Midday Roundup: Gregory Thornbury named president of The King's College

New college president. The King’s College Board of Trustees announced this morning it has selected Gregory Alan Thornbury as the school’s sixth president. Thornbury, 42, will come to the New York City campus from Union University, in Jackson, Tenn., where he has been dean of the School of Theology and Missions and vice president for spiritual life. Members of the search committee who selected Thornbury lauded his dedication to the Christian intellectual tradition: “We believe Dr. Thornbury is uniquely qualified and prepared to guide The King’s College to become a center of excellence for Christian higher education and to fulfill our mission,” said Trustee John C. Spier. Thornbury follows Dinesh D’Souza, who resigned last year after WORLD reported he was traveling with a woman he identified as his fiancée while he was still married to another woman.

Entering a plea. Boston bombing suspect Dzhokhar Tsarnaev pleaded not guilty in federal court yesterday to terrorism charges. Although not legally required to, the judge made the 19-year-old answer verbally to the seven counts presented against him. In his first public appearance since April, Tsarnaev showed signs of the injuries he sustained during the shootout with police that eventually led to his arrest—his left forearm was heavily bandaged and one side of his faced appeared almost frozen. Reports immediately following his capture claimed Tsarnaev sustained a gunshot wound to the neck. Two women believed to be Tsarnaev’s sisters attended the eight-minute hearing, gasping and crying when they saw him. He blew them a kiss as he left the courtroom. In addition to the friends and family members of the bombing victims, about 20 of Tsarnaev’s supporters packed the courtroom.

Headed for the jury. The judge in the George Zimmerman murder case has decided to give jurors another option as they consider the former neighborhood watch volunteer’s fate. In addition to the second-degree murder charges Zimmerman initially faced, jurors can now consider manslaughter charges. The judge delayed a decision on whether jurors can also consider third-degree charges, based on the theory Zimmerman committed child abuse when he shot 17-year-old Trayvon Martin. Zimmerman claims self-defense under Florida’s “Stand Your Ground” law. Martin, who was walking through Zimmerman’s gated neighborhood late at night on his way home from a nearby convenience store, was unarmed. Closing arguments in the case begin today.

Privacy concerns. Nearly half of Americans believe the government’s anti-terrorism efforts infringe on civil liberties, according to a new poll out from the Quinnipiac University Polling Institute. The numbers show a reversal from three years ago, when 63 percent said the government didn’t go far enough to protect its citizens. Former national security analyst turned leaker Edward Snowden featured prominently in the poll questions. More than half of respondents—55 percent—characterized Snowden as a whistleblower, not a traitor. The Obama administration has charged Snowden with espionage. Concerns over the government spying on its own people may be the one thing that unites the country: The poll found no statistical difference between responses from Republicans and Democrats. How often does that happen?