“Alito’s full vision for the United States has yet to be painted, but thus far it’s looking like an America in which raw judicial power… is used to foist the world views of judicially privileged interests upon the rest of us,” Breen wrote.

Grygiel also explained that Musk’s ownership of Twitter will allow him to be more life Mark Zuckerberg, who owns Facebook, in terms of his global influence on politics. “All the federal aspects of the government rely on Twitter too. It’s not just about the person, it’s about the country, it’s about the head of state, and the global geopolitical implications of Musk’s takeover of Twitter,” Grygiel said.

“By creating the DGB, the U.S. government is creating a crisis monitor with the dial permanently set to “existential threat.” No one inside the board will have the incentive—or the courage—to dial it down,” Koppl said.

“Musk’s vision of unfettered speech in the public town square presumes the “marketplace of ideas” metaphor — the notion that the best ideas and arguments prevail. But, as we have seen repeatedly on Twitter and the other social media platforms, there is a less a “marketplace of ideas” and more a festering cesspool of outrage and lies, where vulnerable and minoritized people often end up the focus of attack,” Stromer-Galley wrote.

He also noted that outdoor museum programming can help keep museums successful financially by bringing in new revenue, particularly during the pandemic. “Small museums or ones with limited or no endowments have taken a financial hit in the last two years, so they need funds to stay open,” he said.

However, Gutterman also noted that Musk’s purchase could signal a change for Twitter. “If we believe everything Elon Musk has said about his commitment to free speech, then you know, we should see wide open and robust debate and exchange of viewpoints on Twitter in the future,” Gutterman said.

Taylor was also interviewed for a segment on the Russian war in Ukraine.

Gump added that it is crucial that the U.S. still works to actively combat the virus. “The idea that we can just set a policy and walk away is a pipe dream. If we want to keep some control of these rates, we need to modify our approach each time the situation on the ground shifts,” he said.

“Unlawful entry prosecutions — which make up the vast majority of federal court cases in general — those charges completely bottomed out and haven’t recovered,” Kocher said. As a result, those trying to enter the U.S. who would have been prosecuted in the past are now being turned away. But due to the upcoming end of Title 42, Kocher said he expects “those federal prosecution numbers to shoot way back up.”

“Most defamation cases really focus on an individual plaintiff,” Gutterman said. “So, in some ways, these lawsuits against Alex Jones and Infowars are kind of a novel way to rein in this new genre of conspiracy theory-related information.” However, Gutterman cautioned that a case like this may cause a slippery slope of action against many types of media, not just explicit disinformation peddlers.

“It’s not like if he’s not cast in the next big movie, we’re gonna see him downward spiral into bankruptcy – no,” Hamilton said. However, the biggest impact will fall on Smith’s prestige and reputation.

Werde typically attends Grammys Week to network with the next generation of music industry leaders , but not this year. “That layer of the music business — the folks just under the CEOs of major labels — a lot of them aren’t gonna go to Vegas,” Werde said. “It’s a way less interesting proposition for someone like me.”

“This story has everything we’re talking about in the US at this moment,” Gallagher said, as Griner’s case sits at the intersection of sports, U.S.-Russia politics, and personal identity.

When reviewing the West Virginia case the court also frequently stated that the case was raising a “major question” that needed insight from Congress. “It’s a very scary move because it lends itself to ideological decision making. If you’re anti-regulatory, you’re going to imagine that the agency will be unreasonable in the future,” Driesen said.

“However you define cancel culture, Americans know it exists and feel its burden. In a new , only 34 percent of Americans said they believed that all Americans enjoyed freedom of speech completely. The poll found that 84 percent of adults said it is a ‘very serious’ or ‘somewhat serious’ problem that some Americans do not speak freely in everyday situations because of fear of retaliation or harsh criticism.”

Kyla Garrett Wagner

, an assistant professor of communications law at ���ϲ����� has this response to the editorial:

“To anyone who read last week’s NYTimes op-ed about America’s free speech problem, please let me reassure you – as a free speech and public opinion researcher – that you, holding your tongue at some point in the last year (even just once) because you were ‘concerned about retaliation or harsh criticism’ is not why America has a free speech problem,” said Wagner.

“Really, if there is any threat to free speech and press, it’s 1) the borderline unethical use of a biased and severely methodologically-flawed poll commissioned by the writers of the piece who artfully reported only the results that supported their position and 2) the suggestion to readers that this poll serves as high-quality empirical evidence of any kind, of which it’s not  — other studies, like the ones from the Pew Research Center or the Knight Foundation.”

Wagner is an interdisciplinary legal and communications scholar. Her research examines the relationship between public health and the First Amendment and she teaches topics related to the freedom of speech and the relationship between communication and human behavior.

To schedule an interview with Wagner on issues related to free speech, please contact Ellen James Mbuqe, executive director of media relations, at ejmbuqe@syr.edu or 412-496-0551.

Paula Johnson

Prof. Johnson is a member of the Franklin H. Williams Judicial Commission and the co-founder and director of the at ���ϲ����� College of Law. Earlier this month she authored the opinion piece “” for the ���ϲ����� Post-Standard. In it, she writes:

“(I find) it especially important that Judge Brown Jackson would bring the perspective of a former federal defense attorney to a Supreme Court that has not had someone with such direct experience defending the accused since the late Justice Thurgood Marshall. The promise of equal justice under law, which is etched into the edifice of the Supreme Court building, requires that everyone has a voice and a fair hearing before the American judiciary. With Judge Brown Jackson’s nomination, there is the promise that the stories, experiences and perspectives of the unheard, unseen and disadvantaged also will be part of the balanced consideration of what the law is, what it should be and how it should be applied — fairly,” writes Johnson.

“Judge Brown Jackson should not be judged on only one facet of her qualifications. She should be viewed for the depth and breadth of her experience. She brings a range of complex professional practice experience in the civil, criminal and corporate areas of law. As a jurist, she has served nearly a decade on the bench, which is longer than several current and previous members of the Supreme Court. Judge Brown Jackson’s place on the Supreme Court, should she be confirmed as she deserves to be, will not change the current ideological tilt of the court,” writes Johnson.

You can read Jackson’s full opinion piece on . Prof. Johnson is available to speak to the media about the issues and questions during the hearings.

Please reach out to Ellen James Mbuqe, executive director of media relations, at ejmbuqe@syr.edu or 412-496-0551 to schedule an interview.

Michael John Williams

Reporters looking for expert insight on the meetings, please see comments from ���ϲ����� Associate Professor . Williams, who also serves as the Director of the International Relations Program at the Maxwell School for Citizenship and Public Affairs at ���ϲ�����, is a researcher on Europe and Russia and has published extensively about NATO, war, and technology.

Last week, Poland Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki said his country would formally submit a proposal for a peacekeeping mission in Ukraine at the NATO summit. Williams had this reaction:

“I don’t see NATO creating a peace keeping force – that would be too much for Russia. If anything happens, you’ll see Russia pull out and Ukraine be armed and sovereign without NATO troops,” said Williams. “But I don’t think we’ll see much change this week.”

“As for the conflict, I imagine the Kremlin is surprised at how the mission has been and are probably frustrated with the slow pace of operations,” said Williams. “The Biden Administration and allies in Europe are wondering how they can keep supporting Ukraine without causing the conflict to erupt into a wider one that would engulf the region. Containment is the watchword this week.”

Williams is the author of “” and
“.” Williams is currently completing a textbook on international security for Cambridge University Press and preparing for another project examining the concept of the citizen soldier. You can visit for more information and a complete background.

To schedule an interview, please contact Ellen James Mbuqe, executive director of media relations, at ejmbuqe@syr.edu or at 412-496-0551

Patel has more than 25 years of experience leading intelligence and analytics programs in the public and private sectors. Patel at one time provided daily intelligence briefings for senior National Security Council staff and White House advisors.

From Patel:

Kristen Patel

“Nations around the world are working together to implement a variety of sanctions, export controls, and other measures to limit Russia’s ability to use the international financial sector. Over the weekend, South Korea and Singapore announced that they will join the U.S., Canada, and European countries, along with Taiwan, to enact economic measures to halt Russia’s incursion into Ukraine,” said Patel.

“Most of the measures, including sanctions and efforts to target Russian illicit finance, will not have an immediate impact, but a few measures will hurt Russia immediately, including a ban on some Russian banks from using SWIFT, the international financial payments system.”

Patel most recently served as Regional Head of Research & Analytics in Asia-Pacific for HSBC, one of the world’s largest banks, where her responsibilities included building and managing a regional financial crime intelligence capability based in Hong Kong. Prior to joining HSBC in 2017, Patel served as the deputy director of Intelligence at the Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN) in the U.S. Department of Treasury.

Patel has also served in a variety of senior management roles in Asia and Washington, D.C., at the DNI Open Source Center (OSC) and Central Intelligence Agency. In addition to serving as OSC Bureau Chief in Seoul, South Korea, and managing day-to-day operations in the CIA/Sherman Kent School’s largest analytic program, she led U.S. government interagency initiatives related to counterterrorism and proliferation issues and provided daily intelligence briefings for senior National Security Council staff and White House advisors.

To schedule an interview, please contact Ellen James Mbuqe, director of media relations at ���ϲ�����, at ejmbuqe@syr.edu or 412-496-0551.

Lamis Abdelaaty

An assistant professor of political science at the Maxwell School at ���ϲ�����, Abdelaaty studies issues related to refugees and is the author of “” (Oxford University Press, 2021), which explores why countries open their borders to some refugees while blocking others

“The size and pace of Ukrainian displacement is devastating. The UN Refugee Agency estimates that 1.7 million Ukrainians have fled in less than two weeks. Importantly, these numbers reflect the fact that borders are open and therefore Ukrainians are able to flee,” said Abdelaaty.

“But why are we seeing such a stark contrast with European responses to other groups? Ukrainians are seen as white and Christian, and people sympathize with refugees who they think share their identity,” said Abdelaaty. “It also matters that Ukrainians are fleeing a Russian invasion: welcoming them is another way for European countries to condemn Putin and to powerfully signal which side of the conflict they are on.”

“Finally, people are more accepting of those labeled refugees (rather than migrants), even though most Ukrainians wouldn’t qualify for refugee status under the 1951 Refugee Convention. As a result, when people talk about the Ukrainian refugee crisis, it is being framed as a crisis for Ukrainians rather than for the countries receiving them. This conflict shows us that the EU, the third-largest economy in the world, is more than capable of receiving large numbers of refugees who are fleeing deadly large-scale violence. We need to bring this empathy to all refugee groups, who are equally worthy of our compassion and assistance.”

To schedule an interview, please contact Ellen James Mbuqe, director of media relations at ejmbuqe@syr.edu, or 412-496-0551.

Some recent scholarly publications by Professor Abdelaaty on the issues of refugees around the globe:

• “,” International Journal of Human Rights (2021)
• “,” International Interactions (2020)
• “” with Liza G. Steele, Political Studies (2020)
• “,” Journal of Refugee Studies (2019)
• “” with Liza G. Steele, Journal of Ethnic and Migration Studies

Brad Horn

���ϲ����� Public Relations Professor once served as vice president of communications at the Baseball Hall of Fame and says those at the center of labor strife need to consider the impact on those who don’t play the game.

Horn says:

“We’re now three years removed from a global decision of the top 181 business CEOs declaring that stakeholders – not shareholders – should be at the heart of every business decision. A business in decline spends more time focused on the way it used to be, rather than focusing on the people and what they expect it to be. Sadly, this collective bargaining process has demonstrated that only shareholders matter currently to a pillar of American life that has long been built on families and personal experiences. Throughout this process, not once from either side have we heard about the needs of the team employees, the livelihood of businesses and communities who depend on gameday revenues, or the example of what this negotiation should teach younger generations about the importance of the game to the fabric of a nation.

It’s maddening and yet also tragically sad for an institution that has been there for fans and for the nation at every turn, as a unifier, a distraction, and ultimately, a healer. Baseball has such power to create the greatest good for the greatest number – right now, in both people and profit, given the pent up demand of a population yearning to gather in ballparks again. Yet it is the larger communities of the nation that are losing: those whose personal economies depend on baseball thriving. The fans of the sport are the ones whose spirits are being broken down, and who are suffering the brunt of the emotional pain. What the two parties fail to see is that victory is not part of this negotiation game for anyone other than shareholders. Every minute creates an incalculable divide for generations who are – by every measure – questioning why the game they love has failed to love them back, particularly when people need it the most.”

For more information or to request an interview please contact Keith Kobland, Media Relations Manager, at kkobland@syr.edu.

One faculty expert is assistant professor , who specializes in fetal programming, dietary supplements, and the impact of nutrition on athletic performance. With many people reporting unhealthy eating habits during the pandemic and cardiovascular disease remaining the leading cause of death in the United States, Garay recently provided nutritional tips for better heart health in this Q&A.

Here are nutrition and dietetic experts available for interviews and their areas of specialization:

• , department chair, associate professor. Specialization: child nutrition; dietary assessment; overweight children and obesity; nutrition education.

• , associate professor, director of the Nutrition Assessment, Consultation and Education Center. Specialization: medical nutrition therapy; dietetic education.

• , associate teaching professor. Specialization: Lifecycle nutrition; nutrition in health; medical nutrition therapy.

• , assistant teaching professor. Specialization: vegetarianism and disordered eating behaviors; malnutrition prevention in the elderly; cardiovascular and diabetic nutrition counseling; nutritional intervention for wound healing; weight loss counseling; meal planning guidance; nutritious menus in institutional and home settings.

• , assistant professor. Specialization: fetal programming; nutrition and athletic performance; dietary supplements.

• , teaching professor, graduate program director. Specialization: vegetarianism, cultural food practices and the consequences of global nutrition transition. Raj also oversees the program.

• , associate professor. Specialization: metabolic physiology; energy balance; and reproductive physiology.

• , assistant professor. Specialization: nutrition and physical activity interventions; childhood obesity; parental influence on child health behaviors; underserved and minority populations; mobile health and digital health; health disparities; health equity.

Falk College remains at the forefront of nutrition science, and the college offers a for graduate students. The demand for nutrition professionals trained in integrative and functional healthcare systems is fueled by the rising awareness in nutrition, the growing rates of chronic disease, an expanding aging population, childhood obesity, and an increased emphasis on health education and healthy lifestyles.

Thank you for your consideration. If you would like to request an interview or need an expert for a topic that is not on this list, please contact Matt Michael, Media Relations Specialist, at 315.254.9037 or mmicha04@syr.edu.

Patrick Penfield

Patrick Penfield is a professor of practice in supply chain management and director of Executive Education at the ���ϲ����� Whitman School. He provides insight below about how the Russia-Ukraine conflict could trigger major problems within the supply chain and lead to double digit inflation in the United States. The material below can be quoted directly. Professor Penfield is also available for interviews.

Penfield says:
“Unfortunately, the horrific Russian invasion of Ukraine will cause more supply chain issues in 2022.

“Russia and Ukraine account for 30% of global wheat sales, 80% of sunflower oil and 20% of global corn sales. The global wheat harvest in 2021 was the smallest harvest since 2002 which would cause prices to go up. In addition to the food commodities produced by both countries, Russia is the second largest oil producer in the world and Ukraine supplies 70% of the Neon gas used in microprocessor chip production. If both countries are unable to supply these products, gas prices could reach record levels at the gas pump (over 5.00 per gallon) and the lack of Neon gas production from Ukraine will further impact the availability of microchip processors and increase microchip lead times to over 52 weeks.

“Not having these commodities from Russia and Ukraine in the supply chain will cause global food, electronics and car supply disruptions and price increases. If the invasion of Ukraine by Russia lasts throughout 2022, we will see double digit inflation in the United States and continued issues throughout the global supply chain.”

For more information or to schedule an interview please contact Daryl Lovell, Media Relations Manager, at dalovell@syr.edu or Keith Kobland, Media Relations Manager, at kkobland@syr.edu.