Tip Sheet

As the government in Afghanistan collapsed and the Taliban seized power on the heels of the American exit from the country, Ellen Laipson, former vice chair of the U.S. National Intelligence Council and director of the international security program at the Schar School of Policy and Government, gave her assessment of the situation in an opinion piece for Asia Times.

Gov. Ralph Northam’s recent commitment to increase funding for Virginia’s behavioral health system is an important step in addressing the state’s mental health inequities that have been exacerbated by the pandemic, said Keith Renshaw, psychology professor at George Mason University.

In the wake of last month’s deadly building collapse in Surfside, Florida, there will be an increased urgency to further develop, improve and utilize a variety of new technologies for inspecting commercial buildings, said Eric Maribojoc, executive director of George Mason University’s Center for Real Estate Entrepreneurship, part of the School of Business.

While U.S. Supreme Court Justice Stephen Breyer is unlikely to retire this year, he will probably be seriously considering doing so next spring, said Ilya Somin, professor of law at George Mason University’s Antonin Scalia Law School.

Individuals who want to get back into shape after gaining weight during the pandemic should take small steps to control their caloric consumption and increase their exercise, says Margaret Jones, professor of sport management in George Mason University’s College of Education and Human Development.

The unanimous U.S. Supreme Court’s June ruling limiting the NCAA’s ability to restrict education-related benefits to athletes won’t have as broad an impact as some news outlets are reporting, said Craig Esherick, former Georgetown University men’s basketball coach, lawyer and associate professor in George Mason University’s College of Education and Human Development.

A drone that autonomously attacked soldiers during a civil conflict in Libya last year raises concerns about the global use and spread of such weapons, said Zak Kallenborn, a Policy Fellow at George Mason University’s Schar School of Policy and Government.

Though several public opinion polls have shown a decrease in support for the Black Lives Matter Movement year after the murder of George Floyd, the political victories gained by the movement’s earlier momentum will set the stage for what’s next, said Carter School professor Tehama Lopez Bunyasi.

“#BlackLivesMatter and the Movement for Black Lives have played critical roles in not only shaping our contemporary discourse on racism, but we have seen how those mobilized in concert with this movement have brought about important electoral victories,” Lopez Bunyasi said. “This racial justice movement endures and evolves alongside a countermovement that seeks to restrict who participates in our democracy and what stories get told about our country.”

This year, billions of Brood X cicadas emerged in the United States and generated quite a buzz, according to environmental experts. They also prompted questions about whether they are safe to eat, and who would want to eat them.

As companies throughout the country transition from remote work back to the office, employers can help their employees through the process by giving them a voice and options, said George Mason University School of Business professor Victoria Grady.