College of Social Sciences and Humanities

Soaking in beer while drinking beer? Now that’s a spa day. Beer spas are a brewing wellness trend. Dermatologists are skeptical.

Beer spas are thriving thanks to their antioxidant hot beer baths. But @beerhistorian.bsky.social‬ doubts their historic authenticity, saying “In all my research the beer soak hasn’t really come up”. Read more from the Washington Post‬: www.washingtonpost.com/travel/2025/...

Northeastern experts say a lack of trust in government data could imperil businesses and the economy Northeastern economists warn that firing the head of the Bureau of Labor Statistics after weak jobs data could harm business trust.

After the firing of the head of the Bureau of Labor Statistics, experts expect a lack of public trust in government data, hurting the economy. Prof. Patricia Illingworth comments that this distrust could lead to mass distrust in all businesses.

news.northeastern.edu/2025/08/06/b...

A Catholic AI app promises answers for the faithful. Can it succeed? It’s like ChatGPT for Catholicism, but the only sources for this large language model are 27,000 documents connected to the church.

The new catholic chatbot Magisterium seeks to answer questions and provide rapid responses to users, but it’s now sparking debates between religious leaders. #NUCSSH Prof. Cansu Canca says the bot’s answers aren’t reliable and oversimplify complex ideas.

www.washingtonpost.com/religion/202...

Northeastern researchers call for greater attention to social impact and social justice in preventing crime In a new work, Northeastern researchers detail how to incorporate social impact and social justice into preventing crime.

Streetlights and preschools may play a bigger role in crime prevention than you think, according to @nusccj.bsky.social Profs Eric Piza and Brandon Welsh. Read about different approach to fighting crime in an article from @nuglobalnews.bsky.social

news.northeastern.edu/2025/08/01/s...

Scientists Urge Action Before Final Plastics Treaty Talks The UN plastics treaty INC-5.2 is the world's best opportunity to secure a comprehensive, binding agreement tackling plastic pollution Scientists

As the UN preps for treaty negotiations on plastic, scientists urge governments to take more concrete steps to cut down on pollutants. @nu-policyschool.bsky.social's Prof. Maria Ivanova highlights the importance of rethinking international trade.

www.miragenews.com/scientists-u...

After recent floods, Legislature must act now to strengthen climate resilience - The Boston Globe Governor Healey’s Mass Ready Act is an essential step in the right direction. But two key areas need to be improved.

After dangerous flash floods, leaders are striving to create plans to reduce the destruction of these all too common natural disasters. @nu-policyschool.bsky.social's Joan Fitzgerald covers plans for flood prone areas in a new op-ed from @bostonglobe.com: www.bostonglobe.com/2025/07/21/o...

Law enforcement is learning how to use AI more ethically thanks to a Northeastern expert The Responsible AI Toolkit is a first of its kind system designed to train police in how to ethically use AI.

#AI is becoming more prominent in fields across the board, even in law enforcement. Prof. & Director of Responsible AI Practice Cansu Canca has developed an ethical AI toolkit, aimed at training police officers more efficiently.

news.northeastern.edu/2025/07/15/a...

Patricia J. Williams on Martha S. Jones’s The Trouble of Color The Windham-Campbell Prizes Podcast features a series of conversations with past and present Windham-Campbell Prize winners about their favorite books and plays. Hosted by Michael Kelleher. Mike ch…

#NUCSSH Prof. of Law and Humanities Patricia Williams spoke on Martha S. Jones’s new book #TheTroubleofColor with Michael Kelleher for @literaryhub.bsky.social. Prof Williams discusses major themes in the book, including colorism, cultural histories, and families.

lithub.com/patricia-j-w...

Your smartwatch could carry a hidden health risk Smartwatches are a widely worn accessory—with around one in five Americans wearing either a smartwatch or wearable fitness tracker, according to one survey.

Americans love smartwatches, but research shows that their bands can contain harmful chemicals. #NUCSSH Prof. Phil Brown adds that #PFAs can have negative effects on your health and regulations should be tightened around them.

Learn more @newsweek.com: www.newsweek.com/smartwatch-h...

‘No immigrant truly feels free right now': Meet those impacted by immigration policy Since the start of President Donald Trump’s second term, immigrants like Marcelo Gomes Da Silva and Rumeysa Ozturk have spent time in ICE detention and left to tell their stories.

#NUCSSH Professor Hua Dong speaks on her lived experiences with political silencing during the #TiananmenSquare protests, and her fears for the U.S. in an article from @nbcboston.com.

Read more at www.nbcboston.com/news/local/n...

Mass Impact: How immigration policy is affecting students' safety and freedom of speech YouTube video by NBC10 Boston

Watch back: Professor Jeremy Paul appeared on NBC10 Boston Evening News last night to discuss how immigration policy is impacting students’ safety and freedom of speech.

www.youtube.com/watch?app=de...

Map shows states where carcinogens detected in drinking water sources Treating drinking water to tackle multiple pollutants could prevent more than 50,000 cancer cases in the U.S., a new study found.

#NUCSSH Prof. Phil Brown speaks out against limited regulations after #PFAs, which can cause negative health effects such as kidney cancer, were found in 18 states' water sources. He emphasizes the importance of upstream PFA removal in an article from @newsweek.com: www.newsweek.com/states-carci...

Blue Hill Ave. in Roxbury and Dorchester faces extreme environmental conditions due to lack of green spaces and tons of concrete. @nu-policyschool.bsky.social's @moirazellner.bsky.social works w. Project Common SENSES to fight for environmental justice.

baystatebanner.com/environmenta...

Kamala Harris' comeback hopes take a major blow The former vice president is expected to announce whether she is entering the race for California governor by the end of the summer.

Kamala Harris’ “stain of a national presidential loss” may hold her back from securing the governor position in California, according to #NUCSSH’s @professorcostas.bsky.social in a new story from @newsweek.com.

www.newsweek.com/kamala-harri...

Less affluent Boston areas experience higher temperatures from urban heat island effects. As @nu-policyschool.bsky.social professor @moirazellner.bsky.social
notes: "There are health implications [...]: asthma due to mold from flooding or due to air pollution."
baystatebanner.com/environmenta...

How a co-op at a Boston nonprofit changed this student’s view on early childhood education A Northeastern student gained experience and insight working at a Boston nonprofit for early childhood education.

#NUCSSH history & political science student Sofia Baiker is featured in a @nuglobalnews.bsky.social story about her recent co-op with Ellis Early Learning and how it helped build skills far beyond helping shape our youngest learners. #ExperientialEducationFTW!

news.northeastern.edu/2025/06/30/e...

“On July 4 people are not working and kids aren’t in school. There is too much free time to kill, maybe literally," says Prof. James Alan Fox, explaining one of the reasons why Independence Day consistently ranks as the most violent day of the year in the U.S. @nu-policyschool.bsky.social

How do Israelis and Iranians feel about the Israel-Iran war? The war, which entered its fourth day on Monday, has stoked fear on both sides about what the future might hold, Northeastern observers say.

Amid a landscape of complex global politics, one thing it seems that Israelis and Iranians agree on is a desire for change—without widespread violence. Read more from #NUCSSH Prof. Simon Rabinovitch & @northeasternu.bsky.social London's Prof. Hossein Dabbagh.

news.northeastern.edu/2025/06/17/i...

Is the US legally at war with Iran? A legal scholar explains presidential and congressional war powers Northeastern University constitutional law expert Jeremy Paul calls the authority to conduct war “a very close balancing act.”

Constitutional law expert Professor Jeremy Paul calls the authority to conduct war “a very close balancing act.” @nuglobalnews.bsky.social

Sanctuary state governors tested as unrest reported in other cities - Washington Examiner Democratic policies regarding immigration has evolved as attitudes have hardened after record border crossings during Joe Biden's administration.

Blue-state governors are being challenged by both republicans and voters for immigration enforcement policies amid nationwide protests. @professorcostas.bsky.social says voters demand a greater fight against the Trump administration’s policies. Read more at @washingtonexaminer.bsky.social.

Ted Cruz renews bid to designate the Muslim Brotherhood a terror group - The Jewish Chronicle The senator’s new bill revives a long-running debate: is the Brotherhood a terror threat hiding in plain sight – or too complex for a one-size-fits-all designation?

Ted Cruz is introducing a “modernised” version of the Muslim Brotherhood Terrorist Designation Act aiming to shut down the group for extremist views, though experts say labeling the whole group as "terrorist" is debatable due to its size. Read more at @thejewishchronicle.bsky.social.

There could be fewer summer jobs available for teenagers this year Unemployment for teenagers is now up to more than 13%.

This summer could see fewer jobs available, according to a report from the outplacement firm Challenger, Gray & Christmas. @sassermodestino.bsky.social says we’re seeing a “general cooling off of the labor market" with youth at the losing end, often being the last group to be hired and first fired.

Why is Gen Z more religious than previous generations? The number of Americans not associated with any church has stagnated thanks to members of Gen Z, also known as Zoomers.

The number of Americans who said they had no religious affiliation increased over the last several decades, but recently began to stabilize at about 30%. Experts say Gen Z may be why these numbers are stagnating. Read more at @nuglobalnews.bsky.social.

2024 election results under scrutiny as lawsuit advances A judge has ruled that a lawsuit questioning the election results in Rockland County, New York, can proceed to discovery.

The NY Supreme Court ruled that allegations of voting discrepancies in Rockland County were serious enough for discovery to proceed, though @professorcostas.bsky.social says, “statistical comparisons to previous cycles cannot provide definitive proof of wrongdoing.” Read more at @newsweek.com.

Gen Z voters are ditching GOP for midterms—Poll Fewer Gen Z voters said they plan to vote for a Republican in the midterm election than a month ago, according to a new survey.

Gen Z voters appear to be shifting away from the Republican Party ahead of the 2024 midterm elections, according to a new poll. As voters shift, “Democrats need to give these voters reasons to embrace the party” said political science expert @professorcostas.bsky.social. Read more at @newsweek.com.

At 2:45 PM, Professors Wendy Parmet and Claudia Haupt will present in Room 212 on Direct to Prescription Marketing: Constitutional, Regulatory, and Ethical Implications. @weparmet.bsky.social @cehaupt.bsky.social

healthlawprofconf.org/schedule-2025/

Chinese students brace for impact after Rubio's visa threats Secretary of State Marco Rubio said the Trump administration would “aggressively revoke visas for Chinese students..”

Recent court rulings have halted some of the Trump administration's efforts against foreign students, though Chinese students stay particularly vulnerable. Perceived ties to China’s Communist Party have led to increased restrictions. Read more at @nbcboston.com.

Just in time for #pridemonth, recognition of the fantastic work from our student in the Policy School!

The National Science Foundation has awarded @moirazellner.bsky.social a $386,964 grant for a project entitled “Understanding cascading feedbacks between human decision making and delta morphodynamics with community-engaged modeling.” @nu-policyschool.bsky.social

Prof. Joan Fitzgerald testified before the Massachusetts Joint Committee on Higher Education on June 3rd in support of the BRIGHT Act (H54) - Governor Healey's groundbreaking legislation to build resilient infrastructure for higher education transformation. @nu-policyschool.bsky.social