In the News
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November 20, 2025
“The fact that it feels good to buy stuff isn’t going anywhere. People still have this expectation that they should be able to buy these things. They will just be more and more mad about how much they cost,” said Stephanie Preston, professor of psychology, about the rising prices of cheap goods from China and Vietnam due to higher tariffs.
The Wall Street Journal -
November 20, 2025
One Republican proposal to make health care more affordable would redirect enhanced subsidies into tax-free Flexible Spending Accounts, which Americans could use for deductibles, co-pays or direct health care expenses. FSAs are “great for buying eyeglasses and going to the dentist, but if you have a catastrophic health event they’re not going to help,” said Thomas Buchmueller, professor of business economics and public policy.
The Washington Post -
November 19, 2025
Research by Michelle Meade, professor of physical medicine and rehabilitation, found that only 18% of participants over 65 saw themselves as having a disability — even though half the 65-to-74 group reported disabilities, as did about two-thirds of those over 75. Identifying as a person with a disability provides benefits, can mean avoiding isolation and “being part of a community of people who are good problem-solvers, who figure things out and work in partnership to do things better,” she said.
The New York Times -
November 19, 2025
The Trump administration’s elimination of electric vehicle and battery incentives will hurt Republican states and districts. “The state politics of this are really complicated. Most congressional districts are in such safe territory, it’s hard to see any partisan shift of control in them,” said Barry Rabe, professor emeritus of public policy, environment and political science. Yet there are GOP-controlled House districts that have seen broad benefits from clean energy investments where “this really could be a factor.”
The Detroit News -
November 19, 2025
Soft drink lovers are trained to associate these products with certain events and moments due to decades of intense product marketing by beverage companies, said Ashley Gearhardt, professor of psychology. “They want to inundate every single domain of your life,” she said. “Just like a chain smoker is dosing themselves with nicotine all day, you’re dosing yourself with a naturally delivered sweet taste day after day because whenever it’s not there, a part of you feels slightly depressed and slightly dissatisfied.”
USA Today -
November 18, 2025
“Michigan’s research expenditures are more than just a number. They represent U-M’s leadership in improving health, advancing technologies and serving as a trusted partner for the most important challenges of our time,” said Arthur Lupia, vice president for research and innovation, on U-M’s record-breaking spending of $2.16 billion on research initiatives during fiscal year 2025. “Our research community brings together world-class expertise and a shared commitment to public service,” said President Domenico Grasso. “Through interdisciplinary collaboration and purposeful investment, U-M continues to drive progress in a rapidly changing research environment.”
MLive -
November 18, 2025
“The ’70s saw a very purposeful destruction of the Black community, and reminding people … and showing what that community could look like is huge. Hopefully, we can learn from these newspapers. … Maybe looking at that history and seeing it still happen will inspire some sort of change,” said Callum Carr, associate archivist at the UM-Flint Library, who is working to digitize the Black newspapers that covered Flint for much of its history.
Christian Science Monitor -
November 18, 2025
“While the forecast models are really good at picking up when lake effect snow is going to happen, in general, it doesn’t always pick up where these bands are exactly going to land and for how long. That’s because models do better at modeling the larger-scale system, like when the big storm moves over the region, as opposed to where exactly the winds are going to land over the lakes,” said Abby Hutson, assistant research scientist at the Cooperative Institute for Great Lakes Research.
Fox Weather -
November 17, 2025
“Teens struggling with body image issues are especially susceptible to deceptive marketing, and this legislation would protect them from predatory industries that profit from their insecurities,” said Kendrin Sonneville, associate professor of nutritional sciences, about a new bill in the Michigan Legislature that would prohibit minors from buying supplements for diet and muscle growth.
MLive -
November 17, 2025
Investing in scientific research is critical for the safety, prosperity and well-being of people that live, work and play in the Great Lakes, said Greg Dick, professor and director of the Cooperative Institute of Great Lakes Research: “It supports the restoration and revitalization of communities. It supports economic activity, like the Great Lakes shipping industry, like safe drinking water for communities. So, I really think that these investments that we make in Great Lakes science are cost-efficient and cost-saving.”
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