University News and Communications publishes VUToday, a compilation of Vanderbilt mentions in the media, each weekday. Read a selection of Vanderbilt news stories for the week of Jan. 16. To subscribe to the daily VUToday newsletter, visit news.vanderbilt.edu/vutoday.
The Tennessean: Jon Meacham: U.S. going from most dignified leader to ‘Access Hollywood’ president
On Friday, America will transition from one of the most dignified presidents to ever hold the office to an “Access Hollywood” president, Pulitzer Prize-winning author Jon Meacham, Distinguished Visiting Professor of Political Science, said during a panel discussion at Vanderbilt University on Tuesday evening. Meacham’s comment came during an hourlong talk that centered on Barack Obama’s legacy as president and what lies ahead for the country. Chancellor Nicholas S. Zeppos and Meacham led the discussion, which also featured former Republican National Committee Chairman Michael Steele; Republican strategist and political commentator Ana Navarro; and Joshua DuBois, who has provided spiritual counsel to the president.
Associated Press: Academics race to save rare colonial documents in Cuba
An American team of academics is racing to preserve millions of Cuban historical documents before they are lost to the elements and poor storage conditions. The project is a partnership between the British Library Foundation and Vanderbilt University to capture almost 2 million documents in digital form—a treasure trove of documents stretching back to the mid-16th century about early island life and the slave trade.
The Christian Science Monitor: Endangered Species Act: Get ready for big changes, says GOP
The Endangered Species Act may soon be, well, endangered. As President-elect Donald Trump prepares to take office, Republicans are reportedly getting ready to roll back the influence of the Endangered Species Act after contending for years that the law curbs economic development under the guise of conservation. J.B. Ruhl, David Daniels Allen Distinguished Professor of Law, is quoted.
Reuters: Kids’ tonsillectomies make more sense for sleep apnea than strep throat
Children who have their tonsils removed to treat chronic throat infections or breathing problems during sleep may get more short-term symptom relief than kids who don’t get tonsillectomies, two recent studies suggest. Over time, however, the benefits of surgery for chronic streptococcal throat infections appear to go away. Three years after tonsillectomies, children who had these procedures had roughly the same number of throat infections as kids who didn’t get their tonsils taken out. Sivakumar Chinnadurai, associate professor of otolaryngology and lead author of one of the studies, is quoted.
The Washington Post: Economists: Chargers’ move to Los Angeles might hurt NFL, benefit taxpayers
The decision by Chargers owner Dean Spanos to leave behind a passionate fan base in San Diego for an apathetic one in Los Angeles created a public relations hit for the NFL in the middle of its playoffs. But to sports economists, the Chargers’ move is the rare sports team relocation that should be treated as good news—because it’s not contingent on hundreds of millions of dollars in public spending. John Vrooman, senior lecturer in economics, is quoted.