Maxwell School News and Commentary

“Poland is a NATO member state. The United States is a member of this alliance and Poland is asking for consultations among the alliance. Several other countries sent aircraft to help down some of the drones. So this is at least a potential escalation here in the war beyond the Russia-Ukraine war,” says Brian Taylor, professor of politcal science.

“That a Muslim woman in a colonized country conceived of green innovation, universal education and social equity as forms of justice more than a century ago is deeply inspiring, ” writes Farhana Sultana, professor of geography and the environment, about Rokeya Sakhawat Hossain's Sultana's Dream (1905).

“Those positioning themselves to run for president will likely not want to premiership, lest their reputations be tarnished in the lead-up to the vote. Any prime minister is unlikely to gain a majority in parliament,” says John Goodman, assistant professor of political science by courtesy appointment and director of Syracuse University Strasbourg.

“Right now, India feels that the U.S. is not a very reliable partner,” says Devashish Mitra, Gerald B. and Daphna Cramer Professor of Global Affairs. “They thought the U.S. was an ally. If India is moving towards China, it’s a friendship of convenience.”

The New York State Wastewater Surveillance Network tracks the spread of COVID by detecting the virus in wastewater. David Larsen, professor and chair of public health and lead epidemiologist for the network, says COVID levels in the city’s wastewater were below average. 

“It is something that is done in other democracies when it really, really has to be done. It’s never ideal, and it should only be done in the U.S. or in any other democracy when it’s a true emergency, when there’s no other solution, and it should always be temporary,” says Matt Cleary, associate professor of political science.

“In the situation and climate President Trump has created, it won’t be surprising if both India and China find this a mutually beneficial transaction,” says Devashish Mitra, Gerald B. and Daphna Cramer Professor of Global Affairs.

“Americans today may not regard luxury as inimical to republican virtue in the way that they did in 1840. But prolonged inflation or a recession could reawaken those attitudes. In that context, Trump’s tacky and risible affection for gilded moldings and glitzy ballrooms could become a serious political liability,” writes Mark Schmeller, associate professor of history.

“There have also been arguments that DNI (Director of National Intelligence) has grown beyond its original intent. There is always a process of streamlining and covering the priorities effectively, but this doesn’t seem to be an effective way to do it,” says Kristen Patel, Donald P. and Margaret Curry Gregg Professor of Practice in Korean and East Asian Affairs.

“It was a useful navigation tool in the 16th century, because it has straight lines, giving navigators a line of constant direction to sail along,” says Mark Monmonier, Distinguished Professor Emeritus of Geography and the Environment. “But outside of that very narrow navigation application, there is no point in using it.”