This page features brief excerpts of stories published by the mainstream
media and, less frequently, blogs, alternative media, and even obviously
biased sources. The excerpts are taken directly from the websites cited in
each source note. Quotation marks are not used.
Source: NYT
February 17, 2010
Most Americans believe that colleges today operate like businesses, concerned more with their bottom line than with the educational experience of students, according to a new study. And the proportion of people who hold that view has increased to 60 percent, from 52 percent in 2007.
At the same time, nearly two-thirds of those surveyed said that colleges should use federal stimulus money to hold down tuition, even if it means less money for operations and programs.
The
Source: ABC News
February 12, 2010
Former President Bill Clinton left New York Presbyterian Hospital/Columbia this morning after stent surgery on Thursday afternoon.
"President Bill Clinton was released from in excellent health," Clinton spokesman Douglas Band said in a statement issued this morning. "He looks forward in the days ahead to getting back to the work of his foundation, and to Haiti relief and recovery efforts."
Source: Guardian (UK)
February 14, 2010
For more than three and a half centuries, the death of René Descartes one winter's day in Stockholm has been attributed to the ravages of pneumonia on a body unused to the Scandinavian chill. But in a book released after years spent combing the archives of Paris and the Swedish capital, one Cartesian expert has a more sinister theory about how the French philosopher came to his end.
According to Theodor Ebert, an academic at the University of Erlangen, Descartes died not through nat
Source: Telegraph (UK)
February 16, 2010
Joe the Plumber, the mascot of the 2008 John McCain campaign for the US presidency, has lashed out at the veteran US senator from Arizona for "screwing up" his life.
Mr Wurzelbacher was thrust into the international spotlight when Mr McCain made repeated reference to him during one of the televised presidential debates. The two men had met days before and Mr Wurzelbacher had voiced fears about likely tax increases if Barack Obama were to become president.
Bu
Source: BBC Sports
February 15, 2010
Canada's long wait for a first Olympic gold medal on home soil is over after Alexandre Bilodeau won the men's moguls event in Vancouver.
Bilodeau, 22, finished ahead of Australia's reigning champion Dale Begg-Smith and American Bryon Wilson.
It ended a 34-year wait and sparked wild celebrations at Cypress Mountain.
Canada had never won an Olympic gold medal in their homeland, failing to capture any at the 1976 Montreal Summer Games or the 1988 Calgary Win
Source: UPI
February 16, 2010
Archaeology professors have discovered in Illinois what they said appears to be a coppersmiths' workshop from the American Stone Age.
Ancient Mississippian-era hammered-copper decorations, including headdress ornaments, jewelry and clothing embellishments, have been unearthed near the Cahokia Mounds State Historic Site in Collinsville, the Belleville News-Democrat reported Tuesday.
The site was the location of Cahokia, a large, prehistoric city of perhaps 20,000 inhabi
Source: BBC
February 16, 2010
Students at a Cambridgeshire college have begun an archaeological dig of their "artefact-rich" grounds.
Previous excavations at Linton Village College have revealed evidence of a Roman settlement and Bronze Age burial remains.
Neolithic pits dug 5,000 years ago and muskets and uniforms from the English Civil War have also been found there.
The dig is part of year-long art, archaeology and film-making project funded by a £25,000 lottery grant.
Source: BBC
February 15, 2010
Fossilised coral reefs in the Great Barrier Reef could help scientists understand how sea levels have changed over the past 20,000 years.
An international team of researchers will spend 45 days at sea, gathering core samples from about 40 sites.
Described as the "trees of the sea", coral have growth rings that show seasonal variations.
Researchers say the samples will also shed light on past sea temperatures, as well as other changes to the reef
Source: BBC
February 16, 2010
Archaeologists have unearthed dozens of clay figures in Ghana, shedding light on a sophisticated society which existed before the arrival of Islam.
Experts from the University of Ghana found 80 sculptures believed to be between 800 and 1,400 years old.
They believe the figures, depicting animal and human forms, are part of a burial ground or shrine.
Archaeologists say the societies that constructed the figures simply disappeared when Islam arrived.
Source: Telegraph (UK)
February 16, 2010
A dog collar that belonged to Charles Dickens has fetched $11,590 (£7,350) at a New York City auction.
The leather and brass collar is inscribed with Dickens' name. It had been estimated to sell at $4,000 to $6,000. The buyer's name was not immediately disclosed.
The collar was auctioned on Tuesday at Bonhams New York's sale of dog art.
Source: Reuters
February 16, 2010
France deliberately exposed its soldiers to nuclear explosions in Algeria in the 1960s to study the effect of radiation on humans, a newspaper reported on Tuesday, citing confidential documents.
The French government promised last year to compensate victims of nuclear tests in Algeria, carried out between 1960 and 1966, recognizing a link between the explosions and veterans' illnesses such as cancer.
While the government has said the tests were conducted as safely as p
Source: Telegraph (UK)
February 16, 2010
Egyptian pharaoh King Tutankhamun may have died from malaria, new research indicates.
The cause of the famous teenage king's death has long been a mystery, with a range of theories as to how he met his end.
But now scientists, who have analysed DNA from royal mummies, have managed to create a family tree for the ruler, and believe he may have died from a combination of malaria and bone abnormalities. But scientists have now analysed a
Source: Archaeo News
February 16, 2010
One of the world's oldest shipwrecks has been discovered off the coast of Devon (England) after lying on the seabed for almost 3,000 years. The trading vessel was carrying an extremely valuable cargo of tin and hundreds of copper ingots from the Continent when it sank. Experts say the 'incredibly exciting' discovery provides new evidence about the extent and sophistication of Britain's links with Europe in the Bronze Age as well as the remarkable seafaring abilities of the people during the peri
Source: FOX News
February 16, 2010
King Tut may be seen as the golden boy of ancient Egypt today, but during his reign, Tutankhamun wasn't exactly a strapping sun god. Instead, a new DNA study says, King Tut was a frail pharaoh, beset by malaria and a bone disorder—and possibly compromised by his newly discovered incestuous origins.
The report is the first DNA study ever conducted with ancient Egyptian royal mummies. It apparently solves several mysteries surrounding King Tut, including how he died and who his parent
Source: CNN
February 15, 2010
Retailers open their doors Monday and roll out big sales to entice customers. Government employees -- along with kids -- have the day off. But do you know why?
If you answered "Presidents Day," you're technically wrong.
The actual federal holiday is called "Washington's Birthday," after the nation's first president, George Washington.
According to the Gregorian calendar, adopted by England and its colonies after Washington was born, his
Source: CNN.com
February 16, 2010
William Ward Warren was 15 when his dad dropped him off at Dallas Love Field to see President John F. Kennedy arrive in the city, on the same day JFK was assassinated.
Students in Dallas, Texas, had November 22, 1963, off from school in recognition of the visit. Warren decided to take along his 8mm camera.
The result was "the best home movie known to exist of the Kennedy arrival," according to Gary Mack, curator of the The Sixth Floor Museum at Dealey Plaza.
Source: CNN
February 15, 2010
Alleged victims of child abuse by Catholic priests in Ireland called on the Vatican Monday to hold its own investigation into the scandal and punish those responsible.
"We ask that you take action now according to the laws and traditions of our Holy Church and discover how and why the teachings of Jesus Christ were so flagrantly abrogated over many decades," John Kelly said in a letter to Pope Benedict XVI.
"We ask that you convene a special commission ..
Source: Slate
February 14, 2010
Adults, accustomed to the harsh truths about our presidents revealed in newspaper accounts and best-selling biographies, can no longer perceive the glory of George W. Bush's Vietnam military service or admire the "marriage" of Bill and Hillary Clinton. But children labor under no such disillusions. So long as they stick to the thin books with the fat type, students may safely study our illustrious leaders, protected from harmful references to Watergate, Iran-Contra, or a certain presid
Source: BBC News
February 16, 2010
Secret love letters written by former US President John F Kennedy to a Swedish woman are being put up for auction.
The letters were written to Gunilla von Post when Mr Kennedy was an ambitious US senator in the 1950s.
Their love affair began before Mr Kennedy married Jacqueline Bouvier - but continued afterwards.
Bidding for the letters starts at $25,000 (£16,000), but they are expected to fetch much more.
Ms Von Post, now 78 years old, reveale
Source: BBC News
February 14, 2010
Once threatened with extinction, Azerbaijan's most ancient form of music is enjoying a renaissance. Mugham - a unique genre blending throaty song with a special trio of instruments - is being revived by the government through a series of festivals and school activities, as the BBC's Tom Esslemont discovers.
Intoxicating. Passionate. Throaty.
Those are the first words which come to mind as I attempt to describe the sound of mugham.
Warbling, rousing and spir
