Experts Matter. Find Yours.
Connect for media, speaking, professional opportunities & more.
Is Donald Trump playing nuclear chicken with Turkey?
As Elvis Presley used to sing “Wise men say, only fools rush in…” and it seems America’s hasty retreat from northern Syria and its seemingly unprepared rhetoric with Turkey may have landed America in a bit of a pickle. Unbeknownst to most, the United States has an arsenal of nuclear weapons in Turkey, and senior officials are now scrambling with what they can or may have to do. “And over the weekend, State and Energy Department officials were quietly reviewing plans for evacuating roughly 50 tactical nuclear weapons that the United States had long stored, under American control, at Incirlik Air Base in Turkey, about 250 miles from the Syrian border, according to two American officials. Those weapons, one senior official said, were now essentially Erdogan’s hostages. To fly them out of Incirlik would be to mark the de facto end of the Turkish-American alliance. To keep them there, though, is to perpetuate a nuclear vulnerability that should have been eliminated years ago. “I think this is a first — a country with U.S. nuclear weapons stationed in it literally firing artillery at US forces,” Jeffrey Lewis of the James Martin Center for Non-proliferation Studies wrote last week.” October 14 - New York Times It’s quite the conundrum, and if you are a journalist covering this escalating issue – let our experts help. Dr. Glen Duerr's research interests include comparative politics and international relations theory. Glen is available to speak to media regarding this topic– simply click on his icon to arrange an interview.
As we approach the first anniversary of the legalization of cannabis and prepare for the introduction of legal edibles, CAA South Central Ontario (CAA SCO) is releasing new data that suggests that the dangers of cannabis-impaired driving are misunderstood by many. It shows that approximately 1.2 million Ontario drivers have, at some point, driven high after consuming cannabis. Seventy-two per cent report waiting three hours or less to get behind the wheel, with 27 per cent feeling very or somewhat high when they did. “We know that driving under the influence of cannabis affects your ability to drive safely and increases your risk of getting into a crash,” said Teresa Di Felice, assistant vice-president of government and community relations at CAA SCO. “The research has shown us that young Canadians are more at risk of a vehicle crash even five hours after inhaling cannabis.” The research also shows that over half of Ontario drivers who use cannabis are “poly-users,” meaning they typically pair cannabis with another substance. Alcohol is by far the most common substance paired with cannabis. Cannabis-infused edibles are another option that may further complicate matters when it comes to drug-impaired driving. Twelve per cent of non-users indicated they were very or somewhat likely to try edible cannabis products after it becomes legal. “It is crucial to continue to explore and understand what impact the legalization of edibles may have on Ontario’s roads. If Ontarians choose to consume edibles, they should be aware of its delayed psychoactive effects and the impact on their ability to drive,” said Di Felice. CAA’s focus is to ensure that road safety, public education and enforcement remain at the forefront of the management of cannabis legalization. The statistically representative study, commissioned by CAA and conducted by Dig Insights in late June 2019, surveyed 1,510 Ontarian between the ages of 19 and 70 who have a valid driver’s license. ��
October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month – Let our experts help with your coverage
October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month and if you are a reporter looking to know more or considering covering this topic, here are a few key facts to get started according to Breastcancer.org: About 1 in 8 U.S. women (about 12%) will develop invasive breast cancer over the course of her lifetime. In 2019, an estimated 268,600 new cases of invasive breast cancer are expected to be diagnosed in women in the U.S., along with 62,930 new cases of non-invasive (in situ) breast cancer. About 2,670 new cases of invasive breast cancer are expected to be diagnosed in men in 2019. A man’s lifetime risk of breast cancer is about 1 in 883. About 41,760 women in the U.S. are expected to die in 2019 from breast cancer, though death rates have been decreasing since 1989. For women in the U.S., breast cancer death rates are higher than those for any other cancer, besides lung cancer. Besides skin cancer, breast cancer is the most commonly diagnosed cancer among American women. In 2019, it's estimated that about 30% of newly diagnosed cancers in women will be breast cancers. In women under 45, breast cancer is more common in African-American women than white women. A woman’s risk of breast cancer nearly doubles if she has a first-degree relative (mother, sister, daughter) who has been diagnosed with breast cancer. Less than 15% of women who get breast cancer have a family member diagnosed with it. At Augusta University, we have leading experts who can help with any of your questions, assist with your coverage and ensure your story has all the facts and details it requires to be a compelling and effective piece. Dr. Alicia Vinyard is a Board-Certified General Surgeon and Fellowship Trained Breast Surgical Oncologist at the Georgia Cancer Center and Medical College of Georgia at Augusta University. Dr. Vinyard is also an expert in breast cancer, cancer surgery and cancer survivorship. She is available to speak to media about Breast Cancer Awareness Month – simply click on her icon to arrange an interview.
Vaping injuries and deaths on the rise — Augusta University experts talk health risks
As the nationwide death toll due to vaping-related lung disease rose to 17 this week, this topic has been making headlines lately as concerned medical providers, parents and even politicians are now demanding action. This week, Augusta University Medical Center reported its first patient with a vaping-related lung injury was admitted to the ICU. More than 500 cases of lung damage and seven deaths linked to vaping have been reported across the U.S. in the last few weeks, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. “It took decades and decades of smoking for us to realize that we had a lot of older people carrying around oxygen tanks and that they were doing damage to their lungs over an extended period of time,” said Dr. Phillip Coule, vice president and chief medical officer for Augusta University Health System. “My concern is we have people thinking that this is safe and we’re not going to know that true effect of this, in terms of the damage occurring to people’s lungs, for years.” Augusta University experts are available to discuss the wide range of questions related to vaping, including: Rise of vaping-related illnesses/deaths Known and unknown health risks Misnomer that vaping is safer High rate of teen/young adult usage “The CDC made a landmark statement: That all of our efforts to get children and adolescents and young adults to move away from nicotine have been ‘erased’ – that’s a very powerful word,” said Dr. Martha Tingen, associate director of Cancer Prevention, Control and Population Health at the Georgia Cancer Center. The health risks related to e-cigarette use are impossible to ignore, she said. “Some students are having a major experience immediately after they smoke, that they are having shallow breathing and they can’t get their breath. When they are admitted into the hospital and go to the emergency room, they are seeing that they actually have some lung damage and they are setting themselves up for future, more intensive lung disease problems,” Tingen said. Dr. Coule serves as vice president and chief medical officer for AU Health System and associate dean for clinical affairs at the Medical College of Georgia at Augusta University. Dr. Tingen is a behavioral nurse scientist targeting the prevention of tobacco use in children. She can speak with media regarding the problems e-cigarettes pose for our society. Our experts are available to discuss the wide range of topics concerning e-cigarettes and vaping – simply click on either expert’s icon to arrange an interview.
How are Governments Using Artficial Intelligence? How are They Misusing AI?
There has been a lot of talk about artificial intelligence – who is using it, how it works, and what it will lead to. Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute professor James Hendler – who was recently named to the newly formed Association for Computing Machinery (ACM) Technology Policy Council – penned a piece for The Conversation outlining the danger A.I. could pose to American society if there is not enough oversight. Here are some excerpts: “Artificial intelligence systems can – if properly used – help make government more effective and responsive, improving the lives of citizens. Improperly used, however, the dystopian visions of George Orwell’s “1984” become more realistic. On their own and urged by a new presidential executive order, governments across the U.S., including state and federal agencies, are exploring ways to use AI technologies. As an AI researcher for more than 40 years, who has been a consultant or participant in many government projects, I believe it’s worth noting that sometimes they’ve done it well – and other times not quite so well. The potential harms and benefits are significant...” “...Other government uses of AI are being questioned, too – such as attempts at 'predictive policing,' setting bail amounts and criminal sentences and hiring government workers. All of these have been shown to be susceptible to technical issues and data limitations that can bias their decisions based on race, gender or cultural background. Other AI technologies such as facial recognition, automated surveillance and mass data collection are raising real concerns about security, privacy, fairness and accuracy in a democratic society....” “...As the use of AI technologies grows, whether originally well-meant or deliberately authoritarian, the potential for abuse increases as well. With no currently existing government-wide oversight in place in the U.S., the best way to avoid these abuses is teaching the public about the appropriate uses of AI by way of conversation between scientists, concerned citizens and public administrators to help determine when and where it is inappropriate to deploy these powerful new tools.” Are you a reporter covering AI? Then let us help with your stories and ongoing coverage. Professor James Hendler is the Director of the Institute for Data Exploration and Applications at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute. He is available to speak with media – simply click on his icon to arrange an interview.
Baylor Faculty Member Earns $5 Million Grant to Study Meal Deliveries for Rural Students
Baylor University’s Texas Hunger Initiative has taken an important step this week in helping move the University towards its Research 1/Tier 1 aspirations with the announcement of a $5 million grant to expand access to food for students living in rural Texas communities. Kathy Krey, Ph.D., assistant research professor and director of research and administration for Baylor’s Texas Hunger Initiative, has been awarded the three-year grant from the United States Department of Agriculture for a research project aimed at testing a novel approach to distributing food during the summer to rural students age 18 and under. The grant is from USDA’s Food and Nutrition Service. According to the National Center for Education Statistics, more than 3 million children in Texas receive free or reduced-price meals during the school year. During the summer when schools are not in session, food is available to eligible families through federal and state programs, but some students – particularly those who live in rural areas – may have difficulty accessing the food programs, leaving them without consistent access to nutrition. “The current solution to this problem, the federal Summer Food Service Program, doesn’t fit every scenario, because it requires that students congregate at a summer feeding site, often at a school or other central location,” Krey said. “Especially in rural areas, which Texas has a lot of, those meal sites can be less effective because there are transportation, cost or awareness barriers for students who are more broadly dispersed from schools and other potential meal sites.” Improving access to summer meals through mail delivery Krey and her colleagues at THI will be testing a program where families in selected areas of the state who don’t have access to a summer meal site can receive food deliveries through the mail. Grant funding will be used to purchase shelf-stable, nutritionally complete meals, including fruits and vegetables, which are packaged and delivered directly to families. The goal in designing this program, Krey said, is not to eliminate site-based summer feeding programs, but to supplement them with other mechanisms that can be more effective for Texas students whose food needs may not be met by the current system. “We envision a future in which summer feeding sites still exist. In communities where populations are centrally located, the site-based model can make a lot of sense, but we know that it’s going to take a lot of innovative solutions to meet the diversity of the problem especially in a state like Texas that has so many different geographies and different realities in terms of population density,” Krey said. The dual problems of hunger and poverty are closely related since students who don’t have access to healthy meals are at greater risk of low academic achievement and disciplinary problems. A failure to address nutritional deficiencies, Krey said, can contribute to a cycle of poverty that continues from generation to generation. “Research has proven that students need consistent access to healthy food to perform optimally in school,” she said. “If we think about generational poverty, education is such a key factor in students’ being able to break that cycle, and one way they can be equipped to do that learning is by having regular access to nutritious food. “In the summer, there aren’t as many resources and opportunities to get food, which is why it’s so important that we figure out innovative ways to use public and private resources to make sure that low-income kids have access to food during the summer,” she said. The grant also will provide research opportunities for undergraduate and graduate students. Andrea Skipor, graduate student in Baylor’s Diana R. Garland School of Social Work, said her work with the project provides important experiences in application of the concepts taught in class. “In social work, evidence-based practice is a huge part of what we do,” Skipor said. “We learn so much in a classroom, but we don’t always get the opportunity to use it. This project has really given me a way to use my social work and community research skills in a way that has sparked an interest in research for my future practice.” Krey credits students like Skipor with providing invaluable assistance in carrying out important research. “We’ve been really honored with the student researchers and student workers who have come alongside us and acquired great experience in designing a pilot research project. We’ve been so impressed with the Baylor University students’ talent and commitment and we’re really honored to have them as part of this project,” Krey said. The Texas Hunger Initiative is a multi-disciplinary project dedicated to ending hunger through research and innovation and committed to strengthening public policy to address domestic food insecurity. Jeremy Everett, founder and executive director of THI, said the organization was founded on a realization that complex societal problems like hunger and poverty need solutions that leverage the resources of the public and private sectors, faith-based organizations and university researchers. The initiative’s broad-based approach includes a widely-dispersed staff that can observe problems first-hand to come up with evidence-based solutions. “We have field staff throughout the state working in a learning-lab capacity. The average researcher might have their own laboratory. Our laboratory is the state of Texas,” Everett said. It’s a strategy that Everett said is fundamental to Baylor’s mission to positively impact the lives of people in need. “We want to leave society better than we found it,” Everett said. “Our faculty and students want to be engaged in research and evaluation, but they also want to see how that makes a difference in a young child getting access to food who previously wouldn’t have had it without that engagement.” ABOUT BAYLOR UNIVERSITY Baylor University is a private Christian University and a nationally ranked research institution. The University provides a vibrant campus community for more than 17,000 students by blending interdisciplinary research with an international reputation for educational excellence and a faculty commitment to teaching and scholarship. Chartered in 1845 by the Republic of Texas through the efforts of Baptist pioneers, Baylor is the oldest continually operating University in Texas. Located in Waco, Baylor welcomes students from all 50 states and more than 90 countries to study a broad range of degrees among its 12 nationally recognized academic divisions. ABOUT THE TEXAS HUNGER INITIATIVE AT BAYLOR UNIVERSITY The Texas Hunger Initiative (THI) at Baylor University is a capacity-building and collaborative project, which develops and implements strategies to end hunger through policy, education, research, community organizing and community development. THI works to make the state food secure by ensuring that every individual has access to three healthy meals a day, seven days a week. THI convenes federal, state and local government stakeholders with non-profits, faith communities and business leaders to create an efficient system of accountability that increases food security in Texas. THI’s work is supported by the Walmart Foundation, No Kid Hungry, and PepsiCo’s Food for Good. Along with its office located within the Diana R. Garland School of Social Work at Baylor, THI has offices located in Austin, Dallas, Houston, Lubbock, McAllen and San Angelo. For more information, visit www.baylor.edu/texashunger.
Covering Climate Change? Let Our Experts Help with Your Coverage
It took a long time, but climate change is part of everyday life. It is now part of the constant news cycle, it is used in shaping public policy, incorporated into marketing plans and owns a part of (most) political party platforms. Climate activism is growing as well. One year ago, 16-year-old Greta Thunberg skipped school to sit in front of Swedish Parliament to protest our climate. Today, those same one-day strikes inspired by her take place in over 800 cities across the planet. Climate change is real and with any growing topic or cause, there’s also a lot of misinformation shared, and some facts just aren’t being interpreted correctly. If you’re a journalist covering climate change – that’s where our experts can help with your questions, stories and ongoing coverage. Dr. Pamela Grothe is an assistant professor in the Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences as the University of Mary Washington. She recently completed a Ph.D. in the Paleoclimatology Lab at the Earth and Atmospheric Sciences department at Georgia Institute of Technology. She’s an #expert in climate change and is available to speak with media – simply click on her icon to arrange an interview.
Until now, it seemed no scandal could stick to President Donald Trump. But after a whistleblower came forward after an awkward conversation between President Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy – it seems Trump may have finally crossed the line. His request for an investigation by a foreign power into a political, opponent may have been illegal. Trump repeatedly Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy to work with Attorney General William Barr and Rudy Giuliani, Trump’s personal lawyer. At one point in the conversation, Trump said, “I would like for you to do us a favor.” The president’s words set the parameters for the debate to come — just the fourth impeachment investigation of an American president in the nation’s history. The initial response highlighted the deep divide between the two parties: Democrats said the call amounted to a “shakedown” of a foreign leader, while Trump — backed by the vast majority of Republicans — dismissed it as a “nothing call.”… Pelosi announced the impeachment probe on Tuesday after months of resistance to a process she has warned would be divisive for the country and risky for her party. But after viewing the transcript on Wednesday, Pelosi declared: Congress must act.” September 25 – Associated Press This will only be the fourth time in history an impeachment investigation has taken place - and odds are it will dominate the Washington scene for months. But there are a lot of questions to be asked: How long will this take? What does it take to actually succeed? If Trump is impeached by Congress – will the Senate follow? Could he actually be removed from office? And, is this a risk for Democrats who could feed into the Trump narrative of another failed attempt at a witch hunt? There are a lot of questions and that’s where our experts can help. Dr. Stephen Farnsworth is professor of political science and international affairs at the University of Mary Washington. A published author and a media ‘go-to’ on U.S. politics, he is available to speak with media regarding this topic. Simply click on his icon to arrange an interview.
Merriam-Webster Adds New Words for Identity and Race
Merriam-Webster, publisher of language-related reference works, has announced new entries for words that address the complex ways individuals view themselves and others. The publisher has expanded the pronoun they to include this sense: "used to refer to a single person whose gender identity is nonbinary." It's an expansion of a use that is sometimes called the "singular they." Shauna M. MacDonald, PhD, associate professor and co-director of the Gender and Women’s Studies Program at Villanova, says, "On the one hand, Merriam-Webster's addition of the nonbinary use of they should come as no surprise—many English speakers have adopted this usage in recent years, and it is recommended by various groups and resources focused on inclusive language. Language, meaning and accepted use are all ever-changing." "On the other hand," Dr. MacDonald adds, "This shift is more important than it may seem to a casual reader or stickler for a mythical static sense of grammar. That’s because our language (and more broadly, our communication), creates the conditions for what is possible in our world. While none of us need the legitimation of a dictionary to agree upon the meanings of our communication, dictionaries have a legitimizing force, nonetheless. To have added this usage is akin to Merriam-Webster agreeing that (a) nonbinary folks exist and (b) they deserve to be called by their proper identity." Two additional entries added to the dictionary are: a new definition of inclusive, in the sense of "allowing and accommodating people who have historically been excluded" (because of their race, gender, sexuality or ability); and the word colorism, or prejudice or discrimination—especially within a racial or ethnic group—favoring people with lighter skin over those with darker skin.
Is war with Iran inevitable – let our expert explain what’s next
Last weekend, the powder keg that is the Middle East may have been ignited. As drones launched an attack on Saudi oil refineries – the world was shocked and now sits on edge. With a sizeable share of the world’s oil production now off-line, fingers are being pointed at who could have attacked the Saudi Kingdom and what punishment no doubt awaits. All eyes immediately shifted to Iran, and media speculation and the sources that feed it seem to be following that lead. “On Monday, a US official told CNN that the US had assessed that the attack originated from inside Iran. The official spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak to the press. One regional diplomat told CNN on Monday that while the US has told its allies it has intelligence showing the launch "likely" came from staging grounds in Iran, it has not yet shared the information. "It is one thing to tell us, it is another thing to show us," the diplomat said. Shortly after the attack, US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo accused Iran of carrying it out, tweeting Saturday that "Iran has now launched an unprecedented attack on the world's energy supply." September 17 - CNN There are still a lot of questions to be asked. Why would Iran attack Saudi Arabia in the first place? Is there a diplomatic solution to this? And if war is inevitable, what other countries will be taking sides and with what country? If you are a reporter covering this escalating path towards conflict – let our experts help. Dr. Glen Duerr's research interests include nationalism and secessionism, comparative politics, and international relations theory. Glen is available to speak to media regarding this topic– simply click on his icon to arrange an interview.