AltWeeklies Wire
Battered Woman Becomes American Refugee in Amsterdamnew
A wanted fugitive and kidnapper in the United States, Holly Collins was granted refugee status in the Netherlands in 1997. She fled the US to keep her husband -- who beat her -- from taking custody of their kids.
City Pages (Twin Cities) |
Beth Walton |
07-31-2008 |
Children & Families
Political Humor is No Longer Welcome in Academianew
For close to two decades, academia has been in the grips of a political-correctness fury that has strangled the sense of humor that was once the campus's best-known calling card. So if you're wondering why Barack Obama had such a surprisingly negative reaction to that New Yorker cover, consider the Harvard Factor.
Boston Phoenix |
Harvey Silverglate |
07-31-2008 |
Civil Liberties
Why is the Press Playing Along with GOP Smears of Obama?new
The GOP is smearing Barack Obama as a narcissist, hitting him repeatedly with the charge that he has a vanity problem. So why is the press playing along?
Boston Phoenix |
Adam Reilly |
07-31-2008 |
Media
With Few Options in N.C., Immigrants Return to Mexico by Busnew
Riders are separated from loved ones or have not achieved their dreams. Many who've traveled speak of their failures. Others say the United States isn't what they envisioned.
INDY Week |
Joseph R. Schwartz |
07-31-2008 |
Immigration
Some Illinois Residents Push to Get State to Overturn a Mine Permitnew
Richard Fuller, who described himself as a "75-plus-year-old" farmer, suggested that Capital Resources Development Co.'s plan to strip-mine a 430.6-acre tract near Banner -- a village 25 miles southwest of Peoria in Fulton County -- would destroy the area's topsoil and make future planting nearly impossible.
Illinois Times |
Amanda Robert |
07-31-2008 |
Environment
Things I've Learned: Journalism Will Survive the Passing of Some Newspapersnew
What I believed as a kid, when I was noodling around on the dial of an old radio, is still true today: People are intensely interested in what's happening at home, but they're hungry to know about the bigger world around them. Journalism that feeds that need will never die.
Illinois Times |
Roland Klose |
07-31-2008 |
Media
Where Has All the Gonzo Gone?new
In the first presidential election since the death of Hunter S. Thompson, we finally realize what we've lost.
Boston Phoenix |
Mike Miliard |
07-31-2008 |
Media
State House Sex Scandal Reveals Pitfalls of Reporting on Mental Illnessnew
While the Boston press clearly thinks Jim Marzilli's mental condition is newsworthy, the question of why it's important -- and how it should be covered -- has remained unanswered.
Boston Phoenix |
Adam Reilly |
07-31-2008 |
Media
Clean Energy Act Makes the Ballot in San Francisconew
It isn't the only charter amendment on the November ballot, but it's already shaping up to be the political lightning rod of this fall's election.
San Francisco Bay Guardian |
Janna Brancolini and Sarah Phelan |
07-31-2008 |
Environment
Man vs. Mileage: Inside the Mind of a Hypermilernew
Mike Turner is just one of a growing legion of people who identify themselves as hypermilers. They make up a community of drivers committed to taking the edge off of rapidly rising fuel costs through a combination of practical design and driving-style modifications, and in some cases, controversial techniques.
Creative Loafing (Charlotte) |
Kennedy Spencer |
07-31-2008 |
Transportation
Obama's Appearance at UNITY Highlights What's Wrong with the Medianew
Most shocking was UNITY's eager complicity in allowing CNN and Time -- both owned by Time Warner -- to force the 10,000-member journalist alliance to bend to their will. Unfortunately, suppression of a free and unfettered press didn't stop with powering off the recorders in the McCormick Place ballroom.
Illinois Times |
R.L. Nave |
07-31-2008 |
Media
Gun-Toting in Georgia: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love Carrying My Gunnew
Although I had a permit, I was less than thrilled that the Georgia General Assembly passed H.B. 89 in April. The new law would give licensed firearms permit holders the right to legally carry guns into places that used to be off-limits: city and state parks, public transportation, and restaurants that serve alcohol.
Creative Loafing (Atlanta) |
Andisheh Nouraee |
07-31-2008 |
Policy Issues
Federal Raid on Iranian Charity Stokes Debate About Tightened Bush Sanctionsnew
Two weeks after federal agents raided the largest Iranian charity in Oregon, employees at Child Foundation have regained possession of their seized cell phones and fax machines. But the feds are still holding the charity's computers and remaining silent about the reasons behind a raid that's alarmed many Iranians.
Willamette Week |
James Pitkin |
07-31-2008 |
Civil Liberties
Goldman Sachs Paints Picture of Changing World Ordernew
You have to hand it to the economics team at Goldman Sachs. It came up with the concept of the "BRICs": the four big economies, in Brazil, Russia, India, and China, which were going to catch up with and then overtake the big economies of the developed world. More recently, they added the "Next Eleven": middle-sized developing countries like Turkey, Indonesia, and Mexico that will also grow fast enough to overtake their old-rich counterparts in the next generation.
The Georgia Straight |
Gwynne Dyer |
07-31-2008 |
Economy
Prof Vikram Jaswal Explains Why Sad Children Learn Betternew
With the help of video clips from The Lion King and The Jungle Book and the music of Mozart and Mahler, researchers tested how a group of children's state of mind related to their ability to perform detail-oriented tasks. Jaswal discusses the surprising findings.
C-Ville Weekly |
Chiara Canzi |
07-30-2008 |
Children & Families
