Scholastic Update articles from April 1999

Scholastic Update archives from April 1999

The Damage Done.
April 12, 1999... In a new wave of lawsuits, people hurt by guns, cigarettes, and toxic waste are suing the companies that produced them. When products kill or injure, the question before the courts is: Who's Responsible? Suppose a company makes TV sets...

Made to Kill.(New York jury finds gun industry liable for damages in gun violence case)
April 12, 1999... Are gun makers responsible for gun violence? A New York jury says yes, and cities line up to sue the gun industry. The last thing Steven Fox remembers is seeing his friend raise his hand. Fox, a 15-year-old high school freshman, was...

A $51 Million Habit?(tobacco companies being sued by ex-smokers)
April 12, 1999... Ex-smokers are suing tobacco companies, claiming that cigarettes made them sick. But others say it was their choice to smoke. The year was 1962. Patricia Henley, 15, sneaked out of a school dance with her friends and smoked her first...

A More Civil Action?(Toms River cancer victim gets cooperation from corporate polluter)
April 12, 1999... Corporate polluters and kids with cancer. It sounds like the movie A Civil Action--but this time the two sides are cooperating. What interests Michael Gillick is fairly standard, 20-year-old guy stuff--playing video games, watching football...

So Sue Me!(what lawsuits are and how they are used)(Brief Article)
April 12, 1999... Lawsuits are changing the world. But how do they work? Why do people sue? And what is a lawsuit, anyway? Anyone who's seen Ally McBeal knows that when people have a serious disagreement, they sue, and quickly end up in court, telling their...

"I have here in my hand a list ... ".(Senator Joseph McCarthy's exaggerated list of alleged members of the Communist Party)
April 12, 1999... In the 1950s, Senator Joe McCarthy waged a vicious campaign to expose Communist spies in the U.S. government. He never found one, but he fueled a national hysteria called the Red Scare. On February 9, 1950, Senator Joseph McCarthy of...

Reversal of Fortune.(Brief Article)
April 12, 1999... After electing a president for the first time in 16 years, Nigerians hope for democracy LAGOS, Nigeria On a highway in this sprawling city--the largest in sub-Saharan Africa--a dilapidated truck has broken down. As happens many times...

DRAWING ON THE NEWS.
April 12, 1999... What do you think is the cartoonist's opinion of lawsuits brought against tobacco companies and other industry? Why do you think he lumps those suits together with the other, imaginary ones in the caption? Are they similar? What does the...

MAKING HISTORY.
April 12, 1999... Back in September, we invited UPDATE readers to "make history." The challenge: to interview someone who has lived through a historical event and submit an original account of that event drawn from the interview. The prize: $100, plus the fame...

KEY WORDS.
April 12, 1999... DAMAGES: Financial compensation claimed for a person who has suffered injury or loss through the unlawful action or negligence of another. LAWSUIT: A legal action brought by a person or a group against another in civil court to protect a...

RESOURCES.(tobacco and guns Web sites)(Brief Article)
April 12, 1999... For more information on guns and tobacco, check out these Web sites: GUNS http://www.ci.chi.il.us/Mayor/ Gun lndustry/LawSuit.html Complete information on Chicago's lawsuit against gun manufacturers. http://www.nra.org The...