Maxwell School

@maxwellsu.bsky.social

News, research and information from the Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs at Syracuse University.

“We’ve known for decades that extreme heat and drought are becoming more common due to anthropogenic climate change. So the general outline of these events, if not all the details, was tragically predictable,” says Jacob Bendix, professor emeritus of geography and the environment.

Human-caused climate change made Spanish, French fires much more likely, scientists calculate

Two new studies reveal climate change's fingerprints over extreme fire weather-triggering infernos in Spain and France.

apnews.com

This August, Maxwell hosts its second cohort of Distinguished Humphrey Fellows: 19 senior government and law enforcement officials from around the world, for an 18-day executive education program on combatting illicit drug trafficking. More: https://bit.ly/4fQb5zQ

Maxwell to Host Second Cohort of Distinguished Humphrey Fellows Focused on Drug Trafficking

The program brings senior international professionals to Syracuse for intensive executive education on disrupting the global drug supply chain.

bit.ly

Professor Grant Reeher weighs in on the DNC's move to make South Carolina the first 2028 WH primary state and what it could mean, noting a large field could help the more progressive candidates: "A lot depends on how large the field is." https://bit.ly/3U394sv

How South Carolina DNC win could affect democratic socialists' 2028 plans

Democrats' decision to make South Carolina the first primary state fuels debate over which wing of the party stands to benefit.

bit.ly

WATCH: “So there's no military solution here. What needs to happen is a good faith, negotiated settlement, but that's going to require that the White House really focus on that settlement and not on attempting to get concessions through force,” says Professor Osamah Khalil.

Middle East & foreign policy expert breaks down biggest questions as US, Iran trade military strikes

Osamah Khalil, expert on the Middle East and foreign policy at Syracuse University, joins us to discuss the possible return to full blown war as the United States and Iran increasingly trade military ...

news4jax.com

“South Sudan at the moment is a failed promise. South Sudanese who had lived under brutal regimes in Sudan and had been excluded from money and development programmes, and were victims of security operations in the southern part, had hung their hopes on independence,” says Professor Jok Madut Jok.

In maps and charts: South Sudan’s 15 years of independence

AJLabs breaks down the 15 years of liberation from Khartoum and the impact on 12 million people.

aljazeera.com

“I think we're in a tit-for-tat right now, which it actually represents a new phase of the conflict between the United States and Iran. Certainly, we're on our fifth consecutive day of strikes, which seem to be getting more aggressive on both sides,” says Professor Robert Murrett.

U.S., Iran in a "new phase" of the conflict, retired Navy vice admiral explains

U.S. Central Command confirmed it began a second wave of strikes against Iran on Wednesday, following a round of attacks earlier in the day. Retired Navy Vice Adm. Robert Murrett joins CBS News to dis...

cbsnews.com

Congratulations to Laura-Anne Minkoff-Zern, associate professor of geography and the environment, on winning the ASFS book award for "Will Work for Food: Labor Across the Food Chain," co-authored with Teresa Mares of UVM. The book examines labor across the U.S. food system. 📚 https://bit.ly/4fbBjft

Bild

Is the dollar dominant because of America's economy—or its political and military power? Professor Daniel McDowell weighs in: “In the great global currency debate, market forces have never been more passé and political forces have never been so prominent.” @supolisci.bsky.social

The US Is Relearning an Old Lesson About Dollar Dominance

The question lurking beneath a recent wave of books about the dollar isn’t financial. It’s whether America’s dominance can outlast its politics.

bloomberg.com

“This disaster throws a wrench in the White House and State Department plan for securing and stabilizing the circum-Caribbean region that includes Venezuela. It suddenly complicates the vision this administration has for the region,” says Professor Gladys McCormick.

Ousting Maduro, Trump vowed US would run Venezuela. Quakes put that to a test.

Venezuela’s devastating twin earthquakes have highlighted a dysfunctional state in a nation that President Donald Trump recently said the United States would “run.” If poorly handled, the crisis could...

bit.ly

Prof. Colleen Heflin says it's important to note that “since a large portion of these errors are outside the control of the agencies [they have to work with the info that clients provide], it will be difficult to bring down these errors without needlessly burdening all SNAP recipients.”

SNAP improper payments top $10 billion despite Trump's anti-waste push

The USDA said improper SNAP payments - both under and over payments - accumulated to more than $10 billion nationwide in fiscal year 2025.

newsweek.com

“[China’s] advantage is speed and scale in cultivating talent in specific fields. The risk is overcorrection and overcrowding: Some fields may be undervalued before their long-term importance is fully understood,” says Professor Yingyi Ma. @cprmaxwell.bsky.social

Chinese universities are cutting language majors to make way for AI

Universities are dropping programs in translation and foreign languages while adding degrees in embodied intelligence, AI, and robotics.

bit.ly

“This might be a time of thinking about liberty, equality, the pursuit of happiness,” says Professor Carol Faulkner. But in some ways this time is different, she says. “It's much more partisan. It's really much more about a divisive president than the 1876 or the 1976 commemorations.” #America250

America is in a mood on the cusp of our 250th birthday

Most Americans say the signers of the Declaration of Independence would feel more disappointment than pride about the nation's democracy today.

usatoday.com