President Trump will deliver his re-scheduled State of the Union remarks Feb. 5 and is expected to reiterate his interest in working with Congress to develop a comprehensive infrastructure package.

Law and Policy

Cornell in DC

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Cornell University environmental historian Aaron Sachs, also a fellow at the Atkinson Center for a Sustainable Future, says that a proposed Green New Deal would be similar to the original New Deal in its focus on serving vulnerable members of society.

Law and Policy

Energy, Environment & Sustainability

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The European Union announced it has set up an “International Contact Group,” including members of the EU as well as four Latin American countries, to help find solutions to the ongoing political crisis in Venezuela. The group, set to meet in Uruguay on Thursday, will pressure Venezuela’s current president to set a date for new elections. Lourdes Casanova, academic director of Cornell University’s Emerging Markets Institute, says that on top of the uncertain political situation, Venezuela’s economic realities also do not leave much room for easy solutions.

International

Cornell SC Johnson College of Business

Johnson Graduate School of Management

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On Wednesday, the Federal Reserve announced that it was leaving interest rates unchanged and cautioned that the bank will be “patient” in future action on interest rates. Cornell University economist Steven C. Kyle, an expert in macroeconomics and government policy, says that signs of a slowdown in the current economic climate are behind the Fed’s recent change of approach.  

Economics and Business

Cornell SC Johnson College of Business

Dyson School of Applied Economics & Management

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Charles Greene, professor of oceanography at Cornell University, comments on Japan's plans to return to commercial whaling after three decades.

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Glenn Altschuler, a professor of history and American studies, says that President Trump’s 2019 address may be the most partisan State of the Union ever delivered – even if not delivered in the House Chamber. 

Law and Policy

Cornell in DC

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Mark Wysocki is a meteorologist who specializes in forecasting and weather analysis at the Northeast Regional Climate Center. He says the rapidly developing storm brings the potential for heavy snow and high winds for much of the Northeast.

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Mark Wysocki, a meteorologist who specializes in forecasting and weather analysis at the Northeast Regional Climate Center, comments on a fractured polar vortex likely to bring frigid temperatures to the eastern U.S.

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Teachers in the Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD) went on strike this week after the teacher’s union and district leadership failed to reach agreement about class sizes, pay and school resources. Lee Adler, an expert on education and collective bargaining at Cornell University’s School of Industrial and Labor Relations, says the strength of the union enables LAUSD teachers to voice their demands, and may even counter a charter school movement in Los Angeles.

Law and Policy

Economics and Business

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New York Governor Andrew Cuomo is scheduled to give his annual State of the State address and unveil his budget proposal this afternoon. Two of Cuomo’s proposals likely to be discussed are New York’s adoption of a “Green New Deal” to stamp out the state’s carbon footprint by 2040 and a plan to legalize recreational adult marijuana use in the state. Expert on labor and employment issues related to sustainability, climate protection and climate protection policy, Lara Skinner and expert on the economics of risky health behavior, John Cawley weigh in.

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