Adjunct Lecturer in International and Public Affairs Ari Gabinet offered commentary on the case of former U.S. Rep. Chris Collins, who pleaded guilty to insider trading charges in October.
In the News
Impeachment trial: Why did Pelosi use so many pens? (commentary by Richard Arenberg)
Richard Arenberg in BBC News, "This is an additional oath above their oath of office - it's to underline that this is different from the partisan and legislative procedures they normally go through. Even beyond the oath to the Constitution when they take office, they need to additionally swear to offer impartial justice in this trial."
How the Myth of the Alpha Male Has Hijacked Modern Masculinity (interview with Matthew Gutmann)
This interview with Professor of Anthropology Matthew Gutmann focuses on the research in his book, "Are Men Animals?", in which he debunks the myth that biological determinism drives or explains male violence.
Watson faculty member Peter Andreas discusses the potent psychoactive drugs referenced in his new book, Killer High: A History of War in Six Drugs on this podcast with host Madeleine Brand.
Pop Quiz: What will 2020 hold? (written by Stephen Kinzer)
This column-turned-pop quiz by senior fellow Stephen Kinzer entices readers to predict the future of 2020 and revisit their answers a year from now to gauge success.
Faculty Research Fellow Heidi Peltier Authors New Paper on Rising Interest Payments for Post-9/11 Wars (Costs of War report cited)
This release highlights a new paper by Heidi Peltier, directory of the Costs of War project's "20 Year of War" research series, a collaboration between between the Watson Institute for International and Public Affairs and Boston University's Pardee Center.
Richard Arenberg in ABC6, "By withholding the articles of Impeachment, Pelosi framed the issue around the fairness of the Senate trial.This was given added resonance, particularly by Majority Leader McConnell declaring that he was not an impartial juror and that he was working closely with the White House preparing for the trial."
Peter Andreas in People, "Calling it a 'wall' — rather than a barrier or a fence — has had enormous symbolic importance, so much so that it is fair to say that the very idea of the wall itself has divided the country more than divided the U.S. and Mexico..."
International Statement From Academics Regarding Attacks on JNU (Ashutosh Varshney cited)
Director of the Center for the Study of Contemporary South Asia, Ashutosh Varshney, and three other Brown University professors were among hundreds of signatories on a letter seeking the immediate resignation of JNU Vice Chancellor Mamidala Jagadesh Kumar and the formation of a non-partisan panel to investigate the incident.
War and drugs: Together since forever (interview with Peter Andreas)
In this interview, Peter Andreas delves into the specific relationship between drugs and war - explaining how each substance in his new book, Killer High: A History of War in Six Drugs, affected soldiers in combat.
Killer High: A History of War in Six Drugs — New Book by Peter Andreas
Additional news coverage for Peter Andreas' new book, Killer High: A History of War in Six Drugs.
The untold story of how booze soaked the battlefields of World War II (written by Peter Andreas)
Professor of International Studies and Political Science Peter Andreas penned this article about how alcohol was promoted as essential to the war efforts in the 1940s.
The World War II Wonder Drug That Never Left Japan (written by Peter Andreas)
Citing his new book, Killer High: A History of War in Six Drugs, Watson faculty member Peter Andreas details the heavy use of methamphetamine in Japan during war.
BJP losing control of India? (Ashutosh Varshney cited)
This opinion piece references tweets by Ashutosh Varshney, director of the Center for the Study of Contemporary South Asia at the Watson Institute for International and Public Affairs.
Drawing from his new book, Killer High: A History of War in Six Drugs, Watson faculty member Peter Andreas details drug use in historical warfare.
The Trumpification of the federal courts (written by Richard Arenberg)
Richard Arenberg in The Hill, "Not only has the process been accelerated, but increasingly the minority in the Senate has been cut out of the process. This encourages a president to appoint more partisan and idealogical judges. Until recently, most federal judges were confirmed by voice vote in the Senate: 98 percent of George H.W. Bush's nominees to Circuit Court were confirmed by voice vote..."
A History of War in Six Drugs (interview with Peter Andreas)
This piece discusses Peter Andreas' new book, Killer High: A History of War in Six Drugs, which examines the role of psychoactive and addictive drugs in discussions of war.
The US Appears to Validate Foreign Policy by Assassination (written by Chas Freeman)
Senior fellow at the Watson Institute for International and Public Affairs, Chas Freeman, weighs in on the recent turmoil between the United States and Iran.
Five lessons Afghanistan teaches us about Iran (Costs of War report cited)
Drawing on estimates and data from the Watson Institute for International and Public Affairs' Costs of War project, this article explores the ways in which perpetual conflict affects countries on a monetary scale.
Brazil's Jair Bolsonaro Is The Far-Right Authoritarian He Promised He'd Be (commentary by James Green)
Director of the Brazil Initiative James Green provided commentary on the agenda of Brazil's President, Jair Bolsonaro.
Predictions that Rhode Island will lose a House seat less certain (commentary by Wendy Schiller)
Chair of Political Science Wendy Schiller provided commentary about the political implications of Rhode Island losing a seat in the House of Representatives.
Pregnancy author has a new labor of love (interview with Emily Oster)
Professor of Economics and International and Public Affairs Emily Oster discusses her data-driven approach to parenting outlined in her book, "Cribsheet."
Among the casualties of US wars in the Middle East: Christianity (written by Stephen Kinzer)
Stephen Kinzer, senior fellow at the Watson Institute for International and Public Affairs, penned this column detailing the effects that US-led wars have had on Christians in the Middle East.
New laws weaponize citizenship in India (co-authored by Sahana Ghosh)
Postdoctoral Fellow Sahana Ghosh co-authored this piece on The Conversation, "Those committed to justice and fighting fascism must recognize and reject the linked logics of weaponized citizenship in Kashmir and Assam."
Can the United States Senate rise to the occasion? Probably not (written by Richard Arenberg)
Senior fellow at the Watson Insitute for International and Public Affairs penned this opinion piece regarding the role and involvement of the United States Senate in President Donald Trump's impeachment trial.
2019 Story of the Year: The Fracturing of America's Public Narrative (interview with Michael Kennedy)
Watson faculty member Michael Kennedy joins Jim Ludes and G. Wayne Miller on an episode of "Story in the Public Square," providing a sociological perspective on the current national narrative.
Recent exclusionary steps can only bring India's international image down (written by Ashutosh Varshney)
In this article, faculty member at the Watson Institute for International and Public Affairs, Ashutosh Varshney, provides an anaylsis on the recent religious restrictions in India's citizenship laws.
In a fraught moment, a useful Christmas list (written by Stephen Kinzer)
Stephen Kinzer, senior fellow at the Watson Institute for International and Public Affairs, penned this column offering recommendations for timely and relevant books to gift to those on your Christmas list.
Dan Yorke State of Mind: Brown University Professor Richard Arenberg
Richard Arenberg, senior fellow at the Watson Institute for International and Public Affairs, joined Dan Yorke to discuss the next steps in the articles of impeachment of President Donald Trump.
In a polarized era, will impeachment become a 'new normal'? (commentary by Wendy Schiller)
Chair of Political Science Wendy Schiller provided commentary in this article about public opinion surrounding impeachment.
The Dan Yorke Show: Impeachment (interview with Richard Arenberg)
Visiting Professor of the Practice of Political Science Richard Arenberg appeared on this radio segment to discuss the direction in which Trump's impeachment process is headed.
Surveillance: UK's Tories vs. Labour with Cavendish (interview with Wendy Schiller)
Chair of Political Science Wendy Schiller appeared on this podcast to discuss the history of impeachment in the House and Senate.
Stephen Kinzer, senior fellow at the Watson Institute for International and Public Affairs and Neta Crawford, director of the Watson Institute's Cost Of War Project discuss a blockbuster investigative series from The Washington Post involving the Bush and Obama administrations with WGBH host Jim Braude.
Trump's plan to label Mexico's cartels as terrorists ignores U.S. role in drug trade (written by Peter Andreas)
This opinion piece by Professor of International Studies and Political Science Peter Andreas argues that Trump's plan to define Mexican drug cartels as terrorist organizations is ill-conceived and could have dire geopolitical consequences.
Can a Big Oil Company Go Carbon-Free? (comments by Deborah Gordon)
Deborah Gordon, senior fellow at the Watson Institute for International and Public Affairs, provided commentary on the Spanish oil company Repsol SA's newly announced goal to achieve net-zero emissions by 2050.
Doing away with legacy admissions is not the answer to economic diversity (comments by David Kertzer)
In this letter to the editor, Professor of Social Science, Anthropology and Italian Studies David Kertzer responds to a previous editorial and argues that the amount of financial aid available — and not the preference for alumni children in admissions — is the biggest factor in a school's economic diversity.
What did the U.S. get for $2 trillion in Afghanistan? (Costs of War report cited)
Drawing on estimates and data from the Watson Institute for International and Public Affairs' Costs of War project, a team from the New York Times assessed how much the United States spent on different aspects of the war in Afghanistan and whether that spending achieved its aims.
If Shiv Sena wishes to remain in power, it can't return to full-blooded Hindutva (written by Ashutosh Varshney)
In this article, faculty member at the Watson Institute for International and Public Affairs, Ashutosh Varshney, provides an anaylsis on the recent political events in Maharashtra, India.
Joe Fleming breaks down latest on impeachment hearings (interview with Richard Arenberg)
Richard Arenberg, a visiting professor of the practice of political science, interviews on WPRI.
A big oil company wants to be carbon-free. Is that possible? (comments by Deborah Gordon)
Deborah Gordon, senior fellow at the Watson Institute for International and Public Affairs provided commentary for this story.
Richard Arenberg, a visiting professor of the practice of political science, provided commentary for this story.
Mexico's rise in violence starts sticking to 'Teflon president' after a year in office (commentary by Aileen Teague)
Aileen Teague, postdoctoral research associate at the Watson Institute for International and Public Affairs, provided commentary in this article about Mexican President Andrés Manuel López Obrador's new "hugs, not bullets" policies on the drug war and violence plaguing Mexico.
The Sinister Scientist Behind the CIA's Mind-Control Mayhem (Stephen Kinzer cited)
This piece discusses Stephen Kinzer's new book, Poisoner in Chief: Sidney Gottlieb and the CIA Search for Mind Control, which examines the career of Sidney Gottlieb - the scientist who ran the CIA's damaging and possibly lethal experiments in drug-induced mind control.
This Is Why Your Holiday Travel Is Awful (written by Marc J. Dunkelman)
Marc Dunkelman, senior fellow at the Watson Institute for International and Public Affairs, wrote this article examining the history of New York's Penn Station and the role government played in the legacy of crowded commutes.
Stephanie Savell on the Role of U.S. Military Around the World (interview with Stephanie Savell)
Stephanie Savell, faculty fellow at the Watson Institute for International and Public Affairs discusses the Costs of War Project and U.S. military deployments around the world in this interview with C-Span.
Danielle Brooks On What to Eat When You're Pregnant (interview with Emily Oster)
Emily Oster, professor of teaching excellence, economics, and international and public affairs — and author of "Cribsheet: A Data-Driven Guide to Better, More Relaxed Parenting" — spoke with "Orange is the New Black" actress Danielle Brooks in this Netflix Family series debunking common myths and misconceptions about pregnancy and childbirth.
Dan Yorke State of Mind: Brown University Senior Fellow Timothy Edgar
Timothy Edgar, senior fellow at the Watson Institute for International and Public Affairs, appeared on Dan Yorke State of Mind to discuss the latest on Trump's impeachment inquiry.
Yes, presidents can hold up military aid. But not like Trump did with Ukraine (written by J. Brian Atwood)
J Brian Atwood, senior fellow at the Watson Institute for International and Public Affairs, penned this column explaining how presidents have broad authority to condition the release of assistance packages, but they still have to follow the law.