On Dec. 22, Trump signed into law a major tax reform package that will lower income tax rates for many Americans. On Jan. 22, he signed a temporary spending bill to end a three-day government shutdown that was at least partially blamed on congressional Democrats. And on Jan. 30, while the Iowa Poll was in the field, Trump appeared on primetime television to deliver his first State of the Union address. The upswing coincides with a national rise in Trump’s approval rating, likely driven by those developments as well as fewer than average “self-inflicted controversies” in recent weeks, said...
Charlottesville officials are continuing their efforts to manage downtown parking despite a decision by the City Council in early January to terminate a parking meter program before its six-month pilot program ended. “There is an existing plan that has certain recommendations in place that included the on-street meters, but are much more than that,” said Andrew Mondschein, a UVA School of Architecture professor and member of the PLACE Design Task Force.
Roger Dean Huffstetler, who is both outraising and outspending his Democratic opponents in Virginia's largely rural fifth district, announced his campaign less than a year after he moved in the summer of 2016 to Charlottesville, a blue city located near the center of a rural red district. Geoffrey Skelley, an expert on Virginia elections for UVA’s Center for Politics, said Huffstetler's lack of local ties could hurt his chances to win the Democratic nomination, which will this year be decided by a convention and not a primary. "Having strong local ties could be vital in the nomination process,...
UVA research has shown that between 1969 and 2011, cancer incidence declined in every region of the country except rural Appalachia. Lung cancer, in particular, is a major contributor to the high cancer incidence and mortality rates in Kentucky, and accounts for 35 percent of all cancer deaths.
Scientists have developed a novel technique that uses specially designed nanoparticles and near-infrared laser treatment to cause cancer cells to lose their multidrug resistance capabilities for days at a time. This creates a therapeutic window for chemotherapy to combat even the most drug-resistant cells left behind after surgery or earlier treatment, according to the researchers. The team, which also included researchers from the University of Virginia targeted a specially designed nanoparticle to the mitochondrion.
The new degree program, offered through weekend classes and online instruction, will be available to those with at least two years of full-time work experience.
They held their annual "Strong Men and Women in Virginia History" awards ceremony Wednesday night. Seven renowned African-Americans were honored for their accomplishments and leadership, including Mavis Claytor-Ford, the first African-American to earn a bachelor's degree in nursing from UVA.
The UVA Press and UVA’s Center for Digital Editing plan to create a cooperative to discuss the challenges of developing and publishing digital scholarly editions and projects, according to a news release.
Internet pioneer John Perry Barlow, who championed ideals of a free and open internet, has died. Barlow’s Declaration of the Independence of Cyberspace, written 22 years ago, was a rallying cry for cyberpunks and a warning to governments. “His optimism was infectious and he played such an important role in allowing people to be bold about what they might build,” said Siva Vaidhyanathan, UVA professor of media studies.
A $160 million renovation to UVA’s Alderman Library may limit access to book collections and squeeze storage and study space even tighter during the work. Students and faculty on Wednesday and Thursday got more details about proposed renovations to the University’s biggest library.
President Donald Trump’s visit to the Sheffer Corp. near Cincinnati was billed as a chance to discuss the recently enacted tax law. While Trump did discuss the tax law, most coverage of the speech led with a digression in which Trump accused Democrats of treason. "Being rude and partisan does not come close to the constitutional definition of treason," agreed Robert F. Turner, a fellow at UVA’s Center for National Security Law.
UVA psychology professor Timony D. Wilson – author of “Redirect: The Surprising New Science of Psychological Change,” printed in 2011 – notes how psychological research debunked claims made for D.A.R.E. (Drug Abuse Resistance Education), the program pioneered by former Los Angeles Police Chief Daryl Gates in which officers went to classrooms to deliver anti-drug messages, as well as Scared Straight, the program in which foul-mouthed inmates warned at-risk youths to avoid a life of crime.
Anyone who has known an athlete who was brutalized by a coach in high school and then had to deal with that student in adult life knows how little character is built by coaches’ extreme behavior. Reflecting on his time as a high school football player, UVA professor Mark Edmundson writes: “The kind of intensity that sports – and especially kinetic sports like football – can provoke is necessary for any society: Thymos [spiritedness] must have its moment. But that intensity is mortally dangerous for society and for individuals, too. Sports can lead people to brutal behavior – I see no way to av...
Election handicapper Kyle Kondik from UVA’s Center for Politics notes that the GOP percentage on the generic ballot has tracked more and more closely with Trump’s approval rating. There have been a few surveys where the Republicans have run a little ahead of Trump, but mostly they run even or behind. “So Trump’s improvement is felt in the generic ballot, but let’s also remember that approval in the low 40s is still weak historically,” said Kondik.
Experts say the primaries may signal what’s to come in November. “If you see Democrats up by 10 percent on the generic ballot, that puts them in a decent position,” said Geoffrey Skelley at UVA’s Center for Politics, one of the experts the USA TODAY Network consulted in developing its list of bellwether districts.
A recently published 22-year-long study found increased risks of hypertension, obesity, heart disease and coronary artery disease, even when ovaries were left intact after a hysterectomy. "That was a surprise," said Dr. JoAnn Pinkerton, executive director of the North American Menopause Society, and professor of gynecology at the UVA Health System.
It is not clear whether Porter ever received a permanent security clearance. “The fact that Porter might have held a senior White House position without a security clearance is troubling and merits a full investigation,” said Chris Lu, former cabinet secretary under President Barack Obama and senior fellow at UVA’s Miller Center. “I’ve lost count as to how many Trump appointees have been sidelined because of their past views or conduct. But this is further evidence of a non-existent vetting process.”
President Donald Trump's approval rating has ticked up, while Democrats' lead in the generic ballot test, a key measure for congressional races, has dropped from 13 points in December to around 6 points, according to the Real Clear Politics polling averages. "It seems like Republicans are rallying to their president and party a little bit in recent weeks, leading to an improvement for the president's standing and the GOP standing in the House generic ballot," said Kyle Kondik, an analyst at UVA’s Center for Politics.
A national publication has named the UVA Health System among the top 100 hospitals and health systems with great neurosurgery and spine programs.
Developing critical thinking in adults can help them resist the allure of advertising, particularly for sugary drinks, a study has found. UVA researchers enrolled test subjects in a six-month trial, providing media literacy education to lessen the impact of marketing.