Through
5/7
A round-up of Penn mentions in local, national, and international media.
Penn In the News
Jasmine E. Harris of the Law School weighed in on a California proposal that would require unhoused people to enter treatment programs or be placed into conservatorships. “Community-based services and treatment, when they are meaningful, will almost always be superior to a restrictive setting where the individual loses all agency,” she said. “If you expand the authority for individuals to be hauled into court or to be stripped of their rights, it’s a really slippery slope.”
Penn In the News
Marci Hamilton of the School of Arts & Sciences predicts a wave of new civil cases connected to the Epstein sex-trafficking ring in the wake of Prince Andrew’s settlement. “It’s not over for the survivors and we’ll see new lawsuits against Epstein’s co-conspirators—the men who willingly accepted the girls to abuse them, the men who were frequently in his space,” she said. “As of March, any woman will have her claims revived and be able to sue any and everybody involved in the Epstein system, even if they have received compensation for the Epstein victim’s fund.”
Penn In the News
Katy Milkman of the Wharton School said delayed gratification can be a barrier to making progress on personal goals. “It may not be that pleasant, in the moment, to achieve that long-term goal,” she said. “You know you should, you know that you will be glad when you have—but each time you sit down, there’s something more tempting or proximate that is taking your attention away.”
Penn In the News
Carlo Siracusa of the School of Veterinary Medicine said cats are capable of bonding with people, contrary to claims that they’re merely using their owners for food and shelter. “Humans hug and kiss. Dogs become very excited and jump around. Cats don’t do anything like that. They are much more elegant,” he said. “They approach us. They bump their heads. Then they have some contact with us and walk away.”
Penn In the News
Steve Viscelli of the School of Arts & Sciences said the trucking industry has been relying on newly recruited drivers to keep costs low. “What the industry wants is super cheap, flexible labor and that’s what it’s had for years,” said Viscelli. “They’ve been cycling through literally millions of people, who decide to become truck drivers and then get burned by the industry.”
Penn In the News
Jasmine Harris of the Law School said it’s rare for a court to terminate a conservatorship, as was the case with Britney Spears last week. “I think this would have gone another 13 years had it not been for that moment … when Britney was allowed to speak on her own behalf,” Harris said.
Penn In the News
Norbert Pardi of the Perelman School of Medicine comments on how mRNA is so quick and easy to produce, that vaccines can be designed to strike many sites simultaneously.
Penn In the News
Neysun Mahboubi of the School of Arts & Sciences comments on the United States’ actions to counter perceived Chinese ambition in the region and to contain China.
Penn In the News
Research by Marissa Sharif of the Wharton School and colleagues found that leisure time is only psychologically beneficial to a certain extent. “The sweet spot is a moderate amount of free time,” she said. “We found that having too much time was associated with lower subjective wellbeing due to a lacking sense of productivity and purpose.”
Penn In the News
Mike Levy of the Perelman School of Medicine commented on the hazards of attending music festivals during the pandemic. “This isn’t about one’s personal risk of going to a dangerous outside transmission event and getting it,” he said. “Probably no one in these concerts is going to die, but they’re going to bring it home and someone’s grandparent is going to die.”