A stream of research coming from the psychology departments in York University and University of Toronto in Canada is evidencing that fiction-reading leads to one being more empathizing and socially intelligent, reported the Express Tribune March 11….In reading narrative, we join ourselves emotionally with the protagonist, in a manner experiencing his or her emotions as they navigate through the struggles in their lives. The overarching importance is in the fact that we, the reader, get to view situations from the articulated points-of-view of others. Read full story.
Facelessness and faces in the Shoah
Princeton University historian and sociologist Jan Gross’ talk at York marked the opening of a remarkable photography exhibition, The Face of the Ghetto: Pictures by Jewish Photographers from the Lodz Ghetto 1940-1944, now on display until March 17 at Osgoode Hall Law School at York University. Hosted by the Koschitzky Centre and Osgoode Hall Law School, the exhibition features approximately 50 large-scale pictures taken by photographers in the Lodz (or Litzmannstadt) Ghetto between 1940 and 1944, reported the Canadian Jewish News March 12. Read full story.
Cheaper annuities with 'benefits'
With markets volatile and corporations scaling back defined-benefit pension plans, those in or near retirement are paying high fees to transform plain old variable annuities into a source of guaranteed income for life. But now, a handful of companies are rolling out lower-cost versions of these investments for those willing to give up some benefits, reported the Wall Street Journal March 10….Moshe Milevsky, a professor of finance at York’s Schulich School of Business, recommends investing mainly in stocks to maximize the odds that your account value – and payouts – will rise. Read full story.
Five things you need to know about new citizen’s arrest law
The amended version of the Citizen’s Arrest and Self-defence Act has one important change – people can make a citizen’s arrest within a “reasonable” amount of time after a crime has occurred, rather than when catching a perpetrator red-handed….“It’s not based on any definable criteria. I think it is very subjective and will be a case-by-case determination because someone can walk into a store a year later. Is that reasonable? Is three weeks reasonable? I’m not really sure what it means,” said Alan Young, a law professor at York University’s Osgoode Hall Law School, in The Globe and Mail March 11. Read full story.
NDP questions 'buried' car insurance report
The province's NDP is pushing for the province to release what it claims is a government-commissioned report on insurance industry profits….NDP MPP Jagmeet Singh says two York University professors are behind the study. Singh wonders if the province is serious about shrinking car insurance rates at all, after he alleges the province is burying this study, reported Newsalk 1010 March 11. Read full story.
Fukushima two years later: Who should pay for nuclear disasters?
“As the Ontario government contemplates building new and rebuilding old reactors at Darlington and extending the life of Pickering till 2020, pushing for more financial accountability for the nuclear industry becomes a vital contest. Indeed, as operators and suppliers like GE-Hitachi in Toronto look to further entrench their industry for the next few decades, we have to look no farther than the victims of Fukushima to understand what's at stake,” wrote York University MA candidate Steve Cornwell in Rabble.ca March 11. Read full story.
York University staff knew about fraud but didn’t report it, documents show
According to University documents, York University staff knew about alleged fraud in a key campus division but didn’t alert senior management because of fears of reprisals, reported the Toronto Star March 12. Read full story.