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25-Feb-2008 2:20 PM EST
Federal Poverty Line Grossly Underestimates the Needs of California’s Seniors
University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), Health Sciences

The new Elder Economic Security Standard Index (Elder Index) for California, developed at UCLA, shows that the Federal Poverty Line (FPL), used to determine income eligibility for most public programs, covers less than half of the basic costs experienced by adults age 65 and older in the state.

   
Released: 22-Feb-2008 11:45 AM EST
Spin Expert Discusses U.S. Election Candidates
Queen's University

David Skillicorn, Queen's University computing professor and expert in political spin, says Barack Obama has a tendency to spin his messages, while John McCain has the lowest level of spin of all the candidates "“ followed by Hillary Clinton. Using computer software designed to detect deception, Dr. Skillicorn analyzed speeches by candidates for the U.S. presidential election from the beginning of 2008 to the middle of February.

Released: 20-Feb-2008 9:00 AM EST
Missile Intercept of U.S. Satellite Highlights Space Policy Issues
Secure World Foundation

The interception by sea-launched missile of a failed U.S. intelligence-gathering spacecraft raises a number of associated policy issues: How best to deal with human-made orbital debris, the need to establish space traffic control measures, and defusing concerns over the weaponization of space.

   
Released: 19-Feb-2008 4:35 PM EST
What Does Castro's Resignation Mean for Cuba?
Canisius University

As an ailing Fidel Castro resigns as Cuba's president after nearly a half-century in power, questions arise as to what his resignation will mean for the Communist country. Born in Cuba, Rene De La Pedraja, PhD, is a professor of history at Canisius College in Buffalo, NY, and has done extensive research on Cuba and Fidel Castro. Dr. De La Pedraja offers some insights regarding the situation.

Released: 19-Feb-2008 4:05 PM EST
The End of Castro's Reign: Expert Available for Commentary
Central Michigan University

Cuban leader Fidel Castro stated in an announcement posted on the Web site of the state-run newspaper Granma that he will resign from his 49-year reign as head of state. Central Michigan University professor of political science Orlando Pérez, a Cuban-American who specializes in Latin American politics and U.S.-Latin American relations, is available to comment on the changes that this might bring.

Released: 19-Feb-2008 3:00 PM EST
Professor to Comment on Kosovo
Tufts University

For the past 12 years, Tufts University Professor R. Bruce Hitchner has been involved in public policy initiatives in the Balkans region, especially in Bosnia and Kosovo.

Released: 19-Feb-2008 2:45 PM EST
Prominent Experts Available to Comment on Castro/Cuba
American University

Two prominent American University experts are available immediately to comment on the resignation of Fidel Castro and the future of Cuba and U.S.-Cuban relations: William LeoGrande and Phillip Brenner.

Released: 18-Feb-2008 3:50 PM EST
Arthritis Patients on Medicare Face Losing Their Rheumatologists
American College of Rheumatology (ACR)

If Congress fails to permanently fix the flawed Sustainable Growth Rate, rheumatologists may be forced to close their doors to Medicare patients.

   
Released: 14-Feb-2008 7:10 PM EST
Legal Expert Available to Comment on Independence Crisis in Kosovo
Indiana University

Kosovo is expected to declare independence from Serbia, possibly within days. Timothy Waters, an expert on the region, addresses the implications in terms of regional stability, international law and the fate of Serbs living in northern Kosovo.

Released: 14-Feb-2008 3:15 PM EST
Concerned Families for ATV Safety Statement on New CPSC Data
Concerned Families for ATV Safety

Concerned Families for ATV Safety (www.atvsafetnet.org) co-founders Sue Rabe and Carolyn Anderson today issued the following statement in response to new data released by the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) showing that 1 in 5 people killed in ATV accidents in 2006 were children.

Released: 11-Feb-2008 8:45 AM EST
Forensic Students Search for Clues in Murder
Western Carolina University

Professors and students from Western Carolina University's forensic anthropology program assisted law enforcement agencies in their search for clues in a remote area of national forestland where the body of a hiker missing since October was discovered on Saturday, Feb 2.

Released: 5-Feb-2008 1:20 PM EST
President Bush Budget Leaves Great Lakes Program 'on Thin Ice'
National Wildlife Federation (NWF)

Media briefing on the Bush Administration's recently released 2009 budget and the implications for Great Lakes programs--many of which are core componenets of a $20 billion restoration plan that the President put forward in 2005, and has since distanced himself from as invasive species, sewage contamination and other threats continue to plague the largest surface freshwater resource in the world.

Released: 5-Feb-2008 8:40 AM EST
Election Media Alert
University of Southern California (USC)

USC Marshall expert available to discuss election impacts of social networking and other new-media technologies. How are social-networking technologies transforming this year's election? With Super Tuesday's tsunami of state primaries about to crest, some campaigns have effectively harnessed the power of many-to-many communications technologies such as social networking, while others have struggled. Social networking is this generation's equivalent of the television in 1968 or radio in 1932, a once-a-generation transformative media platform that reshapes the political discourse for those politicians savvy enough to understand it.

Released: 4-Feb-2008 1:00 PM EST
Could the Keystone State be a Presidential Key?
Saint Joseph's University

Randall Miller, Ph.D., political expert and commentator offers insights into the role Pennsylvania might play in the presidential election after the votes are tallied on Super Tuesday.

Released: 3-Feb-2008 9:00 PM EST
TIP/Political Experts for Super Tuesday and Beyond
University of Wisconsin–Madison

With 22 states in play in the Super Tuesday (Feb. 5) jockeying for the White House, the University of Wisconsin-Madison has experts able to analyze the race, its many moving parts and what Tuesday's primary and caucus results might mean for Wisconsin's Feb. 19 primary.

Released: 1-Feb-2008 1:00 PM EST
Speed Cameras Slow Drivers, Even Outside Enforcement Zones
Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS)

The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety is releasing two new evaluations of speed camera enforcement in Scottsdale, Arizona, and Montgomery County, Maryland.

Released: 1-Feb-2008 12:00 PM EST
Older Americans Suffer Serious Access Limitations to Exercise Their Right to Vote
Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania

The US Senate Special Committee on Aging held a hearing yesterday in Washington, DC, on older Americans and the significant barriers they face in exercising their right to vote. Jason Karlawish, MD, associate professor of Medicine and Medical Ethics at the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine, testified before the Committee, citing results from a series of his studies examining voting rights for the elderly.

Released: 1-Feb-2008 11:50 AM EST
Judge the Presidential Match-Ups by the Fancy Footwork
University of Maryland, College Park

Forget the polling data on how the remaining presidential contenders might fare against each other in November. You can get a visceral sense of what the match-ups may produce by the way the candidates move. As certified movement analysts, we see campaigns as elaborate dances and, sometimes, athletic confrontations, says Karen Bradley at the University of Maryland and her colleague Karen Studd at George Mason.

Released: 1-Feb-2008 7:00 AM EST
How “Senior Friendly” Are U.S. Presidential Candidates in 2008?
National Academy of Elder Law Attorneys

With the front edge of 75 million Baby Boomers now hitting sixty years of age, policies that affect seniors could gain substantial attention in this year's U.S. presidential race. The National Academy of Elder Law Attorneys (NAELA) examined positions from leading candidates and today released their findings on seven issues affecting America's aging population.

Released: 31-Jan-2008 7:00 PM EST
What Influences Young Voters?
Saint Joseph's University

Whether it's out of frustration with the current administration or because they've embraced and identified with a candidate's platform, young people are voting in record numbers this primary season. With this early and significant turnout, candidates and political pundits want to know more about this demographic and their voting behavior before November's election day.

Released: 31-Jan-2008 5:25 PM EST
Super Tuesday: Obama’s Political ‘Movement’ Vs. Hillary’s ‘Organization’?
Rowan University

Has Barack Obama's movement grown strong enough that he can win in states where he hasn't campaigned extensively? That's the overriding question as voters head to the polls on Super Tuesday, says Rowan University professor Larry Butler.

Released: 30-Jan-2008 3:00 PM EST
Law Professor Examines Jack Bauer's Influence on National Security Law
University of Iowa

Sure, it's just a TV show, but a University of Iowa law professor says "24" can have real-world legal implications. "Ruminations on '24' would be just an entertaining diversion if it were not for the fact that the show has slowly seeped into the national debate on antiterrorism tactics," said Tung Yin, law professor and expert on national security law.

Released: 30-Jan-2008 12:00 AM EST
How Appearance and Money Influence Who Gets Elected
Washington University in St. Louis

If politics were like high school, Republicans would be the football stars and Democrats would be chess club captains. Those stereotypes are the easiest way to summarize part of the conclusions made by a marketing professor at the Olin Business School at Washington University in St. Louis.

   
Released: 25-Jan-2008 8:00 PM EST
Presidential Oratory Trumps Ideology for Some Voters
Vanderbilt University

To influence voters, especially those without strong ideological beliefs, presidential candidates should pay as much attention to their oratorical skills as stances on issues, said political scientist Christian Grose. Also, highly educated voters are more likely than those with fewer years of schooling to be influenced by complex speech.

24-Jan-2008 9:00 AM EST
Russian/American Poll: Keep Outer Space Free of Weapons
Secure World Foundation

A poll released today notes that Americans and Russians agree that their governments should work together to prevent an arms race in space. Large majorities in both countries favor unilateral restraint and a treaty that would keep space free of weapons.

Released: 22-Jan-2008 2:10 PM EST
Touch Screen Voting: Fixes for Most-Pressing Issues
University of Maryland, College Park

Electronic voting technology, especially touch screen systems, easily pass the tests of voter confidence and satisfaction, but users still make too many mistakes and ask too often for help, says a major new study led by the University of Maryland and conducted with the University of Rochester and the University of Michigan.

Released: 21-Jan-2008 9:45 AM EST
Faculty Available to Discuss and Interpret the 2008 U.S. Presidential Campaign
Colgate University

As the presidential hopefuls hit the campaign trail hard, news outlets from across the country are turning to Colgate University professors for their insight and perspective. Colgate faculty can provide analysis on topics ranging from facial characteristics of candidates and hand gestures to campaign finance reform and spending.

Released: 21-Jan-2008 7:00 AM EST
Election Forecaster Calls Nomination Races ‘Most Peculiar’ in Memory
University at Buffalo

University at Buffalo political science professor James E. Campbell has studied presidential campaigns for more than three decades and says this year's race for party nominations is the "most peculiar" he can remember.

Released: 18-Jan-2008 7:00 PM EST
Experts on 2008 Presidential Campaign Related Issues Available
Binghamton University, State University of New York

Experts from Binghamton University, State University of New York, are available to discuss issues related to the 2008 presidential campaign, including 1) illegal immigration 2) the right of workers to organize and collectively bargain 3) economic globalization 4) campaign financing 5) voter turnout.

8-Jan-2008 9:00 AM EST
Brother of the “Unabomber” to Discuss Death Penalty
American Psychoanalytic Association (APsaA)

David Kaczynski, Executive Director of New Yorkers Against the Death Penalty (NYADP) will be the presenter at the discussion group entitled " On Settling the Score: Crime, Punishment, and the Death Penalty" on Thursday, January 17, 2008 from 9:00 a.m. - 11:30 a.m. as part of the American Psychoanalytic Association's 2008 Winter Meeting to be held at the Waldorf Astoria Hotel in New York.

Released: 18-Jan-2008 12:00 AM EST
The State of Space Security: Workshop Explores Critical Issues
Secure World Foundation

A workshop will bring together experts in space policy, law and emerging technologies to discuss steps in establishing a global consensus on security in outer space.

Released: 17-Jan-2008 5:30 PM EST
Tips for Watching the State of the Union
University of Maryland, College Park

President Bush gives his final State of the Union Address on Monday, January 28. Maryland Visiting Associate Professor Karen Kohn Bradley knows a thing or two about HOW to watch a State of the Union - she's a certified movement analyst who studies the nonverbal and movement behaviors of political leaders. She offers tips on how to watch the State of the Union with a critical eye.

Released: 17-Jan-2008 3:20 PM EST
Proposed Greenhouse Gas Legislation Will Not Hinder U.S. Economic Growth
RTI International

Proposed legislation to reduce greenhouse gas emissions will have little impact on America's future economic growth, according to a new report conducted by researchers at RTI International and Harvard University for the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.

   
Released: 17-Jan-2008 2:00 PM EST
California Flood Risks are "Disaster Waiting to Happen"
University of Maryland, College Park

Flooding in California's Central Valley is "the next big disaster waiting to happen," but water-related infrastructure issues confront almost every community across the country, according to engineers at the University of Maryland's Clark School of Engineering in separate reports to California officials and in the journal Science.

Released: 16-Jan-2008 12:00 PM EST
Obama: Helping the U.S. Reach a Political Tipping Point
Central Michigan University

Are we at a tipping point where our country is ready to elect an African-American president? Stephen Jones, Central Michigan University assistant professor of history and authority on African-Americans in the legal process, is available to discuss how we might be.

Released: 15-Jan-2008 10:35 AM EST
National Child Abuse Expert Available to Discuss MySpace Agreement
University of New Hampshire

David Finkelhor, director of the Crimes Against Children Research Center at the University of New Hampshire, is available to discuss new policies adopted by MySpace designed to protect children from Internet predators.

Released: 14-Jan-2008 1:40 PM EST
Moral Values Equally Motivate Political Right and Left
University of Illinois Chicago

A new study appearing in the February issue of Political Psychology finds moral values can be significant motivators of political engagement, but equally so for voters on both ends of the political spectrum.

 
Released: 14-Jan-2008 11:20 AM EST
Negative Campaign Ads Contribute to a Healthy Democracy, Political Scientist Argues
University of Wisconsin–Madison

Political attack ads, widely demonized by pundits and politicians, are instead a kind of multi-vitamin for the democratic process, sparking voters' interest and participation, according to a new book co-authored by University of Wisconsin-Madison political scientist Kenneth Goldstein.

Released: 11-Jan-2008 11:00 AM EST
Pepper Center to Host World Leaders at International Conference
Florida State University

World leaders from Africa and the Middle East will gather at Florida State University for a first-of-its-kind intercultural dialogue designed to support a United Nations initiative, the Alliance of Civilizations.

Released: 11-Jan-2008 8:00 AM EST
China's Anti-Satellite Test: One Year Later - Troubling Aftermath
Secure World Foundation

One year ago today, China blew up its own aging weather spacecraft by way of an anti-satellite (ASAT) device. The result? The most prolific amount of orbital debris created in five decades of worldwide space activities. Secure World Foundation has flagged the event, calling for international policy action on several fronts.

Released: 9-Jan-2008 5:15 PM EST
Analysis from New Hampshire: Hillary's Changed Style Made the Difference; Voters Humbled Media
University of Maryland, College Park

Hillary Clinton's changed campaign style made the difference last night, says a University of Maryland political communication expert just back from New Hampshire. Her colleague says voters there humbled media, pollsters and pundits in yesterday's first primary election of 2008.

Released: 9-Jan-2008 2:00 PM EST
Leading Expert on 2008 Election to Speak at UCSD Jan 30
University of California San Diego

One of the nation's leading authorities on campaigns and elections will address the UC San Diego Social Sciences Supper Club on January 30, when there will be less than a week to go just before primaries are held on "Super Tuesday" in 23 states including California.

Released: 9-Jan-2008 12:40 PM EST
New Survey Suggests that Voter IDs Are Not the Problem
American University

Based on a random sample of registered voters in Indiana, Mississippi and Maryland, a new study by American University's Center for Democracy and Election Management (CDEM) finds, surprisingly, that only 1.2 percent of registered voters lack a government-issued photo ID, and more than two-thirds of all registered voters in the three states feel that the electoral system would be trusted more if people had to show an ID to vote.

Released: 9-Jan-2008 8:00 AM EST
Researchers Develop Tool for Securing Rural Transportation Networks
University of Arkansas, Fayetteville

Researchers in the Mack-Blackwell Rural Transportation Center at the University of Arkansas have completed a seminal study on the security of U.S. rural transportation networks. The study provides a low-cost and efficient tool to assess the vulnerability of rural transportation assets and will help officials develop and implement plans for emergency preparedness.

Released: 8-Jan-2008 2:00 PM EST
Controversy Over Obama's Rhetoric: Energizing or Just Talk?
University of Maryland, College Park

As voters go to the polls in New Hampshire, Barak Obama's rhetoric has become a "controversial, key storyline" says University of Maryland political communication expert Shawn Parry-Giles, who has been in New Hampshire observing media and candidates and citizens.

Released: 7-Jan-2008 3:15 PM EST
University Expert Speaks on Supreme Court Voter ID Case
Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis (IUPUI)

On Jan. 9, 2008, the U.S. Supreme Court is set to hear arguments in a case that will determine whether an Indiana law requiring all voters to present a government-issued photo ID before voting is unconstitutional and unfairly impacts the elderly, the poor and minorities. An Indiana University School of Law-Indianapolis expert is available for media interviews regarding the case.

Released: 7-Jan-2008 1:50 PM EST
Obama Reinvigorates Oratory; Hillary, the 2nd Comeback Kid
University of Maryland, College Park

Latest dispatches from New Hampshire as University of Maryland political communication experts trail candidates and media: The power of Obama's oratory, what some consider a lost art, may well say as much about the state of the electorate in the post-Bush years; Hillary Clinton is working hard to be the 2nd 'come back kid' through old fashioned retail politics and citizen engagement...

Released: 6-Jan-2008 5:00 PM EST
Iowa Caucuses "Exciting Exercises in Democracy"
Western Illinois University

"The Iowa caucuses provided citizens rare opportunities to meet presidential hopefuls in person, to ask them questions and engage in meaningful dialogues with fellow citizens. It forced the candidates to fan out among the citizenry "“ at truck stops, churches, senior centers, factories, farms, wherever people gather "“ and listen to their concerns," said Rick Hardy, professor and chair of Western Illinois University's political science department.

Released: 4-Jan-2008 1:00 PM EST
Aboard the Primary Express: A 2008 New Hampshire Diary
University of Maryland, College Park

University of Maryland political communication expert Kathleen Kendall is continuing a 20-year tradition: trailing presidential candidates through New Hampshire from an unusual vantage. Traveling and sitting with the press, Kendall carefully notes the interactions between the candidates, media and citizens. See her dispatches from the Granite State.

Released: 4-Jan-2008 11:25 AM EST
Philadelph's Expectations for Great Change
Saint Joseph's University

No longer "corrupt and contented"? Noted political commentator Randall Miller, Ph.D., of Saint Joseph's University discusses the sweeping changes expected in Philadelphia with the inauguration of Mayor-elect Michael Nutter.



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