The Virginia Tech media relations office has the following experts available for interviews this week surrounding issues in the news. To schedule an interview, please contact mediarelations@vt.edu.

Deal reached would avert government shutdown

Over the weekend, Congressional leaders reached a deal that if passed would prevent a government shutdown. If it is not passed, funding runs out for about 20% of the government on January 19. The money for the rest of the government runs out on February 2. House Speaker Mike Johnson is facing pushback from some Republicans, specifically the Freedom Caucus. Virginia Tech political expert Karen Hult is available starting Tuesday to discuss the deal, next steps, and political implications.

Supreme Court to decide whether Trump can run for President 

The Supreme Court will decide whether former president Donald Trump’s name can appear on primary ballots. It’s a historical case that will have a major impact on the election. Arguments will be heard in just over a month. This comes after Colorado’s top court found he engaged in an insurrection and disqualified him from the ballot last month. Virginia Tech political expert Karen Hult is available starting Tuesday to discuss the historical nature of this hearing and the impact it could have moving forward.

Boeing door plug blows out in-flight

More than 170 Boeing planes are grounded after frightening moments aboard an Alaskan Airlines flight. On Friday, a door plug blew out over Portland. It’s been discovered that the plane’s auto-pressurization fail light came on during three flights in the weeks before the incident. The NTSB is now investigating and has no definitive timeline. Virginia Tech Aerospace and Ocean engineering expert Ella Atkins is available for interviews surrounding this topic.

Fears of escalating war in Middle East


As the war between Israel and Hamas in the Gaza Strip goes on, conflict with Hezbollah at Israel’s border with Lebanon — including the reported killing of a Hezbollah commander in an Israeli military strike — raise concerns that the scope of the war will escalate. Meanwhile, residents in the ruins of Gaza face life with hospitals and crucial infrastructure destroyed, and Hamas continues to hold Israeli hostages. Global foreign policy experts Joel Peters and Ariel Ahram can discuss the prime factors in this ongoing crisis.

Winter weather brings hazardous driving conditions to roads; expert provides safety tips for navigating

Another major winter weather system is moving across the United States this week, bringing with it the chance for blizzard conditions and flooding. The winter weather could make for hazardous driving conditions. Virginia Tech Transportation Institute executive director Zac Doerzaph says that driving when both visibility and traction are impaired by the weather increases the risk of a crash by 70-80 percent and is available to share safety tips. More here.

COVID and flu cases rising

According to the CDC, cases of the flu are increasing and at their highest levels in at least 38 states. The number of hospitalizations continues to increase. Additionally COVID levels are now higher than last season’s peak. Virginia Tech epidemiologist Lisa Lee is available to discuss the latest trends, how to differentiate symptoms and what a co-infection could mean for your health.

Research Highlights

Virginia Tech researchers find drugs used to treat Type 2 diabetes reduce alcohol cravings, use in individuals with obesity

A new Fralin Biomedical Research Institute study analyzed social media posts and self-reported experiences among patients who use drugs such as Ozempic, Wegovy, and Mounjaro. An analysis of those posts, together with a remote study of individuals with obesity who reported using semaglutide and tirzepatide, found that the drugs decreased cravings and reduced alcohol consumption. “These findings add to a growing literature that these medications may curb dangerous drinking habits,” said Warren Bickel, Virginia Tech Carilion Behavioral Health Research Professor at the Fralin Biomedical Research Institute at VTC and corresponding author. More here.

Study: From NYC to D.C. and beyond, cities on the East Coast are sinking

Major cities on the U.S. Atlantic coast are sinking, in some cases as much as 5 millimeters per year – a decline at the ocean’s edge that well outpaces global sea level rise, confirms new research from Virginia Tech and the U.S. Geological Survey. Particularly hard hit population centers such as New York City and Long Island, Baltimore, and Virginia Beach and Norfolk are seeing areas of rapid “subsidence,” or sinking land, alongside more slowly sinking or relatively stable ground, increasing the risk to roadways, runways, building foundations, rail lines, and pipelines, according to a study published Jan. 2 in the Proceedings of the National Academies of Sciences. More here.

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