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From Economic Crisis to Global Influence: The Evolution of the G7

The world's attention is once again focused on the G7 as leaders meet this week in Évian-les-Bains, France. The summit brings together the leaders of Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the United Kingdom, the United States, and representatives of the European Union to discuss some of the world's most pressing challenges, including Ukraine, economic stability, artificial intelligence, global security, and international development. From Economic Crisis to Global Leadership Forum The G7 traces its origins to 1975, when leaders from six industrialized democracies met in Rambouillet, France, amid economic turmoil following the 1973 oil crisis. The gathering was designed to create an informal forum where leaders could have candid discussions about economic recovery, inflation, energy security, and trade. Canada joined the following year, creating what became known as the G7. Unlike formal international organizations, the G7 has no permanent headquarters or treaty structure. Its influence comes from the economic and political weight of its members and the ability of leaders to coordinate policy responses to global challenges. Major Milestones in G7 History 1975 – Rambouillet, France The first summit established a new model for direct dialogue among world leaders during a period of economic uncertainty. 1980s – Managing Economic Volatility Summits focused heavily on inflation, energy security, trade liberalization, and coordination among major economies as globalization accelerated. 1998 – Expansion to the G8 Russia joined the group, transforming it into the G8 and reflecting hopes for greater post-Cold War cooperation. 2002 – Kananaskis, Canada Following the September 11 attacks, security and counterterrorism became central themes. The summit also launched major international development initiatives. 2014 – Return to the G7 Russia was suspended following its annexation of Crimea, and the forum returned to its current G7 structure. 2023 – Hiroshima, Japan Leaders met in the world's first city devastated by an atomic bomb, reinforcing commitments to peace, international security, and nuclear non-proliferation. 2025 – Kananaskis, Canada The summit marked the 50th anniversary of the first G7 gathering and focused on energy security, digital transformation, emerging technologies, and strengthening international partnerships. Why the G7 Still Matters While the global economy has evolved dramatically since 1975, the G7 remains a critical venue for coordination among advanced democracies. The agenda has expanded far beyond economics to include climate policy, international security, public health, emerging technologies, cybersecurity, artificial intelligence, and responses to international conflicts. This year's summit in France reflects that evolution. Alongside discussions on Ukraine and global economic imbalances, leaders are expected to focus on the opportunities and risks presented by AI, debt challenges facing developing nations, and growing geopolitical tensions around the world. Connect With An Expert Journalists covering the 2026 G7 Summit, international relations, global governance, economic diplomacy, trade policy, international security, or the evolving role of multilateral institutions can connect with experts from your institution through ExpertFile. Whether examining the summit's historical significance or its impact on today's geopolitical landscape, expert insight can help provide context behind the headlines. Visit all of our experts at www.expertfile.com

Research Matters: Water, Water Everywhere — and Lots to Drink

Researchers at the University of Rochester have discovered a better way to turn seawater into drinking water as climate change, population growth, and drought intensify pressure on freshwater supplies. Desalination, as the process of converting saltwater to freshwater is known, has been used for some time. But desalination methods commonly used today have significant drawbacks: they require large amounts of energy and generate brine waste that can damage marine ecosystems. Enter University of Rochester optics and physics professor Chunlei Guo and his research team, who have developed a solar-thermal desalination technology that converts seawater into drinking water without chemical additives and without producing the harmful brine. Their system uses a specially engineered solar panel made of “superwicking” black metal etched with ultrafast lasers that allow it to absorb light and attract water. The panels have a laser-treated “active” region that pulls a think layer of water across the surface, absorbs sunlight, distills the water, and deposits leftover salts and minerals onto the untreated “passive” region. The technology also transforms waste into a resource. Instead of generating brine, the process captures salts in solid form, creating opportunities to recover valuable minerals. Guo's team has already demonstrated the ability to extract lithium, a critical component in rechargeable batteries, from salt-rich water sources. For reporters covering sustainability innovation, Guo is available to discuss: • Why desalination is becoming increasingly important worldwide • The environmental challenges associated with current desalination technologies • How solar-powered desalination works • The role of advanced materials and laser engineering in water purification • Recovering valuable minerals such as lithium from seawater • The future of sustainable water and resource management With an estimated 2.2 billion people worldwide lacking access to safely managed drinking water, Guo's research offers a glimpse of how next-generation technologies could help address both global water shortages and growing demand for critical minerals. Researchers recently explained their method in a paper published in Light: Science & Applications. Journalists can connect with Guo by contacting Luke Auburn, director of communications at the University of Rochester’s Hajim School of Engineering and Applied Sciences, at luke.auburn@rochester.edu.

Announcing Major AIQ Enhancements to Improve Inquiry Quality, Relevance and Routing

ExpertFile is announcing major enhancements to AIQ Intelligent Inquiry Qualification, our AI-powered inquiry management feature that helps organizations evaluate, prioritize and route inbound requests from journalists, event organizers, prospective customers, donors, prospective students, research partners, policymakers and other key audiences. These enhancements significantly expand AIQ well beyond its original quarantine capabilities, helping organizations do more than filter unwanted messages. We've designed the new AIQ to provides a more intelligent way to understand the intent behind each inquiry, assess its relevance and ensure valuable opportunities are routed to the right person or team. “We are helping organizations better understand the intent behind each request, protect expert time and ensure valuable opportunities are recognized, prioritized and routed to the right people. Robert Carter - Co-Founder & VP Product Our experience has shown us that as organizations invest more in making their experts, research and knowledge more discoverable across websites, search engines and AI-driven channels, inbound inquiry volume continues to grow. That visibility creates real opportunity, but it also brings more noise from unwanted or unaligned inquiries. While some inquiries are highly valuable. Others are vague, promotional, misdirected, abusive or unrelated to the organization’s expertise. And too often, all of these messages arrive through the same expert-facing channels. We've learned that without a smarter intake layer, important opportunities can be delayed, misrouted or missed entirely. That is the problem these AIQ enhancements are designed to solve. A Shift from Strictly Quarantine to Quality AIQ was first developed to help organizations protect experts from unwanted, irrelevant or inappropriate inquiries. That remains important, and does a great job, but the challenge has grown. Today, organizations need more than a filter. They need a way to evaluate inquiry quality, understand intent and route legitimate opportunities with greater confidence. These latest AIQ enhancements move the feature from a quarantine-focused workflow to a more complete inquiry qualification system. AIQ now evaluates the full context of each inquiry, including the message content, tone, specificity, intent and alignment with accepted inquiry types. The goal is not simply to determine whether a message should be blocked. The goal is to understand whether it represents a legitimate opportunity and where it should go. For organizations that simply display and expert's email this is a level of judgment traditional email spam filters are not designed to provide. While Spam filters can help identify suspicious or malicious messages. They cannot reliably determine whether a journalist submitted through the wrong form, whether a donor inquiry should be routed to advancement, whether a prospective partner is describing a real opportunity, or whether a request aligns with the organization’s expertise and workflow. AIQ is designed for that more nuanced work. Here is a Breakdown of What’s New in AIQ Two significant enhancements are now part of the new AIQ workflow: Inquiry Relevance Evaluation assesses whether a message meets the professional standards of the organization’s inquiry workflow. It helps distinguish meaningful requests from those that are vague, promotional, abusive, unrelated or outside the scope of the organization’s expertise. Inquiry Type Evaluation reviews the actual content of the message, independent of the category selected by the sender. This is important because people often choose the wrong form option. A journalist may submit through a general inquiry form. A donor may select the wrong category. A prospective partner may describe an opportunity that should be routed somewhere else. AIQ helps recognize the true nature of the request so it can be reclassified and directed appropriately. Together, these enhancements help organizations identify valuable inquiries more accurately, reduce unnecessary manual triage and protect expert time. Why This Matters High-value inquiries often do not arrive perfectly packaged. A media opportunity may look like a general question. A speaking request may come through the wrong channel. A customer or partner inquiry may be sent to media relations when it is really a business development opportunity. When these requests are misdirected, they can sit in the wrong inbox, create extra work for staff or disappear entirely. AIQ helps close that gap. “AIQ is not just about blocking bad messages,” said Robert Carter, Co-Founder & VP Product at ExpertFile. “We are helping organizations better understand the intent behind each request, protect expert time and ensure valuable opportunities are recognized, prioritized and routed to the right people. A misdirected inquiry can represent a media opportunity, speaking engagement, partnership or business opportunity that an organization cannot afford to miss.” For communications, marketing, advancement, research, enrollment and administrative teams, this creates a smarter front door for inbound demand. Fully Deployed and Operating at Scale The latest AIQ enhancements are now fully deployed across the ExpertFile platform. They are not beta features or future roadmap items. AIQ is actively processing inquiries today and has achieved a 99.9% success rate in accurately evaluating and routing inbound requests. “We spent considerable time stress-testing this before full deployment,” said Dan Stanhope, Head of Software Development at ExpertFile. “The goal was never just to block bad messages — it was to make sure legitimate, high-value inquiries couldn’t slip through unrecognized. When you combine deep semantic analysis with a trained human review layer, you get a level of accuracy that no standalone spam filter can come close to matching.” Helping Organizations Capture More Value From Expert Discovery Expert discovery does not end when someone finds an expert profile, research page or Expert Center. The next step is making sure the right inquiry reaches the right person. That is where AIQ plays an important role. By expanding AIQ’s ability to qualify, classify and route inbound requests, ExpertFile helps organizations move from visibility to action. AIQ helps ensure that legitimate opportunities are recognized, prioritized and routed efficiently, while low-quality or irrelevant messages are filtered out of the process. For universities, healthcare systems, corporations and associations, this means less noise, better routing and more confidence that valuable opportunities are not being missed. The enhanced AIQ feature is available now as part of the ExpertFile platform. Read the full announcement here: https://exprt.co/AIQ Already a customer...talk to your dedicated Customer Success Team member who can tell you more about this great feature.  Looking to implement something like this for your organization.  Learn more about ExpertFile at expertfile.com/getstarted and request a demo or FREE trial.

World Cup 2026: Story Angles Beyond the Pitch

The 2026 FIFA World Cup will be one of the biggest sports stories of the year, with matches taking place across Mexico, Canada and the United States. But the story will reach well beyond the field. As the tournament moves from city to city, it will bring host communities, public agencies, local businesses and civic leaders into the spotlight. That creates a wide range of story angles for journalists, from public health and safety, tourism and economic impact to sports technology, fan culture, athlete performance, national identity and the politics of international sport. Institutions using ExpertFile are helping media cover these broader World Cup stories through dedicated Topic Authority Hubs, Spotlight posts and expert profiles featuring trusted sources across health, business, technology, public policy, culture and sport. Featured World Cup Expert Hubs With the World Cup coming to the New York metro area, Hofstra University’s hub brings together experts on athlete health, recovery, injury prevention, mental performance, public health, tourism, local business impact and the cultural history of soccer. Explore Hofstra’s World Cup 2026 Hub. Source: Hofstra University The University of Delaware’s hub focuses on player safety, concussion research, sports analytics, tourism, youth development, fan behavior, shared experiences and the science behind elite competition. Explore the University of Delaware’s World Cup 2026 Hub. Source: University of Delaware Carnegie Mellon University’s hub looks at the tournament through the lenses of geopolitics, diplomacy, sports marketing, fan engagement, AI, robotics, biomechanics, human performance and emerging sports technologies. Explore Carnegie Mellon’s World Cup 2026 hub. Source: Carnegie Mellon University Story Angles As coverage plans take shape, these are some of the World Cup 2026 story angles journalists may want to explore. The Topic Authority Hubs featured above offer a helpful starting point, with Spotlight posts and expert profiles connected to many of these issues. Journalists can also search directly on expertfile.com to find additional academic experts who can bring depth, context and clarity to their coverage. The politics behind the tournament The World Cup is never just about sport. It can become a global stage for diplomacy, national pride, protest, soft power and political tension, with countries not only competing on the field but also presenting themselves to the world. For journalists, that creates timely story opportunities around national identity, international relations and the political flashpoints that often surface around major global sporting events. The next generation of fans A World Cup can shape how young people connect with sport, family, community and national identity. For many children and teenagers, this may be the first tournament they experience in a big way — at school, at home, in their community or through local soccer programs. The mental pressure of representing a country Few sporting events carry the emotional weight of the World Cup. Players are not just competing for clubs or contracts. They are carrying national expectations in front of a global audience, often under intense media and social media scrutiny. The science of movement under pressure World Cup matches are full of moments that happen almost too quickly to see: a sudden change of direction, a hard landing, a collision, a late tackle, a split-second decision to accelerate or pull back. Experts can help explain the biomechanics behind elite soccer movement, how the body absorbs stress during competition, and why injuries such as ACL tears and concussions remain such important issues at the highest level of the game. How technology is changing the game AI, sports analytics, wearables, robotics, motion tracking and virtual experiences are changing how soccer is played, trained, analyzed and watched. Some of this technology is visible to fans. Much of it is happening behind the scenes. The hidden science behind the tournament Some of the most important parts of the World Cup are easy to overlook. Playing surfaces, stadium preparation, natural grass requirements, turfgrass systems and venue logistics all play a role in the quality of the tournament. What host cities gain — and what they have to manage The World Cup can bring major attention to host cities, along with increased demand on hotels, restaurants, transportation systems, small businesses and public services. The story is not only how many people visit, but who benefits and what remains after the tournament moves on. Sports analytics in action Data is now part of how elite soccer is understood, taught and analyzed. From performance trends to real-time decision-making, analytics can help explain what is happening inside the game and how teams, coaches and analysts evaluate play at the highest level. Soccer as culture and identity For many fans, soccer is tied to family, community, immigration, history and belonging. The World Cup offers a chance to tell stories about fan culture, grassroots soccer, Latin American soccer history, gender and power in the sport, and why watching together can feel so meaningful. Public health and mass gatherings Millions of fans travelling across borders and gathering in stadiums, fan zones and public spaces create important public health questions. Cities need to think about disease surveillance, emergency preparedness, health system readiness and health equity — all while hosting one of the most visible events in the world. About ExpertFile ExpertFile helps organizations become the most trusted and visible source of expertise in an AI-driven world. The platform combines expert profiles, content publishing, inquiry management, analytics and media distribution into a single Visible Authority infrastructure - enabling universities, healthcare organizations, corporations and associations to improve how their expertise is discovered, cited and engaged across search engines, AI assistants and media channels. Built-in workflow orchestration, governance controls and compliance oversight help organizations reduce risk and achieve greater impact with existing resources. Trusted by leading institutions including Carnegie Mellon University, the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) and ChristianaCare, ExpertFile helps organizations unlock the full value of their expertise at scale. The ExpertFile Mobile App connects journalists, conference organizers, policymakers, researchers and industry partners with authoritative expertise across more than 50,000 topics.

Concussions in soccer featured

University of Delaware professor Tom Kaminski leads FIFA’s research on header safety and avoiding concussions. NBC10 Delaware Bureau reporter Tim Furlong tells us more about his findings.

Villanova Researcher Authors Comprehensive Look at Large Outdoor Gatherings and Severe Weather Risk

If Benjamin Franklin had modern climatological data to consult, he may have scheduled his famous kite and key experiment for July of 1753 in Philadelphia, instead of a month sooner. July, after all, is Philadelphia’s most active month for lightning strikes, noted Stephen Strader, PhD, associate professor of Geography and the Environment and severe weather geographer at Villanova University. Lightning has been on Dr. Strader’s mind recently. In Spring 2025, he and a colleague published a study in Weather, Climate, and Society where they developed a metric to comprehensively rank more than 475 “large outdoor gatherings” in the U.S. in terms of greatest lightning risk, weak (EF0+) tornadoes and strong or significant (EF2+) tornadoes. The rankings factored in time of year, frequency of events, attendance and capacity, which was then compared to tornado/lightning climatology data for the venue location. With major outdoor events scheduled throughout the summer in Philadelphia, Dr. Strader recently reanalyzed his data to include gatherings like the FIFA World Cup, MLB All-Star Game and America 250 celebrations in the city. What he found was that many of these gatherings—when compared to other large outdoor gatherings across the country—are among the most likely to experience certain severe weather events. “While it is too soon to predict what the weather will be like for each of these events, the climatology does suggest that if severe inclement weather threatens them, many people could be exposed to deadly hazards such as lightning and tornadoes,” he said. “The key is for venue organizers, first responders and event attendees to be informed, not alarmed.” Preparedness Lessens Impact Every year, thousands of sports games, concerts, fairs, parades and days at amusement parks occur without weather-related safety incidents. But every now and again one does, sometimes with tragic results. In 2011, a spectator at Pocono Raceway was struck and killed by lightning in the parking lot after the race was halted due to weather. One year later, a sudden strong wind from an approaching storm collapsed a grandstand at the Indiana State Fair, causing seven fatalities and dozens of injuries. The objective of Dr. Strader’s research was to find what venues are most likely, comparatively, to experience these extremely rare worst-case scenario exposures. By doing so, he hopes that it will help venues and organizers to understand how they can plan, execute or update their preparedness and protocol, so that their impacts are less deadly when they do occur. “The idea isn’t to scare people,” he said. “Most of these venues and entities know that they're at risk for inclement weather. My hope is that those who do have a plan in place re-evaluate them, and think, based on the climatology, how they can adapt. For those who don’t, the goal is to make them aware of their risk so they can begin to plan. “There's a mental side to this too. Every year that goes by where there's not an issue or incident, people get increasingly relaxed. It’s a reminder to stay vigilant.” Many of the large outdoor gatherings that appear high in the research rankings do have robust protocols and infrastructure. For example, amusement parks score very high for lightning risk because they are open almost every day of the year to huge crowds, and many are located in states that experience frequent severe weather, like Florida and Texas. “But places like Disney World have comprehensive preparedness plans—they have people hired to understand and be aware of these threats,” Dr. Strader said. “Attendees have ample places to seek shelter.” The same is true, to varying extents with sporting venues, especially major professional sports stadiums. Even though gatherings held there may rank higher for these weather events, the chances of a catastrophe are lessened because of preparedness, protocol and infrastructure. Where Dr. Strader is more concerned is with gatherings like parades and fairs, especially when they last for multiple days and/or draw large crowds. “A state fair tends to be more ‘mom and pop’ at times, and they lack permanent infrastructure,” he said. “Vendors set up in temporary structures and a lot of times there are no places for attendees to seek shelter when thunderstorms threaten. You're also dealing with a transient population—people who don't know the area, and don’t know where to go when severe weather hits. “Parades are kind of a free for all in that you can come and go as you please. This is one of the reasons venues take tickets—so they understand their capacity to deal with an emergency. But if you have a place that doesn't do that, it can be tricky.” How Philadelphia’s 2026 Events Rank So, what exactly did Dr. Strader find when factoring in this summer’s events in and near the City of Brotherly Love, and what does it mean? In terms of lightning risk, several events and venues rank in the 80th percentile and greater for potential exposure compared to all other documented U.S. large outdoor gatherings. Citizens Bank Park, the host of the MLB All-Star Game in July, ranks in the 95th percentile. America 250 celebrations on July 4 rank in the 94th percentile, while FIFA World Cup events at Lincoln Financial Field rank 87th in June and 94th in July. For tornado threats to all nationwide events, Citizens Bank Park tops all local functions in July at the 96th percentile. The America 250 celebration ranks in the 95th, FIFA World Cup the 94th and MLB All-Star Game the 78th percentile for tornado exposure in that same month. According to Dr. Strader, lightning is often the bigger concern because it is far less predictable than tornadoes. While events are frequently canceled ahead of a credible tornado threat, they are less likely to be canceled due to the possibility of lightning. “Although lightning [strikes] and tornadoes are not very common in southeastern Pennsylvania, the large number of people gathered for these events sets up a ‘what if’ situation where tens of thousands of individuals could be threatened by severe weather,” he said. “Based on these findings, venue operators and governing bodies should continue to develop risk reduction strategies aimed at improving lightning and tornado safety, especially as lightning and tornado hazard threats evolve over time and across geographic space.” It is not only operators and organizers who should be prepared. Patrons, he says, can also devise and enact their own personal preparedness plan in the event of sudden severe weather. Teaching children simple sayings such as “when thunder roars go indoors” and scoping out potential places for shelter can go a long way in the event of severe weather—especially at come-and-go, transient events like America 250 festivities. “And if you see approaching clouds on July 4, maybe find another way to pay homage to Ben Franklin, and pull down your kite.”

Caught in a Rip Current? Virtual Reality May Help Save Your Life

A recent USA Today article highlighted a new rip current simulator in Florida designed to help beachgoers experience the power of these dangerous currents in a safe, controlled environment. The initiative reflects a growing focus on innovative approaches to water safety education as rip currents continue to account for the majority of surf rescues and numerous drowning deaths each year. Jase Bernhardt is an associate professor in the Department of the Geology, Environment and Sustainability at Hofstra University and also director of the department's MA Sustainability program. View his profile For years, Hofstra University researcher Dr. Jase Bernhardt has been exploring how technology can improve public understanding of coastal hazards. His work has led to the development of a virtual reality experience that places users in a simulated rip current, allowing them to experience the situation firsthand while learning the techniques needed to escape safely. The immersive training helps participants understand why fighting directly against a rip current can be dangerous and teaches the recommended strategies for reaching safety. Bernhardt's research focuses on weather hazards, risk communication, and public safety, with a particular emphasis on how emerging technologies can help people better understand and respond to real-world threats. His work offers valuable insight into the challenges of educating the public about rip currents and how innovative tools can improve preparedness and potentially save lives. As beaches across North America enter peak summer season, journalists covering beach safety, drowning prevention, coastal hazards, public education, or emerging safety technologies can connect with Dr. Jase Bernhardt for expert commentary on rip currents and the role virtual reality may play in helping people stay safe in the water.

Reconstruction Reconsidered: Manisha Sinha Brings Historical Context to New Obama Podcast Series

As the United States marks its 250th anniversary, a major new podcast series is drawing renewed attention to the Reconstruction era and its lasting impact on American democracy. Reconstruction: The Unfinished Promise, hosted by Malcolm Gladwell and featuring former President Barack Obama, examines the turbulent decades following the Civil War and the ongoing struggle to define citizenship, equality, and political participation in the United States. Among the historians featured in the series is Manisha Sinha, a leading scholar of the Civil War, abolition, and Reconstruction. Her participation brings decades of research and scholarship to a national audience at a time when Americans are revisiting the people, events, and ideas that shaped the nation. Manisha Sinha is the James L. and Shirley A. Draper Chair in American History at UConn and past president of the Society for Historians of the Early American Republic. She is an expert in American political history, the Civil War, and Reconstruction. View her profile Sinha is the author of The Rise and Fall of the Second American Republic: Reconstruction, 1860–1920, a widely acclaimed examination of Reconstruction that challenges conventional timelines and interpretations of the era. Her work argues that Reconstruction was not confined to the years immediately following the Civil War, but instead represented a broader struggle over democracy, citizenship, civil rights, and political inclusion that continued well into the twentieth century. In interviews discussing her research, Sinha has emphasized the transformative nature of Reconstruction and its importance in understanding the development of modern America. Her scholarship explores how debates over voting rights, constitutional protections, racial equality, and citizenship during Reconstruction continue to influence public life today. As interest in Reconstruction grows through America 250 programming and broader public discussions about democracy and civil rights, Sinha's expertise offers valuable historical context for understanding the era's enduring significance. Connect with an Expert Manisha Sinha is available to discuss: The history and legacy of Reconstruction Why Reconstruction remains relevant today The concept of America's "Second Republic" The evolution of citizenship and voting rights in the United States The relationship between Reconstruction, civil rights, and democratic reform Historical perspectives connected to America 250 commemorations How historians are rethinking the traditional timeline of Reconstruction For journalists and audiences seeking deeper insight into one of the most important periods in American history, Sinha offers expert analysis on the debates, achievements, and unresolved questions that continue to shape the nation more than 150 years later.