Professor Richard Painter--former chief ethics officer for the George W. Bush administration--was quoted in The New York Times regarding how the Trump White House has handled information about Michael Flynn, former national security adviser, and his connections to Russia and Russian President Vladimir Putin. In reference to foreign payments Flynn received from a Turkish consulting company with ties to both Ankara and Moscow, and the failure to disclose these payments--a federal offense carrying a potential five-year prison term--Prof.

Professor Fionnuala Ní Aoláin, in the aftermath of the recent U.S. bombing of Syria, wrote a section about the legality of the military operation and its consequences for constitutional and international law compliance in a round-up with other experts in the national security domain in Just Security. Prof. Ní Aoláin is an executive editor of Just Security, one of the leading national security and international law internet platforms in the United States.

Professor William McGeveran, an expert on privacy and internet law, was interviewed on KARE 11 television about a provision of United Airlines’ policies that seems to forbid filming in the aircraft cabin—including the recent viral video of officers dragging a passenger from a plane. McGeveran explained that the policy was valid and could be enforced in other circumstances, but was very unlikely to result in action in this case. “Even if it did, people capturing the video would have strong public interest arguments in their favor,” said McGeveran.

Professor Jennie Green submitted a statement for Amnesty International USA to the U.S. Congress Subcommittee on Africa and Global Health Policy hearing on April 5, 2017. The statement urged Congress not to repeal Section 1502 of the 2010 Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act (Dodd-Frank 1502), which requires companies to conduct due diligence and report on the source of “conflict minerals” (tin, tantalum, tungsten, and gold).

Professor Ralph Hall has led a coalition to draft legislation which would provide a predictable and timely path to market for innovative diagnostic tests. The Diagnostic Accuracy and Innovation Act (DAIA) addresses longstanding issues with the regulation of diagnostic tests and will bring much-needed certainty to patients, providers, and industry. This legislation would establish a flexible, risk-based approach that applies the same regulatory principles to the same activity regardless of where the test is developed. On April 3, Representatives Larry Bucshon, M.D.

Prof. Kristin Hickman was quoted by the Star Tribune considering the implications for Chevron deference and the relationship between courts and federal government agencies posed by the nomination of Judge Neil Gorsuch to the United States Supreme Court. Although the article highlighted concerns raised about legal uncertainty and judicial activism if the Chevron doctrine is overruled or repealed, Prof. Hickman downplayed the impact of such a change on most case outcomes.