"[Representative John Katko] has taken some high-profile positions and votes against Trump and the Republican leadership that strengthen his bona fides as a moderate and an independent voice—which is a good fit with the district," says Professor of Political Science Grant Reeher. "[Stephanie] Miner can no doubt see that, and to risk being beaten badly would probably end her elective political career. Taking on a strong governor in a primary doesn't pose the same downside risk."

"Right now, trade policy looks very rear-view mirror," says Mary Lovely, professor of economics. "Just worrying about 500 jobs here or 1,000 jobs there seems to miss the need for long-term strategy." 

"Executive privilege is an amorphous concept," Professor Emeritus William C. Banks says. "It has never been tested the way it could soon be tested."

William C. Banks, professor of practice of public administration and international affairs says, "Trump has already said certain things that support at least a serious inquiry into whether obstruction has been committed. Whether [Attorney General Jeff] Sessions tries to stonewall with the privilege claims or some other, the facts are going to be discovered by the Mueller team in the not-too-distant future."

According to Professor Mary Lovely, a drawback to the hefty tariffs President Trump imposed on imported washing machines and solar panels is that "there will be less innovation in the long term." 

The need for healthy, fresh food is urgent on the Near Westside. To help meet this need, the Lerner Center for Public Health Promotion has teamed up with the Near Westside Peacemaking Project and the Food Bank of Central New York to bring the Mobile Food Pantry to Syracuse residents who are most in need. Last week, residents received approximately 150 food boxes filled with milk, eggs, yogurt, fruit, vegetables and bread.

Stuart Rosenthal, professor and chair of economics, gave a keynote lecture titled "Building Specialisation, Anchor Tenants and Agglomeration Economies," which offered a new perspective on the productivity of cities. Rosenthal discussed the productivity spillovers that occur when tenants in tall commercial buildings are in close proximity, and how this leads to shared skilled labor, intermediate inputs and knowledge.

The dean of the Maxwell School has appointed Francine D’Amico to the position of teaching professor in the International Relations Program. The promotion recognizes D’Amico’s accomplishments in teaching, advising, service, and curricular and co-curricular development since joining the Maxwell School in 2000.

"Crew changes aren't unusual and when they do happen, the reassigned astronauts almost always fly on a later mission," says Sean O'Keefe, Howard and Louise Phanstiel endowed Chair in Strategic Management and Leadership. "The exceptions are very few and far between."

Elizabeth Cohen, professor of political science, claims that President Trump's grandfather's chances of being allowed into the country if the RAISE Act were in place when he immigrated from Germany in 1885 would have been highly unlikely".

According to Tom Dennison, director of the Lerner Center for Public Health Promotion, the migration of profitable procedures to free-standing surgery centers makes it more difficult for hospitals to cover the cost of 24/7 emergency care and other "safety net" services that are not profitable. 

Yilin Hou, professor of public administration and international affairs, believes that a good tax system should generally comply with five major design principles, namely fair tax burden, focus on efficiency, appropriate tax administration, sufficient tax revenue and openness and transparency.

According to Shannon Monnat, associate professor of sociology and Lerner Chair for Public Health Promotion, interventions should target communities with populations in "significant economic distress," focusing on "places that have experienced major labor market shifts and income decline over the past four decades." "Failure to consider the underlying economic causes could lead to ineffective policy strategies," she says.