In the News
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February 26, 2026
Children with co-occurring persistent pain and mental health symptoms are 40% more likely to initiate use of alcohol, tobacco or marijuana during early adolescence, according to research by Terri Voepel-Lewis, professor of nursing: “Care providers need to screen youth for symptoms, as well as substance use behaviors, and many providers are already doing this starting in adolescence. But it needs to start probably in late childhood.”
Michigan Public -
February 26, 2026
Dental patients may not need X-rays every year, according to new American Dental Association guidelines. “In some cases, a dental X-ray delivers less radiation than a single day of the natural radiation we are all exposed to just by living in the world. Yet, it is important to follow the As Low As Reasonably Achievable principle recognized in both dentistry and medicine to minimize exposure over a patient’s lifetime and only order X-rays when clinically necessary,” said Erika Benavides, a clinical professor of dentistry.
U.S. News & World Report -
February 25, 2026
While the quality of play in Major League Soccer has grown exponentially in the last decade or so, the league probably won’t benefit much from this summer’s World Cup in North America, said Stefan Szymanski, professor of sport management. “They just don’t have a television audience to sort of build and maintain momentum,” he said. “In some ways what MLS needs is not more people going to games. What they need is more people watching it on TV.”
The Guardian (U.K.) -
February 25, 2026
Joelle Abramowitz, associate research scientist at the Institute for Social Research, said that informal self-employment often “lacks benefits, stability and a path to growth” compared to other ways you can work for yourself (formal contract work or owning a business). But in a tech-centric society, freelance self-employment is an ever more popular choice that can also be strikingly fluid — with people able to shift into more stable formal work or move into a more entrepreneurial role, she said.
Inc. -
February 25, 2026
“The court is more willing and inclined to rule against presidents toward the end of their tenure, as they are less popular. The rulings would be consistent with that trend since we have seen dwindling support for Donald Trump, and the tariffs are not all that popular,” said Leah Litman, professor of law, after the Supreme Court handed down rulings on both tariffs and National Guard deployment that marked the justices’ first major decisions against the president.
The Washington Post -
February 24, 2026
“Loneliness is the psychological experience of a lack of social connections. It’s the way you feel when your social relationships don’t match what you would ideally want them to be. This is different from social isolation. You can be surrounded by people and still feel lonely or be alone and feel completely content,” said Lindsay Kobayashi, associate professor of epidemiology.
Medium -
February 24, 2026
“Copper is the fundamental linchpin for socioeconomic development, acting as the connective artery for infrastructure, digital intelligence, and electricity generation, transmission and storage,” said Adam Simon, professor of earth and environmental sciences. “Without substantially increasing copper supply, global development will not happen.”
Earth.com -
February 24, 2026
Milliken v. Bradley, a 1974 landmark Supreme Court case that originated in Michigan, limited the scope of school desegregation in the North. “One of the reasons why this case is so important is because it dealt with … the Jim Crow that was happening in the North that not so many folks are aware of,” said Michelle Adams, professor of law, who believes that if decided differently, the case could have moved us “in a direction of having a more integrated and more unified United States of America.”
WKAR Radio -
February 23, 2026
Universities vary widely on vaccine requirements, but new outbreaks of measles are forcing them to rethink their vaccine strategies. “What keeps campuses safest are high levels of vaccines and whether it’s through requirements or encouragement … people don’t really want to be told what they have to do,” said JoLynn Montgomery, senior manager of applied public health. “So, making sure that … college health centers are places filled with professionals who can be trusted … is really crucial.”
The Hill -
February 23, 2026
A new treatment for age-related macular degeneration pioneered by U-M researchers helped patients read 21 more letters on an eye chart after one year. “This is slightly more than four full lines of vision,” said Rajesh Rao, professor of ophthalmology and visual sciences. “It might mean going from barely discerning large shapes to being able to read larger print with magnification, recognizing faces more clearly, navigating indoor spaces independently, or enjoying activities like watching TV with less strain.”
Forbes
