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 Aug. 21.
The New York Times: Opinion: Why Lee should go, and Washington should stay
Jon Meacham, distinguished visiting professor of political science, writes that monuments in public places of veneration to those who believed it their duty to fight the Union—such as Confederate Gen. Robert E. Lee—have no place in the Union of the 21st century.
Vox: What Steve Bannon gets right about Democrats—and wrong about Trump
Former White House strategist Steve Bannon suggested that a Trump administration could be successful by being laser-focused on economic nationalism, while leaving the left to oppose Trump on race and identity grounds. But that’s not the Trump administration we’ve seen. The article quotes a passage from Democracy for Realists, a book co-written by Larry Bartels, May Werthan Shayne Professor of Public Policy and Social Science.
NowThis: Is breast milk actually a wonder-drug?
This social media site features Vanderbilt University research led by Steven Townsend, assistant professor of chemistry, about how breast milk sugar protects babies against infections. The post includes a video produced by Vanderbilt Video that has received more than 100,000 views.
Associated Press: Senator’s case may hinge on ‘official acts’ meaning
Bruce Oppenheimer, professor of political science, is quoted in this article about the upcoming trial of Senator Robert Menendez from New Jersey about whether favors he did for a large donor are deemed “official acts.”
Daily Mail (U.K.): How animals appeared on Earth: Analysis of Australian rock reveals that a flood of nutrients 650 MILLION years ago led to a growth of algae that fed the first creatures on our planet
Scientists analyzing ancient Australian rocks have discovered that a flood of nutrients was released 650 million years ago, leading to an enormous growth of early algae, which provided the food needed for the development of animal life. Antonis Rokas, Cornelius Vanderbilt Professor of Biological Sciences, is quoted about his research that determined comb jellies are the oldest relative of the entire animal family.