Topic: Cornell University

Gun control: Is David Gregory’s on-air stunt proof of media bias?

Washington police are investigating ‘Meet the Press’ host David Gregory for holding up a rifle clip on air. Gun control opponents see the incident as proof the media are biased against them.

NASA plans follow-up trek to Mars

The Mars rover Curiosity is four months into its 2-year investigative visit to Mars. Now NASA is planning another rover trip to bring samples from Mars back to Earth. 

15 best books of 2012 – nonfiction

Here are the Monitor's picks for the 15 best nonfiction books of 2012.

School lunches: Healthier with a side of mixed reviews

School lunches are changing due to new federal guidelines requiring school districts to serve more grains, fruits, and veggies. Connecticut students join the ranks of public school kids speaking out about portion sizes across the country.

Ancient streambed latest clue in Mars water mystery

The discovery suggests that water had flowed fast and relatively deep — perhaps hip-deep, in fact — through the area billions of years ago.

Mysterious Martian spheres baffle NASA researchers

The new Mars photo by Opportunity shows a close-up of a rock outcrop called Kirkwood covered in blister-like bumps that mission scientists can't yet explain.

Chapter & Verse
Old friends Junot Díaz and Francisco Goldman talk shop

Authors Junot Díaz and Francisco Goldman chat with each other and Miwa Messer at The Barnes and Noble review.

Embers of War

'Embers of War' is an essential read on the tragedy of the Vietnam War.

Opinion: We're not colorblind. The only thing we're blind to is our unconscious biases.

New studies show that referees call more penalties against players wearing black and judges issue harsher sentences to darker-skinned African-American women. If we can become more aware of our unconscious biases, we can use our logic thinking to override them.

Opinion: Congress must reform immigration laws that send top STEM graduates to China

Because of bureaucracy and delays, America is losing its top foreign-born job creators – particularly those in science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) – to competitors abroad. In the global war for talent, the US has every advantage except one: its immigration laws.

With end of long strike at Caterpillar, a blow to US labor movement

Machinists striking against Caterpillar since May 1 have voted to accept a new labor contract that calls for concessions on benefits and a virtual freeze on wages. It's not much to cheer for manufacturing workers, analysts say.

8 steps to US energy security

If Americans are serious about making energy security a moon shot for this generation, the president and Congress must create an integrated rather than piecemeal approach for meeting this goal.

Here's a plan to consider.

– Steve Yetiv, August 15, 2012

College rampage threat 5 days after the Colorado shooting leads to arrest

Five days after the Colorado shooting, a Kent State sophomore allegedly 'tweeted' profanities and threats at university president, threatening to 'shoot up' the school. 

Chapter & Verse
'Bookless libraries' – has it really come to this?

A growing number of public and college libraries are deciding to remove paper-and-ink books from their shelves.

Cities going broke: Can Scranton's minimum wage plan work? (+video)

A judge told Scranton's mayor he couldn't break the contracts. Pennsylvania told him he couldn't declare bankruptcy. But he didn't have the money to pay more than minimum wage. Unions sued.

E. B. White: 10 memorable quotes on his birthday

E. B. White was a much loved and prolific writer, best known for his children's books. Here are 10 of his most memorable quotes. 

The incredible shrinking pay raise: Wages can't keep up with inflation

Pay raises are getting smaller, but consumer prices continue to rise. If the trend in shrinking worker pay raises continues, it could mean stalled consumer spending and a halt to economic growth.

Mars rover beams amazing panorama back to Earth (+video)

NASA's Mars Opportunity Rover has sent us a postcard, a stunning panorama view of the Red Planet, stitched together from 817 different images taken over six months.

Opinion: Why there will be no foreign military intervention in Syria

Despite the apparent failure of the meeting in Geneva over the weekend and a new Human Rights Watch report of widespread torture by the regime of Bashar al-Assad, a foreign military intervention in Syria is unlikely. In fact, there is reason to doubt that Washington really wants Assad to fall.

Decoder Wire
Could Congress jail Attorney General Eric Holder for contempt?

Congress has jailed those deemed in contempt before but never a sitting Cabinet official – and not recently. Moreover, the few times Congress has locked down people within the Capitol, it has not turned out well for Congress.

Tomato's taste: the secret is in its genome (+video)

Tomato genetics is the key to improved taste, say researchers who recently published the fruit's full genome. 

Cover Story
The family dinner is back – not haute, but the right thing to do

The family dinner – bolstered by science and popular buzz – is back: From Hollywood to the White House and out there at the dinner tables of America, the family ritual is increasingly considered the right thing to do.

What recovery? Top 10 cities losing jobs

For some regions of the US, talk of an economic recovery is more wishful thinking than reality. Here are the top 10 metropolitan areas that continue to struggle with unemployment, from the Carpet Capital of the World to the home of an Ivy League university.

'Stand your ground' defense fails in Texas case. Lessons for George Zimmerman?

A conviction in Texas Wednesday shows that not all defenses built on stand-your-ground laws are successful. George Zimmerman has invoked the defense in the Trayvon Martin case. 

NASA astronauts train for deep space mission deep below the sea

Because NASA's NEEMO missions put participants in a hostile, alien environment, they're good analogs for expeditions to asteroids, planets, moons or other space destinations, officials said.