College of Social Sciences and Humanities

Supreme Court’s 2025-26 term begins today. Here are five big cases to keep an eye on in the coming weeks. The Supreme Court began a new term Monday — one poised to shape the direction of U.S. policy and presidential power, legal experts say.

The #SupremeCourt began a new term on Monday, and @nusl.bsky.social & @nu-policyschool.bsky.social Profs. Daniel Urman & @weparmet.bsky.social are highlighting cases the court will deliberate in this term, including decisions on Trump’s tariffs, trans athletes, and Louisiana’s congressional map.

What Happens to School Lunches in the MAHA Era? R.F.K., Jr., promised healthier food for kids, but the Trump Administration is cutting programs that achieve this goal.

@cjbossoboston.bsky.social asks if #MAHA values can be realized with conservatives looking to avoid spending money on government programs, citing diminished U.S.D.A. programs and setback to school lunches under Trump and RFK Jr.

The move from middle to high school can impact teens' drinking habits, research shows Northeastern researchers studied how switching schools between middle and high school impacted teens’ substance use.

Adolescents who change schools between eighth and ninth grade are more likely to drink alcohol, according to new research from #NUCSSH Prof. of Sociology, Criminology and Criminal Justice Cassie McMillan. According to Prof. McMillan, the data reflects the cultural norms for different substances.

Mass shootings in Michigan, North Carolina paint complicated portrait of military veterans, experts say The two incidents aren’t necessarily emblematic of a trend among military veterans, says James Alan Fox, a criminologist.

Suspects in mass shootings in MI and NC are both war veterans. @nusccj.bsky.social Prof. James Fox notes that 23% of all mass shootings are committed by individuals with military experience, and that these incidents display the “often misunderstood” link between military service and violence.

Can Trump legally fire federal employees if the government shuts down this week? As the threat of a government shutdown looms, so also does the prospect of “mass firings” at the federal level.

Can Trump fire federal employees in the case of a government shutdown? @nu-policyschool.bsky.social prof. Christopher Bosso weighs in. “In other government shutdowns due to budgetary face-offs… non-essential federal employees are furloughed but not fired,” he says.

An affair ended Ned Fulmer’s career. Can a podcast bring it back? Former YouTube star Ned Fulmer is back after a career-ending scandal in 2022. Is his new podcast enough to stage a return to the spotlight?

Philosophy Prof. @ricksva.bsky.social says “audience members are convinced of the authenticity of people when they open up online.” Will the parasocial nature of social media help Ned Fulmer of #TryGuy fame, as he reenters the limelight with a new podcast after his 2022 cheating scandal?

Viral TikToks of Virginia kidnappings, serial killer spark panic Police have debunked the claims, but the rumors have run rampant, even capturing Chris Brown's attention.

Recent TikToks have spread claims of mass child abductions throughout VA due to a supposed serial killer. These videos, based on conspiracy theories, have been debunked by local authorities. #NUCSSH Criminology Prof. James Alan Fox adds that “people are drawn in by the thrill of amateur sleuthing.”

ChatGPT is getting parental controls after a teen died by suicide. This is why experts say they aren't enough After a teen died by suicide, ChatGPT is introducing parental controls. Northeastern AI experts say it avoids the underlying issue.

In the wake of ChatGPT related suicides, Open #AI plans on rolling out parental controls. AI expert and Philosophy & Religion faculty Cansu Canca argues that these changes shift the responsibility to the user, failing to address the root causes of these issues. news.northeastern.edu/2025/09/17/c...

Republicans get warning about government shutdown in new poll A new poll shed light on whether voters would blame Democrats or Republicans for a government shutdown.

A new poll says nearly 6 in 10 Americans would blame Trump or the GOP for a government shutdown. #NUCSSH political science expert @professorcostas.bsky.social‬ isn’t surprised. "Whatever actions the government takes or fails to take are going to be attributed to the majority party,” he says.

From the capital of Kigali to remote villages, Northeastern students help steer Rwanda's future Northeastern students spent a month in Rwanda meeting with people across the country and sharing what they learned with government officials.

#NUCSSH Economics Prof. Jill Dupree led a group of students on a #DialogueOfCivilizations in Rwanda to study economic development and conflict resolution. The group collaborated with the government in the capital and in smaller rural villages, working towards resource sustainability.

Wu won all but a handful of Boston precincts in Tuesday’s prelim. - The Boston Globe Michelle Wu won 264 of the city’s 275 precincts, while nonprofit leader Josh Kraft took nine precincts.

Mayor Michelle Wu swept the competition by 49 points in the first round of Boston’s mayoral election. “A challenger has to somehow find an opening,” says @nu-policyschool.bsky.social Professor Dan O’Brien, noting Josh Kraft’s failures in pivotal areas of South Boston and Dorchester.

Donald Trump's Epstein problem keeps coming back This week, the Epstein case resurfaced yet again when the White House was forced to deny an alleged birthday note from Trump to the disgraced financier.

Trump “dug his own grave with the Epstein scandal,” according to ‪@professorcostas.bsky.social.The @newsweek.com article goes on to point out the attempted cover-ups and mixed signals from the President, which is likely to affect midterm elections and GOP dominance in the legislature.

President Trump spotlights crime in US cities: Here's what the data shows The FBI publishes some of the most complete statistics, but no database can perfectly capture the nation’s crime.

Trump is highlighting crime in cities like Baltimore, D.C., and Chicago as a model for federal intervention, but #NUCSSH Prof Eric Piza says “we just don’t have up-to-date data,” and crime rates can be affected by factors like economic conditions and population density. Read ‪@wcvb5.bsky.social‬

Northeastern’s summer jobs program implements longtime WSJ columnist’s legacy Friends of Wall Street Journal columnist Jonathan Clements raise money to help some participants in the Summer Youth Employment Program.

Jonathan Clements, a writer for the Wall Street Journal, will have his legacy honored. The City of Boston and Northeastern’s Summer Youth Employment Program, led by #NUCSSH Prof ‪@sassermodestino.bsky.social‬, are working with Clements to offer grants for individuals from low-income homes.

Your home has a 1 in 4 chance of being at severe risk from extreme weather What this means for your insurance policy.

Due to climate disasters, companies that ensure residential buildings are now investing in risk mapping, which #NUCSSH Prof ‪@danielaldrich.bsky.social‬ says is a sign of the times. “There’s real money in this data, and these companies know it,” Prof Aldrich says. ‪@grist.org‬

Mary Prince's legacy gets the spotlight in new book with help from this Northeastern professor “The Cambridge Companion to Mary Prince” provides an overview of why Prince’s landmark slave narrative deserves to be part of the canon.

#NUCSSH Prof. Nicole Aljoe covers the life of Mary Prince, an enslaved woman in the Caribbean, in a new book. Prince’s life story was published in 1831, propelling the abolitionist movement. Prof. Aljoe focuses the narrative wholly on Prince, updating and documenting her struggle for freedom.

Taliban call for international aid as Afghan earthquake toll tops 1,400 Officials and aid groups said the death toll is expected to rise, amid mounting concerns that recent Western aid cuts could hamper the disaster response.

Over 1,400 people have died after the earthquake hit Afghanistan on Sunday. The country struggles to receive international aid, as the Trump administration has cut nearly all programs in Afghanistan. #NUCSSH prof ‪@danielaldrich.bsky.social‬ comments on the “gaps remaining unfilled” by the U.S.

Why Trump’s DC ‘murder a week’ stat is misleading President Trump said Washington, D.C., has had 11 days with no homicides and “we always have a murder a week” in the city. That ignores a two-week stretch without homicides earlier this year.

Trump claimed that D.C. faces “a murder a week.” Experts, like #NUCSSH Professor James Alan Fox, point to a 16-day stretch without homicides. Professor Fox also notes that trends can’t be established over a year, and murder statistics are volatile. Read more at ‪@politifact.bsky.social‬

Taylor Swift beyond the stage: How universities from Harvard to Stanford teach the ‘Swiftie’ lesson - The Economic Times Taylor Swift's influence extends to university classrooms. Courses explore her music and career. Harvard and other universities are using her work to teach various subjects. These include literature, ...

Universities around the world offer courses themed around #TaylorSwift. #NUCSSH Professor Catherine Fairfield offers an online course blending English literature with gender studies, focused on the musician’s impact, drawing over 500 students. Read more from Economic Times.

Exploring the role of women in supporting democracy: preliminary insights from Senegal, West Africa William Miles and Martha Johnson set out on a research trip to Senegal to better understand the role of women in upholding democracy.

Political Science Professors William Miles and Martha Johnson collaborated on a study in Senegal which found that women’s movements uphold Senegalese democracy, despite the country being surrounded by political unrest and violence. Read more from ‪@nuglobalnews.bsky.social‬

Zelensky's red line for Putin peace talks Analysts weighed in on what concessions Zelensky may consider making to end the war and what's likely to be off the table.

Ukrainian president Zelensky met with Trump and Putin on Monday for potential peace talks. Political Science Prof. Mai’a Cross noted that NATO membership & control over contested lands are integral to the Ukrainian cause, making the end of the war unlikely without these conditions.

Folded papers are suspended within red threads hanging from the ceiling. Two wooden chairs also sit within the threads.

Materials from @nu-archives.bsky.social are featured in "Home Less Home," an art installation by Chiharu Shiota currently on display at the @icaboston.bsky.social Watershed until Sept. 1.

The work focuses on immigration and the concept of home, drawing on Boston's history.

Why are people drinking less in the US? A beer historian has the answers The aftershock of the COVID-19 pandemic and social media have played a major role in why fewer people, especially young people, are drinking.

Only 54% of adults in the US say they are drinking alcohol, the rate hitting an 86 year low. #NUCSSH Prof. Malcolm Purinton explains factors that influence alcohol consumption, like the major health and wellness movement, and the after-effects of Covid. Read more at @nuglobalnews.bsky.social

This Northeastern graduate started her own PR firm — and a co-op program for current students When Ioana Good founded Promova five years ago, it was a priority for her to have a co-op program to give back.

Ioana Good, #NUCSSH Alum, started her own PR firm in 2020. Since then, she has brought on NU co-op students, providing first-hand experience with clients and projects. Read more from @nuglobalnews.bsky.social:

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

#AI assistants are cutting into other sites’ traffic, like online news sources. @wihbey.bsky.social ‪foresees drastic changes in the web over the next few years, thanks to the simplified AI overviews that are now common in most search engines. Read more:

www.sinardaily.my/article/7294...

‘I’m sitting behind the bench': Inside sports' escalating stalking problem

Stalking cases for professional athletes have increased rapidly. @nusccj.bsky.social Prof. Carlos Cuevas highlights systemic issues. Speaking on restraining orders for @nytimes.com, he said, “the burden of protection is so much on the victim.”

www.nytimes.com/athletic/654...

Donald Trump's approval rating collapses with Black voters The latest Economist/YouGov survey shows Trump's approval rating has dipped among Black voters.

The President’s approval rating among Black voters has dropped by 25 points since May, with disapproval tied the economy. @professorcostas.bsky.social highlights major changes, like affirmative action, that influenced this drop. Read more from @newsweek.com:
www.newsweek.com/trump-approv...

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...