ProfNet Experts Available on Supreme Court Rulings, Pregnancy in Workplace, College Funding, More
Also in This Edition: Jobs for Writers, Media Industry Blog Posts
NEW YORK, July 1, 2015 /PRNewswire/ -- Below are experts from the ProfNet network that 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/alertswire.
EXPERT ALERTS
- SCOTUS Becoming Pop Culture Spectator Sport
- Supreme Court's Decision on King v. Burwell
- Impact of Supreme Court's ACA Decision
- ACA Appears Here to Stay
- Gay Marriage Ruling Will Improve Attitudes, But Challenges Will Continue
- SCOTUS Ruling on Marriage Equality
- Despite Ruling, Same-Sex Couples Can Be Terminated From Jobs, Evicted From Homes
- Refusing Same-Sex Marriage Licenses a Precarious Proposition
- More Litigation May Follow Obergefell Ruling
- Workplaces Changing Views on Pregnancy Accommodations
- Crowdfunding to Pay for College Not a Good Strategy
- How to Read the Body Language and Micro-Expressions of Students
MEDIA JOBS
- Researcher/Writer – Euromoney (NY)
- Editorial Writer – The Bulletin (OR)
- Journalist/Content Writer – SpringCM (IL)
OTHER NEWS & RESOURCES
- Upcoming Twitter Chat: Content Marketing 101
- Blog Profiles: Wedding Blogs, Volume 2
- PR Newswire Media Moves, June 29 Edition
EXPERT ALERTS:
SCOTUS Becoming Pop Culture Spectator Sport
Chad Ruback
Dallas Appellate Attorney
"Through the end of the 20th century, U.S. Supreme Court decisions were seldom topics of conversation for most Americans. Outside of political and legal circles, the entire decades of the '60s, '80s and even the '90s seemed to pass without a Supreme Court case drawing the attention of more than a small subset of the public. But starting with Bush v. Gore in 2000, the switch flipped in American popular culture. Today, we have auto mechanics and office workers speculating on when opinions will be issued and which Supreme Court justice might be the swing vote in a particular case. In the 1990s, when I told people I was an appellate lawyer, they no more wanted to talk to me about my work than if I had told them I was a mortician. Now, even my barber asks me about the reasoning behind 'the Confederate flag license plate case' or 'the gay marriage case.' I think that our Founding Fathers would be proud."
Contact: Robert Tharp, [email protected]
Supreme Court's Decision on King v. Burwell
Kosali Simon
Professor of Health Economics and Policy
Indiana University School of Public and Environmental Affairs
"The ruling is a very big deal, as the consequences for the marketplace could have been dire. However, while the Court did maintain the status quo, there are other potential challenges to the Affordable Care Act. Several months ago, when King v. Burwell was not on everybody's radar, there were other issues at the forefront, including discussions on repealing the medical device tax and the fact that some states have not expanded Medicaid. While today's decision is a victory, it doesn't mean it's the end."
Simon's research involves applying economic analysis in the context of health insurance and healthcare policy. She has published research on the impact of the Affordable Care Act on insurance coverage, labor markets and healthcare use, including mental health treatment and emergency department visits.
Bio: http://bit.ly/1LpFQc2
Website: www.spea.indiana.edu
Contact: Brianne O'Donnell, [email protected]
Impact of Supreme Court's ACA Decision
Katy Beh Neas
Executive Vice President, Public Affairs
Easter Seals
"The goal of the health care reform law is to assure that all people have access to quality, affordable health care. Access to the health care system is integral to the goal of enabling all Americans, including people with disabilities and chronic conditions to be healthy, functional, live as independently as possible and participate in their communities. We do not want to return to the days when people had to decide whether to pay for their health insurance or pay their rent."
Neas, an expert in policy for individuals with disabilities, can provide insight on how the Supreme Court's monumental decision to uphold the Affordable care Act will impact the lives of 6.4 million Americans living with disabilities and chronic conditions. King vs Burwell will directly and immediately impact this population by building a system where their health care needs can be met. The Supreme Court's decision in this case means that individuals and families in all 50 states, whose incomes are below 400 percent of the federal poverty line, will continue to be eligible for financial aid to help cover the cost of health insurance premiums.
Neas has been a member of Easter Seals' Government Relations team since January 1995. She has served as one of five co-chairs of the Education Task Force of the national disability coalition, Consortium for Citizens with Disabilities, since 1996, and oversees the advocacy efforts of the 50 organizations that volunteer on the task force. In addition, she is an officer of the CCD Board of Directors. She has co-authored, with the Center for Law and Social Policy, several policy papers and reports on early education and care opportunities for children with disabilities, including "Coming Together for Children with Disabilities State Collaboration to Support Quality Inclusive Child Care." Prior to Easter Seals, Neas was the associate director of the American Association of University Affiliated Programs for persons with Developmental Disabilities. She also was legislative staff to Chairman Sen. Tom Harkin (D.-Iowa) of the Senate Subcommittee on Disability Policy between 1987 and 1991, where she worked on all disability legislation, including the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA).
Website: http://www.easterseals.com
Contact: Elsa Remak, [email protected]
ACA Appears Here to Stay
David Walsh
Appellate Health Care Attorney
Chamblee, Ryan, Kershaw & Anderson, P.C. in Dallas
"While there may be more tinkering with some aspects of the law, the Affordable Care Act has survived multiple challenges, and it seems it will generally remain in effect unless political forces gain the power to make significant changes or repeal it. The court's decision supports a growing belief that the law is here to stay, causing some people to purchase insurance who had not in the past and seeing a benefit from doing so. It's also likely that the requirement to purchase insurance and the availability of subsidies will lead more people to seek health care on a regular basis. Medical practices will need to have sufficient staffing to ensure that they can appropriately care for the new patient loads while taking steps to document improvements in efficiency and at the same time assure quality. That process is part of the ACA's incentivized system for reimbursements."
Contact: Barry Pound, [email protected]
Gay Marriage Ruling Will Improve Attitudes, But Challenges Will Continue
Sean Massey
Associate Professor of Women, Gender and Sexuality Studies
Binghamton University
"Today's ruling is a truly amazing step toward full equality. However, the implications of this ruling for national employment discrimination protections and full recognition of our rights as parents are still open questions."
Massey's research found that anti-gay attitudes were still prevalent in how same-sex parents were judged by others. His research on attitudes toward lesbians and gay men also suggests that individuals can hold different, sometimes conflicting, attitudes toward gay people. Says Massey: "This ruling will undoubtedly improve attitudes, but, as the four dissenting opinions suggest, prejudice and discrimination continue to challenges our freedoms and threaten our families."
ProfNet Profile: http://www.profnetconnect.com/seamassey
Biography: http://www.binghamton.edu/wgss/facultymassey.html
Website: http://www.binghamton.edu/
Contact: Ryan Yarosh, [email protected]
SCOTUS Ruling on Marriage Equality
Richard E Levy
J.B. Smith Distinguished Professor of Constitutional Law
University of Kansas School of Law
"The court's ruling today will have ramifications in states across the nation and will have even broader implications for the direction of the court."
Professor Levy can discuss the SCOTUS ruling on marriage equality. A constitutional law expert, he can discuss the basis for the ruling, what it means for states with and without same sex marriage bans, and similar topics.
Website: http://law.ku.edu
Contact: Mike Krings, [email protected]
Despite Supreme Court Ruling, Same-Sex Couples Can Be Terminated From Jobs, Evicted From Homes
Angela D. Giampolo
Founder
PhillyGayLawyer.com, Giampolo Law Group
"Gay marriage was already legal in Pennsylvania, but the historic ruling spread those equal rights to all 50 states. Supporters should pause to celebrate the Supreme Court decision, rally leaders said, but not for too long, because gay people can still be fired and kicked out of their rented homes for their sexual orientation. Pennsylvania is the only state in the Northeast that legalized gay marriage but had not enacted legislation to protect gays from job and housing discrimination."
Giampolo's practice focuses on LGBT law, corporate transactions, civil rights, employment discrimination, real estate, domestic and international adoptions, and estates.
Contact: Mark Goldman, [email protected]
Refusing Same-Sex Marriage Licenses a Precarious Proposition
Jim Mueller
Family Law Attorney
VernerBrumleyMcCurley Family Law in Dallas
Despite the Supreme Court's ruling in Obergefell v. Hodges making same-sex marriages legal across the United States, some county clerks in states such as Texas have yet to start issuing marriage licenses. Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton has expressed support of those reluctant to issue same-sex marriage licenses based upon their religious convictions, but stopped short of encouraging them to flout the law. Says Mueller: "The Attorney General was very careful in his instructions to clerks to avoid saying that a clerk can violate the law. That is a prudent stance given that any clerk who refuses to issue a license to a same-sex couple doesn't, in my opinion, have a legal leg to stand on. Their defiance, no matter what their religious convictions might be, will only lead to protracted litigation and will end up costing taxpayers a lot of money to learn what we already, or should already, know: that the Supreme Court is the supreme law of the land."
Contact: Amy Hunt, [email protected]
More Litigation May Follow Obergefell Ruling
Marilea Lewis
Family Law Attorney, Former Judge
Godwin Lewis PC in Dallas
"While Obergefell v. Hodges is a landmark case, it by no means resolves all issues raised and will undoubtedly lead to further litigation as a suit already has been filed by a couple seeking a marriage license after being denied by the Smith County, Texas, clerk. The last session of the Texas Legislature passed a bill with little objection that provides protection for pastors/clergy who refuse to perform marriages on the basis of their religious beliefs. Shortly after Obergefell was announced, Attorney General Ken Paxton relied on the Religious Freedom Restoration Act to issue an opinion that Texas government employees have the right to refuse to issue marriage licenses or conduct marriages on religious grounds. Paxton stated that it is beyond the scope of the opinion as to what happens if a county clerk chooses not to issue a license. That is among the issues that will need to be resolved, and it is unclear what effect any refusals to perform same-sex marriage could have."
Contact: Rhonda Reddick, [email protected]
Workplaces Changing Views on Pregnancy Accommodations
Carrie Hoffman
Labor and Employment Attorney
Gardere Wynne Sewell LLP, Dallas office
"In my experience, employers frequently are too quick to determine that pregnant employees should not be entitled to special accommodations. Because of the Young v. UPS decision, employers now will be required to change that mindset. Although the court's ruling failed to grant 'favored nation' status to pregnant workers, it did require that they receive the same accommodations that are offered to non-pregnant employees who are temporarily unable to perform specific job requirements. Additionally, the court expressed serious concern that the EEOC's most recent guidance on pregnancy discrimination was promulgated after the court had granted certiorari and took a position about which the EEOC had previously been silent. Moreover, the EEOC's guidance contradicted the government's prior positions in other matters."
Contact: Rhonda Reddick, [email protected]
Crowdfunding to Pay for College Not a Good Strategy
Steven Sirot
Co-Founder
College Benefits Research Group
"Affording college in today's environment is a huge undertaking. Never before has the cost grown so exponentially and student loan debt reached such unmanageable proportions. It is understandable that with the prevalence of websites where anyone can ask for funding, this would be a tempting option. Yet, as proven time and time again, there are no easy fixes."
Sirot can discuss the downsides of using crowdfunding to pay for college, such as what happens if you run out of money after the first couple of years and have to drop out to fund more or, even worse, take on hefty loans that would take years to pay back. He co-founded College Benefits Research Group (CBRG) along with David N. Slater and Janet Loren, an educational counselor and Certified Educational Planner. CBRG demonstrates how a private and/or public education is affordable and attainable and allows hard-working families to hit a "home run" in finding the right school, academically, socially and financially, for their child. CBRG also assists with the filing of financial aid forms.
ProfNet Profile: http://www.profnetconnect.com/stevensirot
Contact: Amy Delman, [email protected]
How to Read the Body Language and Micro-Expressions of Students
Carl Christman
Mentalist and Speaker
"There is a greater chance of student success when teachers and counselors know how students feel. Unfortunately, many students are too shy or embarrassed to let teachers know that they are having problems. Being able to read a student's body language and micro-expressions can be a teacher's greatest skill. What student's say frequently communicates much less than their actions."
Christman is a teacher, author, and speaker. He plays with language, psychology and non-verbal communication to educate and entertain audiences. His bestselling book, "How to Read Minds and Influence People," explores communication from a radically different perspective. It unlocks the science of mind reading and helps people harness the power of persuasion. It offers readers the tools to relate to people and positively influence them.
ProfNet Profile: http://www.profnetconnect.com/carlchristman
Website: http://www.carlchristman.com
Contact: [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/
- Researcher/Writer – Euromoney (NY)
- Editorial Writer – The Bulletin (OR)
- Journalist/Content Writer – SpringCM (IL)
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.
- UPCOMING TWITTER CHAT: CONTENT MARKETING 101. "True content marketing isn't about product, speeds, feeds or company information; it is about delivering educational information, relevant, worthwhile content that the buyer wants to read." -- Erika Goldwater, VP of Marketing at Annuitas. If you're looking to break into content marketing or just want to learn more about it, Goldwater will be available to answer your questions in our upcoming Twitter chat, "Content Marketing 101." Details here: http://prn.to/1FNTTQB
- BLOG PROFILES: WEDDING BLOGS, VOLUME 2. Each week, PR Newswire's media relations team selects an industry/subject and a handful of sites that do a good job with promoting, contributing, and blogging about the space. This week, they share reviews of a few more wedding blogs: http://prn.to/1NuY49B
- PR NEWSWIRE MEDIA MOVES, JUNE 29 EDITION. PR Newswire's weekly audience research newsletter, PR Newswire Media Moves, is chock-full of media news and job changes. In this week's issue, you'll read updates on Consumer Reports, Wall Street Journal, Pensions & Investments, Bloomberg Television, Roll Call, Fortune, Politico Pro, Univision Network, Telemundo, Vogue, Variety and many more: http://prn.to/1CEpAeW
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