New York Times Upfront articles from May 2005

New York Times Upfront archives from May 2005

Correction.(Correction Notice)
May 9, 2005... In the Feb. 14 issue, a map in the cover story incorrectly identified South Dakota as not having the death penalty.

Letter from the editor.
May 9, 2005... This is the last issue of the school year for Upfront, and we wanted to thank you for spending part of it with us. While we're all on break, we hope you'll keep up with the news, whether from scholastic.com/news, nytimes.com, The New York...

Babec, a 24-year-old silverback gorilla, was wheeled from the operating room after having his cardiac pacemaker replaced in March.(news & TRENDS)
May 9, 2005... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Caption: Babec, a 24-year-old silverback gorilla, was wheeled from the operating room after having his cardiac pacemaker replaced in March. Dr. Anna Ogburn (left) and a team at the Animal. Health Center in...

'Big Mac' thrives in Russia.(BUSINESS)
May 9, 2005... Since it opened in 1990, the world's busiest McDonald's restaurant has served about 30,000 customers a day. It is not located in the U.S. but thousands of miles away, in Moscow's Pushkin Square, forming the basis of a real estate empire that...

No-drill dentistry.(HEALTH)
May 9, 2005... Even the sound of having a tooth filled can be painful: That high-pitched whine yon hear when drill meets tooth is the sound of healthy enamel being pulverized. Filling even the smallest cavity can be destructive; the dentist has to drill away...

Smackdown 101.(ENTERTAINMENT)(Harley Race Wrestling Academy)
May 9, 2005... The classwork involves being flung repeatedly against the ropes and flying back to the center of the ring, only to be knocked down viciously with a forearm across the chest. But at the Harley Race Wrestling Academy in Eldon, Mo., students are...

Numbers in the news.(news & TRENDS)
May 9, 2005... 7 million Number of Americans still getting unlicensed copies of music files from other people. SOURCE: PEW INTERNET & AMERICAN LIFE PROJECT 4.6% Percentage of Americans who experienced identity theft (fraudulent use of a...

Noted & quoted.(SOUNDBITES)
May 9, 2005... 'We're doing the job President Bush refuses to do.' --Chris Simcox, 44, founder of the Minuteman Project, a citizen group that is patrolling the Mexican border in search of illegal immigrants crossing into the U.S. The group argues that the...

Jefferson gets a makeover.(MONEY)(Jefferson nickel)
May 9, 2005... The Jefferson nickel has been around since 1938, but a redesign of the five-cent coin features a more realistic portrait of the third President. The new coin was designed by Joe Fitzgerald, an artist in Silver Spring, Md. He based the portrait...

Onstage, an actor's nerves fade away.(Q&A)(Lucius Robinson)(Interview)
May 9, 2005... Lucius Robinson, 17, of Chapel Hill, N.C., just won a $10,000 grant from the National Foundation for Advancement in the Arts for demonstrating extraordinary talent in theater. Upfront talked to the Carolina Friends School senior about his work...

U.S. Catholics in flux.(RELIGION)
May 9, 2005... During Pope John Paul II's reign (1978-2005), U.S. Catholics increased in number, even as church attendance and the number of priests in the U.S. declined. [GRAPHIC OMITTED] 1975 2004 POPULATION...

Can a virus hitch a ride in your car?(TECHNOLOGY)
May 9, 2005... Viruses can make a mess of computer files, hard drives, and networks, often disrupting entire corporations. But could a virus invade the computers that control crucial functions in a car? "It's feasible," says Egil Juliussen of Telematics...

Taking time for a cat map.(SCIENCE)(genomes)
May 9, 2005... Scientists have already mapped the human and canine genomes, or genetic makeup. Now, researchers at Agencourt Bioscience Corporation in Beverly, Mass., are focusing on felines, and it is Cinnamon's turn to donate a brood sample. Cinnamon comes...

Poll.(news & TRENDS)
May 9, 2005... As part of its education program, the National Governors Association is polling 16- to 18-year-olds about their high school experience. To take the poll, go to: rateyourfuture.org

G.I. robot reporting for duty: robot soldiers are a crucial part of the Army's plans for a 21st-century fighting force. But are we ready to trust machines to make life-and-death decisions on the battlefield?(NATIONAL)
May 9, 2005... The American military is working on a new generation of soldiers, far different from the army it has. "They don't get hungry," says Gordon Johnson of the Joint Forces Command at the Pentagon. "They're not afraid. They don't forget their...

Who we are now: Today's America is very different from the one your parents and grandparents knew. A few statistics tell the story of an ever-changing nation.(Cover Story)
May 9, 2005... TEACHING OBJECTIVES To help students better understand how American society continues to evolve, both economically and socially. BEFORE READING: Write "economics" or "economic opportunity" on the board and tell students that changes in...

In Africa, a town unravels: AIDS is rapidly stealing the life from a village in Swaziland.(INTERNATIONAL)
May 9, 2005... TEACHING OBJECTIVES To help students better understand the terrible impact that AIDS continues to have on the people of sub-Saharan Africa, not just on those who fall ill from the disease, but on those they leave behind when they die. ...

The brain link: researchers have discovered an amazing connection between how the brain is involved in obesity and drug addiction.(Two Teen Health Dangers: Obesity & Drug Addiction)
May 9, 2005... Dear Teacher: As someone who sees adolescents every day, you are no doubt concerned that the number of teens battling health-threatening weight problems is growing. What you may not realize is that NIDA researchers are discovering...

1945: dropping the bomb: sixty years ago this August, the nuclear age began with U.S. attacks on the Japanese cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki.(TIMES PAST)
May 9, 2005... TEACHING OBJECTIVES To help students understand the development of the atomic bomb, both the technical hurdles scientists faced and the human drama associated with the decision to use it. BACKGROUND: One factor in the decision to use...

Playing too hard? As young athletes train nonstop, doctors are seeing a big rise in injuries.(SPORTS)
May 9, 2005... Jeret Adair, a top young pitching prospect from Atlanta who started 64 games in one summer for his baseball team, last year underwent an elbow reconstruction that was once reserved for aging major leaguers. 'YOU PLAY WITH PAIN' "My arm...

In Alabama, a high school coach blows the whistle.(OPINION)(Roderick Jackson)
May 9, 2005... Roderick Jackson won his suit against the Birmingham Board of Education after being fired for speaking out against inequities facing the Ensley Magnet High School girls' basketball team. Jackson started counting the inequities in 1999--unequal...

Around the world, a shift in where faith thrives.(OPINION)(Christianity in the world)
May 9, 2005... One of the most important trends reshaping the world is the decline of Christianity in Europe and its rise in Africa and other parts of the developing world, including Asia and Latin America. The denominations gaining ground tend to be...

After prison, it's back to shoes.(OPINION)(Steve Madden)
May 9, 2005... Steven Madden Ltd., which sells shoes to mostly teenage girls and women in their 20s, is not shying away from the spring release of its namesake founder from prison. In fact, the company is promoting his return in a series of ads. Madden has...

An Iraqi-American teen reflects on the war.(VOICES)
May 9, 2005... On December 29, my father got a distressing phone call from Baghdad. His cousin's 12-year-old son, Mohammed, had been kidnapped that morning on his way to school. The kidnappers gave Mohammed's parents a week to deliver a $100,000 ransom....

Was it necessary to drop the atom bomb on Japan? Sixty years later, scholars still argue about the decision to use atom bombs against Hiroshima and Nagasaki as a way to hasten the end of World War II.(DEBATE)
May 9, 2005... YES The atomic bomb was necessary to end the war with Japan at the earliest possible moment. By the early summer of 1945, Japanese leaders knew they could not win. But they fought on in hopes of securing better surrender terms. President...

Cartoons.
May 9, 2005... "Oh, look... they're reading '1984' in Ms. Smith's English class." Bruce Beattie * Daytona Beach (Florida) News-Journal * Copley News Service WE WOULDN'T WANT TO LET THIS THING GET OUT OF CONTROL... Mike Keffe * The Denver Post...

Letter from the editor.
May 9, 2005... For our last issue of the school year, our cover story takes a "big picture" look at America today, and the demographic, social, and economic trends that will determine where we're headed as a nation in the 21st century. I hope that you...

AIDS ravages Africa.
May 9, 2005... The article "In Africa, A Town Unravels" details the terrible toll AIDS is taking in Swaziland, where each day the disease kills an estimated 50 people. But that nation is hardly alone. Sub-Saharan Africa--the region south of the Sahara...

Opinion & debate.(QUIZ 4)
May 9, 2005... 1. The 1972 law barring gender discrimination in schools receiving federal funding is known as a the Gender Inequities Act. b the Gender Equality Act. c Title IX. d Title II. 2. Nicholas Kristof says Christianity around...

Game show.
May 9, 2005... Use with articles identified. Divide the class into 2-4 teams. Read the statements below, which are answers to questions. In this game, modeled after the TV show Jeopardy, students must give their answers in the form of questions. After reading...