AU Newsmakers 10.16-10.23, 2020

Top Story

AU Experts Discuss Topics Related to the 2020 Election

Jan Leighley, professor of public affairs, spoke to NBC News about first-time Black voters. Professor of Communication Joe Campbell compared the 2016 and 2020 elections in an interview with NBC News and wrote an article about election polling for The Conversation. Betsy Fischer-Martin, executive director of the Women & Politics Institute, spoke to CBS News about how the Republican Party is preparing for a future without Trump in it. Aram Sinnreich, professor of communication, spoke to MarketWatch about American trust in the media. Economist-in-Residence Evan Kraft wrote an article for The Hill about policy-based decision making under a Biden administration, and History Prof. Allan Lichtman talked with U.S. News & World Report. Professors in the School of International Service Audrey Kurth Cronin, Eric Novotny, Keith Darden and Carolyn Gallaher participated in a panel about the impact of foreign interference on the U.S. election, which was featured in BroadBandBreakfast. C-SPAN featured a panel hosted by WPI. School of Communication Professorial Lecturer Jason Mollica spoke to Variety. Amy Dacey, executive director of the Sine Institute of Policy & Politics, spoke to AFP and Capri Cafaro, executive-in-residence in the School of Public Affairs, appeared on WUSA-9. (10/18, 10/19, 10/20, 10/21, 10/22)

Expertise

Dreams of a Red Emperor: The Relentless Rise of Xi Jinping

Joseph Torigian spoke to The Los Angeles Times for a story about experiences that have shaped Chinese premier Xi Jinping. Torigian also wrote an article for Foreign Policy about China's nuclear program. (10/22, 10/21)

Racist Housing Covenants Haunt Property Records Across the Country. New Laws Make Them Easier to Remove.

The Washington Post spoke to Washington College of Law Professor Susan D. Bennett, who is working with law students and D.C. residents to remove racist covenants from housing deeds. Bennett said, “Nobody wants to be a party to this anymore — particularly now.” (10/22)

Spy Plane Was Sent to Monitor Protest in Affluent Suburb, Home to Head of National Guard.

Professor of Public Affairs Steven Taylor spoke to The Los Angeles Times about an incident of spy planes dispatched to monitor a Black Lives Matter protest. (10/18)

Conspiracy Theories: Why Some People Are Susceptible and How to Protect Yourself

Nathaniel Herr, associate professor of psychology, spoke to The Washington Post about how uncertainty plays a role in susceptibility to conspiracy theories. (10/19)

The EPA Refuses to Reduce Pollutants Linked to Coronavirus Deaths

Research by Claudia Persico about air pollution and coronavirus deaths was cited in a ProPublica story. (10/21)

What's Behind Trump's Town Hall Answer on QAnon

Kurt Braddock, assistant professor of communication, spoke to The Associated Press about President Trump and QAnon. Braddock said, “Being legitimized on that stage is going to be a huge boon to them.” Cynthia Miller-Idriss, director of the Polarization & Extremism Research and Innovation Lab, spoke to WFAE Radio and The Economist about extremism in America. (10/16, 10/18, 10/17)

The Vicious Cycle of Never-Ending Laundry

Associate Professor of History Kate Haulman spoke to Vox about why people hate doing laundry. Haulman said, “There's no creative element to it whatsoever.” (10/22)

For the Latinx Community, Social Stressors and Intergenerational Trauma Negatively Impact Health--and My Family is No Exception

Elizabeth Cotter, assistant professor of health studies, spoke to Well+Good about health issues in the Latinx community. Cotter said, “Mental health concerns like depression are undertreated in Latinx communities.” (10/16)

Prepared by University Communications

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