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Education, Business, & Law
Transnational Legal Clinic students ‘learn fast and work hard in a broken system’
Students at Penn Law’s Transnational Legal Clinic work directly with clients seeking entry into the U.S. who end up in detention centers, fighting for “the best possible legal outcomes” for their clients.
Experiencing the pandemic from abroad
When rising junior Julia Mitchell learned in March that France was about to shut down, she decided to immerse herself further in the language rather than come home, quarantining with her homestay family and finishing courses remotely.
The Detkin Clinic promotes justice with innovation
At Penn Law School’s Detkin Intellectual Property and Technology Legal Clinic, students assist creative thinkers with patents, trademarks, and copyright-related ventures.
Leading diversity: Why listening and learning come before strategy
Wharton’s Stephanie Creary discusses what it takes to create a culture of inclusiveness with global diversity expert Rohini Anand.
Taiwan’s tech-savvy citizens helped flatten its COVID-19 curve
A new study examines how Taiwan’s existing digital systems, openness of government data, and an empathic community contributed to a successful pandemic response.
Flipping the pyramid: Steps companies can take to close the opportunity gap
With the pandemic exposing and widening the income and digital access gap among communities in the U.S., two Wharton experts outline ways companies can innovate to close the digital, health, and economic gap in minority communities.
Introducing Wharton dean Erika James
On July 1, James began a new chapter in her career as the first woman and first person of color to be appointed dean of the Wharton School in the institution’s 139-year history.
Free speech advocate discusses growing talk of ‘cancel culture’
Sigal Ben-Porath, a professor of education, political science, and philosophy, talks de-platforming, toppling statues, rescinding admissions, Twitter, the First Amendment, and hate speech.
Wharton economist talks ensuing coronavirus stimulus bill
Richard Prisinzano of the Penn Wharton Budget Model discusses the competing bills being debated in Congress while extended unemployment benefits stand in limbo.
43 years at Penn, and thriving
Valarie Ena Swain-Cade McCoullum reflects with Penn Today on her long career at the University, what still keeps her motivated each day, her new role as the inaugural Vice Provost for Student Engagement, and more.
In the News
‘I don’t know where to move’: Philly immigrants who’ve lived through coups warn of the rise of fringe groups
Bulent Gultekin of the Wharton School said that compared to the coup he witnessed in Turkey 60 years ago, the recent attack on the U.S. Capitol was more like a “mob scene” than a coup. “It doesn’t mean that things will be the same or we’ll forget about this very quickly, it’s a very important lesson,” he said. “In a country where it’s divided and so many are polarized, this is always a problem in the long run.”
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Democrats have a new tool to undo Trump's 'midnight rule-making.' But there's a catch
Cary Coglianese of the Law School spoke about the seldom-used Congressional Review Act, which allows Congress to overturn federal rules with a simple majority and prohibit federal agencies from reissuing similar rules without their approval. “If there’s a type of rule that the incoming administration would really like to ensure never gets adopted again, the CRA is a good way to do that,” Coglianese said.
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Parler sues Amazon, asks court to reinstate platform
David Hoffman of the Law School said Parler’s lawsuit against Amazon has been weakened because Amazon had warned the social media platform about violating the terms of their agreement prior to terminating the account. “There have been repeated warnings over time about Parler’s failure to comply with Amazon’s terms of use,” Hoffman said. “Given those repeated warnings over time, it’s sort of rich to say, ‘You didn’t give us enough time.’”
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Philadelphia police increases presence in parts of city again following storming of US Capitol
Claire Finkelstein of the Law School said President Trump may have committed a crime by encouraging his supporters to breach the U.S. Capitol building. “The question is whether or not the president was intentionally trying to interfere with the peaceful transition of power and trying to launch an attack using his supporters as weapons against the U.S. government,” Finkelstein said. “If we were to find out additional facts that suggested some intentionality on the part of the president, then I believe he could be guilty of sedition.”
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Congress expected to certify Biden’s win this week—despite GOP push to subvert the vote
Kermit Roosevelt of the Law School attributed efforts to call into question the results of the presidential election to longer term political objectives. “I’m afraid that it’s going to make the next four years a lot more difficult—not that they were going to be easy, anyway,” he said. “To the extent that we’re in an era of people living in different realities, this exacerbates that.”
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