Experts on Politics, Weather, Syria, Abortion and Russia/Olympics
This week’s experts were chosen in response to the continuation of the Chris Christie scandal, the 2014 political campaign gearing up, the polar vortex and Australian heat, the Syria peace conference, abortion's return to the legal and political spotlight, and Russia's preparations for the Olympics.
For interviews on politics: Chris Christie, the State of the Union and Congressional retirements.
With scandal continuing to envelope Chris Christie, the State of the Union only a week away, and the 2014 campaigns gearing up, we SPOTLIGHT Layota Foster, host of “In The Know,” a Sunday morning public affairs/political talk show on Washington, D.C.’s ABC affiliate. LaToya is the first and only Generation X, African-American female to host a Sunday morning political talk show in the Nation’s Capital and perhaps the country, distinguishing her from other popular commentators.
Senior Climate Scientist and Director of Climate Science for the Climate and Energy Program
Union of Concerned Scientists
For interviews on climate change, the polar vortex in the U.S. and the heat in Australia.
As the U.S. continues its battle with Polar Vortex II and Australia endures a record heat wave, we FEATURE Brenda Ekwurzel, climate scientist at the Union of Concerned Scientists (UCS). She is leading UCS's climate science education work aimed at strengthening support for strong federal climate legislation and sound U.S. climate policies.
Amidst questions over how and among whom the UN will hold Syrian peace talks, we FEATURE Helena Cobban, expert on post-war diplomacy and politics. She is the author of Amnesty after Atrocity?: Healing Nations after Genocide and War Crimes, The Moral Architecture of World Peace: Nobel Laureates Discuss our Global Future, four books on Middle Eastern diplomacy, politics, and society, including most recently The Israeli-Syrian Peace Talks: 1991-96 and Beyond .
As Russia struggles to prepare for the Sochi Olympics, we FEATURE Toby Gati, expert on Russia, the Newly Independent States (NIS) of the former Soviet Union, and Central and Eastern Europe. She focuses on political, economic and trade developments, and provides assessments of various politically sensitive regions of the world, as well as analyses of the workings of international political and economic institutions.
Areas of Expertise: Activism and advocacy, Arts and Culture, Entrepreneurship, Health, Public health, Reproductive health, Women, Women's issues, Women's leadership
Areas of Expertise: Human rights, Immigration, Intersectionality, Labor and Employment, Politics, Race and ethnicity, Women and Politics, Work-life balance