uncnews.unc.edu

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

International Coverage

Breastfeeding tied to lower blood pressure risk-study
Reuters (Wire Service)
Mothers who breastfeed for the recommended period of time, at least six months exclusively, may have a somewhat lower risk of developing high blood pressure later on, a U.S. study of more than 50,000 women said. ..."Women who never breastfed were more likely to develop hypertension than women who exclusively breastfed their first child for six months or more," wrote lead researcher Alison Stuebe at the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill.

Hypnosis, even in "real world," may help IBS
Reuters (Wire Service)
...For many people, that's enough to bring symptom relief, said Olafur S. Palsson, an associate professor of medicine at the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill. But for people with tougher-to-treat IBS, psychological therapies -- namely, hypnosis and cognitive behavioral therapy -- have proven effective in clinical trials. Palsson, who was not involved in the current study, researches and uses hypnosis therapy in treating IBS.

Sobering alarm for cities on faultlines
The Press (New Zealand)
...Journal editor-in-chief Jonathan Lees, professor of geosciences at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, said the papers could help "transform the way scientists assess the potential threat of faultlines that run through urban centres". "The March Japan earthquake and tsunami overshadowed the Christchurch earthquake, which was absolutely devastating in its own right. Compared to the earthquake that destroyed much of Haiti, the scale of disaster in Christchurch may seem small.

National Coverage

A Last Bastion of Civility, the South, Sees Manners Decline
The New York Times
...“Manners are often a way of distancing and maintaining space,” said William Ferris, a University of North Carolina folklorist who edited the Encyclopedia of Southern Culture with Professor Wilson. “If someone is polite, you better be careful and consider what that politeness veils.” But it is no longer as effective as it once was, he said. The nation’s political discourse has become more aggressive. When played out in the South, it just seems more shocking.

New info about New Zealand quake has grim details
MSNBC.com
..."Compared to the earthquake that destroyed much of Haiti, the scale of disaster in Christchurch may seem small," added geoscientist Jonathan Lees at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and editor-in-chief of Seismological Research Letters. "Christchurch, however, was constructed using much better technology and engineering practices, raising a very sobering alarm to other major, high density western urban centers."

Regional Coverage

Times' name change reflects regional approach
The Tampa Bay Business Journal (Florida)
The St. Petersburg Times’ announcement it would change its name to the Tampa Bay Times effective Jan. 1 sends many messages. ...The name change is a continuation of the Times’ effort to grow its circulation outside Pinellas County, said Chris Roush, a journalism professor at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. “If I lived in Lutz or if I lived in North Tampa, I’d be more likely to pick up a paper that has the word Tampa in its name than St. Petersburg,” Roush said.

State and Local Coverage

Forum focuses on innovation in education
WRAL-TV (CBS/Raleigh)
...The invitation-only event ended with a panel discussion on the role that universities and education play in fostering creativity and innovation. Hunt, N.C. State Chancellor Randolph Woodson and University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Chancellor Holden Thorp participated. WRAL-TV anchor David Crabtree moderated the discussion.

Harnett official accuses another of libel, slander
The Fayetteville Observer
...It's unusual for a public figure to sue another for libel or slander, said professor Michael J. Gerhardt, a media law expert at the University of North Carolina School of Law. House isn't immune from such a lawsuit, but "sometimes public officials have a fair bit of leeway when it comes to public discourse and criticism of other public officials," Gerhardt said.

Beware of invaders in the produce aisle (Column)
The News & Observer (Raleigh)
Forget the frozen food case and the cereal aisle. The produce area is now the hot spot to shop in most supermarkets. Let's call it innocence by association: Fruits and vegetables are seen as fresh and healthful. So manufacturers are increasingly trying to place other foods - processed or packaged - alongside the broccoli and grapefruit. (Suzanne Havala Hobbs is a registered dietitian and a clinical associate professor in the department of health policy and administration in the Gillings School of Global Public Health at UNC-Chapel Hill.)

Roses and Raspberries (Editorial)
The Chapel Hill News
Raspberries to Brian Bower, the UNC graduate student who filed to run for a seat on the Chapel Hill-Carrboro Board of Education for the sole purpose of obtaining in-state tuition. ...UNC's in-state tuition requirements are a little vague - you have to not only live in the state but provide evidence that you're not living here only to go to school. Bower said he thought running for local office might help his case. Carolina ultimately did in fact grant him in-state tuition, whereupon Bower dropped out of the race.

Issues and Trends

Chapel Hill's Halloween crowd shrinks
The News & Observer (Raleigh)
Early rain, cold weather and the town's crowd-control efforts cut the estimated number of Franklin Street revelers to 27,000 this Halloween, police reported Tuesday. This was the fourth year the town closed roads leading downtown under "Homegrown Halloween," a program designed to keep the celebration local after mounting concern about arrests and injuries.
Related Link:
http://www.heraldsun.com/view/full_story/16249553/article-This-is-the-way
-to-have-a-party?instance=hs_editorials