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Discusses the waning popularity, as of October 2000, of United States presidential candidate George W. Bush. Status of Vice President Al Gore among moderate Republicans, according to popular opinion polls; Efforts of Bush to alter the dynamics of his campaign in order to defeat Gore; Outlook for the impact of Bush's performance during the presidential debates on his political career.

Describes the education offered at Lincoln High School, Dallas, Texas. Religious views of principal Earl Jones; High academic levels achieved here despite students' poverty; The high school's location in a high-crime area; Stress upon discipline; Students motivated by racial pride and spirituality; History of the school; Emphasis upon the successes of previous generations of students; Traditions observed; The school's independence.

Discusses the indications that preceded the killing of 12 students and one teacher at Columbine High School in Littleton, Colorado. How Eric Harris and Dylan Klebold stood out from their peers; The signs of trouble that went beyond school; Warning by the sheriff's department about rising violence within the school district in the fall of 1998. INSET: How many guns are enough?, by Marianne Lavelle.

Offers an investigative report on fare-padding ploys used by taxi cab drivers in 10 US cities. Outlines airport ruses, scam stoppers, and downtown deceptions in New York City, Los Angeles, Chicago, San Francisco, Boston, and several other locales. INSETS: A cabbie's confession, by Dan McGraw.;When drivers get too choosy (Manhattan sting), by J.P..

Examines the decline in popularity of professional sports in the United States. Example of the Florida Marlins; Disenchantment of the middle class with sports commercialization; Impact of player lockout by the National Basketball Association (NBA); Ticket prices and costs for fans to attend games; Access to sports through television; Network ratings for sports; Reasons for eroded popular interest; What can be done.

Discusses the effort of Wayne Huizenga in consolidating the used-car market with his national used-car-superstore chain called AutoNation USA. Dealers who have bought in to Huizenga's plan to revolutionize the car-selling business; The desire to consolidate the fragmented, inefficient group of mostly family-owned businesses; How Huizenga will change the way manufactures and car dealers operate.

Discusses the increasing tendency in the United States to see capital punishment as a way for the family members of victims to have vengeance. The desire in June 1997 of many to see Timothy McVeigh executed for the Oklahoma City bombing; The swiftness with which criminals are being executed; The percentage of Americans who support the death penalty; The stories of victims' family members; The possible racial inequality in executions. INSETS: Acting swiftly.;Making him suffer.;Honoring victims.;Feeling diminished.

Visits the state of Tennessee in a journey to look for real American music. The real history of the music as ongoing; Honoring the music of Memphis and Nashville; Elvis Presley's Graceland museum; The nightclubs on Beale Street in Memphis; The types of music heard; Retro bands heard in Nashville.

Focuses on illegal sports wagering in the United States in 1997. The amount by which such betting has increased since 1983; Why there has been an increase; American and law enforcement attitudes about gambling; Why some states are beginning to questions whether illegal bookmaking is a victimless crime; How the best are made; Whether it influences sports; The marriage of the Internet and sports betting.

Focuses on a looming strike at American Airlines. February 15, 1997 confrontation between American's Chief Executive Robert L. Crandall and his pilots; How a strike could renew labor bitterness at other airlines; Long-standing animosity between Crandall and his pilots; Crandall's alliance with British Airways. INSET: A what-if guide for strike-wary fliers, by K. Hetter & M....

Looks at the five biggest challenges that President Bill Clinton faces and how he can meet them. Make the job-creation machine perform even better; Continue the rightsizing of government, carefully; Make a dramatic new commitment to improving human capital; Create more winners from global trade; Make immigration work better for long-term United States vitality; Advice from Jerry Jasinowski, Ron Blackwell, George J. Borjas, Jeffrey Rosensweig and others.

Focuses on a variety of new ballparks that are rising across America. Public which is being asked to lay out hundreds of millions of dollars to construct new sports facilities; Team owners who consider current stadiums obsolete; Political and financial pressures over stadiums in New York; Stadium designs. INSETS: Artificial turf takes a hit, by Richard Bierck;A brand-new blueprint for baseball (Earl Santee & Joe Spear);State-of-the-art stadiums.

Offers an itinerary for a driving vacation through East Texas. Where to find good barbecue; The Piney Woods country; Museums including Kilgore's East Texas Oil Museum; Other foods which the author ingested including Frito Pie, which has a unique status in East Texas cuisine.

Focuses on Isiah Thomas, the former basketball great and now executive vice president and part owner of the National Basketball Association's (NBA) Toronto Raptors. Plans to build his first-year expansion team around point guard Damon Stoudamire; Expansion of the NBA; Investor John Bitove Jr.; Thomas' childhood. INSETS: Real-money games that athletes play;David Falk: An offensive threat for NBA players, by Warren Cohen.

Profiles several American workers who do not make headlines but whose presence is profoundly felt. Church leader Patricia Hogan Williams; Mechanic Don Borkosky; Policeman Andrew McGoey; Nurse Sheryl Scarlett; Army Sergeant Phillip Nowak; School volunteer Nancy Crawford; Store department head Tonya Nelson; Senatorial aide Stanley Israelite; Computer expert E.J. Belliveau; Sports coordinator Moe Morrison; Crop advisor Peter Goodell; Software wizard Leo Cohen.

Examines how marketer are refining their pitches and products to tap upwardly mobile female professionals. Growing financial and economic importance of women; Strategies at manufacturers of automobiles, computers, cosmetics and sports apparel; Cadillac; Compaq Computer, IBM and Apple Computer; Revlon and Estee Lauder; Nike and Reebok.

Discusses Walt Disney Co.'s takeover of Capital Cities/ABC, the second-largest corporate merger in United States history. How the merger caps both a troubling year and an astounding decade for Disney; Ability of chief Michael Eisner to revive Disney; Immense cultural impact of the company in America and abroad; Disney's growing mark on the sports world. INSET: From heart surgery to the toast of..., by Betsy Streisand.

Focuses on the bombing of a federal building in Oklahoma City in April, 1995. How Oklahomans had to cope with the worst carnage in American history from a domestic terror bombing; Rescue efforts; Chaos in hospitals; Stories of families dealing with grief; List of organizations accepting donations for victims.

Focuses on Ted Turner, the mastermind behind a $3 billion media and entertainment empire. His efforts to gain control of a major television network; Past attempts to take over CBS and NBC; His latest attempt to merge his Turner Broadcasting System with CBS; Problems that could easily kill such a deal; Why he covets CBS; How a merger of Cable News Network (CNN) and CBS News could result in greater efficiencies. INSET: Ted Turner's empire.

Examines how a group of spiritual and spirited entrepreneurs is changing religion, politics and business in America. Norman Miller, chairman of Interstate Batteries; Sam Moore, head of publisher Thomas Nelson; S. Truett Cathy, CEO of Chick-fil-A, a restaurant chain; Bob Reese, vice president of Flowdata Inc.; Others; How conservative Christians want a bigger say in how America does business. INSET: The political connection.

Discusses how the falling peso has raised the possibility of much cheaper vacationing in Mexico. Opening of thousands of miles of new road; Off-the-main-road destinations including Veracruz, Copper Canyon and El Tajin; Mexico's scenic beauty, historical and religious traditions and friendly people; Air and car travel; Touring tips; Resources. INSET: Angels of the back roads (mechanics called Green Angels), by D....

Follows five representative seniors as they pursue their complicated search for the right college. Lauren Hale, a gifted student; Victor Burgos, reaching for the American dream; Neale Hegarty, seeking happiness outside New England; Dionna Harris, overcoming adversity in South Central Los Angeles; Erika Bell, who received an ROTC scholarship.

Focuses on Don Tyson, head of Tyson Foods, who has revolutionized America's chicken business. Empire which now includes seafood, pork and beef--some 6,000 food products in all; Global aspirations; Automated chicken processing; How the company benefits from Americans' tendency to eat out; Efforts to gain a toehold in foreign countries; Link with the White House. INSET: From scientist to supermarket: How Tyson produces chickens.

Looks at several smaller cities that are thriving as business and average citizens seek a cheaper, simpler, safer life. Albuquerque, New Mexico; Kenosha, Wisconsin; Fayetteville, Arkansas; Huntsville, Alabama; Boise, Idaho; Fort Myers, Florida; Lancaster, Pennsylvania.

Discusses football at Permian High School in Odessa, Texas. The blue-collar oil town and its support of the school; Firing of coach Randy Mayes, because the team was not performing well, and his replacement by T.J. Mills; Discussion of the book 'Friday Night Lights,' by H.G. Bissinger in which the exploits of the school's 1988 team are chronicled.

Discusses the new orthodoxy of law enforcement, community policing. What it is; Why its promise is elusive; Example of Brooklyn, N.Y.'s Sunset Park neighborhood; Pitfalls; Freeing officers from nonstop calls to 911; No clear verdict on whether community policing makes a difference; Details.

Discusses the controversy surrounding the business practices of the Public Broadcasting Service (PBS). Impact of the decline in federal funding; Increased commercial activity and revenue; Role of Chief Executive Ervin Duggan; How PBS programs are funded; How production costs are managed; Proponents of so-called pure PBS, and free market PBS; Concern that programming will be dictated by commercial interests; More. INSET: Ads on the BBC, by Thomas K. Grose.

Presents the author's experiences riding with storm chasers who tracked tornadoes in Iowa. Tornado tours the latest in adventure vacations; Example of Silver Lining Tours, Oklahoma City; Description of chase; Reaction of tourists to seeing bad weather. INSET: Riding the twister, by Tim O'Brien.

Focuses on illegal drug trafficking in the United states. Users of methamphetamine; Effects of the drug; Mention of the problems for law officials in Marshalltown, Iowa; Countries that are drug producing or allow transportation of drugs; Impact of drug traffickers from Mexico.

Considers the move of online technology to a more local level. The launching of local information services by big names in information technology; The majority of people who make their purchases in the close vicinity of their homes; The implications for local newspapers and television and radio stations.

Discusses the problem in 1997 of corruption among American law enforcement officers along the United States-Mexico border. The amount of drugs that have been smuggled into the US; The number of officials that have been indicted; The problem of the passiveness of the crimes; The efforts to control the amount of corruption.

Discusses the impact of the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) upon the United States economy in 1996. The increase in trade; The political implications for presidential candidates President Bill Clinton and Bob Dole; The forecast for how it will affect American jobs.

Profiles H-E-B grocery stores and President Charles Butt. Butt's down to earth nature; Financial details of the company; Where stores are located; How H-E-B is trying to fend off challenges from discount chains; Competition with Wal-Mart for lower prices.

Discusses how South Texas has been devastated by the Mexican peso's plunge. Problem for policy makers that it is nearly impossible to separate the economies of South Texas and Mexico from one another; High unemployment; Military base closings; Severe drought; Pest infestation that has wreaked havoc on the cotton crop; Impact of economy on retailers.

Focuses on the National Football League's (NFL) Jacksonville Jaguars expansion franchise. Their sophisticated management approach that is crucial in today's NFL; Ability of Michael Huyghue, the Jaguars' vice president of football operations, to bridge the gap between the football players and the front-office; His views on finding and keeping talent; Design of the stadium seating structure.

Focuses on the sprawling King Ranch in South Texas, which covers about the same area as does Rhode Island. History; Long fight for survival, from drought to corporate issues; How it has positioned itself for a third century of growth; Diversification efforts; Business and family pressures that have forced the ranch to branch out. INSET: Cowboys in paradise (Parker Ranch, Hawaii).

Examines how high-tech rides are helping to send revenues and attendance rocketing at America's theme parks. Expense of creating parks and a good simulator ride; Dominant players in theme parks including Walt Disney, Paramount, Six Flags, MCA, Anheuser-Busch and Cedar Fair; Marketing techniques; Increased competition.

Discusses how some 300,000 American retirees call Mexico home for at least part of the year. The climate which draws Americans; Low-cost housing and affordable live-in help; Health- care concerns; Profiles of some retirees; Contact point for two newsletters that cater to Americans thinking of retiring in Mexico.

Focuses on the fashion industry and its efforts to attract price-conscious consumers. Figures which indicate sluggish sales for apparel; Falling amount of money spent by consumers on fashion; How people are dressing more casually, both at play and at work; Explosive growth of specialty and department stores; How designers including Ralph Lauren, Donna Karan and Calvin Klein are attempting to boost sales and profits.

Focuses on Ross Perot, the entrepreneur who blasted the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA). How his claims that NAFTA would suck jobs out of the economy have proved false; Surge in two-way trade between the United States and Mexico that has generated big business for many American enterprises, including those owned by Perot's family; Details on success at Alliance, an industrial park in Fort Worth, Texas. INSET: Big business comes to the border (Mexico).

Focuses on Intel's plant near Albuquerque, New Mexico, which makes almost one third of the world's computer chips. Despite the strong employment opportunities it offers, Intel's new factory has become a lightning rod for critics in the state who fear that more industry will result in congestion and crime. Worry of environmentalists about water use and potential air pollution; Labor groups who claim that the company's nonunion ways are harmful.

Examines how the Federal Reserve's interest rate hikes are starting to undercut the housing industry. Three successive increases in short-term interest rates that have helped push 3-year fixed-rate mortgages from about 7% to nearly 9%; What the higher rates could ultimately cost homeowners; Effect on mortgage lenders; Interest-rate volatility that could make adjustable mortgages more popular. INSET: Patient consumers can profit, by Kerry Hannon..

Discusses the relationship between the oil and gas industry and United States President George W. Bush. Bush's desire to allow oil drilling in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge; Speculation regarding the outlook for natural gas supplies; Opinion that deep energy conservation is necessary to improve the economy.

Discusses the use of DNA testing in criminal investigations. Reprieve for a death row inmate granted by Texas governor George W. Bush; Political activity surrounding the issue of the death penalty in the United States as of June, 2000; Opinion of death penalty opponents and some supporters that the testing might more reliably document innocence or guilt.

Discusses the declining television audience for high-profile sporting events. The record low rating for ABC 'Monday Night Football' during the 1999-2000 season; Questions that are plaguing broadcasters over whether the ratings dip is a reflection of the erosion of viewership or something else; Other major sporting events with lower viewer ratings; The changing ways that children watch sports on television.

Highlights Pat Buchanan, a United States presidential candidate for 2000. His campaigning efforts; Comments from Buchanan; His view on some issues including the use of US 6th Fleet to stop Serbian attacks on Croatia. INSET: America first, last, and always.

Describes the competition between the Fox television network and ESPN. Keith Olbermann hired by Fox Sports Net; Challenge to ESPN's `SportsCenter'; Why sports channels are the most lucrative; Comparison of the channels; Fox Sports Net's local television rights and aggressive style; Olbermann's appeal. INSET: Web mania hits Super Sunday.

Continues a special report focusing on holiday travel. The author's memories of growing up in Cleveland, Ohio; Popularity of Mark's Time Out Grille; Mix of blue-collar and professionals who frequent the restaurant; The working-class bars in Cleveland as the place where immigrants found refuge from factory work.

Reports that 13 people have died from a mysterious illness in and around the huge Navajo reservation near Window Rock, Ariz., fueling panic among a people traditionally suspicious of the US government and Western medicine. How cultural tension has made gathering data about the outbreak difficult; Use of medicine men to provide clues about the desert time bomb; Difficulties in investigating this medical oddity; Navajo belief that the disease is a call to return to old ways.

Examines how David Koresh assembled an arsenal over the past two years. Exploitation of gun laws to put together his arms cache, largely through gun shows and parcel delivery companies; Estimated amount spent on weapons; Suppliers; Legalities of his purchases; Key weapons purchasers.