Jake Turner, postdoctoral researcher in Prof. Ray Jayawardhana’s group in the Department of Astronomy, has been selected from among 400 applicants as one of 24 new fellows in NASA’s prestigious Hubble Fellowship Program (NHFP). The program enables outstanding postdoctoral scientists to pursue independent research in any area of NASA astrophysics at a U.S. institution of their choice; each…
The Biden administration is making a pitch this week for new legislation that could provide a combined $3 trillion for infrastructure such as roads, rail lines, electric vehicle charging stations and grid upgrades, while investing in universal pre-kindergarten, paid family leave and free community college.
Noliwe Rooks is the W.E.B. Du Bois Professor in Africana studies and director of the…
Image by Madcoverboy; Creative Commons license 3.0
Evanston, Illinois
On Monday night the city of Evanston, Illinois approved the nation’s first government-run reparations program that would make funds available to Black families for homeownership and mortgage assistance.
Olúfémi Táíwò, professor of Africana studies at Cornell University, is authoring a forthcoming book entitled “Does the United States Need a Truth and Reconciliation Commission?” He says while…
On Tuesday, Israelis will vote in their fourth parliamentary election in two years. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s party is engaged in a tight race that some commentators say will end up rewarding Netanyahu’s management of vaccine distribution in recent months.
Uriel Abulof, visiting associate professor at Cornell University and associate professor at Tel…
Tianyao Qu is a doctoral student in sociology from China. After earning her B.A. in sociology at Sun Yat-sen University in Guangzhou, China, she chose to pursue further study at Cornell due to influential authors’ choices to study at Cornell, the field of sociology’s concentrations in economic sociology and social network studies, and the opportunity to experience the seasons and beauty of Ithaca…
Eight people were shot and killed Tuesday night at Atlanta-area massage parlors, six of whom were of Asian descent. While the suspected gunman has denied targeting the victims because of their race, officials say it’s too early in the investigation to be sure the shootings were not racially motivated.
Christine Bacareza Balance, director of the Asian American Studies Program and professor of…
Top officials from the U.S. and China will meet in Anchorage on Thursday and Friday for the first high level summit after President Biden took office. Cornell College of Arts and Sciences faculty experts Allen Carlson discusses the political and economic implications of the summit.
Allen Carlson, associate professor in the College of Arts and Sciences’ government department and an expert…
The Vatican’s orthodoxy office has issued a formal response to a question about whether Catholic clergy have the authority to bless same-sex unions, saying the Catholic Church won’t bless same-sex unions since God “cannot bless sin.”
Landon Schnabel, assistant professor of sociology at Cornell University, says while the Vatican’s announcement is in keeping with the views of the church, it does…
The Biden administration plans to unveil its comprehensive immigration bill on Thursday alongside Congressional leaders.
Gustavo Flores-Macias, professor of government and the former Director of Public Affairs in Mexico’s Consumer Protection Agency, is an expert on taxation and state capacity.
“The proposed immigration bill’s emphasis on addressing the root causes of migration in Latin…
NASA/JPL-Caltech NASA/JPL-Caltech
NASA’s Perseverance rover fires up its descent stage engines as it nears the Martian surface in this illustration.
NASA’s Perseverance rover has been on a journey to Mars since its launch in July 2020 and is set to land on the red planet on Feb. 18. The rover will look for evidence of ancient life and collect soil and rock samples at a part of Mars just north of its equator known as Jezero Crater — the site of an ancient delta.
As part of the mission, Cornell University scientists are working on a number…
Facebook announced on Wednesday that it will begin implementing changes to its algorithm to reduce political content on its users’ news feeds. The social media giant will be testing its new algorithm this week on users in Canada, Brazil and Indonesia and will expand it to the United States in the coming weeks.
Sarah Kreps, a professor of government, studies technology, international politics…
As protesters in Myanmar continue to rally against the military coup that reversed last November’s election, members of the United Nations are renewing their efforts to address the crisis. On Monday, the UK and the European Union requested a special session of the U.N. Human Rights Council to respond to the “rapidly deteriorating human rights situation” in the country.
Magnus Fiskesjö,…
With support from the National Institutes of Health, Phillip J. Milner, assistant professor of chemistry and chemical biology, is developing metal-organic frameworks—a class of porous, crystalline nanomaterials—that can stabilize volatile fluorine-containing reagents, according to Cornell Research.
“This research aims to open up new avenues in the synthesis of biologically active molecules and…
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Department of Performing & Media Arts
Jeffrey Palmer, assistant professor in the Department of Performing and Media Arts, will join other Oklahoma alumni of the Sundance Institute Fellowship programs for a panel on Native Storytelling. The Beyond Film event, hosted by Circle Cinema in Tulsa, OK, will be free to watch online on Saturday, January 30, at 1:30 p.m. EST through Youtube.com/CircleCinema and Facebook.com/CircleCinema.
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David Dunham is a doctoral student in Germanic studies from Springfield, Virginia. After earning an undergraduate degree from New York University, he chose to pursue further study at Cornell due to the strength of the Germanic studies field and the university’s location in Ithaca.
What is your area of research and why is it important?
My research examines the case report genre in the…
On Wednesday, former Senator and Vice President Joe Biden will be inaugurated as President of the United States. His inauguration takes place amid continued challenges presented by COVID-19 and the violent insurrection at the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6. Mabel Berezin, professor of sociology at Cornell University and an expert on international populism and fascism, says that Biden’s inauguration …
U.S. Capitol Police failed to stop a mob of Trump supporters from breaching the Capitol building on Wednesday and disrupting Congress’ final electoral count.
Sabrina Karim, the Hardis Family Assistant Professor of government, is an expert on the security sector and police reform. She weighs in on the response of law enforcement to the occupation:
“What is the institutional design of law…
The results of the November 2020 elections are schedule to be certified by Congress this week, as allies of President Trump seek to delegitimize the election and the president was revealed to have pressured Georgia’s Secretary of State to “find more votes” for him. Mabel Berezin, professor of sociology at Cornell University and an expert on international populism and fascism, weighs in on the…
Georgia will elect two senators on Jan. 5 in a highly anticipated run-off election that will determine party control of the Senate. David Bateman, professor of government at Cornell University, is an expert on congressional politics and author of the book, “Southern Nation: Congress and White Supremacy after Reconstruction,” which explores to role of Southern congress members in shaping policy…
The first mention of the word “coronavirus” in a Cornell Chronicle story in 2020 came on Jan. 29, when the university designated mainland China as an elevated-risk destination, and imposed travel restrictions on students, faculty and staff.
Since then, there have been more than 300 stories or university statements that mention COVID-19 posted on news.cornell.edu. It has been the story of the…
Today, New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio announced major changes to the way the city’s middle and high schools admit their students. Those changes include eliminating all admissions screens for middle schools for at least one year; eliminating a policy that allows some high schools to give students who live nearby first claim at spots in the school; and issuing grants to be used by schools to…
The White House issued an executive order this week requiring state and local governments to issue occupational licenses to workers who have received a similar license in another jurisdiction — as long as they are in good standing. The goal of the new order is to increase economic and geographic mobility. Kim Weeden, professor of sociology and director of Cornell University’s Center for the…
As COVID-19 cases continue to rise across the country, federal data shows more than a third of Americans live in areas where hospitals are running critically short on intensive care beds. The data has caused some panic about the possibility of health care rationing over the coming months. Isabel Perera, assistant professor of government and expert in health, labor and social policy, says…
Today New York City Councilman Daniel Dromm is set to introduce a bill that prohibits solitary confinement as a means of punishment. On Friday, the New York City council will hold a hearing on the proposed bill, fast-tracking the process to stop the controversial practice. Joe Margulies, professor of law and government at Cornell University, says if the bill passes in New York City it will…
Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro claimed victory after congressional elections this week, consolidating power in the National Assembly, Venezuela’s last remaining independent political institution. Many influential opposition leaders boycotted the election. Kenneth Roberts, professor of comparative and Latin American politics at Cornell University, says the election results illustrate the…
Crossing borders—whether by traveling away from home or encountering new people where we live—can confirm or upend our viewpoints on race, racial stereotypes, and racism, according to Global Cornell. In a collection, Global Cornell has assembled prose, poems, and visual art submitted by Cornell students and alumni who gained new knowledge about racial dynamics by crossing a literal or figurative…
Lawmakers in Israel passed a preliminary measure on Wednesday to dissolve the coalition government, headed by Benjamin Netanyahu. If negotiations between parties does not stall the dissolution, it would result in a fourth election in just two years. Uriel Abulof, a visiting professor in Cornell University’s government department and professor at Tel-Aviv University, says the measure is puzzling…
Protesters in Thailand are accelerating their campaigns against the government by planning a rally in front of a key agency building on Wednesday. Tamara Loos, professor of history and Thai studies at Cornell University, says that by picking this specific location protesters want to strike a blow to the financial basis for the king’s power and wealth. “This Wednesday, Thai protesters planned to…
Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg and Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey are testifying before the Senate Judiciary Committee on Tuesday about actions their companies have taken to stem the spread of misinformation in the lead up to and following the U.S. election.
Alexandra Cirone is professor of government at Cornell University who teaches a course on post-truth politics. Cirone studies the spread of fake…
With the weekend’s resignation of its interim president, Peru plunged into a constitutional crisis that Kenneth Roberts, professor of comparative and Latin American politics at Cornell University, says is much more than just another cycle of political instability for the country. “The resignation of Peru's Interim President Manuel Merino in response to mass protests against the earlier…
Pro-democracy lawmakers in Hong Kong resigned en masse on Wednesday in protest against Beijing’s interference in the city’s legislature. The move marks a crescendo in tensions between Beijing-leaning authorities and their pro-democracy counterparts, who have been denouncing China’s stifling approach towards opposition and dissent. Allen Carlson, associate professor of government and an expert in…
On Wednesday, Armenian demonstrators demanded Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan resign following a ceasefire agreement that is considered a victory for Azerbaijan in Nagorno-Karabakh, following the worst fighting in the region in decades.
Adam Smith, director of the Cornell University Institute of Archaeology and Materials Studies, and Lori Khatchadourian, professor of Near Eastern…
Bitter fighting continues in the aftermath of the 2020 presidential election, even as President-elect Joe Biden urged unity in his victory speech Saturday night. Michael Macy, professor of sociology and information science at Cornell University and director of the Social Dynamics Laboratory, teaches a class on polarization and tribal politics. He says the polarization of the United States may…
On Monday, Pfizer and BioNTech SE announced that Phase III data is pointing to 90% efficacy of its COVID-19 vaccine, exceeding expectations that a vaccine might only reduce symptomatic COVID-19 in 60-70% of cases.
Cornell University government professors Douglas Kriner and Sarah Kreps recently published a study in JAMA Network Open showing that if an initial COVID-19 vaccine is about…
Former Vice President Joe Biden was declared the winner of the 2020 presidential election on Saturday, sparking questions of how he will approach governing after taking the oath of office in January. Doug Kriner, professor of government at Cornell University and author of the book “Investigating the President: Congressional Checks on Presidential Power,” says the biggest unknown could be how…
Cameron Mailhot, a doctoral student in the field of government at Cornell University, has been awarded a Peace Scholar Dissertation Fellowship from the U.S. Institute of Peace (USIP) for his outstanding dissertation on Peace Processes. In his dissertation, “Blueprints for Peace: International Missions, Domestic Commitments, and Post-Conflict Reforms,” He examines variation in the…
A report released Tuesday by the CDC shows the percentage of Americans on special diets of any kind has increased over the past decade, with more women on special diets than men and more adults over the age of 40 on special diets than adults between ages 20 and 39. Adrienne Bitar specializes in the history and culture of American food and health and is the author of “Diet and the Disease of…
Anticipation is mounting around the possible spread of disinformation on social media channels in the lead up to Tuesday’s presidential election and following the closing of polls.
Alexandra Cirone is a professor of government at Cornell University who teaches a course on post-truth politics. Cirone studies the spread of fake news and disinformation online and says disinformation will…
An examination of two documented periods of climate change in the greater Middle East, between approximately 4,500 and 3,000 years ago, reveals local evidence of resilience and even of a flourishing ancient society despite the changes in climate seen in the larger region. A new study – led by archaeologists from Cornell and from the University of Toronto, working at Tell Tayinat in southeastern…
As early voting continues prior to Tuesday’s election, Americans are wondering whether to trust the results on Nov. 3.
Professor of government Tom Pepinsky is an expert on global democratization, authoritarianism and “regime cleavage.” In a recent survey, he and his co-authors asked Americans about their views on the legitimacy of election results.
“We find overwhelming evidence that…
The U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis will release the third quarter gross domestic product (GDP) report on Thursday, five days before the election. Christopher Way, associate professor of government at Cornell University, studies the political business cycle and focuses on the effects of electoral cycles and the desire of leaders to stay in power. He says that the lived experience matters the…
New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio announced Monday parents whose children are currently enrolled in all-remote classes will now have until Nov. 15 to opt back into in-person classes – a shift from the previous plan which allowed parents numerous opportunities to choose to enroll for in-person education.
Noliwe Rooks, The W.E.B. Du Bois Professor of Literature in the Africana Studies and…
The Trump administration has accused Iran of targeting Democratic voters in an e-mail intimidation campaign seemingly designed to create uncertainty around the U.S. election.
Sarah Kreps, professor of government at Cornell University, studies misinformation and election interference and is author of the book “Social Media and International Relations.” She says accounts of foreign…
A forensic team in Tulsa, Oklahoma has unearthed 11 coffins while searching for victims of the 1921 massacre in which hundreds of Black residents were killed. Noliwe Rooks, professor of American studies at Cornell University, is an expert on the role of segregation in American society, particularly in education and the economy. She says the discovery represents our past and present but does not…
The first literary festival featuring multiple African languages will take place virtually from Oct. 26 to Nov. 2 as part of Afrolit Sans Frontières, a series of virtual literary festivals for writers of African origin. The festival will take place simultaneously on the Afrolit Sans Frontiéres Facebook page, YouTube and on Twitter via the handle AfrolitSansFro1. “This historic African language…
The Senate Judiciary Committee plans to vote on the nomination of Amy Coney Barrett to the Supreme Court on Thursday, with a possible final vote on her confirmation as soon as Monday, Oct. 26 – a week in advance of the election.
Peter Enns, professor of government at Cornell University and executive director of the Roper Center for Public Opinion Research, recently completed a poll, …
The European Commission has launched a new system designed to link national COVID-19 tracing apps across the European Union — starting with Germany’s Corona-Warn-App, Ireland’s COVID tracker and Italy’s immuni. With the system — known as the interoperability gateway — the apps can work in all participating countries.
Sarah Kreps, a surveillance systems and cybersecurity expert at Cornell…
On Thursday, a former Mexican defense minister, General Salvador Cienfuegos, was detained in Los Angeles on drug charges. The arrest prompted President Andrés Manuel López Obrador to vow to punish other military officials involved. Gustavo Flores-Macias is an associate professor of government at Cornell University and the former Director of Public Affairs in Mexico’s Consumer Protection Agency…
Thousands continued to protest in Thailand in the wake of an emergency decree issued Thursday by the government limiting gatherings to groups of five and the arrest of key protest leaders. Tamara Loos, professor of history and Thai studies at Cornell University, says the events of this week indicate that Thailand has reached a tipping point, with widespread protests necessitating a response from…
Hungry giant predators, treacherous mud and a tired, probably cranky toddler – more than 10,000 years ago, that was the stuff of every parent’s nightmare. Evidence of that type of frightening trek was recently uncovered, and at nearly a mile it is the longest known trackway of early-human footprints ever found. The discovery, published in Quaternary Science Reviews, shows the archaeological…
