Vanderbilt experts are available to provide insight on 2005’s top stories, including the ongoing trial of Saddam Hussein, Hurricane Katrina, President George W. Bush’s appointments to the Supreme Court, the bankruptcy of two major airlines and more.
Law
Saddam Hussein trial: Mike Newton, acting associate clinical professor of law at Vanderbilt University, helped establish the Iraqi Special Tribunal, trained its judges and is an expert on international criminal law. Allison Danner, associate professor of law at Vanderbilt, is an expert in the law, procedure and design of international criminal tribunals. Newton and Danner are available to discuss the trial of former Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein and its implications for international law.
Media contact: Susanne Hicks, 615-322-2706, susanne.hicks@vanderbilt.edu
Supreme Court changes: Suzanna Sherry, Cal Turner Professor of Law and Leadership at Vanderbilt Law School, is available to discuss the recent and pending changes to the Supreme Court, including the confirmation of Chief Justice John Roberts and the nomination of Samuel Alito to fill the vacancy left by Sandra Day O’Connor.
Media contact: Susanne Hicks, 615-322-2706, susanne.hicks@vanderbilt.edu
Hurricane
Hurricane disaster experts: Vanderbilt experts are available to discuss a variety of issues related to the impact of Hurricane Katrina, from emergency response planning and emergency preparedness, to crisis decision making and looting, to the economic impact of the disaster and more. For list of experts: http://www.vanderbilt.edu/news/releases?id=21618.
Media contact: Emily Pearce, 615-322-2706, emily.pearce@vanderbilt.edu
Politics
Parallels of C.I.A. leak case to Iran Contra: The C.I.A. leak case brought renewed scrutiny of the Bush administration’s decision to go to war in Iraq. Professor of History Thomas Alan Schwartz can discuss historical parallels of this case to the Reagan administration’s foreign policy during the Iran-Contra scandal.
Media contact: Ann Marie Deer Owens, 615-322-2706, annmarie.owens@vanderbilt.edu
The filibuster: Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist “drew a line in the sand and the line got blurred” with his 2005 threat to do away with the filibuster, according to Vanderbilt political scientist and congressional expert Bruce Oppenheimer. Oppenheimer believes that the outcome of the controversy over the judicial filibuster – a compromise worked out among moderate Democrats and Republicans – raised new questions about Frist’s ability to deliver the Republican votes for key White House priorities. Judicial politics expert Stefanie Lindquist can discuss how the filibuster is a necessary protection to help “ensure moderate rather than extreme judicial appointments.”
Media contact: Ann Marie Deer Owens, 615-322-2706, annmarie.owens@vanderbilt.edu
Business
Airline troubles: Michael Lapré, assistant professor of management at the Vanderbilt Owen School of Management, is available to discuss contributing factors to the recent declarations of bankruptcy in the airline industry and the balancing act airlines play between cost and customer service.
Media contact: Susanne Hicks, 615-322-2706, susanne.hicks@vanderbilt.edu
Rift within the AFL-CIO: Dan Cornfield, Vanderbilt University labor expert and professor of sociology, says the labor union’s split in 2005 was not a power grab, but a response to the AFL-CIO’s not giving priority to recruiting low-wage workers.
Media contact: Princine Lewis, 615-322-2706, princine.l.lewis@vanderbilt.edu
Religion
The legacy of Pope John Paul II: Fernando Segovia, Vanderbilt Oberlin Graduate Professor of New Testament, can discuss the legacy of Pope John Paul II, who led the Catholic Church for 26 years and died in 2005.
Media contact: Jim Patterson, 615-322-2706, jim.patterson@vanderbilt.edu