Marissa Pittman’s Government Blog

1. What issue is at the center of both the  Trinity Lutheran  and  Espinoza  cases? According to the article, "Both  Trinity Lutheran  and  Espinoza  involve state constitutional provisions that prohibited those states from spending money to 'aid'  churches and other religious institutions". 2. How does Justice Kagan argue that banning ALL funding to religious institutions would be ridiculous? Justice Kagan gave the example that, "to prohibit the state from providing 'police protection or fire protection' to churches. That is, if a church caught ablaze, the fire department would be required to let it burn".  3. What choice do the plaintiffs argue that these bans force on students? The plaintiffs argue these bans force students to   choose between " attending a school that accords with her beliefs or receiving thousands of dollars in government benefits". 4. According to the Census, what's the average amount that st...

1. Why was General Soleimani an important target for the airstrike? General Soleimani led Iranian covert operations and intelligence and was one of the country’s most revered military leaders. 2. How did the Department of Defense (the Pentagon) justify this attack? The Department of Defense stated that “  General Soleimani and his Quds Force were responsible for the deaths of hundreds of American and coalition service members and the wounding of thousands more.” 3. How have Iran's leaders responded to the US attack? They have vowed for “revenge”. Furthermore, there were large public displays of mourning across Iran. 4. How has President Trump responded to Iran's promises of "revenge"? He has responded by promising to attack 52 sites across Iran. He said that some of the sites have cultural significance. 5. Why have some said that Trump's response would be considered a war crime? His response includes targeting cultural sites, and some consider that a war cr...