News Bureau

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. - After the precipitous drop in crude oil prices over the past nine months, some policymakers in Illinois have advocated raising the state's excise tax on gasoline, which has remained unchanged at 19 cents per gallon since 1990.

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. - A new study co-written by a University of Illinois expert in intellectual property law demonstrates that the value of creative works in the public domain such as books, images and music can be estimated at least as precisely as the value of commercially available copyrighted works.

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. - A legacy of giveaways to gambling interests continues to haunt the pension system in Illinois, a leading national gambling critic and University of Illinois expert warns.

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. - A new analysis co-written by a University of Illinois expert in health care economics concludes that increases in the pace of medical innovation reduce overall physical risks to health, and thus function in a manner similar to an expansion of or improvement in the efficiency of health insurance markets.

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. - The Violent Crime Control and Law Enforcement Act of 1994 has served as the basis for the reform of many police departments in cities across the country, including Cincinnati, Los Angeles and Washington, D.C. And in what's now seen as an increasingly likely next step, Ferguson, Missouri, will undergo its own Department of Justice-administered police reforms.

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. - Although development aid is commonly seen as an important tool in the quest to reduce poverty in conflict-riven countries, new research co-written by a University of Illinois expert in development economics concludes that large-scale foreign aid programs can backfire and actually exacerbate violence in some long-running conflicts.

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. - No sector of the economy was left unscathed in the aftermath of the Great Recession, which officially lasted from December 2007 to June 2009 but whose aftereffects continue to linger today.

With dual-earner families increasingly becoming the norm, President Obama trumpeted the importance of "universal child care" in his State of the Union address - a pivot from previous years, when he advocated for universal pre-kindergarten.

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. - A study co-written by a University of Illinois labor and employment relations professor shows that clocking extra hours at the office while juggling family demands takes a toll on the body mass index of individuals in dual-earner families.

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. - As Gov. Bruce Rauner readies his first budget address, expect him to propose changes that could have major consequences for certain demographics, a University of Illinois expert on taxation issues says.

The U. of I. Flash Index rose to 106.8 in January from its 106.5 level in December. The Illinois economy continues to improve as we enter 2015. This month builds on almost three years of slow and steady growth in which the index remained well above 100, the dividing line between growth and decline.

Walter W. McMahon, a professor emeritus of economics and of educational organization and leadership at the University of Illinois, is the author of "Higher Learning, Greater Good: The Private & Social Benefits of Higher Education." An expert on the economics of education, McMahon spoke with News Bureau business and law editor Phil Ciciora about higher education funding in Illinois.

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. - Two papers co-authored by a University of Illinois expert in the regulation and financing of health care conclude that tort reform has had relatively little impact on the U.S. health care system.

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. - The outcome of a case argued before the U.S. Supreme Court last fall could potentially slow the trend of the ever-increasing number of occupations subject to state licensing, says a University of Illinois expert in the regulation and financing of health care.

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. - Despite being more commonly thought of as a device designed for the passive consumption of content, touch-screen tablet computers can support the learning process when used in an educational setting - and not just as a mere e-reader or laptop replacement, according to new research from a team of University of Illinois experts in business and e-learning.

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. - Just like physical assets, a company's organizational knowledge can depreciate over time. According to a paper co-authored by a University of Illinois expert in supply chain management, "organizational depreciation" can mute the effects of a company's quality performance initiatives, suggesting that mitigating those effects is essential to sustaining and enhancing quality performance in supply chains.

A Minute With™... Don Fullerton, expert on finance and energy policy

A Minute With™... Brenna Ellison, a professor of agricultural and consumer economics

The U. of I. Flash Index rose slightly to 106.6 in November from its 106.5 level in October. The index has remained in the 106-107 range since February.

A Minute With™... Robert Bruno is a professor of labor and employment relations

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. - In spite of the broad scientific consensus about its existence, global warming remains a contentious public policy issue. Yet it's also an issue that requires a public consensus to support policies that might curb or counteract it.

A Minute With™... Evan P. Starr is professor of labor and employment relations and of economics

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. - A new paper co-authored by a pair of University of Illinois economists says increasing resource misallocation in Portugal contributed to at least 15 years of sluggish economic growth - a conclusion that also could explain the poor economic performance of similar peripheral European Union countries in the lead-up to the eurozone crisis of 2009.

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. - Publicly traded corporations are increasingly publishing social responsibility reports for investors, who now consider such information alongside traditional financial data before investing in a company.

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. - Hospitals and other health care agencies are at risk of doctors, nurses, janitors and other essential workers walking off the job during an infectious disease outbreak, says a University of Illinois expert in labor relations.

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. - In the American South, race has been shown in numerous studies to play a role in municipal annexation decisions: predominantly white municipalities were less likely to extend the city limits to include adjacent areas with a higher percentage of African-American residents, according to prior studies. But how are annexation decisions made in the Midwest, where an increase in immigration has resulted in an uptick in the Hispanic population? That's the question two University of Illinois researchers set out to answer.

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. — Shifting the publication of academic journals away from a private, for-profit model could save universities big bucks in the long term while also keeping the marketplace of ideas fully stocked, says a University of Illinois economist.

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. - Even in a hyperconnected world where laptops, phones, tablets and now even wristwatches are tethered to the Internet 24/7, employers are still wary about the performance and social costs imposed by employees who work remotely.

A Minute With™... John Kindt, a professor emeritus  of business and legal policy

The U. of I. Flash Index fell slightly in August to 106.0 from its 106.2 level in July. The index has fluctuated in this narrow range (106.0 to 106.2) for the past four months.

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. - States with right-to-work laws "free ride" on the higher tax revenues generated by workers in collective bargaining states, says a new study from a University of Illinois labor expert.

A Minute With™... Business professor Elizabeth Chorvat 

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. - Cyberattacks loom as an increasingly dire threat to privacy, national security and the global economy, and the best way to blunt their impact may be a public-private partnership between government and business, researchers say. But the time to act is now, rather than in the wake of a crisis, says a University of Illinois expert in law and technology.

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. — New research co-written by a University of Illinois expert in urban economics indicates that tax benefits for housing, including the ever-popular mortgage interest deduction and the property tax deduction, are not as distortionary as previous research and some prominent critics suggest.

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. - Haste makes waste, as the old saying goes. And according to research from a University of Illinois expert in patent law, the same adage could be applied to the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office, where high-ranking examiners have a tendency to rubber-stamp patents of questionable merit due to time constraints.

A Minute With™... labor and employment relations professor Michael LeRoy

The U. of I. Flash Index rose slightly in July to 106.2 from its 106.0 level in June. The index has remained in the 106.0 to 106.2 range for the past four months, indicating the Illinois economy continues to grow since the rate has stayed above 100, the dividing line between growth and decline.

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. - As the collegiate sports world awaits a federal judge's ruling in O'Bannon v. NCAA, the sport's governing body ought to be prepared to lose, as trial courts in the 9th Circuit are more "player-friendly" than trial courts in all other circuits, according to a statistical analysis from a University of Illinois expert in labor relations and collective bargaining in athletics.

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. - Buy the latest electronic gizmo du jour, or use that money to fix a leaky roof? Go out with friends, or stay home to catch-up on work to meet that looming deadline? And after you've finished that big project, do you treat yourself to a slice of chocolate cake or settle for a piece of fruit?

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. — The return of LeBron James to the Cleveland Cavaliers may have riveted the sports world and social media, but the phenomenon of "going home," whether to a geographic location or a former job, is not unique to professional athletes.

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. - When student-athletes sue the NCAA, they win the initial round of litigation almost half of the time. But according to a new study from a University of Illinois expert in labor relations and collective bargaining in athletics, the NCAA eventually wins more than 70 percent of the time on appeal - a finding that could pressure both groups to adopt a new model for amateur athletics that more closely aligns itself with the employment relationship.

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. - Fritz Drasgow has been named the dean of the university's School of Labor and Employment Relations, pending approval by the U. of I. Board of Trustees.

The U. of I. Flash Index rose slightly in May to 106.2 from its 106.0 level in April, reversing three months of decline. The index reached its post-recession peak in January, and then declined slightly each month until May. Throughout 2014, the index has stayed above 100, the dividing line between economic growth and contraction.

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. - In the coming Atlantic hurricane season, watch out for hurricanes with benign-sounding names like Dolly, Fay or Hanna. According to a new article from a team of researchers at the University of Illinois, hurricanes with feminine names are likely to cause significantly more deaths than hurricanes with masculine names, apparently because storms with feminine names are perceived as less threatening.

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. - A law designed to combat police misconduct is hamstrung by limited resources, a lack of transparency and "political spillover" at the U.S. Department of Justice, says a recently published empirical study by Stephen Rushin, a law professor at the University of Illinois and expert in criminal law and policing.

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. - The U.S. Supreme Court recently handed down two decisions on patents, both of which were watched closely by technology companies because of their potential impact on nonpracticing entities, otherwise known - and pejoratively referred to - as "patent trolls." But according to a University of Illinois expert in intellectual property law, there's nothing inherently wrong with individuals and organizations that don't make things trying to enforce their rights as patent holders.

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. - Four cases before the U.S. Supreme Court focus on issues involving intellectual property, the specialty of University of Illinois law professor Paul Heald, who offers his take on each case:

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. - John D. Colombo, the Albert E. Jenner Jr. Professor, has been named interim dean of the University of Illinois College of Law, pending approval by the U. of I. Board of Trustees at its May 14 board meeting in Springfield.

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. - Income inequality is partly a self-inflicted problem, and elected officials have used the law to exacerbate the problem, a University of Illinois expert on taxation issues says.

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. - Time is running out to employ a mitigation strategy that would avert severe global damage from climate change, a University of Illinois energy policy expert says.