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How do people use self-censorship to avoid having their content suppressed on sites like TikTok?
Anthropology professor Kendra Calhoun studies the creative language people use on social media platforms to fool algorithms that may incorrectly categorize content as “inappropriate” or “offensive.” Calhoun spoke with News Bureau life sciences editor Diana Yates about this phenomenon, which she calls “linguistic self-censorship.” In a recent report, you and your coauthor, Alexia Fawcett of the University of […]
Continuing success: Illinois wheelchair racers ready for the Paralympic Games
CHAMPAIGN, Ill. — The 2024 Paralympic Games begin in Paris on August 28. Head coach of the U. of I. wheelchair track and road racing team Adam Bleakney will be there — coaching for Team USA. All nine of the wheelchair racing athletes representing the U.S. have a connection to Illinois —most of them have […]
What are the signs of heat stroke?
Multiple heat waves blistering across the globe this summer — including one in which hundreds of Hajj pilgrims died — and proposed Biden administration regulations for outdoor workers have highlighted the public health impacts of extreme heat. Dr. Holly Rosencranz, an internal medicine physician and a clinical teaching professor in the Carle Illinois College of […]
How have U.S. border policies affected attitudes toward migrants and violence against them?
On Aug. 3, 2019, a shooter killed 23 people and injured two dozen more in an El Paso, Texas, Walmart. The gunman, who posted an anti-immigration manifesto online before the shooting, targeted Latinos. He was convicted of federal hate crimes. Gilberto Rosas, who grew up in El Paso, is the department chair and a professor […]
How do presidential candidates embody ideas about national identity, including views of Latinos?
J. David Cisneros, a professor of communication and an affiliate of Latina/Latino Studies at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign researches social movements and public rhetoric about race, culture and citizenship. He spoke with research editor Sharita Forrest about the ways in which political candidates in U.S. elections both court and disparage Latinx communities. In a […]
How are deepfakes being used?
Digital tools can alter images of ourselves and others in ways that are more convincing and harder to detect than ever before. They can create spectacular special effects in movies. But they also are used with the images or voices of people without their consent, or to create propaganda with the intent to fool people. […]
Will social media polls accurately predict the winner of the U.S. presidential election?
JungHwan Yang, a professor of communication at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, is a co-principal investigator on a research project and a website — socialpolls.org — that examine the informal polls about the U.S. presidential election posted on the social media platform X, formerly called Twitter. Yang spoke with News Bureau research editor Sharita Forrest about […]
Does new workplace safety rule protect workers against the dangers of extreme heat?
The Biden administration recently announced a new rule to address excessive heat in the workplace, but does it go far enough to account for working conditions and regional differences in heat and humidity? Michael LeRoy is the LER Alumni Professor and an expert in labor law at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. He spoke with News Bureau business […]
How significant is the Biden administration’s new immigration executive order?
The Biden administration recently announced a new executive order aimed at protecting the undocumented spouses and children of U.S. citizens from deportation. Lauren R. Aronson, a clinical professor and the director of the Immigration Law Clinic at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign College of Law, spoke with News Bureau business and law editor Phil Ciciora about the […]
How do drugs like Ozempic work for weight loss?
The weight-loss treatment landscape has been remade by a new class of injectable drugs, such as those sold under the names Ozempic and Wegovy. Patrick Sweeney is a University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign professor of molecular and integrative physiology who studies the pathways and processes in the brain that govern eating and the sense of fullness, […]
How is this year’s chaotic Federal Student Aid application process affecting colleges, students?
Stacy Bennett is a professor of education policy, organization and leadership and a senior research associate with the Office of Community College Research and Leadership at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. Bennett spoke with research editor Sharita Forrest about the ambitious redesign of the Federal Student Aid loan application and its chaotic deployment process this […]
How have the dynamics between Chicago teachers, public schools changed since 2019 strike?
Chicago public school teachers held an 11-day walkout in fall 2019 before agreeing to a new five-year contract that expires at the end of June. Will current contract discussions result in a summer of contentious negotiations? Robert Bruno is a professor of labor and employment relations at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign and the co-author […]