Duke in the News: July 6, 2005

OP-ED: THE CONSERVATIVE CHOICE IS A MODERATE (Raleigh) News & Observer, July 6 -- "For the sake of his country and his legacy," President Bush "should navigate the road less traveled by his administration and select a moderate conservative" to the U.S. Supreme Court, says Duke law professor Neil Siegel. (free registration) ... Full story

ROUNDTABLE POLITICAL DISCUSSION ABC News "This Week With George Stephanopoulos," July 3 -- Walter Dellinger, former solicitor general and professor at Duke Law School, said that retiring Justice Sandra Day O'Connor has been "the balance wheel, not just for the court, but for the country on divisive social issues." (Transcript not available online: e-mailed upon request to eduke@duke.edu.)

FIRM TO PUBLISH BIN LADEN'S WORDS San Diego Union-Tribune, July 6 -- Islamic scholar Bruce Lawrence, a professor of religion at Duke, says his translations of Osama bin Laden's speeches and writings will not glorify the terrorist, whom he described as "a devil we need to know." ... Full story

BOOK REVIEW: 'PRIEST'S SON' ROOTED IN 9/11 USA Today, July 6 -- Reynolds Price, the prolific author and Duke professor, "packs plenty of plot and action" into his 36th novel. ... Full story

LETTER: TOM CRUISE REINFORCES THE STIGMA OF DEPRESSION (Durham) Herald-Sun, July 6 -- Actor Tom Cruise's remarks disparaging anti-depressant medications "only reinforce attitudes that add to completely unwarranted shame and stigma," says Duke professor William S. Meyer, the director of the Duke Postpartum Support Program. ... Full story

FLOSSING: THAT'S WAY TOO MANY MR. T'S! (THE LIE IS 'A.') Newsweek, July 4 -- Mental Floss: The Trivia Game, created by some former Duke students, features questions -- "both cheeky and brainy" -- co-written with real live professors from Stanford, Vanderbilt and, naturally, Duke. ... Full story

YES, SIR, COURTESIES ARE CHANGING Dallas Morning News, July 6 -- Ron Butters, professor of English and cultural anthropology at Duke, said it would be a mistake to assume that the use of "sir" and "ma'am" is exclusively a Southern phenomenon. ... Full story

ON THE AIR Dr. Martin Binks, director of behavioral health at the Duke Diet & Fitness Center, discussed the psychology of obesity and body image on WUNC Radio's "The State of Things" Wednesday. The program will be rebroadcast at 9 p.m. ET on 91.5 FM and later archived on the web. ... Details