Pacific in the Press | Oct. 15, 2019

Quote of the Week

"I'm excited to know that our work could help elderly and disabled Californians have access to the justice they deserve."

— Spencer Saks, Labor and Employment Blog, Oct. 9, 2019

Examples of how University of the Pacific was represented in the news media in recent days:

"Is Stockton really home to 'second highest rent increases' in the nation? There's no simple answer," PolitiFact.com with Capital Public Radio, Oct. 10, 2019: The Center for Business and Policy Research's Jeff Michael was quoted in this piece about rising Stockton rental costs. "I think Zillow is probably the best," Michael told PolitiFact.com. "It indicates Stockton rent is up about 4 percent on average this year, about double the U.S. rent increase, and about the same as Riverside, Sacramento and other inland California areas."

"California Senior and Disability Justice Act becomes law," Labor and Employment Blog (LexBlog.com), Oct. 9, 2019: McGeorge students Stephanie Chavez and Spencer Saks worked on SB 338, the California Senior Disability and Justice Act, while working in the law school's Legislative and Public Policy Clinic and it was signed into law by Gov. Gavin Newsom. "This was definitely a team effort," Saks was quoted in the blog entry. "I'm excited to know that our work could help elderly and disabled Californians have access to the justice they deserve." The law, which went through the state Legislature without receiving a single no vote, "establishes the 'Senior and Disability Justice Act' which requires a local law enforcement agency that adopts or amends its policy regarding senior and disability victimization after April 13, 2021, to include information and training on elder and dependent adult abuse as specified."

"U.S. Supreme Court Term Preview With McGeorge Professor Leslie Jacobs," Capital Public Radio's "Insight With Beth Ruyak," Oct. 8, 2019: McGeorge's Leslie Gielow Jacobs broke down the upcoming U.S. Supreme Court session that will see reviews of cases dealing with LGBTQ employment discrimination, gun rights under the Second Amendment, state laws restricting access to abortion, canceling the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program, among others. A portion of the interview was used by KPCC-FM (NPR, Los Angeles), Oct. 9, 2019; KPBS-FM (NPR, San Diego), Oct. 8, 2019; KVPR-FM (NPR, Fresno); and other NPR stations.

"Column: Let's talk about Medicare for all - for pets," Los Angeles Times, Oct. 15, 2019: Eberhardt's Peter Hilsenrath was quoted in this business column about the idea of providing Medicare for pets. Would or should all animals be covered? "Dogs and cats perhaps," Hilsenrath told the Times columnist. "Birds and hamsters maybe. But what about fish or snakes?"

"Kyle Bruckmann, a linchpin of the Bay Area's new-music scene, returns to the scene of his early post-everything exploits," ChicagoReader.com, Oct. 11, 2019: The Conservatory's Kyle Bruckmann was featured in this story about upcoming performances. A portion of the story reads: "Kyle Bruckmann teaches oboe and performance at four universities (the University of California campuses in Santa Cruz, Davis, and Berkeley plus the University of the Pacific), plays with five new-music ensembles (Quinteto Latino, sfSound, the Eco Ensemble, the San Francisco Contemporary Music Players, and Splinter Reeds), and subs with the San Francisco Symphony and several northern California regional orchestras."

"Free health screening planned for Nov. 9 at Bethany Home," Manteca/Ripon Bulletin, Oct. 15, 2019: Pharmacy's Raj Patel spoke at Bethany Home's Town Square meeting about potential savings in Medicare Part D costs. The story also promoted the Nov. 9 visit of student-pharmacists for free health screenings and help with Medicare Part D plans. "The great part is they can change the senior's plan at this health fair so there's no going home and trying to do it yourself," said Rob Wagner, Bethany Home's director of development and communications. "It's not uncommon for these changes to save individuals $1,000 or more yearly on their coverage — with all the changes every year to Medicare, it's important that beneficiaries come in and see if they can save more money."

"Are Energy Drinks Bad for Your Heart?: They cause electrical disturbances-and it's not from the caffeine," EatingWell.com, Oct. 8, 2019: Research by Pharmacy's Sachin Shah on energy drinks continues to garner news coverage. "We urgently need to investigate the particular ingredient or combination of ingredients in different types of energy drinks that might explain the findings seen in our clinical trial," he told the outlet. The research was highlighted in other recent stories, including:
"Guzzling two large energy drinks within an hour is dangerous for the heart," AngleNews.com, Oct. 10, 2019.
"High blood pressure: Avoid energy drinks to lower reading," Mickleach.com, Oct. 11, 2019.

"Local Roundup: Pacific men's water polo tops No. 4 USC," The Record, Oct. 13, 2019: The men's water polo Homecoming victory over USC — the second win over the Trojans this season — made up the bulk of the roundup. "USC is a storied program and they put out a great team every year," coach James Graham told The Record. "We beat them earlier in the season at a tournament, which was a big step for us, because it showed us that we have the caliber to compete for a national championship this year."

"Kennewick YouTube celebrity trades 9-to-5 life for professional gamer gig," TricitiesBusinessNews.com, October 2019: Former student-athlete Lance Frisbee was recognized recently for having more than 1 million YouTube subscribers. The former Pacific baseball player took up video games when he was sidelined by an injury. He now travels the world hosting and emceeing events related to PlayerUnknown's Battlegrounds video game. "I still had the competitive spirit but I wasn't able to compete. So I picked up a game called Counter-Strike and I took that to the highest level," he told the outlet. "Video games were always an outlet. That was my entertainment. Instead of going to the bar, or going out with friends, I would stay home and play games. And then I found myself amongst the world's elite."