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

International Coverage

Fear of homegrown terror attacks in U.S. 'out of proportion' to incidents: study
The Globe and Mail (Canada)

Homegrown terrorism poses only a modest threat that does not justify the widespread fear that violent Islamic jihadists are lurking in domestic Muslim communities, a new study claims. "The fear is totally out of proportion to the actual number of terrorist incidents," said Charles Kurzman, a professor of sociology at the University of North Carolina and co-author of Anti-Terror Lessons of Muslim American Communities.

Calcium atom halts bacterial travel
United Press International

The discovery that a single atom can control how bacteria move could lead to new drugs that prevent infection, scientists in North Carolina said. The finding highlights a key step in the process by which bacteria infect their hosts, researchers at the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, said. …Using the human pathogen Pseudomonas aeruginosa, the scientists identified a calcium atom on the bacteria, that when blocked, halted the bacteria's movement, said researcher Matthew Redinbo, a professor of chemistry.
UNC Release:
http://www.unchealthcare.org/site/newsroom/news/2010/January/aeruginosa

National Coverage

Threat of Homegrown Islamic Terrorism May Be Exaggerated
Time

Despite last year's spike in the number of terrorism cases involving American Muslims, fears of growing radicalization in the American Muslim community may be greatly exaggerated, according to a new study. Researchers at Duke University and the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill say that while homegrown Islamic terrorism is a serious issue, it remains a limited problem. …In a statement, the report's co-author Charles Kurzman, a UNC professor of sociology, points out that fewer than three dozen of the 136,000 murders committed in the U.S. since 9/11 can be attributed to acts of terrorism by American Muslims.

Study: Threat of Muslim-American terrorism in U.S. exaggerated
CNN

The terrorist threat posed by radicalized Muslim- Americans has been exaggerated, according to a study released Wednesday by researchers at Duke University and the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. …"Muslim-American communities have been active in preventing radicalization," said Charles Kurzman, professor of sociology at UNC, in the statement. "This is one reason that Muslim-American terrorism has resulted in fewer than three dozen of the 136,000 murders committed in the United States since 9/11."

Bacon: The New Brain Food?
Ivanhoe (Newswire)

If you're pregnant and have a craving for bacon and eggs, you've finally got an excuse. A team of University of North Carolina researchers has shown that choline plays a critical role in helping fetal brains develop regions associated with memory. Meats, including pork, and chicken eggs are rich in choline. "Our study in mice indicates that the diet of a pregnant mother, especially choline in that diet, can change the epigenetic switches that control brain development in the fetus" Steven Zeisel, the senior scientist involved in the work was quoted as saying.
Note: Ivanhoe has a syndicated television series and its reports are broadcast in 250 markets reaching 80 million U.S. households.

Men Who Jump the Picket Fence
The New York Times

…As it turns out, Mr. Berks is not alone in his disdain. For reasons practical, financial and definitely emotional, there seems to be a growing cohort of men like him who are falling out of love with the holy institution of homeownership. The numbers behind this disenchantment are only suggestive. Men and women under the age of 40 report roughly equal levels of satisfaction with homeownership, according to a large national study by the Center for Community Capital at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. '

Regional Coverage

Study finds no definite pattern on terrorists
The Star Tribune (Minneapolis, Minn.)

A study on homegrown terrorism found that most American Muslims who planned violent attacks since 2001 were young, male U.S. citizens who became radical as part of a group. Still, researchers seeking lessons on preventing extremism found no definitive pattern of how the suspects turned to violence and no geographic center of radicalization in the United States. Experts from Duke University and the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill tallied homegrown terrorism cases since the Sept. 11 attacks and found that 139 American Muslims had been publicly accused of planning or carrying out violence motivated by extremism.

Ambulance safety tops agenda for EMS group
The Phoenix Business Journal

A group of 60 national experts on ambulance safety are in Phoenix this week, looking for ways to mitigate the risks of common injuries and deaths to patients and medics. …Dr. Jane Brice, facilitator of the conference and associate professor at the University of North Carolina, said the discussions and solutions from the ambulance safety conference will be incorporated into a white paper she hopes to complete by March.

State and Local Coverage

Report: Few U.S. Muslims radical
The Herald-Sun (Durham)

The events shocked a nation and elicited concern that terrorism was now a home-grown product. …But, in fact, a new report released Wednesday by scholars at Duke University and UNC Chapel Hill says the number of radicalized Muslim-Americans remains small. …"Muslim-American terrorism has resulted in fewer than three dozen of the 136,000 murders committed in the United States since 9/11," said report co-author Charles Kurzman, a sociology professor at UNC.
Related Links:
http://www.wral.com/news/local/story/6756751/
http://wchl1360.com/detailswide.html?id=12986

Depression-era art carries timely message
The News & Observer (Raleigh)

Shadows of the past will creep up on the present if an upcoming art exhibit, depicting America after the Great Depression, accomplishes its goal. Adam Cave Fine Art will display and sell 25 prints depicting "American Realism from the WPA era" starting Jan. 22. The pieces capture America at a time of great economic turmoil, when the U.S. government created agencies such as the Works Progress Administration to put people back to work. …"The idea that metro areas or institutions like New York City, which had become the major art center of that time, and Wall Street were on the wrong track goes with the idea that an Iowa farmer or Missouri cattle raiser, who represent other parts of America, should be represented in art as well," says Timothy Riggs, curator of collections at the Ackland Art Museum at UNC-Chapel Hill.

The latest picture show
The Winston-Salem Journal

When the sleek, art-deco Winston Theatre on West Fourth Street was renovated into offices for lawyers and architects in the early 1980s, it was hailed by its new owners as a sign of progress and downtown revitalization. …North Carolina downtowns thrived through the 1950s, said Robert Allen, an American Studies professor at UNC Chapel Hill who has researched old theaters across the state (including a database and history of theaters at www.docsouth.unc.edu/gtts). And when people went downtown, they usually went to the movies.

Tar Heel Temps Scheduled To Close
WCHL 1360-AM (Chapel Hill)

Vice Chancellor for Human Resources Brenda Malone says Tar Heel Temps has decided to close its doors after nearly 20-years of service. Tar Heel Temps is a self-supported arm of the University’s Human Resources department and but isn’t allocated an annual budget by the University. Since 1992, the temp service has served the University through adhoc employment and often provided a foot in the door for several employees who found themselves in permanent positions. Although it wasn’t a direct contributing factor to the temp service closing its doors, Malone says UNC’s budget cuts caused the demand for Tar Heel Temp services to decrease.

Issues and Trends

NCSU set to announce chancellor
The News & Observer (Raleigh)

A longtime Purdue University administrator is expected to be named the next chancellor at N.C. State University. William "Randy" Woodson, Purdue's current provost, is the top choice of UNC President Erskine Bowles and will likely be hired Friday morning by the UNC system's Board of Governors, four university and government sources confirmed.
Related Link:
http://www.wral.com/news/news_briefs/story/6753066/

Well-Known Poet and Professor Passes Away
WCHL 1360-AM (Chapel Hill)

A well-known poet and UNC creative writing professor died Sunday. Fifty-six-year-old Margaret Yarborough Rabbdied at her home in Chapel Hill after battling cancer. Rabb’s poems have received local and national merit. She won a local award for her first published book, “Granite Dives,” in 2000.

Crime Stopping (Editorial)
The News & Observer (Raleigh)

In an Orange County courtroom, a valuable crime-fighting tool is on trial, perhaps for its life. Superior Court Judge Allen Baddour is weighing a request by lawyers for defendants in the Eve Carson murder case that they be allowed to review Crime Stoppers tips concerning the abduction and shooting death of the UNC-Chapel Hill student body president.

Prosecutors agree to expedite response to Atwater motion
The Herald-Sun (Durham)

Federal prosecutors have agreed to expedite their response to the motion by Demario James Atwater's attorneys to move his trial out of the state of North Carolina. Atwater is charged with federal crimes associated with the robbery, kidnapping and killing of UNC student body president Eve Carson, who was shot to death on March 5, 2008, in Chapel Hill.
Related Link:
http://wchl1360.com/detailswide.html?id=12976

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