Editor's note

The Connecticut Supreme Court ruled yesterday that the families of the Sandy Hook Elementary shooting victims can sue the companies that made and sold the semiautomatic rifle used in the attack. If the decision stands – which is no sure thing – it would likely open the floodgates to more lawsuits against gun makers throughout the country, argues Timothy D. Lytton, a law professor at Georgia State University.

The recent college admission cheating scandal has drawn outrage toward parents who broke the law to get their kids into competitive schools. But, argue Morgan Polikoff, Jerome A. Lucido and Julie Renee Posselt, education scholars at the University of Southern California, the real scandal is the many ways wealthy families work within the system to protect their competitive advantage in the college admissions process.

This week in Britain, Parliament took a trio of votes on Brexit – none of which moved the country any closer to achieving an exit from the European Union. Three American EU watchers – Garret Martin of American University’s School of International Service, and Scott L. Greer and Holly Jarman of the University of Michigan – react to a messy week in U.K. politics.

Bryan Keogh

Economics + Business Editor

Top stories

A detective holds a Bushmaster AR-15 rifle, the same type of gun used in the Sandy Hook School shooting. AP Photo/Jessica Hill

Sandy Hook lawsuit court victory opens crack in gun maker immunity shield

Timothy D. Lytton, Georgia State University

The Connecticut Supreme Court ruled that the families of the Sandy Hook shooting victims could sue a gun maker, a decision that could open the floodgates to more lawsuits.

Clockwise from top left, Georgetown University, Stanford University, Yale University, and University of California, Los Angeles. AP

Why meritocracy is a myth in college admissions

Morgan Polikoff, University of Southern California; Jerome A Lucido, University of Southern California; Julie Renee Posselt, University of Southern California

Even if wealthy parents don't resort to the kind of illegal tactics in the recent college cheating scandal revealed by the FBI, the college admission process still favors the rich, scholars argue.

Outside the Houses of Parliament in London on March 14, 2019. REUTERS/Henry Nicholls

3 days, 3 key votes – and no end in sight for Brexit

Scott L. Greer, University of Michigan; Garret Martin, American University School of International Service; Holly Jarman, University of Michigan

Three scholars react to the spectacle, finger-pointing and long-term harms of the stalemate in British Parliament.

Arts + Culture

Politics + Society

  • 5 ways the Syrian revolution continues

    Wendy Pearlman, Northwestern University

    The revolution begun by Syrians exactly eight years ago has been won – by the murderous leader they rebelled against. But the struggle for freedom, dignity and justice Syrians launched is not over.

Ethics + Religion

  • Why rich parents are more likely to be unethical

    David M. Mayer, University of Michigan

    An expert explains the many reasons why people behave in an unethical manner and what research shows on why the wealthy have a need to maintain their higher status.

Education

Health + Medicine

Science + Technology

  • Softer, processed foods changed the way ancient humans spoke

    Steven Moran, University of Zürich; Balthasar Bickel, University of Zürich

    Considering language from a biological perspective led researchers to the idea that new food processing technologies affected neolithic human beings' jaws – and allowed new language sounds to emerge.

Economy + Business

  • Consumer rights are worthless without enforcement

    Anne Fleming, Georgetown University

    JFK pushed consumer rights to the top of the national agenda in 1962, leading to a raft of new laws offering new protections. But without enforcement, such rights are meaningless.

Environment + Energy

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Today’s quote

"the public’s expectation that they will see a report from the Mueller investigation is unrealistic."

 

Indict or shut up: The public may never see a report from Mueller's investigation

 

Stanley M. Brand

Pennsylvania State University

Stanley M. Brand