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Presents an excerpt from `The Silicon Boys,' by David A. Kaplan, an examination of the life of Silicon Valley technology executives in Woodside, California.

Focuses on the 1998 baseball season in the United States. The pursuit of Roger Maris' record for home runs in a season by Mark McGwire of the St. Louis Cardinals and Sammy Sosa of the Chicago Cubs baseball teams; Profiles and career highlights; Mention of the difficulty of meeting the 1941 record of Joe DiMaggio for a 56-game hitting streak. INSET: Baseball records: Made to be broken or built to last?.

Profiles New York City Mayor Rudolph W. Giuliani and San Francisco Mayor Willie Brown, focusing on the ways in which they are reinventing municipal government. Their respective political styles; Their strategies for governing in an era of downsizing by federal and state governments; Twenty-five other mayors who have come up with innovative solutions for dealing with municipal problems.

Updates the homosexual population's continuing fight for equal rights in the United States as of June 1996. Information on the ruling in the Supreme Court case `Romer v. Evans'; Areas in which homosexuals are still denied equality including housing, medical care and jobs; Stunning announcement by President Bill Clinton regarding same-sex marriages; The history of the gay-rights movement in the United States; Results of a poll on the subject.

Probes why Americans support capital punishment, but have mixed feelings about sentencing someone to the death penalty. The backlog of actual executions; How `natural causes' is the number one killer of prisoners for death-row inmates; America's ambivalence; South Carolina attorney general Charlie Condon's proposal; Comments from Judge Alex Kozinski; Descriptions of four prisoners on death-row; More.

Focuses on controversy surrounding the 1998 dismissal of black investment analyst Christian Curry by New York City investment bank Morgan Stanley Dean Witter. Morgan Stanley reasons for Curry's dismissal; Curry's claims of racial discrimination and homophobia; `Playguy' photographs of Curry; His background and career with the firm; Morgan Stanley payment to Charles Luethke in connection with a sting operation; Dismissal of firm lawyers; Investigations; Chronology and details. INSET: Career in Brief.

States that Universal Studios in Orlando, Florida will open a theme park, Islands of Adventure, in May 1999. Cost of the park, which is designed for thrill seekers; The deluxe hotel; The technique of `pirate marketing'; How Islands of Adventure is different from other parks; The rides such as roller coasters; Competition with Disney World. INSET: Island Hopping: Will They Wow the Crowds?.

Discusses capital punishment in the United States. How Americans feel about the death penalty; The few convicts executed; Charts and graphs indicating statistics on capital punishment in the US; Federal prisoners who are on death row as of June 1997; How the Timothy McVeigh penalty phase has had almost nothing to do with how criminal justice usually plays out.

Explores how the O.J. Simpson murder trial could be the catalyst for big changes in the criminal-justice system. The assertion that America's entire premise of juries is flawed; The view that the time has come to change constitutional dos and don'ts which favor defendants; Treating jurors as humans; The suggestion of letting jurors participate more in the trial; Ethics rule limiting what lawyers can tell the media; Other suggested changes.

Recommends the museum exhibition 'Einstein' at the American Museum of Natural History in New York City. Consideration of Einstein's manuscript of his theories of relativity; His views against McCarthyism.

Examines developments in technology relevant to molecular engineering. Forecasts concerning the future world of nanotechnology; Comments from Rick Smalley, director of Rice University's Center for Nanoscale Science and Technology; 1997 signs of things to come; An explanation of MEMS, or micro-electro-mechanical systems, and their applications; Sensors; The function of MEMS in uniting the digital and analog; Nanoscale robots; K. Eric Drexler and Chris Peterson; Discoveries in the field.

Spotlights interactive video arcades. Vertical Reality, an interactive game designed by Steven Spielberg; Sega GameWorks, a high-tech playland and nightclub opening March 15, 1997 in Seattle; Other such ventures from XS, Virtual World, and Dave & Busters; The future of such playlands/nightclubs.

Points to poor management and lack of planning as the reasons why, despite enormous increases in spending, technology has not revolutionized American education. Educators not knowing how to best employ the technology in a classroom setting; Lack of teacher training and staff development; Technology changing so quickly that schools are purchasing equipment that quickly becomes obsolete; Questions parents should ask about computers at their children's schools.

Reports that after the dullest term in years, the US Supreme Court demonstrated in its final fortnight what a potent right-wing force it has become. Decision last Monday in a racial-gerrymandering case brought in North Carolina; Ruling that carving out legislative districts solely to elect more blacks might violate the constitutional rights of white voters; Details; The 5-4 vote; Justice David Souter's tack to port; Other justices.

Questions whether the verdict will differ in the second trial of the cops who beat Rodney King. Image still burns in the nation's memory; Amateur footage on a videotape; Officers were acquitted in the first trial; Riots in Los Angeles that followed; Case will now be heard in federal court; Violation of federal civil-rights law which bars government officials from depriving anyone of his constitutional rights; What the jury will have to be convinced of.

This article discusses a policy adopted by the standardized achievement test organization the College Board in regards to its Scholastic Aptitude Test (SAT) that allows students to withhold low scores from the universities to which they are applying. Called Score Choice, the policy has been met with controversy because of a loophole that allows admissions offices to request all scores.

The article focuses on former U.S. Vice President Al Gore's accomplishments with helping out the environment and as a business investor. Gore is the senior adviser to Google, a board member at Apple and is a chair to the Alliance for Climate Protection. Information about Gore's earnings and investments is also discussed.

The article focuses on assistant general manager of the Los Angeles Dodgers, Kim Ng, one of "Newsweek's" people to watch in 2007. Ng is in a position to become the first female general manager in a major U.S. sport and an Asian-American pioneer. Known for her salary arbitrations, she started as an intern with the Chicago White Sox before working with the New York Yankees and moved on with the L.A. Dodgers. Details are given concerning racial discrimination.

The article reports on the Hewlett-Packard (HP) spying case. California Attorney General Bill Lockyer claims criminal charges against the corporation are forthcoming. HP is under investigation for allegedly spying on board members. Tom Perkins, the former HP director who brought the spying to public attention, said he has no desire to return to HP or to bring a lawsuit against the company for hacking his personal phone records.

Observes a Web site dedicated to evaluating the physical attractiveness of members of the Federal Judiciary. Details of what is found on underneaththeirrobes.blogs.com; List of judges on the website; Reactions of members of the judiciary; How the Web site's founder is anonymous.

Provides details of the Pacific Bell Park baseball stadium in San Francisco, California. Features of the park, including its odd field dimensions, which is scheduled to open April 11, 2000; Funds provided by Pacific Bell Corp. for the park's construction.

Discusses the New York Yankees baseball team's victory in the 1999 World Series. Traditional reactions to the Yankees; Challenges that the team surmounted in the 1999 season; Celebration in New York City.

Reports the September 1999 capture of United States fugitive financier Martin Frankel in Hamburg, Germany. Crimes with which Frankel is charged; Outlook for his extradition to the US.

Focuses on the debate over inclusion of Joseph Jefferson Jackson, known as Shoeless Joe, in baseball's Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, New York. Jackson's role in fixing the 1919 World Series game between the Cincinnati Reds and the Chicago White Sox; Origin of the Black Sox name; Supporters of Jackson's inclusion; Overview of the The Fix.

Focuses on Martin Frankel, wanted by United States authorities in July 1999 for insurance fraud. Role of a fire alarm at Frankel's Greenwich, Connecticut estate in discovery of the fraud; Frankel's background; Investigation by the US Securities and Exchange Commission; Estimate of the amount of money involved in the fraud.

Discusses anthropologist Chuck Darrah and his study of workers in Silicon Valley, California. The work-obsessed members of Silicon Valley; How parents who work at the companies deal with their children; Employees at companies such as Cisco, Adobe, and Hewlett-Packard; Stories of the employees; The employees' use of technology; The lack of technology in Darrah's life.

Focuses on the Charles W. Howard Santa Claus School in Michigan. Classes offered; Comments of the Dean.

Focuses on Keith Olbermann as he begins a talk show of his own on MSNBC. Olberman's previous job as sportscaster on ESPN; The advantages of his move to Manhattan, New York; The challenge of doing a solo show; Comments from Olbermann.

Focuses on the Hale-Bopp comet and its role in the mass suicide of members of the Heaven's Gate, or Higher Source, cult in Rancho Santa Fe, California in March 1997. The fascination people have historically had with comets; Chuck Shramek's claims that he had photographed a Saturn-like object (SLO) hiding behind the comet; Other theories about the significance of the comet.

Focuses on baseball umpires in the United States in light of the 1996 altercation between Baltimore Orioles player Robbie Alomar and American League umpire John Hirschbeck. Events leading up to Alomar spitting in the face of Hirschbeck; Why the umpire's union went on strike after hearing type of punishment handed to Alomar; The court order which ordered the umpires back to work; Why the relationship between players and umpires has always been bad.

Relates that Cary Grant may have worked as a British spy in Hollywood during World War II. Claims made in the book `Cary Grant, a Class Apart,' by Graham McCann; Whom he may have spied upon.

Focuses on a story in `Vanity Fair' magazine about United States politician Elizabeth Dole. Author of the story being Gail Sheehy; Story portraying Dole as highly ambitious.

Reports that the US Supreme Court ruled that the Virginia Military Institute must allow entrance to women if it wanted to continue to receive government funding. Comments by Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg; Earlier case involving the Citadel, the country's other all-male military school.

Discusses legislation that has dramatically expanded the ability of terminally ill patients to kill themselves and immunized the physicians who help them. The laws currently applicable only to a handful of states; Details of, and the legal basis for, the rulings by federal appeals courts in New York and California.

Reports that in 1988, police in Detroit, Michigan seized Tina Bennis' 1977 Pontiac after they caught her husband, John, having sex with a prostitute in the front seat. A ruling by the Supreme Court which stated that Tina Bennis' status as an `innocent owner' was irrelevant and that she had no constitutional right to get the car back, or monetary compensation for it; Other issues related to forfeiture laws.

Features the Bridgestone Winter Driving School in Steamboat Springs, Colorado and how it is the only school in the country to specialize in winter techniques. Ice-and-snow packed track where students learn the techniques; Pricing; What the program offers; Successes; Who are the best and worst winter drivers; Other features.

Informs that the state of Utah has scheduled an execution by firing squad on January 26, 1996 for child-killer John Albert Taylor. Execution at the Uinta Prison Complex in Draper, Utah; Taylor's choice between firing squad and lethal injection; Negative reaction from Utah politicians and officials; Details of firing squad executions.

Reports on CBS News president Eric Ober acknowledging he had stopped a `60 Minutes' interview with a former smoking executive who attacked the tobacco industry. Ober fearing CBS may be sued; Reaction from correspondent Mike Wallace who reported the story; Question of damage done to the credibility of the show; Examples of corporate litigation with tobacco companies; Television and newspapers having to obey laws in their gathering of information.

Examines the controversy over the tolerance of American sports to allow players who have been arrested more than once back into the game. Profiles the records of various players including baseball player Darryl Strawberry, boxer Mike Tyson, football player James Lofton; Fan support; Second chances; Athletes as role models.

Examines Cynthia Fisher's victory in a discrimination suit against Vassar College for denying her tenure and predicts that the case is likely to invite similar suits. Fisher's credentials and career highlights; Examples of bias in academia; Why US district Judge Constance Baker Motley's ruling in Fisher's case has schools worried.

Deals with the issues of crime and immigration and reveals that in some states criminal aliens can remain in the United States after serving their prison terms. Why this occurs; Who funds the cost of alien inmates; Rodolfo Rodriguez, 20, an illegal alien who allegedly killed New York officer Sean McDonald.

Looks at the case of convicted killer Frank McFarland who came within hours of the death chamber last week. Why the US Supreme Court intervened; How the case forced the court to confront the bizarre system of capital punishment they've devised; Number of inmates on death row 1981-1994 and number of executions.

Questions whether a crackdown on urban `Squeegee' men will help city dwellers feel safer on the streets. The homeless New York City men who greet motorists stopped at red lights with a rag and Windex; New police commissioner William Bratton; Comment by Norman Siegal of the New York Civil Liberties Union; Other cities' efforts to crack down.

Considers the action of New York 's highest court in shutting down the school run by the 12,000 Hasidic Jews who make up the village of Kiryas Joel, 50 miles northwest of Manhattan. The contention that the school violated the separation between church and state; Kiryas Joel's struggle to be separate and at the same time reap some government benefits; Details; Agreement by the US Supreme Court to hear the case next spring.

Examines the symbolism of last week's Supreme Court definition of sexual harassment in Teresa Harris' winning suit against Charles Hardy. How the swiftness and scope of the court's ruling is viewed as a landmark victory for working women; Excerpts from what Justice Sandra Day O'Connor wrote for the court; What Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg wrote in her separate opinion; More.

Comments on the Los Angeles trial of Damian Williams, 20, and Henry Watson, 29, accused of beating Reginald Denny during the 1992 race riots. The tumult in the courtroom; Juror dismissal; Questions over whether Judge John Ouderkirk erred; Speculation over verdicts.

Examines President Bill Clinton's anti-crime plan for more cops, more executions and fewer guns. Number of murders in the US in the past four years; The few criminal-justice reforms in the past decade; The main points of Clinton's plan; The cost for 50,000 new police officers; Details. INSET: Don't sell your bulletproof vest yet..

Focuses on different types of violence intervention programs being tried around the nation. Efforts to stem the escalating pattern of teenage rage, frustration and violence found on many American streets; The best age for intervention; Boston Streetworkers; The shock approach used in Cook County, Ill.; Mad Dads, centered in Nebraska; Conflict Busters in Los Angeles; The Child Development-Community Policing Program in New Haven, Conn.; Details.

Lists several key points that emerged following the second Rodney King trial to explain why the Simi Valley jury found four Los Angeles police officers innocent, while their counterparts in Los Angeles brought in a conflicting verdict. It's easier the second time: work of federal prosecutors Steven Clymer and Barry Kowalski; Rodney King took the stand in his own defense; The videotape wasn't the whole story; Playback of Theodore Briseno's testimony; Luck never hurts.

Presents an interview with New York Governor Mario Cuomo last week, concerning the recent offer by President Bill Clinton to make him a United States Supreme Court Justice. Cuomo's feeling he could do the most good in New York; His family's overwhelming support of the offer; More.