New York Times Upfront articles from September 2008

New York Times Upfront archives from September 2008

Measuring 56 million middies.(JAPAN)(Brief article)
September 1, 2008... Except for sumo wrestlers, Japan is not known for overweight people. But the country has undertaken one of the most ambitious efforts ever by a nation to slim down. Under a new national, law, companies and local governments must measure the...

An unusual fashion show.(NEWS & TRENDS)(Brief article)
September 1, 2008... AN UNUSUAL FASHION SHOW at the United Nations in New York in July featured 17 "untouchables," or Dalits, from India, The Hindu caste system divided society into four classes that determined lifelong status and occupation, The Dalits occupied...

Looking for a few good shepherds.(CAREERS)(Brief article)
September 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] It was big business in biblical, days, but shepherding has fatten on hard times. Tens of thousands of U.S. sheep ranches have disappeared in recent decades. In North Dakota, the shepherding industry is taking action:...

From gulags to Gucci.(RUSSIA)(Brief article)
September 1, 2008... Under Soviet dictators, Russians going to Siberia were often headed for the gulags, or forced-labor camps. These days, they're going shopping. This vast region of central Russia is experiencing a shopping-matt boom as sky-high oil prices boost...

Is "O.C. soda" next?(NEWS & TRENDS)(Brief article)
September 1, 2008... As a TV show, The O.C. is, like, so over. (The show ran on Fox from 2003 to 2007.) But its famous initials live on. The Orange County Board of Supervisors has voted to use the letters O.C. in the name of three county agencies. And the harbor at...

College women go to the mat.(SPORTS)(Brief article)
September 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Women's wrestling teams are sprouting up in the most unlikely places: Missouri Baptist University in St. Louis is starting a team this fall, and so is Oklahoma City University, which has graduated three Miss...

What killed Napoleon?(FRANCE)(Brief article)
September 1, 2008... Was Napoleon poisoned? It has tong been thought that the exiled French dictator, who died in 1821 on the remote Atlantic island of St. Helena, was the victim of arsenic poisoning--whether by accident [fumes from the wallpaper in his bedroom) or...

$2.6 million.(NUMBERS IN THE NEWS)
September 1, 2008... AMOUNT PAID FOR THE domain name Pizza.com. The original owner bought the name for $20 in 1994. SOURCE: BBC NEWS

3,000.(NUMBERS IN THE NEWS)
September 1, 2008... NUMBER OF STATE-RUN sports academies in China. Nearly 400,000 students attend the schools, which specialize in everything from weight lifting to table tennis. SOURCE: TIME

25 cents.(NUMBERS IN THE NEWS)(Brief article)
September 1, 2008... PRICE PER GALLON of gasoline in Venezuela. This South American oil producer has the lowest gas prices in the world. (See p. 6.] SOURCE: THE NEW YORK TIMES

$30 billion.(NUMBERS IN THE NEWS)
September 1, 2008... PRICE OF A LOAF OF BREAD in Zimbabwean dollars. Runaway inflation under President Robert Mugabe has wrecked Zimbabwe's once-vibrant economy. SOURCE: THE NEW YORK TIMES

46.(NUMBERS IN THE NEWS)(Brief article)
September 1, 2008... NUMBER OF U.S.-LED coalition troops killed in Afghanistan in June, compared with 31 in Iraq--the second straight month in which deaths of coalition troops in Afghanistan exceeded those in Iraq. SOURCE: THE NEW YORK TIMES

Crude awakening: the U.S. finally faces the cost of its addiction to foreign oil.(NATIONAL)
September 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Tim Chou used to drive a 1996 Nissan Quest. But this summer, as the price of gas skyrocketed past $4 a gallon, the 19-year-old engineering student at the University of Illinois was forced to give up his S.U.V. ...

Election 2008: what's at stake: whoever wins in November will face enormous challenges at home and abroad.(Cover story)
September 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] The last time the United States chose a President while American troops were engaged in wars in two different parts of the world? It was in 1944, just as World War II was heading into its final months. The last...

"Election speak": 20 words and phrases to help you understand what the politicians and pundits are really talking about.(NATIONAL)
September 1, 2008... When does a President become a lame duck? What makes your state red, blue, or purple? As November approaches, you're going to be encountering all sorts of political jargon on TV, online, and in magazines and newspapers. To help you figure out...

The death penalty debate: after a seven-month break, executions have resumed in the U.S.--and so has the debate over capital punishment itself.(NATIONAL)
September 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Two days before Christmas in 1988, William Lynd shot his 26-year-old girlfriend, Ginger Moore, in the face during an argument. He shot her a second time as she clung to life, and then a third time, fatally, as she...

[Cartoon].(Cartoon)
September 1, 2008... BUT YOU CAN'T DO THIS! LIFE IS SACRED! EXACTLY! [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED]

China's cheerleaders: China has many critics, both at home and abroad. Why aren't it's own young people among them?(INTERNATIONAL)
September 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATIONS OMITTED] Almost 20 years ago, thousands of Chinese students camped out for weeks in Beijing's Tiananmen Square, demanding democratic reforms in a series of protests that ended on June 4, 1989, with a government massacre of...

Growing up: in a strict Islamic society like Saudi Arabia, segregation of the sexes is almost total. Part 1: the boys.(INTERNATIONAL)
September 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Nader al-Mutairi's cell phone beeps, signaling a text message. The phone flashes the words "My Love" over two interlocked red hearts. The message is from his 17-year-old fiancee, Sarah, who is also his cousin. But...

1959 the Cuban revolution: Fidel Castro came to power promising democracy and freedom. Now, after 50 years of repression and hardship, he's finally fading from the scene. Is there a new revolution in store for Cuba?(TIMES PAST)
September 1, 2008... It was the last day of 1958, and many of the richest and most powerful people in Havana had gathered at the Riviera Hotel to welcome in the new year. The orchestra blared Afro-Cuban music, and the champagne flowed freely. But the mood was...

Are illegal immigrants good for the U.S. economy? There are currently 12 million people living in the United States illegally.(DEBATE)
September 1, 2008... YES Undocumented immigrants contribute to our economy as workers, taxpayers, and consumers. They account for 5 percent of the total U.S. labor force, and at least a quarter of the workers in industries like construction, agriculture,...

An African tale: a small gift from Connecticut not only changed a young woman's life, it also shows how Americans can make a real difference overseas.(OPINION)(Beatrice Biira)
September 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATIONS OMITTED] This year's college graduates owe their success to many factors. But one of the most remarkable of the new graduates, Beatrice Biira, 23, credits something utterly improbable: a goat. "I am one of the luckiest...

From Iraq to America: Ali Nadhaif and his parents are among the few Iraqis who've been allowed into the U.S.(VOICES)
September 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] I grew up in Baghdad, but last December my family moved to the United States to start a new life. It was very hard to leave Baghdad, but the situation there was so horrible that life was impossible. There were...

Cartoons.(Cartoon)
September 1, 2008... WELCOME SIR. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] MATT DAVIES * The Journal News (White Plains, N.Y.) * TRIBUNE MEDIA SERVICES "ANOTHER HOLLYWOOD CELEBRITY FLYING TO D.C. IN HIS PRIVATE JET TO PLANT A TREE TO FIGHT GLOBAL WARMING." ...

What filling up really costs.(GRAPH * NATIONAL)(Brief article)
September 1, 2008... As the article on energy reports, soaring oil prices--topping $145 a barrel over the summer--have taken a toll on the U.S. economy. As a result, gas prices rose above $4 per gallon in many parts of the U.S., and look to be heading toward $5,...

Game show.(Brief article)
September 1, 2008... * USE with articles identified. The statements are answers to questions (modeled after the TV show Jeopardy!). Students must answer in the form of questions. * DIVIDE the crass into teams. * READ the statements. * CALL on the...

Cartoon analysis.(Brief article)
September 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] ANALYZE THE POLITICAL CARTOON 1. What is "flooding" the U.S., and what kind of impact is it having? 2. How are all of the issues that are shown related? 3. Why do you think the cartoonist used a flood to...

Middle East.(Saudi Arabia's oil control and american soldiers in iraq)(Brief article)
September 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] As one of the most powerful, members of OPEC (Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries), SAUDI ARABIA has enormous leverage over the price of oil, which gives the country great influence internationally. ...

Way before Macs & PCs.(TECHNOLOGY)(Antikythera Mechanism)(Brief article)
September 22, 2008... Even its name is mysterious: the Antikythera Mechanism. It has puzzled scientists ever since it was discovered by divers in 1901 in a shipwreck off the Greek island of Antikythera, north of Crete. Now, researchers have found that the device,...

A tourist from Shanghai.(NEWS & TRENDS)(Brief article)
September 22, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] A TOURIST FROM SHANGHAI sampled scorpions on a stick at a Beijing street market this summer. Other exotic snacks for sale included silk worms, centipedes, snakes, starfish, fried crickets, and sea horses. During the...

Silent soundtrack.(MUSIC)(Brief article)
September 22, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Workers were ripping up the street with jackhammers while drivers stuck in traffic leaned on car horns. But nearby, in the middle of New York City's Union Square, there seemed to be a cone of silence. More than a...

Grease: as good as gold.(ENERGY)(Brief article)
September 22, 2008... The bandit who robbed a Northern California Burger King last spring wasn't interested in the cash register. Instead, he made off with 300 gallons of used fryer grease. As gas and diesel prices have soared, so has the value of the fat left over...

No frills, no tuition.(COLLEGE)(Berea College )(Brief article)
September 22, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Berea College doesn't have a football team, coed dorms, or hot tubs. Instead, it has a no-frills budget, with food from the college farm, furniture from its crafts workshops, 10-hour-a-week campus jobs for all...

Part-time pets.(BUSINESS)(Brief article)
September 22, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Many dog lovers are deprived of canine companionship when their schedules or apartment buildings won't accommodate pets. But in some cities, they can now rent a dog. Flexpetz, based in San Diego, rents out dogs that...

Pawns & Brawn.(SPORTS)(Chess Boxing )(Brief article)
September 22, 2008... It's "the ultimate challenge for both the body and the mind," according to the World Chess Boxing Organization in Berlin. In chess-boxing, competitors alternate four-minute rounds of speed chess with three-minute rounds of boxing, and can win...

Numbers in the news.(NEWS & TRENDS)
September 22, 2008... $500 PRICE ON AMAZON in August for a copy of the rare Jonas Brothers CD It's About Time. The 2006 album was a limited release, and its songs are not available on iTunes or other legal download services. SOURCE: THE NEW YORK TIIMES ...

A new cold war? Russia's invasion of Georgia last month may signal a new era of hostility between Russia and the West. How should the U.S respond?(Cover story)
September 22, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Washington woke up on the morning of August 8 to the news that Russian troops had invaded neighboring Georgia, it felt like a throwback to the Cold War decades of the 20th century. The Russian attack--the first...

Growing up Saudi: in a strict Islamic society like Saudi Arabia, segregation of the sexes is almost total. Part 2: the girls.(INTERNATIONAL)
September 22, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] The dance party in a private Riyadh home is in full swing, with about half the guests--two dozen girls in their late teens--gyrating to the music. Their abayas, black head-to-toe cloaks that all Saudi women must wear...

Fast food: L.A. says not so fast: in an effort to improve people's diets, Los Angeles has banned new fast-food outlets in part of the city. Is where we eat the government's business?(NATIONAL)
September 22, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Sitting on a windowsill near a street corner in South Los Angeles, Natasha Jackson can see eight fast-food restaurants, and a sign promising one more to come. "It would be good to have a health-food restaurant...

The 30-second campaign: even in the era of the Internet, TV ads still play an enormous role in presidential elections. Can you trust them?(NATIONAL)
September 22, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Can a candidate be sold like a soap, soup, or soft drink? That's the goal of political advertising, which in some ways is similar to, but in others is very different from, its product-peddling counterparts. Like...

The new face of America: by 2042, minorities will make up the majority of the U.S. population. What will this demographic sea-change mean?(NATIONAL)
September 22, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Jessica Martinez is the daughter of a Mexican immigrant mother who never graduated from high school. But Martinez, now 18 and a freshman at the University of New Mexico at Albuquerque, didn't feel like an outsider...

Genetics and addiction: scientists are uncovering new information from the field of genetics that will be able to help in the prevention and treatment of drug addiction.(HEADS UP REAL NEWS ABOUT DRUGS AND YOUR BODY)
September 22, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] John Crawford has an identical twin. His 16-year-old brother, Keith, is his mirror image. John has brown hair, brown eyes, and a slightly crooked smile. So does Keith. John weighs about 160 pounds. Ditto for Keith....

1948: the Berlin airlift: in one of the first confrontations of the cold war the U.S. began a yearlong airlift of food and aid to West Berlin after the Soviet Union blockaded the city.(TIMES PAST)
September 22, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] "An iron curtain has descended across the continent," Winston Churchill declared in 1946. Behind that curtain, the former British Prime Minister said, East Germany, Poland, Czechoslovakia, Hungary, Yugoslavia, and...

Is the U.S. winning the war on terror? It's been seven years since 9/11 prompted the U.S. war against terrorism.(DEBATE)
September 22, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] YES The United States and our partners are winning the war on terror. Since Sept. 11, 2001, we have strengthened our capabilities to defend our homeland and take the fight to terrorist groups. We can see progress...

A sporting gesture touches 'em all: how many athletes would help an injured opponent if it meant losing the game?(OPINION)
September 22, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Something remarkable happened during a college softball game in Ellensburg, Wash. last spring. At least, I've been conditioned to think it was remarkable, since it involved an act of sportsmanship. Why it seems...

'My future is flying toward me': after spending much of her life in foster care, Star Diaz turns 21 this month--and will have to make a home of her own.(VOICES)(Essay)
September 22, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Whenever my parents come up in a conversation, I want to lie. I want to say all of us live together in one big house. My mother sings while she's folding laundry. My father watches TV. And my brothers and sisters are...

Cartoons.(Cartoon)
September 22, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] STEVE KELLY * The Times Picayune (New Orleans) * CREATORS NEWS SERVICE [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] TAB (THOMAS BOLDT) * The Calgary Sun (Alberta, Canada) * CAGLE CARTOONS PRETTY SOON MINORITIES ARE GOING TO...

The cost of running for president.(GRAPH: ELECTION 2008)(Brief article)
September 22, 2008... Winning the White House is a very costly undertaking these days. Candidates must pay large campaign staffs; buy ads across a growing range of media [see p. 14 in the magazine]; hold fund-raising events; travel across the nation to woo voters,...

Cartoon analysis.(Cartoon)
September 22, 2008... HAPPY DAYS ARE HEAR AGAIN... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] ANALYZE THIS POLITICAL CARTOON [See Cover Story, p. 6, in the magazine] 1. Which world leader is shown in the cartoon and what recent news event does it portray? 2. What do...

Photo analysis.(Brief article)
September 22, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] ANALYZE THE PHOTO [See Times Past, p. 27, in the magazine] 1. What historic event in 1989 does this photograph show? 2. What emotions does the man atop the watt evoke? 3. How might people on each side of...

Game show.(Brief article)
September 22, 2008... * USE with articles identified. The statements are answers to questions (modeled after the TV show Jeopardy!). Students must answer in the form of questions. * DIVIDE the class into teams. * READ the statements. * CALL on...

Genetics and addiction.
September 22, 2008... Dear Teacher: This issue of your Scholastic classroom magazine launches an exciting new year of Heads Up, featuring articles that bring students relevant and cutting-edge news about drug abuse and their health. Our newest article,...

Election speak 2008: words and phrases to know to help you follow the election: definitions to help you understand what the politicians and pundits are really talking about.
September 22, 2008... [ILLUSTRATIONS OMITTED] When does a president become a lame duck? What makes your state red, blue, or purple? As November approaches, you're going to be encountering all sorts of political jargon on TV, online and in magazines and...