Experts available: Rising gas prices, ICE agents assisting TSA at airports, LaGuardia plane–fire truck collision, and more
The Virginia Tech media relations office has experts available for interviews this week surrounding issues in the news, rising gas prices tied to the war in Iran, negotiations to open the Strait of Hormuz, ICE agents sent to help TSA at airports, the plane-fire truck collision at LaGuardia, and more. To schedule an interview, please contact mediarelations@vt.edu.
Virginia Tech experts available to discuss headlines in the news
Trump postpones deadline for Iran to reopen Strait of Hormuz
As Iran continues its closure of the Strait of Hormuz, President Trump has postponed a deadline for strikes on Iran’s energy infrastructure after what he called “very good” talks with Iran’s leadership — talks that Iran denies ever took place. Soon after Trump’s announcement, Israel launched new attacks on Iran. Foreign policy experts Ariel Ahram and Paul Avey and political communications expert Cayce Myers can analyze aspects of the conflict and its politics.
Gas prices soar amid Middle East conflict
Drivers are starting to feel the pain at the pump as the war in the Middle East continues. With the Strait of Hormuz closed, access to oil is constricted. Virginia Tech economist David Bieri says Americans are feeling the impact of the conflict faster than in the past. He’s available to discuss the increase in gas prices, how the Federal Reserve will tackle supply-driven inflation and a slowing economy, and how long it will take for things to return to normal after the Strait reopens.
Trump deploys ICE agents to airports amid partial government shutdown
“The deployment is a byproduct of the partial government shutdown that has impacted Transportation Security Administration agents since February,” says political communications expert Cayce Myers. “This growing frustration of federal workers within the Department of Homeland Security, particularly the TSA, has created a new political and practical issue. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents are not trained the same way as TSA agents, so their presence in assisting with airport security may result in continued delay. The public response to this is mixed.” Myers and political scientist Karen Hult can discuss the political context.
FAA investigating deadly plane-fire truck collision at LaGuardia
The FAA is now looking into whether air traffic control is to blame for a deadly collision between an Air Canada jet and a LaGuardia Port Authority fire truck. Aerospace expert Ella Atkins says based on air traffic control audio, it appears the controller cleared the fire truck to cross the runway just prior to the collision. Once the risk was recognized, the controller tried to stop the truck, but it did not respond. Atkins is available to discuss what’s next in trying to determine what led to the communication failure and if visibility played a role.
‘Project Hail Mary’ raises prospect of death of our sun
The smash hit science fiction movie “Project Hail Mary” hinges on an alarming scenario. The story imagines a strange cosmic phenomenon that drains our sun’s energy, causing the temperatures on Earth to plummet toward an ice age within a few decades. Astrophysicist Nahum Arav says that in reality, our sun has billions of years of stable life left. He can explain what will happen when the sun does start to die. Read the expert’s explanation here. ***Available for interviews beginning Tuesday***
Building a high fiber garden
Fibermaxxing is trending on social media, and more people than ever are looking to boost the amount of healthy fiber in their diets. According to the American Heart Association, only 5 percent of Americans get enough daily fiber. The good news is that fiber-rich produce can be surprisingly easy to grow in home gardens. Stephanie Romelczyk, Virginia Cooperative Extension agriculture and natural resources Extension agent, explains how and why now is the time to plant them. More here. ***Available for interviews beginning Wednesday***
Podcast: Bluecatfish invading Chesapeake Bay and the problem it poses
Michael Schwarz, director of the Virginia Seafood Agricultural Research and Extension Center of Virginia Tech in Hampton, joined Virginia Tech’s “Curious Conversations” to talk about the rapid invasion of blue catfish in the Chesapeake Bay, its ecological and economic impacts, and the promising potential for turning this challenge into an opportunity. He explained what makes the fish so problematic as well as the challenge of standing up sustainable fishing, processing, and marketing of this catfish and its unique taste and nutritional profile.
“Curious Conversations” is available on Spotify, Apple, and YouTube.
Research Highlight
Building with bamboo to solve global housing crisis
Fast-growing, strong, and available in the fastest-developing parts of the world, bamboo could be a promising solution to the global housing crisis. Unlike steel and concrete, bamboo is a natural and affordable alternative. Its processing doesn’t result in large emissions and actually serves as a natural absorbent of carbon dioxide during its growth. But while bamboo construction has many positives, the variation of each piece’s shape and size presents a challenge when being joined together for the type of multiple-story, mass-produced and replicated construction required to be an effective and economic choice.
To help close this gap, Jonas Hauptman has spent much of the past decade working in Blacksburg, Virginia, alongside Associate Professor of Wood Engineering Dan Hindman, and with collaborators across the globe to develop contemporary bamboo building systems for commercial use. More here.
