Week of October 12 CWI

[3Amelia]

Monday-

Today is Columbus Day, but several towns and cities are celebrating the indigenous people. 

Healthcare-

Democrats think the government should allow universal access to healthcare. Republicans believe in private insurers are preferable to government controlled systems. Healthcare costs are very high. They believe Obamacare is too socialistic. 105 million Americans no longer have lifetime dollar limits on their coverage. More than 129 million Americans with pre-existing conditions can no longer be denied coverage or charged more because of their health. Preexisting would mean you would have diseases, but would still be taken on (diabetes and arthritis). They cannot be denied. Since the Affordable Care Act began, health care prices have risen at the slowest rate in nearly fifty years. Insurance companies have to spend at least 80% of your premium dollars on health care. If they don't meet the standard, they have to provide rebates to consumers and millions of consumers have received over 1.9 million in rebates. More than 16 million Americans have gained health coverage and the nations uninsured rate is now the lowest ever recorded. 5.7 million young adults have gained coverage due to the ACA's provision allowing young adults to remain on parent's plan until 26. More than 9.4 million seniors and other people with Medicare have saved more than 15 billion on their prescription drugs. More than 39 million seniors received one or more preventive services. Republicans believe it's a slippery slope with benefits people can become dependent on it. We rely on the government for everything. People rely too much on the government and less on themselves. Rugged individualism- step up, put on some man pants, and stop relying on the government. Obamacare= socialistic. 

Martin O' Malley-

He is a Democrat. He was born in Washington D.C. on January 18, 1963. He went to the University of Maryland and got a law degree. He served eight years as mayor of Baltimore and was elected governor of Maryland. A governor is like executive branch of a city. Martin supports the middle class, he works to improve violence, improve public school, dealing with greenhouse gases, supports gay marriage, raise the minimum wage, and enforce stricter gun laws. He wants to improve the environment. Rubs noses with Tibetan people. 14% of Maryland's people support Martin as President. He hasn't been able to drop crime rates, he thinks highly of statistics, and he has reduced job opportunities by raising the minimum wage. 

ISIS-

ISIS is the Islamic State in Iraq and Al-Sham, a Muslim organization to restore Islamic religion. Both Democrats and Republicans think the US should use more military force against ISIS, but Obama has resisted war for nearly three years in Syria although we have several air strikes. ISIS is a group that is trying to take over Syria. They started in 1999, but was originally formed in 2013, in Iraq. 80% of Western Syria fighters have joined ISIS. They say they have fighters from Germany, France, UK, and many other European countries. They get a lot of money from their oil fields. They are a mafia. They tax people and are in charge of sex trafficking, prostitution, alcohol, etc. Russia recently had an airstrike on ISIS that killed two commanders and 300 militants. They are responsible for bombings, kidnappings, and beheadings. In 2007, ISIS was weakened by Iraqi tribes that were supported by the US. They are called the "Sunni Awakening". ISIS moved to Syria and gained lots of power, troops, and land. Al Qaeda and ISIS don't have a very good relationship. ISIS targets youth through social media.  

ISIS- Islamic State of IRaq and Syria. ISIL- Islamic State of IRaq and Levant. After the US left Iraq in 2011, ISIS, formerly Al-Qaeda in Iraq, moved in and has taken over much of Northern Iraq and Syria. Obama started a bombing campaign on ISIS targets in August 2014. Obama sent 1500 military advisors back in late 2014. Former Defense Secretary Leon Panetta has criticized Obama for leaving Iraq too early. 

Wednesday- 

PSAT.

Thursday- 

Carly Fiorina-

• Sixty one years old. She was born in Austin, Texas.
• They moved to many different schools. She attended five different high schools, one in Ghana. She graduated from Charles E. Jordan High School in Durham, North Carolina. September 6, 1954.  
• Studied medieval history and philosophy at Stanford University. She graduated with a bachelor of arts in 1976. She enrolled at UCLA school of law to become a lawyer like her father. She dropped out after only 1 semester. Her father said she wouldn't amount to much. She worked as a teacher in Italy. She went to the Mater of Business Administration in marketing from the Robert H. Smith School of Business at the University of Maryland, College Park, in 1980. 
• She joined AT&T as a management trainee in 1980. She rose up at AT&T and became the first female officer. She became the head of North America's sales. She was appointed head of Lucent's consumer communications in 1997. 
• Joined HP in 1999 as the CEO
• First woman to lead a fortune 20 company
• She announced a merger with Compaq in 2001. 
• Resigned from CEO in 2005 because the deal didn't go well. 
• Came into politics with John McCain's elections
• Became fundraising chair of the Republican National Committee's Victory initiative. 
• Ran for US Senate in 2009. Republican nominee, but beat in 2010 by  Barbara Boxer (California). California is extremely Democrat, and Fiorina is a Republican. California is very different from the rest of the nation. 
• Dropping in the polls. 
• Pro-life, women's rights, military. 
• Against planned parenthood and abortion. 

War in Afghanistan-

• On September 11, 2001, the Taliban hijacked four planes, two planes hit the twin towers, one plane crashed, and one crashed into the pentagon. 
• 2,977 people died on 9/11.
• The war in Afghanistan started on October 7, 2001. 
• Democrats want to expand NATO forces in Afghan to stop it from becoming a terrorist haven. They want to stop terrorist funds by financial sanctions against nations or banks. They want to remove US bases in the region. 
• The Republicans want to stand behind the Bush administration. They want to find any weapons they posses or manufacture. They want to shrink their area of operation and destroy their leadership. They don't want to negotiate. They want complete destruction of terrorism and bring democracy over in Afghanistan. They want to maintain peace and stability in the region. 
• Results
• Millions of people were freed from terrorists. Over 40,000 people had died not including Pakistanians. 2,326 American service members have been killed in Afghan. 22,773 US soldiers have been wounded. Osama Bin Laden was killed, Taliban's government is falling, established the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan. 
• Taliban is the same as Al-Qaeda. 
• President Obama wanted to focus on Afghanistan- Sent 30,000 more troops 12-2009. 
• Started US withdrawal from Afghanistan in July 2011. Hopes to be out of Afghanistan sometime in 207 as of 10-15-15. 
• Democrats criticized Bush for focusing on Iraqi War. Afghanistan was put on the back burner. Obama focused on Afghanistan. 
• Mostly everyone supported the War in Afghanistan due to 9-11.
• Afghanistan was not focused on as much after Iraq invasion in 2003. 
• Allowed Taliban and al-Qaeda to gain in power over the years.
• President Bush stated 8-21-06 that US would not leave Iraq "UNTIL THE JOB IS DONE."

Jeb Bush-

• Republican Candidate. 
• He was born on February 11, 1953 in Midland, Texas. 
• Went to Phillips Academy for High School.
• Went to Texas University.
• Married on February 23, 1974 to his wife Columba. 
• 43rd Governor of Florida from 1999-2007.
• Climate change is a real concern.
• Expand gun owners' rights.
• Against gay marriage.
• Cancel any nuclear deal President Obama reaches with Iran. Strengthen ties with Israel. 

Ted Cruz-

• Born December 22, 1970.
• Wife named Heidi 
• Two daughters, Caroline and Catherine 
• Reside in Houston, Texas. 
• His father is a Cuban immigrant. 
• He went to Harvard, Princeton, and back to Harvard for law school. 
• Law clerk for J. Michael Luttig of the US Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit in 1995 and William Rehnquist, Chief Justice of the US. 
• Worked on George W. Bush presidential campaign in 1999. 
• Solicitor general of Texas, arguing in front of the Supreme Court regarding cases involving the state in 2003. 
• Energy, Water, Environment. He wants to repeal Obamacare. He celebrates legal immigration and wants to secure borders and reform the illegal immigration system and uphold the rule of law. Energy revolution. 

Marijuana-

• Medical marijuana is legal in 24 states and in Washington D.C. Anyone over 21 can smoke marijuana in Alaska, Washington DC, and Oregon
• Anyone over 21 can purchase marijuana in Colorado and Washington State
• It is illegal to smoke marijuana in public anywhere. 
• More states want to make it legal for more tax dollars. 
• 53% of Americans think that marijuana should be legal. 
• A lot of the presidential candidates have smoked marijuana. CBruns has never tried marijuana. 
• Majority of both parties still oppose the legalization of marijuana for recreational use. Democrats would be more likely to support. Legalization of marijuana for medicinal use is more widely supported. Democrats are liberal. 

Death Penalty-

• There have been 1,414 executions since 1976. 31 States have the death penalty including, Indiana, Kansas, Ohio, Oklahoma, etc.
• Of the 19 states without the death penalty Iowa and Nebraska are included. 
• The cost of death v life in prison
• Republicans- They are for the death penalty. The death penalty is necessary and effective in deterring people from committing crimes. 
• Democrats are usually against the death penalty. It is not a deterrent and innocent people are in jeopardy.
• Religion plays a role in this issue. 
• The death penalty would reduce overcrowding and cut government spending. 
• People are against the death penalty because the danger of executing innocent people, racism in the application of the death penalty, doubts caused by high costs, doubts related failure of deterrence. 
• The person found guilty will appeal to try and not die. Some can take up to a decade. $175 thousand spent per one death row inmate per year. The average annual cost per regular inmate is only 47,000. 
• The average of 16.5 of time on the death penalty. 
• There were 35 executions in 2014, the lowest number since 1994. 
• Lethal injection, electrocution, gas chamber, firing squad, and hanging. Lethal injection is the most common since 1976. 
• Furman v. Georgia Case (1972)
• The court found the death penalty to be unconstitutional on the grounds of cruel and unusual punishment in violation of the 8th act of the United States Constitution. 
• 1/3 of the people killed under the death penalty are black.