Archive

Omicron’s increased infectiousness and decreased severity among vaccinated and boosted people has led university officials to end wellness housing for students who test positive for COVID-19. Photo by Alyssa Stone/Northeastern University

COVID-19 is evolving. So is Northeastern’s approach to managing it.

As the coronavirus that causes COVID-19 has evolved, so too has Northeastern University’s management of it. Most recently, the university has moved to phase out its wellness housing for most students who test positive for COVID-19.

by Molly Callahan January 19, 2022

How these worms avoid getting poisoned

Hydrogen peroxide is deadly to most organisms—and worms are no exception. But Northeastern biologist Javier Apfeld has figured out how one kind of worm can detect and dodge the toxic threat.

by Eva Botkin-Kowacki January 19, 2022

Only 21% of people wore a high-quality mask such as the N95, according to a U.S. survey by Northeastern and other partner institutions. Cloth masks, gaiters, bandanas, and surgical masks remain the top choice of most people. Photo by Matthew Modoono/Northeastern University

N95, bandana, or something in between: Which masks are the most popular?

Masks remain a vital tool in limiting the spread of the virus that causes COVID-19. Researchers from Northeastern and several partner institutions looked into which face masks are most preferred.

by Peter Ramjug January 19, 2022

Photo by Matthew Modoono/Northeastern University

Free speech on social media doesn’t mean the same thing around the world

A Northeastern study of four democracies found that people in other countries differ from Americans as to how social media companies should be regulated—especially in cases that cause harm or distress.

by Ian Thomsen January 18, 2022

Abortion, guns, religion: Here are the major US Supreme Court cases for 2022

As the U.S. Supreme Court decision on President Joe Biden’s vaccine mandate shows, the nation’s highest court has a full docket of important cases this term. Justices will weigh in on cases that could affect people’s right to an abortion, possession of firearms outside the home, and free exercise of religion.

by Tanner Stening January 18, 2022

A call to recover Martin Luther King Jr.’s radicalism

“Part of what I want us to think about is: … What does it mean to not only think about this day in January, but what does it mean to think about it all year long?” asked Régine Jean-Charles, dean’s professor of culture and social justice, at Northeastern’s annual tribute to Martin Luther King Jr.

by Tanner Stening January 17, 2022

The Racial Redress and Reparations Lab, a part of the university’s Civil Rights and Restorative Justice Project, is designed to provide community education and engagement that paves the way for successful repair and recognition projects. Photo by Matthew Modoono/Northeastern University

Reparations legislation is stalled in Congress. Can local governments fill the gap?

Many policymakers aren’t waiting for the federal government to take action to redress historic inequity—they’re doing it themselves. And a new reparations lab at Northeastern aims to give them the tools to do so.

by Molly Callahan January 14, 2022

Northeastern alum Kwesi Abakah performs “A Change is Gonna Come” for the upcoming MLK event, in Blackman Auditorium on Jan. 11, 2022. Photo by Matthew Modoono/Northeastern University

To honor Martin Luther King Jr., he’ll tap into a ‘superpower’

“Singing is so important. It’s one of the best forms of expression,” says Northeastern graduate Kwesi Abakah, who will sing the civil rights anthem “A Change Is Gonna Come,” during Northeastern’s Martin Luther King Jr. Day celebration. To fulfill MLK Jr.’s dream, he says, changes must continue.

by Hillary Chabot January 14, 2022

Senior Pastor Reverend Willie Bodrick poses for a portrait in the historic Twelfth Baptist Church in Roxbury. Bodrick is an alumnus of the Northeastern University School of Law. Photo by Alyssa Stone/Northeastern University

How a forgotten hat led him to preach at MLK's pulpit

In 1951, Martin Luther King Jr. traveled north from his home in Atlanta to attend Boston University, a pursuit that eventually led him to the Twelfth Baptist Church in Roxbury, where he preached and worshiped while completing his theology degree. Seventy years later, the Rev. Willie Bodrick II finds himself treading a parallel path—after attending Northeastern’s School of Law, the Atlanta native is now the fourteenth pastor of the historic Twelfth Baptist Church.

by Emily Arntsen - contributor January 14, 2022

President Joe Biden, who spent nearly 40 years in the Senate, has long been protective of the chamber’s norms and traditions. But he now supports a change that would allow voting rights bills to become law with 51 votes instead of 60. Prospects for passage are slim since not all Democrats are on board with changing the filibuster. Graeme Sloan/Sipa via AP Images

What is the filibuster–and why do I keep hearing about it?

Capitol Hill Democrats and Republicans are engaged in a political staring contest over the future of the filibuster. The little-understood delay tactic requires 60 senators out of 100 to agree to advance most bills before they can become law, says Costas Panagopoulos, head of Northeastern's political science department.

by Peter Ramjug January 14, 2022