Current Events Activity 4.1

1) Glenn Hager is an American Attorney who serves as Texas State Comptroller of Public Accounts. State Sen. Royce West asked him "Is the sky falling in Texas?" he asked this due to the falling oil prices that might affect the state budget. Hager answered by saying "No, sir. Is it something we need to continue to pay attention to and watch? Absolutely. In October Hagar lowered his projection for state revenue in the current budget by $2.6 billion because of falling fossil fuel prices and the state budget is not in jeopardy of being dragged down by the energy market. Severance taxes on oil and gas producers takes 7.5 percent of the market value for natural gas and 4.6 percent or oil.

2) Donald Trump will be sitting out tomorrow's Republican debate because he is going to apparently host an event in the state to raise money for wounded warriors and other veterans groups just before Monday's Iowa caucuses. I don't think it will help his campaign and his chances on Monday (because honestly there is no helping him) On the Democratic side Hillary Clinton and Bernie Sanders are at odds over whether to participate in a newly proposed debate to be held Feb. 4. Five days later New Hampshire's Feb. 9 primary will take place. I don't think the Feb. 4th event will take place because some of the candidates will not be attending due to the event not being approved by the party.

3) They are fighting mosquitos that are spreading a virus that is causing birth defects by trying to distribute mosquito repellent to some 400,000 pregnant women who receive cash-transfer benefits. Zika, dengue and microcephaly are what viruses the mosquitos are infected with.  The health minister's remarks are controversial because they basically said to women "don't get pregnant".. The huge event next month is the Rio de Janeiro.

4) Steven Weinberg recently announced that he plans to ban guns from his classrooms. Bill McRaven saids to focus on safety and provide an environment that supports studying and research with minimal distractions. The campus carry law will go into effect on August 1st. The open carry law went into effect on January 1st. Justin Wood said that people who were concealed carrying are still concealed carrying and that people on the street were not openly carrying.

5) Ken Paxton is a Texas Attorney General who objected to the Obama administration's recent move to resettle Syrian refugees without giving state officials one week notice. On Friday lawyers for the U.S. Department of Justice told Godbey that it had moved seven Syrians to Houston that day. Paxton asked a federal judge on December 2nd to block resettlement efforts. Godbey rejected Paxton's initial request.

6) If the Lady Longhorns beat Kansas it will mark 1,000 wins for them. The Lady Longhorns are doing pretty good this season and are ranked sixth in the country. The teams greatest weakness is all the turnovers.

7) I liked the New York Times obituary a bit better because it talked more about his achievements