Plus, sanctioning Russian oil, and the role U.S. courts and judges play in democracy.
| Olympic transformation of metropolitan cities—for better or for worse The 1996 Olympics in Atlanta were touted as a catalyst for urban renewal, but the reality was more complex. To make way for the games’ infrastructure and facilities, the city used eminent domain to seize and demolish properties in two predominantly-Black neighborhoods. Almost 30,000 Atlanta residents were uprooted from their homes and about 9,000 homeless people were illegally arrested. And 12 years earlier, when Los Angeles hosted the Olympics, there were substantial environmental costs. The influx of visitors and vehicles led to elevated air pollution, which impacted athletes and residents alike. With Atlanta hosting 2026 World Cup games and Los Angeles hosting the 2028 Olympics, what can these and other cities learn from the legacy of past sporting events? Keon L. Gilbert and Calvin Bell discuss how to achieve the delicate balance between ambitious urban development and the rights of local communities. |
More research and commentary Strains on the Sovcomflot oil tanker fleet. Two months ago, Robin Brooks and Ben Harris argued the U.S. could sanction more of Russia’s Sovcomflot fleet of tankers with little risk of an oil price spike. In an update to their analysis, Brooks and Harris interpret new developments as indications of strain on the Sovcomflot fleet due to Western sanctions and the EU ban on Russian seaborne oil. The judicial system and U.S. democracy. The nine members of the U.S. Supreme Court preside at the top of a pyramid which includes hundreds of federal appellate and district courts, with judges appointed for essentially life terms. On a new episode of Democracy in Question, Russell Wheeler, Benjamin Wittes, and Kathryn Dunn Tenpas explore the role of the judicial system in American democracy. |
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