Social Policy Institute launches at Washington University
The newly formed Social Policy Institute at Washington University in St. Louis will bring together the best research evidence from across disciplines to solve real-world challenges. The institute launches Sept. 24.
WashU Expert: Gig economy bill would have broad implications for American labor
Lawmakers in California have approved a bill that could pave the way for gig economy workers, such as Uber and Lyft drivers, to be reclassified as employees and not contract workers. If the bill becomes law, it will have broad implications for labor in America, says Pauline Kim, an employment law expert in the School of Law.
Menthol restrictions may hike cigarette costs, reduce health disparities
Restricting the sale of menthol cigarettes to tobacco specialty shops may reduce the number of retailers and increase the cost of smoking, according to new research from the Brown School at Washington University in St. Louis.
The motherhood challenge
In her research on mothers, Caitlyn Collins, Assistant Professor of Sociology and Women, Gender and Sexuality Studies, has found that moms in the U.S. (and dads) are struggling to feel like good parents when they don’t get any mandated parental leave.
The shifting First Amendment
Gregory Magarian, professor of law, explains how the Supreme Court has turned the First Amendment on its head.
Helping the unseen
Bruce Goldstein, JD ’80, is president and executive director of Farmworker Justice, which fights for better working conditions and wages for the 2.4 million farm workers in the U.S.
Violence and racism shape views of environmental issues
People living in marginalized communities in St. Louis, particularly African Americans, have been enduring, as one study participant said “real problems,” such as violence and racism, that are perceived as more immediate than issues of climate change, finds a study from the Brown School.
Ancient DNA study tracks formation of populations across Central Asia
Ethically sourced and informed by archaeology, an ambitious new study reports genome-wide DNA information from 523 ancient humans collected at archaeological sites across the Near East and Central and South Asia. Washington University in St. Louis brought key partners together to generate the world’s largest study of ancient DNA, published this week in the journal Science.
Chua, Danforth to discuss political tribalism Sept. 12
Best-selling author Amy Chua and former U.S. Sen. John Danforth will come together for a public conversation, “Overcoming Political Tribalism and Recovering Our American Democracy,” at 7 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 12, in Graham Chapel at Washington University in St. Louis.
Fentanyl, Inc.
How Rogue Chemists Are Creating the Deadliest Wave of the Opioid Epidemic
A deeply human story, Fentanyl, Inc. is the first deep-dive investigation of a hazardous and illicit industry that has created a worldwide epidemic, ravaging communities and overwhelming and confounding government agencies that are challenged to combat it. “A whole new crop of chemicals is radically changing the recreational drug landscape,” writes Ben Westhoff. “These are known as Novel Psychoactive Substances (NPS) and they include replacements for known drugs like heroin, cocaine, ecstasy, and marijuana. They are synthetic, made in a laboratory, and are much more potent than traditional drugs”—and all-too-often tragically lethal.
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