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AU in the News

Showcasing AU programs, professors, students and alumni in the news
Week of December 8 - 14

Huckabee Takes on Iowa
With presidential nominee Mike Huckabee leading the Republican candidates in Iowa and South Carolina, critcs question how long his momentum will last, McClatchy Newspapers reports. “It's very hard for him to continue if he doesn't win Iowa,” said James Thurber, director of the Center for Congressional and Presidential Studies at American University in Washington, D.C. “If he wins Iowa, he could bounce into New Hampshire, and Romney could fall fast.” (12/10/07)

Can Oprah sell Obama?
While talk show host Oprah Winfrey can convince consumers to purchase certain books and products, the question of whether her appeal to the public can win Barack Obama the presidency is still in the air, said Sarah Brewer, associate director of the Women & Politics Institute at American University, in an interview on CBS News Networks’ Early Show. “It definitely does raise his visibility among a key group of the electorate,” she said. “And so I definitely think that the fact that she's appearing with him in the coming weeks is going to turn out people to take a look at him, absolutely.” (12/08/07)

CIA Interrogation Tapes Destroyed
With the revelation of interrogation videotapes being destroyed by the CIA in 2005, many have questions about the use of certain interrogation techniques on terror suspects, and even wonder if the CIA has been withholding information from the courts and the Sept. 11 Commission, reports the Boston Globe. When Daniel Marcus, a law professor at American University, served as general counsel for the 9/11 commission and was involved in the discussions about interviews with Al Qaeda leaders, he had not heard any information about tapes being destroyed. He says the failure to disclose the truth could be a major development “because it could amount to obstruction of justice to withhold evidence being sought in criminal or fact-finding investigations.” (12/07/07)

Copyright on Campus
When it comes to colleges and universities and copyright, the rules become confusing as it spans such issues as file sharing and fair use in classrooms, reports Washington Internet Daily. "Teachers are working with very terrible copyright misinformation," said American University professor Patricia Aufderheide. “They're getting two kinds of information -- media reports suggesting that nothing is fair use any more and 'coffee room' comments that 'it's all fair use so don't worry,'" she said. "Then people don't want to learn the law because it might hurt them," she added. Most "don't understand the capacities of fair use in the classroom," stifling students' creativity. (12/11/07)

Mortgage woes
The increase in home foreclosures and mortgage defaults has forced President Bush to introduce an interest rate freeze to help some borrowers. However, bankers believe the problems will continue well into the new year, and with no single regulator held accountable for the U.S. banking system the problem becomes more complex, Reuters reports. Robert Losey, chairman of the department of finance and real estate at American University's Kogod School of Business, said multiple regulators compete to attract banks by easing restrictions and standards, and that bank holding company regulation should become the responsibility of the FDIC. "The FDIC is the one that has the most at risk. In my view they should be the primary regulator," he said.(12/07/07)

Stealing and Shopping
In light of the DC Office of Tax and Revenue embezzlement scandal--where two executives stole more than $10 million which was spent on extravagant gifts--the notion that women are less corrupt than men has been brought into question, Harry Jaffe wrote in an opinion piece for the Washington Examiner. “Women are no more honest, decent or moral than men,” said American University professor Rita Simon, noting that half the embezzlement cases in 2001 involved women. (12/11/07)

AU Student Awarded
The United Nations Association has awarded its 2007 Community Human Rights Award to DB 'Sagar' Bishwakarma, a dalit rights activist from Nepal, reports Nepal News. Bishwakarma, along with other human rights leaders, was honored for his dedication and activism in his fight against caste-based discrimination in Nepal for the past 20 years. Bishwakarma is involved in numerous global forums and is pursuing a Masters in sociology at American University.(12/09/07)

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