In 1862, during the midst of the Civil War, Congress had a bold vision. They passed the Morrill Act which provided land grants to states to establish colleges of agriculture and mechanical arts to teach practical agriculture, science, military science and engineering. It was on this foundation that the University of California was launched. And, … Continue reading »
Accountability, Ethics, and Integrity in the Human Rights, Development, and Humanitarian Aid Sector
Human rights NGOs are often subject to relentless criticism by those they critique, and this is particularly the case when authoritarian regimes grow furious with them for making these abuses public, demanding an end to them, and affirming the importance of justice and accountability. Non-state actors who are also criticized for human rights violations will … Continue reading »
The Inflation Reduction Act charts a pro-climate, pro-worker path
The IRA will help build a high-road green economy, creating good jobs and clear pathways into them
Publishers are blocking digital humanities research
Last fall, to little fanfare, the U.S. Copyright Office granted an exemption to a longstanding restriction on digital access to copyrighted books and movies, allowing academic researchers to bypass encryption so they can apply sophisticated datamining techniques to contemporary books and films. These same techniques have yielded powerful insights in the financial, science and medical … Continue reading »
The COVID era is the latest episode of medical scapegoating of Asian immigrants
Since 2020, Asian Americans in the United States have experienced dual existential crises: anti-Asian violence and COVID-19. According to Stop AAPI Hate, nearly 11,500 hate incidents were reported to its organization between March 19, 2020 and March 31, 2022. While the uptick in this violence has been connected to present-day coronavirus-related racism and xenophobia, anti-Asian violence … Continue reading »
Mitt Romney’s lonely crusade to lift America’s families
The former GOP presidential candidate is urging more support for economically stressed families, but his moderate proposal has won little support from Republicans or Democrats.
CHIPS Act includes new support for workforce training, providing opportunities beyond R&D for higher education
President Joe Biden signed into law today the CHIPS and Science Act of 2022, a bill designed to ensure America’s leadership in chip technology innovation. The new law appropriates funding that incentivizes companies to manufacture semiconductor integrated circuits in the United States, and to bolster domestic microelectronics research and development (R&D). This is critical since … Continue reading »
Understanding ‘Replacement Theory’
Most Americans probably encountered the insidious notion of “replacement theory” for the first time in the wake of the horrific mass murder of 10 African Americans in Buffalo, New York in May. The shooter targeted a Black neighborhood for reasons detailed in a crude 180-page “manifesto” posted online shortly before his attack, which emphasized a … Continue reading »
Belonging is a fundamental human need: Why it’s lacking at work & how to enhance it
By Genevieve Smith & Jasmine Sanders Today we are in a belonging crisis. This is reflected in steep mental health declines since the start of the pandemic. In 2019, the C.D.C. estimated that 15.8% of American adults took prescription pills for mental health. Recent research from the NY Times finds today that number is nearly … Continue reading »
Innovation in the Age of Disruption — What is our role?
From Today’s Headlines ….. NYT July 16, 2022 President Yields on Climate Plans as Talks Collapse [page A1] Trading Coal for Sunlight, Power Plants Get New Life [page A12] E.V.s Selling at a Record Pace Despite Shortages [page B1] Do you see a pattern here? Where government is stymied by the self-interest of individual … Continue reading »
Ann Shulgin: Radiant Nexus of Psychedelic Community
Ann Shulgin, matriarch of psychedelic-assisted therapy, widow of and co-conspirator with legendary chemist Alexander “Sasha” Shulgin, and anchor of an extended community of therapists, scientists, scholars, and explorers of the worlds opened by psychedelic substances, died at home in the company of people who loved her on July 9, 2022. She was 91. Ann was … Continue reading »
The revival of the European June conference season – overcoming Covid and Putin
I am used to traveling in the summer to a conference in Ravello, visiting Israel, or participating in the European Environmental and Resource Economics Association (EAERE) meetings. Unfortunately, the pandemic stopped this tradition, and zooming is a poor substitute for in-person meetings. This year the June conference season is on again, and I discuss two … Continue reading »
Taking aim at gun violence: Tech strategies for reducing harm
The recent spate of mass shootings has galvanized action in Congress and among advocacy organizations large and small. Gun violence is now recognized as a pervasive and growing problem in a country with patchwork regulation and 25% more guns than people. High-profile events like those in Uvalde, Buffalo, Parkland, Charleston, Newtown and the long sad … Continue reading »
After Roe: Governing Abortion through Crime?
Jonathan Simon and Sarah DiMagno Last week’s Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization decision, the overturning of Roe v. Wade (1973) and Planned Parenthood v. Casey (1992), on June 24, 2022, is a stunning result notwithstanding the unusual warning it was coming (in the March leak). It is hard to think of another Supreme Court … Continue reading »
Overturning Roe: The Supreme(ly Colonial) Court
The United States Supreme Court’s history and jurisprudence is rooted in a colonial violence, Indigenous land dispossession, genocide, and slavery, but we are still surprised when, in 2022, it determines a woman no longer has a constitutional right to bodily autonomy. Why? I turned this question inward and now share my thoughts about it … Continue reading »
Dania Matos: Juneteenth is a catalyst for remembering our national commitments to freedom, liberty and equity
“There is work to be done at all levels: our country, our communities, ourselves and our campus,” equity and inclusion leader writes
The University of California can help close the digital divide. Here’s how
One in four Americans do not have high-speed internet access at home. While many public spaces have become digital lifelines to online education, work, and public services, they’re a troubling sign of a deepening digital divide, one that UC is well positioned to help close.
For the Jan. 6 hearings, let’s salute the courage of Congresswoman Liz Cheney
To a large degree, the success of the hearings of the House Select Committee on the Jan. 6 insurrection will depend on the Wyoming Republican congresswoman and vice-chair of the committee, Liz Cheney. Although I have disagreed with almost every substantive position she has ever taken, I salute her courage and her patriotism. And I wish her success.
The (SF DA) Recall and the Future of Criminal Legal System Reform
Yes there are many California and SF specific factors behind the June 7 recall of progressive prosecutor Chesa Boudin including California’s easy recall rules and the outsized role of rightwing tech donors, the relatively small Black population. Still the recall is an indicator (among many) of just how politically difficult it is to truly transform … Continue reading »
There’s an urgent need to probe Russian war crimes in Ukraine — but how?
As the war in Ukraine enters its fourth month, the urgent need to document international crimes continues. The scope and scale of atrocities and war crimes perpetrated by Putin and his regime have drawn widespread attention and condemnation, as the gruesome realities of the conflict have been broadcast globally minute-by-minute, including through online and mobile devices. It is no surprise, then, that digital evidence of atrocities abounds — evidence crucial for accountability and transitional justice efforts.