Tag Archives: new york times

Political Leaders Play Key Role in How Worried Americans Are By Climate Change

COLUMBUS, Ohio – More than extreme weather events and the work of scientists, it is national political leaders who influence how much Americans worry about the threat of climate change, new research finds.

In a study of public opinion from 2002 to 2010, researchers found that public belief that climate change was a threat peaked in 2006-2007 when Democrats and Republicans in Congress showed the most agreement on the issue. (more…)

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2012 Economic Forecast from UMD Business Faculty

COLLEGE PARK, Md. – A weak housing market, tight credit for small businesses, no significant growth in the banking sector, anemic consumer spending, and modest sales for retailers – that’s the outlook for 2012 according to experts at the University of Maryland’s Robert H. Smith School of Business.

“Several important dynamics frame the 2012 economic outlook,” says Cliff Rossi, Tyser Teacher Fellow and executive-in-residence. These factors include:

  • Massive financial leveraging across the board by sovereign countries, state and local governments, banks, businesses, and individuals;
  • Fear and uncertainty among consumers and investors, despite faint signs of optimism at times;
  • Political self-interest and brinksmanship increasingly interfering with effective policy making. (more…)

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‘Art and the Unbreakable Spirit of Haiti’ opens Jan. 9 at Fowler Museum at UCLA

*Related event Jan. 29 features filmmaker Jonathan Demme, journalists, scholars*

Showcasing a selection of works collected by the Fowler Museum at UCLA over the past five decades, “Fowler in Focus: Art and the Unbreakable Spirit of Haiti” juxtaposes pieces produced for the international art market with those used in Port-au-Prince Vodou temples and nationwide seasonal festivities. 

The pieces illustrate how crucial aspects of the Haitian experience — including significant dates and galvanizing events — are made tangible through artistic and ritual practice.  (more…)

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‘Nightmare’ Economy Still a Source of Restless Nights, says Krugman

Paul Krugman. Image credit: Yale University

Nobel Prize-winning economist and New York Times columnist Paul Krugman had some generally dismal news for the near capacity audience that came to Sprague Hall on Tuesday for his Jackson Institute-sponsored town hall meeting.

The gathering, aimed at undergraduates, was held in conjunction with Krugman’s visit to Yale to receive the Henry E. Howland Memorial Prize, one of the highest honors that the University bestows.

Krugman was introduced by President Richard C. Levin; the two were briefly colleagues in Yale’s Department of Economics in the 1970s. He kicked off the Q&A with background on the current economic situation. (more…)

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Troops in Afghanistan Had Special Group to Exterminate “Terrorists”

Hundreds of civilians were killed without public and official knowledge by coalition troops in Afghanistan. Secret plans to kill leaders of the extremist Taliban and Al Qaeda and the discussion of the alleged involvement of Iran and Pakistan in supporting the insurgents were recurring themes for military leaders.

(more…)

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Stieg Larsson Passes 1 Million Kindle Books Sold

*Larsson is the first author to join the new “Kindle Million Club”*

SEATTLE, Jul 27, 2010 — Amazon.com, Inc., today announced that Stieg Larsson, author of the internationally bestselling Millennium Trilogy, has become the first author to sell over 1 million Kindle books and is the first member of the new “Kindle Million Club.”

(more…)

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Kindle Device Unit Sales Accelerate Each Month in Second Quarter; New $189 Price Results in Tipping Point for Growth

*Amazon.com Now Selling More Kindle Books Than Hardcover Books*

SEATTLE, Jul 19, 2010 — Millions of people are already reading on Kindles and Kindle is the #1 bestselling item on Amazon.com for two years running. It’s also the most-wished-for, most-gifted, and has the most 5-star reviews of any product on Amazon.com.  

Today, Amazon.com announced that Kindle device unit sales accelerated each month in the second quarter–both on a sequential month-over-month basis and on a year-over-year basis.

(more…)

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