I wish I could say that week two of Trump's presidency has been a little bit smoother, I WISH I could say that. It seems that although Trump has stopped signing HUGE executive orders that effect everyone, he hasn't stopped signing Executive Orders altogether. Not only that, it seems that the GOP is getting to work in Congress which could begin the unraveling of the social (and in some aspects, economical) progress that we have made over the last eight years under the Obama Administration. In NO way am I implying that the Obama Administration was perfect, it certainly WAS NOT, it had its flaws, that being said the social progress that was made during the Obama Administration should NOT be backtracked. If you haven't been paying attention, or have missed vital news while trying to keep up with the ever changing political climate in America, here are five things you might have missed this week:

1. Trump announces his SCOTUS pick, Neil Gorsuch

Earlier this week, President Trump announced his SCOTUS pick, Neil Gorsuch. He picked Gorsuch because of his similar views to the late Judge Antonin Scalia who died suddenly last February, leaving a Supreme Court seat open. Gorsuch is known for his decision in the Hobby Lobby case where he ruled in favor of corporations who object to the Obamacare contraceptive mandate. This means that some companies were exempt from providing birth control on insurance plans due to their religious beliefs. In my opinion, this further blurs the line between the separation of Church and State. His affirmation hearings, set to start in about six weeks, will not be easy given that Senate Democrats are still upset about the GOP blocking Obama's SCOTUS pick, Merrick Garland, and are intending to do everything possible to put off affirmation until 2018, at least.

2. Senate Democrats boycott EPA, HHS and Treasury Committee Votes

Senate Democrats, disappointed with Trump's cabinet nominees, boycotted the Committee Votes earlier this week much to the chagrin of their GOP counterparts in the committees. To be honest, I don't have much knowledge on any of the nominees for these committees and whether or not they are fully qualified. However, from what I have read, the Senate Democrats believe they are making the right choice and, I guess, hope that their boycotts will lead President Trump to reconsider, an unlikely action.

3. Betsy DeVos, Education Secretary pick, advances to final vote

Unfortunately, Trump's widely unqualified Education Secretary pick, Betsy DeVos, advanced to a final committee vote that is expected to take place Monday. Usually this cabinet position is one that passes through the committee easily and without much fanfare, however, DeVos' lack of qualifications for the job have not gone unnoticed by Senate Democrats two Senate Republicans, who intend to vote against her. An advocate for school choice, DeVos has repeatedly shown that she is ridiculously under-qualified for the job as she has NO experience in the public education field. Still, she is expected to pass the vote on Monday with the help of VP Pence breaking the expected 50-50 tie in the Senate. If this woman passes, we will be doing a disservice to public school students and teachers around the United States.

4. President Trump greenlights a raid in Yemen

Earlier this week, President Trump gave the okay on a U.S. raid in Yemen, one of the countries banned from entering the U.S. in Trump's travel ban. This raid killed as many as 30 civilians, including children, causing widespread outrage both here and in Yemen. Following the raid, there was unusual unification throughout the usually fractured country as there is widespread anger over the U.S. breach of sovereignty in Yemen. This raid was against the al-Qaeda affiliate in the area which anticipated the attack and was able to lead a counterattack against the U.S. military. One Navy SEAL serviceman died in the attack which lead Trump to travel to Dover, Delaware to meet with the family members of the killed service member. Amnesty International has called upon Secretary of Defense James Mattis to launch an investigation into the civilian casualties and pursue justice where necessary.

5. Federal Judge orders to halt the actions of President Trump's controversial travel ban.

On Saturday night, a federal judge ordered to halt Trump's controversial travel ban which banned citizens from seven countries from entering the United States. Over the week that the ban has been enacted, widespread confusion and anger over the ban has spread throughout the country. After the order to halt the travel ban, the Justice Department filed an immediate appeal, which was denied. As of now, the Department of Homeland Security has suspended any actions to implement the travel ban and has resumed standard inspections of passengers. What bothers me the most about this ban is that everyone who is coming to this country on a visa or because of refugee status has been vetted and has spent so long being vetted that they deserve to be here. It seems to me that President Trump really doesn't understand how immigration or refugee status works. Not only that, but his anger with the "so-called federal judge" (his words on Twitter) solidify the idea that he really doesn't understand how basic government checks and balances work. What the federal judge ordered was completely within legality and the judge's check on Trump symbolizes the working order of our government.

Tune in next week to see what you might've missed!