Expert Alert

Rice PR expert weighs in on Astros cheating scandal

HOUSTON – (Jan. 14, 2019) – Astros general manager Jeff Luhnow and manager A.J. Hinch were fired by team owner Jim Crane Monday after Major League Baseball suspended them for a year each following an investigation that discovered Houston cheated using technology en route to winning the 2017 World Series. "Sports is a unique context where (fan) loyalty persists in spite of transgressions by the team or its players," said Anastasiya (Annie) Zavyalova, associate professor of strategic management at Rice University's Jones Graduate School of Business. "Considering the Astros' recent victory right after Hurricane Harvey, I expect Astros fans to continue to support the team in light of this scandal."

Abbott's refugee refusal sets 'dangerous precedent,' says Baker Institute expert

HOUSTON – (Jan. 13, 2020) – Texas Gov. Greg Abbott has become the first U.S. governor to announce his state will refuse to admit federal resettled refugees in 2020, citing the "broken" U.S. immigration system he said has put unfair pressure on border states.

Trump 'playing a high-stakes game with Iran,' says Baker Institute expert

HOUSTON – (Jan. 2, 2020) – The United States could take preemptive military action if it gets sufficient warning that Iran or its proxy forces are planning further strikes on American interests in the Middle East, Secretary of Defense Mark Esper said today. Joe Barnes, a foreign policy expert and the Bonner Means Baker Fellow at Rice University’s Baker Institute for Public Policy, is available to discuss this development and the state of U.S.-Iranian relations with the media.