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An obituary for William Peter Blatty, author of the best-selling novel "The Exorcist," is presented.

An obituary for American historian and psychoanalyst Bruce Mazlish is presented.

An obituary is presented for Patricia Derian, a civil rights veteran who tangled with repressive dictators as chief advocate of former U.S. President Jimmy Carter on behalf of human rights abroad.

An obituary for Mother Mary Angelica, Franciscan nun and founder of the Roman Catholic television network Eternal Word Television Network (EWTN) who was born as Rita Antoinette Rizzo in Canton, Ohio, is presented.

An obituary for Vito J. Lopez, a former community organizer and New York assemblyman who turned a small antipoverty center into a political machine in Brooklyn, New York which made him a power broker, is presented.

The article focuses on the decline of golf in the U.S. in 2000-2008. The number of golfers in the country has fallen from 30 million to 26 million in that time, and the number of golfers who play 25 or more times a year fell from 6.9 to 4.6 million. Golfers cite the game's high cost and its time commitment of a minimum four hours to play a round as the main reasons for the dropoff in play.

The article reports that the Suffolk County district attorney, Thomas J. Spota, will not retry Martin H. Tankleff for the 1988 murders of his parents, Seymour and Arlene Tankleff, who were found dead in their home on September 17, 1988. Spota claims he will request that New York Governor Eliot Spitzer appoint a special prosecutor to reinvestigate the case. The phrase "protections against double jeopardy" is discussed.

The article describes a court case being held that involves John H. White, a father who unintentionally killed a young man who was apart of a group of five youths who followed his son home and threatened to harm him. The author explains that because of the racial slurs that were thrown at White and his son, the case will be about racism as well as manslaughter.

The author reports on the delay which occurred in informing patients of Dr. Harvey Finkelstein that they may have been exposed to hepatitis. According to the article, the delay occurred due to a disagreement between the New York State Health Department and Finkelstein regarding access to patients' records. The question is raised of whether it is more important to protect the doctor or inform the patients in this case.

This article reports that more than 600 patients in New York State have been notified by the state that they should be tested for hepatitis and HIV infection due to treatment three years ago by an anesthesiologist in Nassau County who reused syringes. Dr. Harvey Finkelstein was charged with infecting patients through the improper use of medical equipment three years ago but the patients were just notified of their risks in 2007.

The article reports that New York Governor Eliot Spitzer's plan about drivers' licenses for illegal immigrants in the state has intensified political debates on the issue. During the state's election campaign, the issue is being raised. Kathleen C. Hochul, a clerk from Erie County, New York, spoke of the issue at a candidates' forum in Buffalo. She opposed the plan.

The article reports on how members of the African American community find a ghoul in a noose hanging from a tree as a racist symbol of lynching whereas other people defend it as an outdoor Halloween display. The problem has received protests from the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People. Information is given for the study of Halloween from professor Richard Lachman who teaches a course on the sociology of culture at State University of New York in Albany.

The article reports on the appearance of nooses in some cities in the U.S. The police say that these nooses are different: some are coiled six times, some eight; some are simple knots. One noose was found in a Highway Department yard in Baldwin, New York. Seven were found in New York City area. One was found hanging in a police station locker in Hempstead, New York where a black officer was promoted, another in Passaic, New Jersey. All these nooses, it is said, are targeted at black people.

The article reports on the cancellation of millions of homeowners' insurance in the eastern part of the U.S. by insurance companies which fear losses from hurricane damage claim, with many of the homeowners living miles inland. State governments have taken regulatory action to block this practice, and several legislators are considering proposals to force insurance companies to contribute to public-private risk pools for insuring the affected residents.

The article discusses the declining population of Jewish populations which have resulted in the merging of synagogues such as the Wantagh Jewish Center and Farmingdale Jewish Center, both in Wantagh, New York. According to the most recent survey in 2001, the National Jewish Population Survey, there are 5.2 million Jews nationwide, down from 5.5 million ten years earlier. How the mergers are affected by a decline in Jews' affiliating with synagogues is discussed.

The author reports on the election of Harvinder Anand as mayor of Laurel Hollow, New York. According to the article, Anand, who was born in India, is the first minority to be elected to the position of mayor in Laurel Hollow. A rise in the number of Indians who have been elected to public office in mostly Caucasian communities is discussed.

This article describes how people continue to go into the closed up Kings Park Psychiatric Center in Long Island, New York. The Center has been closed for nearly ten years and vandals and other curious visitors go through fences to view the property that housed nearly 10,000 mental patients at one time. A group of young men are regular visitors and they are drawn by the history of the buildings and the people who stayed there.

This article discusses Suffolk County, New York executive Steve Levy. Levy has been accused of racism after he instituted a police crackdown on unlicensed drivers that reportedly amounts to a crackdown on illegal immigrants. Levy also reportedly made disparaging comments towards illegal immigrants in New York.

The article focuses on bad manners in tourists, and states that the phenomenon is not unique to a single ethnic group of travelers. Examples of tourists' bad habits include having different ideas of personal space, not tipping, cutting in lines, and blocking sidewalks. The article suggests that some may be more forgiving of tourists because they spend money.

The article discusses kissing, and how kissing can be controversial in certain societies. In 2007, Richard Gere kissed Indian actress Shilpa Shetty on television and had to issue an apologize to those he offended in India. Iran's President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad was censored for hissing the gloved hand of his grammar school teacher. Several anthropologists views are presented.

This article discusses the clashes going on in cities around the United States, including Massapequa, New York, between homeowners of older and smaller homes in suburban neighborhoods and new owners who tear down the smaller homes to erect larger ones. Preservationists have been making some progress in saving the older homes and the neighborhoods. The slowdown in the building boom has given some cities and towns a chance to enact building moratoriums and zoning changes that have slowed down building.

This article discusses aggressive dog. A Bay Shore, New York put bull terrier was sentenced to an "order of destruction" after twice attacking a neighbor dog in 2003, but the dog's case has been in legal appeal since then, prompting action for dog rescue organizations and animal rights activists. New York is among a dozen states that makes it possible to seize dogs from their owners and have them euthanized for biting other dogs.

The article profiles Arnold Blume, an 81 year-old substitute teacher in Great Neck, New York, whose life history makes him a living resource in the social studies classes he teaches. Blume is able to give firsthand historical accounts of segregation, listening to U.S. President Franklin D. Roosevelt on the radio, what the Depression was like, the days before SATs, when quotas limited religious groups, and when doctors came to people's homes.

This article discusses how retirees gather daily in all types of weather on the boardwalk at Jones Beach, New York to get exercise and visit with one another. Most of them are seeking a different, quieter version of their former working lives and they enjoy discussing subjects such as investments, doctors, and grandchildren. Although they might not remember names of deceased friends, they miss them when they are gone.

This article profiles East Meadow, New York resident Marvin Singer. Singer was sent to jail in October of 2006 for failure to pay his ex-wife's lawyer $100,000, or roughly half of what he owes her for her legal fees during their six-year divorce trial. Singer is one of a small number of people who have gone to jail due to a divorce settlement.

The article discusses conflicts over grandparents' visitation rights with children of 9/11 victims. Parents of a World Trade Center victims have found themselves at odds with a surviving spouse over wanting to stay connected to their grandchildren. Sometimes the conflicts are over the victim's remains or money, or they involve personal dislike. Head of the September 11 Victim Compensation Fund Kenneth R. Feinberg says such feuds are rare.

The article reports that the inflatable Christmas lawn figures that have popped up across America are igniting a conflict between traditionalist and modern Christmas decorators. Among the complaints about the blow-up figures: they are tacky, they are ugly, they look like they have melted when they are deflated during the day.

This article describes the efforts of some residents of Farmingville, Long Island, New York to secede and form their own incorporated town. The secessionist supporters live in the wealthier western portion of Farmingville. The town has become infamous as a haven for illegal immigrants and some of the citizens believe that the reputation is affecting home sales and prices. Those opposed believe that bigotry and prejudice are driving the secession effort.

The article discusses so-called "e-waste," old and obsolete electronic equipment such as personal computers which individuals wish to dispose of. Environmental concerns regarding e-waste have prompted several small-scale recycling programs, however such programs are not marketed widely enough and many consumers do not know they exist.

The article profiles Hykiem Coney, a 24-year-old who was shot and killed in Long Island, New York. Coney, who had once led a life of crime as a gang leader and drug dealer, was participating in community outreach, working as an anti-gang organizer, and studying to become a minister when he was murdered in 2006.

The article discusses the possible implications of the October 2006 murder conviction of Martin R. Heidgen who was tried in connection with a drunk driving accident which killed two people. In most cases, deaths caused by intoxicated drivers result in manslaughter or reckless homicide convictions; therefore, Heidgen's murder conviction brings drunk driving penalties to a new level and may be helpful in deterrence efforts.

The article describes the long wait by parents, school officials, lawyers, and the judge to sentence former Roslyn schools superintendent, Frank A. Tassone, for stealing $2 million from the Long Island school district. Since Tassone pled guilty more than a year ago, numerous court dates for sentencing have been postponed nine times. Tassone admitted guilt when it was discovered that he was illegally using school funds to lead a double life.

The article reports on a an August 9, 2006 murder that took place in Suffolk County, New York. In a case with strong racial undertone, John H. White, an African-American, is accused of shooting Daniel Cicciaro, a white youth. White claims that the killing was an accident and that he was attempting to defend his son Paul from Cicciaro and other young men who were inflamed by rumors of the rape of a white woman by a black man.

The article focuses on tensions within the U.S. lesbian community regarding women who transition to live as men, through sex change operations and hormone therapy. Resentments towards lesbians who decide to become transgendered are explored in the context of a character on "The L Word," a cable television lesbian soap opera.

This article reports on the battle between the tanning industry and those who are trying to limit access to tanning salons because of a possible link between cancer and the ultraviolet light from tanning lights. The tanning industry claims that the link is ambiguous and that other factors may be causing an increase in skin cancer, such as greater vigilance in screening and the changes in the ozone layer.

This article discusses the William Floyd School District in Long Island, New York. Alan G. Hevesi, the Long Island State Comptroller, has faulted the school district's superintendent of awarding no-bid contracts, as well as awarding illicit raises to himself and other administrators. The superintendent, Richard Hawkins, has received widespread support from the school community in light of the allegations.

This article discusses a trend in the U.S. for towns and cities to form their own police departments. Mineola, New York, for example is home to hundreds of police officers and other law enforcement personnel connected with Nassau County, but the residents don't feel safe. Some towns establish police departments to retain a certain quality of life and also to raise additional revenue through traffic tickets.

This article reports that teenagers in the U.S. and the U.K. are equipping their cell phones with ring tones that, due to a decline in the ability of adults to hear high-pitched sounds, cannot be heard by persons of roughly 30 or more years of age. The tones have been adapted from a British invention that was used to deter teenage loitering in public places.

The article reports on the nomination of Nassau County Executive, Thomas R. Suozzi, for the Governor of New York.

The article reports that a group of approximately 20 business owners in Hempstead, New York plan to close their businesses on Monday, May 1, 2006 in order to join the boycott taking place across the U.S. in support of amnesty for illegal immigrants. The author suggests that Americans are boycotting commerce, work, and school in order to raise awareness about immigrants' impact on the U.S. economy. Immigration bills which are being considered by Congress are discussed.

The article looks at the increasing number of local and state enforcement officials that are taking it upon themselves to pursue illegal immigrants in the U.S. Some enforcement officials will use relatively minor offenses to catch illegal immigrants and then detain them for immigration authorities. The article also discusses law enforcement officers' frustration at the lack of action by the U.S. federal government to stop the rise in illegal immigration.

The article focuses on "Winter in Springs," a drip painting attributed to Jackson Pollock. In 2005, "Winter in Springs" was stolen from the Everhart Museum of Natural History, Science and Art in Scranton, Pennsylvania. The owner, Arthur Byron Phillips, says he purchased the painting from Pollock in 1951 and lent it to the Everhart. Yet "Winter in Springs" was never authenticated and is not in the complete listing of Pollock's work. It was not insured. Following the art theft, the painting is now being questioned.