Humanities & Society

The trial of former Oklahoma City police officer Daniel Hotlzclaw, accused of 36 charges resulting from assaults against several black women while on duty, has begun. Though African Americans make up approximately 16 percent of the population of Oklahoma County, there are no black jurors among the eight men and four women serving. The jury selection process allowed for the controversial makeup, said Peter Joy, JD, a criminal justice expert at Washington University in St. Louis.

The Obama Administration announced Nov. 10 it will seek United States Supreme Court review of a ruling blocking President Barack Obama’s executive actions on immigration. Timing is crucial, says Stephen H. Legomsky, JD, DPhil, an expert on immigration law at Washington University in St. Louis.

​It’s another far-reaching global sporting scandal as the World Anti-Doping Agency recommends the International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) suspend Russia from athletics competition. Washington University’s Olin Business of Sports Program Director Patrick Rishe says the decision could have fallout of Olympic proportion.

More than half of black youth report that they or someone they know was harassed by or experienced violence from the police, compared with one third of white youth and one quarter of Latino youth, according to a new report on black millennials co-authored by researchers at Washington University in St. Louis and the University of Chicago.

Think being color blind is a disadvantage? Washington University anthropologist Amanda Melin says don’t be so sure. Color blindness actually may give some animals, and people, a competitive edge.

​​Want to make sure your child graduates from high school? Don’t move.A new study from the Brown School at Washington University in St. Louis finds that students experiencing at least one move over a twelve month period have a roughly 50 percent decreased likelihood of obtaining a high school diploma by age 25. These associations are identified regardless of whether students move to a poorer or more affluent area.​ ​

A bipartisan groups of United States senators announced Oct. 1 legislation that would overhaul the country’s criminal justice system, giving judges more leeway in sentencing and reducing sentences for some nonviolent offenders. A move in the right direction, said Carrie Pettus-Davis, PhD, an expert on criminal justice system reform at the Brown School, but the bill doesn’t go far enough.

Pope Francis is widely expected to address a range of issues when he visits the United States Sept. 22-27, including the crisis of mass incarceration in the US criminal justice system. The attention is needed and welcome, said a criminal justice reform expert Carrie Pettus-Davis, PhD, assistant professor at the Brown School.

The Supreme Court decision that the Constitution requires that gay couples be allowed to marry no matter where they live has caused many religious conservatives to feel that the tax-exempt status of religious institutions is under threat. There is a fundamental reason we should protect religious organizations — even those we disagree with, said John Inazu, JD, associate professor of law at Washington University in St. Louis.

The number of uninsured people in America dropped by 8.8 million in 2014, according to a report released Sept. 16 from the U.S. Census Bureau. This number is significant because it is the first Census Bureau report since the widespread implementation of the Affordable Care Act, said a health economist at Washington University in St. Louis. “This is a big deal,” said Timothy McBride, PhD, professor at the Brown School and noted health policy analyst.