Posted inEnvironment, Possibly Podcast

Could we use a space umbrella to cool down the planet?

Literally blocking out the sun may sound extreme, but scientists are debating whether using dust particles to reflect sunlight away from the Earth could be a temporary solution if climate change gets out of control.

Posted inEducation, Politics, The Weekly Catch

Students strike a deal at Brown, roots of militarized police response to college protests, and more

Pro-Palestine demonstrations have cropped up on university campuses around the country, leading in some cases to arrests and clashes with police. But Brown University students and administrators this week reached a peaceful conclusion. We hear from two students about how it happened. Also, violence between cops and student protestors may seem familiar to those who witnessed the campus unrest of the 60s and other eras. But today’s militarized police response to protests at Columbia and other colleges has its roots in post-9/11 policies. Plus, we hear about a biography on one of the most influential American artists of the past 50 years: Keith Haring. That and more coming on this episode of The Weekly Catch.

Posted inPolitical Roundtable, Politics

Brown professor Tricia Rose on how views of a colorblind America inhibit efforts to fight racism

As someone who grew up in Harlem and the Bronx, Brown University professor Tricia Rose has had a front row seat on the racial fault lines in American society. Her latest book is Metaracism — How Systemic Racism Devastates Black Lives — And How We Break Free. Rose’s book offers a new view of structural racism, how it works, and what is needed to make change. So are Americans ready to acknowledge the persistence of racism and how it affects our country? And how is the outlook for improving the situation in the heat of a high-stakes political year? This week on Political Roundtable, I’m going in-depth with director of Brown University’s Center for the Study and Race and Ethnicity in America Tricia Rose.

Posted inEducation, Local, Metro Desk

Brown University students on how the pro-Palestine encampment came to a peaceful conclusion

Brown University proved to be an outlier at university campuses this past week as police elsewhere broke up encampments and arrested protesters. Pro-Palestinian activists at Brown reached an agreement with their school’s administrators to end an encampment.

Posted inLocal, Metro Desk

Brown University professors accuse administrators of ‘intimidation, threats, and harassment’

Some professors at Brown University are accusing the school’s administration of surveilling and harassing faculty members who attended a pro-Palestinian encampment at the school’s Providence campus.  In a statement put out by Brown’s chapter of the American Association of University Professors, or AAUP, the professors specifically take issue with letters sent to several faculty members […]

Posted inLocal, Metro Desk, Stories

Student protesters, administrators at Brown University reach deal to clear encampment

Brown University has reached a deal with the group that launched a pro-Palestinian encampment last week, Brown Divest Coalition.  In exchange for students clearing the encampment by 5 p.m. Tuesday and promising not to engage in unauthorized protests through the rest of the semester, administrators have agreed to bring a divestment proposal to a vote […]

Posted inEnvironment, Possibly Podcast

How can I explain climate change to my friends and family?

Talking about climate change is never easy. Today, we get some tips from five experts on how to do it gracefully.

Posted inLocal, Metro Desk, Stories

Negotiations on a deal to end Brown University encampment to continue Tuesday

Student protesters are negotiating with Brown University administrators over terms that could end a pro-Palestinian encampent at the school’s Providence campus and meet some of the activists’ demands, according to several students familiar with the discussions. On Monday at 3 p.m., a group of six student activists met with two administrators to discuss an offer […]

Posted inLocal, On Sports

Rhode Island College Anchorwomen suffer their first and season-ending loss

Editor’s note: This column was updated March 11 to reflect the results of weekend games and tournaments. March Madness, the annual college basketball rite of spring, is upon us. To be precise, it starts March 19 with the men’s Division I tournament and March 20 with the women’s, and ends April 8 for the men […]