary: The Federal Bureau of Prisons is going to quarantine new inmates for 14 days all across the country to prevent the spread of coronavirus, due to both prisoners and staff beginning to test positive. The bureau has also stopped visitation and many prison transfers. The government is considering the release of nonviolent inmates, especially the elderly and those with compromised immune systems, to reduce the risk of a major outbreak. 

Reaction: With all this panic caused by the coronavirus, I hadn't even thought about what would happen in prisons. Inmates are crowded together in unsanitary spaces, and they don't have enough supplies to protect themselves with. Some facilities don't even have clean water supplies. It seems like once the virus starts spreading in a prison, it will be extremely difficult or even impossible to stop it; there are already staffing shortages and inadequate medical care. Quarantining new prisoners is a good way to keep infected people from bringing the virus into correctional facilities from outside, although I don't know if there will be enough space or resources to maintain that.

Connection to U.S. History: In 1918, the Spanish flu spread all over the world. The pandemic originated through overcrowding and poor conditions in WW1 army camps, where it developed rapidly and infected surrounding communities. This relates to the coronavirus in prisons today; inmates are at high risk of infection because of prison conditions.

Question: Do you think the quarantine of new inmates is a good idea? What, if anything, can be done to prevent the spread of the virus in prisons? Should nonviolent inmates be released to free up space?

Californian Sent to Prison for Being an Agent for China 

https://www.sfgate.com/news/crime/article/California-man-gets-prison-for-working-as-agent-15138043.php

Caption: U.S. attorney David Anderson announces criminal spy charges

Summary: On March 16, 2020, a former SF tour operator sentenced to four years in prison for working for China as an agent. Peng, the defendant, was approached by an official of the People’s Republic of China while on a business trip in 2015 and was asked to use his citizenship to aid the official. He used "dead drops"--booking hotel rooms, leaving for numerous hours, then retrieving electronic storage devices. Luckily, the dead drops never amounted to anything because the information given was by a double agent working for the US. 

Reaction: I am pleased that we have caught someone who has turned against the United States, and I'm sure there are many more out there that we have yet to catch. Nonetheless, it saddens me that countries like ours must resort to these tactics to get ahead of one another. It also frightens me that tactics used now don't even need the other countries' agents to be in the country to gain data.

Connection to US History: During WWII and the Cold War, there were many spies sent from both the US and the Soviet Union. There was much political and military tension between the two countries, preparing for an all-out nuclear war. Information on how the enemy was advancing was vital. 

Questions: What do you think about the US and other countries sending out spies to other countries? How far is too far when it comes to the strategies we use? How should we treat the spies that we catch in this country? 

Fake animal news abounds on social media as coronavirus upends life

Link: https://www.nationalgeographic.com/animals/2020/03/coronavirus-pandemic-fake-animal-viral-social-media-posts/

Summary: Amidst the COVID-19 outbreak, rumors on social media- specifically on the twitter platform- muse of animals reclaiming human-occupied locations that have been recently evacuated. These comments have been reported to be a fabrication of "joyous animal footage being an irresistible salve" during these overwhelming and uneasy times. For example, the event of swans returning to Venice's canals were stated as incorrect, as swans have always frequented the canals. Kaveri Ganapathy Ahuja, the person who released the tweet, claims that she simply saw some photos and decided to put them together, unaware of the entirety of the situation. Despite the controversy, Ahuja refuses to take down the post because of the underlying message that decreased human activities would, in fact, replenish the ecosystem and because of the mass amounts of likes and comments being her "personal record."

Reaction: Honestly, I cannot say I wasn't a bit disappointed when I found out that the rumored increasing animal activity were mostly fake. These posts give us much reassurance and hope, and it is nice to think that nature can replenish itself fairly quickly on its own. It's a heavy letdown to see the only "good news" actually turn out to be something completely false. This also applies with the mass hysteria of paper towel hoarding. This only goes to show how quick people- myself included- are to believe in anything when put in such unfamiliar and uncertain circumstances. I hope those who post these kind of comments are checking their credibility and acknowledge/correct themselves when they are wrong. It is in the responsibility of everyone to provide and seek factual statistics especially during dire times like these.

Connection to U.S. History: In 1798, Congress passed the Alien and Sedition Act to ban lies about the federal government, in fear of enemy spies infiltrating American society. However, the Supreme Court later ruled it as a violation of the First Amendment, which guarantees citizens the freedom of religion, expression, the press, and the right of the people to peacefully assemble. Violations of the first amendment include child pornography, obscenity, and threats, and does not explicitly mention defamation.

Question: What were your first impressions on these rumors? Did you believe it or were they mostly too good to be true? What can we do to prevent ourselves from mixing up fake news with real ones? What are some ways we can control the level of panic?

American Astronomy’s Future Goes on Trial in Washington

Source: https://www.nytimes.com/2020/03/13/science/telescopes-decadal-survey-hawaii.html



Summary: The continuous funding for ongoing astronomical research has been going on for multiple decades now. The construction of two massive telescopes in Hawaii and in Chile have come to a hasty stop as the committees are being put on trial in Washington for funding reasons. Essentially, the successful construction of these telescopes would lead to pivotal progression in tackling deeper questions about the universe. However, the 20 year construction still requires monumental amounts of funding from the government. If the construction of these massive telescopes fail, Europe would reign dominant over the US in astronomy with their colossal lab in Chile.

Reaction: I am biased towards this matter as I believe that the government should always fund space research without holding back. The US government should continue funding astronomy as it can progress humanity with innovations as we have seen before. I see it only as advancement because learning about the cosmos can help us determine inhabitable planets for the foreseeable future.

Connection to US History: This relates to US History as the when US researchers lost to the Soviet Union during the Cold War in terms of landing on the moon first. Throughout the 20th century, space exploration became an immediate priority for presidents like John F. Kennedy in the post World War Two era as the Cold War gave reason for the US to collect information from soviets in time of nuclear weapon building.

Questions: What do you think about further funding in expensive projects in telescopes? Why? Do you think competition is necessary?

Trump Defends Using ‘Chinese Virus’ Label, Ignoring Growing Criticism

https://www.nytimes.com/2020/03/18/us/politics/china-virus.html



Caption: From the Washington Post, this image shows President Trump reading his speech with the last minute edit of replacing the word "Corona" with "Chinese" before the word virus.

Summary: President Trump defended calling the coronavirus the "Chinese Virus" and is ignoring the criticism that stems from the racist and anti-Chinese remark. This term has angered Chinese officials and increased tensions between the two countries. Trump told reports that attaching "China" to the name of the virus is an act to "combat a disinformation campaign promoted by Beijing officials that the American military was the source of the outbreak. He also defends the use of this word by pointing to the fact that the virus was first detected in China and that other illnesses such as the Ebola Virus and the West Nile Virus have also been named after places. Trump even agreed with the use of the phrase "Kung Flu" in the replacement of the coronavirus. Although many top officials and medical experts urge him not to use these words, he continues

Reaction: Given Trump's record of spinning important news into constant racial and ethnic remarks, I am not suprised. I also believe that this isn't the first racist comment he has made. As seen in the picture above, it seems that he personally adjusted the speech to replace the word "Corona" with "Chinese" in a last-minute edit. Coming from the president, these comments ignite racism in the already chaotic situation with the increase of violence against Asian and Asian Americans. China and the US are not exactly friends but more competitors especially when it comes to the economy so his finger-pointing strategy is not new but, in my opinion, very immature. And that's coming from a 16-year-old. 

Connection to U.S. History: The Chinese exclusion act was passed in 1882 under the Arthur Administration. President Arthur was the son of a Baptist preacher who had emigrated from northern Ireland. Because of the influx of immigrants from both China and Ireland, the Irish very much disliked the Chinese immigrants that threatened their already low-paying jobs. Arthur made many attempts to limit Chinese influence and wanted to bring an end to the Chinese Question. He did this by implementing the first general Federal immigration law completing excluding a race. Although Trump has not made any legislation like this, thank goodness, he has made many racist remarks against people of Chinese ancestry just as President Arthur did.

Questions: 

1.) Why do you think Trump continues the use the phrase "Chinese Virus" instead of "Corona Virus"?

2.) If Trump hadn't used this phrase, do you think the increased violence against Asian Americans would be at this degree? Why/Why not?

3.) As president, how would you defend yourself for using the phrase "Chinese Virus"? If you can't, why?

Public Transport Systems struggle during the Coronavirus Outbreak

Link: https://www.nytimes.com/2020/03/17/us/coronavirus-buses-trains-detroit-boston.html?action=click&module=News&pgtype=Homepage

Summary: Due to the Coronavirus outbreak, there is a drastic decrease in ridership across the country. This leads to concerns regarding the financial situation of public transport services since revenue is decreasing while the cost is increasing to sanitize trains, buses, and stations more often.

Bus drivers in Detroit refused to work because they think the city government has not done enough to ensure their safety. Meanwhile, in Boston where bus and train services are suddenly decreased overnight, riders were forced to take packed trains and reflected their frustrations by posting photographs on the internet. It has become a hard problem for city governments to keep the services running and find the appropriate frequency of buses/trains to ensure riders' safety but not lose too much money.

Reaction: I was shocked when bus services are completely shut down in cities like Detroit. Although many are encouraged or even required to stay home during this period. a lot of people still need to take public transit to work. The safety of riders and drivers is also really important and I sincerely hope city governments can do more to ensure everyone's safety and working conditions. 

Connection to US History: The work conditions for the bus drivers in Detroit are similar to the industrial workers during the Gilded Age. The bus drivers protested for a safer work environment and demand more actions from the government to ensure their safety. Similar actions also took place during the Gilded Age when workers often participate in strikes to look for better wages and safer work environments from monopolies or big businesses.

Question: How else can governments or public authorities ensure the safety of the ones who are still required to work outside during the outbreak?

White House Seeks $1 Trillion From Congress In Coronavirus Relief Push

Link: https://www.npr.org/2020/03/17/816822215/congress-weighs-new-massive-wave-of-emergency-funding-to-address-coronavirus

Summary: The Trump Administration is asking for around $1 trillion in cash relief ("helicopter cash": a large sum of new money, distributed among the public, to stimulate the economy during a recession or when interest rates fall to zero) from Congress to help the U.S. economy hit by the coronavirus. The Senate Republicans proposed a bill that would offer bridge loans of up to $10 million each to small businesses, extend hundreds of billions of dollars in loans to large corporations in distressed industries, and send $1,200 checks per adult to individuals earning less than $99,000 per year.

Reaction: The proposal is a good first step to help those who are in financial risk and currently unemployed people to buy groceries, pay rent, etc. However, sending checks to Americans can drop this year’s budget deficit to a record $2 trillion or more. Although this bill won't fully compensate people or the effects of job losses, it provides quick relief to lower-income groups.

Connection to U.S. History: Sending cash stimuli checks has been used twice in U.S. history. One was in 2001 where a majority of Americans received a $300 check. One was in 2007-2009 during the Great Recession, with the U.S. housing bubble crash and the global financial crisis. The federal government sent about every adult a $300-600 check (plus $300 per child) during the Great Recession. The current proposal may be the third and largest cash relief plan in U.S. history. 

Questions: 

1.) Do you think this plan will be passed through Congress and do you support it? Explain.

2.) Are there any other plans that you think will have more long term effects (ex unemployment insurance, lending programs)? 

3.) Some argue that this may benefit Trump's presidential election chances. Do you agree?

Environmental Groups Sue California Pollution Control Agency

Source: https://www.courthousenews.com/environmental-groups-file-suit-against-california-pollution-control-agency/



Summary: Residents in Kern County sued the San Joaquin Valley Unified Air Pollution Control District on Wednesday, March 18, claiming that they failed to comply with state health and safety code. In 2017, Governor Jerry Brown had signed a law implementing a system that would notify residents if dangerous emissions were released from the nearby refineries. This system was to be set up in the beginning of 2020. Instead, the air district, which promised to work closely with residents, held closed-door meetings with refinery owners to develop safety rules and guidelines without input from the public. These new rules and guidelines seemed to favor the Kern County oil refineries, prompting the lawsuit.

Reaction: Firstly, I am really glad that the residents of Kern County were willing to stand up for their own rights. Personally, I feel as this issue is especially important as it is an environmental issue that concerns public safety. Secondly, I'm not surprised by the air district's actions. There have been many instances in U.S. history where the government has made decisions in support of businesses over public opinion. I am disappointed that the government would favor I hope that in the future, the public would have more power in the issues directly affecting their health.

Connection to U.S. History: In 1963, the U.S. federal government issued the 1963 Clean Air Act. The Clean Air Act regulated the six major and is one of the United State's most influential environmental laws. I had a large effect on public health and safety and demonstrates how the federal government took action on environmental issues such as air pollution.

Question: Do you think that it was right for the residents to file a lawsuit, or is that going overboard? How could we stop the government from making decisions that heavily favors businesses and has little regard to public safety?

Apple Trust Bust

Link: https://www.nbcnews.com/business/business-news/apple-fined-record-1-2-billion-french-antitrust-authorities-n1160221

Summary: Earlier this week Apple was fined $1.23 billion. They were found guilty by French Authorities of practicing anti-competitive business schemes. Two of Apple's wholesalers, Tech Data and Ingram Micro, were also fined for agreeing on prices. They agreed not to compete with one another and to also prevent competition between retailers that they distributed to. This would make it so that Apple would be able to keep the price of Apple products in the market where they wanted to. This follows another incident earlier this year where Apple was found guilty by French antitrust authorities of including a software update that would make older phones slower.

Reaction: I wasn't really surprised to see that such a big company such as Apple would be using unfair trade practices. They should have some tricks up their sleeve to maintain being the king of the tech industry. I was just disappointed at the fact that they were also accused of making slower phones slower. It's a thing that could make sense from a business perspective but is just unethical to me since it makes anyone who has an older iPhone by a new one, even if they can barely afford it.

Connection to US History: During the Progressive Era Theodore Roosevelt, William Taft, and Woodrow Wilson all had their focus on improving the conditions of all Americans. This included busting trusts and monopolies. Over the course of all the Trust-Busting presidents, hundreds of trusts and monopolies were broken using acts such as the Sherman Anti-Trust Act to get rid of the domination of entire markets.

Question: Do you think that competition between businesses is important for the economy? What other ways should we enforce competition between big businesses? How else should we punish Apple or any other company using unfair business practices?

Study Abroad Programs Cut Short, No Refunds or Credit

https://www.sfchronicle.com/bayarea/article/Coronavirus-California-colleges-cancel-study-15105397.php



Summary: Hundreds of college students studying abroad this spring semester are being sent back home to the U.S. due to the COVID-19 outbreak. Participants were told to make immediate plans to leave the country and given less than a week to pack up and leave. The majority of these programs are not offering refunds of any sort. Additionally, because the programs were technically not fully completed, students will not receive any credit for their courses. This means that on their transcripts, it could seem as if they just took the semester off. However, select schools do plan on allowing certain alternative opportunities to work towards partial credit for the curriculum, either through extra classes or online courses.

Reaction: Obviously, the Coronavirus is an extremely frightening pandemic and it's good to see that administrations are taking the necessary precautions in order to do their part in helping prevent it from spreading. However, it's shocking to me to see that students won't be getting even partially reimbursed for their already-paid-for programs. This is terribly unfair and I feel like the students affected should definitely speak up and challenge this unreasonable policy. It's also ridiculous to me that most won't be receiving any recognition for the time they did spend studying abroad, all their efforts going to waste. They should be entitled to partial credit, which at least a few universities are offering.

Connection to U.S. History: The COVID-19 pandemic could be compared to the H1N1 virus, otherwise known as the Spanish flu, in 1918. Nearly 500 million people were infected, with about a 10% mortality rate. Around 675,000 deaths were reported in the United States. Hopefully, the Coronavirus will not grow to reach this magnitude.

Questions: What would you do if you were in this situation? Would you try to fight for what you think is fair or would you not want to cause a scene in such an uncertain and disconcerting time?

President of U.S. Soccer Carlos Cordeiro Resigns

President of U.S. Soccer Carlos Cordeiro Resigns

https://www.nytimes.com/2020/03/12/sports/soccer/uswnt-equal-pay.html

Summary: Carlos Cordeiro, president of the United States Soccer Federation, resigned due to the mounting criticism he received in the federation's legal battle with the women's national team for equal pay. In the legal filings, Cordeiro argued that in "indisputable science" the women required more "skill" and "responsibility" to be equivalent to the men's team. The outrage sparked by his words of blatant misogyny led to Cordeiro's resignation, whose position as president has been given to Cindy Parlow Cone.

Reaction: For the president of U.S.S.F. to be so openly sexist to the women's national team, in a legal battle for equal pay of all things, is infuriating. I find it extremely disrespectful to say that the four-time World Cup champions require more skill and responsibility to be considered equal. It's ridiculous that we're still having this fight for equal pay and deeply saddening that Cordeiro used misogynistic logic to support his argument. Moving forward I wish the women's team the best, and hope that they get the equal pay they deserve.
Connection to U.S. History: The United States has a history of discrimination in the workforce when it comes to wages, and the fight for equal pay for women is one the country is still trying to fix. Prior to the early 1900s, women were not given opportunities to work outside of the domestic sphere, and even when they got jobs they were mostly confined to secretarial positions. The civil rights era during the 60s is when women demanded more rights and began entering the workforce in great numbers.
Question: Do you think that the women's national team deserve equal pay? All women? Why do you think it's been so difficult for women to gain equal rights, in the workforce, in society, in politics?

Biden Takes Command of Democratic Race on Super Tuesday II

Link: https://www.cnn.com/2020/03/11/politics/2020-primary-election-takeaways/index.html

Summary: Despite losing the first three contests in the Democratic nominating process, more-moderate Joe Biden has bounced bounced back, having won a majority of the states on the first Super Tuesday and winning 5/6 states on "Substantial" Tuesday (March 10th). The article discusses the coalition that Joe Biden has been able to create—Joe Biden has shown he can win African American votes, white votes, and suburban votes. He has shown he can win wider margins than Hillary Clinton won in 2016, and even won coveted Michigan (which had the highest amount of delegates [125] and was a state Bernie won in 2016). He has also shown he can win people all over the ideological spectrum: conservative, moderate, and even liberal voters.

Reaction: For someone that finished so poorly in Iowa, New Hampshire, and Nevada, I find it shocking (but not unbelievable) that Biden has been able to pull off such a stunning comeback. Many people were calling on Biden to drop out—Bernie had won the first three contests, something no one had ever done before. However, I don't find it unbelievable that this happened. I think that as San Franciscans, we tend to perceive society to be more progressive than it actually is. I think we underestimated the amount of Democrats that are uncomfortable with having a self-described democratic socialist heading the ticket in 2020. This was also fueled by most moderates dropping out (Steyer-ish, Buttigieg, Klobuchar, and Bloomberg) which gave moderates and safely-voting liberals basically only one candidate to vote for.

Connection to US History: Eugene V. Debs was a prominent Socialist politician in the 1900s that championed many of the same issues that Bernie Sanders is known for championing. Bernie Sanders has even adopted similar rhetoric to Debs, talking about the "ruling class" as the root of corruption and societal flaws. Bernie Sanders has even written about Debs in a way that shows how much Sanders admires Debs. However, not only are their positions on current issues comparable, but so are their electoral histories. Debs ran for president five times and came close to winning a few times. While Sanders has not run for president 5 times, he came close to winning in 2016 and is/was coming close again. And similarly to the success of the Socialist Party at the time of Debs, Sanders has created a movement that is winning—primary challengers are beating their establishment opponents (@AOC). Both Debs and Sanders have created winning movements and coalitions, but have also lost their own races in the face of more moderate, less Socially-minded opponents.

Questions: Many people argue Joe Biden is the "safer" candidate because Bernie's agenda is "too progressive" and is extremely polarizing. Do you agree with this evaluation? Why do you think Bernie is not winning as much as Joe Biden, or even as much as people originally projected he would win? Do you agree with the assessment that Bernie is comparable to Debs? Why or why not?