San Francisco Superior Court
Sam Bankman-Fried sentenced to 25 years − how he went from $30B crypto CEO to prison inmate
D. Brian Blank, Associate Professor of Finance, Mississippi State University Brandy Hadley, Associate Professor of Finance and the David A. Thompson Distinguished Scholar of Applied Investments, Appalachian State University The case of Sam Bankman-Fried, who was sentenced on March 28, 2024, to 25 years in prison, is emblematic of the fast-paced world of cryptocurrency, in which vast sums of money can be made or lost in the blink of an eye. In early November 2022, the crypto exchange FTX was valued at more than US$30 billion. By the middle of that month, FTX was in bankruptcy proceedings. And less than a year
Competitive workplaces don’t work for gender equality
Amalia Rebecca Miller, Georgia S. Bankard Professor of Economics, University of Virginia Carmit Segal, Professor of Managerial Economics, University of Zurich Ultra-competitive workplaces – places where employees battle against each other for rank, bonuses and promotions – are common in many high-status fields, including law and finance. But while having a highly competitive culture is, on its face, gender-neutral, it actually worsens gender inequality. That’s the key finding of our new study with colleague Ragan Petrie, published in the most recent issue of the ILR Review. As economists who study workplace diversity and career-family conflicts for women, we wanted to investigate how competition at work plays
Why Jersey girls − and guys − still don’t pump their own gas
Robert H. Scott III, Professor & Greenbaum/Ferguson/NJAR Endowed Chair in Real Estate Policy, Monmouth University New Jersey’s quirky reputation is hard earned, but one peculiarity stands out: It’s the only place in America where you can’t pump your own gas. Laws against self-service gasoline used to be common: In the late 1960s, nearly half the states in the U.S. had one. But as fuel dispensers became safer and credit cards made paying at pumps possible, those states began to reconsider. By the early 1990s, nearly four out of five gas stations nationwide were self-serve. For decades, Oregon and New Jersey were the last two
Climate change is shifting the zones where plants grow – here’s what that could mean for your garden
With the arrival of spring in North America, many people are gravitating to the gardening and landscaping section of home improvement stores, where displays are overstocked with eye-catching seed packs and benches are filled with potted annuals and perennials. But some plants that once thrived in your yard may not flourish there now. To understand why, look to the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s recent update of its plant hardiness zone map, which has long helped gardeners and growers figure out which plants are most likely to thrive in a given location. Comparing the 2023 map to the previous version from 2012 clearly shows
Princess of Wales and King Charles: one in two people develop cancer during their lives – the diseases and treatments explained
Gavin Metcalf, Cancer Biologist and Lecturer in Biomedical Science, Anglia Ruskin University The Princess of Wales released a moving video message on March 22 to address speculation about her health. In it, the future queen disclosed that she’d been diagnosed with cancer following tests conducted after she underwent major abdominal surgery at a clinic in London in January. Catherine explained that she was undergoing “preventative chemotherapy” – but emphasised that her surgery had been successful, and that she was “well” and “getting stronger every day”. The message was the second announcement of a royal family cancer diagnosis in recent weeks. On February 5, Buckingham Palace published a
Ramadan finds greater recognition in America’s public schools
Amaarah DeCuir, Senior Professorial Lecturer in Education, American University Ramadan – the Islamic month of fasting – is expected to begin at sunset on March 10, 2024. The likely first day of fasting will be Monday, March 11. Amaarah DeCuir, who researches Muslim student experiences, offers insights into how public schools can move toward greater recognition of the sacred Islamic month. How many Muslim students are enrolled in public schools in the US? There are 3.85 million Muslims in the United States. Of that number, 1.35 million are children. Although this may only represent a small portion of public school students nationwide – and many Muslim