KYLE CHORPENING

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Omaha legislature votes for segregated districts

By KYLE CHORPENING | April 18

Nebraskan politicians have settled on a possible solution for the de facto segregation present at schools in the state capital: de jure segregation. Last week, the Nebraska state legislature passed a controversial measure, signed into law by the governor, that divides Omaha Public Schools into three districts - one mostly white, one mostly black and one mostly Hispanic. The bill originally proposed a combination of the 11 school districts in the Omaha area into a learning community under a single tax base.

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Digital age comes to UNC publishing

By KYLE CHORPENING | April 11

Book lovers might want to open up space on their hard drives for some iTomes. The Caravan Project, a partnership of publishers based at the UNC Press, recently secured a grant from the MacArthur Foundation that will allow the publishers to experiment using digital media to distribute books. The demonstration period, which is expected to begin in 2007, will release non-fiction books in traditional hardcover editions, along with e-books and audio books available for download in their entirety or in chapters.

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UNC-C room to provide stock trading experience

By KYLE CHORPENING | March 28

UNC-Charlotte is taking steps to become a national center for finance education by bringing a slice of Wall Street life to campus. The university's Belk College of Business will dedicate an interactive trading room today to be used by business and finance students. "Charlotte has tried to promote itself as a center of finance," said Richard Buttimer, a professor of finance and real estate at UNC-C. "This training room is one of the first tangible examples of that pursuit."

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Low-income efforts aimed at classrooms

By KYLE CHORPENING | February 21

Getting parents in low-income families back in the classroom is a key part in helping to better their economic situation, according to a state report released last week. Published by the N.C. Budget and Tax Center, the report details the state of low-income families and makes new proposals to bring N.C. poverty statistics in line with the national average. The report shows that one-third of North Carolina's working families are classified as low-income, meaning the family earns less than 200 percent of the federal poverty level. In 2003, that level was $37,620 for a family of four.

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Public dishes out view on Bush surveillance

By KYLE CHORPENING | February 14

N.C. voters seem to be willing to give President Bush the benefit of the doubt when it comes to wiretapping, according to a poll conducted last week. Public Policy Polling, a polling firm based in Raleigh, surveyed 487 North Carolinians on Feb. 7 to gauge public opinion on the president's wiretapping policy and the possibility of impeachment. Of the 487 people polled, 53 percent thought the wiretapping was legal, 51 percent approved of the wiretapping and 50 percent thought President Clinton's offense of lying under oath was a more impeachable offense.

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N.C. Rep. mulls state of union

By KYLE CHORPENING | January 31

DURHAM - On the eve of President Bush's annual State of the Union address, Rep. Mel Watt, D-N.C., gave his own version, focusing on the administration's performance during the past year. The president's annual address will be broadcast live at 9 p.m. Watt spoke on behalf of the Congressional Black Caucus, of which he is now chairman, at the N.C. Mutual Life Insurance Co. in Durham, outlining his criteria for assessing the country. "You'll probably hear a different story tomorrow night," he said to an audience of about 200 people.

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Advocacy groups fight budget cuts

By KYLE CHORPENING | January 30

Organizations across North Carolina are up in arms about the latest federal budget bill under review in the House. More than 100 organizations have signed a letter sent to N.C. representatives, asking them to vote down the bill when it is considered by the House Wednesday. If passed, this bill would cut $40 billion by changing Medicaid fees and benefits, cutting back on funding for child support collection and making cutbacks in other areas, opponents say.

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Louisiana schools reopen after Katrina

By KYLE CHORPENING | January 24

After a semester hiatus, universities forced to close because of Hurricane Katrina are welcoming students back to their collegiate home. With months of construction behind them and millions of relief dollars spent, the campuses are prepared for their 2006 spring classes, officials said. "We are delighted to have the students back," said Mike Strecker, director of public relations at Tulane University. Strecker said that while the damage estimates at Tulane were in the millions, the campus is ready for the students.

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World health officials point to cooperation to prevent pandemic

By KYLE CHORPENING | September 28

The global threat of an avian flu pandemic was spotlighted Tuesday in a speech by the director-general of the World Health Organization. "There is a storm brewing that will test us all," said Dr. Lee Jong-wook, addressing the Pan American Health Organization's Directing Council. "Forecasts indicate that the political, social and economic costs of such a pandemic will be huge." Lee stressed the need for all nations to cooperate, and said it is each country's duty to inform its public about how to respond in the event of a health emergency.