On Monday, Thailand’s King Vajiralongkorn stripped his royal consort – Sineenat Wongvajirapakdi – of her official ranks for “repeated disobedience and attempts to of interference with royal affairs.” The palace order comes three months after Sineenat – rumored to be the king’s longtime mistress – was given the official title of royal consort. Tamara Loos, professor of history and Thai studies at Cornell University, says the move is a sign of the King’s newfound absolutism.

International

Arts and Sciences

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Global wildlife population declined sixty percent over the past four decades, according to the Living Planet Report 2018, released this week by the World Wildlife Fund (WWF). Amanda Rodewald says the report should be considered as a warning for people to change habits before making our planet unsuitable for people, too. Steven Osofsky says while using nature’s resources at a rapid rate may help global societies flourish now, we face significant negative impacts over time.

Energy, Environment & Sustainability

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The heads of the world’s two largest economies are scheduled to meet this weekend to face-off on a range of issues – from trade to North Korea’s provocations.

Arts and Sciences

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The National Weather Service warns of above-normal temperatures for the northeastern region of the United States through Thursday. Cornell University experts comment on the year’s first summer heat and explain how it may affect plants.

Agriculture and Life Sciences

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Kristin Roebuck, professor of history at Cornell University, is a historian of modern Japan and says that procedures around Emperor Akihito’s abdication highlight the power of the ruling Liberal Democratic Party to both preserve and modernize elements of the royal tradition. 

International

Law and Policy

Arts and Sciences

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Anthony Ingraffea, a leading researcher on hydrofracturing and a professor in the College of Engineering at Cornell, says the decision by the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation to deny fuel access to the power plant represents a turning point in environmental policy.

Engineering

Arts and Sciences

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Alexandra Cirone, an expert on the spread of fake news and disinformation, and William Schmidt, an expert on operations, technology and information management, comment on the role of Facebook and Twitter in stemming the flow of misinformation online.

Arts and Sciences

Cornell SC Johnson College of Business

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Noliwe Rooks, professor of American studies at Cornell University and author of the book “Cutting School: Privatization, Segregation, and The End of Public Education,” comments on international school strikes, at which students from around the globe demand political action to combat climate change.

Arts and Sciences

Energy, Environment & Sustainability

Atkinson Center for a Sustainable Future

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Arthur Wheaton, director of Western NY Labor and Environmental Programs for the Worker Institute at Cornell University, comments on Walmart's announcement that it will add thousands of robots to its stores.

Industrial and Labor Relations

Physical Sciences & Engineering

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Lori Khatchadourian, comments on the political upheaval and street protests that have gripped Armenia over the last two weeks, prompting the resignation of the country’s prime minister, Serzh Sargsyan.

International

Law and Policy

Arts and Sciences

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