Rebecca Kay Bright, Author

Protecting the Planet and Workers: Why Fast-Track Deals Need a Makeover     Imagine a scenario where a country's leader rushes into trade agreements with nations known for their disregard for the environment and labor rights. Now, picture this leader shrugging off the importance of these issues, seemingly oblivious to their impact. Terrifying, right? Unfortunately, this isn't just a hypothetical; it's a real concern that we need to address head-on.      I'm deeply worried about the consequences of handing fast-track authority to a president who may prioritize profits over people and the planet. Without proper safeguards in place, such deals could easily overlook crucial stipulations to protect workers' rights and the environment. Let's face it, in a world where climate change is wreaking havoc and workers are often exploited, we simply can't afford to ignore these issues. That's why I'm advocating for a fundamental change in how we approach fast-tr

Judicial Policymaking      We must remember that the Supreme Court’s job is to look at the laws and the cases in front of them and compare them with the Constitution. If the laws or a prior decision in a case is unconstitutional, it is the Supreme Court's job to find them so. What many see as the Supreme Court making laws is really the Supreme Court setting precedent. This action of taking into account a higher court’s (or another court’s) rulings and ruling similarly has been common in all courts that stem from the English court system model – we can see similar occurrences in British, Canadian, and Austrian courts as well as our own. The Supreme Court of the United States’ job is not to enforce laws or their rulings overall. The Supreme Court’s job is to set legal standards of law while enforcement falls into the jurisdiction of the executive branch and through the executive branch the various law enforcement agencies and the lower courts follow precedent.      On the subjec