Why Higher Diesel Prices Could Increase the Cost of Goods

10 Tampa Bay
Miguel Octavio
March 10, 2026

Economics Professor Abby Hall said conflict in the Middle East is affecting oil markets because the region remains one of the predominant oil suppliers in the world. “When we think about the places where we use oil or petroleum, we think about putting it in our own cars, but people forget that when the price of crude oil increases, that increases the price of shipping goods and services across the country,” Hall said. Hall said that, in reference to Iran, the Strait of Hormuz is a critical factor, considering millions of barrels of oil pass through it, and any threat to the route can disrupt supply and push prices higher.

Gas Prices on the Rise, May Hit $5 Average

WFLA
March 9, 2025

Aaron Wood, associate professor of economics, explains that gas prices are rising due to a classic case of “supply shock.” He said, “if we all want something, if we all need something, and all of a sudden that thing is not going to be there, there’s going to be intense competition to get that. And so those prices are going to rise.” Wood added that there will likely be a ripple effect, as many goods and products are made with oil and will be affected as well.

Best Credit Cards for International Travel

WalletHub
John Kiernan
March 6, 2026

Jennifer Burton, associate professor of marketing, gave her expert opinion on using credit cards for international travel. A few tips Burton shared: 1. The most important thing to look for in a travel card is attractive mileage offers and foreign fee waivers, 2. The biggest mistake that international travelers make is using their debit card for purchases, as credit cards offer better fraud protection, and 3. Visa and Mastercard are more likely to be accepted overseas than American Express or Discover.

New Year, New Fear: Wisconsin’s Migrant Farm Workers Have Long Had Access to Legal and Other Help. But They May Now Be Less Inclined To Ask for It.

Gazette Xtra (Janesville, WI)
Mike Sunnucks and Kali Hanson
March 4, 2026

Michael Coon, an economics professor and immigration expert, said immigration crackdowns have generally discouraged some migrant workers who previously would legally cross back and forth across the border for seasonal work, from coming to the U.S. “It makes it much more difficult,” Coon said.

Made in America, Fired Abroad — Washington’s Bullets Fuel Chaos and Blowback

The Orange County Register
Abby Hall
Feb. 27, 2026

In this opinion piece, Professor of Economics Abby Hall wrote about the phenomenon of weapons and ammunition made in the U.S. being used in Mexico. “Private U.S. companies maintain agreements that allow commercial weapons suppliers to sell excess inventory in domestic civilian markets. Once there, the ammunition is smuggled south across the U.S. border and makes its way to the weapons of the cartels. Indeed, many have pointed out how U.S. weapons manufacturers dominate Latin American markets and that the demand in the region is expected to grow. Many take this data as an opportunity to criticize the United States’ liberal gun policies.”

Story also appeared in the San Diego Union-Tribune and Pasadena Star-News.

When Sharks Attack

National Geographic
Feb. 26, 2026

Episodes of the TV documentary series When Sharks Attack, which feature Environmental Studies Chair and Professor Dan Huber, re-ran on National Geographic. The episodes use Huber’s insight as a shark bite expert. In one episode, Huber determines from a victim’s circular shark bite that he was attacked by the rarely seen cookie cutter shark.

Regina Photographer’s Seahorse Shots Showcased on National Geographic Cover

CJME (Regina, Saskatchewan, Canada)
Gillian Massie
Feb. 25, 2026

This profile on Canadian wildlife photographer Shane Gross mentions Dana Professor of Biology Heather Mason and her seahorse research. In January, National Geographic published a story on Mason’s discovery of the highest density of seahorses in the world, which went along with photography by Gross. Mason and Gross frequent Sweetings Pond, an inland pond on an island in the Bahamas, to study and photograph the seahorses.

Trump Poised to Tout Economy in State of the Union, but Mixed Signals Persist

Scripps News
Maura Bennet
Feb. 24, 2026

The economy was predicted to be a major theme in President Trump’s State of the Union address. Trump returned to the White House with promises to turn around the economy, but 13 months into his second term, he has delivered mixed results. “If I had to summarize the economy in one word, it would be uncertainty,” said Abby Hall, professor of economics. The most recent government data suggested improvements in job hiring could begin in 2026. “The overall picture from the job market is still one that really suggests that things are really sluggish,” said Hall.

Story appeared in 50+ national outlets, including Tampa Bay 28, LEX18-Lexington, News5-Cleveland, 10News-San Diego, and NewsChannel5-Nashville.

FedEx Sues U.S. After Supreme Court Tariff Ruling

Deutsche Welle TV
Feb. 24, 2026

FedEx is the first major company to sue the U.S. government over President Trump’s tariffs after they were declared illegal by the Supreme Court. Abby Hall, professor of economics, weighed in on the significance of the lawsuit. Hall said the scale of refunds being requested is estimated to be $130-175 billion, and that, historically, tariff refunds depend on a large variety of factors.

Florida Businesses Brace for Possible Tariff Hike Under Different Law After Supreme Court Decision

FOX 13
Blake DeVine
Feb. 23, 2026

Tampa Bay area businesses may soon feel the impact of a trade fight following a Supreme Court ruling on tariffs. Abigail Hall, associate professor of economics, said the uncertainty surrounding tariffs creates challenges for companies. “These tariffs and the fact that they’re on again, off again, like a bad boyfriend,” she said. “It’s difficult for businesses to make plans.” Research from the Tax Foundation found that the recently struck-down tariffs cost the average U.S. household about $1,000 in 2025. That impact was projected to rise to roughly $1,300 per household in 2026. “At the end of the day, tariffs are taxes,” Hall said. “Taxes are ultimately paid for by consumers.”

Support, Opposition After Supreme Court Strikes Down Trump’s Tariffs

WTSP
Miguel Octavio
Feb. 20, 2026

The Supreme Court struck down President Donald Trump’s far-reaching global tariffs on Friday, prompting reaction from all sides. Meanwhile, economists like University of Tampa Associate Professor Abby Hall said she feels relief from the higher court’s decision. “Economists very rarely agree on policies, but pretty much all economists are in agreement that tariffs are detrimental to the economy,” Hall said. Hall said tariffs are ultimately paid by consumers, meaning the impact wasn’t limited to foreign businesses, it was felt by local families as well. “It was estimated that if these tariffs remained in place, it would cost the average U.S. family approximately $1,300 extra next year,” Hall said.

Similar stories appeared in Tampa Bay Business & Wealth and Tampa Bay 28.

The Latest Economic Numbers: Slow Hiring, and Not Much Impact From Tariffs So Far

Scripps News
Simon Kaufman
Feb. 19, 2026

Ahead of President Trump's State of the Union address, the state of America's economy is in the spotlight. Economists say President Trump's tariffs haven't substantially altered America's trade imbalance yet. “This idea that were going to see a significant reduction in the trade deficit, especially over a short period of time — definitely not the case,” said Abby Hall, associate professor of economics.

Brayden Woodburn Ready To Lead University of Tampa Baseball to History

Spectrum Bay News 9
Michael Epps
Feb. 6, 2026

The University of Tampa baseball team is coming off winning back-to-back national championships. No Division II college baseball team has ever won three straight titles, nicknamed a “three-peat,” but this year’s squad is ready to try and change that. “Oh man, I mean winning one is hard enough, so doing two was even harder. And now, going for three, there’s definitely a target on your back and everybody’s shooting to win and beat you," said Brayden Woodburn, the starting second baseman for the last two seasons.

First Coast Connect

WJCT Radio
Feb. 5, 2026

Kendra Frorup, associate professor of art and design, was featured on the First Coast Connect radio show for a segment titled “Migration and memory.” Frorup goes over her new exhibition — Roots, Return and the Weight of Memory — at Flagler College’s Crisp-Ellert Art Museum, which showcases mixed media pieces drawing on her Afro-Caribbean roots.

Construction Set To Begin on New Science Center for UTampa

WFLA
Alaina Papazian
Jan. 29, 2026

UTampa announced that construction will soon begin on a new science center set to open in Spring 2029. The five-story, 153,000-square-foot Science Center will be located on the University’s downtown campus and will serve as the central academic hub for the College of Natural and Health Sciences.

A similar story appeared in Florida Business Observer and Tampa Bay Business & Wealth.

The Conversation

WMNF Radio
Jan. 28, 2025

Amanda Firestone, associate teaching professor of communication, joined The Conversation, a show about community and culture. Firestone talked about growing up in a small town, her love for cinema and the films she shows for her classes, meeting her husband while living in England, and minarets in architecture across the world.

Governing at Gunpoint: ICE in Minneapolis

Orange County Register
Abby Hall and Patrik Ward
Jan. 25, 2026

To make sense of ICE’s hostile presence in Minneapolis and President Trump’s threat to invoke the Insurrection Act, economics student Patrik Ward and associate professor Abby Hall look to history. “We have been here before,” they wrote in this op-ed. “In 1970, amid mounting protests against the Vietnam War, President Richard Nixon adopted inflammatory rhetoric. Guardsmen were deployed to anti-war protests.”

A 10% Credit Card Cap Would Make the Affordability Crisis Worse

Tampa Bay Times
Michael Coon and Abby Hall
Jan. 22, 2026

The president recently announced plans to “cap” or limit credit card interest rates at 10%, a significant decrease from U.S. average of just under 24%. On the surface, this seems like a reasonable way to help households reduce their monthly expenditures. In the wake of high inflation after the pandemic, many households turned to credit cards to make ends meet. U.S. household credit card debt has grown from $735 billion in 2021 to $1.1 trillion today. There’s just one major problem: This policy will backfire — spectacularly. It is important to understand that there is no single universal interest rate for credit. If credit card interest rates were capped, this would harm the very people such a policy aims to help. Not only would it fail to help borrowers, it would paradoxically make things less affordable. Lenders would only issue new credit cards to people with stellar credit. Those with fair credit would likely see their credit limits fall. And those at the bottom of the credit ladder? Shut out completely or pushed toward payday loans or black-market lending.

Love QT: Making Healthy Eating Fun

Bloom Tampa Bay (WFLA TV)
Natsha Castillo
Jan. 21, 2026

Stefani Milovanska-Farrington, founded Love QT, which sells tools and idea booklets to turn healthy eating for kids into fun quality time. On Bloom, Milovanska-Farrington demonstrates how to use the fruit and vegetable cutters to turn fresh produce into a garden landscape or under-the sea-scene. She said her 6-year-old daughter and 3-year-old son enjoy helping out and coming up with ideas, and end up eating a full serving of fruits and veggies by the time they’re done. 

Best Car Insurance in Florida

WalletHub
Candace Baker
Jan. 19, 2026

James Welch, instructor of management, shares his thoughts on celebrity endorsements of car insurance brands. “Many people buy auto insurance quickly and without a deep understanding of the details, so familiar faces and memorable advertising help companies stand out and build recognition. However … Buyers of more complex or specialized insurance products typically focus on coverage quality, financial stability, and service reputation instead of celebrity appeal. This contrast shows how the auto insurance market depends heavily on brand awareness, while more sophisticated insurance markets emphasize professional credibility and experience.”

Extend the New START Treaty Now

The Washington Times
Abby Hall and Patrik Ward
Jan. 18, 2026

Economics student Patrik Ward and associate professor Abby Hall Blanco posit that U.S. policymakers need to focus immediately on extending the START treaty between the United States and Russia, which is set to expire in February, if they want to avoid what could be a global financial catastrophe. 

6 Ways To Talk About Taboo Topics

TEDx Talks
Jan. 17, 2026

Abby Hall, associate professor of economics, discusses the importance of navigating tough conversations around divisive topics like pornography, the death penalty and abortion with confidence and curiosity. She shares six economic ideas that can help us engage more productively, scrutinize our own beliefs, and model the behavior we wish to see in others.

Local Iranians To Rally in Tampa this Weekend

Spectrum Bay News 9
Dalia Dangerfield
Jan. 16, 2026

Abby Hall Blanco, associate professor of economics, said in this news story that while a friendlier regime in Iran would benefit the U.S., President Trump should be careful about intervening. “The potential pitfalls of intervening in Iran are many,” said Hall. “We don’t have a particularly good history of regime change and exporting democracy abroad. We also have to remember the geopolitical allies, including China and Russia.”

Revealing the Hidden Kingdom of Seahorses

National Geographic
Lindsey Liles
Jan. 15, 2026

Heather Mason, Dana professor of biology, usually sees no more than a few seahorses, her main creature of study, on multi-week research trips in the ocean. But when she visited Sweetings Pond in the Bahamas, she encountered 16 in one weekend. The landlocked saltwater lagoon is a safe haven for seahorses and other marine life such as brittle stars, spider crabs, octopusesand bioluminescent plankton. A refuge where several of the species’ regular predators — skates and rays, tuna, sharks —can’t possibly break in. “It’s an island on an island,” explains Mason. Inside Sweetings Pond, Mason found seahorses as singular as the body of water itself. With oddly long snouts, squat bodies, and short tails, they differed radically from anything she had seen since she’d begun studying the creatures in 1990. She and her collaborator, evolutionary biologist Emily Rose, a 2007 UTampa alum, classified them as lined seahorses, Hippocampus erectus — but the seahorses of Sweetings are on the path to becoming their own subspecies. Observing so many of them in isolation offers “an opportunity to study evolution in action,” as Mason puts it.

Spotlight On: Teresa Abi-Nader Dahlberg, President, University of Tampa

Invest Tampa Bay
Jan. 14, 2026

The latest issue of the Invest: Tampa Bay report featured a Q&A with UTampa president Teresa Abi-Nader Dahlberg. Dahlberg talks about recent changes that have shaped the University’s priorities, such as rebranding from “UT” to “UTampa;” UTampa’s increasing enrollment and faculty recruitment among uncertainty in higher education; and collaborating with community partners.

Criminal Investigation of Fed Chair Worries Experts About Fed Independence

Alex Zank
Jan. 13, 2026

Economists and business leaders say a criminal investigation into Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell has them concerned about the central bank’s independence. “If the Federal Reserve becomes politicized, then that would indicate that decisions about interest rates or other things that the Fed does are going to be based on politics and not on data, which is remarkably problematic,” said Abby Hall Blanco, associate professor of economics. If businesses lose confidence in the Fed’s impartiality, they lose confidence in what the economic future may look like, Hall continued. In that situation, they tend to hold off on making decisions until there’s more certainty.

Viral TikTok: 1997 Receipt Sparks Grocery Debate

WFLA TV
Jan. 12, 2025

A TikTok user recently found an old grocery receipt from 1997 that totaled $155. The same user returned to the same store and bought the same items, and the total exceeded $500. Abby Hall Blanco, associate professor of economics, weighed in on whether salaries and wages have kept up with the pace of inflation since 1997. In general, she said that income for those with bachelor’s degrees or higher have risen at least as fast as inflation, while those with a high school diploma or less haven’t seen a significant rise in income in the last 25 years or so. 

Florida Bill Would Require Recess for All Middle School Students

WFLA TV
Jan. 9, 2026

Adrianne Wilson, associate professor of education, said that a new bill requiring 100 minutes of recess each week, without phones or electronics, in Florida middle schools has both pros and cons. Wilson cites the CDC’s recommendations on physical activity for student development, however the implementation could lead to logistical challenges, such as supervision and minimizing class time.

Liberation or Occupation? The Illusion of U.S. Regime Change

Daily Bulletin
Patrik Ward and Abby Hall Blanco
Jan. 5, 2026

While the U.S. operation to remove Nicolas Maduro from power was framed as a necessary intervention to combat narco-trafficking and restore order, economics student Patrik Ward and associate professor Abby Hall Blanco know that it isn’t that simple. “The question is not whether Maduro was a problem. The question is whether the U.S. invasion and forced regime change can provide a long-term solution. … For more than half a century, the U.S. has repeatedly tried to reshape foreign governments through force, often with confidence that this time would be different. In Latin America alone, U.S.-backed coups and interventions—from Guatemala in 1954 to Chile in 1973 and Panama in 1989—were justified as necessary corrections to instability, authoritarianism, or drugs.”

After Maduro: Why Regime Change Doesn’t Mean Stability for Venezuela — or Investors

Global Finance Magazine
Anthony Noto
Jan. 5, 2025

Abby Hall Blanco, associate professor of economics, explains what Maduro’s removal means for Venezuela, global markets and the risks of U.S.-led regime change in this Q&A. She emphasized the uncertainty surrounding the situation, which makes it hard to predict potential outcomes, but used her expertise as a foreign intervention scholar. 

Uncertainty Following Maduro’s Capture

WFLA TV
Jan. 4, 2025

Abby Hall Blanco, associate professor of economics, said that reactions to U.S. involvement in Maduro’s removal are mixed among the Venezuelan diaspora in Florida as well as in the country itself. “People can be very, very happy that Maduro is gone. At the same time, people can also be remarkably concerned and unhappy about the U.S.’s involvement in that removal.” She added that the regime is not gone, as many key political figures are still in Venezuela, such as the vice president and the head of their military. 

Arrest of Venezuelan Leader Maduro in Military Operation Sparks Questions About What’s Next

Tampa Bay 28
Blake Phillips
Jan. 4, 2025

The United States executed “Operation Absolute Resolve,” striking Venezuelan defenses and arresting President Nicolas Maduro in a move that has dramatically altered Venezuela's political landscape. Abby Hall Blanco, associate professor of economics who researches foreign intervention, feels the next steps are the most important. With Rodriguez now in charge, Hall believes there could be increased U.S. investment in Venezuela, though she noted uncertainty about future political and military developments. The operation has also raised questions about whether the Trump administration should have sought congressional approval beforehand. Hall said the administration is following a playbook used by both political parties. “The Authorization for the Use of Military Force or AUMFs that were implemented in the early 2000s as part of the War on Terror. Those have provided kind of wide justification for executives from 2001 onward to engage in a variety of activities in the name of counterterrorism, effectively bypassing Congress,” Hall said.