CMC In The News

Prof. Kenneth Miller was mentioned in an article on A24’s film, Civil War, in which California and Texas are on the “same side” during the Civil War. His book, Texas vs. California: A History of Their Struggle for the Future of America was cited, laying out all the ways in which the two states’ directions have diverged. Yet on a fundamental level, he notes, the “similarities run so deep” that the two states are akin to “close siblings that became rivals.”

Prof. Frederick Lynch was quoted in an article on corporate diversity. He observed, “affirmative action frameworks were retooled into new policy rationales aimed at matching the workplace ethnic and gender diversity with that of rapidly changing customer bases.”

Reposted by Chicago Tribune, Orlando Sentinel, Boston Herald, San Diego Tribune & PBS

Prof. Jack Pitney was quoted in an article on Rep. Kevin McCarthy’s announcement that he was resigning from Congress by year end. He said, in reference when Rep. McCarthy became speaker, “he faced new challenges that required a different skill set…the deals he made to become speaker made it almost impossible for him to succeed as speaker.”

Prof. Henri Cole recalled his interview with poet, Louise Glück, who died unexpectedly in October 2023. Glück visited CMC in 2021 and spoke at the Athenaeum shortly after winning the Nobel Prize in Literature.

Prof. Jack Pitney was quoted in an article on a video of an Oakland Council meeting where speakers shared sympathy for Hamas. He said, in reference to the controversy, “The potential for blowback is enormous — even people who are highly critical of Israel would draw the line at expressing any kind of sympathy for Hamas.”

Prof. Jack Pitney was quoted in a piece on the various gag orders that prevent Trump from speaking about his trials publicly. He said, “The key for Trump is to portray the prosecutions as a politically motivated witch hunt. That way, his voters would view a conviction not as proof of his guilt, but as a sign of his victimhood. That’s why he keeps repeating the phrases ‘witch hunt’ and ‘election interference.’”

Prof. Jack Pitney was asked about the upcoming debate between Gov. Gavin Newsom and Gov. Ron DeSantis. He shared, in regards to DeSantis, “…he is sinking in the polls and needs some way to revive his primary campaign.”

Prof. Jack Pitney was quoted in an article comparing Vice President Kamala Harris to Gov. Gavin Newsom and their chances at becoming President. He stated, Harris has “near-universal name identification in the Democratic Party and access to the national media,” and yet “no independent authority.”

Prof. Jack Pitney was quoted in an article about the possibility of a Republican winding up in one of the top two Senate seats in California. He said, “…if two of the three (Democrats) fade in the stretch, then a Republican could place second.”

Prof. Jack Pitney was quoted in an article that discussed the debate between Gov. Gavin Newsom and Gov. Ron DeSantis, hosted by Sean Hannity. Prof. Pitney did not see the debate helping DeSantis since he's so far behind, but says the event has its benefits. He said, “The red model is very different from the blue model, and attentive viewers could learn something about the merits and defects of each.”

Prof. Jack Pitney was quoted in an article about the fire that damaged the 10 freeway in Los Angeles. He shared, in reference to Gov. Newsom’s involvement in fixing the road, “…if you are a governor, you want to be in on any good news involving roads.”

Prof. Piercarlo Valdesolo was mentioned in an article discussing his co-authored study on awe.

Prof. Tamara Venit-Shelton was quoted in a piece on TB testing for Ukrainian asylum seekers. She provided some historical context on how Los Angeles became a haven for health seekers in the mid 19th century. She shared, “…especially after the Transcontinental Railroad connected California to the rest of the country, health tourism became a more reliable source of income for Californians. It didn't take a lot of capital to set up a place that middle- and upper-class tourists could come to rest and recuperate.”

Prof. Minxin Pei was quoted in an article about President Biden’s meeting with China’s President Xi Jinping. He shared that “Xi needs the summit more than Biden does. He needs to show he’s respected, that he has stature. He’s definitely in a worse position than in November of last year.”

Prof. Jack Pitney was featured in an article on Robert F. Kennedy’s popularity among younger voters. He stated that RFK’s popularity "represents dissatisfaction about a choice between two old men. Many younger voters like the vague idea of 'independence.' His support will melt when voters learn about his positions, his record and his age."