In the News

Senior Fellow Alex Nading in Edge Effects, "Occupational health experts compare the work of planting and harvesting sugarcane to running a half marathon in 90-plus degree weather, going home and going to sleep, and doing the same thing again for the next five days.

Tune in to the Pell Center's "Story in the Public Square" this Sunday as Senior Fellow Timothy Edgar will join the conversation.

Research by economist John Friedman looks at 10,000 students who had been admitted to a CUNY program called SEEK that helps academically borderline, low-income students complete a four-year degree.

When Project Iceworm, an abandoned Cold War-era U.S. Army initiative in Greeland was shut down in 1967, military expected leftover materials would freeze. A new study by Jeff Colgan finds that now, the melting ice in the Arctic has remobilized some toxic waste and threatens to do the same at other sites.

Senior Fellow Deborah Gordon comments on the Department of Energy's research project on crude oils, "Everything is changing but no one really is aware or cares."

Professor Wendy Schiller offers her analysis of President Trump's first State of the Union address with MPR News political editor Mike Mulcahy.

Faculty Fellow Vazira F-Y Zamindar in Dawn, "The sources of Bacha Khan's ideas are numerous as are those of Gandhi's, but their extraordinary friendship too deserves our attention, rather than something to be feared."

In an article that urges people to gain a broader understanding of the past, Professor Omer Bartov's new book Anatomy of a Genocide, is mentioned.

Professor Glenn Loury talks with his son, Glenn Loury II, in Loury's latest podcast episode about capitalism and social democratic vision.

During a presentation at the annual Association of American Colleges and Universities meetings, Associate Professor of Economics John Friedman offered some good news on new findings on big data on intergenerational mobility.

Last year, Brown University launched The Israel Fund, a new initiative dedicated to promoting new research and educational opportunities related to Israel and the Middle East.

A new study by Provost Richard Locke finds that manufacturers that adhere to basic labor and environmental standards saw a 4 percent increase in annual purchases over those that did not.

Omer Bartov joins Smithsonian.com to discuss his new book "Anatomy of a Genocide: The Life and Death of a Town Called Buczacz." "The story of Buczacz is the story of genocide as it unfolded in one town, but also the larger story of how such mass atrocities can transpire in communities the world over."

With his first State of the Union address tomorrow, President Trump looks to address the country and promote "building a safe, strong and proud America."

Prerna Singh, assistant professor of political science, in The Washington Post, "...national attachment is central not just to the functioning of political institutions but also to the very structure of society."

Senior Fellow Stephen Kinzer in The Hill, "Our Middle East policy should be aimed at promoting stability."

Research by economist Emily Oster is mentioned in an article about monitoring children's TV consumption. "If letting your kids watch an hour of TV means you are better able to have a relaxed conversation at the dinner table, this could mean TV isn't that bad for cognitive development."

Senior Fellow Chas Freeman comments on one journalist's description of how China has grown, decades after her first visit, saying "China is not trying to make revolution anymore; it is trying to make money, which is much more wholesome."

Senior Fellow Timothy Edgar comments on a story about encrypting data, saying "Lots of sensitive data is the hands of third parties. If the South Korean military and the NSA are having problems keeping their data in their own hands, what chance do the rest of have?"

Senior Fellow Stephen Kinzer in The Boston Globe, "Since they have become an almost permanent feature of modern life, people are slow to react to them.

Economist Emily Oster joined economics and finance lecturer Frank Conway on his podcast Economic Rockstar to discuss diabetes and diets, disease and vaccinations, and pregnancy myths.

In The New York Times' The Upshot, Emily Oster co-writes about the 2014 episode that left 159 Disneyland visitors with the measles, and the policy change that followed in California that triggered a jump in vaccination rates across the state.

An article that posits that the false missile alert in Hawaii illustrates how close we are to being at war with North Korea notes that the Costs of War study at Brown University found that "future medical and disability costs" for the current wars "will total between $600 billion and $1 trillion."

Costs of War Co-director Stephanie Savell, co-authored an opinion piece on the Project's new map, which shows the U.S. counterterror activity around the world. "What started with President George W. Bush's launch of Operation Enduring Freedom in Afghanistan in October 2001 is now a rapid expansion of the U.S. military footprint across the globe."

Political scientist Eric Patashnik comments on the banned practice of earmarks, saying "Restoring earmarks is not strong enough medicine to cure the dysfunctions of today's Congress. Polarization runs much too deep. But it is still a sensible thing to do."

This article co-written by political economist Mark Blyth in Foreign Affairs is part of an e-book on financial geopolitics. "As a single-currency area, the eurozone formally has no internal imbalances."

Professor Ashutosh Varshney comments on India's economic woes and Prime Minister Nardenra Modi. "If economic manoeuvrability is limited, then the communal card, the Hindu-Muslim card, is a massive political temptation."

Nina Tannenwald's research is cited in an article on the history of world leaders avoiding using nuclear weapons since World War II, saying "powerful revulsion associated with nuclear weapons had played a role in inhibiting their use."

In Newsweek, Narges Bajoghli comments on women's involvement in the Iran protests. "Women have been at the forefront of pushing for change in Iran since the establishment of the Islamic Republic. In fact, the women's rights movements are the biggest thorns in the side of the regime."

Postdoctoral Fellow Ali Kadivar in The Washington Post, "The current protest wave in Iran has already shaken the political landscape of the regime and society. Some younger activists in the mid and lower reformist ranks have suggested channeling this wave to make their own demands through street demonstrations organized by reformist parties."

Political economist Mark Blyth joined WBUR's Radio Open Source to give his state of the union.

Research by Emily Oster is cited about the infant mortality rate in the United States. "In the paper, published in the American Economic Journal: Economic Policy, 'we find that 45% of regional differences can be attributed to differences in birth weight, with lower birth weights in states like Oklahoma, Arkansas, Louisiana, and Texas, especially relative to the Northeast.'"

Postdoctoral Fellow Narges Bajoghli in Jacobin Magazine, "At the moment, the protests are leaderless, and the slogans vary from demands for economic equity to the freedom of political prisoners to the overthrow of the supreme leader to the downfall of the entire regime."

A new map from the Costs of War Project analyzes the U.S. counterterror activity around the world between 2015 and October 2017.

Professor Cathy Lutz joined Daniel Denvir on his The Dig Podcast to discuss troop veneration, John Kelly's recent diatribe, and President Trump's attack on protesting NFL players.

Postdoctoral Fellow Narges Bajoghli explains how "media outlet backed by the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) seek[s] to reinforce the narrative of the supreme leader above the politics of Iran."

Senior Fellow Stephen Kinzer in The Boston Globe, "A sudden collapse of Iran's governing system would be bad for us. It would set another Middle Eastern country aflame and feed the instability that breeds terror."

Postdoctoral Fellow Ali Kadivar comments on the protests happening in Iran and why the middle class is mostly sitting out. "For any successful protest movement of this type with radical demands a broad alliance is required."

Postdoctoral Fellow Narges Bajoghli comments on the protests in Iran, saying "[The protests are] very much focused on the economic situation."

In an interview with BBC World, Postdoctoral Fellow Ali Kadivar explains the volatility of the protests currently happening in Iran.

The Costs of War Project was cited in an article in The New York Times, "Researchers at Brown estimated in September that war spending had reached $4.8 trillion and could total $7.9 trillion by 2053."

Professor Eric Patashnik in Vox, "Eventually, the war over Obamacare will end. When it does, there may be an opening to have a sensible conversation about ensuring that patients receive treatments grounded in sound science."

Professor Ashutosh Varshney in The Indian Express, "As the dust starts to settle, political reactions become clearer, and statistical details recede into the background, it is time to concentrate on the big picture that the recent Gujarat elections present."

Senior Fellow Stephen Kinzer in The Boston Globe, "The most striking development in the world during 2017 was the change in America's global role."

Postdoctoral Fellow Ali Kadivar in POMEPS, "The death of Ayatollah Khomeini was a turning point in the relationship between the Islamic Republic and the clerical establishment."

Professor Peter Andreas' memoir, Rebel Mother: My Childhood Chasing the Revolution, earned a spot on The Best of Books 2017 list by Foreign Affairs.

Postdoctoral Fellow Narges Bajoghli in Al-Monitor, "The new wave of nationalist sentiment is neither happenstance nor the sole result of outside threats such as the Islamic State, the rhetoric of US President Donald Trump or the heated rivalry with Saudi Arabia.

Margaret Weir, professor of political science and international and public affairs, comments on WalletHub's roundup for the year's neediest cities.