In the News
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June 3, 2020
“Every federal, state or local official in American history, when faced with protests that turn particularly chaotic, always say that this is not really a protest. That these are ‘thugs,’ that these are ‘troublemakers,'” said Heather Ann Thompson, professor of history, Afroamerican and African studies, and in the Residential College. “Promises have been made that people in charge are gonna address something that’s wrong and they clearly are not addressing it, so the protests explode.”
ABC News -
May 27, 2020
“Most government activity in the United States rests on a simple idea: that it’s okay for the legislature to authorize the executive branch to regulate basically anything the legislature itself could reach — working conditions, pollution, elections, financial products, mask wearing, you name it. … Relying on a so-called nondelegation doctrine, conservative originalists insist that the Founders never intended for government to work this way. … For those suspicious of agency authority and centralized government, it makes for a comforting story. But it’s just not true,” co-wrote law professors Julian Davis Mortenson and Nicholas Bagley.
The Atlantic -
May 27, 2020
Research conducted by Bhramar Mukherjee, professor of biostatistics and epidemiology, and colleagues estimates that between 630,000 and 2.1 million people in India — out of a population of 1.3 billion — will become infected by the coronavirus by early July: “The increasing trend has not gone down. We’ve not seen a flattening of the curve.”
Reuters -
May 27, 2020
“It’s pretty clearly not a thing that he’s allowed to do. The president doesn’t just get to decide that he’s not going to spend appropriated funds because he doesn’t like what states are doing. The federal government can impose conditions on states who receive federal funds, but it’s Congress who does that,” said Samuel Bagenstos, professor of law, on whether President Trump has the authority to unilaterally hold up federal funding to states.
CNN -
May 27, 2020
Susan Douglas, professor of communication and media, said gender-based attacks on Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer and other female political leaders are rooted in fear. “This certainly stems from a fear and hatred of women; an anxiety and anger that a woman might be able to tell you what to do and have control over government policies,” she said. “It violates the notion that men and only men can be decision-makers and leaders.”
MLive -
May 27, 2020
“The large numbers of ‘don’t know,’ especially if you have to volunteer it, is huge. That’s a red flag — that this is just not something about which there’s agreement, even within political ideologies,” said Fred Conrad, professor of psychology and research professor at the Institute for Social Research, on polls that show 40 percent of Democrats and nearly half of independents aren’t sure whether to believe sexual assault claims against presumptive Democratic president nominee Joe Biden.
The New York Times -
May 22, 2020
“A safe, effective vaccine is the only way to safely build herd immunity to this virus now. This is not just about getting through the current crisis. If this virus stays around, we need a vaccine to prevent resurgences in future generations,” said Emily Toth Martin, associate professor of epidemiology.
Business Insider -
May 22, 2020
The flooding in Midland this week likely will pose a significant setback to the cleanup of a federal Superfund site caused by Dow Chemical’s release of dioxins in the last century, which contaminated areas along the Tittabawassee and Saginaw rivers, says Allen Burton, professor of environment and sustainability, and earth and environmental sciences: “They knew where all that stuff was, but the power of water is unbelievable and it’s going to move things around.”
The Associated Press -
May 22, 2020
“Downturns or challenging times are seen as good times to start a business for two reasons. One is, there is less competition for resources. The second reason is that whatever changes we face, positive or negative, bring up new customer needs. And customer needs are at the core of any business,” said Rashmi Menon, entrepreneur in residence at the Zell Lurie Institute for Entrepreneurial Studies.
The New York Times -
May 21, 2020
Research by Joyojeet Pal, associate professor of information, found that since the end of March, there has been a rise in misinformation about Muslims in India’s mainstream media: “The truly insidious part is the way in which Islamophobia is suggested, without explicit mention. This could include the selection of participants for TV debates, which allows an anchor to claim neutrality, but have participants indulge in extreme claims that go unchallenged.”
Aljazeera
