Nov. 26, 2019: Williams *16, Holmes *02 Testify in Impeachment Inquiry; Portable Power Startup

The solar microgrids designed by BoxPower, an energy startup co-founded by Angelo Campus ’16, fit inside a standard 20-foot shipping container and can be assembled in one day. “We jokingly call ourselves the Ikea of microgrids,” Campus says. Read more in a story from Fast Company.

In testimony at the impeachment inquiry, Jennifer Williams *16, a veteran Foreign Service officer and adviser to Vice President Mike Pence, called President Donald Trump’s July 25 phone call with President Volodymyr Zelensky of Ukraine “unusual and inappropriate.” — The New York Times
 
David Holmes *02, a political counselor at the U.S. Embassy in Ukraine, also testified at the impeachment inquiry, discussing the Trump administration’s effort to pressure Ukraine by withholding security assistance. — The Washington Post

Ed Cox ’68, Richard Nixon’s son-in-law and a fundraiser for President Trump’s re-election campaign, says the president “is going to fight right through” the impeachment process and win a second term. — New York Post
 
Jonathan Cohen ’85, who previously served as acting representative to the United Nations, was sworn in as the U.S. ambassador to Egypt. — Egypt Independent
 
Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau selected Deb Schulte ’82, a member of Parliament from Ontario, as his administration’s new minister for seniors. — CBC

“Don’t mess with the dressing. Don’t tinker with the turkey. Don’t go heirloom if a plain old Butterball with wince-inducing dry white meat is your family’s version of Proust’s madeline.”

— Author and columnist Jennifer Weiner ’91, sharing advice for a successful Thanksgiving dinner. Her message: Save your foodie experiments for some other time. Read more in The New York Times.

President Trump discussed his decision to pardon three U.S. service members accused of war crimes with people outside of his administration, including Pete Hegseth ’03, a Fox News commentator and Army veteran, according to one current and one former administration official who spoke with The Washington Post. — The Washington Post
 
University of Kansas associate professor Franklin Tao *06 is fighting allegations that he failed to disclose his contractual obligations to a university in China while conducting federally funded research in the United States. — The Washington Post
 
Rep. Raja Krishnamoorthi ’95, an Illinois Democrat who chairs the House Oversight and Reform Subcommittee on Economic and Consumer Policy, pressed the Trump administration on whether its proposed ban on e-cigarette flavors will ever materialize.  — The Hill
 
Yael Berda *14, an assistant professor at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, explains the practical implications of the State Department’s recent announcement that it does not view Israeli settlements in the West Bank as a violation of international law. — The Washington Post
 
Journalist Maria Ressa ’86 sees troubling parallels between disinformation and the repression of reporters in the Philippines and the United States. “Our dystopian present is your dystopian future,” she said. — CBS News
On Monday, Ressa was named Baccalaureate speaker for Princeton’s Class of 2020. — Princeton.edu
 
Damian Fernandez ’79 will take over as the new president of Eckerd College in St. Petersburg, Fla. Fernandez previously served as chancellor of Penn State Abington. — Tampa Bay Times
 
Laurie K. Dean ’03, associate legal counsel at Colorado State University, was appointed as a judge in Colorado’s 8th Judicial District by Gov. Jared Polis ’96. — Fort Collins Coloradoan

In her new book, How To Be an Epicurean, Catherine Wilson *77 describes how the “ancient art of living might be applied as beneficially today as it was 2,400 years ago.” — Charleston Post and Courier
 
Jesper Horsted ’19, Princeton football’s career leader in receptions and receiving touchdowns, was promoted to the active roster of the NFL’s Chicago Bears. — Chicago Sun-Times