News Sources: Gov't Response to Mortgage Crisis

When an election campaign coincides with both a crisis on Wall Street and soaring home foreclosures across the country, the traditional ideological battles over “more government” or “less government” become blurred.But while their philosophies might seem starkly different, in reality both parties have come to the conclusion that major government involvement is needed to rescue the financial and housing markets. 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 and universities, including (click on names for contact information):

John Caskey - Professor of Economics, Swarthmore College - An expert on the use of financial services by low-income U.S. households. Author of "Fringe Banking: Check-Cashing Outlets, Pawnshops, and the Poor" (1994), which examines banking alternatives for poorer people. He has also researched community development banks and economic development in poor communities.

Karl Case - Professor of Economics, Wellesley College - Case is a nationally recognized expert on real estate markets and prices. He has authored several studies that attempt to isolate the causes and consequences of boom and bust cycles and their relationship to regional economic performance.

Kevin McIntyre - Economics/Business Assistant Professor, McDaniel College - McIntyre is an expert on all things macroeconomics including the Federal Reserve, gas prices, inflation, retail markets, financial markets, international markets, and monetary policy.

Trinity Hip-Hop Festival Merges Cultures

The Trinity International Hip-Hop Festival is the largest international hip-hop event in the United States. It has garnered worldwide attention for its effectiveness in blending cultures, in combining hip hop with education, and bringing together the wisdom of the "old school" pioneers with the passion of hip-hop musicians from around the world.

Who Ya Gonna Call? Wal-Mart!

As reviled as they may be, local big-box stores are often a big source of relief in times of disaster, according to a new stody by St. Lawrence University economics professor Steven Horwitz. Horwitz says stores like Wal-Mart and Home Depot often outperform the government in terms of responding to local crises.

News Sources: China Cracks Down on Tibet

China sought on Wednesday to contain ongoing protests in its ethnic Tibetan regions, as it stepped up detentions in Tibet's capital Lhasa and vowed tighter control over monasteries. The Tibet unrest -- and China's response to it -- has also become a lightning rod for criticism of its Communist authorities ahead of the Beijing Olympics, marring the country's desire to use the Games as a "coming out" party. 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 and universities, including the following: (click on names for contact information):

Charlene Makley - Assistant Professor of Anthropology, Reed College - Makley received a Fulbright Scholar Award to study the processes through which Tibetans in eastern Qinghai province are responding to China's "Develop the West" campaign.

Daniel G. Cozort - Associate Professor of Religion and Chairperson, Dickinson College - Cozort has written four books on Tibetan Buddhism, and has lived and worked in Tibetan monasteries during visits to India.

Marc Blecher - Professor of Politics, Oberlin College - Blecher has written four books on China, most recently China Against the Tides: Restructuring Through Revolution, Radicalism, and Reform. His research on workers' politics in China is based on interviews and surveys conducted there.

A 'Green' Wind Bodes Well for Bowdoin

Bowdoin College has reached a three-year agreement to purchase renewable energy certificates (RECs) from the owner of the Mars Hill Wind project in northern Maine. The use of renewable energy sources brings Bowdoin's total "green" electrical supply to 100 percent of state standards.

Top L.A. Manager Moving to Pomona College

The person who holds the top management job in Los Angeles' city government has been appointed Vice President and Treasurer of Pomona College. Karen Sisson starts her new duties July 1.

News Sources: New Prime Minister in Pakistan

Yusuf Raza Gillani has been elected by a huge mandate by Pakistan's parliament to be the country's next prime minister. For President Pervez Musharraf, once the country's supreme executive authority, it has been another bad day. What looks like the beginning of the end of his powers began with the sweeping victory of political parties opposed to his rule last month. 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 and universities, including the following (click on names for contact information):

The Hon. Joseph Melrose - Professor of Politics and International Relations, Ursinus College - Ambassador Joseph H. Melrose Jr. retired from the U.S. Department of State in 2002, after three decades in the Foreign Service. During his diplomatic career, Ambassador Melrose held a variety of positions in Washington and abroad, including postings in Vietnam, Syria, Pakistan and Nigeria, in addition to Sierra Leone. He was 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

Bob Snyder -Professor of Political Science, Southwestern University - Snyder can discuss Middle East politics, U.S. foreign policy and Islamist terrorism. He is the author of Hating America: Bin Laden as a Civilized Revolutionary.

Bradford Dillman - Assistant Professor of International Political Economy, University of Puget Sound - Dillman teaches courses in Middle East politics and illicit global economies. He spent a number of years teaching in Turkey and Egypt. In addition, his research has taken him to Algeria and Morocco. Current research includes Algerian politics, Middle East political economies and democratization. He's written and edited numerous publications.

A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood

"Mr. Rogers' Neighborhood" is gone, but not forgotten. Members of the Rollins College community celebrated what would have been the 80th birthday of the late Fred Rogers, who starred in the PBS children's show and graduated from Rollins in 1951. In honor of the famous alum's fondness for wearing sweaters, the group presented a local rescue mission with more than 250 sweaters collected during a charity drive.

A Different Kind of Party Animal

The Wall Street Journal recently featured Bowdoin Colledge senior Meredith Segal in an article about a new type of "party animals" - students who skips spring break in a vacation locale in favor of volunteering with presidential campaigns. Segal is national director of Students for Barack Obama.