News Sources: Bernanke's Bad News

Ben S. Bernanke, chairman of the Federal Reserve, told Congress on Thursday that the economy was going to get worse before it got better. On a day when stock prices swung wildly, the dollar hit another new low against the euro and further signs emerged from retailers that consumers are growing more cautious about spending, Mr. Bernanke warned that the economy was about to “slow noticeably” as the housing market continues to spiral downward and financial institutions tighten up on lending. Reporters looking for experts to interview on this topic can find them online at the collegenews.org database of news sources and subject matter experts from America's leading liberal arts colleges, including the following (click on names for contact information):

Frank C. Wykoff - Elden Smith Professor of Economics, Pomona College - Wykoff is the author of Understanding Economics Today and Macroeconomics: Theory, Evidence and Policy, and the Editor of Economic Inquiry, the Journal of the Western Economic Association. He is Economic adviser to the Foundation of American Communications FACS and consultant to the U.S. General Accounting Office's Program Analysis Division, the U.S. Labor Department, and the U.S. Treasury Department.

Linda Bell - Associate Professor of Economics, Haverford College - Bell was a senior economist at the Federal Reserve Bank 1985 to 1990. A former consultant to the World Bank and the U.S. Department of Labor, her current research focuses on employment growth and unemployment, inflation and trade unions, wage behavior, productivity.

Ann Owen - Associate Professor of Economics, Hamilton College - Owen served as an economist for the Federal Reserve Board of Governors before joining Hamilton College. She is a frequent media commentator on issues related to Federal Reserve decisions, Social Security, and various economic indices for outlets including MarketWatch, Associated Press, The New York Times, UPI, Atlanta Journal Constitution and the Baltimore Sun. She also serves as director of the Arthur Levitt Public Affairs Center at Hamilton College and is a board member for the Committee on the Status of Women in the Economics Profession.

African Political Scientist Joins Bennington

Bennington College has made another impressive addition to its already formidable international relations faculty. Rotimi Suberu, considered by some to be one of the rising stars among younger political scientists in Africa, will join Bennington College's faculty this fall.

Keck Catches Comet Extravaganza

Until a few weeks ago, Comet 17P/Holmes was nothing but an extremely faint object. Then, on Oct. 24, it suddenly and unexpectedly brightened by about one million-fold. Westmont College's Keck Telescope captured color photographs of the rare celestial event that caught many astronomers off guard.

News Sources: Pakistani Showdown Looming?

Former Pakistani Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto has issued what correspondents say is an ultimatum to President Pervez Musharraf to end emergency rule. The demands are: for the state of emergency to be called off; for General Musharraf to stand down as head of the army; and for elections to be held by mid-January. She repeated plans for a rally on Friday, despite an official ban, but authorities have warned that police will not allow the demonstration. Reporters looking for experts to interview on this topic can find them online at the collegenews.org database of news sources and subject matter experts from America's leading liberal arts colleges, including the following (click on names for contact information):

The Hon. Joseph Melrose - Professor of Politics and International Relations, Ursinus College - Melrose retired from the U.S. Department of State in 2002, after three decades in the Foreign Service, most recently as Ambassador to Sierra Leone, where he helped broker a peace treaty. He served as Task Force Coordinator for the post-Sept. 11th task force with the Department of State, and later was a Senior Consultant on Counterterrorism for the Office of the Secretary of State’s Coordinator for Counterterrorism.

Martha Crenshaw - John E. Andrus Professor of Government, Wesleyan University - Crenshaw has gained an international reputation for her studies of political terrorism. She has testified before Congress and served as a consultant to the Department of State, the U.S. Naval and Army War Colleges, the Defense Intelligence Agency and the Defense Nuclear Agency. She has authored three books, including Terrorism, Legitimacy, and Power: The Consequences of Political Violence.

Steven Lee - Professor of Philosophy, Hobart and William Smith Colleges - Lee possesses a plethora of knowledge on war and the use of nuclear weapons, including the cultural, psychological, and historical impact of nuclear weapons. He is also a scholar on ethics and critical thinking. Lee received the "Make a Better World Award" by The American Society of Association Executives.

Shedding Light on "Dark Matter"

Deep under an Italian mountain, scientists are attempting to prove the existence of "dark matter," particles so plentiful they are believed to account for 90 percent of the universe's mass, but so elusive that they remain undetectable. Deep in the basement of Bowdoin College's Searles Science Building, Jimmy Lindsay is trying to help them find it.

High Hopes for a Balloon Network

In the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, telephone service for an entire region was lost for days. DePauw University researchers recently tested a potential solution to such problems: a network of high-altitude balloons capable of providing uninterrupted cell phone coverage.

Hillary Clinton's Prospects

Two months away from the Iowa caucuses, some questions appear to have been answered about Hillary Clinton's race for the Democratic presdential nomination, says DePauw's Ken Bode. For example, Bill Clinton is obviously a powerful asset, rather than a liablity. But questions linger about her other potential vulnerabilities.

Entire Nation Rejects "Kid Nation"

The controversial CBS reality show "Kid Nation" is tanking. Its ratings are down about 25 percent since its debut and it currently finishes last in its time slot. DePauw communications professor Jeffrey M. McCall says it shows Americans don’t appreciate a network exploiting kids for crass financial gain.