Spotlights

Earlier this week, TikTok said they were suing the U.S. government to stop a bill passed last month seeking to force ByteDance, TikTok’s Chinese to sell the app or have it banned. The lawsuit, filed in the U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals for Washington, D.C., argues that the bill violates constitutional protections of free speech. The suit calls the law an “unprecedented violation” of the First Amendment. Lawsuits and rhetoric aside - there are serious concerns about TikTok and Dr. Craig Albert is lending his expertise to explain what is going on behind the screens of the popular app. Craig Albert, PhD, is director of the Master of Arts in Intelligence and Security Studies at Augusta University. He is a leading expert on war, terrorism and American politics. AI and the upcoming election is a serious topic. Albert is available to speak with media – simply click on his name to arrange an interview today.

The election in November is coming fast. And with voters divided and with what could be a small margin of Americans deciding who wins or loses in the race for the Whitehouse - the worry over misinformation and election interference has never been higher. It's why Dr. Craig Albert is here to break down just how AI and deepfakes might be used against any of the candidates leading up to November 05. Craig Albert, PhD, is director of the Master of Arts in Intelligence and Security Studies at Augusta University. He is a leading expert on war, terrorism and American politics. AI and the upcoming election is a serious topic. Albert is available to speak with media – simply click on his name to arrange an interview today.

Following the incident of the container ship crashing into the Francis Scott Key Bridge at the Port of Baltimore and the bridge collapsing, there are now some supply chain concerns. While they may not be felt right away by consumers, there are a number of businesses that will be affected by it. Rick Franza, PhD, professor in Augusta University's James M. Hull College of Business and an expert on operations and supply chain management, said one immediate impact is where container ships will be diverted to for offloading. The Port of Baltimore is a major shipping hub and ranks first among U.S. ports for autos and light trucks. Now those ships will have to find other ports to unload their goods, which becomes a logistical problem as much as anything. “Most ports on the East Coast are at 70% to 80% capacity, which is where you want to be. You don’t want to have much more than that, but they’re going to have to,” said Franza. “It could affect a good bit of the eastern half of the United States.” Ports in Savannah, Charleston and New York, among others, will have to become the destination for those currently sitting outside Baltimore and those en route from around the world. The good news, Franza said, is that most foreign car manufacturers have plants in the United States so it will likely only affect those consumers looking for a certain brand or even a specific model. Baltimore is also one of the furthest inland ports and has the best rail service coming from it. The outbound goods coming off the ships will now face more of a transportation hurdle when they are diverted to another port. “It’s not just the capacity of the port, that’s one thing, but it’s also their capacity of the outbound items,” he said. “It may be more trucks are needed, and new routes are needed to move inventory. It now becomes a whole different set of providers for the trucks because it’s no longer the people in Baltimore.” Franza added companies will also have to decide which distribution centers they may want to use, whether it’s closer to the area they serve or closer to the port. All those factors affect where the items from overseas end up. While it’s not a good scenario, at the end of the day, he feels the consumer likely won’t see much of an impact. “First of all it’s going to take a while before we see any effect on certain things,” Franza said. “The bad news for inflation is that it’s going to raise the cost of transportation for the goods coming off the ships. Will businesses absorb the cost or pass them along to consumers?” Looking to know more? Then let us help. Richard Franza, PhD, is available to speak with media about trending issues like inflation, small business and the economy – simply click on his icon now to arrange an interview today.

TikTok is one of the most popular social media sites in the world. In the United States, more than 170 million people and businesses use the app on a regular basis. Now, the federal government has taken the first step in banning the China-based app unless the ownership group, ByteDance, sells TikTok. The House of Representatives passed a bipartisan bill in support of the ban, and now it awaits Congress to act. President Joe Biden has indicated he would sign the bill banning TikTok unless it’s sold, but whether it reaches his desk remains to be seen. This stems from the fear that China uses user information to their advantage. According to Lance Hunter, PhD, associate professor of political science in Pamplin College of Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences, the concern is well deserved. “Even if it’s a privately-owned enterprise, China can still control it, they can still manipulate it to some degree as if it was a state -owned enterprise,” said Hunter. Hunter’s research focuses on how informational warfare attacks influence politics worldwide. He said the algorithm TikTok uses can play a major role in informational warfare on two fronts. “One, it’s the data gathering, and that can be used for micro targeting because basically what TikTok can do is collect the data and provide information as to what certain individuals respond to an this is exactly how you can persuade them.” “Also, there is empirical evidence that China has used TikTok before to try to influence elections to some degree. One example in the 2022 midterm elections in which some candidates from both parties were targeted by TikTok accounts that were controlled by a propaganda agency operating within the Chinese government.” Hunter added the TikTok algorithm is more advanced than some other social media platforms and more effective in knowing what people like and why they like it. With so many AI-generated posts, it can be difficult for the consumer to decipher what is legitimate, and what isn’t. There are some red flags for people to be on the lookout for. “One thing the average person can do is be very wary of what you’re seeing and ask yourself does this seem legitimate?” he added. “If everyone is saying the exact same thing, that’s a tell sometimes. Also, where does this information originate from, and what are the timestamps on the posts? Something else is to look at the individual who made the post. Who are these people and who’s following them? You may be able to see if they are legitimate accounts.” While China, and Russia for that matter, are trying to influence people in several ways, Hunter said they are also trying to cause division among the American people. “They do want to influence elections at times, absolutely. But one of their other goals, and sometimes even more predominant goals for them, is to increase division, increase polarization, and that’s a great way to do that,” Hunter said. “Even if you have a temporary reaction, you’ve increased that division which could have longer term effects.” Are you covering this important and ongoing story? Then let us help with your stories and questions. Lance Hunter is an assistant professor of political science with a background in international relations. His research focuses on how terrorist attacks influence politics in democratic countries and how political decisions within countries affect conflicts worldwide. He is available to speak with media about this important topic - simply click on his icon to arrange an interview today.

As we enter year three of the war between Ukraine and Russia, the death toll continues to rise, and there doesn’t appear to be any end in sight to the war. Craig Albert, PhD, professor of politics and director of the Master of Arts in Intelligence and Security Studies at Pamplin College of Arts, Humanities, and Social Sciences at Augusta University, said it appears victory does not seem likely for either side, and he expects it to form into a “frozen conflict.” “There are two ways out of this, however,” said Albert. “The first is that the West, mainly the United States, does not continue to arm Ukraine. If this becomes the new normal, then Ukraine will not be able to keep up against Russia and will eventually fall through a war of attrition being waged by Russia.” “The second, less likely but far more threatening scenario, is that Russia expands the war to other states in the area or inadvertently hits a NATO-member state with either kinetic or massive cyberattacks. It may draw NATO into the war directly. In this case, Ukraine takes the advantage, but the war expands to something not seen since World War II.” Albert added that the war is becoming a war of attrition, and, if one side maintains morale, weapons and supply-chain logistics and if one side can maintain air superiority, it’s likely to have an advantage. “If Ukraine manages to get F-16s in the fight sooner rather than later, and longer-ranged missiles are given to them as well, this could cause a stalemate and force Russia into negotiation,” Albert said. He noted Ukraine is making significant gains in the air and has managed to shoot down seven sophisticated aircraft recently, forcing Russian air units to be more cautious about their tactics and even move further away from the frontline. “If this continues, Ukraine can exploit this as Russian forces would likely be left without air cover in future battles.” With everything that has happened in the first two years of the war, it has not deterred Russian President Vladimir Putin from ramping up his resolve. “Putin has doubled-down,” Albert said. “He has increased his forces in the fight, made more aggressive postures to NATO member states and has unleashed his cyber and informational capabilities across the world to take advantage in those realms. Putin continues to pursue pure power politics and is unlikely to back down.” Craig Albert, PhD, is director of the Master of Arts in Intelligence and Security Studies at Augusta University. He is a leading expert on war, terrorism and American politics. This is an important international and national issue. Albert is available to speak with media – simply click on his name to arrange an interview today.

A new study conducted by faculty researchers at the Institute of Public and Preventive Health at Augusta University shows the prevalence of intellectual disability (ID) in adults. But looking at childhood survey data of those with ID, conclusions can be drawn on how many adults have intellectual disability. The study was conducted by Teal Benevides, PhD, assistant professor in the Institute of Public and Preventive Health at Augusta University, Biplab Datta, PhD, assistant professor in IPPH and the Department of Health Management, Economics and Policy, Jennifer Jaremski, research associate in IPPH, and Michael McKee, PhD, associate professor at the University of Michigan. The study estimates the number of adults living with ID is .95% or 9.5 per 1,000 adults between the ages of 21 and 41. “Intellectual disability is diagnosed in childhood,” said Benevides. “It needs to be diagnosed early. It’s not something that just happens in adulthood. So relying on the estimate that’s from childhood surveys is a good start. It’s just aging estimates up based off the current population of the U.S. So I do feel pretty confident that we can base future projections off in the absence of better epidemiological evaluations of prevalence.” She added it’s important to realize a lot of people with ID are now out of high school and age out of educational services to support them at the age of 21. They may fall through the cracks during the transition to adulthood and may not be receiving the services they need. “Many adults with ID are going to require services and support. They’re likely going to require housing support, employment support and many of them are food insecure,” Benevides said. “I think policymakers at both the state and federal level need to know about this because regardless of whether or not our policymakers support Medicaid expansion, many people with ID are also going to need adequate healthcare coverage because the vast majority of people with intellectual disability are not employed.” Not just that, many of those with ID are more likely to experience disparities in housing, employment, education, poverty and more. Biplab Datta and Teal Benevides In Georgia, Benevides said there is a waitlist of 7,000 people looking for Medicaid services for adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities, and there’s just not enough resources available to assist those with ID. Another concern is that people with ID have the same life span and those who may prove care, such as parents or guardians, don’t know what will happen to their older children with ID when they aren’t around or are unable to assist them. “What alarms me is we don’t have sufficient services and supports for adults. We just don’t have them,” she said. “When people ask for services, support and resources, there’s no place to point them to unless they are children.” Biplab Datta, PhD,  is an assistant professor in Institute of Public and Preventive Health and in the Department of Population Health Sciences at Augusta University. Teal Benevides, PhD, OTR/L is an associate professor and the  Director of Faculty Development, Institute of Public and Preventive Health Both experts are available to speak about this important research - simply click on either expert's icon to arrange an interview and time to talk today.

The annual Healthy Georgia Report has been released by Augusta University’s Institute of Public and Preventive Health and it gives a snapshot of how Georgians stack up against not only neighboring states, but the country when it comes to a variety of health topics. This year’s report has added information on adult dental health, poor mental health, skin cancer and overdose deaths. Information on HIV risk behaviors, breast cancer screenings and colon cancer screenings have also returned. The report has been delivered to lawmakers, community leaders and researchers in Georgia to provide them with tangible figures on how Georgia is faring in numerous topics. The goal is to stimulate conversations about public health needs and, in turn, promote action, such as policy changes, greater community engagement and the appraisal of funds. Biplab Datta, PhD, assistant professor in the IPPH and the Department of Health Management, Economics and Policy, has collaborated with other IPPH faculty and staff to update the report. Datta has seen the impact this can have with state leaders. “They have a good appetite for data driven policy changes. I think this report actually helps them in that direction,” said Datta. “We tried to present data in a way that policy makers may find helpful in deciding on appropriate policy choices.” Overdose deaths is one of the new categories this year and is a hot topic nationwide. The report shows Georgia has the sixth lowest rate of overdose deaths in the country. Datta said that’s good, but the number is trending upwards and now should be the time to take steps to prevent it from getting worse. “We cannot be satisfied. We are doing a good job but need to be on our toes to prevent it from further ascending,” Datta said. Another category that Georgia is trending in a good direction is cigarette smoking. But the opposite is true for the obesity rate in the Peach State. The data shows Georgia has the 14th highest rate of obesity in all of the U.S. and the number is on the rise. The data also shows it’s related to household income and education. Adults who are below the federal poverty line and without a college degree are significantly more likely to be obese. Also, those in the 18-to-49 age group have a high rate of obesity compared to the national and regional average. “That is problematic because if someone is developing some cardiometabolic conditions in this age group, they will be at high risk for adverse cardiovascular events at an older age. So we need to focus on food habits, physical exercise, and other health promoting behaviors to prevent and control obesity,” Datta said. Another interesting topic is those in Georgia who have health insurance coverage. While coverage in adults is second lowest in the nation, there is a slight uptick in the number of people who have coverage from the past few years. The number is much better for children with health insurance. He points out that many state programs like PeachCare for Kids may account for the differences. Datta said one topic that definitely needs to be investigated more is cancer rates. He said we observe a low prevalence rate, despite the common perception and other data sources suggest a relatively higher incidence rate of cancer in Georgia. He believes we may be seeing lower survival rates that are not included in the survey. “I think we need more investigation into this particular issue,” said Datta. “Why are we seeing so low numbers of cancer prevalence when we know that cancer incidence rates are very high in Georgia?” The Healthy Georgia Report is the only report of its kind in the state Looking to know more or connect with Biplab Dhatta? Then let us help. Biplab is available to speak with media regarding this important topic. Simply click on his icon now to arrange an interview today.

The world of finances isn't always an easy one for students to navigate. Wendy Habegger, PhD, senior lecturer in the Hull College of Business, suggests several ways college students can improve their financial literacy, even after their collegiate career. Habegger said most don’t have a good grasp of what that is, despite being one of the most foundational building blocks to help students start off on the right foot. “They should know their credit scores just as quickly as their GPA and they should protect it just as vigorously,” Habegger said. She also suggests students have a credit card but with the caveat they use it wisely and be sure to pay their bills in a timely fashion. While they might like using cash, having a credit card will start to build a good credit history that they’ll likely need down the road. “The sooner they get started, the better they are of having good credit when they leave (college),” she added. When looking at their student loans, there are ways they can be better prepared when they start having to pay them back. During that deferral period, she suggests students really consider what a job may pay. Also, when selecting a payment plan for college loans, make sure it’s something they can make monthly payments on without any problems. She also said people need to think about public service jobs that may offer loan forgiveness or asking a potential employer about any loan forgiveness programs. “Some employers out there will offer some sort of that. The military is a good career and they are happy to be help pay off your student loans. Other businesses may offer that as well. It can be a good perk on both sides of the table, for the company and student looking for a first time job.” This is great advice and an important topic, so if you’re a reporter looking to know more, then let us help. Wendy Habegger is a respected finance expert available to offer advice on making the right money moves during volatile times. To arrange an interview, simply click on her icon now.

For the 16th year, Augusta University’s Cree-Walker Chair and Professor of Economics in the Hull College of Business Simon Medcalfe, PhD, has given his analysis of the Augusta area economy. The biggest thing on the minds of many remains the possibility of a recession and the overall inflation nationwide. Medcalfe thinks it probably won’t look a lot different in 2024 as it did in 2023. If anything, there may be less of a chance of a recession. “I think the chances of recession have probably slipped a little. I think there’s less chance of a recession,” said Medcalfe. “Inflation is certainly still a concern. It’s running at 3.2%, which sounds kind of low, but because of the amount of inflation, we’ve had prices about 20% higher than two years ago, and it’s still a concern and still eating into people’s wages.” He indicated, looking at Google Trends and what people are searching, inflation is still a pretty high concern. As for the Augusta region, Medcalfe pointed out that Columbia County continues to see a population increase and will likely have the largest population in the area by the end of the decade on current trends. As you would expect, as the population grows, so too does the number of businesses. Looking at the different sectors of employment in the region, he said things haven’t really changed. The only sectors that have seen more than a 2% change in the share of total employment over the last 20 years are education and health services. Medcalfe also pointed out that the manufacturing industry has seen a sizable increase since 2014. He said it was the same time the Starbucks manufacturing facility arrived in South Augusta but didn’t say that was the exact reason for the increase, just a point of reference for the manufacturing industry increased ever since. “Manufacturing has showed a large increase over the last ten years or so, past post-COVID as well. So now manufacturing employment in the local area is at the highest it’s been since I’ve been here,” Medcafe said. Some research that Hull College is undertaking is the intersection of health care and business. He said it’s important to the economy in our region since Richmond, McDuffie and Burke counties all rank towards the bottom of county health rankings in Georgia. “One of the things we are looking at here in the business school and in the new School of Public Health is what are the factors that influence the population’s health but aren’t clinical? There’s a lot of things that impact people’s health. There’s socio-economic status, there’s the environment they live in, there’s education, there’s health behavior and all this kind of stuff. “About 25% of the research out of Hull College is now looking at health maps because it’s important. Not just the health of the population, but it then impacts the economy because we have a labor shortage and how much of that labor shortage is actually because some people can’t work,” said Medcalfe. Looking to know more?  We can help. Simon Medcalfe, PhD, is a highly regarded economics expert in the Hull College of Business at Augusta University. Medcalfe is an expert that can talk on the national economy, as well as Georgia. He is available to speak with media – simply click on his icon now to arrange an interview today.