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Presidential plantations – are they leaving out slavery when telling the story of America’s history?

The presidential plantations once belonging to George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, James Madison and James Monroe are picturesque destinations for tourists who want to learn more about these Founding Fathers from Virginia. But these museums often fail to adequately tell the stories of the enslaved people who lived and toiled there. UMW Professor of Geography Stephen Hanna's research on the topic was recently highlighted in Northern Virginia Magazine. Do plantation museums do justice to the memory of the enslaved? Local professor Stephen Hanna wanted to find out, so in 2014 he joined a team of researchers associated with TourismRESET, a world-wide network of scholars who study and challenge social inequity in tourism. Hanna, who teaches geography at the University of Mary Washington in Fredericksburg, received a grant from the National Science Foundation, enabling him to lead undergraduate students through multi-year research on how narratives and exhibits about enslaved populations and slavery were presented or absent at 15 different plantation sites. The goal was to present their findings to museum managers and thus facilitate more historically accurate and meaningful tours. His team is in the final stages of publishing a book summarizing their data and findings, to be released in March 2022. The full article is attached below and is well worth the complete read. If you are a journalist covering this critical topic about American history, then let us help with your questions and stories. Dr. Hanna is available to speak with media regarding this topic. Simply click on his icon to arrange an interview.

Covering the death of Colin Powell? UMW's foreign policy expert can help

Colin Powell, the first Black US secretary of state whose leadership in several Republican administrations helped shape American foreign policy in the last years of the 20th century and the early years of the 21st, has died from complications from Covid-19, his family said on Facebook. He was 84. "General Colin L. Powell, former U.S. Secretary of State and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, passed away this morning due to complications from Covid 19," the Powell family wrote on Facebook, noting he was fully vaccinated. A source familiar with the matter said Powell had multiple myeloma, a cancer of plasma cells that suppresses the body's immune response. Even if fully vaccinated against Covid-19, those who are immunocompromised are at greater risk from the virus. "We have lost a remarkable and loving husband, father, grandfather and a great American," the family said. October 18 - CNN If you are covering the life and legacy of Colin Powell - then let our experts help with your questions and coverage. University of Mary Washington Political Science and International Affairs Professor Jason Davidson is an expert in American foreign and security policy, and international security. He is also the author of the commissioned study, "The Costs of War to United States Allies Since 9/11," which focuses extensively on the human and monetary sacrifices made by America's allies in these conflicts. Davidson, and the document, made waves this spring, landing in the likes of Forbes, The Guardian and The Daily Mail. If you’re looking to arrange an interview with Dr. Davidson, simply click on his icon.

A missed opportunity - hospital doctors must stop 'risky' medicines

Hospital doctors and pharmacists should stop ‘risky’ medicines before patients leave hospital - according to researchers at the University of East Anglia. One in two older people are prescribed a medicine which over time has become inappropriate or unnecessary. In a recent National Overprescribing Review titled ‘Good for you, good for us, good for everybody’, the government called on doctors and pharmacists working in GP surgeries to tackle the problem of overprescribing. But research from UEA’s School of Pharmacy has found that nine out of 10 older hospital patients and their family believe that inappropriate or unnecessary medicines should also be spotted and stopped whilst they are in hospital. And the team say that by the time people are back under their GP care, a major opportunity has been missed. Prof Debi Bhattacharya, from UEA’s School of Pharmacy, said: “We know that half of older people admitted to hospital arrive having been prescribed a medicine that over time has become inappropriate for them. These medicines will have more risks than benefits. “And their side effects cause problems, like making them feel drowsy, nauseous or have trouble getting to sleep. These problems impact a person’s quality of life to the extent that they can cause re-hospitalisation. “Our research has shown that very few patients have one of these ‘risky’ medicines stopped whilst in hospital. “Continuing medicines when they are not needed unnecessarily harms people and wastes NHS money. “The time is right to undertake research into ways of safely increasing the number of inappropriate and unnecessary medicines that are stopped,” she added. To tackle the problem, Prof Bhattacharya is leading a £2.4 million trial to stop risky medicines in hospital - in collaboration with researchers at the Universities of York, Newcastle, Leeds and Leicester, the Norfolk and Norwich University Hospital and Addenbrooke’s Hospital in Cambridge. Patient and Public Engagement lead for CHARMER, Katherine Murphy, said: “We are working with hospitals and GP organisations across England to see whether the new strategy works, helps people, causes no harm, and is good value for the NHS. “And for this trial to be meaningful to people, we need to make sure that we look at the things that matter to them when testing whether stopping a medicine has had a positive outcome.” The research team recently surveyed 200 people including patients, informal carers, doctors, nurses, pharmacists, physiotherapists and researchers to find out what they should look at in the trial. On reviewing the results Katherine Murphy said: “It was good to see that what people really want us to look at is whether patients can do the things that they want to do, not how much patients can do. “Being able to walk up a flight of stairs, for example, may be important to some patients but not to others. We need to make sure that medicines are prescribed that support people to get the best quality of life. In the trial, we also need to make sure that the way that we stop risky medicines causes no harm and is good value for the NHS.” For more information about the CHARMER study visit https://www.uea.ac.uk/web/groups-and-centres/charmer/about-the-research The research has been funded by the National Institute of Health and Social Care research.

How rabbits help restore unique habitats for rare species

European wild rabbits are a ‘keystone species’ that hold together entire ecosystems – according to researchers at the University of East Anglia. Our campus is home to hundreds of rabbits and Prof Diana Bell, from our School of Biological Sciences, has been researching them for more than 30 years. Now, she is one of the lead researchers on a new report which aims to restore and protect at-risk wildlife habitats which are rabbit dependent. The report shows how their grazing and digging activity keeps the ground in a condition that is perfect for sustaining other species that would otherwise move on – or die out. But their numbers are declining regionally, nationally and globally. And they are even being classed as endangered in their native region, the Iberian Peninsula. The findings come as efforts to save England’s most threatened species from extinction are turning the tide for wildlife in Norfolk and Suffolk thanks to the Shifting Sands project. Shifting Sands is one of 19 projects across England that make up the national Back from the Brink initiative. Together, these projects aim to save 20 species from extinction and benefit over 200 more. Lead partner of the rabbit work-stream and rabbit expert Prof Diana Bell, from UEA’ School of Biology, said: “The Breckland-based Shifting Sands project was set up to save some of the region’s rarest wildlife. “After several years of hard work by this multi-partner project, the fortunes of species classed as declining, rare, near-threatened or endangered are now improving in the Brecks. “The project has seen species recover in record numbers – including endangered beetle and plants, one of which is found nowhere else in the world. “Rabbits are incredibly important because their grazing and digging activity keeps the ground in a condition that is perfect for sustaining other species. “Sadly, rabbit populations have declined dramatically in the UK and across Europe, and the European wild rabbit is now listed as endangered in its ancestral Iberian Peninsula range. Their decline is largely due to a spill-over of new viruses from commercially bred rabbits. “The Shifting Sands project has shown us how important rabbits are to entire ecosystems, and it is vital that these habitats are conserved and protected. “We encouraged a rabbit revolution in the Brecks and we have produced a toolkit in partnership with Natural England to help landowners of similar rabbit-dependent habitats to do the same.” “Simple cost-effective ways of encouraging rabbits include creating piles of felled branches, known as brush piles, and banks of soil.” Monitoring over the past three years has shown the interventions are working, with evidence of significantly higher amounts of rabbit activity. Prof Bell said: “Our work resulted in evidence of rabbit activity in significantly higher numbers. 91 per cent of brush piles showed paw scrapes and 41 per cent contained burrows. Even when burrows did not form, the brush piles helped expand the range of rabbit activity.” The UEA research team worked in collaboration with Natural England, Forestry England, Plantlife, Breckland Flora Group, Norfolk Wildlife Trust, Suffolk Wildlife Trust, Butterfly Conservation, Buglife, the Elveden Estate and the RSPB to deliver this ambitious partnership project. It has seen five kilometres of ‘wildlife highways’ created, more than 100 specimens of rare plants re-introduced, habitat created and restored across 12 sites, species encouraged, and landscape-management practices improved. As a result, seven species of plant, bird and insect are increasing in number and many more are benefiting in turn. Among those species recovering are rare plants such as the prostrate perennial knawel that is unique to the Brecks, basil thyme and field wormwood. The endangered wormwood moonshiner beetle, lunar yellow underwing moth and five-banded digger tailed wasp are also increasing. All these species are identified in the UK’s Biodiversity Action Plan as being priorities for conservation. The open habitat maintained by rabbits supports two rare plants: the prostrate perennial knawel – found nowhere else in the world – and field wormwood. Pip Mountjoy, Shifting Sands project manager at Natural England, said: “The Brecks were described by Charles Dickens as “barren”. They are anything but. Their 370 square miles of sandy heathland, open grassland and forest support almost 13,000 species, making it one of the UK’s most important areas for wildlife. “That wildlife is under threat. Felling trees and encouraging a species that is often considered a pest may seem a strange solution. But in this instance, carefully managed ‘disturbance’ is exactly what this landscape and its biodiversity needs.” “The project’s interventions have provided a lifeline for this unique landscape, and shown how biodiversity can be promoted by ‘disturbing’ places – not just by leaving them alone. “ “These rare habitats are becoming overgrown and species are declining as a result of changing land management practices and human impacts. It’s our responsibility to restore and maintain these spaces for nature. Some of these species exist only here and, if lost, will be lost forever.” Established in 2017 with £4.7m from the Heritage Lottery Fund and £2.1m from other bodies, Back from the Brink was the first nationwide co-ordinated effort to bring together charities, conservation organisations and government bodies to save threatened species. More information about the Brecks, Shifting Sands, Back from the Brink and a toolkit to help rabbit conservation is available via www.naturebftb.co.uk.

Georgia Southern University Museum reopens just in time to celebrate Earth Sciences Week

After nearly three years and following extensive architectural renovations, the Georgia Southern Museum, one of the longest-standing educational centers on the University's Statesboro Campus, has reopened. "It has been a long project, but well worth the journey," said Georgia Southern Museum Director Brent Tharp, Ph.D. "The upgraded facility and newly designed galleries represent a new era for the museum. Visitors will still find old friends, like the mosasaur, but exhibited in new more exciting ways, and will make new discoveries with never before exhibited artifacts in expanded permanent exhibits preserving the area's culture. We are really excited to be back open to the public." The Georgia Southern Museum serves as the premier institution interpreting the natural and cultural history of Georgia's coastal plain. The museum displays permanent exhibits and changing exhibits curated by the University's faculty and students, and provides a place where researchers can explore its collections and students of all ages can learn. As part of its reopening celebration, the Museum will recognize Earth Sciences Week with events featuring social media videos and interactive displays by Georgia Southern students, faculty and alumni. Highlighted events for Earth Sciences Week include: Oct. 12 - Earth Observation Day  Oct. 13 - National Fossil Day Oct, 14 - Geoscience for Everyone Day Oct. 15 - Geologic Map Day Oct. 16 - International Archaeology Day Admission to the museum is $4 per person; however, for a limited time the museum also will accept donations for admission. Children 3 years of age and younger, museum members, and Georgia Southern students receive free admission. If you’re a journalist looking to cover Earth Sciences Week or talk to any of the many experts at the museum – then let us help. The researchers behind this study are available, simply reach out to Georgia Southern Director of Communications Jennifer Wise at jwise@georgiasouthern.edu to arrange an interview today.

Cyber-attacks are rising to the top of American concerns

With the rising occurrence of cyber-attacks across America, institutions, banks, government agencies and top-tier companies are now either falling victim or feeling vulnerable to attack from online enemies abroad. It’s a topic that is now front and center that has most leaders regardless of poltical party in agreement - and media across the country are starting to cover with more depth and seriousness. Most Americans across party lines have serious concerns about cyberattacks on U.S. computer systems and view China and Russia as major threats, according to a new poll. The poll by The Pearson Institute and The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research shows that about 9 in 10 Americans are at least somewhat concerned about hacking that involves their personal information, financial institutions, government agencies or certain utilities. About two-thirds say they are very or extremely concerned. Roughly three-quarters say the Chinese and Russian governments are major threats to the cybersecurity of the U.S. government, and at least half also see the Iranian government and non-government bodies as threatening. October 11 – Associated Press "I am really interested in the security of our critical infrastructure systems," said Dr. Michael Nowatkowski. " If an attacker were able to shut those systems down, great harm would result. This is a national security issue." If you’re a journalist look to know more or have been assigned to cover any aspect of cyber-security in the country, then let our experts help with your coverage. Dr. Michael Nowatkowski is an Associate Professor with the School of Computer and Cyber Sciences at Augusta University. He also serves as the Head of the Cyber Program of Study. Nowatkowski is available to speak with media regarding the emerging threat of cyber-security in America, simply click on his icon now to arrange an interview today.

Japan House: Fifty Years Ago Today

Joshua W. Walker, Ph.D., President and CEO, Japan Society This September we're celebrating the 50th anniversary of Japan House, Japan Society's landmarked headquarters building. Let's jump in our time machine and go back to 1971, when Japan Society was only 64 years old. At that time, U.S.-Japan relations were deeply embroiled in trade frictions while the ending of the U.S. embargo of China had just begun to impact East Asia. 1971 snapshots In the United States: Richard M. Nixon is President; Apollo 14 lands on the moon; massive protests are held throughout America against the Vietnam War; Walt Disney World opens in Orlando, Florida; Joe Frazier defeats Muhammad Ali in 15 rounds at Madison Square Garden; the first Starbucks opens in Pike Place Market, Seattle. In Japan: Eisaku Sato is Prime Minister; the U.S. and Japan sign an accord to return Okinawa to Japan; NHK TV implements colorization of all programs; Kamen Rider TV series begins broadcasting; the 48th reigning Sumo champion Yokozuna Taihō announces his retirement; McDonald's opens its first store in Ginza, Tokyo; Nissin creates the first "cup noodle." Japan House Meanwhile in New York City, Japan Society had occupied eight different locations since its founding in 1907, and by the mid-1960s, a dedicated building had become necessary to house the Society's rapidly expanding initiatives. Japan Society President John D. Rockefeller 3rd made a very generous pledge by donating the land for the building site and Japanese modernist architect Junzo Yoshimura was confirmed to design the building. On September 16, 1969, John D. Rockefeller 3rd and Japanese Foreign Minister Kiichi Aichi broke ground at a formal ceremony. Construction proceeded on schedule and staff moved in during the spring of 1971, with Executive Director Douglas Overton noting, "Each day we have found some new and delightful feature which has come off the drawing board as an unexpectedly brilliant success. Japan House will be a national important building worthy of its high purposes." Opening Week—five star-studded days of celebratory events—began on September 13, 1971 with Their Imperial Highnesses Prince and Princess Hitachi at the ceremonies. The Prince brought Japan's best wishes to the Society "for a new chapter, both rich in content and wide in scope." The Gallery opened its first exhibition, Rimpa: Masterworks of the Japanese Decorative School and the Tokyo String Quartet performed in the new auditorium. Junzo Yoshimura wrote about Japan House, "People the world over used to build their houses with local and traditional materials. Today, however, contemporary buildings all over the world use the same basic materials—concrete, steel and glass—yet different characters and nationalities can still be perceived among them. In designing Japan House I have tried to express in contemporary architecture the spirit of Japan." With the formal opening of the Society's headquarters a new era had begun. Their Imperial Highnesses Prince and Princess Hitachi and Japan Society chairman John D. Rockefeller 3rd view the first Japan Society Gallery exhibition Rimpa: Masterworks of the Japanese Decorative School. Photo © Thomas Haar. The next 50 years Fifty years later, we are at another inflection point. The novel coronavirus pandemic has taught us just how interconnected we are as a global community while placing new importance on our homes and transforming the nature of work. This unprecedented global crisis has also illuminated the strengths and weaknesses of our organization, providing new opportunities for envisioning the future. Just as the opening of Japan House shaped the Society's last 50 years, today we are reimagining how we use our space, from the physical to the digital, forging broader connections or kizuna for U.S.-Japan and for the world. We embrace our mission for the years to come, reaching out far beyond our building, to our city, country, and world as we seek to connect American and Japanese people, cultures, and societies through a global lens. Like a hike up Mt. Fuji, Japan Society’s nearly 115-year-long journey itself defines us far more than our current destination. Beginning in 1907, the first iteration of Japan Society focused on business relations between the U.S. and Japan. For its 1952 post-Occupation reconstitution under the leadership of John D. Rockefeller 3rd, the Society dedicated itself to arts, culture, and education, with an emphasis on supporting Japanese students in New York as well as spreading the word about Japan through significant cultural milestones such as partnerships with The Metropolitan Museum of Art and Lincoln Center, with traveling exhibitions and outreach on both sides of the Pacific. With the opening of Japan House in 1971, politics was reintroduced into the mix, the business and policy communities energized, and Japanese popular culture landed large—nearly 50,000 people came to the Grand Sumo Tournament at Madison Square Garden co-sponsored by Japan Society and the Asia Society in 1985! Today at Japan House we present Japan and U.S.-Japan as a way to engage with history and tradition, on the one hand, and innovation and the future on the other. As in 1971, the time to act is now and our opportunities are as great as the challenges of 2021. It's up to us to work together on new, critical connections to take us through the next 50 years. I'll be there with you. Joshua Walker (@drjwalk) is president and CEO of Japan Society. Follow Japan Society on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, and LinkedIn. The views expressed in this article are the writer's own.

‘The Murder Book: Understanding Homicide Today’

Augusta professor’s latest book is out now The grisly details of murder and true crime fascinate Americans. Whether it’s the current news about the horrific homicide of 22-year-old Gabby Petito, who disappeared while traveling in Wyoming with her boyfriend, Brian Laundrie, or the unsolved killing of child beauty queen JonBenét Ramsey in her home in Boulder, Colorado, almost 25 years ago, people are intrigued by murder. People’s obsession with true crime has also taken the entertainment industry by storm, leading to numerous popular documentaries, movies about murders, television series on cold case investigations and podcasts dedicated to homicide. The genre is so prolific that Hulu’s latest hit — Only Murders In the Building, starring Steve Martin, Martin Short, and Selena Gomez — centers on Upper West Side neighbors and true crime podcast fans who sleuth out a murder podcast on their own. “Murder captures our attention,” said Dr. Kim Davies, dean of Pamplin College of Arts, Humanities, and Social Sciences, who is also a sociologically trained criminologist with an academic focus on homicide and violence. “For a lot of people, I think it’s the idea of solving a mystery. And many people who find murder so fascinating, haven’t ever seen an autopsy and they haven’t seen a death. “When I taught my Sociology of Murder class here at Augusta University, I used to take students to autopsies and it’s gruesome. It’s not like what you see on television or in the movies.” Just last month, Oxford University Press published Davies’ new book, The Murder Book: Understanding Homicide Today. Back in 2007, Prentice Hall published The Murder Book: Examining Homicide by Davies, which was the only comprehensive textbook to focus on homicide. Her new textbook explores additional topics such as the increase in mass murders, the change in Stand Your Ground laws across the country and police shootings as it relates to the Black Lives Matter movement. “Probably the biggest difference in the two books is the chapter on mass murder,” Davies said. “Unfortunately, there have been a number of huge mass murders since the last book such as Sandy Hook, Virginia Tech and the Las Vegas shooting that killed 58 people. In fact, our society and our news media has focused on mass murders much more. “When I wrote the last book, students were fascinated by serial murder, and a lot of students still are, but now it seems like we are more focused on mass murder.” The full release about Davies’ book release is attached, and well worth the read. If you’re a journalist covering true crime or any other aspect of this fascinating topic – then let us help with your stories. Dr. Kim Davies is a sociologically trained criminologist with academic focus is on homicide and violence. Kim is available to speak with media about this subject – simply click on her icon now to arrange an interview today.

History was made at Arlington – and UConn’s expert was recruited to help with national news coverage

For the first time in the 84 years that soldiers have stood watch over the Tomb of the Unknowns at Arlington National Cemetery, the duty was carried out by three women. UConn's Micki McElya, a professor in the Department of History and the author of The Politics of Mourning: Death and Honor in Arlington National Cemetery, offered her perspective and insight into the significance of the moment: The images of the three female soldiers were a “visual marker” of the often unrecognized sacrifices that women and other marginalized people in the United States have made for the military, Professor McElya said. “Women have served either officially or unofficially in every single war this country has ever waged, but they have never been drafted,” she said. “So if we want to talk about sacrifice and honor, women have done that because they wanted to.” The changing of the guard was also an important moment in military history, one that showed that women are serving in “the most revered positions,” said Kara Dixon Vuic, a professor of war, conflict and society in 20th-century America at Texas Christian University in Fort Worth. “These are the rituals that the nation holds dear,” she said. “Some might call it militaristic and some might say it represents the best of us. But to have women at the heart of it, whatever your perspective is, is important because it shows that women are at the heart of these debates now.” If you are a journalist covering the historic aspects of this occasion or other events taking place, then let our experts help with your stories. Professor McElya is an expert in the histories of women, gender, sexuality, and race in the U.S., with a focus on politics and memory. She’s available to speak with media regarding these topics – simply click on her icon now to arrange an interview today.

Posts = paunch? Georgia Southern researchers are getting headlines for linking social media to weight gain.

Who knew that all those posts about what’s cooking and what’s for dinner could lead to a burgeoning belly? It’s a surprising finding that researchers at Georgia Southern University have discovered – and it’s getting attention from American and international media. Researchers at Georgia Southern University in the U.S. recruited 145 students and split them into two groups. Both were given plates of cheese crackers to nibble but half were told to stop and take a picture first. Immediately after eating them, volunteers were asked to rate how much they liked them and whether they wanted more. The results, published in the journal Appetite, showed those taking snaps of the crackers scored higher in terms of enjoyment and wanting seconds. Picture-taking, researchers said, seems to change the way the brain perceives food and increases the craving for more calories. They wrote: ‘Memories of food and the act of recording consumption can affect how much we eat. "Our results indicate picture-taking leads to greater wanting of the food following consumption. "The effects were most noticeable in volunteers given smaller portions – six crackers instead of 12. Researchers warned: "Those seeking to eat smaller portions, especially of tempting foods that they want to cut back on, should avoid taking pictures of what they are eating." October 03, Daily Mail If you’re a journalist looking to cover this research or learn more for a story – then let our experts help. The researchers behind this study are available, simply reach out to Georgia Southern Director of Communications Jennifer Wise at jwise@georgiasouthern.edu to arrange an interview today.