Maxwell School News and Commentary

Wildfires driven by climate change contribute to as many as thousands of annual deaths and billions of dollars in economic costs from wildfire smoke in the United States, according to a new study. Jacob Bendix, professor emeritus of geography and environment, says he is “dismayed” by the findings but not surprised.

“Donald Trump has come in and has had just a blizzard of executive orders and other kinds of actions that have had serious impact in the federal government, the relations between the major branches of government and have had effects that have trickled down into Syracuse,” says Grant Reeher, professor of political science.

“What’s at risk is not just enrollment numbers or university budgets—it’s the future of American innovation and the country’s standing in the world,” says Yingyi Ma, professor of sociology.

“Officials are soliciting advice from experts on pronatalist options. Some involve subsidies for births. This would be a mistake. The better idea is to make in vitro fertilization affordable and accessible,” says Leonard Lopoo, associate dean, chair and professor of public administration and international affairs.

“The uniformed military—from junior enlisted to four star generals—see right through these clowns, from their backstabbing and their inexperience to their cavalier treatment of highly classified information and their bungling policy rollouts,” says Alex Wagner, adjunct professor in Maxwell's Washington programs.

Tariffs are often touted by politicians as a good idea because they contend “that China has not adhered to global trade rules by unfairly subsidizing its manufacturing sector. This view leads people to think that trade is unfair to domestic producers and workers and to see tariffs are justified,” says Mary Lovely, professor emerita of economics.

“We don’t know what the U.S. is doing. We don’t know why they’re doing it, and they seem to revel in the fact that they’re causing trouble, economic pain and consternation all across Europe and the world,” says Ryan Monarch, assistant professor of economics.

“We see that with Pope Francis when he talked about the environment and taking care of the planet. That's had a pretty profound influence, although he didn't tell people who to vote for or particular agenda items that nations ought to adopt,” says Margaret Susan Thompson, associate professor of history and political science.

“Trump’s contention that Ukraine’s hope of joining NATO ‘caused the war to start’ is a claim that is often made, but one that doesn’t stand up to scrutiny,” says Brian Taylor, professor of political science. “Given that there was no serious prospect of Ukraine joining NATO between 2008 and 2022, it’s hard to see how Ukraine’s hope of joining NATO at some point in the future caused the full-scale Russian invasion in February 2022.”

The breach indicates a general need to strengthen safety training measures for government workers who must live and work in a digital age, says Michael Williams, associate professor of public administration and international affairs. “The danger of this kind of mistake is a challenge across all administrations,” he says.