Federal investigators discovered a $165 million transaction between MF Global accounts last week. The transaction was made — and then unsuccessfully reversed. One hundred sixty-five million dollars is not even Mitt Romney-level spare change. But in the ever-deepening saga of MF Global, it accounts for barely 10 percent of the $1.6 billion missing from the firm's accounts.
My generation is the generation of social media, a generation that has a plethora of digital tools through which to connect, interact and share anything with an unlimited number of people anywhere around the world at any moment in time. Sounds amazing, right? It is, but with great social power comes great social responsibility. Let me explain myself: The fact that you have 300 friends on Facebook doesn't mean that every single one of them wants to know what you are doing, thinking or thinking of doing every single moment of your day. Your responsibility as a user of social media is to not spam the system by posting for the sake of posting. In today's digital society, where if you don't have a Facebook you are literally a nobody, online overconfidence threatens to compromise the integrity and purpose of social media. If you have ever found your homepage annoyingly overcrowded with stories or posts from the same set of friends then you know exactly what I mean.
Gambling industry moguls for the last five years have had their sights set on building a new casino in Massachusetts. After spending roughly $11.4 million dollars on lobbying, their efforts paid off in November, when Governor Deval Patrick approved a bill to allow three casinos to be built in the state. The bill specifies that the casinos must be geographically distributed, with potential locations including the Greater Boston area and Southeastern and Western Massachusetts.
For many people, the last time they've had a curfew imposed on them was in elementary school, and their mothers were advising them not to play outside after dark. Even at Tufts, as opposed to other schools, there is no security guard at the front desk of our dorms; students are free to come and go as they please. But for the low−income residents of Boston, who rely on the T as their primary means of transportation, there is little choice in when and where they can travel.
This weekend, the Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University will be hosting the One State Conference, a two-day forum on the viability of the one-state solution, which proposes an end to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict by means of the foundation of a shared Jewish and Palestinian state.
On March 3-4, the international community at Tufts will have plenty to celebrate. That weekend, international students and alumni will gather on campus to celebrate the 60th anniversary of the International Center, the 40th anniversary of the International House and the 20th anniversary of the Oliver Chapman Leadership Award. Each has done a great deal to support the international community and Americans' connection to it at Tufts; the legacy of each is certainly worth celebrating.
The State of Israel was established in 1948, with its Declaration of Independence guaranteeing "complete equality of social and political rights to all its inhabitants irrespective of religion, race, or sex" and promising "freedom of religion, conscience, language, education, and culture." Israel's detractors, however, seek to sully these words through false accusations and broad generalizations incapable of accurately describing a complex situation on the ground — namely, replacing the word democracy with apartheid. There are many words to describe the State of Israel. Perfect is not one of them, but democratic certainly is. As always, we unequivocally defend Tufts Students for Justice in Palestine's (SJP) right to put on any events they wish, but we seriously question their decision to move the conversation in this negative direction, from productive dialogue to hateful misinformation. Our campus projects an ethos different from most other universities, particularly when it comes to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Where other universities see confrontations on the quad, we see challenging questions and desire for thoughtful dialogue (and the occasional back-and-forth in the Daily).
Ryan Braun, Milwaukee Brewers outfielder and reigning National League MVP, recently underwent the most damaging trial of his career. Sure, he escaped punishment, but he'll go into the record books with an indelible asterisk next to his name.
Old white men in funny hats shouldn't be allowed to make decisions about all women's bodies.
For most people, sailing evokes visions of calm lakes, picturesque days on the ocean and "Wedding Crashers" (2005). But for junior Max Bulger, sailing goes far beyond recreation and even competition - it ventures into the extreme.
The Oscars are the ultimate red−carpet, fairy−tale moment, and for many couture designers it's the only time their handcrafted, custom−made creations see the light of day. For all intents and purposes, it's the most watched fashion show in the world (sorry, Victoria's Secret). ABC capitalized on the fashion fervor by employing not one but four fashion commentators with impressive accolades to inform us exactly which celeb was sporting what designer. Included in the ranks were Nina Garcia of Marie Claire and Tim Gunn from "Project Runway." Though I watched their telecast, my interpretation of the awards show fashion was slightly different than theirs.
Chardon High School, a public high school about 35 miles outside of Cleveland, Ohio, was the scene of a deadly shooting yesterday. According to multiple reports, a student entered the cafeteria and opened fire, killing one student and wounding four others. The senseless tragedy is made even worse by the fact that it brings back memories of other school shootings, most notably those at Columbine High School in 1999 and Virginia Tech in 2007, America's two deadliest school shootings of the last 40 years.
Warren Buffet announced over the weekend in his annual letter to shareholders that his successor as chief executive officer of Berkshire Hathaway had been chosen — but he didn't say who. Then, in an interview with CNBC on Monday, he said that this person has not been told that he/she is the successor to the throne. The Oracle of Omaha always loves to keep a little mystery about his business.
Winter this year, for all intents and purposes, never came. Massachusetts has seen minimal snowfall this year — including only 7.8 inches in Boston, a record-setting low — and, as a result, $40 million of the $50 million in state funds earmarked for snow removal remains unspent. Rather than adding the surplus onto next year's snow removal budget, Governor Deval Patrick has suggested that the extra money be given to the MBTA to help offset their $161 million deficit.
Israel: Apartheid week. The name begs the question: Is Israel actually an apartheid state? Apartheid, as defined by the International Convention on the Suppression and Punishment of the Crime of Apartheid, is racial segregation and discrimination with the intent "of establishing and maintaining domination by one racial group of persons over any other racial group of persons." I am familiar with many of the crimes that the Israeli government commits against Palestinians living in the occupied territories, such as house demolitions and denied access to much needed resources. I am also familiar with many of the forms of institutionalized racism that discriminate against Arabs within Israel proper. I have read "Is Israel an Apartheid State?" a publication by the Israeli Committee Against Housing Demolitions. This publication summarizes the findings of a study conducted by the Human Sciences Research Center of South Africa. The study examines Israeli laws and practices, listing the plethora of crimes that have been committed against the Palestinians, to determine whether Israel is in fact an apartheid state. Spoiler alert: Their conclusion is yes.
Dining trays. Plastic bags. Water bottles. Freshmen at Tufts may not be familiar with seeing these items on Walnut Hill, but they were once ubiquitous. They provided a useful service enjoyed by students, but they also cost money, were of questionable utility and produced waste. Over the course of many years, each has been removed from normal use following a simple pattern. First, a group of students touts the benefits of removing said item, citing its wastefulness and high cost. Second, the university reacts favorably and commends the students. Third, said item is removed and the price of a meal stays the same or rises. These are the stories:
The former chosen son of Milwaukee has taken his first steps towards rebuilding his legacy. Upon the conclusion of the 2011 MLB season, Ryan Braun was perched comfortably on cloud nine. Though his Milwaukee Brewers squad lost to the eventual champion St. Louis Cardinals in the National League Championship series, Braun had completed his best season as a pro. His .332 batting average, 33 home runs, 33 steals and 111 RBIs earned him the NL MVP Award. Furthermore, in April 2011, he signed a mammoth five-year, $105 million contract extension, cementing his place in a Brewers uniform.
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