April 1, 2003

Carolina in the News

Current National Coverage

Here is a sampling of links and notes about Carolina 
people and programs cited recently in the media:

High Anxiety 
American Journalism Review
In one of the surreal moments amid coverage of the February orange terror 
alert--and in an age of color-coded levels of threat, there were a number of 
surreal moments--the MSNBC show "Buchanan and Press" sought to explore
whether the media were hyping the alert stories. ... Some critics are willing to 
cut the media, and the government, some slack. Everybody's new at this, says
Philip Meyer, a journalism professor at the University of North Carolina 
at Chapel Hill. 
http://www.ajr.org/Article.asp?id=2881

All sides weigh in on racial policy 
The Modesto Bee (Calif.)
If the Supreme Court ran popularity contests, the University of Michigan 
already would have won its high-stakes affirmative action case ... Defenders 
of the programs say such racial preferences are still needed. The University 
of North Carolina Law School, for instance, noted that it was a whites-only 
institution for 106 years before a 1950 lawsuit ended law school segregation.
http://www.modbee.com/local/story/6470941p-7415622c.html

Thompson addresses medical liability and aid to Afghanistan 
The Green Bay News-Chronicle (Wis.)
Health and Human Services Secretary Tommy Thompson is working with 
professors at the University of North Carolina to develop a strategy that 
would minimize the legal system's intervention in addressing the medical-
liability-insurance crisis. 
http://www.gogreenbay.com/page.html?article=119212

Potholes Are A Real Challenge This Year (Commentary)
The Hartford Courant (Conn.)
Winter still has a few nasty surprises in store for commuters. ... Speaking of 
cellphone use and distracted driving, a new study released last week by the 
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill said drivers talking on 
cellphones are nearly twice as likely as other drivers to be involved in rear-end
collisions.
http://www.ctnow.com/hc-reitz0331.artmar31,0,3202919.column?coll=hc-utility-home
(Note: This study was the subject of a UNC news release.)

Driver distractions major cause of vehicle accidents
Clarksburg Exponent and Telegram (W.Va.)
About 285,000 drivers are involved in serious crashes due to distractions,
according to a university study. ... A University of North Carolina Highway 
Safety Research Center report said drivers were most often distracted by 
something outside their vehicle, followed by adjusting a radio or CD player. 
http://www.cpubco.com/cgi-bin/LiveIQue.acgi$rec=13794cbgCurrentLocalNews?cbgCurrentLocalNews

Regional Coverage

3-D imagery brings exhibit to life 
The Times-Picayune (La.)
It's a voyeuristic adventure inventors are calling a first: a 3-D peek into Thomas 
Jefferson's library at Monticello, viewed through a window 1,000 miles away 
inside the New Orleans Museum of Art. ... The virtual reality project is the 
brainchild of Luebke and computer science associate professors Anselmo 
Lastra and Lars Nyland of the University of North Carolina at Chapel 
Hill. 
http://www.nola.com/news/t-p/metro/index.ssf?/base/news-0/104911331165990.xml

Technology, training may reduce friendly fire
Greenville News (SC)
An American Patriot missile destroyed a British Tornado fighter-bomber on 
March 23, killing its two-man crew. ... One reason the percentage of friendly
fire deaths was high during Desert Storm was because there were so few 
troops killed by Iraqi forces, said Richard Kohn, a UNC Chapel Hill 
professor and former chief Air Force historian at the Pentagon. 
http://greenvilleonline.com/news/2003/03/31/200303313919.htm

State and Local Coverage

Resumption of tours welcome news (Editorial)
The Chapel Hill Herald
After a year’s hiatus, UNC’s Tar Heel Bus Tour is once again ready to roll, 
and not a moment too soon. The money troubles that led officials to cancel the 
program last year haven’t disappeared, but neither have the reasons behind it. 
http://www.herald-sun.com/opinion/chhedits/57-336982.html

Development efforts faulted 
News and Observer
The state Department of Commerce and regional economic development
partnerships, which are charged with retaining and attracting businesses in 
North Carolina, fail to work together and often are adversarial, according to a new 
report released to lawmakers. The report, which was requested in September 
by the General Assembly and completed last month by the Office of Economic 
Development at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, also 
suggests the state is losing ground to South Carolina and Virginia in attracting 
new businesses
http://newsobserver.com/business/story/2397535p-2232994c.html

Publicizing the Baby Law (Editorial)
Winston-Salem Journal
A new study suggests that the target market for information about a new law 
dealing with unwanted babies may be too narrow. University of North Carolina 
researchers examining 34 newborn homicides in the state since 1985 found that 
half the mothers were older than 17.
http://www.journalnow.com/wsj/opinion/MGBY6QKHXDD.html

Friendly fire may have killed Lejeune Marines
Charlotte Observer
Nine N.C.-based Marines killed Sunday in the battle for Nasiriyah may have
been victims of friendly fire, not Iraqis pretending to surrender as originally 
believed. ... Dr. Richard Kohn, a UNC Chapel Hill professor and former 
chief Air Force historian for the Pentagon, said friendly fire deaths were more 
pronounced in the first Gulf War than in past wars and probably will be again 
because the Iraqi military lacks the ability to kill large numbers of U.S. troops.
http://www.charlotte.com/mld/observer/news/5510233.htm

War proves tricky for Edwards' bid
Charlotte Observer
Some say the boos and the pickets have hurt his chances. ... "His position 
probably hurts him with the most active of the Democratic activists," says 
Ferrel Guillory, who directs UNC Chapel Hill's program in Southern 
Politics, Media and Public Life.
http://www.charlotte.com/mld/observer/news/local/5516277.htm

Malpractice fight brews 
News and Observer
For the third time since the 1970s, North Carolina doctors face surging medical 
malpractice insurance costs. ... Dean M. Harris, an associate professor of 
health policy and administration at the UNC School of Public Health,
agreed that caps on awards would have little immediate effect but said they 
likely would restrain rates in the future. 
http://www.newsobserver.com/legislature/story/2391527p-2227973c.html

Survey: Most Women Want More Information From Doctors About 
Heart Disease
WRAL-TV (CBS, Raleigh)
Many people do not realize that heart disease is the No. 1 killer among women. 
... "All the data shows that we show up at the emergency rooms at least an hour 
later than men," said Dr. Paula Miller, a cardiologist at the University of 
North Carolina Hospitals. 
http://www.wral.com/health/2071207/detail.html

Music in the air
Chapel Hill News
The last few notes of "Alegria," made famous by Cirque du Soleil, were still
hanging in the air when the 10 or so members of the Walk-Ons took their bows
... For the 20 or so folks gathered, the concert by the Walk-Ons -- a student 
a cappella group -- was playing in the sun. The Walk-Ons performance -- 45 
minutes of pop music covers and show tunes -- was part of "Thursdays on the 
Terrace", a Johnston Center program that is fast becoming a campus 
tradition.
http://www.triangle.com/triangle.com/communities/chapelhill/snapshots/story/2386323p-2223670c.html

Issues and Trends Affecting Carolina

Friends of Affirmative Action (Editorial)
The New York Times
Without affirmative action, the United States might not be able to defend itself 
from foreign enemies. That startling assertion comes from a legal brief filed by 
high-ranking retired officers and civilian leaders of the military, including Adm. 
William Crowe Jr., the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff under President 
Ronald Reagan, and Gen. Norman Schwarzkopf, commander of allied forces 
during the first gulf war.
http://www.nytimes.com/2003/04/01/opinion/01TUE1.html
(Note: The New York Times requires free registration to access articles.)

Note: If you have any questions about Carolina in the News, 
please call Cathleen Keyser or Mike McFarland at News Services, 
(919) 962-2091 or news@unc.edu or mike_mcfarland@unc.edu