Duke in the News: Jan. 2, 2007

A WARRIOR'S WEB OF SUPPORT (Raleigh) News & Observer, Dec. 24 -- Duke sociologist James Moody has calculated that up to 6.5 million Americans know someone who has been killed or wounded in Iraq or Afghanistan, something that illustrates the broader cost of casualties to society. ... Full story --Also, (San Jose) Mercury News, AP: Duke Researcher Finds That Millions Know War Dead and Wounded ... Full story USA Today, AP: Though Lower Than Past Wars', Troop Death Rate in Iraq Seen as High, Polls Show (Sanford Institute's Bruce Jentleson) ... Full story

PROSECUTOR IN DUKE CASE FACES ETHICS COMPLAINT The New York Times, Dec. 29 -- The North Carolina State Bar has filed a formal ethics complaint against the prosecutor in the Duke lacrosse case, accusing him of making inflammatory remarks about the team to the news media and misleading the public about evidence. ... Full story --Also, Washington Post: Editorial -- Prosecutorial Indiscretion ... Full story News & Observer: Column -- It's Time to Drop Charges ... Full story Los Angeles Times: Op-Ed -- Duke's Recovery From a Rush to Judgment ... Full story Duke News: Duke and Men's Lacrosse (special website with background information) ... Full story

MANY RECALL FORD'S NATIONAL, LOCAL LEGACY (Durham) Herald-Sun, Dec. 28 -- Former President Gerald Ford's legacy "has been burnished by time," says Duke political science chairman Michael Munger. "Bucky" Waters, a former Duke basketball coach who co-founded the the Duke Children's Classic, said Ford stands out among the many celebrities who played it in. ... Full story

OP-ED: HOPE FOR NEW ORLEANS Washington Post, Dec. 27 -- Duke history professor William H. Chafe says "a remarkable resiliency of spirit remains in New Orleans." He recently volunteered there for a weekend. (Also appeared in the Sacramento Bee and Newark Star-Ledger.) ... Full story

MOST AMERICANS WANT PUBLIC POLICIES TO PREVENT OBESITY Washington Post, Dec. 28 -- A large majority of Americans say they support changes in public policy to stem the rising tide of obesity among adults, a new Duke survey shows. (HealthDay News story appeared in more than 80 media outlets.) ... Full story

OP-ED: THE EPISCOPAL SCHISM AFFECTS ALL RELIGIONS (Walnut Creek, Calif.) Contra Costa Times, Dec. 23 -- "The news of schism in the Episcopal Diocese of Virginia is very sad for all Christians everywhere, regardless of denomination or persuasion," writes the Rev. Jo Bailey Wells, a professor in Duke's Divinity School. (Also appeared in the Raleigh News & Observer.) ... Full story

DEVIOUS BUTTERFLIES, FULL-THROATED FROGS AND OTHER LIARS The New York Times, Dec. 26 -- "When you think of human communication, it's rife with deception," says Stephen Nowicki, a biologist at Duke. Natural selection may favor animals that use deceptive tactics. ... Full story