“Most people are trying to act in the best way they know how in the context of not knowing too much about a virus that’s killing a lot of people,” Professor Aziza Ahmed tells The New York Times.
“California and Washington appeared very early to be leaders in taking action, while much of the rest of the country remained in the illusion that somehow this wasn't coming,” Professor Wendy Parmet tells The Daily Beast. “I don't think any state has done it perfectly—maybe they can’t in this environment.”
In their latest co-authored op-ed, Professors Woodrow Hartzog and Evan Selinger argue that facial recognition is perfectly tailored to serve the worst impulses of humanity during a time of deep vulnerability: "The thing is, we already know enough to conclude that face recognition technology shouldn't be used to fight COVID-19."
Good privacy engineering is one piece of the puzzle for contact tracing apps, writes Professor Woodrow Hartzog in an op-ed for the LA Times. "Perhaps even more difficult is weighing the long-term consequences of how these tools will be used after the pandemic ends."
Former Vice President Joe Biden and Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders have selected Marielena Hincapié ’96, executive director of the National Immigration Law Center, to serve as co-chair of their joint task force. Hincapié will advise the Biden campaign on immigration policy.
Professor Wendy Parmet tells The Wichita Eagle the underlying consensus that appeared to be holding in the early stages of the pandemic is breaking down: "Public health orders are becoming yet another issue viewed through a political prism."
“The danger is, it’s a race to the bottom as more and more states reopen,” Professor Wendy Parmet tells The Boston Globe. "It will be harder and harder for governors to maintain stricter measures in their state. People are tired of the lockdowns and there is a pressure in opening up, but also a lot of risk.”
“If allowing people to have access to sunshine and recreation is what’s going to keep them from protesting and violating laws, that may be a trade-off worth making,” Professor Wendy Parmet tells The Guardian. “A beach gathering is safer than an indoor party, for example.”
Author Rishi Reddi '92 has published her first novel, `Passage West,’ which follows a family of Indian sharecroppers at the onset of World War I, revealing a little-known part of California history.
In a co-authored op-ed, Professor Brook Baker urges the president of South Africa to declare his support for the Solidarity Call to Action on the COVID-19 technology pool, which will be officially launched on 29 May 2020: “We remind President Ramaphosa that there is work to be done at home amending South Africa’s Patents Act, and instituting emergency measures to temporarily suspend patenting of COVID-19 medical products and to provide for automatic or mandatory compulsory licenses on such products should voluntary measures prove unsuccessful.”