Northwestern in the Media

In the Spotlight

Read in-depth coverage of Northwestern work and research.

A look at the potential impacts of proposed Medicaid cuts

From National Public Radio

A Medicaid bill pushed by Republicans proposes significant cuts to the program for low-income Americans. Feinberg’s Lindsay Allen explains that cutting Medicaid shifts the cost burden to local governments and undermines both access to essential medical care and economic stability. The policy does not change behavior, but instead strips coverage from people who already need it.

Why ‘da pope’s’ Chicago accent is so comforting to US Catholics

From Chicago Sun-Times

The Chicago Sun-Times reports that Pope Leo XIV’s distinctive Chicago accent provides U.S. Catholics with a comforting sense of familiarity, helping to bridge cultural and emotional gaps and make the Vatican feel more personal and accessible. School of Communication’s Viorica Marian explains how the pope’s use of multiple languages, including his familiar Chicago English, influences how listeners emotionally connect and cognitively engage with his message.

Cutting through the noise: Trump’s chaos slows economy

From Forbes

Kellogg’s Scott Baker helped develop an “uncertainty index” that shows U.S. economic uncertainty has reached a record high, leading to reduced consumer and business spending and a broader economic slowdown. In April 2025, economic uncertainty surged 377% from Oct. 2024 and surpassed its May 2020 pandemic peak by nearly 30%.

NU Voices

Read perspectives from Northwestern faculty in national media.

Trump, RFK Jr. are pushing psychiatric confinement, not mental health care

From Jordyn Jensen, The Hill

“We cannot allow history to repeat itself. That means Congress must fully fund the Protection and Advocacy program at or above $40 million; preserve and expand the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration’s community-based programs; and reject all efforts to lower civil commitment standards or expand coercive institutionalization,” Northwestern Law’s Jordyn Jensen writes in The Hill.

What the U.S. would lose if it left the IMF

From Stephen Nelson, Good Authority

“But the price of withdrawing from the IMF is higher than sowing more international economic turmoil. On top of further eroding global confidence in the dollar, withdrawal from this global financial institution closes the channels that enable the U.S. to exert outsized influence over the IMF’s decisions. The U.S. would be the big loser if Trump decides to pull out of the IMF,” Weinberg’s Steven Nelson writes in Good Authority.

There is no replacement (yet) for animal models in medical research

From Carole LaBonne, STAT

“The truth is clear: animal models aren’t just helpful; they’re irreplaceable. They remain central to understanding the complexities of biology and disease, paving the way for discoveries that continually improve — and save — human lives. So the next time you benefit from medical treatments, spare a thought for the research animals that drove those discoveries — it is their contributions that continue to make Nobel Prize-winning medical breakthroughs a reality,” Weinberg’s Carole LaBonne writes in STAT.

About

About the Northwestern in the Media briefing

This weekly newsletter serves as a resource for faculty and communications staff, sharing news opportunities and highlighting faculty and University successes in traditional media. It also provides communications tools such as media training resources and announcements about upcoming sessions.

By providing these resources, we hope to help faculty show their expertise to a national and international audience as well as recognize those who are making an impact.

We welcome your feedback on this and all of our communications tools. You can reach us any time at media@northwestern.edu.