Political Quick Hits: June 14th Edition

Here’s your weekly quick look at few developing stories in the political arena:

• The Obama Administration announced this week that it is dropping its appeal of a judge’s decision which allowed the morning-after pill to be sold over the counter. The FDA says it will allow over-the-counter sales of a one-pill product “without age or point of sales restrictions.” “Today’s move by the administration means the safety and effectiveness of Plan B, not politics, will dictate access,” said Sen. Patty Murray, a Democrat from Washington state. (CNN)

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Justin Burkhardt

Political Quick Hits: June 7th Edition

Here’s your weekly quick look at few developing stories in the political arena:

• New Jersey Senator Frank Lautenberg passed away Monday at the age of 89 from viral pneumonia. He served five terms in the U.S. Senate since 1982 and was the last surviving World War II veteran in the Senate. “Senator Lautenberg improved the lives of countless Americans with his commitment to our nation’s health and safety. From improving our public transportation to protecting citizens from gun violence to ensuring that members of our military and their families get the care they deserve,” said President Obama of the late senator. New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie has announced a special election in October to fill the seat through 2014. The Governor also announced that Jeffrey Chiesa, the state’s Attorney General, will serve as Senator until the special election.

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Justin Burkhardt

Miami Heat vs. San Antonio Spurs NBA Finals Preview & Prediction

The Miami Heat and the San Antonio Spurs are now set to face each other in this year’s NBA Finals. Game 1 is Thursday at 9 p.m. During the regular season, these teams played each other twice, with the Heat winning both by scores of 105-100 and 88-86. However, during both match-ups, each team was missing key players and both teams haven’t played each other at full strength since 2011. This Final is a battle between an aging Spurs dynasty seeking one more championship and a Heat team looking to be crowned the NBA’s newest dynasty. So which team will ultimately win the NBA championship?
Click through to see our NBA Finals preview & prediction.

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Justin Burkhardt

Political Quick Hits: May 31st Edition

Here’s your weekly quick look at few developing stories in the political arena:

• President Obama last Thursday, announced plans to change our country’s counterterrorism policy. He outlined stricter rules in regards to our controversial usage of drone strikes and again brought up wanting to close Guantanamo Bay. “Our systematic effort to dismantle terrorist organizations must continue. But this war, like all wars, must end.That’s what history advises. That’s what our democracy demands.” President Obama said. He also asked Congress to loosen restrictions to move Gitmo prisoners to the United States.

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Justin Burkhardt

Political Quick Hits: May 17th Edition

Here’s your weekly quick look at few developing stories in the political arena:

• Minnesota continued a recent trend by becoming the 12th state to legalize gay marriage on Tuesday when Governor Mark Dayton signed a recently passed marriage equality bill into law. “Life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness should certainly include the right to marry the person you love,” Dayton said. The bill passed in the senate on Monday by a 37-30 vote. Couples will be allowed to marry starting August 1, 2013. The other states that currently allow gay marriage are: CT, DE, IA, ME, MD, MA, NH, NY, RI, VT, WA, and also the District of Columbia.

• On Wednesday, the White House released more than 100 pages of e-mails in an attempt to quiet critics who think that President Barack Obama and his aides played politics with our national security following the deadly September 11, 2012 attack on the U.S. diplomatic compound in Benghazi, Libya. The White House has always denied any type of cover-up. White House spokesman Eric Schultz said, “Collectively these emails make clear that the interagency process, including the White House’s interactions, were focused on providing the facts as we knew them based on the best information available at the time and protecting an ongoing investigation.”

• President Obama on Thursday said he had no knowledge of the recent IRS scandal until the media exposed it last Friday. The IRS is under heavy scrutiny for singling out groups, particularly those with Tea Party ties, that were seeking tax-exempt status. President Obama has since repeatedly denounced the discriminatory behavior at the IRS. President Obama said, “What I’m absolutely certain of is that the actions that were described in that I.G. report are unacceptable.” On Wednesday, the Obama administration called for the resignation of acting IRS commissioner Steven Miller and the Justice Department announced that they will be investigating the matter. It is not yet known whether or not any laws were broken and if any criminal charges will be filed.

• Finally, a bipartisan U.S house group has reached an agreement on immigration reform. The report says that the Democrats and Republicans involved will run it by their party leaders and colleagues and hopefully formal legislation will be introduced in June. “Filing a real bipartisan bill, a serious, enforceable commonsense bill is, I think, a huge step. But it’s the first step of the process, a very important step,” said Republican Rep. Mario Diaz-Balart of Florida, one of the members of the bipartisan group.

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Justin Burkhardt