 |
June 7, 2007
Carolina in the News
Here is a sampling of links and notes about Carolina people and programs cited recently in the media:
International Coverage
FDA asks for warning on diabetes drugs
International Herald Tribune
The Food and Drug Administration has called for the clearest safety warning on two diabetes drugs, Avandia and Actos, whose health risks have become a focus of congressional concern. ...Dr. John Buse, an endocrinologist at the University of North Carolina School of Medicine and the incoming president of the American Diabetes Association, said that when he spoke publicly in 1999 about his fears that Avandia might increase heart risks, he was threatened in phone calls from the drug maker.
Related links: http://business.timesonline.co.uk/tol/business/industry_sectors/health/article1896070.ece
http://business.timesonline.co.uk/tol/business/article1895699.eceCholine recommendations may be too low, study
NutraIngredients.com (Europe)
Current choline recommendations may not be enough for some people, suggests a new study which found requirements differed between men and women, and pre- and post-menopausal women. ..."These study results clearly indicate that some adults, notably men and post-menopausal women, need more choline than is recommended by the current AI," said co-author Kerry-Ann da Costa of the University of North Carolina.National Coverage
F.D.A. Issues Strictest Warning on Diabetes Drugs
The New York Times
The Food and Drug Administration has called for the toughest safety warning on two diabetes drugs, Avandia and Actos, whose health risks have become a focus of Congressional concern. ...Dr. John B. Buse, an endocrinologist at the University of North Carolina School of Medicine and the incoming president of the American Diabetes Association, said that when he spoke publicly in 1999 about his fears that Avandia might increase heart risks, he was threatened in phone calls from the drug’s maker.FDA seeks stronger warnings for pair of diabetes drugs
The Los Angeles Times
The government is seeking its strongest safety warning for Avandia and Actos -- two drugs widely used to treat Type 2 diabetes -- amid heightened concern that heart failure risks associated with the medications are poorly understood, officials said Wednesday. ...Underscoring such concerns, a critic of Avandia, Dr. John B. Buse of the University of North Carolina medical school, told the committee that if a patient's diabetes was well controlled, the risks of changing drugs might be greater than continuing with Avandia.
Related links: http://money.cnn.com/news/newsfeeds/articles/djf500/200706061629
DOWJONESDJONLINE000902_FORTUNE5.htm
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/06/06/AR2007060602694.htmlCongress Zeroes In on Roles Of FDA, Glaxo on Avandia
The Wall Street Journal
Congressional scrutiny of the safety of the GlaxoSmithKline PLC diabetes drug Avandia is highlighting lawmakers' differing views on how federal regulators should deal with the risks tied to medications. ...John Buse, a professor at the University of North Carolina, said that after he publicly raised concerns about a potential heart risk tied to Avandia in 1999, a representative of then-maker SmithKline Beecham said there were "people in the company who felt I might be liable" for a drop in the company's stock valued at as much as $4 billion.
Related link: http://cbs13.com/health/local_story_157183142.htmlAvandia concerns spark regulatory debate
The Associated Press (National)
Safety concerns about a GlaxoSmithKline diabetes drug prompted some Democratic lawmakers on Wednesday to rebuke the Food and Drug Administration and call for increased regulation of the pharmaceutical industry. ...Buse, who is head of endocrinology at the University of North Carolina, said he eventually signed a clarifying statement with the company that was used to ease concerns from investors. But one year later, Buse sent a letter to the FDA raising the same concerns.
Related link: http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601087&sid=atLa66mJec24&refer=homeGlaxo Said To Threaten Critic
Forbes.com
GlaxoSmithKline threatened an early critic of its diabetes drug Avandia with a multibillion-dollar lawsuit, according to Congressional testimony today. The critic, John Buse of the University of North Carolina School of Medicine, told the Oversight Committee of the House of Representatives that he first began to worry about Avandia in June 1999, less than a month after the diabetes drug was approved.
Related link: http://www.newsobserver.com/news/story/594702.htmlOver $1 million spent on bulk mail
Media General News Services
House members of the North Carolina congressional delegation spent more than $1 million of taxpayer money on bulk mailings to constituents during the last Congress. Some sent thousands of pieces of mail and others sent none, according to congressional records. ...“First-term members of Congress are most vulnerable in that first re-election campaign,” said Ferrel Guillory, the director of the Program on Public Life at UNC Chapel Hill.Doing Good and Doing Well
University Business
Back in the Iconoclastic '60s, a time when baby boomers were coming of age, schools of social work attracted starry-eyed social activists looking to hook their star to a worthy cause. ...Jack Richman, dean of the School of Social Work at The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, agrees that students need the ability to interpret research and apply it in the field. In retrospect, many human services agencies launched new programs that "felt good," only to later find out they didn't work.A Second Life for Higher Education?
University Business
Have you heard about Second Life (SL)? Even if you don't have the time to deal with the demands of your (first) life, chances are you've already come across the fantastic buzz built around this 3-D online virtual world. ...In March, Robbins spoke simultaneously at The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and in SL.Regional Coverage
Planning, zoning board vacancies aplenty
The Sun News (Myrtle Beach, S.C.)
Town officials will look to what one alderman called the "second best" selections to fill the vacancies on the planning and zoning board. ...The fact that planning and zoning are not separate boards may affect the town's struggle to get people willing to commit the time, said Rich Ducker, associate professor of public law and government for the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill's Institute of Government.Phil Power: State must focus on road ahead (Opinion)
Livingston Daily Press and Argus (Mich.)
This year, the atmosphere was a little different. The Detroit Regional Chamber of Commerce's annual policy conference featured some interesting themes, to put it mildly. ..."The aerotropolis will form," said John Kasarda, head of the Kenan Institute of Private Enterprise at the University of North Carolina, an expert in airport-driven economic development. "The only question is whether it will happen haphazardly or in a coordinated, planned way."Aviation complex floated
Oakland Business Review
Air traffic is booming and even corporate air is on the ascent. A proposed transformation of western Wayne County into an extended air park stands to benefit businesses in Oakland County. ...Almost 60 percent of trade revenue now comes through air travel, said John D. Kasarda, director of the Kenan Institute of Private Enterprise at the University of North Carolina. He is one of the nation's top proponents of the aerotropolis concept.Helmet Boxing
WUSA-TV (CBS, Washington, D.C.)
It's called Helmet Boxing. Players don helmets with face masks and padded gloves. The objective depends on the group of kids playing. ...Dr. Fred Mueller is a specialist in sports medicine at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. He's concerned that kids may not realize how seriously they are hurt as they play the game.State and Local Coverage
Studies to improve autism instruction
The News & Observer (Raleigh)
UNC-Chapel Hill researches will use $8 million in federal grants to improve instruction for children with autism, the university announced today. Schools nationwide have struggled to serve the growing number of children diagnosed with autism, a disorder characterized by poor communication and social skills and repetitive behavior. By some estimates, the number of autistic children has grown 20-fold in the past two decades.
UNC News Release: http://www.unc.edu/news/archives/jun07/fpgautismgrants060707.htmlSimilar in size only (Letter to the editor)
The News & Observer (Raleigh)
Regarding your May 30 story comparing our plans for Carolina North with the size of two Southpoint malls: You accurately reported that our projections call for about 2.5 million square feet in total possible program space in the first 15 years of development. Since the square footage of The Streets at Southpoint in Durham is 1.3 million, doubling that number would make it roughly equal in square footage to the figure discussed for Carolina North. However, square footage is where the similarities end. ...Jack Evans, Executive Director, Carolina North'Teach For America' Visits The Triangle
WNCN-TV (NBC, Raleigh)
About 40 "Teach for America" participants filled the gym at Peace College yesterday to gain an opportunity to make a difference in eastern North Carolina. ...UNC-Chapel Hill graduate Ramsey Bowman said she hopes to face the challenge and get the best out of her students.Poll finds support for tobacco ban
The News & Observer (Raleigh)
More than two-thirds of North Carolina adults favor a statewide ban on smoking in public enclosed areas, such as restaurants, stadiums and shopping centers, according to a new poll by researchers at UNC-Chapel Hill.
UNC News Release: http://www.unc.edu/news/archives/jun07/tobacco-free060707.htmlEducators look to 'first' for preschool
The Herald-Sun (Durham)
The first First School will open a little more than a year from now with four Pre-K classrooms at Carrboro Elementary School. ..."Even when Pre-Ks have been in the same building with elementary schools, they haven't been considered part of the school," said Kelly Maxwell, co-director of First School and a scientist at UNC's Frank Porter Graham Child Development Institute, which is collaborating with the city schools on the project.Books can nourish your food knowledge (Commentary)
The News & Observer (Raleigh)
Now that the school year is coming to an end and the pace is about to slow down, consider a summer reading list that enlightens as it entertains. Include a few titles that broaden your understanding of food and the role it plays in your diet and health. ...Suzanne Havala Hobbs is a licensed, registered dietitian and author. She holds a doctorate in health policy and administration from UNC-Chapel Hill, where she is a clinical assistant professor in the School of Public Health.Issues and Trends
UNC online is big time
The Greensboro News & Record
The 16 UNC campuses will use the system's brand-name recognition to compete with the University of Phoenix, a for-profit online university that enrolls about 300,000 students. UNC has launched a site that houses more than 130 online programs under one address: http://online.northcarolina.edu.Support cut for student loans
The News & Observer (Raleigh)
The lender that handles about 60 percent of North Carolina's student loans could find itself having to charge more in the future. ...The foundation is a nonprofit organization closely affiliated with the UNC system and state government. With a current annual loan volume of about $600 million a year, it handles a majority of the state's student loans -- and virtually all of them on some campuses, such as UNC-Chapel Hill.Think First (Editorial)
The Winston-Salem Journal
There’s a reason that good legislative bodies move slowly — it helps them avoid the kind of blunders the N.C. House of Representatives made in its version of the state budget.
Produced by News Services, Carolina in the News is an e-mail sampling of current news media coverage about Carolina people and programs, as well as issues and trends that affect the university. Stories usually will be online and available free for a limited time - often one to two weeks. Expiration dates before stories move to archives vary by media outlet. Some outlets require free user registration or a subscription.
Carolina in the News is also posted daily to the News Services Web page, http://www.unc.edu/news/clips/index.shtml.
Please share any questions, comments or suggestions at news@unc.edu.