This week, Malawi’s Supreme Court outlawed the death penalty ordering the re-sentencing of at least 37 people known to be under a death sentence. Sandra Babcock, director of the Cornell Center on the Death Penalty Worldwide and a partner in the Malawi Resentencing Project, has worked on capital cases in Malawi since 2007. She calls the ruling “historic,” and adds that Malawi has now joined the growing ranks of abolitionist countries where high courts have concluded that the death penalty violates the right to life.

Law School

International

Law and Policy

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The New York State Senate and Assembly will vote Wednesday on whether to extend the COVID-19 emergency moratorium on residential and commercial evictions which would allow New Yorkers four more months to access the $2.4 billion housing relief fund established in the state budget. William Niebel says the extension of the New York eviction moratorium is critical and the only way to ensure tenants are protected and landlords get paid.

Law, Government & Public Policy

New York State

Law School

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David Shmoys, professor in computer science, says advances in data science can make the algorithms used to parse U.S. Census Bureau data more equitable. 

Law and Policy

Computing & Information Sciences

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David Bateman, professor of government, says while much of the critique of H.R. 51, a bill being voted on in the House to give DC full statehood, is political, the bill represents a decision about whether residents of DC merit equal rights of citizenship.

Law and Policy

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Joe Margulies, professor of law and government, says the verdict in Derek Chauvin’s case underscores that police should only respond to calls requiring an armed officer.

Law and Policy

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Flavio Lehner, a climate scientist and assistant professor of earth and atmospheric science, comments on an anticipated commitment from President Biden to cut greenhouse gas emissions at least in half by 2030.

Energy, Environment & Sustainability

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Cornell University experts are available to weigh in on New York City's proposed congestion pricing and its potential impacts on traffic congestion, public transit ridership, greenhouse gas emissions as well as equity implications and health benefits.

New York City

Energy, Environment & Sustainability

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On Thursday, the Biden administration announced economic sanctions on Russia in retaliation for alleged election interference and cyberattacks.    Nicholas Mulder, assistant professor of history at Cornell University, studies the origin and effects of economic sanctions. His first book “The Economic Weapon: The Rise of Sanctions as a Tool of Modern War” is forthcoming with Yale University Press.

International

Arts and Sciences

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On Wednesday, McDonald’s announced it would require workers worldwide to take anti-harassment training starting next year. The mandate is seen as a response to dozens of charges filed by employees in recent years alleging sexual harassment and retaliation when workers complained.  Vanessa Bohns, associate professor of organizational behavior at Cornell University, studies social influence and the psychology of compliance and consent. She says that sexual harassment training must be combined with other initiatives to be effective.   

Business, Economics & Entrepreneurship

Industrial and Labor Relations

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On Wednesday, hundreds of companies’ executives joined in a new statement to call out Republican-sponsored voting bills that they say will curtail voting access in several American states. Republican leadership, including senate minority leader Mitch McConnell, have criticized corporate activism in the past, calling for businesses to “stay out of politics.” Lawrence Glickman, professor of history at Cornell University and an expert on consumer activism, says conservatives’ resistance to business leaders making political statements suggest a shift in the traditional alliance between corporations and the Republican Party in the U.S. Glickman is author of “Free Enterprise: An American History” that chronicles the history of “free enterprise” as a cornerstone of conservative politics.

Business, Economics & Entrepreneurship

Arts and Sciences

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