Margaret Susan Thompson, associate professor of history and political science, says that Biden’s endorsement of Kamala Harris means she will more than likely be the Democratic nominee in the November election. “Already we are hearing a lot of calls for unity, statements of enthusiasm, and a lot of speculation frankly about who might be the vice president. But I do not see a lot of noise around the candidate at the top,” she says.

Russia has maintained that discussions about trades for Gershkovich can only start in earnest after the trial is over, says Brian Taylor, professor of political science. “So the quicker the trial and the inevitable verdict, the quicker they can offer Evan as a piece in a possible trade,” Taylor says.

“...NATO member states are aware of it that a Trump presidency might mean quite a shaky time period for the alliance going forward,” says Professor of Political Science Brian Taylor. “President Biden has decades of experience with respect to dealing with NATO member countries and understanding the alliance. And President Trump has a much more negative and hostile attitude towards the alliance.

“If we can’t find a way to do decarbonization and climate policy, in addition to materially improving working people’s lives…I really do fear that a lot of working people aren’t going to be that sympathetic to the climate agenda,” says Matthew Huber, professor of geography and the environment.

Can the people of the East African Community overcome cross-border suspicions and create a cohesive union of its 302.2 million citizens?  Professor of Anthropology Jok Madut Jok explores the obstacles in his article.

Selina Gallo-Cruz, associate professor and graduate director of sociology, has edited and written the introduction for “Feminism, Violence and Nonviolence: An Anthology” (Edinburgh University Press, 2024).

Catherine Herrold, associate professor of public administration and international affairs, discussed different strategies for civil society under threat and highlighted the need for continued investment in civil society organization resilience as essential to defending democratic principles and achieving social justice.

“The idea of a peace plan for Russia's war against Ukraine sounds nice, but the ideas proposed by two Trump advisers would not be acceptable to either Russia or Ukraine,” says Brian Taylor, professor of political science and director of the Moynihan Institute of Global Affairs.

“When she [Claudia Sheinbaum] comes in, she is inheriting this mess, but she doesn’t necessarily have the charisma that (López Obrador) does,” says Gladys McCormick, Jay and Debe Moskowitz Endowed Chair in Mexico-U.S. Relations. “So it’s going to be a tall ask.”

Brian Taylor, professor of political science, says that the authorization given by the U.S. and Germany to Ukrainian strikes on Russian soil with weapons they supply could have an impact on the balance of power on Ukrainian territory.

“Now this is where we reached this impasse where if we really want to totally restructure the grid, totally grow it in ways that can serve decarbonization, and AI...then perhaps this sort of more integrated, more central planning, more coordinated and socialized investment model could be more useful than this very scattered and sort of fragmented system we have now,” says Matt Huber, professor of geography and the environment.

“Each of the possible changes in the current conflict in Gaza looks improbable, until steps are taken to make it happen,” says Louis Kriesberg, professor emeritus of sociology and Maxwell Professor Emeritus of Social Conflict Studies.

“Towards Sustainable Cultural Institutions for a New Nation: Creating a National Museum and Archives for South Sudan,” co-authored by Professor of Anthropology Jok Madut Jok, was published in Museum International.

"It's a pipe dream, in a way. What they're doing is partly performative, for ideological purposes," says Ryan Griffiths, professor of political science. "A lot of time, secessionist movements are really just bargaining efforts."

“We are really dealing with two interrelated issues here. The first being the crisis of affordability, but the other one being the crisis of habitability. So changing the zoning isn't going to address some of the most pressing issues that tenants face in our community and so I think we really need to have a multipronged approach to address the housing crisis,” says Gretchen Purser, associate professor of sociology.

“The war in Ukraine is central to his current political project, and I don’t see anything to suggest that that will change. And that affects everything else,” says Brian Taylor, professor of political science and director of the Moynihan Institute of Global Affairs.

“The turn to a ‘politics of building’ is a welcome change in environmental thinking, but the green Left is still at odds in important ways with the labor movement, which better understands what is needed for deep decarbonization and, most importantly, has the power to help bring it about,” writes Matthew Huber, professor of geography and the environment.

Margaret Susan Thompson, associate professor of history and political science, says one of the biggest reasons for the changing relationship is that [Pope] Francis and other key decision-makers were members of religious congregations themselves. "I think that made a big difference," she says.

Brian Taylor, professor of political science, says a key feature of Trump 2.0 would likely be that the president would not have as many Russia-sceptics in his sphere. "If Trump is elected in 2024, he will surround himself with people who adhere to his worldview and are therefore less hostile to Russia and more sympathetic to Putin."