Congress
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Should employers be allowed to require genetic test results?
A House committee recently passed a bill that would permit employers to impose large financial penalties on employees who don’t agree to provide genetic test results to their companies’ workplace wellness programs. Northeastern’s Kristin Madison explains the function of workplace wellness programs, the arguments for and against the bill, and what repercussions may result if it becomes law.
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3Qs: What can we expect in the new congressional session?
The latest legislative session is only hours old, but already wrought with controversy. Nicholas Beauchamp, an expert in U.S. politics, says this is only the beginning, and advises onlookers to keep an eye out for tension, discord, and the deployment of unconventional political tactics over the coming year.
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The House sit-in: examining the political and cultural significance
Wednesday morning House Democrats, led by U.S. Rep. John Lewis, began a sit-in on the House floor demanding votes on gun-control legislation. C-SPAN picked up the live feeds that members streamed from their smartphones after Republicans shut down the chamber. Here, Northeastern faculty members shed light on the significance of the protest and the role of social media in its impact.
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What the government shutdown means for Northeastern
Northeastern officials do not expect the shutdown to have an effect on the university’s financial aid program, though opportunities for federally-supported research may be impacted.
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Network scientists lead congressional briefing
Northeastern professors David Lazer, an authority on social networks, and Alessandro Vespignani, a world-renowned statistical physicist, addressed members of the Committee on Science, Space, and Technology in a briefing on Tuesday on Capitol Hill.
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3Qs: Is America headed over the fiscal cliff?
William Dickens, University Distinguished Professor of Economics and Social Policy, predicts that a budget deal to avoid the fiscal cliff won’t be finalized before the Jan. 1 deadline.
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Security expert testifies before Senate committee
Stephen E. Flynn, founding co-director of the Kostas Research Institute, discussed homeland security with a Senate committee on Wednesday.
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3Qs: The future of the Affordable Care Act
Professor Kristin Madison examines the potential outcomes of the Supreme Court’s upcoming ruling on President Obama’s signature health-care legislation.
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3Qs: Getting the story on the debt ceiling
The contentious debate over the debt ceiling became one of this summer’s hottest news stories. We asked Dan Kennedy, assistant professor of journalism at Northeastern University, to assess the overall coverage as well as the challenges journalists face when reporting any politically charged story.
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3Qs: A perilous deal for the president
Earlier this week, President Obama signed a bill passed by Congress that would raise the debt ceiling and avoid default. The combative negotiations that preceded the deal, however, highlighted the deep political divide in Washington. We asked Robert Gilbert, the Edward W. Brooke Professor in Northeastern's Department of Political Science, to examine the political climate in light of this deal, and what it means for the 2012 elections.
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3Qs: Despite debt deal, damage done
Congress and President Obama reached a last-minute agreement on Tuesday to raise the nation’s debt ceiling, and avoid default. However, the crisis has damaged the United States’ standing in the world’s economy, according to Kamran Dadkhah, an associate professor of economics at Northeastern University.
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3Qs: As debt-limit deadline nears, more economic pain looms
Treasury Secretary Timothy Geitner says Congress has until August 2nd to approve an increase in the federal debt limit — enabling the Treasury to borrow more money — or the U.S. government will not be able to meet all of its financial obligations. Here, Northeastern finance and economics instructor Richard Goettle discusses what could happen to the economy if Congress and the White House fail to find common ground.