March 11, 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:

Analysis Finds No Rise in US Colon Cancer Survival 
Reuters (international wire service)
Despite recent advances in screening and treatment for colon cancer, the number 
of people dying from the disease has remained steady since the late 1980s, new 
study findings show. "The lack of progress is disturbing, and indicates that much 
work needs to be done," write the study's authors, a team of researchers from 
Baylor College of Medicine in Houston, Texas and the University of North 
Carolina at Chapel Hill.
http://reuters.com/newsArticle.jhtml?type=healthNews&storyID=2356367

Study: Hugs warm the heart, and may protect it
USA Today 
Cuddling may be good medicine for the heart ... Loving contact before a tough 
day at work "could carry over and protect you throughout the day," says 
psychologist Karen Grewen with the School of Medicine at the University 
of North Carolina-Chapel Hill. ...
http://www.usatoday.com/news/health/2003-03-09-hug-usat_x.htm

For Millions of Latinos, Race Is a Flexible Concept
The Los Angeles Times
James Jennings, professor of political science and urban studies at Tufts 
University near Boston, uses his birth certificate to teach students a lesson about 
statistics, race and ethnicity. ... "There is an interesting political question about the 
arbitrariness of the census bureaucrats in assigning most Latinos who said they 
were 'some other race' to the white category," said William Darity, an economist 
at the University of North Carolina.
http://www.latimes.com/news/printedition/la-na-latino11mar11001504,1,7758621.story
(Note: The Los Angeles Times requires free registration to access articles.)

ACE vs. diuretics (Commentary)
The Boston Globe
The studies, both published in major medical journals, gave conflicting advice 
to the 50 million Americans who have high blood pressure. ... Granted, it's a bit
confusing. But it's ''very reassuring'' that the ALLHAT study found diuretics to 
be so effective, said Dr. Sid Smith, past president of the American Heart 
Association and professor of medicine at the University of North Carolina 
at Chapel Hill. ...
http://www.boston.com/dailyglobe2/070/science/ACE_vs_diuretics+.shtml

Department of Defense Awards Grants to Support Research Equipment 
at 75 Colleges
The Chronicle of Higher Education
The U.S. Department of Defense announced Friday that it plans to award $27-
million in grants to support defense research at 75 colleges and universities. ... 
The principal investigators, institutions, and project descriptions follow: ... Ming 
C. Lin, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, physically based interaction 
with massive data sets.
http://chronicle.com/daily/2003/03/2003031106n.htm
(Note: The Chronicle of Higher Education requires a subscription to access
articles.)

Current Regional Coverage

Local student wins top UNC award
The State (SC)
A Hopkins teen is among 40 high school seniors -- and the lone South 
Carolinian -- selected for the next class of Morehead Scholars at the University 
of North Carolina.
http://www.thestate.com/mld/thestate/news/local/5363472.htm

Current State and Local Coverage

The Race Factor
Winston-Salem Journal
At the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, as well as thousands of other 
universities across the country, admissions officers are now busy assembling the 
class of 2007. This year, they are toiling under the long shadow cast by the
pending Supreme Court review of admissions practices at the University of 
Michigan. "There's a great deal at stake about our autonomy in terms of who we 
select," said Jerry Lucido, the director of undergraduate admissions at UNC-CH. 
http://www.journalnow.com/wsj/MGBIIPJH5DD.html

Carolina bases deploy more than 40,000
Charlotte Observer
On the eve of a possible war with Iraq, thousands of troops from Carolinas
bases are poised to play a key role in initial strikes. ... In recent military 
downsizing, Carolinas' bases fared well because their units offer quick-strike 
capabilities, said Prof. Richard Kohn, chair of the curriculum in peace, war 
and defense at UNC Chapel Hill.
http://www.charlotte.com/mld/charlotte/news/special_packages/iraq/5363086.htm

U.S. trade agreements costing thousands of N.C. jobs
Triangle Business Journal
Federal investigations document that at least 82,000 workers at 601 companies 
in North Carolina have lost their jobs over the past four years because of U.S.
trade agreements, including the often-derided NAFTA pact. ... "The handwriting
has been on the wall for a very long time," says Dennis Rondinelli, an
international trade expert at the University of North Carolina at Chapel 
Hill's Kenan-Flagler Business School. 
http://triangle.bizjournals.com/triangle/stories/2003/03/10/story2.html

DSS program gets new strategies for responses
The Shelby Star
“Help without labels.” “The family is the expert.” “Specific, individualized 
intervention for families.” Those are a few of the components of the Multiple 
Response System, a new series of strategies underway in several North Carolina 
Department of Social Services agencies. ... The Family and Children’s Program 
is part of the Jordan Institute for Families within the University of North 
Carolina at Chapel Hill School of Social Work. 
http://www.shelbystar.com/portal/ASP/article.asp?ID=4338

Campus leader wants students in local politics 
Chapel Hill Herald 
It's not that UNC students lack a voice in local politics. But the more local voters, 
the better, says Matt Tepper, UNC's student body president-elect. ...
http://www.herald-sun.com/archives/URNDetail.cfm?URN=0415536707
(Note: The Chapel Hill Herald requires free registration to access archives.)

UNC chemist attempts to improve space vehicles
The Herald-Sun 
Chemist Ed Samulski is part of a small group of UNC science faculty members 
working under a NASA grant to find new technology to improve space travel. 
UNC is one of four universities sharing the $15 million, five-year grant.
http://www.herald-sun.com/archives/URNDetail.cfm?URN=0415536813
(Note: The Herald-Sun requires free registration to access archives.)

Most in Carrboro survey happy with quality of life, services 
The Herald-Sun
A "citizen satisfaction survey" performed by UNC’s School of Government late 
last year shows that Carrboro’s demographically diverse residents are mostly 
content with the workings of their community. ... Phil Meyer, a journalism
professor at UNC who’s expert in the use of statistics and surveys, said the low 
response rate cast some doubt on its findings. 
http://www.herald-sun.com/orange/10-329688.html

Four vying for district attorney's post 
Asheville Citizen-Times
Four people are vying for the governor's nod to take over the district attorney's 
post in the 30th Judicial District, which was left vacant by the death of well-
known state prosecutor Charles Hipps. ... Thad Beyle, a political scientist at 
UNC-Chapel Hill, agreed that the governor would look for broad support for a 
candidate among the leaders in the district. ...
http://cgi.citizen-times.com/cgi-bin/story/news/30299

Historical treasure is sought in cannon linked to Blackbeard 
Jacksonville Daily News
Nathan Henry shone a flashlight down the barrel of a cannon retrieved from a 
shipwreck believed to be that of Blackbeard’s flagship. ... It will consist of two 
offices, lab space and an analysis room and is similar to what was available to 
the project at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill’s Institute of 
Marine Sciences in Morehead City ...
http://www.jdnews.com/Details.cfm?StoryID=10994

Issues and Trends Affecting Carolina

Budget flexibility decried 
News and Observer
Gov. Mike Easley may not have used gimmicks to craft his $15 billion budget
proposal, but much of what he would cut might not become apparent until months 
after the budget is passed and legislators have gone home. ... Nesbitt said Easley 
avoided a tough budget decision last week when he let the UNC system keep 
$13.9 million in research funds for utilities, rent and other costs -- known as 
overhead receipts -- in exchange for letting them find the money somewhere 
else
http://newsobserver.com/news/story/2308709p-2167765c.html

'Baby step' for workers 
News and Observer
Dana Cope hasn't choreographed a victory dance to celebrate Gov. Mike Easley's 
proposed spending plan for the coming two years. Cope, executive director of the 
State Employees Association of North Carolina, is glad that Easley proposed a 
1.6 percent pay increase for state workers. 
http://newsobserver.com/dome/story/2308791p-2167751c.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