June 25, 2019: Alvarez ’77 on the Fed; Weiner ’91 Discusses New Novel

President Donald Trump has been exploring whether he can remove Federal Reserve chairman Jerome Powell ’75 from his post, but former Fed general counsel Scott Alvarez ’77 believes a recent change in the law protects Powell. — Bloomberg
 
Author Jennifer Weiner ’91 talks about her new novel, Mrs. Everybody, and explains why men should read so-called “women’s” literature. — Salon
 
A memorial for historian Alan Brinkley ’71 honors the Columbia professor’s commitment to teaching, his contributions to academia, and his presence as a public intellectual. — Time
 
Consumer advocate Ralph Nader ’55 discusses his career, the power of young people in effecting real change in the world, and the struggle of being an “outside-insider.” — Current Affairs
 
Former Virginia state education secretary Anne Holton ’80 was named interim president of George Mason University. — The Washington Post

Canadian national team soccer star Diana Matheson ’08, who was sidelined by an injury before the Women’s World Cup, offers her opinion on the tournament and the recent controversy over the U.S. team’s opening win. — Slate
 
Screenwriter Craig Mazin ’92 discusses the unexpected popularity of his HBO TV miniseries, Chernobyl, and its companion podcast. — Los Angeles Times
 
Purdue president Mitch Daniels ’71 advocates for requiring students to pass a civics literacy test in order to graduate from the university; trustees have supported the idea, which will be discussed by the University Senate in the fall. — Lafayette (Ind.) Journal & Courier
 
Herro Mustafa *97 has been nominated to the position of ambassador to the Republic of Bulgaria. — The White House
 
Textile artist Diana Buri Weymar ’91 has joined forces with Lingua Franca to display her “Tiny Pricks” needlework project — short quotes from Donald Trump embroidered on antique cloth — in a New York boutique. — Women’s Wear Daily

“The truth is that for me, the hardest part of my cancer experience began once the cancer was gone. That heroic journey of the survivor we see in movies and watch play out on Instagram — it’s a myth.”

— Writer and cancer survivor Suleika Jaouad ’10, in a recent TED Talk called “What Almost Dying Taught Me About Living.” Watch the video at TED.com. 

In a Braves broadcast on Father’s Day, president and CEO of the Prostate Cancer Foundation Jonathan Simons ’80 talks about prostate cancer research and Major League Baseball’s 25-year partnership with the foundation. — Major League Baseball
 
Katrina vanden Heuvel ’81’s opinion column for The Washington Posthighlights Democratic candidates’ foreign-policy distinctions as the presidential debates loom. — The Washington Post
 
Mathematician Jacob Lurie *01 will join the faculty of the Institute for Advanced Study after teaching at Harvard and MIT. — Institute for Advanced Study
 
Evren Odcikin ’02, co-founder of the consulting group Mai Directors, which helps artists engage with Middle Eastern narratives, has been named interim associate artistic director for the Oregon Shakespeare Festival. — Mail Tribune (Medford, Ore.)