And The Nominee Is…
Many conservatives said they voted for Donald Trump primarily because of the Supreme Court vacancy left by the death of Antonin Scalia. On Tuesday, President Trump nominated Neil Gorsuch to fill the vacancy, which has been praised by conservatives and bemoaned by liberals who are still fuming over Republicans’ refusal to consider President Obama’s pick, Merrick Garland. The confirmation process is sure to have some fireworks.
https://nytimes.com/2017/02/01/podcasts/the-daily-gorsuch-supreme-court.html?referer=
http://erlc.com/resource-library/press-releases/russell-moore-supports-president-trumps-nomination-of-neil-gorsuch-for-the-u-s-supreme-court

Are They Still “Boy” Scouts?
In a bold, but not altogether surprising announcement, the Boy Scouts of America (BSA) have reversed their policy on transgender children. According to the Boy Scouts, a “boy” is no longer defined by the gender listed on the birth certificate, but by what a parent puts on their child’s application. The BSA lost the moral fortitude to stand for its century-long convictions it was only a matter of time. Now, religious sponsors of scouting troops face pressing questions.
https://www.nytimes.com/2017/01/31/us/boy-scouts-transgender-policy.html?referer=https://www.google.com/

The Cultural Impact of the Super Bowl
The Super Bowl stands as the single most watched television program in American culture. As a cultural phenomenon, it draws advertisers willing to pay up to $5.5 million for a thirty-second ad, or $183,000 per second. While the game itself is a draw, the culture-shaping power coming in the commercials, which made this list of the most influential commercials of all time especially intriguing. It’s not so much what the ad says about the product, but what it says about the state of our society at that particular point in time.
http://time.com/4653281/super-bowl-ads-commercials-most-influential-time/

Free Speech Anyone?
Protests at UC Berkeley turned violent and destructive when angry demonstrators dressed in black highjacked a peaceful demonstration against an alt-right guest speaker. The university suffered $100,000 in damages, as well as damage to some surrounding businesses. While Berkeley has a long tradition of protesting, seeing the events take this turn is tragic. While I disagree with most of Berkeley’s protests, we should hope, for democracy’s sake, that this was an aberration.
https://www.sfexaminer.com/protest-troll-milo-yiannopoulos-causes-100k-damage-uc-campus/