Featured Topics
January 11, 2016
Experts on State of the Union, Supreme Court, Presidential Polls, Relief in Syria, Cologne Attacks
This week we feature experts on President Obama's State of the Union Address, public labor unions arguing in the Supreme Court, New Hampshire and Iowa polls, relief aid in Syria, New Year's Eve attacks in Sweden and Germany.
Expert Spotlight
Donna R. Hoffman
Professor
University of Northern Iowa
For interviews on State of the Union Address.
In preparation for President Obama's 2016 State of the Union address, we SPOTLIGHT Donna Hoffman, an Associate Professor of Political Science at the University of Northern Iowa. Her research focuses on both electoral politics and presidential rhetoric. She is the co-author of Addressing the State of the Union: The Evolution and Impact of the President’s Big Speech (Lynne Rienner Publishers 2006). Other research has appeared in Political Research Quarterly, American Behavioral Scientist, Social Science Quarterly, and PS: Political Science and Politics. Professor Hoffman’s research on presidential rhetoric examines the way that presidents communicate their policy agendas with both Congress and the public, especially through State of the Union addresses. Her work on electoral politics examines changes in the partisan composition of the American electorate. Media includes NBC Nightly News with Brian Williams, Time Magazine, Bloomberg News, USA Today, Associated Press.
WMC SheSource
Featured Expert
Connie Razza
Executive Director
Future Currents - formerly Social and Economic Justice Leaders Project (SEJ)
For interviews on Supreme Court union decision.
As a the Supreme Court prepares to make a decision that could mean major setbacks for public labor unions, we FEATURE Connie Razza. Connie directs Center for Popular Democracy’s broad-ranging research efforts pertaining to immigrant and civil rights, economic and community justice, and good government. Previously Razza worked for Community Labor United (CLU), a coalition of base-building community organizations and labor unions in Boston. At CLU, she directed research and policy development on campaigns for transit justice and fair contracting practices throughout Massachusetts. She has been a strategic research campaigner for more than a decade, working primarily on campaign design and implementation for labor union organizing drives. Media includes Thom Hartmann, Melissa Harris-Perry, NY Times.
Featured Expert
Margie Omero
Principal
GBAO
For interviews on polls in New Hampshire and Iowa.
To explain the current presidential polls, we FEATURE Margie Omero, Margie is a managing director of Purple Insights, the research division of Purple Strategies. She manages all facets of qualitative and quantitative research for Purple’s clients, including methodological design and strategic analysis. Previously Omero was the President of Momentum Analysis, where her clients included the DNC, the DCCC, EMILY’s List, Members of Congress, non-profits and labor unions, and campaigns around the country from City Council to US Senate. She is an award-winning pollster, named both a "Mover and Shaker" by Campaigns & Elections magazine, and one of “50 Politicos to Watch” by Politico. Her bipartisan work on Walmart moms has helped define and describe that swing voting bloc. Omero's work as a pollster.com/Huffington Post blogger has appeared on Hardball, in ABC's The Note, the Wall Street Journal, the Washington Post, and in Salon.com.
Featured Expert
Safa Sankari
Syria Team
Women Under Siege
For interviews on relief aid in Syria.
As relief aid finally reaches the Syrian town of Madaya, we FEATURE Safa Sankari, the co-founder and former president of SAMS Michigan Foundation, a non-profit, 501c3 organization dedicated to medical and humanitarian relief in the United States and Syria. She currently works with Women Under Siege on a crowd map project documenting reports of rape and sexual abuse in the current Syrian crisis. Sankari has been interviewed by The Takeaway several times and appeared on Robin Morgan's show regarding Syria. In July 2012, she spoke at the UN about sexual violence crimes and lack of reporting in Syria. She is currently studying for her Master’s in Psychology. Media includes The Takeaway and Robin Morgan.
Featured Expert
Emily May
Co-founder and Executive Director
Right to Be (formerly Hollaback!)
For interviews on attacks in Cologne and Sweden.
Following New Years Eve attacks on women in Germany, we FEATURE Emily May, an international leader in the anti-street-harassment movement, and co-founder of Hollaback! (iHollaback.org). Hollaback!’s mission is to give women and LGBTQ folks an empowered response to street harassment, and ultimately, to end it by building public awareness on why street harassment matters, and how it hurts. Emily, who hold a Master’s Degree from the London School of Economics in Social Policy, argues that a crowd-sourced movement is the key to changing policy and minds, and ultimately, creating a world where everyone has the right to feel safe and confident. Media includes ABC, NBC, Good Morning America, CNN, The Today Show, Fox News, MSNBC, Paula Zahn Show.
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