ProfNet Experts Available on Russia Investigation, Veterans and PTSD, More

NEW YORK, Nov. 1, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Below are experts from the ProfNet network who are available to discuss timely issues in your coverage area.

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EXPERT ALERTS

• 'Thank You For Your Service': Helping Veterans Address the Ravages of PTSD
• The High Cost of Healthcare: Massachusetts as a Bellwether

EXPERT ROUNDUP

• Russia Investigation

MEDIA JOBS

• Director, Editorial Services – FIA (DC)
• Editor, Mexico Energy Report  ICIS (TX)
• Politics Editor – Newsweek (NY/DC)

OTHER NEWS & RESOURCES

• Stay Ahead of the Curve: Five Visual Trends to Watch
• The Opportunity for Communicators: Insights on Social Journalism
• Blog Profiles: Cryptozoology Blogs

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EXPERT ALERTS:

'Thank You For Your Service': Helping Veterans Address the Ravages of PTSD
Brian Anderson
Founder and CEO
Veterans Alternative
Untreated PTSD in the military population takes the lives of at least 22 veterans every day. With the upcoming release of the movie "Thank You For Your Service," Anderson is available to discuss how veterans can find the help they need to address the ravages of PTSD, as well as provide background on his own experience in the military and the trauma he experienced when he transitioned back to military life: "The difficulties common veterans have coming back is something that I recognize. One of the biggest challenges that I had coming back was adjusting to the civilian world. I would drive down the road and I would have images of my best friend driving in the car next to me. He was killed Sept. 29, 2010. I would have images of bullets going through my head and rage going through the door. We have a civilian populous that really doesn't understand what war is and what we've gone through. It's almost impossible to tell somebody what it is because they haven't been there and they haven't seen it. They don't understand it when we tell them something is wrong with us. We're actually not focusing on post-traumatic stress, we're focusing on post-traumatic growth. We're trying to replenish the comradery that's so essential to military service. We're training the mind, body and spirit so that we can utilize that wisdom from the battlefield to help our warriors serve our community better."
In "Thank You For Your Service," veterans return home with horrific memories and highly-charged emotions that, when not treated, cause aggression, violence and, often, isolation and depression in their newfound civilian life. The sad outcome is seen in staggering statistics of arrests, divorce and suicides by veterans living with super-charged negative memories of their deployment. Anderson, a retired Army Green Beret with 14 years of service, 33 months in combat and three Bronze Stars, is available for interviews. Since his retirement, Anderson has not only worked through the difficult transition to civilian life (with his service dog Hero by his side) but, as a result of his difficult journey, has formed Veterans Alternative, a nonprofit agency dedicated to bringing necessary services to veterans to improve the quality of life. He is located in Tampa, Fla.
Website: http://veteransalternative.org
Contact: Harry Hammel, [email protected]

The High Cost of Healthcare: Massachusetts as a Bellwether
Ron Peck
Senior VP & General Counsel
The Phia Group, LLC
"Massachusetts was one of the first states to pass sweeping legislation impacting health insurance, and its law acted as a precursor to what would later be known nationally as the Affordable Care Act, or 'Obamacare.' Years later, Gov. Deval Patrick signed into law new parameters meant to examine what drives the cost of healthcare, and to contain the seemingly out of control costs. Now, in 2017, the Massachusetts State Senate has released a report regarding this very issue, recognizing that simply securing insurance for every citizen is not enough -- that the rising cost of healthcare is being driven by how much providers of healthcare are billing payers. Will Massachusetts take steps to actually cap how much consumers of healthcare can be charged -- not for insurance, but for actual healthcare? Will Massachusetts once again serve as a bellwether for the rest of the nation?"
Based in Massachusetts, Peck has been a member of The Phia Group's team since 2006. As an ERISA attorney with The Phia Group, he has been an innovative force in the drafting of improved benefit plan provisions, and spearheaded efforts to combat the steadily increasing costs of healthcare. Peck has been quoted in numerous publications, including Money, Inc. and Self Insurer,  and was a contributing author to the book "The CEO's Guide to Restoring the American Dream" (Health Rosetta Publications; September 2017).
ProfNet Profile: http://www.profnetconnect.com/ronpeck
Website: https://www.phiagroup.com
Contact: Matthew Painten, [email protected]

EXPERT ROUNDUP: Russia Investigation

Following are experts from the ProfNet network who can discuss the investigation of Russian interference in the 2016 U.S. elections:

Patrick J. Cotter
Officer and Leader of the Government Interaction and White Collar Practice Group
Greensfelder, Hemker & Gale, P.C. (Chicago)
Cotter, a former Assistant U.S. Attorney in New York and a longtime white-collar defense attorney, previously worked closely with Robert Mueller and numerous other members of the special counsel team, including Justice Department fraud chief Andrew Weissmann, with whom Cotter prosecuted organized crime cases in New York. Cotter also is very familiar with the work of Mueller, who supervised cases that Cotter defended. Cotter can comment on developments in the special counsel investigation, including the recent indictments of Paul Manafort and Rick Gates, as well as George Papadopoulos' guilty plea for lying to the FBI about his contact with Russia-linked foreign nationals. Cotter also can comment generally about the strategy, tactics and styles of Mueller and Weissmann in the investigation.
Cotter was one of the trial prosecutors in United States v. John Gotti, et al. He previously was a consultant to the U.N. Special Rapporteur investigating allegations of war crimes in the former Yugoslavia and was appointed by the International Tribunal to its Panel of Appointed Counsel. Cotter has appeared as a legal commentator on television and radio, including on "Nightline," National Public Radio, Court TV and A&E's "American Justice," and his legal commentary has been published by newspapers and other media outlets in Chicago and around the country.
Bio: https://www.greensfelder.com/professionals-Patrick-Cotter.html
Contact: Randy Labuzinski, [email protected]

Matthew Schmidt
Assistant Professor of National Security
University of New Haven
"Mueller's indictment of Manafort reflects his understanding of the long money-train between Russian oligarchs and Manafort and, arguably, the Trump Organization, reaching back to the 1990s. Comey was U.S. Attorney at the time of the biggest money laundering case in FBI history was settled. Manafort's fortune comes largely from connections with Oleg Deripaska, who bankrolled Manafort. Deripaska, in turn, is close to renowned mobster Semion Mogilevich, who was implicated in that case, a case that Mueller must know well, either from direct involvement or from Comey. This was a case that turned on billions being washed mainly through two industries -- real estate and casinos -- through the Republic Bank of New York. Comey was U.S. Attorney for Southern District NY from Jan. 7, 2002, to Dec. 15, 2003. The FBI case was settled and signed in May 2003. Mueller was in the FBI at the time. This was the largest money-laundering case in FBI history: $7.5 billion. Manafort is being indicted for relationships and techniques he honed then -- relationships and techniques that started and are likely detailed in the money-laundering case. Interestingly enough, former FBI chief William Sessions represented Mogilevich and lobbied to keep him clear of charges."
Schmidt, an assistant professor of national security and political science at the University of New Haven, previously taught military operations planning and political science at the U.S. Army's School of Advanced Military Studies. He holds a Ph.D. in Government from Georgetown University and an M.A. in Russian studies from the University of Kansas.
Profile: http://www.newhaven.edu/faculty-staff-profiles/matthew-schmidt.php
Contact: Karen Grava, [email protected]

John F. Wood
Partner
Hughes Hubbard & Reed
Wood, former U.S. Attorney and former Counselor to the Attorney General, U.S. Department of Justice, has been monitoring the Russian investigation of the Trump campaign closely. He has intimate knowledge of how the Department of Justice operates, and utilizes these perspectives to help explain the complex legal issues involved in investigations in layman's terms. He can address the important legal aspects/ramifications that come in to play vs. the purely political, as issues as the come to light.
With regard to the latest developments, Wood says the charges against Manafort are very serious, and he faces the risk of significant prison time. And while the charges do not relate to the Trump campaign, to the extent that Manafort has any information related to Trump or the campaign, these charges give Mueller a lot of leverage over Manafort to get him to cooperate. The breadth and severity of the charges against Manafort are surprising. While it has been known for months that he likely violated the Foreign Agent Registration Act (FARA), the other charges in the indictment are much more serious.
Clips: http://video.foxbusiness.com/v/5630312113001/?#sp=show-clips
Contact: Ted Mills, [email protected]

James Goodnow
Legal and Political Commentator
James Goodnow is a nationally recognized legal and political commentator. Goodnow, a Harvard Law School graduate, was featured on the cover of the American Lawyer, one of the largest circulated legal publications in the U.S. (March 2016). Having handled some of the highest profile cases in the country, he has offered legal commentary for CNN, "Good Morning America," "Today," The Wall Street Journal, Washington Post, People Magazine and others. Some of Goodnow's possible talking points, including next steps, include: 1) arraignment/initial appearance -- plea of not-guilty likely; 2) bond -- maybe nothing; 3) scheduling news conference.
Sizzle Reel: https://vimeo.com/fennemorecraig/review/212336903/28e0556f5c
Website: http://legalcommentator.com
Contact: Terence J. Murnin, [email protected]

John Davenport, Ph.D.
Professor of Philosophy; Director, Peace & Justice Studies Program
Fordham University
Davenport can discuss the possible financial connections between Trump and Putin, Russia's attempts to influence elections in both the U.S. and Europe through social media, what NATO should do, and more.
Contact: Rachel Roman, [email protected] 

Russian Interference in the 2016 U.S. Election
Dr. James Ludes
Vice President for Public Research; Executive Director, Pell Center for International Relations and Public Policy
Salve Regina University
"Russia is engaged in a well-financed and determined campaign to undermine democratic political and social institutions, as well as international alliances, and to remove resistance to Russia's foreign policy objectives. Russia has the motive and the means to do so -- Social media is just one aspect of their campaign."
Dr. Ludes is co-author of "Shatter the House of Mirrors," a recent study of Russia's attack against American democracy that received coverage from CNN, FoxNews, NPR, and Mother Jones. Most recently, his expertise on Russia's prolonged campaign to use social media platforms in an effort to divide the U.S. has been featured in The Hill, CBSN news and The Providence Journal (RI) among others. He is able to discuss Russia's intervention in the 2016 U.S. election, Russia's use of social media to divide Americans, its use of similar tactics across Europe, and Russia's broader goals in doing so. He can also discuss what the United States can do in response.
Website: http://pellcenter.org/dr-james-ludes/
Report: http://bit.ly/2lFKVYn
Contact: Erin Demers, [email protected]

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MEDIA JOBS:

Following are links to job listings for staff and freelance writers, editors and producers. You can view these and more job listings on our Job Board: https://prnmedia.prnewswire.com/community/jobs/

• Director, Editorial Services – FIA (DC)
• Editor, Mexico Energy Report – ICIS (TX)
• Politics Editor – Newsweek (NY/DC)

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OTHER NEWS & RESOURCES:

Following are links to other news and resources we think you might find useful. If you have an item you think other reporters would be interested in and would like us to include in a future alert, please drop us a line.

• DON'T FALL INTO THIS TRAP: THE 7 DEADLY SINS OF BLOG WRITING. Being a serial writer is a demanding and mysterious craft. To succeed, you must constantly ooze creativity and new ideas – all while learning new tricks to keep up with the competition. The effort it takes is sometimes more frightening than thrilling, unless you're willing to own your fears and challenges and face them. Here are seven blog killers to avoid: http://prn.to/2z70KMR  
• THE OPPORTUNITY FOR COMMUNICATORS: INSIGHTS ON SOCIAL JOURNALISM. How do insights on social journalism highlight a new opportunity for communicators and PR professionals? Cision CMO Chris Lynch tackles this question while discussing important key findings from the 2017 Global Social Journalism Study, which surveyed journalists on their social media habits, preferences and views: http://cisn.co/2gXL1sY
• BLOG PROFILES: CRYPTOZOOLOGY BLOGS. Each week, PR Newswire's Audience Relations team selects an industry/subject and profiles a handful of sites that do a good job with promoting and contributing to the conversation. This week, they look at a few cryptozoology blogs:http://prn.to/2zUDWNP

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