UCLA In the News lists selected mentions of UCLA in the world’s news media. Some articles may require registration or a subscription to view. See more UCLA In the News.

The perilous power of social media platforms | WBUR-FM’s “On Point”

“I think it’s really important for us, before diving into a critique of any technology platform – though that is essential — to think about what kind of society we want to live in,” said UCLA’s Ramesh Srinivasan. (Srinivasan’s segment begins at about 32:00.)

UCLA a top university in the West for diversity | Wall Street Journal

Among the top Western schools for diversity, the University of California, Los Angeles has the highest overall rank nationally, at No. 26. UCLA tied for No. 13 nationwide for diversity.

Several GameStop movies in the works | Vice

“These announcements are designed, generally, to plant a stake in the ground, and to kill off other projects,” [UCLA’s Tom] Nunan said. “If you were to call me next week and say, ‘I want to do a GameStop movie,’ I’d say, ‘Yeah, but you know this guy Noah’s starring in it, Netflix is already making it—I don’t think we should [expletive] with it.’ It has a cooling effect that just works.”

A quandary for BN(O) passport holders in Hong Kong | China Daily

(Commentary written by UCLA’s Christopher Tang) As a native Hongkonger who once studied and worked in the UK but is now settled in an academic career in the US, some friends asked me if life would be better in the UK. Putting political considerations aside, it troubles me to come up with a helpful answer, not just because Hong Kong is my root, but also because of the enormous economic uncertainty even the British citizens themselves are now facing in the aftermath of Brexit.

‘Extraordinary’ homelessness hearing held in Skid Row | Associated Press

While a consent decree could provide politicians some cover for their lack of solutions, allowing them to “hide behind a federal judge,” it’s not a magic bullet, said Gary Blasi, professor emeritus of law at University of California, Los Angeles. Any orders made by the judge could ultimately be appealed to the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals and overturned, he said.

Ethical land mines as California prioritizes vaccine recipients | Los Angeles Times

“What’s so difficult right now is that we even have to view this as competing priorities. There’s all this tension on shifting priorities in groups, and all of this is based on a limited supply,” said Dr. Eve Glazier, president of the Faculty Practice Group at UCLA Health. “There’s a lot of different lenses to look at it.”

Vaccine rollout puts spotlight on unequal internet access | CNN

And while there were clear efforts from governments, non-profits, and tech companies to supply devices to students, for example, and make the internet more accessible, the issue has far from resolved, according to a new report from UCLA’s Center for Neighborhood Knowledge. Racial and economic inequality continues to limit access to remote learning, the report found.

Researchers explore link between ‘Alzheimer’s gene’ and COVID-19 | Scienmag

“COVID-19 is a complex disease, and we are beginning to understand the risk factors involved in the manifestation of the severe form of the disease” said Vaithilingaraja Arumugaswami, Ph.D., a member of the UCLA Broad Stem Cell Research Center and co-corresponding author. “Our cell-based study provides a possible explanation as to why individuals with Alzheimer’s’ disease are at increased risk of developing more severe COVID-19 symptoms.” (Also: Medical Xpress.)

Vaccines have significantly reduced COVID-19 cases in nursing homes | Healthline

Dr. Deborah Lehman, a professor of clinical pediatrics and infectious disease expert at the David Geffen School of Medicine at the University of California Los Angeles, tells Healthline that she and her colleagues are paying close attention to what is happening at nursing homes. She hopes it bodes well for all of us.

Can kids return to schools without all teachers vaccinated? | KCRW-FM’s “Press Play”

“And that’s the key because in the community, we can’t regulate, we can’t make people quarantine, we can’t make people symptom check when they enter a supermarket. However, we do that on school campuses,” said UCLA’s Dr. Alice Kuo.

Celebrating lunar new year during the pandemic | KABC-TV

“So having the holiday ritual in Monterey Park or Chinatown, it’s not just for the Chinese people themselves, but also for Americans to know that this nation is comprised of many different heritages,” said UCLA’s Min Zhou.

California COVID-19 testing lab lagging behind | KCRW-FM

“In the next three or four weeks, as immunization ramps up, there might be less demand for testing,” said UCLA’s Rick Greenwood.

In race to vaccinate, could California see another surge? | Cal Matters

Such projections don’t mean the pandemic is easing, cautioned UCLA epidemiology professor Shira Shafir.  They only mean that if someone were to become severely sick, there will be a bed for them. “Even with stringent control measures in place we still saw a massive surge,” Shafir said, referring to the stay-at-home order. “We have now loosened those restrictions … and people might think well, if X is open, then X is safe, and that’s not the case.”