York University students launch 10-day occupation

York University students will begin a 10-day campus occupation on Monday in protest of rising tuition costs for postsecondary education in Canada, reported CTV Toronto and many other Toronto-area TV and radio news shows Jan. 23. The York Federation of Students says Ontario’s tuition grant program excludes two-thirds of students. Read full story

Is capitalism under attack in the 2012 Republican race?
Leo Panitch, a political scientist in York’s Faculty of Liberal Arts & Professional Studies , said the Occupy Wall Street movement has introduced an explicit class discourse in American politics, in a BBC News Magazine story on the Republican leadership race. Read full story.

Canada lags behind in studying alien species and climate change: study
Andrea Smith,  a researcher in York’s Institute for Research & Innovation in Sustainability, says alien species are invading Canada, but researchers and policy makers aren’t paying attention, reported Global News Jan. 20. Read full story.

Athletic therapist claimed she was fired by Toronto Argos because she’s a woman
York grad Erin Brooks (BA Spec. Hons. ’99), a former athletic therapist who sued the Toronto Argonauts for wrongful dismissal, accuses the club’s general manager Jim Barker of calling all women “bitches”, reported the Toronto Star Jan. 20. Read full story.

Brampton woman making inroads in film
York film student Luise Docherty has launched a fundraising campaign to help pay for her new short, Breaking Over Me, reported the Brampton Guardian Jan. 20. Read full story.

Five simple steps to improve your finances this year
Moshe Milevsky, finance professor in York’s Schulich School of Business, advises home owners to switch to a variable interest rate mortgage, proven to save more than fixed rates, reported the Hamilton Spectator Jan. 23. Read full story.

Is there anything to be done about overcrowded TTC bus routes, such as 36 Finch?
York student Idil Mohamed agrees that the 36 Finch bus is the worst part of her commute, in a National Post story on overcrowded TTC bus routes. Read full story.

Toronto’s Cabbagetown a prime example of shrinking middle class
Amy Lavender Harris, a geographer in York’s Faculty of Liberal Arts & Professional Studies, says Cabbagetown homes are no longer affordable, in a Huffington Post story on the disappearance of the middle class in Toronto. Read full story.

Jim Flaherty remembers his first car – a Rambler
Osgoode grad Jim Flaherty (JD ’73), Canada’s finance minister, told the Toronto Star about the green 1964 American Motors Rambler Classic he purchased when he was a young law student at York in the early ’70s. Read full story.