Summary
In the latest news wrap, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer called for a vote to change the filibuster rule and pass a Democratic voting rights bill, but Sen. Mitch mcConnell warned against it. Black lawmakers in Michigan sue to block new district maps for congressional and state legislative seats. The U.S. Labor Department reports a record 4.5 million Americans quit their jobs in November.
Terms:
filibuster:
A rule in the U.S. Senate that allows individual senators to block votes on new legislation without 60 votes (more than a simple 51 vote majority).
Five Facts
Directions:
Choose one or more of the stories to record the Five Facts questions as well as the focus and media literacy questions below.
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Who
are some of the individuals or groups of people mentioned in the news summary?
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What
stories are covered?
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Where
do some of the stories take place?
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When
did those stories occur?
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Why
did the event(s) take place?
*Bonus:
How
do you think the NewsHour's producers decided which stories made it into the news summary?
Focus Questions
Do you think it makes sense to keep the filibuster in place even though it results in an elected majority often unable to pass its agenda? What are the advantages and disadvantages?
How would you answer the question VOX poses at the end of
their video
below?: "If the party that loses the election can block the winners from doing anything, what does it mean to be a democracy?"
Media literacy:
What from this news wrap do you think should have been covered in more detail? How would you find out more?
