Blog Post 2.3 "Media Coverage of Trump"

1. Media outlets closer to Trump's position on the political spectrum cited a lower variety of  sources, were less likely to feature reporters that would challenge Trump and his administration, and reported more favorable stories about the Trump administration than negative ones.

2. Stories from left-leaning media outlets were more likely than right-leaning media to include two or more types of sources as well as sources from the opposite side of the spectrum.

3. Left-leaning outlets were 42% more likely to be critical of Trump.

4. Trump's words were refuted seven times more often by the left-leaning media than the right.

5. Most media coverage regarding the Trump administration was about  stories about the president’s political skills (17%), immigration (14%), presidential appointments and nominations (13%), U.S.-Russia relations (13%), and health care (9%).

6. Journalists were more likely to cover Trump's character, since that is what the public is interested in regardless of political leaning. Discussions of policy are too boring or technical for Americans to follow.

7. Most most frequent sources: Trump and his administration, other news outlet/journalist, members of Congress

8. Positive evaluations of Trump tended to use fewer sources.

9.  A tweet from the President was featured 16 % of the time

10. Coverage of Trump has focused on his character over policy to a greater extent than previous presidents.

Blog Post 2.5 "Lisa Murkowski"

1. Murkowski (Alaska) and Collins (Maine) have hesitated to support the bill.
2. She may be using her support for the tax bill as a bargaining chip to keep aspects of Obamacare in place, with her hints for the GOP leadership about the healthcare issue coinciding with quickly-retracted offers to vote for the tax bill.
3. A provision opening the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge to oil and natural gas drilling
4. She has been a longtime supporter of such a provision, and receives lots of money from oil and natural gas companies. Her constituents would also get more money if oil and natural gas profits increased, reducing the outrage over lower payments from the Permanent Fund.
5. Many of her constituents depend on Obamacare for their health insurance.
6.  Drilling has not happened since 1960, when the refuge was created. Later years have seen legal disputes delay drilling, even after 1.5 million acres were officially opened to drilling.
7. They get a check from the Alaskan sovereign wealth fund, the Permanent Fund.
8. Delegate: Murkowski votes for the tax bill to get the drilling provision and continues to fight against the complete repeal of Obamacare, since this would give Alaskans more money and healthcare, fulfilling the immediate concerns of her voters.

Trustee: Murkowski holds back from supporting anything until she gets the optimal set of conditions for herself and other Alaskans when other Republicans bend over backwards to get her vote. This way, Murkowski is deciding what she thinks is best without necessarily following what her constituents want.

Partisan: Murkowski votes for the tax bill and Obamacare repeal because that is what the GOP wants.