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Professor explains ‘Bridgegate’ results kira herzog correspondent
On Friday, two of Gov. Chris Christie’s former aides appealed the ruling of the high profile “Bridgegate” trial. In the original case, which concluded earlier this week, Bridget Anne Kelly and Bill Baroni were convicted of nine charges of fraud and conspiracy in connection to the 2013 George Washington Bridge lane closures, according to Politico. A third aide, who pleaded guilty to all charges, will also be sentenced in Februar y. It is widely assumed that the lane closures near the George Washington Bridge toll booth were orchestrated by Christie’s administration as a form of political retribution, said Michael Rockland, a professor in the Department of American Studies, and author of the book “George Washington Bridge: Poetr y in Steel”
“Those convicted in the recent trial were charged with engineering this mess to punish the Democratic mayor of For t Lee who had refused to endorse Governor Christie, a Republican, for re-election that November,” he said. Rockland said a key piece of evidence used by the trial’s prosecution was an email sent by Bridget Anne Kelly prior to the closures that read, “Time for some traf fic problems in Ft. Lee.” Later, Kelly sent another email in response to concerns about children trapped on school buses, saying, “Is it mean that I’m smiling?” The lane closures lasted for four days. During this time, it is recorded that vehicles had to wait an average of four hours to get onto the bridge, Rockland said. “It was alleged that the first day of school was specifically picked for this interruption of ser vice. Among the thousands of people
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Gov. Chris Christie’s (R- N.J.) former aides Bridget Anne Kelly and Bill Baroni were convicted on nine charges related to the the George Washington Bridge closures a few years ago. He was possibly involved in the bridge closures, based on evidence presented during the trial. EDWIN GANO / AUGUST 2015 af fected that day were school buses full of children,” Rockland said. “Also waiting in line to cross the bridge were ambulances, fire engines and police cars.”
If Christie did not personally order the lane closures, Rockland said he believes it was widely understood within the Christie Administration that punishment
would be meted out to any Democratic mayors in New Jersey who refused to endorse the candidate. See results on Page 4
Cancer Institute receives $600,000 research grant
Rutgers author to see literary award for political novel
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David Greenberg, a professor in the departments of History and Journalism & Media Studies was awarded the National Council of Teacher of English Orwell Award in October for his book, Republic of Spin. The annual award is given to writers who make a remarkable contribution to the analysis of public discourse and societal issues. “It came as a complete surprise. It’s nice to receive recognition after many years of hard work,” Greenberg said. The award is in honor of acclaimed British novelist and essayist George Orwell. Orwell’s body of work challenges the principles of language and the ethics of political systems, he said. Greenberg said he admires Orwell and his work, describing him as “in the pantheon of secular saints.” Being able to receive an award with his name on it was an immense honor for the professor, he said. Greenberg’s book covers more than 100 years of politics, and the evolution of the spin machine in the White House.
School of Communication and Information professor David Greenberg will receive the Orwell Award for his work on “Republic of Spin.” RUTGERS.EDU Spin refers to a set of tools and techniques to shape politicians images and messages, and the enterprise of how politicians form their public persona. The book covers the techniques various presidents have used over time to increase their image, from Woodrow Wilson holding the first White House press conference, to Franklin D. Roosevelt’s famous fireside chats to George W. Bush staging his “mission accomplished” photo-op on an aircraft carrier. Greenberg worked on “Republic of Spin” for more than half a decade, growing from a fascination for politics and media. The idea for this book came after writing his first
book about Richard Nixon, titled “Nixon’s Shadow.” The professor said he realized people resented Nixon was due to the fact that his public presence was seen as a facade. The American people saw him as a fundamentally phony politician, using new methods like television, advertising and public relations to promote a false version of himself. Greenberg then realized creating a public image for a politician was not a new thing. “After finishing the book on Nixon, I also had come to see that this didn’t start with Nixon. It had a deeper history, and I wanted to understand See novel on Page 4
The Rutgers Cancer Institute of New Jersey (CINJ) has received a nearly $600,000 grant from the Defense Department to conduct research into the role that chronic stress plays in breast cancer. Wenwei Hu, an associate professor in the Department of Radiation Oncology, will be conducting research to examine how stress might be related to breast cancer, as well as if stress can lead to the formation of tumors. “The association between chronic stress and increased risk of human breast cancer development has long been strongly suggested,” said Hu, who is a researcher with the CINJ. Hu said her team created a mouse model that mimics chronic stress in humans. Initial results show that chronic stress has an effect on a “critical tumor suppressor” in the p53 pathway. There is a lack of evidence between chronic stress and breast cancer due to a corresponding lack of animal models, she said. The p53 protein is one of the most studied proteins in cancer research because of its “potent tumor suppressive activity,” according to the Cold Spring Harbor Perspectives in Biology article. The protein reacts to a large number of stress signals, Hu said.
The p53 protein is a transcription factor, meaning it “tells” cells how to reproduce by signaling specific genes to replicate. If the protein becomes malformed, it might spark an uncontrollable reaction, which causes cells to continuously reproduce, she said. Those cells would then be considered cancerous. Other than skin cancer, breast cancer is the most common form of cancer diagnosed among American women, and 1 in 8 women contract invasive breast cancer over their lifetime, according to breastcancer.org. The relationship between psychological stress and cancer becomes apparent in several behaviors like smoking, overeating or alcohol consumption, which increases a person’s risk for cancer according to the National Cancer Institute. The study will provide insight into further strategy designs that will prevent breast cancer promoted by chronic stress, Hu said. It will also provide evidence of how chronic stress can affect breast cancer physically rather than just behavior. “However, currently the role of chronic stress in breast cancer development remains elusive due to the lack of direct evidence from animal models,” she said.
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