Blog #2 - The Supreme Court

The Supreme Court was founded in March of 1789 and is the most powerful judicial body in the whole world. There are nine judges that serve at a time with each member serving for an average of 16 years. The judges that serve on the Supreme Court are primarily responsible to the law and the verdict given is always decided by the nine judges, making public opinion a non-factor. On average, the Supreme Court receives 7,000 cases a year, 100 of which are seriously considered. When a case is chosen to be reviewed, the judges receive the case one week prior to Court beginning. During the hearing, the lawyer one each side gets 30 uninterrupted minutes to plead their case. After both lawyers plead their case, the nine judges vote on the verdict a few days later with one of the nine writing an opinion about the case. On average, it takes about four weeks for a first draft to be completed but the opinion sometimes takes longer than expected because the judge writing the opinion has to make sure the other eight judges are satisfied as well before formally submitting it.

Throughout the Supreme Court's 231 year history there have been many famous cases that have shaped and also damaged the reputation of the Court. For example, in the famous Scott v Sandford case of 1857, the Court denied citizenship to African-American slaves which wound up being a major event leading up to the Civil War. Another major decision made by the Supreme Court which was positive and monumental came in 2013 when the Court ruled that governments did not have the ability to deny and federal benefits to same-sex couples. Two years later, in 2015, the Court legalized same-sex marriage across all 50 states.

The Supreme Court has made many mistakes over their long history but overall, the Court's importance and responsibility to the United States, its citizens, and the constitution, can not be understated.

Blog #1 - My News Sources

1. Twitter

Launched back in 2006, Twitter has quickly become the platform of and the place to go for breaking news. Creating a profile on Twitter is free of charge and once your profile is created, you are able to follow whoever you want including some of the world's most powerful people and even your favorite sports teams. Since messages can be sent out instantaneously and can be pushed on to further audiences by retweets and comments, it is much more efficient way to spread, break, or share news. Although their recent display of censorship is discouraging, Twitter has always been reliable whether it is keeping up with a major event in real time or receiving breaking news about your favorite sports team.

2. Instagram

When I first downloaded Instagram I was on a school bus with my classmates, heading to Citi Field for my fifth grade field trip. Back then the app was a way to post your camera roll essentially but as my friends and I have aged and the app has gotten older itself, it certainly has evolved. Nowadays, everyone has an Instagram account whether you're the President of the United States, a point guard for the Brooklyn Nets, or a college student looking to start their own business — hello everyone! Instagram has become away for people to share their lives with us and typically, we care. Just ask me how excited I was when I saw Mathew Barzal of the New York Islanders post a clip from The Wolf of Wall Street on his Instagram to announce he was returning to the Islanders for three more seasons. This year, with all of that has happened, the power of Instagram was on display more than ever with everyone sharing their thoughts and opinions on different issues on their Instagram stories.

3. The Athletic

First launched in 2016, The Athletic is relatively new to the sports media world. However, fast forward to 2021 and they are covering pretty much every major sport in 47 different North American cities (as well as the United Kingdom). The site is purely focused on compelling content and does not have any advertisements but it does comes with a cost. The monthly plan costs $7.99 but the annual plan reduces that to $4.99 a month. The site is stacked with well-traveled and well-respected writers who were tired of meeting deadlines that compromised the quality of their stories. Instead of drafting up a normal game recap against the clock, these writers tend to go above and beyond, breaking down the game and even getting opinions from analysts as well as the players and coaches.

4. Newsday

Born and raised on Long Island, NY, Newsday has always been a valuable way for me to consume local news. When I was younger I used to save every back page (the sports section) that the Islanders were featured on and made a collage of them all on my bedroom wall. I believe it always important to stay informed about your hometown. With the Islanders building a new arena in Belmont (UBS Arena), the drama around their current home (Nassau Coliseum), and of course the fact that Long Island and New York as a whole was considered the epicenter of COVID-19 at one point, there is certainly a lot to keep up with.

5. Front Office Sports

Front Office Sports is one of my favorite places to go for news, specifically news relating to both sports and business. Whether it is a team getting a new corporate sponsor or a player leaving one agency to join another, this website covers it all in depth. The site also focuses on the increasing interest in the world of sports gambling, tracking what moves casinos have made to adapt to this as well as how the world of sports is as well (ex. incorporating game lines/odds into the broadcast).