Accountability and responsibility in the digital age were the central themes of a conversation in celebration of the life and legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. on Thursday at Northeastern. In the discussion, hosted by Joseph E. Aoun, president of Northeastern, Patricia J. Williams, University Distinguished Professor of law and humanities, said the digital age is reclassifying…
Read more »
The killing of a prominent Iranian commander, Maj. Gen. Qassem Soleimani, in a U.S. drone strike has provoked a crisis in Iran and escalated tensions between Teheran and Washington. But even before Soleimani’s assassination, Iran’s position in the region was vulnerable, says Valentine Moghadam, a professor of sociology and international affairs at Northeastern. Surrounded by U.S….
Read more »
In the field of economics, seminars serve as the platform through which researchers disseminate new work, practitioners test out new theories, and young people network and find jobs. But, new research from Northeastern shows that men and women are treated very differently at such seminars. Researchers, including Northeastern associate professor Alicia Sasser Modestino, found that…
Read more »
India. Botswana. Trinidad and Tobago. Three countries on three different continents with, at first glance, little in common. But United Nation’s independent expert Victor Madrigal-Borloz says that in the last two years these have reoriented international law protecting the LGBTQA+ community. Each of the three decriminalized homosexuality with a legal argument based an individual’s dignity…
Read more »
With the introduction of new export controls on artificial intelligence software last week, the White House appealed to lawmakers, businesses, and European allies to avoid overregulation of artificial intelligence. It also maintained its refusal to participate in a project proposed by the Group of Seven leading economies, which seeks to establish shared principles and regulations…
Read more »
A bill to establish federal regulations for a group of harmful chemicals known as per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, or PFAS, was approved by the U.S. House of Representatives on Friday with bipartisan support. The legislation, which passed the House with 247 votes, would require the EPA to establish drinking water regulations for two common types of…
Read more »
In the past two weeks, Puerto Rico has weathered more than 500 earthquakes, and according to the U.S. Geological Survey, the shaking isn’t over yet. The largest two quakes, magnitude 5.8 and 6.7, struck within a 24-hour period earlier this week, killing one person, collapsing buildings, and knocking out power across the island. The quakes,…
Read more »
In communities around the world where access to information might be restricted for any number of reasons—the United Nations estimates that half the world’s population is not connected to the internet—in-person social networks can be a key source of connection and knowledge-sharing. But when access to these offline social circles is also restricted, the way…
Read more »
In 2018, #MeToo, #BlackLivesMatter, and #NoBanNoWall coalesced into social movements that defined the year. In 2019, the #ClimateStrike led by youth activist Greta Thunberg made headlines. In 2020, Twitter hashtags might not cut it, says Moya Bailey, an assistant professor at Northeastern who studies the way digital media is used to promote social causes. Bailey…
Read more »
A team of nine state attorneys general are challenging T-Mobile’s $26 billion merger with Sprint this month, arguing that combining the third- and fourth-largest wireless companies would lead to less competition and higher prices for customers. The suit hinges on more than just the elimination of a competitor, says economist John Kwoka: It highlights a…
Read more »
