Experts available: Ukraine, Russia White House talks, Hurricane Erin, back-to-school stress, and more
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.
Virginia Tech experts available to discuss headlines in the news
Alaskan summit gave Putin a platform, expert says
The meeting of the United States and Russian presidents in Alaska likely won’t lead to peace, but participating gave Vladimir Putin a platform, says international affairs expert Yannis Stivachtis. “The majority in the U.S. Congress is very skeptical, if not hostile, toward President Trump's current approach regarding Russia and Ukraine. Also, President Trump has a tendency to change his mind based on who he spoke with last. Having observed Trump’s behavior, Russia does not have great expectations following the Trump-Putin meeting. But they had nothing to lose,” he says. “After all, at the Alaska meeting, President Putin had another opportunity to restate Russia's positions regarding Ukraine before the whole world — especially to the United States.”
National Guard to mobilize in support of law enforcement in D.C.
After the Justice Department backed off of its original order to take control of Washington, D.C.’s Metropolitan Police Department, three Republican-led states – West Virginia, South Carolina, and Ohio – deployed National Guard members to the nation’s capital at the request of the Trump Administration. Political scientist Karen Hult (limited availability) and political communications expert Cayce Myers can provide historical context for these unusual steps.
Hurricane Erin is one of the fastest intensifying storms in Atlantic history
Hurricane Erin is now a Category 4 storm and is once again expected to get stronger. Forecasters are warning of dangerous rip currents along the East Coast this week. The storm went from a Category 1 on Friday to a Category 5 just 25 hours later, making it one of the fastest-strengthening Atlantic hurricanes. According to coastal hazards expert Robert Weiss, this has become much more common in recent years and will only continue. Weiss is available to speak about what else we can expect from this storm and what science can tell us about the future of these storms.
Expert offers tips for coping with back-to-school nerves
As summer wanes and children return to the classroom, back-to-school excitement may be overshadowed by feelings of anxiety. Cindy Smith, director of the Children’s Emotions Lab at Virginia Tech, says uncertainty around unfamiliar situations can lead to anxiety among children. She’s available to speak to how new academic challenges can impact this and what parents and guardians can do to support these students. More here.
MSNBC rebrands to MS NOW
MSNBC is rebranding to MS NOW and dropping the peacock from its logo. The acronym stands for My Source for News, Opinion and the World. According to public relations expert Cayce Myers, the rebrand comes as it splits from NBC News and is part of an effort as corporate parent Comcast spins off most of its cable channels into a new company called Versant. The split is set to take effect later this year. Myers and marketing expert Donna Wertalik are available to talk about what this means for the network, what a rebrand entails, and whether it could help or hurt the brand.
