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Trump's Twitter Practices Unconstitutional: New Media, First Amendment Expert Weighs In
On Wednesday, a federal judge declared that President Trump's practice of blocking critics from his Twitter account is unconstitutional. The ruling was reached after several plaintiffs accused the president of violating their First Amendment rights by blocking their access to his Twitter feed. The plaintiffs argued they’d been blocked specifically because of their critical viewpoints. Trump’s 9-year-old @realdonaldtrump account has more than 50 million followers. "Yesterday’s ruling is important because it gives people freedom to consume the opinions of public figures on social media platforms. This is the same right individuals have with any other public forum such as newsprint and broadcast media," said Mia Moody- Ramirez, Ph.D., professor of journalism, public relations and new media at Baylor University. Moody-Ramirez is a nationally recognized expert in topics of new media, race, class and culture. She studies the media framing of various issues, including people of color, women and political candidates. Her book "From Blackface to Black Twitter: Critical Reflections on Black Humor, Gender, Race & Politics" will be available this summer. "Justice Department lawyers argued that it was Trump’s choice and blocking individuals should be no different from the president deciding in a room who not to listen/talk to. However, the ruling distinguishes Trump’s Twitter account — which, like public parks, is under government control. In public forums, the First Amendment protects the freedom of speech, regardless of a person’s viewpoint," Moody Ramirez explained. "Worth noting," she said, "is this ruling will not affect ordinary Twitter users who can block and follow other Twitter users. President Trump’s account @realdonaldtrump is a space operated by the government for government business, and therefore, cannot limit speech based on an individual’s viewpoints." Moody-Ramirez is the author of several books, including: * "From Blackface to Black Twitter: Critical Reflections on Black Humor, Gender, Race & Politics" (Peter Lang), summer 2018 * "The Obamas and Mass Media: Race, Gender, Religion, and Politics" (Palgrave Macmillan) with Dr. Jannette Dates, 2013 * "Black and Mainstream Press’ Framing of Racial Profiling: A Historical Perspective" (University Press of America), 2009 She is available to speak to reporters. Source:
Definitely …Maybe? Donald Trump’s planned sit-down with Kim Jun Un
It was diplomacy that was almost out of a movie. Two bitter leaders, both unpredictable and avowed enemies who seemed on the brink of war … until suddenly they are friends, complimenting each other and arranging a meeting of historic proportions. There was even talk of a Nobel Prize. It seemed too good to be true. And now the world is back to reality. The surprisingly insta-warm relationship between American and North Korea seems to have once again chilled. And now it’s a battle of statements over who has upset who and why. According to North Korean media, Choe Son Hui, a vice-minister in the North Korean Foreign Ministry, said the summit is being reconsidered. And annihilation may follow. "Whether the US will meet us at a meeting room or encounter us at nuclear-to-nuclear showdown is entirely dependent upon the decision and behavior of the United States," Choe said. Vice President Pence responded in the media with a veiled threat of his own. "There was some talk about the Libya model," Pence told Fox News "As the President made clear, this will only end like the Libya model ended if Kim Jong Un doesn't make a deal." So where are we now? What’s next? Is this relationship over before it even started? Experts from the University of Connecticut may have some insight and deeper understanding of this issue. Alexis Dudden is a Professor of History specializing in modern Japan and Korea, and international history at the University of Connecticut. Dudden stresses the importance of understanding the complexity of modern Korea-Japan relations to better appreciate Korean resistance to U.S. demands. South Korea is a country where one in six families is directly affected by the North-South divide. It is “imperative that Washington planners take seriously South Korean desires for renewed engagement,” Dudden says. Professor Dudden is available to speak with media regarding the ongoing talks and threats between North Korea and America. Simply click on her icon to arrange an interview. Source:
Talking to Kids about Tragedies (Such as Shootings and Terror Attacks) in the News
News of yet another #schoolshooting reminds us of the vulnerability all children face. Even if not directly involved, children may be affected by the media coverage. The resources here can provide guidance: https://www.schoolcrisiscenter.org/resources/talking-kids-about-tragedies/ Source:
In less than a month, President Trump is scheduled to meet with North Korea’s Kim Jong Un in Singapore. Negotiations leading to the summit have led to the release of Americans from N. Korean prisons and reports of the razing of a nuclear facility. But the world has also seen the summit threatened by military drills conducted by South Korea and the U.S. Is such a meeting between two men who’ve engaged in name-calling and threats of nuclear war even possible? If so, what should we expect? Baylor's Peter Campbell, Ph.D., an expert on strategy, international relations and security, says: “I think Kim is willing to talk because he is actually in a very weak position because of the strained relations between his regime and China. It might be the case that the best that Kim can hope for from this crisis is to portray himself as the champion of peace between the two Koreas. Though, when speculating in this way, we should always recall that Kim is unpredictable, as his recent shift in behavior, from warlike rhetoric to peacemaker and back again, demonstrates. Now that President Trump has accepted the offer of talks, Kim appears willing to use their cancellation as leverage. However, this is a dangerous game. President Trump would likely be incensed by such an embarrassment and could then argue that diplomatic efforts have failed, leading to another and more dangerous stage in the crisis. “I think that we arrived at this juncture through a classic strategy of brinksmanship. The Trump administration showed a willingness to escalate the crisis that Kim may not have anticipated. Kennedy during the Cuban Missile Crisis and Eisenhower during the Berlin Crisis showed a similar willingness. However, the key to brinksmanship, as both Kennedy and Eisenhower understood, is giving your opponent a face-saving way to get out of the crisis. Allowing Kim to portray himself as the champion of peace may be the price the U.S. must pay to bring an end to this crisis. For this to work the Trump administration must not claim, in the immediate aftermath of the crisis, that they defeated the Kim regime. President George H. W. Bush demonstrated such restraint when he refused to ‘dance on the Berlin Wall’ at the end of the Cold War and declare the U.S. the winner of that struggle. Such humility might be extremely difficult for Trump to muster, but I see it as likely essential to bring this crisis to an end.” Campbell is available to speak about U.S. relations with North Korea. Source:
Dell Regains Top Share in the Canadian PC Commercial Market
There’s good news today for Dell Canada. The computer company based in Round Rock, Texas posted the strongest year-on-year growth out of all the major companies in Canada - growing 11.9% and buoyed by strong performances in the public sector segments. These numbers are impressive as shipments of traditional PCs in the first quarter of 2018 totalled 1.25 million units into the Canadian Market. Though the worldwide numbers show a flat (0.0%) year-on-year growth in the first quarter, the expectations exceeded the earlier forecast of a 1.5% decline in PC sales. The Canadian market was a bright light growing 4.2% annually. But it wasn’t all good news in Canada, out of the top five leading companies that also include HP, Dell, Lenovo, Acer and Apple. It was Apple that lost its shine finishing last with a year-on-year decline in shipments of 5.8%. So, what does this mean for the industry? Are PC’s coming back against the popular tide of tablets and other competing units? What is Dell doing right to lead the way? And what’s next for developers as they look to the next generation of products. There’s a lot to more to this topic – and that’s where an expert from the International Data Corporation (IDC) can help. Tim Brunt is the Program Manager for IDC's Canadian Quarterly PC Tracker program. He is an expert in analyzing current market trends, business planning, business and consumer buyer behavior. Tim is available to speak with media, simply click on his icon to arrange an interview. https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/canadian-traditional-pc-market-grew-42-yoy-q1-2018-tim-brunt/
It seems Donald Glover, aka, Childish Gambino, seemed to have broken the internet and the minds of both whites and people of color. The symbolism and messages have been broken down in a variety of different well thought out, and at the same time totally obtuse ways. Many people simply refuse to see it for what the video and lyrics are--and that's art. Art can be interrupted in a variety of ways. But it seems that when it comes to issues of race, people lose all sense of reality and either go into attack or defend mode. But this is the beauty of the video. It created discussion points that are essential American. In relations to the issue of race, the reaction to the video and song is uniquely "America." Since 1619 when the first Dutch flag arrived to the U.S. colonies, people have and continue to defending the status quo and the system of oppression that has enslaved, raped, and psychologically, economically, and socially controlled Black people, fighting against said system, or simply have become comfortable with sitting on the fence. We should use this piece of art, and it is art, to create progressive conversation. Source:
Controversy surrounding the VIX benchmark — this expert saw it coming
There are a lot of eyes on the VIX benchmark these days as regulators explore potential flaws in the Cboe Global Markets product. Focus is on the monthly process through which the price of VIX futures contracts is calculated. According to a recent article on Bloomberg, “That monthly auction has been the focus of intense scrutiny this year, spurred by wild price swings and a 2017 research paper alleging the process is rigged. The stakes are big. Billions of dollars of derivatives contracts and exchange-traded products are tied to the index.” But should this be a surprise to anyone? As the article points out, a Texas McCombs professor has been looking into the VIP benchmark for some time now: “John Griffin, the University of Texas professor whose 2017 paper written with a grad student caught traders’ attention, believes someone is artificially suppressing the price of S&P 500 contracts, then profiting when the VIX settlement price comes in much higher. A more than $200 million distortion in the market was seen during the April 18 auction, he argues. ‘Since the public release and publication of our academic paper last year, the settlement deviations have substantially increased,’ he wrote in this week’s column. [Griffin is a regular columnist for Bloomberg.] ‘We are concerned that market participants may be reading our paper as a how-to-manipulate manual.’” This is a complex issue with literally billions of dollars at stake. And if you need to know more, that’s where our experts can help. Griffin is an educator and researcher in the structured finance field with respect to mortgage-backed securities and collateralized debt obligations. His expertise also includes international finance, institutional investment, and forensic finance, and his recent research focuses on understanding the role that conflicts of interest and misreporting by credit rating agencies and investment banks played in the financial crisis.Griffin is available to speak with media. Simply click on his icon to arrange an interview today. Source:
Just how many glass ceilings do women need to shatter in America?
These days, women are finally making their mark in elected houses and legislatures around the country. It’s seen as a serious advancement since the days of old white men in differing grey suits as the only variety on a ballot. A recent article in Yahoo news quoted University of Mary Washington’s Rosalyn Cooperman observations about how far women have come, but also how much further there is to go. “The attention has been on the record numbers who are running and to the message being sent by those sheer numbers,” says Rosalyn Cooperman, associate professor of political science at the University of Mary Washington in Fredericksburg, Va. “But what kind of change this brings depends not only on who runs and who wins, but how they navigate the rigid political institutions” they are being elected to. But now that women are inching closer to equal on the ballot – it’s once they achieve electoral victory that a whole other gender gap reveals itself. Cooperman recently observed the Virginia House of Delegates where 12 were women were elected to the first time. “More than half of the incoming freshmen were relegated to the science and technology committee, a committee with a light workload and limited jurisdiction,” Cooperman wrote in an article for the website Gender Watch 2018. “The lone Republican woman freshman was assigned to House finance. “Democratic women (and men) delegates,” she continued, “also saw most of their sponsored bills killed in Republican-dominated committees.” For instance, Danica Roem, who broke barriers by being the first transgender candidate delegate in the assembly, saw all 11 of her proposed bills die before leaving committee or even subcommittee. Of all the bills filed by the 16 freshman Democrats, 85 percent never made it to a floor vote. So, is this just a matter of newcomers that need to learn the fine art of politics and horse-trading or is there a deeper issue? Is politics still a ‘man’s game’ and if so what will it take to change it? That’s where our experts can help. Dr. Rosalyn Cooperman's expertise focuses on women in politics. She is available to speak with media regarding this issue in America. Simply click on Rosalyn’s icon to arrange an interview. Source:
A Dream Team or a Star Struck Idea?
There’s a rumour going around that President Donald Trump is being joined by very popular people, both who aren’t afraid of courting controversy themselves - to attend a Summit on Race. Yes. If there ever were three vastly varied high-profiled people who were as equally different as they are famous it might well be Colin Kaepernick, Kanye West and Donald Trump. It’s a right trio out of a reality show or a skit on Saturday Night Live. Right now, it’s a rumour – but it is getting some traction online and in the media. No one has commented officially apart from Cleveland-based pastor Darrell Scott, an outside adviser to President Trump. He seems to be leading the charge to make this a reality. So, could this happen? Should this happen? For Trump it would be a slam-dunk. For West it’s more promotion for an upcoming album. But for Kaepernick –is it an off-side considering his very credible efforts to confront discrimination? Stranger things have happened. And in Donald Trump’s America the opportunity for surprises is ever-present. Are you looking into this and need to know more? That’s where an expert like Dr. Stephen Farnsworth can help. Dr. Farnsworth is professor of political science and international affairs at the University of Mary Washington. A published author and a media ‘go-to’ on presidential politics, he is available to speak with media regarding this issue. Simply click on his icon to arrange an interview. Source:
The Struggle for DREAMers in Utah - Explore DACA
On Tuesday, April 24, 2018, a third federal judge ruled against the Trump administration’s push to end Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA). U.S. District Judge John Bates called the administration’s attempts to end DACA “arbitrary,” “virtually unexplained,” and “unlawful.” He put a hold on the decision, allowing the Department of Homeland Security 90 days to give better reasoning to cancel the program or it would be fully reinstated. Dr. Stephen Allen, associate provost of International Affairs at Southern Utah University and expert on American immigration policy, sees the struggle for “DREAMers” in Utah and across the nation. “In March, the Supreme Court refused to hear a challenge to DACA,” said Dr. Allen. “That decision, along with the April 24 federal court ruling, has taken pressure off of Congress to act on the issue. The result is a great deal of uncertainty for DREAMers, families, and employers.” Originally enacted by President Obama, DACA is an immigration policy that shields undocumented immigrants that were brought to the United States as children. The youth apply to obtain a renewable two-year deferred action from deportation and to be eligible for a work permit. DACA has helped hundreds of thousands obtain driver’s licenses, social security numbers and attend school. Steps to eliminate DACA were initiated by the Trump administration in late 2017, but previous federal rulings have stalled the efforts. “Rescinding DACA would have a tremendous impact on Utah,” said Dr. Allen. “The program has allowed nearly 10,000 young people in Utah to come forward and pass background checks and live legally in the United States. There is strong evidence that the majority of these young people are productive citizens who are gainfully employed and/or enrolled in school. According to the non-profit and non-partisan organization Interfaith Worker Justice (IWJ), ending DACA would cost Utah alone nearly $476.5 million in annual GDP losses.” Dr. Allen believes that in general, Utahan’s have a strong commitment to keeping families together. “The United States is the only country most DREAMers have known. Deporting nearly 700,000 individuals would result in separation from families and losing the ability to legally work in the United States.” Dr. Allen specializes in international enrollment and admissions, developing global partnerships, and international education. He is familiar with the media and available for an interview. Source:
