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The article reports on drug cartel-related violence in cities like Phoenix, Arizona, Birmingham, Alabama, and Atlanta, Georgia, where it has migrated from southern border towns. The many kidnappings in Phoenix are related primarily to drug trafficking and human smuggling. Mexican gangsters called "bajadores" are blamed for these crimes. Public debate is questioning if Mexico is a failed state and due for collapse. Phoenix police have created a kidnapping squad to address its problems.

The article focuses on former president Bill Clinton and his emotional responses during the 2008 U.S. presidential campaign. Clinton has had several outbursts in the media while campaigning for his wife and candidate Hillary Clinton. He has also harshly attacked her opponent Barack Obama, which many say may end up hurting Hillary's campaign. Also, the fact that Hillary's staff has not helped much to soften her role either is discussed. Staffers Mandy Grunwald and Mark Penn are mentioned.

The article focuses on 2008 U.S. presidential candidate Hillary Clinton. The issues of race vs. gender and youth vs. experience brought up by the campaigns of Clinton and fellow Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama are discussed. The change in Clinton's campaign after the New Hampshire primary is also discussed with commentary from her on becoming more open to voters and having assumed voters knew her from her previous time as First Lady.

The article discusses the political campaign of 2008 United States presidential candidate John Edwards. The author discusses Edwards's prospects on the eve of the Iowa caucus in January 2008, with Edwards trailing in public opinion polls. The author also offers biographical information concerning Edwards' character and political motivations.

The article focuses extensively on 2008 U.S. Republican presidential candidate Rudy Giuliani, from his Catholic upbringing to his life in the present time. Particular attention to his political career is offered, beginning as a junior prosecutor to his position as mayor of New York City. Topics include his relationship with various NYC police commissioners, his failed attempt to shut down a Brooklyn art show that he found objectionable, and his career and personal life after mayor.

The article discusses the lives of Muslim Americans after the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks in the U.S. The author argues that in 2007, Muslims are one of American's greatest strengths, but they're vulnerable as never before. Particular attention is given to the anti-Muslim sentiment in the U.S., American's fear of another terrorist attack by Al-Qaeda, as well as religious extremism in the West. The experiences of various Muslims living in the U.S. are offered.

The article discusses former U.S. President Harry Truman and his invocation by candidates running for U.S. President in 2008. Many of the candidates--including Barack Obama, Rudy Giuliani, and Hillary Clinton--have used Truman's characteristics of straight talking, perseverance, and integrity in their own campaign presentations. The author goes on to discuss how each of the candidates will need to display both political and moral courage, like Truman, in the election.

The article focuses on the shootings at Virginia Teach in Blacksburg, Virginia in April 2007, and the shooter Cho Seung-Hui. A videotaped manifesto that Cho sent to NBC news in New York is mentioned. Cho's background is described; his parents were Korean immigrants. Classmates and others who knew Cho describe him as a loner and "affectless." His writings included violent themes. He had been stalking two female students, and received an order from the court for psychiatric treatment.

The article presents the story of former U.S. Republican Congressman Mark Foley. Information about his personal life is highlighted as it pertains to the scandal surrounding his inappropriate correspondence with underaged capitol pages. The article speculates about how the scandal, as well as Foley's sexuality in general, might impact the Republican party whose voters include a large number of conservative evangelical Christians.

The author focuses on the rebuilding of New Orleans, Louisiana one year after Hurricane Katrina and the role of New Orleans Mayor Ray Nagin. Nagin's personal qualities and his history are discussed. His behavior during the Hurricane and immediately after are mentioned as is his creation of the Bring New Orleans Back Commission. The conditions in New Orleans' Ninth Ward are mentioned.

The article focuses on controversial immigration reform legislation that has been proposed in both the U.S. Senate and the U.S. House of Representatives. Rather than being clearly distinguished as legal and illegal, many Mexican immigrant families are a complicated mixture of Americans by birth, legalized citizens, temporary workers with a variety of government issued visas, and illegal immigrants. The plight of Mexican workers who don't make it to the U.S. and details of 2006 legislation are discussed in detail.

The article reports on problems faced by Houston, Texas six months after it welcomed the largest number of evacuees from New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina. Nearly 150,000 people settled in Houston after the hurricane, and the city responded by granting generous rent and utility vouchers, welcoming children in schools, and providing medical care. However, it has seen an increase in violent crimes including murder, clashes between students at high schools, and in infection rates for sexually transmitted diseases.

Focuses on the costs associated to the Hurricane Katrina rebuilding effort and the political implications of the rebuilding efforts for U.S. President George W. Bush. Review of how Bush has committed his administration to not only rebuilding New Orleans and the regions effected by the storm but promised to make them better than they once were; Discussion of how Bush must renew its financial case for the Iraq war against the backdrop of desperate Americans; Comments from Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice regarding the issue; History of government rebuilding projects; Reactions to Bush's proposed plan by lawmakers.

Examines why the U.S. government was so slow to respond to Hurricane Katrina. Questions over why President George W. Bush was unaware of the severity of the storm and that state and local government had been overwhelmed; Suggestion that the government's response to the hurricane was a failure of imagination; Actions of Bush and his top advisers; Escalation of problems as officials failed to anticipate and react in time; How Bush's leadership style and the bureaucratic culture combined to produce a disaster within a disaster; Efforts of Ray Nagin, mayor of New Orleans, and Louisiana Governor Kathleen Babineaux Blanco to cope with the catastrophe; Details of the confusion following the hurricane; Ways that the federal response failed.

Examines the influence of Latino politicians in U.S. politics as of May 30, 2005. Comments of Antonio Villaraigosa on his election as the mayor of Los Angeles, California; Report that Villaraigosa's campaign motivated Latinos to vote in record numbers and created a multiethnic political coalition; Impact of the Latino community on the success of the Democratic Party; Discussion of the impact of Latino voters on the 2004 U.S. Presidential election; Description of campaigning among Latinos by President George W. Bush and the Republican Party during the 2004 campaign; Impact of religion on the voting behavior of Latinos; Planning among Democratic leaders to effectively campaign in Latino communities; Impact of relations between Latinos and African Americans on the political influence of each group.

Focuses on the presidential campaigns of George W. Bush and John Kerry and voting preparations in Ohio. The importance of swing states like Ohio; How the state was divided between the Republicans and Democrats in 2000; How the two candidates have tried to distinguish themselves and appeal to voting segments; The factors contributing to a close race; Statistics from the Newsweek Poll; Themes of the Bush and Kerry campaigns; Their stance on various issues, including stem-cell research; The status of Ohio and Florida on the Electoral College map; Objection of Democrats to voters' entitlement to provisional ballots in Ohio.

Looks at the number of Hispanics in the United States and how the influx may change the country. Belief of Samuel P. Huntington in "The Clash of Civilizations" that the most serious challenge to America's identity comes from the immense and continuing immigration from Latin America and especially from Mexico; Reaction from Mexican author Carlos Fuentes and from conservative columnist David Brooks; Questions on whether the force of Hispanics in the U.S. will redefine the meaning of mainstream; Belief that Hispanic could attain majority status in California by 2018; Comparison of the poverty and education of Hispanics as compared to white immigrants; How the purchasing power of Hispanics is changing advertising and big business; Belief that the millions of Hispanics are assimilating while putting their stamp on what assimilation will mean for future generations. INSET: Hispanic Amerca: A Nation Within a Nation.

Examines the campaign of John Edwards as he tries to win the Democratic Party nomination for president. Edward's ability to charm and claim to speak for the everyday American; Focus on jobs and outsourcing as hot topics which earned him a strong second place finish in the Wisconsin primary; How Bush is likely to use the topic in his bid for reelection; Low ebb of popularity for Bush at this time; Edwards who has latched onto the NAFTA issue; Kerry's strengths in the upcoming elections.

Examines John Kerry in the wake of his come-from-behind victory in Iowa. Nature of Kerry's "electability"; History of the Kerry campaign; Nature of Kerry's personality and demeanor; Details of Kerry endorsements; Outlook for Kerry for the rest of the campaign.

Discusses the success of Operation Iraqi Freedom because of the speed and precision of United States forces and the ineptitude of the Iraqi Army. How psychological warfare operators used cultural stereotypes to defeat the undisciplined Fedayeen; Role of the U.S. special forces in looking for leadership targets and gathering intelligence data; View that Saddam Hussein and his commanders were ignorant about military science; Indication that bribery and surprise attacks were effective weapons; Ease of instant battlefield communication to Central Command in Doha, Qatar; Impact of superior air power and heavy bombing; Statement that what is left of the war is the detective work involved in finding Saddam and his top lieutenants, and the arsenals of chemical and biological weapons.

Examines U.S. military strategy in the 2003 Iraqi War. Background on Operation Iraqi Freedom; Worries over guerrilla fighters and their weapons; Speculation on an extended Middle East war; Suicide bomber attacks; Setbacks; The President George W. Bush administration's defense of military strategy; Risks of urban warfare in Baghdad: Role of Bush; Remarks by military commanders; Strategy of Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein; Outlook for the war.

Describes how the United States government discovered where Saddam Hussein would be on March 19, 2003, which led to aerial bombing of the secret bunker in Baghdad. Details of the attack which was organized by General Tommy Franks at Central Command headquarters in Doha, Qatar; Use of mind games by the U.S. Central Intelligence Agency in their propaganda campaign against leaders of the Iraqi regime; Role of psychological warfare, U.S. Special Forces, and infantry soldiers in Operation Iraqi Freedom; Expected resistance from Saddam's Republican Guard units.

Discusses the early political career of United States Senate Majority Leader Trent Lott of Mississippi, who is under scrutiny for remarks made in which he appeared to uphold segregationist views. Context in which he made the remarks; Segregationist views of Southern politicians prior to the modern era of U.S. politics which followed the Civil Rights era; Biographical details, including his childhood, education and early career in this setting; His efforts to keep blacks segregated; Segregation and Republicans; His denial of racism, which contrasts with certain comments and policies.

Profiles John Allen Muhammad and John Lee Malvo, the men who allegedly shot thirteen people in the sniper attacks in the Washington D.C. area. How the criminals converted a Chevy Caprice as a killing machine; Role of police chief Charles Moose from Montgomery County, Maryland in the media coverage; How Muhammed was stationed at Fort Lewis in Tacoma, Washington; Investigation conducted by police in Maryland; Views from criminal psychiatrists about the case; Significance of a murder and robbery in Montgomery, Alabama.

Focuses on the use of weblogs, or personal Web sites with brief articles or links to other items or articles on the Internet, arranged chronologically, by Internet users. Amount of so-called blogs; Appeal of blogging; Creation of blogging technology; Privacy issues related to blogging; Contents of blogs.

Discusses the outlook for profiling as a means of preventing terrorism in the United States. Issue of privacy; Effects of terrorist attacks against the U.S. on security measures; Role of the government in examining possible terrorist suspects; Issue of race discrimination; Outlook for the war on terrorism.

Relates the stories of four people whose lives collided during the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks. Role of New York City firefighter Bill Feehan in saving thousands of lives; The murder of thousands by suicidal terrorist Mohamed Atta; Ordeal of Virginia DiChiara, who worked in the World Trade Center, and was burned on much of her body; United States Vice President Dick Cheney's orders to shoot down any hijacked airplanes.

Focuses on United States Special Forces and the battle they face in Afghanistan. How they opened the ground war against the Taliban; Role of Special Operations forces, who are trained to operate in extreme conditions; How this conflict will test them; Background on the Army Rangers, Green Berets, and Navy Seals; Debate over whether the elite troops will be effective in finding terrorist Osama bin Laden.

Discusses the manual recount of ballots in Florida during the 2000 United States presidential election. View that the fight over whether to include recounted votes has been driven by personal vendettas; Reported enmity between Judge N. Sanders Saul and the Florida Supreme Court; Experiences of Barry Richard and David Boies, the lawyers for George W. Bush and Al Gore, respectively, during the process.

Provides an update on the contested United States presidential election in 2000 following the November 26 announcement by Florida Secretary of State Katherine Harris that the certification of votes in Florida indicated George W. Bush was the winner. Plans of Al Gore to contest the certification; Possible roles of the U.S. Supreme Court, the Florida legislature and the U.S. Congress in the election. INSET: A Constellation of Warring Legal Stars.

Discusses the contested United States presidential election in 2000. Efforts of candidates George W. Bush and Al Gore to secure Florida's decisive 25 electoral votes; Background on the campaigning strategies of Democrat Gore and Republican Bush; Data on the vote tabulation as of November 27, 2000; Criticism of Katherine Harris, Florida's secretary of state; Issues of hand counting and ballots with chads. INSET: Tracking Hurricane 2000.

Reports on the 2000 United States presidential election in the state of Florida. How voters in Palm Beach County erroneously voted for U.S. Reform Party Candidate Pat Buchanan rather than U.S. Vice President Al Gore; Description of the butterfly ballot which is used in Palm Beach; Details of the legal battles between Texas Governor George W. Bush and Gore.

Introduces a series of articles on race and ethnicity in the United States as of 2000. How the ethnic composition of the US is shifting; Demographic statistics regarding foreign-born and minority residents of the US; Efforts of presidential candidates to cater to both white and nonwhite voters during the 2000 election; Features of the increasing number of Americans of mixed ethnic heritage.

Reports on the marital problems between New York City Mayor Rudolph Giuliani and his wife Donna Hanover. Announcement of the mayor's desire for a legal separation; Relationship with another women, Judi Nathan; Diagnosis of prostate cancer; Effect of his marriage problems and health on his decision to run for the state Senate.

This article focuses on the U.S.-Mexico border. It explains that the U.S. government is planning to build an 18-foot-high barrier along parts of the Mexican border in Texas. Its likely impact on the town of Brownsville, Texas is discussed in terms of residents' fears that the fence will disrupt wildlife, landowners' rights, and cultural aspects of the area.

Offers a look at the case of Terri Schiavo, a brain damaged woman whose husband had her feeding tube removed. Lack of an advance directive about Schiavo's end-of-life wishes; Discussion of the legal battle between her husband, Michael, and her parents, Robert and Mary Schindler; History of Schiavo's eating disorder; Report that Schiavo suffered cardiac arrest due to the eating disorder; Therapies Schiavo received after the cardiac arrest; Care given to the brain damaged Schiavo by her husband; Report that Michael Schiavo filed a lawsuit and won against the obstetrician who failed to detect the warning signs that Schiavo might suffer cardiac arrest; Attempts of Schiavo's parents to slander Michael; Presentation of medical information regarding the state of Schiavo; Description of the 2002 trial where Michael fought successfully to have the feeding tube removed, though it was replaced after the parents appealed; Nationalization of the case by the Right to Life movement.

Reports on the race to be the Democratic presidential nominee. Fate of candidate Howard Dean in the New Hampshire primary which caused him to fire his campaign manager; John Kerry's Populist message which gave him two victories; Results of the latest " Newsweek" Poll which has Kerry leading Dean by 31 points across the country; Belief that Kerry is the candidate with a chance to beat President Bush; The scramble of the candidates to stop Kerry's momentum.

Looks at senator John Edwards from North Carolina who is running for president of the United States. Ability of Edwards to charm people; Optimistic nature of Edwards during the campaign; Edwards' success in connecting with voters; Details of his career in law; Edwards life story an how he ran for senate.

Focuses on the immigrant population in Queens, New York City. The rapid growth of newcomers, especially Asians and Hispanics; History of immigrants to Richmond Hill; How the Indo-Caribbean community has recharged the local economy; Views of local residents; Problems from overcrowding.

Discusses the computer program Napster, which allows users to download free music from the Internet. Moral conflicts endured by some users of Napster; Details of the program, and how it makes songs accessible for downloading; Copyright infringement lawsuits Napster faces; Implications of the program on copyright laws; How founder Shawn Fanning came up with the idea.

This article discusses the murder of Brandon McClelland in Paris, Texas and the controversy of whether it was a racially-based hate crime or an act of drunken rage. The city has a long history of racial violence and unequal justice. African-American residents are focusing on examples of racial harassment and inequality in the region.

The article discusses the dramatic increase in Latino youth in the U.S. and explores the efforts of the Boy Scouts of America (BSA) to increase Latino membership. Comments from former BSA president Rick Cronk regarding the appeal of Boy Scouts to Latino youth are included. Reasons for the increase in Latino youth in the U.S. are examined and the success of the BSA recruitment drive is analyzed.

The article observes how competitive U.S. schools, particularly those within the Ivy League, are increasing financial aid in an attempt to make themselves more affordable. The author focuses on financial reforms implemented by Harvard University and Yale University, which include replacing loans with grants. Also discussed is how these reforms are affecting other schools in the nation.

The article looks at the relationship between the media, U.S. presidents, and presidential candidates. 2008 U.S. presidential candidates Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama have differing relationships with the media, Obama being favored while Clinton is not. The media relationship with former U.S. President Bill Clinton was up and down and this is extending to include Hillary's campaign.

The article looks at U.S. Democratic Senator John Edwards, a 2008 U.S. presidential candidate. The article discusses Edwards' "silence is betrayal" attack on his main rivals for the 2008 Democratic nomination, Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama, for not speaking out against the escalation of the Iraq War, his commitment to authenticity, and his statement that his proposal for universal health care would require raising taxes.

The article questions whether Cuban leader Fidel Castro's brother Raúl can take the dictator's place. Raúl has been acting leader since Fidel entered the hospital, but many feel he lacks the charisma and clout that helped his brother hold Cuba together through 47 years of communist rule. Cuban Americans are celebrating communism's predicted demise and the U.S. government is making plans to introduce democracy to the island.

Details the recent shooting into a crowd by Sergeant Daniel Cotnoir, a decorated Marine veteran of the Iraq war. Description of the events that lead to the shooting in Lawrence, Massachusetts; Background of Cotnoir including his training as a mortician, his enlistment, and his call to duty; Details of Cotnoir's assignment of recovering the dead in Iraq; Description of his difficulties of adjusting to life at home and his eventual arrest for the shooting; Comments from his attorney about posttraumatic stress disorder.

Focuses on the voting trends of Hispanic Americans. Activism of Hispanic Americans in Florida who are campaigning for Democratic presidential candidate John Kerry; Registration of new voters within the Latino community prior to the 2004 United States election; Discussion of the voting trends of Cuban-Americans and Puerto Rico-Americans; Report that many Cuban-Americans support Kerry because President George W. Bush implemented travel restrictions for Cuban-Americans who want to visit relatives back home; Use of Spanish-language campaign advertisements.

Reports on presidential campaign tactics used by supporters of President George W. Bush and John Kerry. Importance of grassroots campaigning and creating word-of-mouth buzz in campaigning; Terminology used by political parties for word-of-mouth campaigning; Use of technology and the media to create a buzz; Organizational plans implemented by each candidate.

Offers a look at the Democratic candidates for the United States presidential election of 2004. Lobbying conducted by candidate Wesley Clark for a contract for Acxiom following the Iraq War of 2003; Release of the medical records of candidate Howard Dean; Electioneering techniques employed by various candidates.