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

National Coverage

Vitamin Pills: A False Hope?
The New York Times

Ever since the Nobel Prize-winning biochemist Linus Pauling first promoted “megadoses” of essential nutrients 40 years ago, Americans have been devoted to their vitamins. …In a study at the University of North Carolina, mice with brain cancer were given both normal and vitamin-depleted diets. The ones who were deprived of antioxidants had smaller tumors, and 20 percent of the tumor cells were undergoing a type of cell death called apoptosis, which is fueled by free radicals. In the fully nourished mice, only 3 percent of tumor cells were dying.

Sweeteners: Real Aid or Excuse to Indulge?
The New York Times

You may find this surprising — I certainly did — but only about 15 percent of Americans regularly consume beverages and foods that contain artificial sweeteners. …In the current issue of The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, Richard D. Mattes of Purdue University and Barry M. Popkin of the University of North Carolina reviewed 224 professional studies of the effects of non-nutritive sweeteners on appetite, food intake and weight. They acknowledge that the literature is rife with contradictory reports.

The Breastfeeding Seen 'Round the World (Blog)
The Washington Post

…"This is why the United States is so messed up," groaned Miriam Labbok, director of the Carolina Global Breastfeeding Institute at the University of North Carolina. "It's a disconnect from who we are as living human animals. It's the objectification of the female body, the reliance on technology and our medical-legal atmosphere, plus the concept of the mommy wars, where women are pitted against each other." She added: "We need to relax!"

Regional Coverage

A Closer Look at Group #1 (Blog)
The Herald-Dispatch (Huntington, W.Va.)

…With that in mind, let’s take a closer look at Group #1… Anoop Desai, 22, Chapel Hill, NC. Anoop’s audition song was “Thank You,” but he got the most attention with his final Hollywood song, “My Prerogative.” He’s got a following from being a member of the UNC Clef Hangers, a University of North Carolina a cappella group.

State and Local Coverage

Local universities to benefit from stimulus
The Herald-Sun (Durham)

It'll probably be a while before local university officials know the full impact the $789 billion economic stimulus bill will have on their schools. …UNC Chapel Hill Chancellor Holden Thorp concurred. During this difficult economic period, "federal research dollars are the bright spot," Thorp said. …The stimulus package would have a direct impact on plans to expand and renovate UNC's Morehead Planetarium and Science Center, Thorp said.

Students will reap benefits of package
The Herald-Sun (Durham)

The stimulus package President Obama is expected to sign today bodes well for students at all North Carolina colleges struggling to make it through in a tough economy. …Shirley Ort, director of scholarship and student aid at UNC Chapel Hill, said the university is thrilled by the increase in spending on higher education. "We're delighted the stimulus package has increased the maximum for the Pell Grant and for the Federal Work-Study Program," Ort said. "We expect 3,000 of our students will benefit between the two programs."

Expert: U.S. economy in needed 'restructuring'
The Herald-Sun (Durham)

Greg Brown, chairman of the Finance Department at UNC Chapel Hill's Kenan-Flagler Business School, is not a big fan of the stimulus package expected to be signed by President Obama today. "It's a little bit of a knee-jerk reaction," he said of the bill, sighing. "We're going to pay a large long-term price for this, in terms of the federal budget deficit."

UNC's chance (Editorial)
The News & Observer (Raleigh)

…Now, thanks to a program called the Carolina Student Transfer Excellence Program (C-STEP), Edmiston will begin taking classes at UNC-CH in the fall toward her goal of becoming an elementary school teacher. …The C-STEP program is a manifestation of what the state means about a university system dedicated both to public service and to individual advancement. And yes, it's an example of how offering a chance to individuals can return it many fold to the state that provided it.

DNA Questions
"The State of Things" WUNC-FM

It’s been nearly six years since the human genome project was completed. Now that we have a map of nearly 25 thousand base pairs of DNA, what do we do with the information? Dr. Cynthia Powell, chief of UNC-Chapel Hill's Genetics and Metabolism Department of Pediatrics, helps us answer this question. Powell will speak at the Seymour Center later this week on the topic "DNA Testing: Crystal Ball or Weather Forecast?" But first she joins host Frank Stasio for a preview.
Note: "The State of Things" is the statewide public affairs program airing live at noon weekdays and rebroadcast at 9 p.m. Mondays-Thursdays.

Lawmaker finds a cause in a hallucinogenic mint
The News & Observer (Raleigh)

YouTube may prove the downfall of Salvia divinorum. For years, college students have used the hallucinogenic herb for a cheap — and legal — thrill without attracting much attention. But with hundreds of online videos showing people smoking Salvia and dissolving into fits of laughter and hallucination, North Carolina is considering joining 14 other states that have outlawed it. …Bryan Roth, a professor of pharmacology at UNC-Chapel Hill, has studied Salvia and its chemical derivatives to see whether they can be of use in developing anti-psychotic medication. He said it is not addictive and its effects typically last only about 15 minutes.

Letters from famous writers on view today
The Chapel Hill Herald

Handwritten letters from presidents George Washington and Thomas Jefferson and another by poet Langston Hughes are among materials seldom seen by the public that will be on view from 5 p.m. until 7 p.m. today at UNC's Wilson Library. The event, "Open Stacks: Behind the Scenes in the Southern Historical Collection, Southern Folklife Collection and University Archives of Wilson Library," will feature guided tours by collections staff.
Related Link:
http://www.wral.com/news/local/video/4549890/
UNC News Release:
http://uncnews.unc.edu/news/campus-and-community/library-to-
showcase-letters-from-luminaries.html

Meet Paul Jones
"The State of Things" WUNC-FM

In the digital realm, Paul Jones is a rock star. He invented ibiblio, a contributor-run, digital library of public domain and creative commons media in the Office of Information Technology Service at UNC-Chapel Hill. He is a clinical associate professor at UNC-Chapel Hill's School of Journalism and Mass Communications and a clinical associate professor in the School of Information and Library Science. And, he's the guy who put Roger McGuinn’s catalog online. He also writes poetry and knows his Tar Heel history. Today host Frank Stasio meets the real Paul Jones.
Note: "The State of Things" is the statewide public affairs program airing live at noon weekdays and rebroadcast at 9 p.m. Mondays-Thursdays.

Anoop's 'Idol' fans to gather in Chapel Hill
WRAL.com

Fans of "American Idol" contestant Anoop Desai will gather at a Chapel Hill restaurant to cheer on the University of North Carolina graduate when he competes in the first group of 12.

Artist's works displayed
The Chapel Hill Herald

Work by Puerto Rican multi-media/performance artist Roxana Perez-Mendez, which focuses on the immigrant experience, will be displayed today through March 17 at UNC's John and June Allcott Gallery of the Hanes Art Center, beside the Ackland Art Museum on South Columbia Street.
UNC News Brief:
http://uncnews.unc.edu/news/arts/unc-artists-work-centers
-on-immigrant-experience.html

Talk to focus on children's issues
The Chapel Hill Herald

Developmental psychologist Kathleen McCartney of Harvard University will speak about early childhood development and poverty on Thursday in the state dining room of the Morehead Building off East Franklin Street, which also houses the Morehead Planetarium and Science Center at UNC. …The talk will be this year's William C. Friday Distinguished Lecture sponsored by the UNC School of Education.

Transit lecture planned today
The Chapel Hill Herald

Debra D. Campbell will deliver a free public lecture on "Planning for Transit and Transit-Oriented Development" on at 2 p.m. today at Room 3411 of the Frank Porter Graham Student Union at UNC. …Campbell's talk will be part of a 2008-2009 lecture series sponsored by the Carolina Society for Future Leaders, the UNC-Chapel Hill Student Congress, the Master of Public Administration program and the School of Government.
UNC News Brief:
http://uncnews.unc.edu/news/government-and-law/charlotte-planning
-director-to-discuss-transit-oriented-development-tuesday.html

Issues and Trends

Here's news to cheer about (Editorial)
The Chapel Hill News

It's hard to gauge which major event moved the most earth with its rumblings last week — UNC's basketball domination over an outmatched Duke, or the announcement by American Idol that Chapel Hill resident Anoop Desai is one of 36 remaining semifinalists in the colossal pop culture reality series that is equal parts pure talent and the bemusingly outrageous stageside manners of sinister Simon.

Bomb threat at UNC leads to building evacuations
The Chapel Hill Herald

Someone called in a bomb threat Sunday night to the UNC campus causing police to evacuate the Pit and all the buildings around it. Police later determined the threat was not valid, and issued an all-clear to the campus to return to its normal activities.
Related Link:
http://www.newsobserver.com/news/story/1408268.html
http://blogs.newsobserver.com/campusnotes/amid-bomb-
threat-uncs-dth-reports-from-the-street

http://blogs.newsobserver.com/campusnotes/at-unc-explaining-the-alert-system

Students want immediate alerts
The Daily Tar Heel

Students are dissatisfied with the lack of information from University administrators after a Sunday bomb threat to the Pit area, though the threat proved to be unfounded. …Nancy Davis, associate vice chancellor for University relations, said the delay came because UNC communications and Information Technology Services officials, who send the alerts, were waiting to talk to police. “We have to let them do their job, first and foremost. The first step is securing the area. Communication with the campus is the next step,” she said.

Attorney: Atwater fired shot killing Eve Carson
The Herald-Sun (Durham)/The Chapel Hill Herald

Demario James Atwater fired a single shotgun round killing Eve Carson to eliminate her as a witness after she already had been wounded, according to U.S. Attorney Anna Mills Wagoner. Carson was UNC's popular student body president when she was slain on March 5, 2008.

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