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How did President Trump’s inaugural address stack up to previous speeches?
John M. Murphy, a professor of communication at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, studies the history of American public address and political rhetoric. Murphy spoke with News Bureau research editor Sharita Forrest about President Donald Trump’s second inaugural address and how the rhetorical devices that presidents use in these speeches define the U.S. and their […]

What does the future hold for Syria after Assad?
CHAMPAIGN, Ill. — Rana B. Khoury is a professor of political science at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign who studies comparative and international politics, with a focus on the Middle East. Khoury, also an affiliate of the Center for South Asian and Middle Eastern Studies at the Illinois Global Institute, spoke with News Bureau business and law editor Phil Ciciora about what the future […]

How does alcohol consumption elevate risks of various cancers?
Zeynep Madak-Erdogan is associate director for education at the Cancer Center at Illinois and a professor of food science and human nutrition at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. Madak-Erdogan’s research explores the impact of hormones and metabolism on breast cancer and individuals’ responses to treatment. She spoke with News Bureau research editor Sharita Forrest about […]

Is the highly pathogenic avian influenza a threat to pets?
The American Veterinary Medical Association has issued recommendations for keeping pets and backyard flocks safe from highly pathogenic avian influenza, and the recommendations are also a useful guide for humans. In an interview with News Bureau life sciences editor Diana Yates, Stephany Lewis, a professor of zoological medicine at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign and […]

Will presidential transition affect potential East Coast dockworkers strike?
CHAMPAIGN, Ill. — Will another East Coast dockworkers strike further snarl supply chains during the upcoming presidential transition? Michael LeRoy is the Labor and Employment Relations Alumni Professor and an expert who studies labor issues at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. He spoke with News Bureau business and law editor Phil Ciciora about the implications of the potential strike. East Coast dockworkers […]

What can the Notre-Dame restoration tell us about how we value historic structures?
The Notre-Dame Cathedral in Paris reopened to the public on Dec. 8 for the first time since April 2019, when a fire destroyed its roof and spire and filled its interior with ash, lead dust and charred wood. A five-year restoration project stabilized its walls, rebuilt the roof and spire, and cleaned the interior, including […]

How can we peacefully talk politics with people who have differing views?
Emily Van Duyn, a professor of communication at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, studies the effects of social, geographic and political polarization on human relationships and is the author of the book “Democracy Lives in Darkness: How and Why People Keep Their Politics a Secret.” Van Duyn spoke with News Bureau research editor Sharita Forrest […]

How should we view the national decline in drug-overdose deaths?
Preliminary data from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention suggests that drug-overdose deaths declined more than 16% between June 2023 and June 2024, the biggest drop in a decade marked by staggering increases. University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign health and kinesiology professor Rachel Hoopsick, an epidemiologist who studies mental health challenges and substance use […]

Can birthright citizenship be repealed?
CHAMPAIGN, Ill. — President-elect Donald Trump’s sweeping immigration reforms call for an end to birthright citizenship. But can a president unilaterally eliminate a long-standing constitutional right via executive order? Michael LeRoy is the Labor and Employment Relations Alumni Professor and an expert who studies immigration law and labor issues at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. He spoke with News Bureau […]

How can the health care system more effectively support caregivers?
More than 1 in 5 U.S. adults provide unpaid care to another individual. Caregivers to loved ones with aging, disability or health concerns face challenges within the healthcare system and in their personal lives, but policy and culture changes can help, said Mina Raj, a professor of health and kinesiology at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign.

What message did voters send this election?
CHAMPAIGN, Ill. — Brian Gaines is a professor of political science at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign and the Honorable W. Russell Arrington Professor in State Politics at the U of I System’s Institute of Government and Public Affairs. Gaines, who studies elections and public opinion, spoke with News Bureau business and law editor Phil Ciciora about the state of the […]

Why does the state need Illinois Extension?
CHAMPAIGN, Ill. — U. of I. Extension helps the university fulfill its land-grant mission by serving the economic, agricultural, environmental, health and technology needs of the state, says Extension director Shelly Nickols-Richardson.