https://padlet.com/mrsmith21cccs/no64q23kc9i5 We want to hear about a current event that interests you! Choose one article about an issue or event from this year and summarize the article. Then, link this event to an event in American history that occurred at least 30 years ago. You should thoroughly explain the connection between the two events. Place your one page write-up on the Current Events Padlet. Below each post, there is room for your classmates to write a brief reply explaining whether they agree or disagree with the significance of the connections you made. Possible topics include: • Trump - Russia connection (compare to other Presidential connections to Russia) • Women's Rights • LGBT rights • Black Lives Matter - Civil Rights Movement • Case for Impeachment - Nixon and Watergate en-us 2017-05-30 12:09:36 UTC 2017-05-30 14:56:46 UTC hello@padlet.com https://padlet.com/mrsmith21cccs/no64q23kc9i5/wish/174419193 http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2017/may/20/trump-impeachment-primer/
The topic of presidential impeachment has resurfaced, as allegations against president Trump have been made on several accounts. Many believe that the firing for FBI Director James Comey, as well as Trump's alleged obstruction of National Security Adviser Michael Flynn's investigations calls for the immediate end of his term. The purpose of impeachment, as observed in past occasions, is to extend "a rule of law substitute for tyrannicide if the President can no longer be trusted". And according to Article II, section 4 of the U.S. Constitution, impeachable offenses are defined as "treason, bribery, or other high crimes and misdemeanors.” These same accounts were taken against President Richard Nixon in 1974. At the height of Nixon's popularity, five burglars attempted to steal documents near the Democratic National Committee office. James McCord, a former FBI and CIA agent, was among these thieves. Many question whether Nixon was already aware of what was being done in his name, yet the reports are inconclusive. His involvement in this atrocity stems from his attempt to conceal the damage. The CIA was instructed by Nixon to undermine the FBI’s investigation of the break-in at a time when suspicions were growing. In addition, Nixon had implemented a secret taping system in parts of the White House, executive office, and the official retreat at Camp David. This action initiated the impeachment process, as the House of Representatives maintained that he had committed "obstruction of justice, abuse of power, criminal cover-up and several violations of the Constitution." Nixon set the precedent that presidential defiance of a court order is itself an impeachable offense. And while any definitive evidence of obstruction committed by Trump cannot be proven, his erratic and contradictory remarks certainly justify investigations. ]]> 2017-05-30 14:09:18 UTC https://padlet.com/mrsmith21cccs/no64q23kc9i5/wish/174419193 https://padlet.com/mrsmith21cccs/no64q23kc9i5/wish/174419584 http://www.motherjones.com/politics/2017/02/black-lives-matter-versus-trump
Since the start of President Trump's presidential campaign, African Americans across the nation have been feeling the repercussions of hostility and the continuous war against their race. The main goals of the movement groups and leaders are to end police brutality as well as the disproportionate imprisonment of African Americans. When Trump introduced his immigration orders, the BLM organizers began firing up movements to protest matters such as LGBT issues, policing, and reproductive rights, all part of what they believe to be Trump's retrograde, hostile agenda. Campaign Zero, a police reform campaign aligned with BLM, introduced a Trump resistance manual, gathering and interpreting data on the subject of police reform. The manual introduces users to the Trump policy proposals and exposes them to their potential impacts. It encourages them to become involved in local organizing in response to many issues of the time. Coming up this year, Campaign Zero will begin to push for laws that "empower state attorneys general to open civil rights investigations into local police departments". This connects to the Civil Rights Movement that occurred in the 50s and 60s because blacks felt suppressed by the government and those in control. In both events they were fighting among other causes such as womens rights and LGBT rights. ]]> 2017-05-30 14:10:37 UTC https://padlet.com/mrsmith21cccs/no64q23kc9i5/wish/174419584 https://padlet.com/mrsmith21cccs/no64q23kc9i5/wish/174419711 2017-05-30 14:11:00 UTC https://padlet.com/mrsmith21cccs/no64q23kc9i5/wish/174419711 https://padlet.com/mrsmith21cccs/no64q23kc9i5/wish/174420713 http://www.motherjones.com/politics/2017/05/we-dont-know-much-about-trumps-russia-connections-few-exceptions
For the past few weeks, all over the news people have been covering the supposed Trump-Russia connection and what this may mean for the presidency. The trouble is, accusations are being thrown while there is very little evidence to show that something nefarious is occurring. Trump's lawyers released a statement saying that there is no income or business involvement with Russian sources within his tax returns save for a few exceptions. One of these exceptions was a $95 million real estate deal as well as other product sales from Trump's business. Aside from that, everything else is just speculations and uncertainty. There is a possibility that there may have been more financial activity regarding Russia and Trump that may or may not have been included in his tax returns, but this cannot be confirmed. 

This wouldn't be the first time a president had possible connections with Russia: the Kennedy administration had a secret back channel with Moscow. It's not unusual for Russia to want to establish connections with the presidential administration, especially since relations are a bit strained with the United States. Neither is it unusual for the American administration to use back channels to learn more about the intentions of foreign nations. With Kennedy, the president met secretly with Soviet intelligence officer Georgi Bolshakov 35 times in the span of 19 months. ]]> 2017-05-30 14:14:13 UTC https://padlet.com/mrsmith21cccs/no64q23kc9i5/wish/174420713 https://padlet.com/mrsmith21cccs/no64q23kc9i5/wish/174421485 2017-05-30 14:17:24 UTC https://padlet.com/mrsmith21cccs/no64q23kc9i5/wish/174421485 https://padlet.com/mrsmith21cccs/no64q23kc9i5/wish/174421582 http://nypost.com/2017/05/17/new-orleans-takes-down-confederate-monument/
In New Orleans workers took down a confederate monument of General P.G.T Beauregard. This was the third of four monuments to be taken down in the city. The Mayor Landrieu called for the monument's removal due to the 2015 massacre of nine black parishoners at a South Carolina Church. One of these statues was a monument dedicated to Robert. E. Lee. It is a controversial topic because many lawmakers backed a proposal aimed at keeping cities from removing confederate monuments because of its historical meaning. This connects to the issue over the Japanese flag during World War II. The rising sun flag of Japan was used by Japan during their association in World War II until their surrender in August of 1945. This flag became an issue of controversy because it represented the Japan Empire in World War II and their evil deeds but also represents Japan itself and its history. ]]> 2017-05-30 14:17:48 UTC https://padlet.com/mrsmith21cccs/no64q23kc9i5/wish/174421582 https://padlet.com/mrsmith21cccs/no64q23kc9i5/wish/174425395
(http://www.businessinsider.com/russia-wouldnt-be-the-first-country-to-meddle-in-us-politics-here-are-4-other-times-its-happened-2016-7/#great-britain-1940-1941-1) According to this article, Great Britain used it's power and influence in the 1940's in order to skew American preference for intervention in World War II. Historian Tim Naftali says Britain used intelligence services to spread rumors about the aviator Charles Lindbergh in order to steer American opinion away from the isolationist movement. Spies also passed information on to FDR that pushed for FDR to intervene.

Furthermore, archives show that throughout the Cold War, the Soviet Union pushed inaccurate John F. Kennedy assassination theories, faked a letter to incriminate American intelligence officers in the assassination, and spread rumors that FBI director J. Edgar Hoover was gay.]]> 2017-05-30 14:33:20 UTC https://padlet.com/mrsmith21cccs/no64q23kc9i5/wish/174425395