Media Class

  1. Will the omicron variant cause a new wave of COVID lockdowns in the U.S.? 2. How can the Biden administration convince Joe Manchin and Krysten Sinema to vote for the Build Back Better Act? 3. What explains the decline of college enrollment in the U.S.? 4. Are equity policies doing greater harm or good to the groups they are intending to help? 5. Does the U.S. still have a role to play in Afghanistan? 6. Has the Biden administration done enough to help organized labor? 7. Will the release of oil from the Strategic Petroleum Reserve lower gasoline prices over the long-term? 8. How can California cities best prevent “smash-and-grab” thefts? 9. Does the U.S. need to do more to weaken kleptocracies across Latin America? 10. How can Glenn Youngkin position himself for higher office after his term ends in 2025?

 Choose one of these questions to investigate: 1. Will the results of the Virginia and New Jersey gubernatorial elections cause the Democrats to back off of President Biden’s social infrastructure plan? 2. Is Eric Adams the future of the Democratic Party? 3. Does the Democratic Party have a messaging problem? 4. Will the Supreme Court strike down New York’s concealed carry restrictions? 5. Does the U.S. need to get more involved in the Tigray War? 6. Is Europe’s new COVID-19 wave a warning sign for the U.S. this winter? 7. Do states need to do more to make juries racially equitable? 8. Are American commitments going far enough at COP26? 9. Will the Minneapolis question 2 vote destroy ongoing progressive efforts to defund police? 10. Should states require high school students to pass an ethnic studies course? or United States Extemporaneous Speaking  1. Are progressive Democrats going to abandon President Biden?  2. Does homework widen the achievement gap in K-12 schools?...

 COP26 starts this week and is fairly important conference that happens every year. Your assignment this week will be to take notes and present what you learned about climate change or the political agenda around climate change as seen in the media on Monday. We will watch some clips from Democracy Now, but I also want you to do your own research and look at Fox News, and foreign media, to see a global picture.   QUESTIONS - unrelated to climate change  1. Should the Biden administration retreat from its support of vaccine mandates? 2. What steps does Portland need to take to rein in destructive protests? 3. Is inflationary pressure in the U.S. economy here to stay? 4. How should states spend the money they are receiving from opioid pharmacy settlements? 5. Does Congress need better ethics rules to prevent insider trading? 6. How will FDA approval for COVID-19 vaccinations for children affect school operations across the country? 7. Should U.S. states decriminalize prosti...

 So this week, I want you to do one of the following: 1) Work on independent research and writing. 2) Choose a topic in the news - this week and research it. Be able to talk about it next week. Make sure you look at more than four sources, and make sure at least two of those sources are from opposing sides. It could even be a local issue. Example (here are a couple of questions to consider): After the war in Afghanistan should the U.S. cut defense spending? Should U.S. states impose stricter homeschool guidelines?   WHEN I GET BACK WE WILL START TO DISCUSS INTERNATIONAL NEWS.

1. Do the results of the California recall election bode ill for Republican chances in the 2022 midterm elections? 2. Should the U.S. put more priority on global distribution of COVID-19 vaccines instead of booster shots for those already vaccinated? 3. Is President Biden beginning to pivot his policies too far to the left? 4. Should Democrats make election reform the key piece of their 2022 midterm campaign? 5. Will Senate Republicans eventually vote to raise the debt ceiling? 6. Should TikTok be held liable for damages caused by #deviouslicks? 7. Will ethics issues at the Federal Reserve scuttle Jerome Powell’s chances at being renominated as Fed chair? 8. Should President Biden push for a revival of the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP)? 9. Are the Abraham Accords worth saving? 10. Should more states follow California and New York in banning the sale of new fossil fuel vehicles by 2035? Increasing tourist-focused taxes throughout Southeast Alaska is the best way to benefit the co...

  1. Will the Supreme Court eventually find Texas’ recent abortion law unconstitutional? 2. Is the Biden administration sidelining Vice President Harris? 3. What impact will the end of pandemic unemployment benefits have on the U.S. economy? 4. Should reforms be made to the operations of local boards of education? 5. Would it be too early for former President Trump to declare himself a candidate for 2024? 6. Should the U.S. cooperate with the Taliban to fight ISIS-K? 7. With about a week to go, will California voters recall Gavin Newsom? 8. Under what conditions should the U.S. remove sanctions on Venezuela? 9. Should religious exemptions exist in COVID-19 vaccine mandates? 10. What reforms should Congress make to Social Security? 11. How will hurricanes and weather expediate climate change> 12. Is "cancel culture" hurting America?  13. Should the U.S. military start relying more on drone strikes as part of its strategic mission? Why are American companies staying quiet on...