A Sampling of Clips for 
June 19, 2006

* UCSD faculty and staff may obtain a copy of an article by e-mailing the University Communications Office

Class War Politics
The New York Times, Opinion, June 19 -- In case you haven't noticed, modern American politics is marked by vicious partisanship, with the great bulk of the viciousness coming from the right. It's clear that the Republican plan for the 2006 election is, once again, to question Democrats' patriotism. (Mentions "Polarized America: The Dance of Ideology and Unequal Riches," by Nolan McCarty of Princeton University, Keith Poole of UCSD and Howard Rosenthal of New York University. More

A Long, Hot 'Season of Death'
Los Angeles Times, Opinion, June 18 -- Triple-digit temperatures mark the annual, inevitable spiral toward the scorching heart of what's called the "season of death" — the time of year when the death toll of those trying to cross the border soars along with the mercury. Ever since the Clinton administration initiated (and the Bush White House extended) an enforcement blockade of border cities such as San Diego and El Paso, funneling migrants into ever more perilous and isolated desert routes, the body count has skyrocketed tenfold in a decade. (Mentions UCSD’s Wayne Cornelius) More

Melanoma Death Rate Still Climbing
Forbes, June 16 -- Skin cancer is the most common form of cancer suffered by people, accounting for more than half of all malignancies, according to the American Cancer Society. So when you're out lounging in the sun this summer, working on that tan, remember that you're putting your body's largest organ at risk for cancer. (Quotes Dr. Ken Gross, a clinical professor of dermatology at UCSD) More

Decoding the Grunion's Weird Ways
Los Angeles Times, June 19 -- So began a night of messy detective work to crack mysteries that have long bedeviled scientists enchanted with grunion, a creature tied to Southern California's surf's-up culture. The peculiar 6-inch-long fish, which spawns on sandy beaches, puts on a curtain-call performance each year, scurrying from high tide to partake in a mating ritual with all the haste of a teenager out past curfew. (Mentions the Scripps Institution of Oceanography) More

'It's Never Too Late to
Try Something Different'
San Diego Union Tribune, June 18 -- For some, the road to a college degree is as smooth and straight as a super highway. Others struggle along a rutted, twisted path to earn a diploma. Lenore McCrory traveled the harder route. At 54, she graduated yesterday from UCSD with an undergraduate degree in literature and English from the school's Thurgood Marshall College. McCrory is among 5,000 students graduating in commencement ceremonies at UCSD, which continue today and tomorrow. More

A Major-League Player
San Diego Union Tribune, June 18 -- When San Diego's business and political establishment decided to ask voters for an expanded Convention Center and a new Padres ballpark downtown, they turned to an unlikely ally: organized labor. (Quotes Steve Erie, director of UCSD’s Urban Studies and Planning program) More

SANDAG Transit Strategy Is Flagged
San Diego Union Tribune, June 19 -- A panel of experts has questioned San Diego's transportation strategy, saying it should favor public transit over highway projects. The panel also suggests SANDAG reconsider plans for a proposed trolley line from Old Town to UCSD and University City, siding with critics who have argued the corridor may be better served by express buses. More