blog posts Can Major League Baseball owners, players avoid another work stoppage? Jul 20, 2020 8:45 am A coronavirus-abbreviated Major League Baseball season will open amid the backdrop of significant labor tension between owners and players, says U. of I. labor historian Daniel A. Gilbert. Can people take a livestock drug to treat a deadly virus? Sep 2, 2021 10:15 am Taking large or multiple doses of the anti-parasitic drug ivermectin can cause a toxic overdose, and humans should not take forms intended for animal use, says Illinois veterinary medicine expert Dr. Jim Lowe. Can pet dogs be infected with coronavirus? Feb 25, 2022 3:30 pm On Feb. 6, a team led by U of I pathobiology professor Ying Fang diagnosed a pet dog in Chicago with the virus that causes COVID-19 in humans. This is the first dog in Illinois to test positive for the coronavirus. Can President Biden pass comprehensive immigration reform? Feb 15, 2021 9:30 am Any legislative action on comprehensive immigration reform will face significant headwinds in the Senate, says Lauren R. Aronson, director of the Immigration Law Clinic at Illinois. Can President Trump pardon himself? Jul 31, 2017 8:30 am No provision of the Constitution prohibits it, but the threat of impeachment should function as a check on the president's clemency powers, said law professor Jason Mazzone Can relationships flourish through technology alone? Mar 31, 2020 9:45 am Technology can be our friend in sustaining close relationships now lacking face time during COVID-19, but it depends on how we use it, says communication professor John Caughlin. Can we talk about the Illinois climate? Dec 3, 2018 8:00 am Illinois state climatologist Jim Angel, who is retiring in December, discusses his career, climate change and the recently released National Climate Assessment Citizenship and the census: What happens now? Jul 1, 2019 8:45 am Professor Julie Dowliing says not having a citizenship question will improve response rates, but more than a year of news coverage about this topic will have an impact. Considering a nation without Roe v. Wade May 24, 2022 9:30 am How other nations deal with abortion reveals what the U.S. might face in the near future, and U of I sociologist Cynthia Buckley says the U.S. is not prepared to deal with a likely increase of unwanted and unplanned births. Consumers across political spectrum share food pricing frustrations Mar 14, 2024 11:30 am 'There aren't many things that the U.S. public agrees on, but this seems to be an exception. Democrats, Republicans, and Independents all feel like they're being overcharged,' says consumer economics professor Maria Kalaitzandonakes. Continuing success: Illinois wheelchair racers ready for the Paralympic Games Aug 13, 2024 9:00 am The 2024 Paralympic Games begin in Paris on August 28. U. of I. head coach of wheelchair track and road racing Adam Bleakney will be coaching for Team USA. All nine of the U.S. wheelchair racing athletes have a connection to Illinois. Could a citizenship question alter the 2020 census results? Apr 4, 2018 4:30 am A citizenship question on the 2020 census could add to existing undercounts, says an Illinois professor who serves on a Census Bureau advisory committee Could cannabis be a pain relief alternative to opioids? Oct 25, 2019 1:45 pm Julie Bobitt, director of the Interdisciplinary Health Sciences program at Illinois, talks about the state's Opioid Alternative program and the feasibility of cannabis as a pain management alternative. Could Legionnaires' bacteria lurk in idled buildings? Apr 29, 2020 2:45 pm Many businesses are closed as a result of the coronavirus pandemic, and some building managers have shut off water and air conditioning to conserve resources. That could cause a problem. Could social distancing revolutionize online learning and higher education? Mar 25, 2020 10:00 am Education policy experts Mary Kalantzis and Bill Cope talk about how redesigning online courses could reduce costs and broaden access. COVID-19 and the elections: What can we expect? Aug 21, 2020 3:00 pm Illinois political scientist Brian Gaines discusses the impact of the pandemic during a pivotal election year. Deepfakes are harder to detect than ever before. How are they being used? Jul 31, 2024 11:15 am Social media provides an international platform to share deepfaked content quickly and anonymously, so be especially wary of the content that you’re encountering on social media this political season. Did news coverage turn Americans against the Vietnam War? Sep 12, 2017 3:30 pm News coverage of the Vietnam War did not have the effect on popular support that many believe, says a University of Illinois researcher. Did the presidential debates matter? Oct 27, 2020 3:00 pm Two experts in the College of Liberal Arts & Sciences say debates are highly effective with undecided voters - if there are any. Does hunting with lead ammunition endanger human, environmental health? Nov 12, 2020 9:15 am Studies have shown that meat harvested from deer killed with lead ammunition can be contaminated with lead particles, endangering human health and harming wildlife. Does lack of paid sick time make US susceptible to global health crisis? Mar 9, 2020 9:15 am Lack of paid sick time makes the U.S. acutely susceptible to a global health crises like COVID-19, and is part of the larger problem of tying health care to employment, says U. of I. labor expert Robert Bruno. Does more rain mean more risk of mosquito-borne diseases in Illinois? Jun 18, 2019 9:15 am The risk of some mosquito-borne diseases can go up with increased rainfall, says Brian Allan, an Illinois professor of entomology. Does new Illinois law allow non-citizens to become law enforcement officers? Aug 18, 2023 9:30 am A new state law that expands the eligibility for law enforcement jobs to non-U.S. citizens such as DACA participants is mostly aspirational since DACA recipients can’t legally possess firearms, says Professor Lauren R. Aronson. Does new workplace safety rule protect workers against the dangers of extreme heat? Jul 25, 2024 8:45 am The Biden administration’s new rule to protect workers from the dangers of extreme heat ultimately may be undermined by a recent U.S. Supreme Court ruling, says U. of I. labor expert Michael LeRoy. Does President Trump’s tax reform plan add up? Sep 28, 2017 5:15 pm President Trump’s much-hyped tax overhaul plan is tantamount to a 'tax-reform wish list,' said Richard L. Kaplan, an internationally recognized expert on U.S. tax policy Does REAL ID really make flying safer? May 9, 2025 11:30 am Obtaining a REAL ID has become straightforward in every state, provided you can provide the necessary documentation. Once you have your first REAL ID, obtaining renewals is straightforward and seamless. Does the Supreme Court need to care about public opinion? May 29, 2019 8:30 am The Supreme Court has to consider public opinion and its popularity in deciding politically divisive cases, says political scientist Alicia Uribe-McGuire. Does the U.S. need to pursue transitional justice in the post-Trump era? Nov 18, 2020 10:30 am To promote accountability in government, President-elect Biden ought to pursue 'transitional justice' in the aftermath of the Trump presidency. Does Ukraine drone attack inside Russia augur new era of asymmetric warfare? Jun 6, 2025 8:00 am Ukraine’s daring drone attack deep within Russia is significant but not war-redefining, and may hinder U.S. efforts to end the war, says Illinois international relations expert Nicholas Grossman. Do kids need a COVID-19 vaccine? Nov 4, 2021 9:15 am The availability of a COVID-19 vaccine for school-aged children offers protection for children as well as easing challenges faced by their families and their schools, says Rebecca Lee Smith, a U of I epidemiologist. Do labor laws need to be modernized with rise of gig economy? Mar 1, 2021 8:00 am The Protecting the Right to Organize Act would be the most significant revision of U.S. labor law since 1947, says Michael LeRoy, an expert in labor law. Do summer jobs provide lifelong benefits for teens? Jun 11, 2018 9:00 am Employers want employees with communication skills and good work ethics. Teens can get practice those in summer jobs, where the consequences are lower than in a professional job later in life Do we need a new approach to prevent bird window strikes? Oct 23, 2023 11:15 am Illinois Natural History Survey wildlife ecologist Thomas J. Benson describes the factors that lead birds to collide with windows and actions that can reduce bird window-strike fatalities. Economist: The path to economic recovery must address child care Mar 4, 2021 10:45 am With the damage inflicted to the U.S. economy by the COVID-19 pandemic, recovery will require not only restoring jobs and income, according to a professor at Illinois, but revitalizing a key industry that affects millions of families: child care. Examining Trump's First 100 Days in Office Apr 17, 2017 5:45 pm In this symposium, 31 experts analyze the administration’s achievements—as well as its shortcomings and missteps—across a wide range of areas Expanding our understanding of justice Mar 20, 2018 11:30 am What is justice? When is it achieved? And how is the study of philosophy affecting how we prepare for earthquakes? Colleen Murphy brings light to some of our most complex issues Expert advises eclipse watchers to get the best vantage point – are you ready? Mar 26, 2024 8:45 am Only those within the path of totality (about 115 miles in diameter) will be see a total eclipse. 'Partial solar eclipses are interesting, but they pale compared to totality. If you can do it, try to get to the path of totality. It is worth it,' says professor Leslie Looney. Expert: Legal sports gambling will have a destabilizing effect on economy, sports May 18, 2018 9:00 am The Supreme Court's decision in Murphy v. NCAA will likely usher in an era of unregulated, readily available sports gambling on smartphones, says Emeritus Professor John W. Kindt Expert: Secure Act regulations seek to dispel 'illusion of wealth' for older adults May 12, 2022 9:45 am New disclosures on quarterly retirement account statements may alarm some workers who could find their projected monthly retirement income to be 'seriously deficient,' says law professor and tax policy expert Richard L. Kaplan. Five minutes with ... Pasquale Bottalico Dec 19, 2018 4:15 pm The professor of Speech and Hearing Science talks about his study of the effects of ambient noise in restaurants and its relationship to customers' willingness to spend time in them From donkey chariots to shrines to Pelops: The ancient history of the Olympics Jul 17, 2024 12:45 pm With the Paris Olympic Games beginning later this month, classics professor Dan Leon discusses how the original Games looked thousands of years ago in Olympia. Future Environments: How drones, AI can help farmers grow more food Jan 31, 2019 10:30 am Naira Hovakimyan, a professor of mechanical science and engineering, discusses how technology will help farmers feed a growing population Future Environments with Rohit Bhargava: New tools in cancer microenvironments Jul 31, 2018 1:45 pm Rohit Bhargava, a professor of bioengineering, explains how chemical imaging, machine learning, and 3D printing are changing how we think about and fight cancer Germany transformed under Nazis in 100 days. Do we understand why? Aug 20, 2019 11:45 am With Sept. 1 marking the 80th anniversary of the start of World War II in Europe, a University of Illinois historian describes how Germans came to embrace Nazi rule. Global carbon emissions at a record high in 2018, What's on the horizon? Dec 5, 2018 12:15 pm Illinois atmospheric sciences professor Atul Jain, a contributor, discusses findings of the new Global Carbon Budget report Have dynamics changed between teachers, Chicago Public Schools since 2019 strike? Jun 24, 2024 9:45 am An extended strike by Chicago public school teachers seems unlikely thanks to Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson’s union credentials, says U. of I.'s Robert Bruno. Have newspaper political endorsements outlived their purpose? Nov 1, 2024 10:00 am Although presidential candidate endorsements can offer readers insight into a newspaper’s thinking about the direction, needs of the country, Professor Melita Garza says there's little evidence thier endorsements sway readers' votes. Have we gone too far trashing politics? Sep 8, 2020 11:15 am Illinois communication professor Ned O’Gorman doesn’t want us to give up on politics. His book 'Politics for Everybody' argues for the necessity of politics, but 'authentic politics,' not winner-take-all. Hearing loss expert Fatima Husain 'delighted' by over-the-counter hearing aids Nov 16, 2022 11:15 am Professor Husain explains how access to affordable hearing aids could offer unique opportunities for individuals with tinnitus, turn the tide on social stigma, and contribute to a competitive industry and a collaborative research frontier. How are drones changing warfare, threatening security? Apr 30, 2018 10:30 am Political science professor Nicholas Grossman’s new book looks at the state of drone technology and how it’s changing the nature of warfare and terrorism