blog posts

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  What led to the attempted coup in Brazil, what comes next?

  Jan 19, 2023 8:45 am

  Professor Jerry Dávila, who specializes in the history of Brazil in the 20th century, spoke about civil unrest in Brazil. 'It was a coup attempt, and it was styled after the (Jan. 6, 2021) attack on the U.S. Capitol.'

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  What's the significance of the Respect for Marriage Act?

  Jan 17, 2023 11:00 am

  'Civil rights aren’t like colliding trains, where one civil right has to take precedence over another. Protecting civil rights is not a zero-sum game with winners and losers. Civil rights can be like puzzle pieces that can be made to fit together.'

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  Why was the Jan. 6 assault on the US Capitol considered an 'auto-coup d’état'?

  Jan 4, 2023 8:45 am

  An auto-coup occurs when 'the incumbent chief executive uses illegal or extra-legal means to assume extraordinary powers, seize the power of other branches of government, or render powerless other components of the government...'

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  How can we tame the gun violence epidemic?

  Dec 21, 2022 8:45 am

  Community health professor Thomas O’Rourke talks about how previous efforts to institute public health measures succeeded and how the same approaches can be employed to reduce the scourge of gun violence in the U.S.

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  What is driving the high suicide rate among farmers?

  Dec 12, 2022 9:30 am

  This year saw good harvests in the Midwest and strong commodity prices, but the future is so uncertain. Commodity prices, input costs, and weather are all beyond the farmers' control - and those worries lead to mental health challenges.

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  Are outspoken social media users more polarized in their views on racial equality?

  Dec 8, 2022 9:30 am

  'As racial resentment increases, support for All Lives Matter increases and support for Black Lives Matter decreases. This relationship persisted even when we controlled for factors such as political conservatism,' says study leader Stewart Coles.

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  How can academia help implement lessons from the 2022 climate summit?

  Nov 28, 2022 2:15 pm

  Atmospheric sciences professor Ashish Sharma is cautiously optimistic that academia can partner with industry and government on climate and sustainability goals that will benefit their financial statements, their employees and their communities.

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  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.

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  What message did voters send this midterm election?

  Nov 17, 2022 8:00 am

  Professor Brian Gaines talks about the 2022 midterm elections, the message voters sent, what effect gerrymandering had, and what we can expect from a divided Congress, with a republican majority in the House, and a democratic majority in the Senate.

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  What is the metaverse - and what's its business potential?

  Nov 16, 2022 10:30 am

  The metaverse’s potential for transformation means it should be on everyone’s radar, says Robert Brunner, the associate dean for innovation and chief disruption officer at the Gies College of Business at Illinois.

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  How can the 2022 Global Carbon Budget report help inform UN Climate Summit?

  Nov 11, 2022 11:00 am

  Atmospheric sciences professor Atul Jain hopes the latest global carbon budget report encourages policies that conserve global ecosystems, limit global warming – and continue to push for low-carbon tech and phasing out fossil fuels.

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  Is the independent state legislature theory constitutionally valid?

  Nov 3, 2022 9:00 am

  The debate surrounding the independent state legislature theory in a case the U.S. Supreme Court is considering is a lopsided one, says Law dean Vikram Amar. An originalist approach of interpreting the Constitution should lead to its rejection.

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  U of I audiologist ‘hopeful’ about FDA ruling allowing over-the-counter hearing aid sales

  Oct 26, 2022 2:00 pm

  There are several devices that can be used to simply amplify sound. These are not hearing aids and 'are not meant to treat hearing loss,' says audiologist Sadie Braun. Before buying anything, she urges people to get a professional hearing check.

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  Why do we love horror films?

  Oct 25, 2022 9:45 am

  Horror films dominate Netflix queues right now. English professor Jim Hansen spoke about why we love horror. He says it’s because horror films let us 'choose the shape of our fears and then to face up to those fears.'

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  What is place-based adaptation to climate change?

  Oct 10, 2022 2:30 pm

  Place-based knowledge fits a solution to a need, rather than the other way around. 'The impacts of climate change for farmers in Illinois, for example, are dramatically different than the impacts seen by the Navajo Nation in Arizona...'

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  What do we know about political advertising?

  Oct 5, 2022 1:45 pm

  Advertising professor Michelle Nelson has found that most adults – even those politically engaged – don't fully understand online targeting, sources and funding for political ads, or how political speech is treated differently from commercial speech.

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  Student debt relief plan: A shot in the arm

  Sep 28, 2022 11:30 am

  'Student loan debt is impacting people’s lives,' says Prof. Jennifer Delaney. 'When you borrow for college, you’re much less likely to buy a house right away, you hold back on retirement savings, don’t start a small business, wait on starting a family.'

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  What's behind the teacher shortage in US schools?

  Sep 21, 2022 2:15 pm

  Teacher shortages plaguing primary and secondary schools in the U.S. could be game-changers for people entering the field by boosting salaries and improving benefits and working conditions, said education professor Nancy Latham.

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  What explains 'quiet quitting' in the workplace?

  Sep 15, 2022 9:15 am

  'Quiet quitting' means forgoing the extra mile at work but is different than work withdrawal or employee disengagement, says U of I labor expert YoungAh Park, who studies work stress and recovery.

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  What were the underlying issues of the railroad labor dispute?

  Sep 15, 2022 10:15 am

  A strike by railroad unions would have been bad news for the Biden administration and for an already-stressed economy, says Michael LeRoy, an expert in labor relations at Illinois.

   

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  Who should get an omicron COVID-19 booster?

  Sep 12, 2022 9:30 am

  Although the omicron variants seem less deadly, COVID-19 vaccine boosters are needed to keep up with the virus as it evolves, says University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign microbiology professor Christopher Brooke.

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  How will the Inflation Reduction Act affect US environmental policy?

  Sep 6, 2022 10:15 am

  Funds in the Inflation Reduction Act targeted for energy security and climate change reduction will encourage a major transformation in the U.S. renewable energy infrastructure, says Professor Don Fullerton.

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  Will pre-pandemic office life ever make a comeback?

  Aug 29, 2022 8:00 am

  Amit Kramer, professor of labor and employment relations, speaks about the future of office work.

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  How do we measure community disaster resilience?

  Aug 12, 2022 8:45 am

  Illinois State Water Survey engineer Sally McConkey explores the factors that support – and the methods for measuring – county-level community resilience in the face of disaster.

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  What's the future of drones in counterterrorism operations, Ukraine war?

  Aug 8, 2022 12:30 pm

  International relastions expert Nicholas Grossman, author of 'Drones and Terrorism: Asymmetric Warfare and the Threat to Global Security,' talks about the implications of the U.S. killing former al-Qaida leader Ayman al-Zawahri by drone.

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  What’s the potential of blockchain technology?

  Jul 13, 2022 9:45 am

  Blockchain technology has the potential to transform industries ranging from health care to government, says Robert Brunner, the associate dean for innovation and chief disruption officer at the Gies College of Business.

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  What explains the cryptocurrency crash?

  Jul 8, 2022 4:15 pm

  Robert Brunner, the associate dean for innovation and chief disruption officer at the Gies College of Business, explains the cryptocurrency market.

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  Will renaming carp help control them?

  Jun 27, 2022 9:00 am

  Illinois officials this month announced that Asian carp would now be called 'copi' in an attempt to make the fish more desirable for eating. Creating consumer demand will help enlist commercial fishermen to cull these invasive species.

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  Will the Jan. 6 committee hearings affect public opinion?

  Jun 20, 2022 10:00 am

  'The one-sidedness of the entire process, where no one has presented alternative perspectives or cross-examined witnesses, hasn’t helped its cause,' says elections expert and Illinois political science professor Brian Gaines.

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  What are the global security implications of Russia's invasion of Ukraine?

  Jun 15, 2022 9:15 am

  The Russian invasion of Ukraine directly challenges the security order established by the Western democracies after World War II, said Edward A. Kolodziej, an expert in international relations and global politics.

   

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  Why are so many states trying to limit transgender rights?

  Jun 14, 2022 2:00 pm

  An increasing number of states are proposing anti-transgender bills aimed at issues affecting children. They will lead to more legislation limiting the rights of transgender adults as well, says Professor Toby Beauchamp.

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  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.

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  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.

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  How does history suggest work will change following the pandemic?

  May 6, 2022 8:45 am

  Following a pandemic, workers historically have recognized the value of their labor and become unwilling to accept poor wages and working conditions, said medieval studies expert Carol Symes.

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  Will Russian invasion of Ukraine spark a global food crisis?

  May 3, 2022 8:00 am

  Professor Scott Irwin: 'On the international front, the invasion of Ukraine is having a major impact on worldwide grain, livestock and food markets because of the role of the Black Sea region as a major supplier of the world’s grain needs.'

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  How effective have economic sanctions been against Russia?

  Apr 20, 2022 8:30 am

  Sanctions imposed against Russia and Belarus as punishment for invading Ukraine have had an effect but may only have meaningful consequences in the longer term, says a U of I expert in securities law and cross-border capital markets.

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  Will anyone be held accountable for war crimes in Ukraine?

  Apr 4, 2022 9:45 am

  Russia’s invasion of Ukraine looks increasingly like a clear-cut violation of the U.N. charter and a crime of aggression, which is illegal under international law, says Illinois expert in human rights and international criminal law Patrick Keenan.

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  Q and A on NFTs: What they are and their legal, creative, and environment implications

  Mar 30, 2022 10:15 am

  Many questions surround NFTs, such as what they are (or could become), why prices are so varied, what makes them special, and why there are now concerns about them. Prof. Lav Varshney and researcher Kyle Soska answer some of those questions.

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  How does Russian invasion exacerbate Ukraine's humanitarian crisis?

  Mar 29, 2022 11:45 am

  The damage sustained by Ukraine during the ongoing Russian invasion will require years of rebuilding efforts, necessitating broad-based investments by the U.S., the EU and NATO member states, says Illinois professor Cynthia Buckley.

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  Can historical racism in medicine help explain current racial differences in medical care?

  Mar 21, 2022 9:00 am

  Acquiring new medical knowledge and assessing health are not as objective as people think, and historical beliefs about racial differences continue to cause problems in medical practice and scientific research, said U of I history professor Rana Hogarth.

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  Why is the use of hypersonic missiles in the Russia-Ukraine conflict significant?

  Mar 22, 2022 8:45 am

  Russia used a hypersonic ballistic missile to destroy an underground arms depot in western Ukraine, marking the first known use of a hypersonic missile in combat. Professor Kelly Stephani explains what makes hypersonic missiles different.

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  How do we solve the problem of agricultural nutrient runoff?

  Mar 10, 2022 9:15 am

  Runoff from Midwestern farms is a major contributor to a vast 'dead zone' in the Gulf of Mexico where excess nutrients cause algae to overpopulate, suffocating other aquatic life. U of I researcher Lowell Gentry looks at possible solutions.

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  How will termination of research partnerships with Russia affect global scientific research?

  Mar 7, 2022 2:45 pm

  Some research institutions are ending scientific collaborations with Russia since its invasion of Ukraine - actions that are a significant shift in policy from a long tradition of scientific diplomacy, according to Illinois professor Lisa Janicke Hinchliffe. 

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  Who wins, who loses in MLB labor dispute?

  Mar 2, 2022 10:15 am

  The current MLB lockout is already shaping up to be the most pivotal labor dispute in the sport since the mid-1990s, which means fans should prepare for the likelihood of more canceled games, says U of I labor law expert Michael LeRoy.

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  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.

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  What explains the continuing appeal of Super Bowl advertisements?

  Feb 11, 2022 10:30 am

  Maria Rodas, an expert in consumer behavior and brand management, speaks about the enduring popularity of Super Bowl advertisements. This year, the network broadcasting the game has sold several 30 second spots for a record-high $7 million.

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  How can Illinois address the problem of PFAS pollution?

  Feb 10, 2022 8:15 am

  Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances are widespread, long-lasting and extremely difficult to remove from the environment. 'It seems that everywhere we look for PFAS, they turn up,' says U of I chemist John Scott.

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  What are the consequences for US interests in Russia-Ukraine conflict?

  Feb 1, 2022 8:15 am

  The brewing Russia-Ukraine conflict will have significant consequences for U.S. interests in Eastern Europe, said U of I international relations expert Nicholas Grossman. He talks about the many ways the situation could play out.

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  How vulnerable to inflation are the finances of older adults?

  Jan 31, 2022 9:15 am

  Social Security’s annual cost-of-living adjustment takes some of the sting out of inflation for older adults, said University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign elder law and tax policy expert Richard L. Kaplan.

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  One year later: Was the capitol attack a coup?

  Jan 5, 2022 9:30 am

  A U of I research group’s Coup D’état Project categorized the storming of the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021, as an 'attempted dissident coup.' That classification could evolve if investigations reveal evidence that other types of actors were involved.