Zoe Woody's Government Blog

1.   What action has Exxon taken to promote a carbon tax?   ExxonMobile has announced  it’s endorsing the CLC proposal and is putting up $1 million to lobby for it. 2.  How does this article define a carbon tax? A  per-ton tax on the carbon dioxide emissions embedded in fuels or other products. 3.  What would be the predicted impact of a $50 per ton carbon tax?  Under the $50/ton scenario, emissions fall 39 to 46 percent below 2005 levels by 2025, putting the US well ahead of its pledged Paris goal of 26 to 28 percent by 2025. 4.  How expensive would the tax need to be to reduce emissions by 80%? $100 or more. 5.  Which industry would be most impacted by the implementation of a carbon tax? Transportation. 6. How would the carbon tax impact the transportation industry?  transportation appears stubbornly resistant to carbon prices. Through 2030, a $50 carbon tax would reduce emissions from the transportation sector all of 2%...

1. What is the last that anyone knows about journalist Jamal Khashoggi?  The 59-year-old veteran journalist was last seen on October 2 walking into the Saudi Consulate in Istanbul. He was there to obtain a document verifying his divorce so that he could marry his Turkish fiancée. 2. What does Turkey say happened?  What does Saudi Arabia say happened?   Turkish officials have said they have  c oncrete  evidence that Khashoggi never left the building and was murdered there; some have even put forth g ruesome theories  of how his body may have been dismembered and smuggled out.  The Saudi government, however, says it had nothing to do with his disappearance and maintains that he left through a  b ack entrance , though it has provided no evidence to support that. 3. Why would the Saudi Arabian government have motive to murder him? He was scared that the Saudi Arabian government would punish him for his dissident views. 4. How has Crown Princ...

​1. What is the earliest that Brett Kavanaugh could join the Supreme Court if he is approved by the Senate? A week t the earliest.  2. What does the Supreme Court do without a 9th justice? They continue as normal and vote on cases with just 8 justices.  3. What is the potential problem with having only 8 justices? They could have a 4-4 tie.  4. How many cases are already scheduled to be heard by the Court? 23 cases are already scheduled to be heard by the court.  5. If Judge Kavanaugh does join the Court, what happens to the cases that he has not heard? He won't be able to vote on them and it will be voted on by 8 judges.  6. What is the upcoming Supreme Court case about that deals with the 8th amendment? Whether of not the 8th amendment prohibits executing someone who no longer remembers the crime they committed after suffering several strokes. 7. What is the result if the Supreme Court decision is a 4-4 tie? ​The lower court's ruling stays in e...

1. How did Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein react to President Trump's firing of FBI Director James Comey? He tried to get him put out of office using the 25th amendment.  2. What does Section 4 of the 25th Amendment give the Cabinet the power to do?  Why would they do this? It gives the cabinet the power to decide if the president can continue to carry out his responsibilities as president and if not they can kick him out and make the VP the president. Trump's top officials have been anonymously telling the media that he is unfit to govern.  3. What does Congress do if the Cabinet exercises this power? Congress would vote to keep the VP in power Orto give the president back his position. 4. What happened to the presidency when James Garfield or Woodrow Wilson were unable to fulfill their duties as POTUS? They continued to be president and just do nothing because they were unable to. 5. What event finally got Congress to address the prob...