Humanities & Society

President Barack Obama this week announced his intention to close the detention facility at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba. The decision to open the facility in the first place was a bad idea in theory, made even worse in practice, said Leila Sadat, professor of law and renowned expert on international criminal law.

While it may seem bizarre for an American presidential candidate to describe the comments of a sitting pope as “disgraceful,” Donald Trump’s recent attacks on Pope Francis should come as no surprise from a candidate whose success hinges on playing to the fears of religiously inspired voters, suggests an expert on evangelical politics at Washington University in St. Louis.

Amanda Moore McBride, executive director of the Gephardt Institute for Civic and Community Engagement at Washington University in St. Louis, says U.S. colleges and universities must do more to encourage students to vote. Yes, voter registration drives and accessible polling places matter. But what happens in the classroom may play an even bigger role.

South Dakota is poised to become the first state to require transgender students to use bathrooms and locker rooms of their birth sex. The proposed law is already impacting the health and well-being of transgender Americans and their loved ones, said Vanessa Fabbre, assistant professor at the Brown School and an expert on gender transitions, especially later in life.

Zubik v. Burwell, a new challenge to the contraceptive mandate in the Affordable Care Act, wants to deliver a knockout punch to the mandate, according to Elizabeth Sepper, associate professor of law and an expert on health law. At stake is whether employees of religiously affiliated organizations such as universities, hospitals and charities, can be stripped of their rights to contraceptive coverage.

Apple is fiercely opposing a court order to unlock an iPhone used by San Bernardino shooter Syed Farook. The company is taking an important stand on behalf of its users’ privacy, and should be applauded, said Neil Richards, professor of law and privacy law expert.

In the wake of the unexpected death of Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia, much speculation has arisen about who should be nominated to replace him, with Republicans vowing to block any nomination until after the November presidential election. That may not be the wisest course of action, according to a legal expert at Washington University in St. Louis.

Three experts on the Supreme Court from the School of Law will discuss the recent death of Antonin Scalia, his legacy and how his vacancy will be filled. The talk, “Justice Antonin Scalia: The Legacy and the Vacancy,” will be held from 12:05-1 p.m. Wednesday, Feb. 17. It is free and open to the public.

President Barack Obama recently announced new rules aimed at encouraging companies to provide salary information by workers’ race, gender and ethnicity. While obtaining good data is a necessary step in helping to shrink the gender pay gap, it will only be a starting point, said Hillary Sale, an expert on corporate governance and women’s leadership.

Each year, more than 16 million people in the U.S. dial 2-1-1 for help with both emergency services requests and basic needs. The Brown’s School’s 2-1-1 Counts is the first tool to provide real-time, searchable and visual presentations of data from call centers across the nation.