Molly Callahan - News @ Northeastern

Proud Boys gather in Portland, Ore., at Delta Park on September 26, 2020, in support of Kenosha shooter Kyle Rittenhouse and Aaron 'Jay' Danielson who was shot dead by an antifascist protester during the ongoing Black Lives Matter protests in the city. Photo by Alex Milan Tracy/AP Images

Was ‘stand back and stand by’ a rallying cry for the Proud Boys? Here’s how to deflate extremist fringe groups.

Intended or not, President Donald Trump’s remark that the Proud Boys, a group of far-right extremists, should “stand back and stand by” was taken up by members as a rallying cry. “If Trump said something that the Proud Boys saw as validation of them, it doesn’t matter what he meant. It matters how they perceived it,” says Gordana Rabrenovic, assistant professor of sociology who studies intergroup violence and conflict.

by Molly Callahan October 5, 2020

President Donald Trump, left, and Democratic presidential candidate former Vice President Joe Biden, right, with moderator Chris Wallace, center, of Fox News during the first presidential debate on Sept. 29, 2020, at Case Western University and Cleveland Clinic, in Cleveland, Ohio. AP Photo by Patrick Semansky

Did anyone really win the first presidential debate?

Tuesday’s debate between Republican incumbent Donald Trump and his Democratic challenger Joe Biden was marked more by what it wasn’t—a coherent advocacy of policy differences—than what it was. The showdown was nearly 90 minutes of cross-talk, interruptions, and shouting that “both men probably lost,” said Nicholas Beauchamp, assistant professor of political science at Northeastern University.

by Molly Callahan September 30, 2020

President Donald Trump walks out to begin a news conference at the White House, Sunday, Sept. 27, 2020, in Washington. AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster

Have a problem with Trump’s low income tax? Blame the tax code.

An explosive New York Times investigation reveals that Donald Trump paid only $750 in federal income taxes in 2016 and 2017. William Dickens, university distinguished professor of economics and social policy at Northeastern, says that while he sees some “questionable deductions” outlined in the Times report, “more generally, Trump is just benefiting from a lot of legal deductions.”

by Molly Callahan September 28, 2020

Bloomington activists and community members hold a protest and march in solidarity with protesters in Louisville protesting against the grand jury decision in the killing of Breonna Taylor. Taylor was shot in her sleep by the Louisville Metro Police Department, but no officers have been indicted for the shooting. One officer was indicted for wanton endangerment after some bullets went into some other apartments. AP Photo by Jeremy Hogan/Sipa USA

Police weren't indicted for the killing of Breonna Taylor. What happened?

A grand jury didn’t indict any police officers in connection with the killing of the 26-year-old medical worker in her apartment, and charged one former detective with wanton endangerment—an outcome that’s likely as much the result of the evidence that prosecutors from the Kentucky Attorney General’s office chose to present as what they didn’t, says Daniel Medwed, university distinguished professor of law and criminal justice.

by Molly Callahan September 24, 2020

Before she was a Supreme Court Justice, Ruth Bader Ginsburg taught law in a clinical program at Columbia Law School. Photo by Michael Jenkins/Library of Congress

Working with Ruth: A law professor reflects upon his time with RBG

In 1970, Michael Meltsner—who is currently the George J. and Kathleen Waters Matthews Distinguished Professor of Law at Northeastern—was hired by Columbia University to create a clinical program within its law school. Several lawyers were hired afterward who helped run the program. Among them? Ruth Bader Ginsburg.

by Molly Callahan September 23, 2020

‘You are joining other students who are innovative, creative, entrepreneurial, who are discoverers, and who are pioneers’

In an academic year that’s unlike any before it, some traditions remain: Fall Fest, First Pages, and the President’s Convocation are hallmarks of a new year at Northeastern. And while they looked different this year, the spirit of exploration and the excitement of new beginnings were as bright as ever as Joseph E. Aoun, president of Northeastern, welcomed the university’s 123rd class on Tuesday.

by Molly Callahan and Peter Ramjug September 8, 2020

photos of Kristin Ader and Bryson McClure

How do you build community from inside a dorm room? Ask Northeastern’s resident assistants.

Any other year, a resident assistant in a first-year residence hall might throw a pizza party to welcome new students to Northeastern, and…

by Molly Callahan September 7, 2020

The Huntington Testing Center, located in the former pop-up space on Huntington Avenue, is outfitted to be the “gold standard” of indoor, symptomatic testing. Photo by Ruby Wallau/Northeastern University

Here’s how Northeastern will test students who show symptoms of COVID-19

In order to promote the safety of the Northeastern community, the university has created a separate testing facility on Huntington Avenue for students who exhibit symptoms of the illness. The Huntington Testing Center is where all symptomatic students—including those on co-op—will be tested, upon referral by a medical professional.

by Molly Callahan September 2, 2020

Teenagers and young adults share the results of their research projects during a virtual showcase of Boston’s Summer Youth Employment Program. This year, the city’s internship program went virtual in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, and Northeastern helped get them there. Screenshot by Northeastern University

When the pandemic put summer jobs at risk in Boston, Northeastern stepped in to help

Every summer, thousands of young Bostonians participate in the city’s Summer Youth Employment Program—a program that connects teens and young adults with a paid internship. But as businesses and organizations temporarily shuttered in the face of COVID-19, officials faced a difficult dilemma: How do you run an internship program from home?

by Molly Callahan August 24, 2020

Scene from coronavirus testing at the Cabot Testing Center

Northeastern to increase coronavirus testing frequency when fall semester starts

In a move designed to promote safety on the Boston campus and in surrounding communities, the university will begin testing everyone studying or working on campus for SARS-CoV-2 twice a week, in order to more quickly catch and isolate any positive cases before the virus that causes COVID-19 can spread.

by Molly Callahan August 23, 2020

Posts by Molly Callahan