blog posts Forecast – A Fragile Climate: NASA minds, technology track the changing planet Nov 2, 2022 11:15 am WGN-TV (Nov. 1) U of I's Don Wuebbles: 'We basically have three choices. We can mitigate, reduce emissions; we can adapt, be more resilient; or we can suffer... We need to do a lot of mitigation and adaptation if we’re going to reduce suffering for the future.' A new experimental sensor could help make testing blood flow much easier Nov 3, 2015 10:30 am Tech Times (Nov. 2) - The sensor, developed at Illinois, in the form of a temporary tattoo, enables blood to be tracked for a 24-hour period while the patient continues doing his or her daily tasks. Educators push back in fight against teaching Toni Morrison's 'Beloved' Nov 4, 2021 12:15 pm The New York Times (Nov. 3) 'What Morrison does is ask that the reader look at the horrors of slavery without any blinders on. It’s so graphic because that’s what Morrison was trying to do,' says Information Sciences professor Emily Knox. Study: Legalized recreational pot in Illinois could have a billion-dollar economic impact Nov 9, 2018 1:45 pm The Illinois study also estimated legalization - favored by Governor-elect - would create some 2,600 businesses and 24,000 jobs, plus tax revenue of $525 million annually What a Biden victory will mean for the American workforce Nov 9, 2020 11:00 am Politico (Nov. 8) Professor Bob Bruno cautions those who foresee a new era for unions because of Biden's long relationship with unions. 'Labor’s been in this place before where the political stars have aligned, and they haven’t been a priority.' Engineering alumnus picked to lead Minneapolis Federal Reserve bank Nov 10, 2015 4:15 pm New York Times (Nov. 10) - Alumnus Neel Kashkari, a Treasury official who oversaw the government’s bailout of the banking industry during the financial crisis, was named the next president of the Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis. Future of Discovery Partners Institute innovation center may be in doubt Nov 12, 2018 1:30 pm Chicago Tribune (Nov. 9) Governor-elect J.B. Pritzker has expressed concern over the lack of private funding for the Chicago-based innovation center, a partnership between the state and the U of I In talking about their pasts, people selectively remember and disclose positive personal info Nov 13, 2015 12:15 pm Fortune (Nov. 12) - A recent social psychological study at Illinois found, “Self-serving judgments, in which the self is viewed more favorably than other people, are ubiquitous.” GOP overhaul proposals target state and local tax deduction Nov 14, 2017 1:15 pm Omaha World-Herald (Nov. 11) Illinois' Richard Kaplan says eliminating the deduction jibes with the Republican goal (not wanting high-tax locales subsidized) and helps the proposal’s bottom line Despite a huge class of Chinese undergrads, U of I admits as many state residents as ten years ago Nov 16, 2015 11:45 am Wall Street Journal (Nov. 16) - But fewer in-state students are enrolling because of sharply increased tuition. Experts: GOP tax bill gives big benefits to business owners, the rich – much less for regular Joes Nov 17, 2017 10:00 am Christian Science Monitor (Nov. 15) 'This is really tiny tinkering for individuals, (while) on the business side this is a major reduction of business taxes,' says Illinois tax policy expert Richard Kaplan How Illinois businesses are preparing before recreational marijuana use begins Nov 18, 2019 2:30 pm Daily Herald (Nov. 17) 'There isn’t an express prohibition' related to recreational marijuana use, says Illinois professor Michael LeRoy, s0 employers retain the right to fire employees for their marijuana use. Can a vastly bigger national-service program bring the country back together? Nov 22, 2021 11:15 am The New Yorker (Nov. 19) Professor Thomas Rudolph warns of a measurable uptick in polarization beyond politics, in the kind of 'regular opportunities for people to come into contact with others who may think differently than they do.' Worst terror attack in recent Egyptian history has highlighted the threat posed to Sufis there Nov 29, 2017 11:45 am The National (Nov. 28) Unlike Shiites, Sufism is not a specific sect of Islam. 'It’s about as difficult to define as Islam itself, because it’s that vast,' says Illinois professor Valerie Hoffman “Families tend to have these processes that govern (how) people relate to each other.” Dec 1, 2015 1:30 pm Bustle (Nov. 30) - Laurie Kramer, an Illinois professor who studies family dynamics: “There are all these rules (that) act very powerfully to guide a lot of the ways we relate to each other.” America's insurance crisis: Ballooning premiums for home, car insurance Dec 5, 2023 12:45 pm Daily Mail (Dec. 3) 'There’s been an increase in fatalities and accidents, and data showing that people are driving more recklessly,' says U of I professor of finance Lynne McChristian. Blueberries prevent high blood pressure, heart disease and cancer while also combatting aging Dec 6, 2017 12:15 pm Longevity (Dec. 6) Illinois study on prostate cancer showed the anthocyanins found in blueberries may attack cancer-causing free radicals and prevent tumor cells from forming 55 years of Dial-A-Carol Dec 7, 2015 11:30 am Call this number and a live person will sing you any Christmas song, 24/7. Really. University of Illinois plans new African-American cultural center by 2018 Dec 10, 2015 11:00 am Chicago Sun Times (Dec. 9) - Illinois has committed nearly $5 million to build a new African-American Cultural Center at its Champaign-Urbana campus. An experimental drug, PAC-1, shows promise in treating dogs for cancer, may also help humans Dec 14, 2016 2:15 pm WBBM-TV (CBS, Chicago, Dec. 13) Illinois chemistry professor Paul Hergenrother discovered PAC-1 10 years ago in his lab. Corporation for Public Broadcasting awards grant to launch Illinois Newsroom Collaboration Dec 15, 2015 10:45 am WUIS-91.9 FM (Dec. 14) - Seven public media stations in Illinois are partners in a $715,000 grant from the Corporation for Public Broadcasting to launch a journalism collaboration, led by Illinois Public Media Guardian's top 12 sciences advances includes Illinois' photosynthesis breakthrough Dec 19, 2016 8:15 am The Guardian (UK, Dec.18) Illinois scientists made a breakthrough that could herald a second green revolution for world agriculture – they improved the efficiency of photosynthesis How Jennifer Lopez fought for her 'Second Act' Dec 19, 2018 2:45 pm WDDE-FM (Dec. 19) Professor Isabel Molina-Guzman, author of "Dangerous Curves: Latina Bodies In The Media," discusses how Lopez helped to create opportunities for other Latina actresses Agave is an increasingly popular substitute for honey and sugar. But is it healthy? Dec 19, 2023 8:45 am USA Today (Dec. 15) A report from the U of I College of ACES notes that agave is 1.5 times sweeter than even table sugar, so it takes less of it to achieve the same level of sweetness as other sweeteners. Study: Famed Domesday Book was completed later than historians thought Jan 3, 2019 4:15 pm Arts Technica (Jan. 2) Carol Symes, a professor of history at Illinois, argues that the famed Domesday book was actually completed years, maybe even decades, later than originally thought. Meet the Illinois startup helping NASA, Boeing detect errors in their software Jan 4, 2019 11:45 am Chicago Inno (Jan. 3) Runtime Verification's technology can automatically detect bugs that are lurking in a company’s software and identify problems before a program crashes 3-D printer manufacturer promises “more innovations” later in the year... Jan 6, 2016 3:30 pm Tech Times (Jan. 5) - ...including an online 3-D printing course created in collaboration with the Makerlab at Illinois. Illinois professor’s research looks at brain activity as it relates to yoga Jan 6, 2020 12:45 pm BTN (Jan. 3) 'Anecdotally, anyone you talk to will tell you it helps them. The instructors...can tell how different poses will help,' says researcher Neha Gothe. 'But there definitely needs to be more science to back it up.' Was this a coup attempt? Here’s some history and context to help you decide Jan 7, 2021 1:30 pm PolitiFact (Jan. 6) 'We define a coup d’etat as the sudden and irregular (i.e., illegal or extra-legal) removal, or displacement, of the executive authority of an independent government,' wrote the Coup D’etat Project at Illinois. Does sexual harassment training work? Jan 9, 2018 11:30 am PBS Newshour (Jan. 8) Illinois' Louise Fitzgerald says ignorance of what constitutes harassment is not the problem. 'Do you reallty think grown men need to be taught not to grope their co-workers?' Statins great at lowering cholesterol, research says, but may hinder fitness Jan 10, 2017 9:00 am “Mice that received statins gradually reduced the amount of voluntary wheel running over the course of two weeks, whereas the mice that received saline maintained their mileage,” says lead researcher Marni Boppart, a professor at Illinois. Let hospitals, not politicians, triage care during the latest COVID-19 surge Jan 10, 2022 10:00 am Chicago Tribune (Jan. 10) Omicron may be less virulent than delta and other variants but the volume of infections is placing unprecedented demand on hospitals and their resources, writes U of I professor Sheldon Jacobson. U of I's rail transportation center calculates cost of delayed maintenance on Chicago's Metra system Jan 11, 2019 9:30 am Daily Herald (Jan.10) Study by the Rail Transportation and Engineering Center shows the failure to spend $1 in preventive maintenance now can cost $4 in deferred maintenance later Dual-purpose biofuel crops could extend production, increase profits Jan 12, 2017 9:00 am According to recent Illinois research, dual-purpose biofuel crops could produce both ethanol and biodiesel for nine months of the year—increasing profits by as much as 30%. 'Be A Quitter' helps Illinois businesses provide tobacco cessation programs Jan 12, 2022 12:15 pm The Center Square (Jan. 11) 'Our mission at Illinois Extension is to provide unbiased, research-based solutions to the challenges faced by Illinois residents, families, communities and businesses.This project does exactly that.' Christian foster care reopens debate on religious freedom and government Jan 18, 2019 11:00 am WBUR-FM (Jan. 17) Experts including Illinois law professor Robin Fretwell Wilson take a closer look at how church and state clash when it comes to federal funding for adoption and social services Phishing scheme targeting Gmail users fools even seasoned security experts Jan 20, 2017 12:30 pm Chicago Tribune (Jan. 19) Nikita Borisov, a professor of electrical and computer engineering at Illinois, says the scam can be hard to spot. Urban farms, insects, key in battle against hunger Jan 20, 2022 10:30 am Sci Dev Net (Jan. 19) Food security is an ongoing challenge in sub-Saharan Africa. Raised in a drought-prone area of Kenya, U. of I. entomology professor Esther Ngumbi says insects can be a sustainable source of food and nutrition. Tendency to rely on the internet as a memory aid increases after each use Jan 24, 2017 10:45 am The Guardian (Jan. 24) Researchers at Illinois and U-C Santa Cruz have identified the phenomenon they call 'cognitive offloading' Are federal workers being forced into involuntary servitude? Jan 25, 2019 1:00 pm San Fancisco Chronicle (Jan. 25) Professor Michael LeRoy writes that no court has addressed the question of whether the government can fire federal employees working without pay for not showing up Fulton County grand jury could be necessary ammo in prosecuting Trump Jan 25, 2023 10:00 am Newsweek (Jan. 24) 'Would the grand jury report help the credibility of the government’s allegations? Probably,' says law professor Andrew Leipold. '...We can be modestly confident the jurors' oversight made the report more careful and precise.' Microplastic contamination found in underground aquifers Jan 28, 2019 10:00 am Earth.com (Jan. 28) U of I study is first to reveal the discovery of microplastics in fractured limestone aquifers, an underground freshwater source that supplies 25% of drinking water worldwide University of Illinois system office is shrinking Jan 29, 2018 12:45 pm Chronicle of Higher Ed (Jan. 29) When its administrative realignment is complete, the U of I System will have shifted 115 positions, $8.4 million in recurring funds to the three campuses Reducing air pollution saved the US $24 billion on elderly health benefits Jan 29, 2020 10:30 am 'One of the main ways...we differ from previous studies of air pollution is that we rigorously estimate the counterfactual life expectancy of individuals killed by acute pollution exposure,” says Illinois's Tatyana Deryugina Experts sound alarm on herbicide resistance: For some weeds, we may have no good chemical options Jan 31, 2018 11:15 am Country Guide (Jan. 30) Adam Davis, a professor of crop sciences at Illinois, says Palmer amaranth and waterhemp have gone beyond mere 'hard-to-control weed' status U of I Prof Jason Mazzone on the significance of Justice Breyer’s retirement Jan 31, 2022 10:00 am WGN Radio (Jan. 29) Law professor Jason Mazzone explains what makes Justice Breyer unique to the Supreme Court and whether or not President Biden is the first to place a specific kind of justice on the court. Mayor Rahm Emanuel, execs from Chicago tech companies, visit campus to recruit young techies Feb 1, 2017 10:00 am Crain's Chicago Business (Jan. 30) Their itinerary included a visit to the U of I Research Park, where researchers are working on everything from prosthetics to solar cars UI researchers predict corn yields based on weather at three critical growth periods Feb 1, 2019 11:00 am New Food (Jan. 31) Beyond predicting crop yield quantity, this study identifies conditions leading to higher oil or protein concentrations – information that matters to grain buyers UI launches bioenergy research center to generate fuel products directly from plants Feb 2, 2018 1:00 pm Kansas City Star (Feb. 1) 'We're really hoping to open the door to a whole bio-economy where we're using plants as factories,' said Center director Evan DeLucia 'Insects run the planet, something most people don't know' Feb 5, 2020 1:00 pm Pittsburgh Post-Gazette (Feb. 4) Illinois professor May Berenbaum will deliver the keynote address, 'How humans affect insect evolution without even realizing it,' at a celebration of the life, works of Charles Darwin.