More than 200 colleges and universities have backed a legal challenge by MIT and Harvard to a new visa policy that would bar thousands of foreign students from studying in the U.S., reports Collin Binkley for the Associated Press. “These students are core members of our institutions,” the schools wrote. “They make valuable contributions to our classrooms, campuses and communities.”
Lecturer Karilyn Crockett speaks with Jim Braude and Margery Eagan of Boston Public Radio about how she plans to address equity in her role as Boston’s Chief Equity. "There's something we're not doing right to really showcase not only the city's richness and prosperity and wealth, and also just letting all of our people truly be in the city, integrated in the city, and just be around," she said.
Graduate student Maya Nasr speaks with NPR’s Jenn White about a new rule from DHS and ICE that would bar thousands of foreign students from studying in the U.S. “One of the big things that all of us as international students have been facing over the last few years is the feeling of hostility in the U.S.,” says Nasr. “It’s important to realize the long- term impact of such an environment on the U.S.”
Writing for The Boston Globe, Prof. Amy Glasmeier, graduate student Zach Avre and Thomas Goff of Mass Economics argue for extending unemployment benefits and raising the federal minimum wage. “The quickest way to make all Americans sleep easier at night — and be willing to go back to work and help the economy recover — is by providing a living wage to get by in the era of COVID-19,” they write.
Karilyn Crockett, a lecturer at MIT, has been named to head Boston’s new equity and inclusion office, reports Erin Tiernan for The Boston Herald. “She will apply an equity lens to make sure everything our city government does is dismantling systemic racism and creating fair opportunity for all Bostonians,” said Boston Mayor Martin Walsh.
Boston Mayor Martin Walsh named Lecturer Karilyn Crockett, “a brilliant innovator and change maker,” as the head of Boston’s new Equity and Inclusion Cabinet, reports CBS Boston. “I need everyone standing here with me, and within the hearing of my voice, to be bold and move beyond what we may individually think is possible,” said Crockett.
Prof. Carlo Ratti speaks about the “Eyes of the City” exhibition he curated in Shenzhen, China, which offers “a rare public space for reflection on increasingly pervasive surveillance by tech companies and the government,” reports David Kirton for Reuters. “This is a global issue and the best way to deal with it is to open up these technologies and put them in the hands of the public," said Ratti.
Speaking with Bloomberg’s Rafaela Lindeberg, Prof. Abhijit Banerjee suggests that the U.S. must increase taxes in order to fight poverty more effectively. “If you actually want to deal with poverty, happiness and anger in the U.S., the government will need to have more resources,” says Banerjee. “I’m quite comfortable saying that, yes, taxes have to be raised.”
A new book co-authored by Prof. Daron Acemoglu examines how countries become “prosperous, stable, well-governed, law-abiding, democratic and free societies.” “Their simple answer is: it is hard,” writes Martin Wolf for the Financial Times. “Their deep answer is: ‘Liberty originates from a delicate balance of power between state and society.’”
Reuters reporter Ann Saphir writes that Prof. Athanasios Orphanides recommended the Federal Reserve adopt a new monetary policy rule to help guide decisions concerning interest rates. “Monetary policy is most effective when it is formulated in a systematic manner, following a clearly communicated monetary policy rule,” Orphanides explains.
Research by Prof. Athanasios Orphanides examines the Federal Reserve’s efforts to improve communications, reports Nick Timiraos for The Wall Street Journal. Orphanides found “the quarterly summary of economic projections from Fed officials and its accompanying interest-rate projections, sometimes referred to as a ‘dot plot,’ would be more valuable if it expressed changes in officials’ uncertainty or confidence in their projections.”
Verge reporter Justine Calma writes that states in the Midwest and Great Lakes region could see $4.7 billion in health benefits by maintaining current renewable energy standards. “This research shows that renewables pay for themselves through health benefits alone,” explains Emil Dimanchev, senior research associate at MIT’s Center for Energy and Environmental Policy Research.
A new study by MIT researchers examining the impact of energy policies that reduce fine particulates in the air finds that there are “substantial health benefits in Rust Belt states when utilities are required to supply escalating amounts of renewable power,” reports Ben Geman for Axios.
Writing for The New York Times, Prof. Yasheng Huang examines how the U.S.-China trade war is influencing public perceptions in China. “Maximum-pressure tactics have delivered no meaningful results — other than undermining the good will of the Chinese public and its liberals toward America,” writes Huang. “The United States should de-escalate tensions and help China come back to the negotiating table.”
The Department of Veterans Affairs is participating in a series of MIT “GrandHacks,” problem-solving sessions aimed at tackling some of the VA’s biggest health care challenges, reports Patricia Kime for Military.com. The sessions, explains Kime, “bring together teams of students, entrepreneurs, tech gurus, health providers, patients, insurers and academicians to find solutions to problems in a short amount of time.”