Politics and Government

Facebook’s back-and-forth with the Biden administration got ugly over the weekend. The social network scrambled to respond to the president’s striking accusation that the company is “killing people” for allowing the spread of misinformation about coronavirus vaccines. Carl Bergstrom, professor of biology at the UW, is quoted.

Margaret O'Mara, professor of history at the UW, talks about the relationship between Silicon Valley and Washington lawmakers and the role of social media platforms in the spread of COVID-19 misinformation and disinformation.

"J.D. Vance, author of the briefly relevant memoir 'Hillbilly Elegy,' is now running for the Republican nomination for the Ohio Senate seat being vacated by retiring Republican Sen. Rob Portman. It’s a tough race, and Vance is starting well behind in the polls. Feeling the pressure, Vance felt compelled this past weekend to dredge up one of the most hackneyed clichés in the conservative playbook," writes Scott Lemieux, assistant teaching professor of political science at the UW.

The UW's Nives Dolšak, professor of marine and environmental affairs, and Aseem Prakash, professor of political science, write about Richard Branson and Jeff Bezos: "The rich want to do stuff that the unwashed masses cannot: own the biggest yacht, the most expensive house, the masterpiece by a famous painter and so on. Add becoming an astronaut to the wish list ... Both [also] want to be recognized as climate leaders."

The Internet Association once brokered deals on tech legislation. But its role has shrunk amid the industry’s divides and changes under a new CEO. Margaret O’Mara, professor of history at the UW, is quoted.

"As researchers of policing and homelessness, we have seen an unmistakable rise in homeless sweeps and encampment crackdowns since the late 1990s. This response to visible poverty results from a collision of forces, both in Canada and the United States: the decline of affordable housing and mental-health services, and local governments’ desires to revitalize business districts, boost tourism and attract high-income residents," write Katherine Beckett, professor of sociology and of law, societies and justice at the UW, and Forrest Stuart of Stanford University.

Ross Reynolds reviews the week’s news with KUOW reporter Esmy Jimenez, New York Times technology correspondent Karen Weise, and Publicola police accountability reporter Paul Kiefer on the “Week in Review” podcast. Topics include the demands by some UW students and faculty to disband the UW police department and a report by Oregon Public Broadcasting that the Clark County sheriff’s office shared information with ICE, which references the UW Center for Human Rights.

Aseem Prakash, professor of political science, discusses Amazon's climate pledge.

"In 2016, Donald Trump recruited voters with the highest levels of animosity toward African Americans, assembling a 'schadenfreude' electorate — voters who take pleasure in making the opposition suffer — that continues to dominate the Republican Party, even in the aftermath of the Trump presidency," writes columnist Thomas Edsall. Christopher Parker, professor of political science at the UW, is quoted.

Because of the pandemic, high school seniors across Washington experienced a tumultuous end to their secondary education. But while all kinds of students struggled to adjust to virtual learning, student life has been particularly difficult for students in high-poverty districts. This story was written for a UW journalism class by Renee Diaz, Patric Haerle and Faith Noh.

Records recently obtained by Oregon Public Broadcasting show Clark County Sheriff’s Office continues to share inmates’ personal information — particularly that of Latinos — with ICE. As recently as February, the jail and federal agents communicated almost daily. The UW’s Angelina Godoy, professor of law, societies and justice and of international studies and director of the Center for Human Rights, is quoted.

"On the last day of its current term, the Supreme Court under the leadership of Chief Justice John Roberts continued its war on voting rights with its decision in Brnovich v. Democratic National Committee ... It is clear that this court will smile upon even the worst vote suppression efforts being undertaken by Republican legislatures in the wake of former President Donald Trump’s false claims that the 2020 election was stolen," writes Scott Lemieux, assistant teaching professor of political science at the UW.

“Despite nearly four decades since the documentary [‘Streetwise’] first moved audiences with its portrayal of kids in crisis, the dismissive attitude of some to the film suggests why the crisis of homelessness has yet to be redressed, and why punitive responses only further contribute to the crisis itself,” writes Andrew Heddon, a doctoral student in history and associate director of the UW’s Harry Bridges Center for Labor Studies.

As each new generation inherits the world, vital knowledge is forgotten. Peter Kahn, professor of psychology and of environmental and forest sciences at the UW, is quoted.

Seattle City Councilmember Andrew Lewis and the coalition behind him believes he’s found the right formula to take on the city’s homeless crisis. That formula is the JustCare program, a collaboration between the city and a coalition of businesses, service providers and outreach teams that work together to get the unsheltered into housing while also keeping public spaces clear without the need to involve police. Katherine Beckett, professor of sociology at the UW, is referenced.