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 and Policy , Law School	George Hay Charles Frank Reavis Sr. Professor of Law and Professor of Economics	07/29/20
	"Expectations are running high over today’s hearing, but it would be a mistake to expect too much. This is not the first day of hearings. High level antitrust executives from each of the companies have already testified as have competitors, consumer representatives, and economists. All the relevant allegations have been raised and responded to. So today is, to some extent, for show." Media: Rebecca Valli rv234@cornell.edu 607-255-6035 Related Tip Sheet: ‘Killer acquisitions’ top of mind as big tech faces Congress (07/29/20)
Law and Policy , Law School	Angela Cornell Clinical Professor of Law, Director of the Labor Law Clinic	07/29/20
	Cornell says: “Teachers’ unions are understandably concerned about the health and safety of their members (and their students) as increasing pressure is mounted by the Trump administration to force them to return to the classroom this fall—even if there are not sufficient safeguards in place. “The American Federation of Teachers has just provided local teachers’ unions with the authorization to strike should other measures not be effective at pressuring school boards to implement sufficient safeguards to reduce the risk of returning to the classroom. Few things are as important to fight for as workplace health and safety—especially in this context. This is one of the most important roles unions play in the workplace. “The wave of teacher strikes that started in 2018 illustrated how effective collective action can be. Tangible workplace gains were made across the country with high levels of community support. The decision to strike will be made at the local level, and only as a last resort. The rising number of COVID-19 cases should concern anyone returning to work with similar exposure. Children spread the disease as much as adults according to new research. And, we are seeing a sharp increase in child COVID-19 cases. “Eighteen states are setting new records for the virus, some of which alone have more confirmed cases per capita than any other country of the world. The abysmal public health response has contributed to the tragic loss of life, which now exceeds 150,000 nationwide. For those who survive, sizeable numbers will have long-term damage to their hearts. Standing up for coherent and effective safety protocols in our public schools is crucially important for our teachers, staff and students as well as broader communities—even if it takes having to strike.” Media: Rebecca Valli rv234@cornell.edu 607-255-6035 Related Tip Sheet: In authorizing strikes, AFT stands up for workplace safety (07/29/20)
International , Arts and Sciences	Jessica Chen Weiss Associate Professor of Government at Cornell University	07/22/20
	Unless more evidence is forthcoming, the U.S. decision to close the Chinese consulate in Houston looks like a stepped-up effort to use China as the bogeyman and distract U.S. voters from the Trump administration's disastrous response to the pandemic. Media: Rebecca Valli rv234@cornell.edu 607-255-6035 Related Tip Sheet: US paints China as bogeyman, closes Houston consulate (07/22/20)
Law and Policy	Drew Margolin Assistant Professor	07/21/20
	"The reason Facebook isn't banned from government computers is not that Mark Zuckerberg is trusted, it's just not perceived that obtaining sensitive U.S. government data is in his interest. My question is, what happens when these companies consider merging?” Media: Rachel Rhodes rer252@cornell.edu 202-434-8036 Related Tip Sheet: TikTok ban reasonable given the threat of Chinese surveillance (07/21/20)
Law and Policy	Sarah Kreps Professor of Government	07/21/20
	"I would distinguish between use of TikTok by U.S. federal employees and use by U.S. citizens in general. It's reasonable, given the uncertainties about whether the Chinese government could ultimately access user data and the attendant national security risks, to take a precautionary approach and limit the use of TikTok on official government devices. It should resist categorically banning TikTok, however, and instead continue to promote both the flow of content and enterprising ideas." Media: Rachel Rhodes rer252@cornell.edu 202-434-8036 Related Tip Sheet: TikTok ban reasonable given the threat of Chinese surveillance (07/21/20)
Law and Policy , Arts & Humanities	Naminata Diabate Associate Professor of Comparative Literature	07/21/20
	“The person who performed naked agency in Portland spoke without saying anything. Paradoxically, not supplementing the language of her nakedness with that of words invited a host of contradictory interpretations. Some suggest the protester was vulnerable, others consider her brave.” Media: Rachel Rhodes rer252@cornell.edu 202-434-8036 Related Tip Sheet: Portland protestor used ‘insurrectionary nakedness’ to manage conflict (07/21/20)
Physical Sciences & Engineering , Arts and Sciences	Don Banfield Senior research associate	07/20/20
	"We’ll actually have InSight, Perseverance and Curiosity operating at the same time on Mars. While they are all quite distant from one another on Mars, comparing the 'weather' results from all of them will likely prove interesting, similar to how one can learn from looking at the weather in Miami, New York, and Tokyo at the same time on Earth." Media: Jeff Tyson jeff.tyson@cornell.edu (607) 793-5769 Related Tip Sheet: Mars Perseverance to deliver ‘first zoom cameras’ to another world (07/20/20)
Physical Sciences & Engineering , Arts and Sciences	Alexander Hayes Associate Professor of Astronomy	07/20/20
	“The Mastcam-Z are the stereo cameras that are the eyes of the rover, and those cameras are the first zoom cameras that will ever be sent to another world." Media: Jeff Tyson jeff.tyson@cornell.edu (607) 793-5769 Related Tip Sheet: Mars Perseverance to deliver ‘first zoom cameras’ to another world (07/20/20)
Energy, Environment & Sustainability , Lab of Ornithology , Atkinson Center for a Sustainable Future	Amanda Rodewald Professor; Senior Director of Conservation Science, Cornell Lab of Ornithology	07/16/20
	"The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s proposed rule both undermines its organizational mission to protect birds and falls short of its stated aim to provide regulatory certainty for industry.” Media: Jeff Tyson jeff.tyson@cornell.edu (607) 793-5769 Related Tip Sheet: New U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service rule undermines mission to protect birds (07/16/20)
New York City , Arts and Sciences , Industrial and Labor Relations	Lee Adler Senior Extension Associate, Labor and Unions	07/08/20
	"It is easy to yell 'reopen, reopen' from the sidelines, but what every school district in America needs are additional financial resources to purchase safety equipment; to convince bus drivers, chefs and teachers that a very serious safety first regimen is occurring in their schools; to hire more paraprofessionals to assist our administrators in monitoring and ensuring school safety; and to create a continuum of schooling that will allow 40-50 million parents go back to work in one piece. Without federal money, even Mayor de Blasio’s modest effort to reopen the schools will have much difficulty.” Media: Lindsey Hadlock lmh267@cornell.edu 607-269-6911 Related Tip Sheet: NYC school reopening plan puts vulnerable Black, Latinx students at risk (07/08/20)

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