Newsroom Stories

Streams of junk mail with personalized offers for a myriad of services seem never-ending. While annoying, these solicitations raise significant privacy concerns about how these companies know so much about the recipient’s life. Many legislators and legal experts shy away from legislation that would protect the privacy of American’s personal information claiming that such rules would violate the First Amendment. But Neil M. Richards, noted privacy law expert and associate professor of law at Washington University in St. Louis, denies such assumptions.

John Bowen doing fieldwork in Sumatra, Indonesia, in the late 1970s.Despite suffering large loss of life and devastation of cities and villages from the 9.0 magnitude earthquake and ensuing tsunami, Aceh province in Indonesia can rebuild. And at the same time, the United States can burnish its image among Indonesians — tarnished over the invasion of Iraq — by supporting Indonesian volunteer groups in the rebuilding process, says a sociocultural anthropologist at Washington University in St. Louis who lived in Aceh for five years and has studied its people and culture since 1978.

Money going to faith-based organizations can bring a financial benefit to donors.In the aftermath of the Asian tsunami, Americans generously donated money to relief groups around the world. But it appears Americans don’t need a major disaster to give money. Annually, Americans donate $183 billion, with nearly half of that amount going to faith-based organizations. Money going to faith-based organizations, such as churches, mosques, the Salvation Army and Catholic Charities, not only can help provide needed social services to communities, but it can also bring a financial benefit to donors, says a noted community development expert at Washington University in St. Louis. “People who donate money on a regular basis take a closer look at where their money is going,” says Stephanie Boddie, Ph.D., assistant professor of social work in the George Warren Brown School of Social Work at Washington University. “They are able to figure out and set aside the money they can donate on a weekly or monthly basis. This can lead to more financial responsibility in the areas of debt repayment and asset building.”

SmithSenate Majority Leader Bill Frist is playing with fire when he suggests that Republicans will deploy the so-called “go nuclear” option to prevent Democrats from using filibusters to block controversial judicial nominations expected to reach the floor in mid-to-late February, says congressional expert Steven S. Smith.

John W. Bennett, Ph.D., founder and first chair of the Department of Anthropology in Arts & Sciences, died Feb. 1. He was 89.

KerreyRobert Kerrey, current president of New School University, 9-11 Commissioner, and former U.S. senator from Nebraska will deliver the Stein Lecture in Ethics as part of the Assembly Series at 4 p.m. Feb. 8 in Graham Chapel. His talk, “Uncovering the Truth in a Democratic Society,” will focus on his work with the 9-11 Commission.

About nineteen percent of people have a genetic variation that may increase susceptibility to osteoporosis, a new study reveals. Researchers at the School of Medicine demonstrated that in women the variant gene speeds up the breakdown of estrogen and is associated with low density in the bones of the hip.

Amy L. Chua, professor of law at Yale University and member of the American Society of International Law’s executive council, will discuss her new book Feb. 4 for the Assembly Series and the School of Law. The book, World on Fire: How Exporting Free Market Democracy Breeds Ethnic Hatred and Global Instability, posits that the […]

Washington University’s ascent from streetcar college to elite ranks of the nation’s finest research universities was the subject of a front page feature in the Dec. 22 issue of The New York Times. The article notes that WUSTL recently pierced the top 10 circle of U.S. News and World Report rankings, humbling several Ivy League institutions along the way. “Such an ascent is what almost every university strives for, but none have come close to matching Washington’s success,” states the New York Times.

Sen. Jim Talent, Michael DeBaun and Isaac Singleton Jr. help raise awareness about sickle cell disease at a recent stamp dedication ceremony.In sickle cell disease, red blood cells change from their normal round shape to a curved, or sickle-shape. Sickle-shaped cells become stuck in blood vessels, causing damage to tissues and organs. WUSM pediatric hematologist Michael DeBaun says that ongoing blood transfusion therapy is vitally important for children with sickle cell disease, and treatment requires a sufficient supply of blood from African-American donors. “Black History Month is an ideal time to encourage African-Americans to come out and donate blood,” he says.