In the News
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April 30, 2026
Editor’s note: The following item is being re-run to direct readers to the proper story:
“People are reshaping reality based on what they want to be true or not. They’re not looking for good information, they’re looking for confirmatory information, and will often go very deep down a rabbit hole of side-by-side pictures, microshots of the president’s face, et cetera,” said Cliff Lampe, professor of information, after rumors and speculation swirled online after the shooting at the White House Correspondents dinner.
The New York Times -
April 29, 2026
AI chatbots trained to embed personalized ads in replies to queries could influence people’s choices about products — and most users wouldn’t recognize that they were being manipulated, according to Kang Shin, professor emeritus of computer science and engineering, and CSE doctoral student Brian Jay Tang. “Profiling users, and using psychology to target them, has been part of social media algorithms and web advertising for more than a decade,” they wrote. “But in our view, chatbots are likely to deepen these trends.”
The Conversation -
April 29, 2026
“There is no question that higher education must continue to earn public trust, and that begins with clarity, transparency and a commitment to outcomes that truly matter,” said Ravi Pendse, vice president for information technology and chief information officer. “Building trust means advancing affordability and career readiness in ways that have real impact … and for U-M, this work is guided by our responsibility as one of the world’s greatest universities to serve the public good.”
Inside Higher Ed -
April 29, 2026
Over the last 50 years, industrial tree plantations have sprung up in Chile, growing mainly pines and eucalyptus. “There’s a substantial export market for the wood from these plantations,” said Alexandra Paige Fischer, associate professor of sustainability and environment. “The problem is that now the plantations are drying out and becoming very flammable. So, in some ways, Chile is creating its own hazard by cultivating these flammable tree species.”
CNN -
April 28, 2026
“Our observations show that the conditions that led to the formation of our solar system are much different from how planetary systems evolved in different parts of our galaxy,” said Luis Salazar Manzano, doctoral student in astronomy, whose research team found that wherever interstellar comet 3I/ATLAS originated, it was in a much colder environment with lower levels of radiation. “This is proof that whatever the conditions were that led to the creation of our solar system are not ubiquitous throughout space,” said Teresa Paneque Carreño, assistant professor of astronomy.
BBC Sky at Night Magazine -
April 28, 2026
“I think it’s a public crisis. It just feels really reckless and inhumane, especially when we’re looking at utility profits on the other side,” said Justin Schott, lecturer in environment and sustainability and director of the Energy Equity Project, who found that Michigan utilities shut off power for customers struggling to pay their bills at a higher rate on average than neighboring Midwestern states in 2024.
MLive -
April 28, 2026
“There were times where I was like, ‘I don’t want to offend anybody.’ I’m not Liberian, so I want to feel like I’m telling the story well. But then, as a Black woman, I feel deeply connected and rooted in global blackness in the African diaspora. It was pressure and comfort at the same time,” said Shavonne Coleman, assistant professor of theatre and drama, who is directing a play at the Detroit Repertory Theatre about the lives of five women during the Second Liberian Civil War.
Bridge Detroit -
April 27, 2026
“The terrifying part about modern sports betting is that the ‘casino’ is in your pocket 24/7,” said Michal Lorenc, clinical assistant professor of sport management. “Signs of trouble used to be missing work or disappearing to the track. Now, it looks like constantly checking a phone during dinner, severe mood swings tied to meaningless game outcomes, chasing losses, or hiding bank statements.”
WalletHub -
April 27, 2026
Donald Trump’s tariffs “haven’t achieved what they were meant to achieve,” said Justin Wolfers, professor of economics and public policy. “They were meant to onshore manufacturing — it’s continued to shrink. They were meant to lead to new factories being built — that hasn’t happened. … They were meant to lead to the U.S. having leverage and signing new trade deals. We have effectively done none of that.”
Mother Jones -
April 27, 2026
“Trump has created an environment where … organizations can assume that traditional norms of equal-handed application of the law, due process and fair treatment … no longer hold,” said Don Moynihan, professor of public policy. “If the president says ‘My executive order allows me to fire civil servants for whatever reason I please,’ how much does it matter if another president reverses it, because in the long run, potential civil servants know they no longer have job stability.”
The New York Times
