Political science Ph.D. student Justin Burnworth, who is also an attorney, discusses whether the state of New York’s Son of Sam law applies to the Anna Delvey podcast. The law is intended to prevent criminals from profiting off their crimes. Delvey, an alias used by Anna Sorokin, was convicted of eight charges in a high-profile case in which she posed as a wealthy Manhattan heiress. Sorokin currently hosts a podcast and was also the subject of a Netflix series. (Town & Country, 6/30/23)

The U.S. Supreme Court, in a 6-3 decision on June 29, effectively ended the use of race in college admissions, and a recent national University of Massachusetts Amherst Poll conducted earlier this month found that Americans are of two minds when it comes to the policy of affirmative action. A plurality of Americans – 42% – agree that the policy should be discontinued and race and ethnicity should no longer factor into such decisions, while 33% support the continued use of such criteria in admissions decisions. (The Hill, 6/28/23; WCVB, WMUR [N.H.], 6/29/23; News Office release)

There is additional coverage of a national UMass Amherst Poll on topics including affirmative action, Supreme Court reforms and the performance of Congress and President Joe Biden. The poll finds that a plurality of Americans – 42% – agree that the policy of considering race and ethnicity in college admissions should be discontinued, while 33% support the continued use of such criteria. (MassLive, 6/21/23; News Office release)

A new national UMass Amherst Poll surveyed views on some of the culture issues dividing the country, including diversity, trans rights, antisemitism, immigration and the definition of the political buzzword “woke.” Among other things, the poll found that about 60% supported the statement that “being a man or a woman is something that is permanent and cannot be changed.” Genny Beemyn, director the Stonewall Center, said, “ They don’t know us, so I’m not surprised that a majority of people feel that way.” (MassLive, MassLive, 6/20/23; News Office release)