Good morning newsrooms!

Here's your USD News Connect — where each week the University of San Diego media relations team offers expert voices to speak on stories impacting our community. If you're interested in the stories below, or need experts for any other topic you might be working on, don't hesitate to reach out to us at press@sandiego.edu.*

A U.S. Default Could Eliminate Millions of Jobs

Senate Republicans yesterday blocked a House-passed bill to suspend the debt limit and avert a government shutdown from advancing in the Senate. Moody’s Analytics projects that if the U.S. defaults on its debt payments and the impasse drags on, the ensuing recession would wipe out nearly 6 million jobs and lift the nation's unemployment rate to nearly 9%. Alan Gin, professor of economics, can provide insight into what other effects this can have on the economy.

Child Obesity Soared During the Pandemic

Obesity among children soared during the pandemic. According to a recent report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, body mass index in a sample of 430,000 children increased between March 2020 and November 2020 at nearly double the rate that it did before the pandemic began. Dr. Martha Fuller, associate professor of nursing, can speak to why obesity may have spiked among children and advice for parents to help improve their children’s health.

Tips for Job Seekers

According to data from Yelp’s Economic Average Report, more than 500,000 new businesses opened across the United States in the past year. In fact, 98% of San Diego firms are small businesses. USD’s Small Business Development Center has seen similar trends. Rachel Lozano Castro, Director of The Brink at USD, can provide tips for aspiring entrepreneurs and ways to take advantage of local resources to kick-start a business.

For all media inquiries, email our team at

press@sandiego.edu.

* Please note that times of availability will vary according to professors' schedules.

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