February 20, 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 national media:

In baseball, 90 percent of spring is showing up (Commentary)
Chicago Sun-Times
Back in the olden days--before free agency put the lunatics in charge of the 
asylum--the great spring-training non-story was always whether (insert star 
player's name here) would end his holdout and sign his contract ... Dr. 
Frederick Mueller of the University of North Carolina, who has studied deaths 
from heatstroke, says 19 college and high school football players have died 
from the condition since 1995 ... 
http://www.suntimes.com/output/rapoport/cst-spt-rap19.html

Effort to create bacterium troubling 
The Washington Times
Glancing through the British tech journal New Scientist, I discover that a guy is 
going to try to assemble a real, live, functioning bacterium more or less from 
scratch. ... They are going to work with a simple bug called Mycoplasma 
genitalium. Normally, it has 517 genes. A fellow named Clyde Hutchinson, at
the University of North Carolina, managed to reduce that to 265. ...
http://washingtontimes.com/business/20030220-69255198.htm

Regional Coverage

Grant to continue waste project
Columbus Ledger-Enquirer (GA)
Columbus Water Works has received $900,000 in federal funding to continue an 
experimental project designed to purify solid waste. ... Most of the work on the 
project has taken place at the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill School 
of Public Health, Water Works President Billy Turner said. Scientists at UNC 
have been working to perfect the thermophilic treatment process, where the 
waste is heated until it is made harmless. ...
http://www.ledger-enquirer.com/mld/ledgerenquirer/news/5219074.htm

North Carolina News Note

Bryan Smith, physician in the Sports Medicine clinic at Student Health 
Services, was interviewed by WRAL-TV (CBS, Raleigh) for the 5 p.m newscast 
yesterday about the recent death of major league baseball player, Steve Bechler. 
No online links are available, but are expected later today or early tomorrow.

State and Local Coverage

View from Chapel Hill: Athletes don't rule (Letter to the Editor)
Charlotte Observer
The writer is director of admissions, UNC-Chapel Hill. In response to "Athletics 
admissions" (Feb. 18 editorial): Our university community takes seriously the 
undergraduate admission process for all students. Indeed, our faculty have direct
involvement in our admission of student-athletes. ... 
http://www.charlotte.com/mld/observer/news/opinion/5220194.htm
(Note: Jerry Lucido is director of admissions at Carolina.)

Duke backs Michigan admissions
Charlotte Observer
Duke University and several Ivy League schools have backed a legal brief 
supporting the University of Michigan's admissions policies, which take race into 
consideration. The brief, prepared by Harvard University, was among several 
that were filed in the case Tuesday. Duke joins UNC Chapel Hill, which last 
month filed a brief in support of Michigan's admission policies. ...
http://www.charlotte.com/mld/observer/news/local/5220168.htm

Colon exhibit visits the Triangle 
News and Observer
It should be expected: The Colossal Colon Tour will be the butt of many jokes 
as it moves across the country. Assemble a replica of a colon -- larger-than-
lifelike at 4 feet high and 40 feet long -- call it CoCo, and more than likely it will 
be the source of a few gigantic gut-busters ... "This might be what it takes to raise 
people's awareness," a smiling Dr. Bob Sandler, a UNC-CH professor of 
medicine, said after emerging from the huge colon on hands and knees
http://www.newsobserver.com/front/story/2224529p-2098506c.html
(Note: Other coverage includes The Durham-Herald Sun, which is experiencing 
Web site problems this morning. A UNC news release about the Colossal Colon 
Tour is available at http://www.unc.edu/news/archives/feb03/colon020603.html)

Ashcroft wants even more (Opinion-Editorial Column)
News and Observer
Apparently the U.S. Department of Justice has big plans for us. For months, 
Attorney General John Ashcroft's staff members have reported to congressional
leaders that they have no designs to offer legislation expanding the controversial 
powers given to the government under the USA Patriot Act. ... 
http://newsobserver.com/editorials/story/2224351p-2098522c.html
(Note: Gene R. Nichol is dean and Burton Craige professor of law at the 
UNC School of Law. )

Hatchell signs new contract 
News and Observer
Another national championship. A win at Duke on Thursday. North Carolina 
women's basketball coach Sylvia Hatchell would prefer to talk about either topic 
rather than the six-year contract extension she signed Monday ... 
http://newsobserver.com/sports/college/story/2220510p-2095690c.html

Issues and Trends Affecting Carolina

Hackney will lead Democratic Caucus 
The Herald-Sun
During his 12th term as a state legislator, Orange County Democrat Joe Hackney 
will have a key role in shaping and pushing the bills his party brings forward in the 
state House of Representatives. ...
http://www.herald-sun.com/orange/10-322189.html

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