Trump and the Supreme Court

Posted on November 9, 2016 by Francesca Ciuffo

By: FRANCESCA CIUFFO

With Justice Scalia’s seat vacant, it will certainly be filled by a conservative nominee next year. The court will now be tilted right, as it has been for decades.

The choice of the U.S. Supreme Court justice will soon belong to President-elect Trump, which supports Republican senators’ refusal to allow President Obama to choose Garland to Scalia’s seat.

Some liberals hope that even if the court is dominantly conservative, it could still hinder Trumps’s ambitions.

“Given that many of the conservatives on his list are more in the traditional conservative mold than Trump himself, they might not simply write him a blank check when it comes to actions and policies that threaten constitutional structure,” said Elizabeth Wydra, president of the Constitutional Accountability Center.

The news media would cover a story like this because Trump’s presidency is not a good thing for liberals. Many are worried about what comes next at the Supreme Court. They almost had a liberal-leaning Supreme Court for the first time in decades and now they have to deal with yet another right-leaning court and liberals feeling overshadowed and nearly disappearing in the Supreme Court. This election is one of the most important and controversial elections there has ever been, so it is important for the news media to cover it and for the public to stay on top of what happens next.

In March, public-sector unions were threatened, but this could soon reach the court again, and this time, the challengers are likely to gain a fifth vote.

Trump is likely to undo what Obama’s approaches were to climate change, transgender rights, and abortion issues. A Supreme Court controlled by conservatives is likely to further secure gun rights and resume the deregulation of campaign finance.

The candidates on Trump’s list of possible nominees are almost all working judges and several served as law assistants to conservative Supreme Court justices. Many have judicial track records hostile to federal power, abortion rights and gay marriage, so it will be interesting to see how it plays out.

Obama endorses Stockton candidate

Posted on November 4, 2016 by Alex Goldman

By ALEX GOLDMAN

Stockton, Calif., mayoral candidate Michael Tubbs received a huge endorsement Wednesday.

It didn’t come from a union or a well-known local resident. No, it came from a much higher source.

President Barack Obama, in fact, was the endorser. The highest source of all one might contend.

Here is President Obama’s full statement:

“I am proud to endorse Michael Tubbs in his bid to become Stockton’s next mayor. Michael’s service as a Councilmember illustrates that he understands the need for every Stocktonian to have safer neighborhoods, stronger schools, and a voice in the political process. His story is the American story, and Michael will work tirelessly to ensure that Stockton reaches its full potential.”

How did the local news media cover news of the endorsement?

The Record, Stockton’s regional newspaper, had an article in their Wednesday edition. Staff writer Roger Phillips provided the coverage.

Phillips offered that it might be “a rare and possibly singular occurrence in Stockton political history.”

If that’s the case, it may prove enough for Tubbs to displace current Mayor Anthony Silva. Tubbs received less-than a majority of the votes in June’s primary, but a higher percentage than Silva. This resulted in a run-off, and Stockton will vote for their next mayor on Tuesday.

Tubbs was part of a four-month internship at the White House in 2010, according to Phillips. I can’t help but wonder what kind of impact Tubbs had over the course of his internship, and if any impressions he made during that time led to this endorsement.

Also of note, Tubbs gave a speech at my high school graduation in 2012.

Several other local news outlets had stories published on their respective websites, including CBS Local, FOX 40, and ABC 10.

Trump: American vs. Russian coverage

Posted on November 3, 2016 by Elizabeth Gelbaugh

By ELIZABETH GELBAUGH

Donald Trump, who is quickly becoming one of the most controversial presidential candidates to date, is not always represented in a positive light in American news media. However, the Russian news media seem enamored with Trump’s outrageous behavior and unprecedented campaign strategy.

Trump’s policies are often overpowered by his cult of personality and American news media end up dedicating more time to covering his contentious antics and rowdy yet fiercely loyal supporters.

With the exception of Fox News, most major news organizations condemn his attitudes toward women, foreigners and Muslims. Since accusations of Trump sexually assaulting women hit the press, U.S. news media have had a difficult time focusing on anything else.

Even student news media at American universities, which typically ensure both liberal and conservative views are equally represented, are swaying from their neutral positions and writing critical pieces on Trump’s bizarre and offensive outbursts.

The Yale Record published a satire, You Dumb Motherfuckers, By James Madison, referring to Trump as a “misogynistic turkey leg that somehow escaped the state fair, fell into a bale of hay, and inexplicably managed to bankrupt six companies,” and shuns the American public for dismantling the safeguards put in place to protect against an “insane demagogue [who] might incite a populist rebellion.”

Even The Miami Hurricane has made the editorial move to officially endorse Hillary Clinton because of Trump’s inability to serve the generation about to enter the job market and shortcomings that are “dangerous, indisputable and increasingly evident.”

“Trump promises to create jobs but built his own career by destroying others’,” TMH editorial board wrote. “He promises to bring jobs back to America, yet his businesses shipped them overseas.”

Russian media, however, praises Trump, particularly his pro-Russia stance. Russian government paper Rossiskaya Gazeta apparently finds his outbursts and offensive dialogue refreshing compared to Clinton’s socially conscious statements, as Steve Rosenberg of BBC News pointed out in Russian media’s love affair with Trump.

“The political coup against him has failed,” Rossiskaya Gazeta wrote. “Trump’s speeches are unpretentious, without the kind of hypocritical political correctness of the conservative establishment.”

In stark contrast to American news media, Russian media presents Trump as the far more sensible candidate in this year’s election.

“I officially declare that Clinton is a cursed witch,” Russian MP Vitaly Milonov said in Komsomolskaya Pravda. “That’s why even a funny guy like Trump looks more reasonable in comparison.”

When public opinion is heavily reliant upon the picture the news media paint of the candidates, this discrepancy could turn into a diplomatic relations disaster, depending on the results of the election.

Media work overtime to stress you out

Posted on November 1, 2016 by Courtney Chennault

By COURTNEY CHENNAULT

With the presidential election just a week away, the news media are doing everything they can to make the final days as dramatic as ever. Looking at the list of “Top stories” on CNN’s website, the reader sees a hodgepodge of headlines with “Trump” and “Clinton” sprinkled in as many times as possible:

Putting in “Trump” or “Clinton” does not make automatically make the story newsworthy. Going down the line, I looked at the first three articles and found myself wondering why they were “Top stories.”

The first article, “Did Trump vote for George W. Bush?” is about a radio interview in 2009 in which Trump denies voting for Bush in 2004, though he stated last January that he did vote for Bush in 2000 and 2004.

The only purpose that this article serves is exemplifying that Trump contradicts himself with lies. This might have been relevant if this same point hadn’t already been proven a hundred times over the past year. Trump has lied excessively throughout his entire campaign, so why is this a “top story?”

In the second article, CNN reveals that John Kasich wrote in John McCain on the election ballot instead of voting for Trump. This fact is not newsworthy! Many prominent republicans have come out saying that they will not vote for Trump. This story might be have been newsworthy if a significant number of republicans revealed that they too wrote in McCain in some last-minute attempt to unite as a party and elect the senator. But with the story the way it is, I don’t see why people should care.

Finally, the third article is about Gary Johnson saying the Clinton could be impeached over her email scandal. Over the course of the election, no news station or network, including CNN, has cared what Johnson had to say. About anything. But now, the election is close, and CNN is eagerly quoting him because what he said about Clinton is scandalous and will certainly stir the political pot.

In conclusion, the news media are working overtime to post anything remotely related to Trump and Clinton to sway, excite, and overwhelm voters in the final countdown before all ballots are cast.

Kelly, Gingrich clash on Fox News

Posted on October 28, 2016 by Daniel Lloveras

By DANIEL LLOVERAS

Newt Gingrich, the former speaker of the House, clashed with Fox News anchor Megyn Kelly during a live television interview earlier this week.

Kelly asked Gingrich about the sexual assault allegations against Donald Trump and whether or not they were causing him to slip in the polls. Gingrich responded by accusing Kelly and other members of the news media of bias against Trump.

“You are fascinated with sex and you don’t care about public policy,” Gingrich said to Kelly. Gingrich also said that Kelly has not given a fair amount of coverage to the scandals of the Clinton campaign.

Kelly argued that her show, “The Kelly File”, has covered all stories relevant to the 2016 presidential race, including the sexual assault allegations against Bill Clinton and the private paid speeches that Hillary Clinton made to big banks.

Kelly said that polls show that the allegations against Trump are concerning to voters and that she has an obligation to report on them.

After the exchange between Kelly and Gingrich, the news media responded by speculating on the future of Fox News.

The traditionally conservative network is in a transition period after CEO Roger Ailes was ousted over sexual harassment accusations.

Fox News is not used to its anchors clashing with Republican politicians. Kelly’s altercation with Gingrich is representative of the division within the GOP over the Trump campaign as well as the network’s increased willingness to allow its journalists to disagree with party leaders.

With the network’s niche audience divided over Trump, Kelly’s moderate perspective is key to retaining viewers who may be turned off by traditionalist anchors like Sean Hannity and Bill O’Reilly.

Much campaign news ado about nothing

Posted on October 28, 2016 by Courtney Chennault

By COURTNEY CHENNAULT

Tonight’s top story: Mike Pence’s plane skids off runway.

According to CNN, Mike Pence and his campaign staff were on their campaign plane leaving LaGuardia Airport in New York City when wet weather conditions caused the plane to slide of the tarmac.

No one was injured.

CNN stated that while the incident was taking place, Trump was preparing to go on stage at a rally in Geneva, Ohio. When addressing the crowd, Trump informed everyone that Pence and the crew were alright.

Mike Pence made this statement via Twitter:

screen-shot-2016-10-27-at-11-19-46-pm

Hillary also took the opportunity to throw her name in the mix by modeling cordiality:

screen-shot-2016-10-27-at-11-20-59-pm

CNN quoted Mary Schiavo, a former inspector general for the U.S. Dept. of Transportation, as she explained that the rainy weather probably prevented the wheels from getting “good traction.”

When I first heard about the incident, I didn’t think it was worth reporting because there were no injuries, and the plane suffered no damages, suggesting that it wasn’t very serious. It seemed that the media piped up the event just because it happened to Mike Pence.

Additionally, Schiavo’s explanation of why the plane might have slid off the runway seems extremely unnecessary to me. It is common knowledge that wet roads increase a vehicle’s likelihood of sliding out of control. No duh.

Quoting Schiavo would have been worth it if she talked about the plane’s faulty brakes or a miscommunication between the pilot and the radio tower- information that only she and other experts would have. But stating that the rain may have caused the plane to slide is not worth the reader’s time.

At the end of the day, the lengthy articles on CNN’s and Fox News’ websites make the event seem more dramatic than it really was.

CNN stated that Pence cancelled his appearance at a fundraiser at Trump Tower tonight, but that the campaign will pick up where it left off as scheduled tomorrow.

Trump video an October surprise

Posted on October 14, 2016 by Nyah Tennell

By NYAH TENNELL

Just when America thought it couldn’t get anymore raunchy…

Trump, the master showman, gives yet another spectacular “locker room” performance the weekend before Monday’s debate.

The Washington Post released video footage retrieved from “Access Hollywood” of what could be acknowledged as this election’s October surprise, given the unmistakable lewd comments that Trump makes about his behavior towards women, as well as the allegations that arose following the footage’s dissemination.

These newly released wire briefs and tapes, some dating back as far as 1992, confirm the suspicions many Americans already had in regards to Donald Trumps views on, and treatment of women.

“I’ve gotta use some Tic Tacs, just in case I start kissing her,” Trump said in reference to an actress on the Access Hollywood tape. “You know, I’m automatically attracted to beautiful … I just start kissing them. It’s like a magnet. Just kiss. I don’t even wait. And when you’re a star, they let you do it. You can do anything.”

“Grab them by the p—-. You can do anything,” Trump added.

The media has been all over Trump’s horrid campaign since January, and an article written by The Atlantic entitled, The Many Scandals of Donald Trump: A Cheat Sheet, says that, “now his behavior toward women threatens to doom a campaign that was already limping.”

Trump’s campaign released a statement in response to the allegations saying,

“This was locker room banter, a private conversation that took place many years ago. Bill Clinton has said far worse to me on the golf course – not even close. I apologize if anyone was offended.”

“Locker room banter,” is it?

The things you say and do when you think no one is watching are the things that define you, not the performance that you put on with the knowledge that people are listening and judging you.

Let’s not bypass the fact that he apologizes for offending anyone, not for his comments and actions in regards to women. I guess that is the narcissistic way to apologize when you don’t think you’ve done anything wrong.

According to an article written Thursday by David Graham of The Atlantic, many women allege that this is no small talk, but are accusing Trump of sexual assault, and in one case, rape.

Remarkably, in the past 24 hours, The Washington Post has published nine stories with ‘Trump’ in the headline.

How can the media be unbiased in their reporting if a new Trump scandal emerges every week?

And in case anyone forgot, we still haven’t seen the taxes.

Is the audit finished yet, Trump?

Kaine and Pence duke it out

Posted on October 5, 2016 by Courtney Chennault

By COURTNEY CHENNAULT

With the 2016 presidential election fast approaching, the vice presidential nominees Gov. Mike Pence and Sen. Tim Kaine took the stage last night at Longwood University in Virginia for a vice presidential debate.

Significantly, according to a tweet in a CNN article, moderator Elaine Quijano was the first Asian American to moderate a presidential debate. Quijano certainly did not have an easy job as the two candidates constantly interrupted each other, as has become customary in such debates.

Both candidates accused the other of running an “insult-drive campaign” and exaggerated the truth on select issues, according to National Public Radio’s fact checker.

An article about the debate on CNN features a number of tweets from CNN Opinion commentators, a majority of whom harshly criticized Trump’s running mate, M screen-shot-2016-10-05-at-10-56-24-am ike Pence, for lying and being in denial of Trump’s stance on many issues.

Meanwhile, both CNN and Fox News criticized Quijano as the moderator, but for different reasons. A CNN article claimed that Quijano cut off valuable discussion about important topics in order to make it through all the planned questions.

Fox News accused her of blatantly favoring the Democrat nominee Tim Kaine. For example, an article on the Fox News homepage claimed that Quijano asked Pence extremely tough questions by a factor of 8-to-1 compared to the questions asked to Kaine. Additionally, the network berated Quijano for allowing Kaine to interrupt Pence far more than Pence interrupted Kaine.

With the second presidential debate coming up this weekend, it will be interesting to hear if the candidates have any comments about their running mates’ performances.

Trump claims debate was rigged

Posted on September 30, 2016 by Daniel Lloveras

By DANIEL LLOVERAS

At Monday night’s first presidential debate, Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump faced off on issues such as taxes, gun control and foreign policy. The candidates also exchanged personal blows, with Clinton criticizing her opponent’s inexperience and sexism and Trump attacking his opponent’s e-mails and temperament.

While the process of declaring a debate winner is subjective, journalists do it in order to provide a summary for those unable or unwilling to watch the debate.

Many national news organizations, including CNN, NBC News and The New York Times, claimed that Clinton won the debate with her preparation and attacks on Trump’s sexist insults and unreleased tax returns.

However, Trump insists that he defeated Clinton during the debate and went so far as to assert that the debate was fixed by moderator Lester Holt.

“I had to put up with the anchor and fight the anchor all the time on everything I said,” Trump told supporters at a New Hampshire rally. “What a rigged deal.”

Trump’s denial of Clinton’s impressive performance shows why declaring a winner of a presidential debate is useless. Regardless of how unprepared Trump may have seemed and how poised his opponent may have been, his supporters will continue to focus on Clinton’s apparent lack of trustworthiness.

Debate coverage dramatizes the event and embellishes the importance of declaring a winner. In reality, the two-party system polarizes the country, and voters watching the debates are unlikely to change their opinions based on the candidates’ performance. When the candidates themselves deny debate results, supporters are likely to do so as well.

Debate coverage should focus on informing voters and describing the candidates’ opinions on key issues instead of treating the events like the Super Bowl.

Campaign stretches health privacy limits

Posted on September 20, 2016 by Nyah Tennell

By NYAH TENNELL

In light of Hillary Clinton’s recent health scare at the 9/11 Memorial site’s 15-year observation, there has been increased pressure on the presidential nominees to release their medical records.

In an effort to promote the transparency both candidates speak so frequently on, both Donald Trump and Clinton have both made some degree of information regarding their health public.

While it is interesting to note Trump’s slight battle with obesity and his genetic link to Alzheimer’s, and Hillary’s bout of pneumonia and previous blood clots; elected official or not, would you want your medical records made public for the world to judge?

Although the health and medical condition of our elected officials is essential in regards to their capacity to handle their position, it is similarly important to preserve their right to privacy and individual liberty as human beings and, despite their status, I believe matters of health are quite personal.

“Trump plays chicken on health records” read the headline of the Sept. 15 Time Magazine politics page. While the headline mockingly accuses Trump of being scared to release the one-page medical report done by his physician, Harold Bornstein, Trump did in fact make his medical records public on Wednesday, Sept. 14 during a taping of “The Dr. Oz Show.”

The issue has now become the extent to which he has informed the public, as Trump’s one-page summary was not an extensive review of his health.

CNN’s Brian Stelter and MJ Lee refer to Trump as a “master showman,” claiming that “the TV appearance gives the appearance of transparency, but the summary by Bornstein will fall far short of experts’ calls for detailed information about Trump’s health and medical history.”

The New York Times agreed, stating that “the information Mrs. Clinton has made public is more extensive than the details and assessments” given by Trump’s physician, Bornstein. Although Clinton’s records can be deemed as more “extensive”, her physician, Lisa Bardack, failed to include basic information such as her weight and height.

CNN also refers to Bornstein as “hyperbolic,” in saying that, if elected, Trump would be the healthiest president in history and, according to The New York Times, David Plouffe, a former senior adviser to President Obama, tweeted that the Republican nominee would rival William Howard Taft in terms of portliness.

While I am not a supporter of Donald Trump, nor his campaign or policies, I am a firm believer in morality and The Golden Rule. I don’t think that is appropriate to weight-shame, and I think we’ve witnessed a slight double standard; would Plouffe have made the comment if the Republican nominee was an obese woman?

I don’t think so.

So, more importantly, Mr. Trump … where are your income tax records?

Presidential health and campaign news

Posted on September 15, 2016 by Annette Reid

By ANNETTE REID

Last Friday Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton attended a 9/11 memorial in New York. Everything seemed to be okay with her until she left the ceremony before it ended. In a video taken by a bystander, Clinton is seen having difficulty walking and then fainting just before getting into an SUV. People around her had to assist her getting into the vehicle.

This video has been shown across all forms of news media and has been analyzed by not only journalists but also health professionals. It was even a treading topic on Twitter.

It is no secret that Hillary has struggled with health issues as of late. Along the campaign trail she has experienced a few coughing fits and was diagnosed with pneumonia on the two days prior to the 9/11 ceremony incident. However it was not publicly known that she had been diagnosed until Sunday night.

Some news outlets have been criticizing Clinton for not being forthcoming with her current health status even going so far as to lessen her credibility as a politician by saying that she is not transparent with the general public. Due to the pressure being put on her by the media, Clinton revealed even more medical information by releasing a letter written by her doctor on Wednesday.

Her opposition, Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump, has questioned her health over the course of the election season as well. But this incident has made Trump reveal more about his own health as to not appear that he is hiding anything. He even went on the “Dr. Oz” show today and had Dr. Mehmet Oz analyze his doctor’s notes on TV.

The real question here is why some news organizations are pushing for presidential candidates to reveal such personal information instead of focusing on a nominee’s political views and how different today’s coverage of presidential elections have changed from those of the past. In the past, presidential nominees were not required to reveal their health status. Some of our most memorable presidents ran for office while suffering with serious health issues.

Franklin Roosevelt became ill with polio in 1921. Due to this he lost the ability to move his legs and then became paralyzed. In spite of that, he was elected as president in 1932 and ran for re-election in 1936, 1940 and 1944. However, his declining health during the re-election was never mentioned and after his doctor released a statement to the press saying that his health was okay reporters did not question it. Nevertheless, he died in office in 1945.

Another president who was elected to office while suffering health problems was John F. Kennedy. He had Addison’s disease and when confronted by his opponent over the matter, Kennedy simply had his doctors publicly declare that he was in good health. After that he was never questioned again.

As these examples show, former presidential candidates were not forced by the news media to reveal their health history so why is the press making such a big deal about it now?

A lot of it has to do with the news media’s tendency to attack politicians and want to show the public every presidential candidate’s weaknesses. However, forcing nominees to reveal every aspect of their health history might not be the right way to go about gathering information on them.

If the media wants to gather information on them they should focus on things that matter to public like where the candidates stand on issues. Instead of showing Hillary Clinton fainting multiple times per hour and over analyzing every second of the video, the focus should be about where she stands on issues so that come Election Day people can be well informed.

In sickness and in health

Posted on September 14, 2016 by Elizabeth Gelbaugh

By ELIZABETH GELBAUGH

Ah, the pursuit of the American Dream. Are any of us immune to this disease? The BBC doesn’t seem to think so.

In light of Hillary Clinton’s appearance at a 9/11 commemoration despite her pneumonia diagnosis, the BBC decided to pick apart the tendency of Americans to forego sick days and even paid vacation days in order to impress bosses who could potentially further their careers and to avoid missing a day’s salary.

In the U.S., we see this dedication to achieving our goals as normal, admirable even. However, BBC News reporter Brian Wheeler points out that, from a European perspective, this tendency is foolish and, at times, dangerous.

Wheeler reported that EU nations “guarantee 20 days’ paid leave a year, plus public holidays,” and, perhaps more importantly, European employees are not afraid to use them.

Of course, there is nothing wrong with loving and being dedicated to a job or career path, but when do the costs of this sacrifice overwhelm the benefits?

Wheeler mentioned how the outbreak of the norovirus vomiting bug at Chipotle was the result of employees coming into work sick rather than missing a day of pay. Were American policies concerning sick leave more lenient or generous, employees would not be forced to put themselves and others at risk in order to eke out a living.

Wheeler made a clever and strategic move in this article. By starting out with mention of Clinton, with election news being all the rage at the moment, Wheeler was able to spark a conversation about American paid-leave policies.

But is that what media must resort to today? It is disappointing to say the least that it takes a public official having a medical emergency at a well-covered event to start a conversation about an issue that has been placed on the back burner for years.

Perhaps, instead of focusing all our attention on the people fighting for a leadership position in which they can solve the nation’s problems, we must invest more time in discussing what those issues are and why they are important.

‘Trump’s New York’ on a ferry ride

Posted on April 14, 2016 by Kate Hovan

By KATIE HOVAN

Philip Rucker of The Washington Post published an article Wednesday depicting Donald Trump’s New York supporters that were seated on a New York ferry during the evening rush hour to Staten Island.

Rucker describes several of the passengers through their jobs, appearance and background and he even juxtaposes a construction worker, a Hungarian immigrant, and a fashion model who all support the Republican candidate. The article is meant to be colorful and intimate, while shedding light on the different types of Trump followers and their reasons for supporting him.

Although it’s pleasing to read and I gained a greater perspective on the different types of people who support Trump and their reasons for doing so, I found that Rucker’s reporting itself is a bit too rightward leaning for my taste.

I feel that it’s important to be much more careful about how writers portray such a large group of people with so many different views. A Staten Island ferry ride may give a glimpse at Trump supporters, but it doesn’t speak for everyone.

I’ll admit that Rucker makes several attempts to express the voices of opposing New Yorkers, but the piece projects Staten Island, and New York, as a predominantly Republican area. The title itself gives the impression that most New York and Staten Island residents support Trump, and after reading the article, that’s is the idea that I was left with.

For me, it all boils down to perception. If I finish reading a piece and am left with a single idea about a large group of people, I consider it to be too predisposed.

I’m sure that my criticism is too harsh, given the fact that a writer can’t possibly listen to the individual opinions of all 8.4 million New York City residents, but I’d like to believe that there is a lot more diversity in opinion than those few people on the ferry who believe Donald Trump is representative of the typical New Yorker.

Paul Ryan rules out 2016 presidential bid

Posted on April 13, 2016 by Melissa Cabral

By MELISSA CABRAL

House Speaker Paul Ryan confirmed Tuesday that he will not be the Republican Party’s presidential candidate in 2016.

Recently, there had been widespread speculation regarding his 2016 ambitions to run for presidency but upon returning from the Middle East, he made the announcement during a speech in Capitol Hill.

“I want to put that to rest once and for all,” Ryan said. “Let me be clear. I do not want, not will I accept, the nomination for our party…. Count me out.”

Although Ryan has opted out of campaigning for presidency, he still wants to maintain his position as House Speaker.

During his speech, Ryan made a plea to delegates arguing that they should elect a candidate who actually ran in the primary.

“Let me speak directly to the delegates on this: If no candidate has a majority on the first ballot, I believe you should only choose a person who actually participated in the primary,” he said. “If you want to be the nominee — to be the president — you should actually run for it.”

When asked by CNN if he believes only one of the final three 2016 Republican candidates — business executive Donald Trump, Texas Sen. Ted Cruz and Ohio Gov. John Kasich — should be the nominee, Ryan would only say, “I’ll leave that up to the delegates.”

Nevertheless, the Wisconsin lawmaker promised to remain involved in the upcoming national debates that will help decide who will be elected as our next president.

NC enforces ‘bathroom bill’

Posted on April 8, 2016 by Sidney Sterling

By SIDNEY STERLING

This past week, North Carolina’s General Assembly proposed and passed the House Bill 2 which is also known as the “bathroom bill.” The HB2 Bill was signed and approved by Gov. Pat McCrory.

The HB2 Bill appealed the Charlotte ordinance and prohibited cities and local governments from expanding employment or public accommodations protection regarding sexual orientation or gender identity.

Due to the HB2 Bill, local governments are now prohibited from setting their own minimum wages and must comply to the state standard.

This new mandate affects the fashion industry in major ways. However, many chain brands that have stores in North Carolina are vowing to ignore this enforcement.

According to WWD.com, stores like Brooks Brothers and Hanesbrands are making bold statements against the HB2 Bill.

Screen Shot 2016-04-08 at 1.49.41 PM Brooks Brothers made a statement on social media stating, “North Carolina’s HB2 is inconsistent with our longstanding values of fairness, equality and respect for all.”

Hanesbrands also spoke out against HB2 through digital outlets by saying, “HB2 will have no effect on how we run our business and our very strong anti-discrimination policies and practices, including protection for sexual orientation and gender identity.”

This new bill will hinder North Carolina’s overall image and economy.

Screen Shot 2016-04-08 at 1.48.58 PM

Many fashion bloggers and tweeters are outraged and are unleashing their opinions through various mediums.

What does this mean for the fashion industry on a national scale? Do you agree with the HB2 Bill? Do you think North Carolina should flush this “bathroom bill?”

Clinton takes a ride on New York subway

Posted on April 8, 2016 by Breana Ross

By BREANA ROSS

The amount of times celebrities and politicians are deemed “newsworthy” for doing things that are completely normal, day-to-day actions is amusing. From attending baseball games to eating at a particular restaurant, anything politicians do that seems to remotely line up with the lives of “normal people” is attractive to the public.

Yesterday, Hillary Clinton made headlines for utilizing one of the most common forms of transportation in her home state: the New York subway.

Thursday morning, Democratic presidential candidate Clinton rode the train one stop from the Yankee Stadium at 167^th Street up to 170^th Street. News coverage included that Clinton’s metro card failed to work at first but she eventually was able to get into the station. She hopped onto the train, rode for one stop, hopped off, and proceeded to a nearby diner for dinner. Clinton’s experience is a normal, daily course of actions for many people. So why is it special that she is doing something that millions of Americans do everyday?

First of all, Clinton’s New York subway excursion was no accident or coincidence. Politicians pull stunts like this all of the time to show a sense of normality in their lives. They want to seem relatable to the average American. Clinton’s subway ride was not a spur-of-the-moment decision. It was a pry for publicity, a campaign stunt.

The media fell right into the trap. Clinton did something to portray that she is relatable to the American public and the news media was right there to cover it, as if someone riding the subway is “newsworthy.” Riding a New York subway still does not make Hillary Clinton relatable to the average person because if you or I were to take a ride on the train, there certainly would not be a team of news media there to capture the moment.

DIGITAL NEWS REPORTING

Journalism and Media Management Department, School of Communication, University of Miami

Tag Archives: Political reporting

Obama endorses Stockton candidate

Trump: American vs. Russian coverage

Media work overtime to stress you out

Kelly, Gingrich clash on Fox News

Much campaign news ado about nothing

Trump video an October surprise

Kaine and Pence duke it out

Trump claims debate was rigged

Campaign stretches health privacy limits

‘Trump’s New York’ on a ferry ride

Paul Ryan rules out 2016 presidential bid

NC enforces ‘bathroom bill’

Clinton takes a ride on New York subway