On 2 October, the White House announced that President Trump and the First Lady, Melania, had both tested positive for Covid 19, and were self-isolating in the presidential residence. Mr Trump therefore has to interrupt his campaign for re-election and the remaining presidential TV debates are put in doubt. Mr Trump announced the news in … Continue reading “Campaign Interrupted”
This article explains how the U.S. President is elected and focuses on the 2020 candidates, quickly exploring their careers as well as mapping out the electoral system and looking at the changes brought about this year because of the coronavirus pandemic. It’s an easy B1, usable in older classes in collège as well as lycée. … Continue reading “How to Elect a President”
It’s already been an unusual election year in the U.S.A., with the later Democratic primaries cancelled because of Covid and delayed party conventions held online. As the virus continues to progress in the U.S.A., what are the possible consequences for the election? The parties are continuing as near to normal as they can. The focus, … Continue reading “U.S. Elections: the Year of the Unknowns”
The death of Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg on 18 September means the political balance of the court is likely to swing right. Justice Ginsburg was a pioneering lawyer and judge who was at the forefront of battles for gender equality and women’s rights. Ruth Bader Ginsburg was one of three women out of … Continue reading “Goodbye RBG”
On 8 April Bernie Sanders suspended his campaign for the Democratic presidential nomination, effectively opening to road to Joe Biden to become the party’s official candidate for the White House in November’s election. The two men were the surviving candidates in the primary campaign, but Mr Sanders’ delegate numbers were looking weak before the disruption … Continue reading “Bye-bye Bernie”
From a diverse field of almost thirty candidates, the campaign to find the Democratic candidate to oppose Donald Trump in November’s election has narrowed to a choice between frontrunners representing the left and the right of the party. The 2016 Democratic primary season started with just three candidates, including two rather atypical frontrunners: Hillary Clinton, … Continue reading “Getting Closer to the White House”
The race to the White House is heating up, but there’s still a long way to go to the 3 November election. Because in this year’s election the incumbent President, Republican Donald Trump, is standing again, most of the focus so far has been on the campaign to become the Democratic candidate. Some hopefuls declared … Continue reading “U.S. Presidential Marathon”
The contentious nomination of Brett Kavanaugh to the Supreme Court makes him the new colleague of Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg aka Notorious R.B.G.. She is a feminist and pop culture icon and the subject of a documentary just released in cinemas. Brett Kavanaugh’s confirmation to the Supreme Court was the most contentious nomination process in … Continue reading “Supreme icon”
This worksheet is based on an article which can be labelled A2+ as far as understanding is concerned, but the final writing activity should target B1 for a good number of students. Therefore, we suggest starting with easy activities to engage everyone in the class and gradually move on to more demanding work. It is … Continue reading “What’s in the News?”
Each autumn, Britain’s Collins Dictionary announces a Word of the Year, a word or expression that has been omnipresent. For 2017, the WOTY is “fake news”, a term often associated with President Trump. The expression was used a lot during the election campaign. Since his inauguration in January, President Trump has brandished it regularly, on … Continue reading “Word of the Year: Fake News”