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WXII-TV (Winston Salem, NC)
Political science professor John Dinan gives expert opinion of election of Pope Leo XIV
"To have an American-born pope gives it just a little more possible influence to shape, to guide, to possibly even wield more influence in American politics than would have been possible for a non-American pope," said politics professor John Dinan.
May 8, 2025
CBS News
The penny may not survive long – but collectors fight to keep it alive
The humble penny, once a pocket staple, has long since lost its shine in American commerce, but it retains devoted fans who see value beyond its monetary worth. Wake Forest University professor Robert Whaples has advocated for eliminating the penny for decades, citing practical concerns. "They just have to keep making more and more of these, because we don't bring them back, and we don't bring them back because they're of such low value. So we got a vicious cycle going here," Whaples said.
May 7, 2025
WFDD-FM (Winston-Salem, NC)
Spike in recycling plant fires raises safety concerns – and one expert says vapes may be to blame
A massive fire erupted at the Omnisource recycling plant in Kernersville, sending towering plumes of black smoke into the sky and drawing attention from as far away as Virginia. “Main things you get in there are things that don't burn completely,” said Stan Meiburg, executive director of Wake Forest's Andrew Sabin Family Center for Environment and Sustainability. “It's why you get these big black plumes of smoke. They can include plastics or fabric or material like that.” Meiburg says when they’re burned, these materials create what’s called particulate matter pollution. “The advice you get from the fire department, which is to stay away, stay indoors until the fire is out, is pretty good advice.”
May 7, 2025
The New York Times
Trump’s return to power elevates ever fringier conspiracy theories
Politicians understand that conspiracy theories are “what scratches our collective psychic itch” at the moment, said communication professor John Llewellyn, who studies urban legends and rhetoric. Repeating such narratives, and promising to act on them, enables a sort of rhetorical sleight of hand, like performing a card trick with the right hand to misdirect from what is happening with the left, he said. Pursuing policy action on nonexistent dangers of chemtrails, for example, allows officials to deliver “symbolic satisfaction that doesn’t require any tax increases or wrestling with health care challenges or otherwise solve any of the real and emergent problems in our society,” he added.
May 6, 2025
Taylor & Francis
Fragmenting China: Arelational approach to analyzing Chinese private companies in Africa
China’s global behavior—wherever it may fall on the spectrum of cooperation to resistance—occurs within a complex network of relations involving host government industrial policies, multilateral institutions, and a mix of state-owned and private enterprises. To redress this shortcoming, this article makes three interventions. Benabdallah is McCulloch Family Faculty Fellow and Associate Professor of Politics and International Affairs at Wake Forest.
May 6, 2025
The Conversation
"In the first 100 days of his second term, U.S. President Donald Trump has shown a willingness to lean on airpower when his administration decides that military force is necessary abroad. The Trump administration might consider seeking alternatives, such as direct or indirect talks, if it wants to avoid getting stuck in a widening conflict in Yemen. History is full of examples of what happens when airpower takes on a logic of its own," writes politics and international affairs professor Will Walldorf.
May 5, 2025
Winston-Salem Chronicle
50 years of transforming senior health through WFU’s HELPS program
“We really look at the whole person. It’s not just exercise siloed; it’s nutrition, it’s exercise. We do a lot of social well-being. It’s a huge piece of overall well-being, especially for older adults,” said Kristy Wood, the program director of HELPS. “So, we do social, emotional, mental, physical – all the things encompassing well-being. So, it’s just a very safe exercise space for older adults in the community.”
May 3, 2025
E&E News
What EPA’s reorganization could mean for its climate staff
EPA hasn’t yet started furloughing or laying off the agency’s climate staff en masse. But that may be coming. “I think the general feeling has been — and I think administrators from [Nixon EPA Administrator] Bill Ruckelshaus on have kind of lamented this — that Congress assigns a lot of duties to EPA to do, and hasn’t provided the staff to do them,” said Executive Director, Andrew Sabin Family Center for Environment and Sustainability Stan Meiburg, a former senior EPA career official who served as acting EPA deputy administrator under former President Barack Obama.
May 2, 2025
Black Press USA
‘Healing must happen beyond the struggle’
Rev. Melva L. Sampson didn't inherit a pulpit – she created one. The ordained minister and professor of preaching and practical theology at Wake Forest University has emerged as a leading voice for Black spiritual innovation, communal healing, and radical reimagining of faith outside of the systems that have long tried to silence people like her. "I'm a product of the Black church," Sampson said. “I’ve been very effective, especially for those who’ve been iced out of traditional systems. Ministry is a system, and it often marginalizes voices that deserve to be heard.”
May 2, 2025
The Conversation
A liberal gun-owning sociologist offers 5 observations to understand America’s culture of firearms
"In my work, I draw on both my personal experiences and sociological observations to understand the long-standing presence of a robust legal gun culture in America," writes sociology professor David Yamane. "A realistic view requires maintaining a clear-eyed understanding of the lethal capabilities of firearms. But the tendency to focus exclusively on firearms-related harms, while understandable, becomes a problem, in my view, when it fails to acknowledge the normality of guns and the diversity of gun owners." This article was also published in the Arizona Daily Sun, Phys.org, and Midland Daily News.
May 1, 2025
Mongabay
Wood pellet maker Drax denied pollution permit after small town Mississippi outcry
"Environmental advocates have long opposed biomass for energy schemes, noting that the burning of wood pellets is a poor replacement for coal because it releases major carbon emissions, while also causing deforestation and biodiversity harm. With the Trump administration demonstrating its intent to eliminate environmental protection and air quality regulations, while halting climate mitigation efforts, it is as yet unknown how or whether the current Department of Energy will adhere to the IRA rules released by the previous administration," writes journalism professor Justin Catanoso, a regular contributor to Mongabay.
May 1, 2025
WXII-TV (Winston Salem, NC)
Ear ache leads to cancer diagnosis for Wake Forest University security guard
Scott Smith has always wanted to be in law enforcement. He's served with the Winston-Salem Police Department, the North Carolina Alcoholic Beverage Control System and, now, Wake Forest University Police. He said it's all because he loves helping people. As he walks Wake's campus, averaging 8 miles per shift, he's realizing how much the people help him. Sometimes, he even forgets all the struggles he's been through in the last year and a half.
May 1, 2025