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

• Breaking on Friday, Veterans Affairs Secretary Eric Shinseki resigned amongst heavy criticism from both Democrats and Republicans for the recent Veterans Affairs scandal. President Obama, who accepted the resignation, said,” That was Ric’s judgment on behalf of his fellow veterans, and I agree. We don’t have time for distractions. We need to fix the problem.” Critics have applauded the resignation…… Also breaking on Friday, White House Press Secretary Jay Carney announced he is leaving the position in mid-June. President Obama said of Carney, “He’s got good judgment. He has good temperament and he’s got a good heart, and I will miss him a lot.”  Carney, who was Obama’s 2nd press secretary, will be replaced by deputy press secretary Josh Earnest.
• President Obama on Wednesday spoke at the U.S. Military outlined his foreign policy vision of “might doing right.” Obama said, “America must always lead on the world stage, and the military will always be the backbone of that leadership,” but U.S. military action “cannot be the only — or even primary — component of our leadership in every instance.” The President also said of critics that those “who suggest that America is in decline, or has seen its global leadership slip away, are either misreading history or engaged in partisan politics.” The President has been criticized for a “passive” approach to foreign policy and in this vision of his foreign policy he argues that global leadership requires military might, alliances and diplomatic tools.

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

• It was a big week for marriage equality nationwide. First: in Oregon on Monday, a federal judge struck down a voter-approved ban on same-sex marriage. Judge Michael McShane said in his ruling,“Because Oregon’s marriage laws discriminate on the basis of sexual orientation without a rational relationship to any legitimate government interest, the laws violate the Equal Protection Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution.” McShane ordered his ruling to take affect immediately, meaning same-sex marriages were able to begin right away. Then on Tuesday, a federal judge in Pennsylvania struck down the state’s ban on same-sex marriage. U.S. District Judge John E. Jones III said in his ruling, “We are a better people than what these laws represent, and it is time to discard them onto the ash heap of history.”  This ruling allows same-sex couples the ability to marry right away, and already married same-sex couples will now be recognized as such in P.A.

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

• President Obama on Wednesday spoke about the country’s infrastructure, saying that rebuilding America “shouldn’t be a partisan issue.” The President criticized Republicans for not approving money that would replenish the nation’s Highway Trust Fund, which could run out of money later this summer. President Obama said if Congress doesn’t “act by the end of the summer, federal funding for transportation projects will run out. There will be no money, the cupboard will be bare.” The President noted that states are already cutting back on projects due to the uncertainty, and good construction jobs could be lost. America’s highways and bridges along with other important parts of our transportation infrastructure, such as railways, are old and in serious need of upgrades and repairs. The American Society of Civil Engineers gives U.S. infrastructure a D+ in terms of condition and performance.

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

• The U.S. Supreme Court this week ruled that a New York town’s board meeting can start with a public prayer. The ruling states that opening those meetings with traditional prayer does not violate the First Amendment. Two residents of Greece, New York, objected to public prayer at the meetings as they take place on government property. Justice Anthony Kennedy said, “The town of Greece does not violate the First Amendment by opening its meetings with prayer that comports with our tradition, and does not coerce participation by nonadherents.” The Supreme Court itself begins its public sessions with a traditional statement that ends, “God save the United States and this honorable court.”

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