A new study by Max Abrahms and Matthew Gottfried titled “Does Terrorism Pay? An Empirical Analysis” argues that it does not because government compliance is usually not forthcoming. An interesting finding is that governments are more likely to deal with terrorists in hostage situations when the demands are the release of prisoners or money, as […]

This isn’t just theory. Northeastern University’s Rand Ghayad sent out 4,800 fake resumes to job postings. Some of the resumes were from the new unemployed. Others showed longer spells of unemployment. The callback rate for the long-term unemployed was just 1 to 3 percent. For the newly unemployed, it was 9 to 16 percent. The problem for […]

The physical transformation of Boston may well be the enduring legacy of Menino’s record 20-year watch, including the birth of an entirely new neighborhood in South Boston’s Seaport District, thousands of new construction jobs, and a population that has reached its highest level since the 1970s. But the BRA may be squandering the opportunity created […]

A Northeastern University student, Matt Voska, is pitching a business idea called Flytenow. His idea is to enable private pilots who rent or own small aircraft to share the cost of flying with others who might want to go along for a ride. Voska, a 19-year-old who has his private pilot’s license, says the start-up has […]

Consumer confidence remains fragile and unemployment continues to be a drag on spending, wrote Bruce Clark, associate professor of marketing at Northeastern University’s Business School, in a statement earlier this week. The luxury sector will likely perform well, he said.  He added that e-commerce giant Amazon “looks likely to be the 800-pound gorilla of the holiday season.” Brick-and-mortar […]

Ted Clark, director of Northeastern University’s Center for Family Business, suggests family businesses face many of the same challenges every business does. Those issues include a competitive marketplace, financial challenges and regulatory changes. At the same time, he said, family businesses often confront issues that are unique to them, such as navigating interpersonal relationships and […]

Avatars. Avatars are images that represent either a person or some other sentient guide to a program. Avatars are used across a variety of settings, from IKEA’s Anna (who will helpfully guide you to their bedroom department if you complain about your saggy mattress) to the iPhone’s Siri. In healthcare, one intriguing use of avatars has […]

President Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama surprised a Northeastern University a cappella group this week when the two unexpectedly showed up to a White House holiday party to watch the students sing. All 15 members of The Nor’easters traveled to 1600 Pennsylvania Ave. to perform for guests at a holiday party, but the group was never […]

Yet, the state’s situation is far from dire, said Northeastern University economics professor Alan Clayton-Matthews. The state unemployment rate is estimated from a survey of households, but a separate survey of employers also released Thursday showed that the state added 6,500 jobs in November, after gaining 9,400 in October. The data from both surveys are […]

In the article, titled “Mass Shootings in America: Moving Beyond Newtown,” Northeastern University criminologists James Alan Fox and Monica J. DeLateur examine existing research and data to refute 11 common assumptions about mass murder—which the FBI defines as any single, sustained incident that takes the lives of four or more victims. Many of their points seem like […]

By Michele Simon and Cara Wilking Looking back at 2013, while the food movement made progress in certain areas (such asschool food and GMO labeling), when it comes to exploitative food marketing to children meaningful change remains elusive. Let’s Move director and White House chef Sam Kass recently acknowledged the obvious when he said this issue was […]

Fiore, a Salem native fresh out of Northeastern University, in her early 20s was determined to become a lawyer. Her younger sister, Athena, helped to change her path. In 2002, Athena enlisted her sister’s help working on a high school fund-raiser. Malita’s job was to cook and serve food to 300 people. At first, Fiore […]