Confirmation hearings for Supreme Court nominee Elena Kagan began this week in front of the Senate Judiciary committee. The former Dean of Harvard Law School and current Solicitor General would become the fourth woman to serve on the high court if she is confirmed by the Senate. Kagan has been asked by members on the committee about her views on the “Don’t Ask. Don’t Tell” policy, which she cites as the reason for her opposition to on-campus recruiting by the military at Harvard. Her views on gun control and the Second Amendment are also expected to be discussed with the Court’s ruling in McDonald v. Chicago, which struck down a law that heavily restricted the ability of residents to possess firearms. If Kagan is confirmed, the court will be without a Protestant member for the first time in history.
On Tuesday, June 29, Larry King announced that, after 25 years on the air, he was retiring from Larry King Live this upcoming fall. His talk show has been on the air since 1985. It is the longest running program with the same host, on the same network and with the same time slot. Many people have speculated that his low ratings and perceived disconnect with some popular figures of pop culture caused him to be forced out, but on his Tuesday night broadcast where he made the announcement, King said that the decision was solely his, he was not forced out and that he made the choice so he could pursue new horizons and spend more time with his family.
For the first time since he took office almost a year and a half ago, President Obama’s disapproval rating is higher than his approval rating, according to a poll conducted by NBC News and the Wall Street Journal. Many pundits are pointing to the still unresolved oil crisis in the Gulf as the primary reason why some Americans have become disenchanted with the White House. The President continues to face fire from both sides of the aisle. Conservatives are attacking Obama for not reducing spending, while the left is attacking the White House for what they say is backing away from promises made during the campaign.