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The article recounts the career history of United States Vice President Dick Cheney's former chief of staff and national security advisor I. Lewis (Scooter) Libby. Libby's fascination with history, his professional demeanor, his sense of purpose and the motivating forces behind his career are discussed, as well as his relationship with Cheney, his association with neoconservatives like Paul Wolfowitz, and his views on and dealings with the CIA. Libby's concerns about terrorism (particularly bioterrorism) and issues of national security are discussed in preface to an overview of the case being brought against him by special prosecutor Patrick Fitzgerald regarding the information leak about the identity of CIA operative Valerie Plame. INSET: Scooter Takes the Stand.

The article focuses on the issue of poverty in America following the devastation caused by Hurricane Katrina. It takes a catastrophe like Katrina to strip away the old evasions, hypocrisies and not-so-benign neglect. It takes the sight of the United States with a big black eye--visible around the world--to help the rest of us begin to see again. For the moment, at least, Americans are ready to fix their restless gaze on enduring problems of poverty, race and class that have escaped their attention. Does this mean a new war on poverty? No, especially with Katrina's gargantuan price tag. But this disaster may offer a chance to start a skirmish, or at least make Washington think harder about why part of the richest country on earth looks like the Third World. The question now is whether the floodwaters can create a sea change in public perceptions. After a decade of improvement in the 1990s, poverty in America is actually getting worse. The primary economic problem is not unemployment but low wages for workers of all races.

Looks at the causes of devastation in New Orleans and the slow relief efforts following Hurricane Katrina. Description of early reactions to the threat of Hurricane Katrina; Criticism of the relief response of President George W. Bush, the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), and local officials; How the Army Corps of Engineers had warned of levee problems and the potential of a disaster; Statistics about the racial and socioeconomic makeup of the New Orleans population; Stories of survival and death; Conditions at the Superdome and other refugee camps.

This article looks at Jim Collins who wrote the popular business book "Built to Last" in 1994. This book gave him the money to start up his research center in Boulder, Colorado. He also wrote "Good to Great" for people who rarely read business books. The book was meant for people who run nonprofit companies or companies that can't measure success by stock price or offer big pay raises to motivate employees. Collins has followed his second book with a 35-page booklet entitled "Good to Great and the Social Sectors."

Presents a timeline of key events in the leaking of a Central Intelligence Agency (C.I.A.) agent's name. Report that White House adviser Karl Rove commented to journalists about diplomat Joseph Wilson and his wife, Valerie Plame, a cover C.I.A. agent; Controversy surrounding an article by Matthew Cooper which identified Plame as a C.I.A. agent; Report that the U.S. Department of Justice began investigating the source of the leak of Plame's name in September, 2003; Litigation against journalists Matthew Cooper and Judith Miller, who refused to reveal their sources to a grand jury; Testimony of Cooper that Rove was his source of information about Valerie Plame.

The article looks at the conflict involving the 5,900 Tulane University students who were moved to other universities and colleges following Hurricane Katrina. Some students, including a group at Harvard University, are making efforts to stay at their new schools rather than return to New Orleans, Louisiana. According to the author, showdowns are taking place regarding the issue at University of Virginia and the University of California Berkeley.

This article looks at an educational tool that was developed by engineering students from MIT to help teach literacy classes. The tool is basically a projector that can use low light to project instructional material on any flat surface. It is being tested by World Education in Mali where the adult illiteracy rate is 80%. The projector's design was inspired by a Fisher-Price toy projector.

The article reports that the number of infertile people in America has skyrockted in recent years while growth of in vitro fertilization actually has slowed. The article reviews statistics on the issue from the Centers of Disease Control. The article includes comments regarding the issue from Dr. Jay Nemiro, medical director of the Arizona Center for Fertility Studies. Also included are comments on the issue from Joseph C. Isaacs, president of Resolve: The National Infertility Association. United States.

The article presents information on Hydrogenics, based in Ontario, Canada, a company which is building markets for fuel-cell technology. Cofounder Pierre Rivard has a long-term vision of creating a hydrogen-powered automobile. Hydrogenics is working on other applications to build a market for technology. It is uncertain when this technology will move into mass market. For now, Rivard will focus on smaller projects.

This article focuses on classes being offered by Boston veterinarian Amy Schroff at the Veterinary and Emergency Preparedness Center of New England. The tragedy of Hurricane Katrina involved abandoned pets as well, and attendance of Schroff's free monthly sessions have grown exponentially since Katrina. The class provide strategies for the rescue and care of pets during a range of disaster scenarios.

Reports on programs that train cosmetologists throughout the United States to recognize domestic violence and to offer resources, like hot-line numbers and referrals to crisis centers. How Cut It Out was organized in 2001 and has programs in 11 states; Description of the Salons of Hope program organized by Kansas Attorney General Phil Kline.

Focuses on the families of serial murderers. Nature of the communications between Dennis Rader, the serial killer known as BTK, and his wife, Paula; Reaction of Paula after her husband's arrest in connection with several murders; Comments from Harley Stock, an expert on serial murderers, dispelling the popular notion that serial killers are loners; Reference to the case involving Albert Fish, a serial killer in the 1930s.

Focuses on efforts of parents and educators to prevent and punish school bullies who use the Internet to torment fellow students. Use of the Internet in harassment and bullying between students; Details of a lawsuit in which parents of a Los Angeles, California student allege that school administrators failed to protect him from a bully who posted death threats on a web site; Actions taken by school administrators in California and Massachusetts to restrict Internet access for students.

The article looks at concerns surrounding the increasing injury rate among cheerleaders in the United States. Modern cheerleading is far more dangerous that it was in the days of pompoms and megaphones. It is now a year-round sport whose popularity has grown thanks to an influx of gymnasts seeking greater expose. Regulatory bodies in charge of preventing sports injuries have struggled to keep up with the sport's evolution.

The article focuses on U.S. Supreme Court nominee Samuel Alito. The author briefly discusses the Legal Realist philosophy developed in the 1920s and `30s. Alito's upbringing and education are discussed, as well as his career in law. According to the author, Alito has a different judicial temperament than Justice Antonin Scalia, despite the fact that many have likened Alito to him. The author suggests that although conservative officials have praised Alito's nomination, they would have preferred a more reliably conservative nominee.

Focuses on the career history and politics of United States Supreme Court nominee John G. Roberts. Summary of the reaction to the Roberts nomination from conservative and liberal factions of the American media; Discussion of Roberts' role in Bush v. Gore; Analysis of Roberts' personality and work ethic; Suggestion that Roberts' is an old-fashioned conservative who is loyal to traditional institutions; Comparison of Roberts to other Supreme Court justices; Summary of Robert's upbringing and career history. INSET: THE ROBERTS PAPER TRAIL.