Faculty Experts & Current Events

How do news outlets decide to call states for Biden or Trump?

It comes down to strategy and technique, says journalism professor Dan Kennedy. “Each news organization came to its decision while trying to be as responsible as possible,” he says.

by Molly Callahan November 4, 2020

Members of the community vote at Matthews Arena on Election Day. Photo by Matthew Modoono/Northeastern University

Whoever wins, it’s clear the US is divided. It’s time to turn to local communities for solutions.

The election between President Donald J. Trump and former Vice President Joe Biden continues this week, with razor-thin margins in crucial swing states making it too close to call on Tuesday. But one thing was clear early on, said Ted Landsmark, distinguished professor of public policy and urban affairs—the U.S. is as politically polarized as ever, and it’ll take more than a presidential election to bring people back together.

by Molly Callahan November 4, 2020

In this Oct. 17, 2000 file photo, Republican presidential candidate, Texas Gov. George W. Bush, left, speaks as Democratic presidential candidate Vice President Al Gore watches during their third and final debate at Washington University in St. Louis. AP Photo by Ed Reinke

The ghost of Bush v. Gore may haunt the 2020 election

In the frenzied weeks before Election Day, the Supreme Court has been asked to consider a number of election cases that could affect the outcome between President Donald Trump and Joe Biden. “It’s like Bush v. Gore is back,” says legal scholar Dan Urman.

by Molly Callahan November 2, 2020

A Board of Election's employee works among stacks of mail-in ballots in Linden, N.J., on Oct. 29, 2020. The Union County Board of Elections is temporarily using a juvenile detention center to prepare and count the over 300,000 mail-in ballots that were sent to voters. AP Photo by Seth Wenig

Here’s why electronic voting won’t happen anytime soon

Some Americans are doubtful of the mail-in voting system as ballots get lost, damaged or fail to arrive in the mail all together. With the pandemic forcing many to choose mail-in voting over in-person voting, some are wondering whether electronic voting would be better. Engin Kirda, profess

by Emily Arntsen October 30, 2020

Jagshemash! Is Borat a new undercover journalist?

Sacha Baron Cohen—star of “Borat Subsequent Moviefilm”—is using fictional characters to reveal Rudy Giuliani, QAnon followers, and other real-life drivers of the U.S. culture wars on the eve of the presidential election. Has he launched a new form of investigative journalism?

by Ian Thomsen October 30, 2020

Researchers found evidence of water on the near side of the moon, a discovery that could increase the chances of one day having a human base on Earth's satellite. Photo by NASA on The Commons

There’s water on the moon’s sunlit surface. Colonization could be on the horizon.

Having a water source on the moon could eliminate the need for astronauts to bring their own drinking supplies, breathable air, and fuel. This invaluable resource is the first step toward one day sustaining human life on the moon and beyond, says Taskin Padir, associate professor of computer and electrical engineering.

by Emily Arntsen October 28, 2020

Photo by Matthew Modoono/Northeastern University

Are COVID-19 vaccine trials ethical?

As the race to create a COVID-19 vaccine speeds ahead, many people have expressed an unwillingness to receive the immunization…

by Emily Arntsen October 23, 2020

Supreme Court nominee Amy Coney Barrett speaks during a confirmation hearing before the Senate Judiciary Committee on Oct. 14, 2020 on Capitol Hill in Washington. AP Photo by Susan Walsh, Pool

Amy Coney Barrett is poised to continue Antonin Scalia’s legacy on the Supreme Court

The Senate is expected to squeak out a vote to send Judge Amy Coney Barrett to the U.S. Supreme Court today. Her confirmation, says Dan Urman—who teaches a course at Northeastern on Constitutional law and the modern U.S. Supreme Court—could represent the biggest ideological shift on the court in decades.

by Molly Callahan October 23, 2020

President Donald Trump and Democratic presidential candidate former Vice President Joe Biden participate in the final presidential debate at Belmont University on Oct. 22, 2020, in Nashville, Tenn. AP Photo by Jim Bourg

Here’s why Donald Trump failed to ‘rock the boat’ in his debate with Joe Biden

Though Trump practiced relatively courteous behavior in the second and final debate on Thursday. But the president failed to cut into Joe Biden’s lead in a meaningful way, said Nicholas Beauchamp, assistant professor of political science at Northeastern.

by Ian Thomsen October 23, 2020

Photo by Ruby Wallau/Northeastern University

30M tweets about COVID-19, and not all of them contain the truth. Who’s spreading misinformation?

They’re older women and mostly Republican, and they are six times more likely to share URLs from fake news domains than younger people, a new national study finds. And yet, they’re also more informed

by Peter Ramjug and Eunice Esomonu October 21, 2020