News

WashU Chancellor Andrew D. Martin discusses free speech and judicial independence in the age of revolution

6.22.26 | WashU The Source

Chancellor Martin says "Judicial independence protects free speech. Courts insulated from political pressure are more likely to enforce speech protections, even when the speech is wildly unpopular."

Weidenbaum Center’s Food Pantry Desert Map project featured in Food Bank News

6.19.26 | Food Bank News

By combining data on food insecurity with information on pantry locations, the map helps identify communities where need and access may be mismatched.

Weidenbaum Center Grant Recipient James Gibson receives the 2026 Warren E. Miller Prize

6.16.26 | WashU Ampersand

The award, granted from the Elections, Public Opinion, and Voting Behavior section, is given every 2-3 years for "an outstanding career of intellectual accomplishment and service to the profession in the EPOVB field."

Weidenbaum Center Grant Recipient Patrick Ishizuka publishes article on evolving fatherhood expectations

6.15.26 | WashU Source

Ishizuka says the question is not just how individual parents can do better, but how workplaces, communities, schools and policies can make good parenting more possible.

Weidenbaum Center Speaker John Inazu interviewed on the First Amendment’s right of assembly

6.12.26 | WashU Source

John Inazu presented “The Right of Assembly in our Democratic Experiment” as part of the spring 2026 WashU course “1776, Then and Now.”

Carlson receives the 2026 EPOVB Emerging Scholar award

6.11.26

The award is granted by the American Political Science Association and presented to top scholars in the field who are within ten years of their PhD.

Weidenbaum Center Research Fellow Tim McBride comments on Missouri Medicaid paperwork issues

6.10.26 | Missouri Independent

McBride says that recipients don’t always receive the form if they don’t have a physical address or if the address on file is incorrect. And it’s not always clear to enrollees who receive the form what the department needs from them.

Weidenbaum Center Speaker Sandro Galea comments on widespread dissatisfaction with St. Louis tornado recovery

6.6.26 | The St. Louis American

Dr. Galea, Dean of the School of Public Health at Washington University, says previous studies have found links between delayed recovery efforts and worsening mental health among disaster survivors.

Weidenbaum Center Research Fellow Andrea Katz comments on appeals court hearing in Trump ballroom case

6.5.26 | The New York Times

Katz says the Trump administration has taken advantage of an inactive Congress to rush ahead on a variety of goals, including construction of the ballroom, but also immigration restrictions and other areas.

Research by Weidenbaum Center Grant Recipient Daniel Butler sheds light on Trump’s influence on primary contests

6.3.26 | WashU The Source

Butler says by opting out of the primaries, people give power to the leaders of the parties to pursue agendas that are not responsive to moderate voters’ preferences

Weidenbaum Center Research Fellow Travis Crum comments on how the Supreme Court is reshaping US midterm elections

5.31.26 | Reuters

Crum said the justices could strike down Mississippi’s law on late-arriving mail ballots but still allow it to stand for the midterms under the Purcell principle.

Weidenbaum Center Faculty Research Fellow Victoria Shen receives the Ralph E. Powe Junior Faculty Enhancement Award

5.26.26

The Ralph E. Powe award is a competitive research award that provides seed money for junior faculty members which often result in additional funding from other sources.