Cornell Expert Quotes | Cornell Chronicle

Cornell Expert Quotes

Cornellians weigh in on current events in the news

"As Trump showed, even negative buzz is good, especially for front runners, because it can suck attention away from challengers (remember during GOP debate when he talked about his ‘hands’)."

Drew Margolin

Assistant Professor

Topic	Name	Date
Law, Government & Public Policy , Human Ecology , New York City	Christopher Wildeman Professor of Policy Analysis and Management	11/06/19
	“This massive reduction in pretrial detention is likely to set a precedent across the nation for reduced incarceration rates for those not yet convicted of a crime. For the individuals who are no longer locked behind bars while they are awaiting trial, this represents a significant victory. It likely also represents a significant victory for their loved ones – children, romantic partners, siblings, and parents. But it’s important to be mindful of exactly what it means to re-introduce someone to family life during a stressful time of year. The immediate lead-in to the holidays is not exactly easy for most of us, and could be compounded with limited pre-release planning, including limited educational, mental health, and addiction programming.” Media: Lindsey Hadlock lmh267@cornell.edu 607-269-6911 Related Tip Sheet: After early release, NYC inmates face high-risk reentry (11/06/19)
Human Ecology , Law, Government & Public Policy	Christopher Wildeman Professor of Policy Analysis and Management	10/17/19
	“Rikers has long been an exemplar of the problems associated with having massive – yet still overcrowded – correctional institutions. This move by New York City represents a key step forward in improving conditions of confinement in an era in which far, far fewer folks are incarcerated in local jails in New York City." Media: Lindsey Hadlock lmh267@cornell.edu 607-269-6911 Related Tip Sheet: Closing Rikers an opportunity to improve conditions, visitation accessibility (10/17/19)
Law, Government & Public Policy	Uriel Abulof visiting professor at Cornell University’s Government Department	09/20/19
	“Still, the key question remains: Will the Israeli public and politicians, not least Likud party members, finally do away with the ‘no choice’ culture that Netanyahu so skillfully cultivated? If so, Israel may pave the path of hope for other societies engulfed in ultra-nationalist, anti-liberal, politics.” Media: Rachel Rhodes rer252@cornell.edu 202-434-8036 Related Tip Sheet: Falling short in election, Netanyahu proves he is not 'above it all' (09/20/19)
Atkinson Center for a Sustainable Future , Agriculture and Life Sciences , Energy, Environment & Sustainability , Law, Government & Public Policy , New York State	David M. Lodge Atkinson Center Director	07/17/19
	“The ambitious targets of the Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act demonstrate the vision and leadership needed to spur innovative solutions for all facets of the environmental and economic challenges that lie ahead.” Media: Lindsey Hadlock lmh267@cornell.edu 607-269-6911 Related Tip Sheet: Gov. Cuomo expected to sign NY climate bill, a magnet for green business (07/17/19)
Atkinson Center for a Sustainable Future , Agriculture and Life Sciences , Energy, Environment & Sustainability , Law, Government & Public Policy , New York State	Robert Howarth David R. Atkinson Professor of Ecology and Environmental Biology	07/17/19
	“Although the earlier targets in the CLCPA focus on renewable electricity, overall the bill is about much more. The number one and number two sectors of our economy for greenhouse gas emissions are residential and commercial heating, and transportation. We in New York need to start reducing these emissions now, both to meet the 2050 goal and to address the urgency of climate disruption. The best path forward is to electrify heating and transportation, as laid out in our peer-reviewed energy plan published in 2013.” Media: Lindsey Hadlock lmh267@cornell.edu 607-269-6911 Related Tip Sheet: Gov. Cuomo expected to sign NY climate bill, a magnet for green business (07/17/19)
Atkinson Center for a Sustainable Future , Agriculture and Life Sciences , Energy, Environment & Sustainability , Law, Government & Public Policy , New York State	David Wolfe Professor	07/17/19
	“The New York state climate change initiative is arguably the most bold, ambitious and comprehensive in the nation. It not only establishes our leadership in addressing climate change impacts, but also will be a magnet for attracting renewable energy businesses to New York and create new job opportunities.” Media: Lindsey Hadlock lmh267@cornell.edu 607-269-6911 Related Tip Sheet: Gov. Cuomo expected to sign NY climate bill, a magnet for green business (07/17/19)
Agriculture and Life Sciences , Food & Agriculture , Law, Government & Public Policy	Matthew R. Willmann Director of the Plant Transformation Facility	06/10/19
	“The proposed regulatory revision is a smart, safe approach that could lower regulatory costs, allowing for greater product development by smaller companies as well as public and private universities. The reduced costs will also lead to the application of biotechnology to a broader range of crops, not just commodity crops like maize and soybeans.” Media: Lindsey Hadlock lmh267@cornell.edu 607-269-6911 Related Tip Sheet: New rules allow biotech to mitigate climate, disease risk (06/10/19)
Law, Government & Public Policy	Douglas L. Kriner Professor of Government	03/22/19
	Kriner says: “For two years, Americans have anxiously awaited the release of the Mueller report, longing for a denouement to one of the most contentious chapters of American political history. “However, House Democrats’ early steps make clear that the Mueller report will be only the end of the beginning. Rather than simply wait for Mueller, House Democrats have moved aggressively on multiple fronts to launch and expand an array of investigations into not only possible Russian collusion and obstruction of justice, but also into a host of other alleged cases of administrative misconduct. “Historically, investigations have been one of the most powerful institutional weapons with which the president’s opponents in Congress have battled the administration in the public sphere and inflicted considerable political damage on the White House. Just as many have speculated that Trump’s greatest legal jeopardy may actually come from the Southern District of New York rather than Mueller, the new wave of congressional investigations the Mueller report will unleash may pose the most severe political threat yet to his presidency.” Media: Rachel Rhodes rer252@cornell.edu 202-434-8036 Related Tip Sheet: Mueller report release only the “end of the beginning”? (03/22/19)
Law, Government & Public Policy , International , Arts and Sciences	Sarah Kreps Professor of Government	02/06/19
	Sarah Kreps, professor of government at Cornell University, is an expert on international conflict. Her recent research focuses on how matters of foreign policy affect Trump’s approval rating. She says that compared to a Democrat, Trump faces less political risk as he negotiates with North Korea. Media: Rebecca Valli rv234@cornell.edu 607-255-6035 Related Tip Sheet: Trump’s dovish North Korea posture unlikely to affect his ratings (02/06/19)
Computing & Information Sciences , Law, Government & Public Policy , Agriculture and Life Sciences	Drew Margolin Assistant Professor	09/06/18
	“Lawmakers seemed to focus on unique, concrete instances where problems had been reported or uncovered — Russian interference, anti-conservative censoring, encouraging opioid sales. This whack-a-mole style is good for publicity, but efforts toward regulation will have to emphasize principles and hypotheticals — general rules the companies ought to follow—rather than specific, undesirable outcomes." Media: Jeff Tyson jeff.tyson@cornell.edu (607) 793-5769 Related Tip Sheet: ‘Whack-a-mole’ approach to social media regulation good for publicity, bad for legislation (09/06/18)

Gallery Heading