ProfNet Experts Available on Supreme Court, Healthcare Reform, Electoral College, More

NEW YORK, Nov. 16, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Below are experts from the ProfNet network who are available to discuss timely issues in your coverage area.

You can also submit a query to the hundreds of thousands of experts in our network – it's easy and free! Just fill out the query form to get started: http://prn.to/queryform.

EXPERT ALERTS

• Nominations to the Supreme Court Following Presidential Election
• Donald Trump's Impact on Healthcare
• Could Trade Protectionism Level the Patent Enforcement Playing Field?
• How Election Results May Impact Budget Deficit, U.S. Economy
• Change.org Petition Could Work, But Probably Won't

MEDIA JOBS

• Journalists – Compliance Reporter (NY)
• Head of Content, Private Equity – Pageant Media (NY)
• Commodities Editor – Risk.net (NY)

OTHER NEWS & RESOURCES

• Speaking on a Panel: Best Practices From the Pros
• 4 Ways to Avoid Miscommunications With the Media
• 10 Top News Sites That Rock Their Music and Entertainment Coverage

EXPERT ALERTS:

Nominations to the Supreme Court Following Presidential Election
Timothy Lewis
Partner
Schnader Harrison Segal & Lewis
With just eight members on the Supreme Court, will the next president be able to get a nominee approved by a fractured senate? Will the senate have to change its rules to approve a nominee by a simple majority vote instead of requiring 60 yea votes? Says Lewis: "Former federal judge Timothy Lewis is outspoken in his belief that Merrick Garland should have been given an up or down vote. He appeared with VP Biden on the president's weekly address last July calling for Garland to at least receive a vote. Lewis is a former judge who was nominated to the Third Circuit by Republican President George H.W. Bush and confirmed by a Democrat-controlled Senate on the eve of the 1992 presidential election."
Lewis is located in Philadelphia and Pittsburgh.
Contact: Olivier Gibbons, [email protected]

Donald Trump's Impact on Healthcare
Harry Nelson
Founder and Managing Partner
Nelson Hardiman
"It will be interesting to see how much Donald Trump weighs in on healthcare as an independent populist or defers to the more conservative politicians and policy wonks who are likely to surround him. Our best guess is a rollback (rather than a complete repeal) of the ACA individual and employer mandates, minimum essential benefit requirements, and other elements. We expect to see the state insurance exchanges killed off or die a slow death. The big initiative of Trump healthcare policy is likely to be a shift to global capitation for all Medicare beneficiaries. The big questions ahead will be whether he can overcome the legal challenges to enact national underwriting in place of state-by-state insurance regulation, also how much will be done to soften the blow of lost insurance coverage from the Obamacare rollback."
Based in Los Angeles, Nelson advises hospitals, nursing homes, patients and the entire health care industry. He is available to talk about the impact of a Trump presidency on the health care industry as well as on the Affordable Care Act.
Contact: Olivier Gibbons, [email protected]

Could Trade Protectionism Level the Patent Enforcement Playing Field?
Michael Heim
Patent Litigator
Heim, Payne & Chorush in Houston
While a protectionist trade position has been the chorus of the Trump campaign, little is known about the president-elect's views on intellectual property rights. Increasingly burdened U.S. patent holders are hopeful for an ally who supports the enforcement rights of small patent holders. Says Heim: "We know he favors companies in the U.S. versus their foreign counterparts, so it seems likely that he is going to favor strong IP protection to prevent foreign companies from improperly incorporating U.S. technology into their products. The open question in the U.S. and in foreign treaties is, 'What is going to be done with regard to the enforcement of IP rights?' Patent enforcement actions in the U.S. have become a game of kings. If you are not a large, wealthy corporation with a valuable product line, the deck is stacked against you. Rules enacted to reduce the number of nuisance-value filings have had the unfortunate impact of making it difficult for all patent owners, especially smaller companies and individuals, to enforce their rights. In addition, courts are killing computer-related patents by the hundreds and maybe even thousands, using recent rulings from the Supreme Court to dismiss cases before they can even get started. We don't know where Trump stands on these issues, but given his stance on other issues, the hope is that he is going to level the playing field for patent owners."
Contact: Robert Tharp, [email protected]

How Election Results May Impact Budget Deficit, U.S. Economy
David Drumm
Real Estate and Energy Attorney
Carrington, Coleman, Sloman & Blumenthal, LLP in Dallas
The election of Donald Trump could weaken the U.S. economy in numerous ways, says Drumm: "To the extent tax cuts are put in effect and combined with 'feel-good' spending policies on things like border walls and creating obsolete, inefficient factory jobs that the market economy does not want, we risk an increase in the federal budget deficit, when debt-to-GDP ratios are already at all-time highs. Weakening the U.S. federal treasury will also inevitably weaken the U.S. economy, because the debt rating on government bonds will deteriorate and we will have to apply more of our GDP to interest on the national debt. On the energy side of things, I fear that a weakening of the economy will ultimately weaken demand for energy and thereby drilling activity."
Contact: Mark Annick, [email protected]

Change.org Petition Could Work, But Probably Won't
Chad Ruback
Appellate Lawyer in Dallas
A Change.org petition encouraging electors in the Electoral College to switch their votes from President-Elect Donald Trump to former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton is making the rounds of the internet and gaining supporters by the minute. Says Ruback: "If a significant number of electors from states won by Trump chose to disregard the outcome in their states and instead cast their Electoral College votes for Hillary Clinton, she could win the election. It would not be unprecedented for electors to do that even though taking that action is a misdemeanor in 29 states. In fact, in the history of the Electoral College, 157 electors have voted for a different candidate than the one who won. If the two candidates were separated by only a few Electoral College votes, the prospect of a handful of electors reneging on their commitments might worry the Trump campaign. However, because so many Electoral College votes separate Trump from Clinton, a few rogue electors would not be enough to affect the outcome of the election."
Contact: Mark Annick, [email protected]

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/

• Journalists – Compliance Reporter (NY)
• Head of Content, Private Equity – Pageant Media (NY)
• Commodities Editor – Risk.net (NY)

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.

• SPEAKING ON A PANEL: BEST PRACTICES FROM THE PROS.  Not all media panels are created equal, but they're an important avenue for audiences to connect with you, beyond reading your stories and following on social media. Consumers want to learn about your experience in the media industry. And, as niche topics have increased, so has the demand for print journalists, bloggers, YouTubers, and influencers to share their stories. Here are some tips on what to do before, during and after a panel presentation: http://bit.ly/2fgPBwk
• 4 WAYS TO AVOID MISCOMMUNICATIONS WITH THE MEDIA. A journalist's coverage area is only one of many things to consider in your media relations strategy. Here are four ways understanding an individual's preferences and behaviors can help avoid misunderstandings when pitching journalists: http://prn.to/2fFwvRh
• 10 TOP NEWS SITES THAT ROCK THEIR MUSIC AND ENTERTAINMENT COVERAGE. The number of music and entertainment news sites today is endless. For journalists, the beat has become extensive, ranging from festival and concert coverage to the cultural impact of music. While some traditional publications have moved away from having music-specific reporters, others will do whatever it takes to keep these niche editors. Here are our 10 favorites, in no specific order, that help their audiences get their music fix: http://bit.ly/2eFWHhM

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