Articles by Philip Marcelo

New York City’s Skyscrapers Are Built to Withstand Most Earthquakes

The ground rumbled Friday beneath New York City, home to famous skyscrapers like the Empire State Building and One World Trade Center. Though buildings that can reach above 100 stories might seem especially vulnerable to earthquakes, engineering experts say skyscrapers …

Hacking Allegations Expose E-Prescription System Cyber Risk

Scammers hacked into doctors’ electronic prescribing accounts, wrote tens of thousands of bogus orders for addictive drugs, then had runners pick them up from pharmacies in multiple states so they could be illegally resold online, prosecutors in New York announced …

NRA to Have Surprising Defender in Supreme Court Free Speech Case: the ACLU

In a case of politics making strange bedfellows, the National Rifle Association will be represented by frequent nemesis the American Civil Liberties Union in an appeal before the U.S. Supreme Court. The New York-based civil liberties group confirmed Saturday that …

Court Says Woman Can Sue Harvard for Distress Over Enslaved Ancestors’ Photos

A Connecticut woman who says she’s descended from slaves who are portrayed in widely published, historical photos owned by Harvard University can sue the school for emotional distress, Massachusetts’ highest court ruled Thursday. The state’s Supreme Judicial Court partly vacated …

Mario Batali Acquittal Underscores Perils of #MeToo Cases

Bill Cosby was released from prison when his conviction that he drugged and assaulted a woman was overturned. Quarterback Deshaun Watson landed a record-setting $230 million contract, despite an investigation into allegations he assaulted 22 women. Celebrity chef Mario Batali …

Northeast Summer Storms Were a Climate-Change Wake-Up Call for Subways

When the remnants of Hurricane Ida dumped record-breaking rain on the East Coast this month, staircases leading into New York City’s subway tunnels turned into waterfalls. In Philadelphia, a commuter line along the Schuylkill River was washed out for miles, …

Suit Accuses Brown University of Failing to Protect Women From Sexual Misconduct

Brown University has systematically and repeatedly failed to protect women from rape and other sexual misconduct, according to a federal class action lawsuit filed recently by four current and former female students. The suit, which was filed last Friday in …

Martha’s Vineyard, Nantucket Face Dire Climate Change Impact

The famous islands of Martha’s Vineyard and Nantucket in Massachusetts are facing serious impacts from rising sea levels and more powerful coastal storms driven by climate change, a new environmental report warns. The “State of the Coast” report by the …

Officials Say 250 in Coronavirus Quarantine in Massachusetts

Massachusetts officials are launching an aggressive plan to regularly disinfect the state transit system and are calling on colleges and high schools to cancel study abroad programs as more than 700 residents have been quarantined amid the global spread of …

Judge Upholds Massachusetts’ Vaping Products Ban for Now

A federal judge upheld Massachusetts’ four-month ban on the sale of vaping products on Friday, at least for now. U.S. District Judge Indira Talwani denied the vaping industry’s request for a temporary reprieve from the ban while their legal challenge …