Maxwell School News and Commentary

Emily Thorson, associate professor of political science, has published How News Coverage of Misinformation Shapes Perceptions and Trust (Cambridge University Press, 2024). The book analyzes how the media addresses the issue of misinformation and how such coverage shapes public perception and trust. 

“It could affect U.S. citizens’ ability to travel to specific countries if they don’t want the risk of measles getting introduced to their country. It could affect other people’s ability to come visit the U.S. Other countries might require proof of measles vaccination before they can reenter their home country,” says Brittany Kmush, associate professor of public health.

“It is always a bad idea to burden someone with multiple jobs, especially when at least one of those jobs is extremely important,” says Devashish Mitra, professor of economics.

Laura-Anne Minkoff-Zern, associate professor of geography and the environment, has co-written a new book, Will Work For Food: Labor Across the Food Chain (University of California Press, 2025). Minkoff-Zern and co-author Teresa Mares explore the often-overlooked role of labor in the food system, highlighting the exploitation faced by frontline workers from farms to restaurants.

“It’s a mystery to me why they [Camp Mystic] weren’t taking proactive steps to move structures away from the risk, let alone challenging what seems like a very reasonable map that shows these structures were in the 100-year flood zone,” says Sarah Pralle, associate professor of political science.

“Recent policies such as extremely high tariffs, increased government debt, and worries about inflation have all contributed to the falling dollar,” says Ryan Monarch, associate professor of economics.

“This report doesn’t change any of the underlying evidence—in fact it doesn’t even address any of that evidence,” says Brian Taylor, director the Moynihan Institute of Global Affairs. Taylor suggests the report may have been intended to reinforce Trump’s claims that investigations into his ties to Russia are part of a Democratic hoax.

Professor of History Andrew Wender Cohen says a reasonable approach would be to maintain tariffs on used items but at lower rates that would be commensurate with the risk posed to domestic manufacturing.

“Chinese students, for many, many years have been full-pay students, if not more,” says Yingyi Ma, professor of sociology. “Some places charge additional fees for international students…and so the tuition is provide a very important buffer for American universities. Many of them are really cash-strapped, especially the state universities.”

“Among the issues Quinnipiac asked about—immigration, trade, the economy, Israel-Gaza and universities—Trump’s numbers are the worst on Russia-Ukraine, and they also are the worst among Republicans,” says Brian Taylor, professor of political science.