Prof. Jack Pitney was quoted in a piece about former Los Angeles County Sheriff, Alex Villanueva, who announced his candidacy against two-term L.A. County Supervisor Janice Hahn. “I think he would start as an underdog. The district has a substantial number of Hispanic voters. He may be hoping that will be a base of support. But in the sheriff race, the district voted for Luna. A lot of the increase in crime in Los Angeles happened on his watch. He doesn’t have a strong rhetorical basis,” said Pitney.

Prof. Jack Pitney was quoted in an article on the Republican effort to impeach President Biden. He shared in reference to the Republican’s strategy to move forward with the impeachment, “It will hurt the GOP. Voters in swing districts are not enthusiastic about Biden, but they are leery of impeaching him. McCarthy’s deal with the Republican Right left him with no good choices. His plight reminds me of the Kobayashi Maru—the Star Trek training simulation that Starfleet cadets could not possibly win. In his youth, Captain Kirk beat the system by hacking the software.

Prof. Jack Pitney was quoted in a piece questioning whether or not Gov. Gavin Newsom would make a run for the presidency in 2024. He stated, “…conservatives want to build him [Gov. Newsom] up because they figure that he would be easy to beat in a general election. On that point they are not wrong.”

Prof. Jessamyn Schaller was mentioned in an article as a third co-author on a recent study from University of Texas at Austin on child maltreatment increasing when temperatures are hotter.

Prof. Jack Pitney was quoted in a piece about three ballot initiatives that would add restrictions for transgender children. He said, in reference to the legislation, “…if there is serious financial support for the effort, they will probably get the necessary signatures. In November 2024, there will be a large turnout for the Democratic presidential candidate, probably President Joe Biden. A big Democratic turnout would tend to favor the ‘no’ side. But public opinion on these issues is complicated, and progressives should not assume that such measures are doomed.”

Prof. Ron Riggio was interviewed on the topic of best practices for becoming a better leader. Key points from the interview included that emotional and social intelligence are building blocks of communication and successful leadership; best leaders have a parental relationship with their followers; and it is also important to focus on becoming a better person in general.