Expert Pitches

Paul Manafort, President Trump’s former campaign manager, was convicted today (Aug. 21) on eight federal felonies— five counts of tax fraud, one count of failing to report foreign bank accounts and two counts of bank fraud. West Virginia University expert Erik Herron (political science) says the Manafort convictions and Michael Cohen’s guilty pleas may “connect the dots” of Russian interference in the 2016 election, while Anne Lofaso (law) says the Manafort trial will play a historical role in how the Trump presidency is perceived when time gives us distance and objectivity.

As another general election looms in November, the threat of outside interference in U.S elections remains a concern for many Americans. While there are advocates of returning to a paper —and thus, hack-proof—ballot, West Virginia University expert Saiph Savage is researching the option of blockchain to verify voting results. Blockchain stores digital data that cannot be altered once it is received and uses biometrics as a security measure to validate votes.

As the Queen of Soul, Aretha Franklin’s music was woven into the tapestry of the American experience, the “emotional depth” of a country struggling with racial divides and the emergence of women demanding respect and equal rights. West Virginia University’s Travis Stimeling says with Franklin’s range of genres—from gospel and jazz to country—she earned her place as a “masterful interpreter of songs.”

Back-to-school doesn’t have to be a stressful time, according to West Virginia University experts. Planning ahead and making simple adjustments can ease the transition into the new school year.

Asbestos is banned in 60 countries and its use is heavily restricted in the U.S., where up to 15,000 deaths per year are asbestos-related. The global consensus —from the World Health Organization to the office of the Surgeon General—is that there is no safe level of asbestos exposure or controlled use of asbestos. The Trump administration is seeking to reinterpret the meaning of the Toxic Substances Control Act, which was restructured under a bipartisan Congressional agreement during the Obama administration, because Brazil, the principal supplier of asbestos to the U.S., recently banned it. The limited supply of asbestos the U.S. imports now comes from Ukraine.

While opposition to manufacturing a gun using a 3D printer has focused on the safety of others, a West Virginia University forensic science expert says that the initial risk falls on the person firing a 3D printed weapon.

West Virginia University expert Simon Haeder says the massive increases in food recall over the last five years-- 92.7 percent for the U.S. Food and Drug Administration and 83.4 percent for the U.S. Department of Agriculture (according to a study by the Stericycle Recall Index)-- could be attributed to alterations in agency regulations. Another WVU expert, Jacek Jaczynski, said it’s simple to avoid illness by washing hands and thoroughly cooking food.

With new and compelling evidence for water existing beneath the south pole of Mars, a West Virginia University professor says this underground lake is likely to be extremely salty and more acidic than battery acid. Life forms that can survive in extreme physical and geochemical conditions are found in abundance in acid salt lakes such as those in Chile and western Australia, she said.

West Virginia’s population loss, driven by more people moving out of state than moving in and a negative birth-to-death rate, could be helped by an improving economy, according to a West Virginia University economics expert; however, he said, the state has to have “fundamental economic reform” to reverse the trend. According to the Pew Charitable Trust, West Virginia was one of only two states to see a population decrease (18,000 or 1 percent) between 2007 and 2017.

Every year, approximately 2,500 animal bites and other potential rabies encounters are reported across the state. In 2018, at least three animals have tested positive for rabies in West Virginia, as well as a number of animals in the bordering counties of neighboring states. Though this viral disease should not be taken lightly, according to West Virginia University Extension Service wildlife specialist Sheldon Owen, you can greatly reduce your risk of coming in contact with a rabid animal by taking a few simple precautions.