uncnews.unc.edu

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

International Coverage

Analysis: U.S. governors make risky political bet on healthcare funds
Reuters
...Jonathan Oberlander at the University of North Carolina School of Medicine agrees: "It depends on how the issue is framed. If they look like they are being fiscally conservative, a rejectionist governor could win." And hard-line stance may not be about ideology or fiscal discipline. Instead, it could be a bargaining tactic.

Pills to prevent HIV raise many questions: studies
Yahoo! (Philppines)
..."Why the results differ across the various studies reported to date is unclear," said an accompanying editorial by Myron Cohen from the University of North Carolina and Lindsey Baden of Brigham and Women's Hospital in Boston. Learning more through future study is important because PrEP is increasingly being seen as a part of an integrated HIV prevention approach, they wrote.

National Coverage

Reefs in the Anthropocene – Zombie Ecology?
The New York Times
...John Bruno, a marine ecologist at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and co-creator of the “Sea Monster” blog, said the piece does not reflect the science on reef conditions and threats and fundamentally disagreed with the author’s views on conservation options. Below you can read missives from Olson and Bruno, with a coda laying out my views.

Our Debt to the Greeks (Commentary)
The Wall Street Journal
Vain is the word of that philosopher which does not heal any suffering of man." By the lights of this maxim, taken from the fourth-century B.C. Greek philosopher Epicurus, contemporary philosophy looks awfully vain. (Mr. Boyle teaches in the Classics Department at the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill)

Frequently asked questions about Propecia
NBC
Originally approved by the FDA to treat benign prostate problems, Propecia had a welcome side effect: hair growth. But the medication also has sexual side effects. Now, a new study says the medication may cause permanent problems. ... Dr Samantha Meltzer-Brody discusses.
*Note: this interview was recorded in the Carolina News Studio

Don’t make a big deal out of it
The Associated Press
... "People don't like to make big decisions, the consequences of which they will have to live with for a very long time, when there is so much uncertainty," says Anil Shivdasani, a professor in the business school at the University of North Carolina. "And in those situations, doing nothing is often seen as the safer route."

Regional Coverage

Focus: College students apply their app skills quickly, highlight how innovation can thrive far from tech hot spots
The Chicago Tribune
...The technology incubator offers workspace and mentorship opportunities to dozens of companies, including 52apps. The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill has offered to fund the development of a mobile application that uses university research.

Future interrupted: Young adults, Depression-era seniors reflect on economic blows
The Chicago Tribune
...Glen Elder, a sociologist at the University of North Carolina who has studied young adults who came of age from 1929 to 1939, sees many similarities with their 21st century counterparts: the economic expansion, the sudden contraction, the stubborn unemployment.

Lawmakers: NC study could guide SC anti-texting legislation
The State (Columbia, SC)
Lawmakers want to keep the eyes of South Carolina drivers on the road and off their cellphones. A recent report about the apparent failings of a cellphone ban for teen drivers in North Carolina might finally help them do it. Researchers from the Highway Safety Research Center at the University of North Carolina say many N.C. teens are ignoring a 2006 state law that barred cellphone use by drivers under the age of 18 and that many more are engaging in the hazardous – and sometimes deadly – practice of texting and driving.

PoliGraph: Bachmann's health care claim misleading
Minnesota Public Radio
...Jonathan Oberlander, who teaches health policy and management at the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill, said there's evidence that the rate of health spending is actually slowing down. Premiums are still growing, but at a slower pace, Oberlander said.

State and Local Coverage

UNC legal bills for NCAA probe top $467,000
The News & Observer (Raleigh)
UNC-Chapel Hill’s bills for extra legal help have topped $467,000 because of the scandal that erupted within its football team in 2010, spread to academic areas and resulted in NCAA sanctions four months ago. A university spokeswoman said in an email message Thursday that no money from taxpayers has been used toward the lawyer fees, which are from two law firms that specialize in advising universities through NCAA crises.
Related Link: http://www.heraldsun.com/view/full_story/19314941/article-UNC-spent--467K-in-legal-fees-on-NCAA-probe

Duke and Carolina – what a pair (Commentary)
The News & Observer (Raleigh)
No, it’s the other Duke – now the country’s biggest ’lectric company, king of all it surveys from its headquarters in Charlotte. How did the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill find itself sharing front-page territory last week with a Duke that has nothing to do with Blue Devils?
Related Link: http://www2.journalnow.com/sports/2012/jul/15/wssport01-lenox-rawlings-uncs-academics-scandal-ne-ar-2432483/

Issues and Trends

More Families Considering Cost When Deciding on College, Survey Finds
The Chronicle of Higher Education
A national survey of dependent undergraduates and their parents has found that more families are considering college costs when deciding where their students attend college. Nearly 70 percent of families said they had eliminated certain colleges based on cost, according to “How America Pays For College,” an annual report by Sallie Mae. That’s up from 56 percent in 2009.

UNC School of the Arts undergoing building boom
The News & Observer (Raleigh)
When a team works on a project, each of its members tries to stay on the same page. But beginning in 2014, students at UNC School of the Arts will stay on the same screen as they collaborate. Special study rooms in a new library will enable them to send data from their laptops to a flat-screen monitor as they work on concepts for a show.