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CSUSB assistant professor serves as program chair for international conference, students and faculty represent university
Redlands-Loma Linda Patch
Oct. 9, 2021

Luba Levin-Banchik, Cal State San Bernardino assistant professor of political science, served as the program chair for the International Studies Association West Region (ISA-West) and was responsible for organizing its annual conference.

The three-day conference in late September, which was both in-person and virtual, included 40 panel sessions on a wide variety of topics, issues and events related to international relations and world politics.

Read the complete article at “CSUSB assistant professor serves as program chair for international conference, students and faculty represent CSUSB.”

Report on America's trust in the media falling to nearly all-time low quotes CSUSB professor’s article
KCBS Radio San Francisco
Oct. 8, 2021

A report about America’s distrust of the news media falling to an all-time low quoted an article by Meredith Conroy, CSUSB associate professor of political science, that examined why Republicans had a higher degree of distrust than Democrats. The KCBS report said there was a 57-point gap between the GOP and Democrats.

“Meredith Conroy at fivethirtyeight wrote, ‘Part of this is because Republicans are often more vocal in their criticism of the media and have long perceived it as having a liberal bias. But now they are also more likely to say that being “anti-media” is part of their political identity, and this is likely driving the staggering gap in media trust that we are seeing.’”

Read the complete article at “America's trust in the media falls to nearly all-time low.”

CSUSB professor comments on California establishing Commission on the State of Hate
Los Angeles Daily News/Southern California News Group
Oct. 8, 2021

Brian Levin, director of the Center for the Study of Hate and Extremism at Cal State San Bernardino, said the newly established Commission on the State of Hate will cover a lot of ground addressing issues of hate and extremism, and will be designed to help smaller communities that might not have the resources or expertise to tell their stories. Levin has testified in favor of AB 1126 that establishing the commission before legislators several times.

“This commission would be complementary to other agencies that fighting hate and work alongside them,” Levin said Friday before the governor signed the bill. “It will bring multiple stakeholders together and leverage data, expertise and community input in this battle against hate.”

Levin said California saw a 31% increase in hate crimes last year and the nation has seen the worst year for hate crimes since 2001. Since the beginning of the pandemic, hate crimes and hate incidents against Asian Americans have also skyrocketed in California and nationwide.

The situation is only going to get more dire with further divisions and polarization, Levin said.

“We’ve seen an explosion of investigations relating to domestic terrorism,” he said. “We’re also seeing localized extremism where local issues have become a lightning rod for division, conflict and violence. These are just some of the reasons we need this commission, which could provide local groups with the tools and expertise they need to do their work.”

Read the complete article at “California hate crime bill gets last-minute approval from Newsom.”

CSUSB professor describes extremist group in article about a state legislator appearing on its roster
Triad City Beat (North Carolina)
Oct. 10, 2021

Brian Levin, who directs the Center for the Study of Hate and Extremism at California State University, San Bernardino, described the extremist group Oath Keepers for an article about a North Carolina state legislator who appeared on its membership roster.

“The Oath Keepers adhere to a dangerous doctrine, which is the insurrectionist doctrine of the Second Amendment,” said Levin. “It says there is a constitutional and natural right to armed rebellion — a right of armed rebellion upon subjective determination of government tyranny.”

North Carolina Rep. Keith Kidwell, who serves on the Republican leadership team as a deputy whip in the NC House, is among some 38,000 people whose names appear on a membership roster leaked to the media after a hacker reportedly breached the Oath Keepers data.

Read the complete article at “NC lawmaker on Oath Keepers roster says it’s none of the public’s business.”

These news clips and others may be viewed at “In the Headlines.”