How Alzheimer's Disease Affects Memory and Thinking

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Alzheimer's Disease
Diseases can cause many problems. Alzheimer's disease makes people have problems with their
thinking. Even easy tasks are hard to do.
A German doctor discovered the disease in 1907. Back then, it was considered a rare disease. Today, it
is known to be more common.
Alzheimer's disease attacks the brain. It slowly destroys a person's memory. It changes their thinking
and the way they act. About 4 million American adults have this disease.
At times, a person with this disease can become confused. They can have a hard time trying to talk.
Sometimes they forget where they are. Sometimes they do not remember their own family. Eventually,
people who have this disease can no longer take care of themselves.
Alzheimer's disease cannot be cured, but it can get better with treatment. It is important to see a special
doctor if you have this disease.
Baby Born at Train Station - Sisters Follow at Hospital

One day a woman was waiting for a train at the train station. She was pregnant with triplets and was
on her way to her doctor’s office. As she walked up the stairwell, she felt the first contractions start.
She knew she was going to have the baby there. She could not wait for the train to take her to her
doctor’s office.
A history teacher also happened to be at the train station. He rushed over to help her. He took off his
shirt and caught the first baby as it was born. He used his shirt to wrap up the baby. The baby was a
very tiny baby girl. She only weighed three pounds.
The man called the paramedics to come help the woman and take her to a hospital so that she could
deliver the other two babies with the help of doctors and nurses.
When paramedics arrived, they rushed the baby to an Oakland hospital. They put the mother in another
ambulance and took her to a different hospital so that she could deliver the other babies. The doctors
delivered the babies by doing surgery on the mother. The other two babies were also little girls.
The babies were too young to be able to swallow their food, so doctors and nurses were feeding them
through a special tube. The impatient babies and their mother are all doing well.
Child Safety Seats

The California Highway Patrol, people who work at a medical center, and a local news station had a
special program early one morning. They organized a demonstration in a big parking lot. They showed
parents and grandparents how to keep children safe while riding in a car. They showed people how to
use children's car seats.
The officers and medical experts showed adults how to properly place a car safety seat in an
automobile. A safety seat must be tightly fastened so that it will not move. They gave demonstrations on
how to place a child in a safety seat and to use a car's seat belt to lock down a safety seat. The straps of
a safety seat must be secure at the shoulder of a child. That way the seat is safe and effective.
People drove in their own cars to the demonstration. They brought their children with them along with
their car seats. The experts showed them how to position their car seats properly. The experts also
looked at the seats that the parents were using. The parents were told whether their child's seat was
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safe. The experts looked at the seat to make sure it was not damaged or broken. They also checked to
make sure it was not recalled.
Most of the problems that the experts found were resolved. The biggest problem was that the seats were
too loose or the straps were too low for the children. The parents were given new seats if their child's
seat was damaged or unsafe.
It is a law in California that all children must be in a safety seat or booster seat when they are in a car.
A child must be in a safety seat until they are 6 years old or weigh at least 60 pounds. A child can ride
in a car with a regular seat belt after they become 7 years old or weigh more than 60 pounds.
Car booster seats have to be used with a car's lap and shoulder belt. A booster seat raises a child so
that the vehicle's seat belt can be used correctly.
An adult driving with a child in the car without a safety seat will be fined. They will have to pay a ticket
and they will have a mark on their driving record called a point. If a person receives too many points
on their driving record they can lose their privilege to drive.
Children From Russia Spend Summers in California

In the year 1986 there was a terrible explosion. The explosion was at a nuclear power plant in the
another country called Ukraine. The radiation caused a lot of damage. It contaminated the soil and
other things. People lived in the area when the explosion happened. Twenty years later those people are
still suffering. Effects from the explosion will go on for a long time.
Over two million people still live in the contaminated areas. Only 56 people died from the explosion but
many other problems have been caused because of it. Some types of cancer are more than 200 times
above world average. Many children have cancer now and birth defects have doubled since the
accident.
Some people in the United States are worried about the children living there. One group has been
trying to raise money. They are called the Chernobyl Children's Project. They want to bring children
from the Ukraine to the U.S. each summer.
A spokesperson for the group says that radiation is the highest in the summertime so it is a good time to
get the children out of the country. They want to help the children get away for a little while. The
Project wants them to be safe from radiation.
It costs $1,500 to bring each child to the United States for six weeks. The group raised enough money to
bring 28 children to the United States. They children were able to do lots of fun things. They enjoyed
clean air, healthy food, and plenty of outdoor fun.
One little nine year-old girl who got to come to the United States said that she likes America.
A spokesperson for the Project said that the children that come to America during the summer miss less
school when they return home.
Couple Adopts Children

A family went from zero to six children in one day. Sarah and Jim Cole adopted six brothers and sisters
from the same family. On adoption day, they went on TV and then to the courthouse to sign papers.
Four years ago, government workers took all six children away from their real parents. They said the
parents were not taking care of them. They split the children up among three foster homes. This upset

the children very much.
At first, the Coles wanted to take only two children. But the government workers wanted all the brothers
and sisters together again. Finally the Coles agreed to take all of them.
It was hard in the beginning. But it slowly got easier. The children got older. The Coles got used to
taking care of six children.
The Coles are not rich people. The government has a program to help people who adopt children. They
pay them money for each child each month.
The children are happy to be with the Coles. They are getting to know each other again. They are not
afraid of being taken away and split up again.
Crime
Crimes against the people of America need to be reduced. The Crime Prevention Coalition has named
this year's theme "Safer Communities, Brighter Futures." They believe that what really drives crime
from our streets is everyone helping each other.
By helping each other, crime has been reduced in those areas where entire neighborhoods are involved.
Building trust among neighbors has helped keep the crime figures low in those communities.
The facts concerning crime in America have changed. Violent crime has gone down since last year.
Property crime has also decreased. The number of young people getting arrested for violent crimes has
gone up. More young people have been victims of violent crimes too.
Children in America have also suffered. More parents have been charged with abusing their children. A
number of young girls have reported to have been beaten by boyfriends.
Although many different crimes are being stopped, many more are still happening. People who live in a
community with crime can make a difference. They can get involved with reducing the crime in their
neighborhood. By working together, neighbors can make a safe neighborhood.
Crisis Nursery
Being a parent is hard work. There are many things to think about. There are many things that can go
wrong. Sometimes it is too much to handle.
There is now a place where parents can get help if they need it. No one wants to see children get hurt.
Parents can leave their children at a nursery while they get help. There are many people to help out at
the nursery so the children are safe.
Sometimes parents have a hard time dealing with everything. When it becomes hard for the parents,
they can sometimes take it out on their children. When a child might be hurt, there is a place that will
take the child. This place will keep them until it is safe for them to go home.
One mother was using drugs and alcohol. She decided that her daughter could be suffering from this.
While the mother got help, the child stayed at the nursery. Many people were able to help the mother.
The mother and daughter will be able to start a new life.
Defenders of Foster Children Gather at State Capitol

Original Title:
Foster Youth Advocates Rally at State Capitol
People who try to help foster youth met at the State Capitol. They gave the governor’s office 200
postcards. The postcards were asking that two pending bills be signed.
One of the bills that they wanted the governor to sign would help foster youth receive money and other
services from the state. It would also allow children to stay in foster care longer. If a foster child was
getting their high school equivalency certificate they could stay in foster care until they were older than
18. Right now, the law only allows foster children to remain in the system if they are trying to get their
high school diploma.
One man said that this law would have really helped him when he was in foster care. He had to take a
lot of extra classes and also go to night school to finish in time.
The other bill would give foster youth the right to help make decisions that concerned themselves. It
would let them have a say in what they wanted.
Dogs Help Children Become Better Readers

Dogs are a very popular pet in the Unites States. Most dogs just live with their families, but some dogs
have very special jobs to do. Some dogs help police find criminals. Other dogs are trained to sniff out
drugs or explosives. Some dogs assist people who are blind, deaf, or have trouble getting around.
Amazingly, some dogs can tell when their owner is about to have a seizure. They signal their owner to
lie down and be calm. Dogs that help their owners are called "Assistance Dogs."
A very special group of dogs are known as “Therapy Dogs.” These dogs are family pets with special
training. The training allows them to go into public buildings and comfort people in need. The dogs are
trained to be calm and quiet. Loud noises and unfamiliar places don’t frighten them. They enjoy
spending time with people.
Some therapy dogs go into places such as hospitals and nursing homes. When the patients visit with the
dogs, the patients are cheered up. They enjoy petting the dogs, and look forward to their visits. The
dogs help to brighten their day. Therapy dogs can improve people’s health, as well. Studies show that
when people pet animals, their blood pressure and heart rates go down. They are calmer, and their
mood improves.
Other therapy dogs work in schools and libraries. The serve as warm and caring friends to children,
but they also do more. In one town in California, therapy dogs have become children’s reading
buddies.
The dogs belong to a therapy dog group called PAWS for Healing. Eight of these special dogs have
been trained to be listening companions for young readers.
The local library is trying to encourage kids to enjoy reading more. The children are invited to meet at
the library. They are paired up with a PAWS therapy dog and can read to the dog.
The dogs make a great audience. They don’t judge a child who cannot read well, they just listen calmly.
The children can read at their own pace. The kids find it less intimidating than reading in front of their
class. Sometimes, reading in front of their peers makes kids nervous. The dogs are quiet and attentive.
They listen very well.
These therapy dogs are making a difference in the life of the children they visit. The children look
forward to reading to the dogs, and the dogs love the attention. The library and the teachers are very
happy with the program.
Domestic Violence
Laura was married for 6 months. Her husband was using drugs. She didn't want her son or her unborn
baby to live that way, but she was afraid to ask her husband to leave. She left him a note instead. After
reading the note, Laura's husband waited for her to come home and then beat her and her son.
He smashed dishes, pictures and toys and left the house in a terrible mess. He said it was all her fault.
After Laura cleaned up the mess she went to the hospital. She was badly bruised all over her body, but
the baby was fine.
Laura had little education and she never had a good paying job. She was ashamed to ask for help from
the police, courts or women's shelters. Laura wanted her marriage and family to work. Sometimes her
husband was very nice to her. She decided to try harder so her children could have a home and a
father. Laura joined a church and told a priest about her problem.
But her husband kept using drugs and hurting the family. Finally, she told her husband she loved him,
but they should live apart for a while. He beat her again. The priest had called and could tell Laura
was in trouble. He came over to talk to her. He asked the husband to go out for a while. Laura packed
up her kids and left. The next day she lost the baby. Her husband went to jail.
Laura got a lot of help from groups that help women who have been beaten. Now she is in college, has
her own apartment and works on special projects at a women's shelter. "We got out, and it changed life
for me and my children. You can do it. You can break the cycle," Laura said.
Donor Needed for Baby

A baby named Trevor is fighting a deadly disease. The disease is called cancer. He has been treated
five times with a chemical that kills cancer. So far, the chemical treatment hasn’t worked. His family
hopes that a special procedure will help save his life. The procedure is called a bone marrow
transplant. Doctors say he needs the transplant to survive.
Marrow is the soft tissue inside of bones. It contains blood cells that can multiply. Healthy people
volunteer to have their marrow tested. The test is to see if it can help a sick person. If the marrow is a
match, doctors can remove a tiny bit. Then the doctors inject the healthy marrow into the bones of sick
people. This can help a cancer patient recover.
Sometimes these tests are done in one place. Many people come and have their blood tested at one time.
These events are called bone marrow drives. A database is kept with information on everyone who is
tested. Doctors use the database to match patients with donors. The baby’s parents hope they will find a
match for their son.
Some firefighters are organizing a special bone marrow drive. They hope to find someone whose bone
marrow will match Trevor’s. Over 550 people signed up for the drive. Over a thousand people have
already been tested. So far, no one has matched the baby.
One woman is helping because her husband died from cancer. He was a firefighter. She wants to do
what she can to help the baby. She is doing it to honor her husband’s memory.
The baby’s mother says the volunteers are heroes. She hopes that a match is found soon. Doctors say
that a bone marrow transplant is the baby’s best hope.
Followup:
On April 25, 2007, Trevor Kott lost his fight with leukemia. A matching bone marrow donor was not
found.

Over 5,000 people registered with different blood banks all over the country because of the media
coverage on this story. Trevor's family say that is Trevor's legacy and hope that someone else may be
saved.
Ex-Officer Sentenced to Jail

A man is going to jail. He confessed to a terrible crime. He admitted to driving drunk and hitting a
young boy. The boy died. The man lost his job as a police officer and now must spend five years in jail
for the crime.
Jason March was a policeman. He was off duty one afternoon and was driving his car. He passed a
school bus and struck a young boy who was running across the road. Drivers are supposed to stop
when they’ve been in an accident. However, March did not stop his car after the accident. He drove
away from the scene, which is a felony.
Many onlookers witnessed the accident. They were shocked that March didn’t stop. One witness
followed March in his car. March stopped three miles away and admitted that he had run over the
child. He also told the witness that he was a police officer. He was arrested and tests showed that he
was drunk. His blood alcohol level was twice the legal limit. Many people were disappointed that a
police officer could break such a serious law.
There was controversy about the case. Some people say that March was treated differently by law
enforcement because he was a policeman. Officials say that is not true. They say he was treated like
anyone else.
The judge planned to hold a trial for March. Then March decided to enter a plea. This means that he
would admit that he was guilty so he could get a lighter sentence. It also meant that March would not
have a trial. The little boy’s parents were relieved that they would not have to go through a trial. It
would be very difficult and emotional for them. March pleaded guilty to the crime. A judge sentenced
him to no more than five years in prison. He also said March must pay more than $14,000 in fines.
The little boy’s family was sad because they felt that March’s sentence was too light. They believe he
should have to serve more time in prison. They wanted more justice for their son.
Festival For Families

There was a festival in a large city. It was put on by people who wanted to share who they are. These
people had their families come from different countries.
This festival was for families. Many families came out to learn about life in the different countries. The
countries are located in Central America, a place south of the United States. There were 21 different
Latin countries sharing their way of life at the festival.
People who came to the festival could taste foods made like they are in the other countries. They were
able to listen to Latin music. There was dancing as well.
The weather was nice which made for a good day to walk around and see it all. Some people were
showing things that they made. People could buy these things from them.
This festival has been going on for 10 years. Each year, more people come. They had a very large
crowd this year. It was free and many people enjoyed it.
Fire Safety
Everyone needs to know how to prevent a fire. It is also important to know what to do when it breaks
out.
Every year, over 11,000 people are killed or injured in house fires. These fires could have been
avoided. Smokers who are careless cause about 200 deaths and over 6,000 fires. More than half of
those who die in fires are poisoned or suffocated by smoke.
Be aware of how quickly a spark or flame can become deadly. It can take away the air you need to
breathe. It can make so much smoke that it can kill someone in seconds, faster than the fire itself.
If fire breaks out, do not attempt to fight the fire unless it is small. Try putting out a small fire with
water. If the fire has spread or if the flames are more than 20 inches high, shut the door on it. Alert
everyone else in the building and tell them to get out. You should leave and dial 911 for the fire
department.
Before going into a room, check the door. If the handle or the door is hot, do not open it! Instead put
clothing or a wet towel at the bottom of it to keep smoke out. If the door is not hot, open it slowly. If
there's a rush of smoke or heat, close it again and shout to alert others inside.
Now open the window and shout ''Fire!" See whether you can drop safely to the ground. Use this as
your escape route if you can. If you are not on ground level, break your fall by pushing a mattress out
first. Lower yourself at arm's length before dropping. Once outside, stay outside and make sure the fire
department is called.
Foster Children
When children can no longer stay at home, they are moved to another home. This home is known as a
foster home. The child becomes a foster child.
Now there are many foster children living in Sacramento. There are not enough foster homes for these
children. There needs to be more places for foster children to live.
There are children who need more help than their parents can give them. Sometimes a parent is not
able to take care of them properly. Sometimes the child needs to be removed from the home to keep
them safe.
The county has a way to watch over the children who need a new home. They will remove the children
and put them in a foster home. When there are not enough foster homes in the county, they have to be
moved far away.
There is a place that takes in foster children. They are trying to raise money to build more homes. They
are also trying to add more special places like a nursery and a resource center.
Free Food for Kids

Some children are sent to school with empty stomachs. It can be hard to concentrate and work when
you are hungry. One school district has taken steps to make sure all of their kids are fed.
Anyone under 18 years of age can get a free breakfast and lunch in this school district. It is only served
at some of the schools. Parents can call their school to ask where their kids can get these free meals.
Children can now get breakfast and lunch during the summer too. In the past the meals were only
served during the school year. Many families are very happy to get this extra help for their children.

Students of low-income families used to have to sign up for the free meal program. Now all kids can
participate. The government spends over one million dollars a year on this free food program.
It is very important for children to be well fed. Bodies and minds work better when they are well
nourished. Thanks to this program many children are getting the food they need all year long.
Free Gun Locks

A man from a church wants to help save lives. He learned that many young people were using guns. He
was worried.
Some kids hurt people with guns. Other kids injure themselves with guns. Guns can be very dangerous.
This man got an idea. He thought gun locks could help keep people safe. He wanted to give people gun
locks.
A store agreed to sell the locks to him at a good price. He bought the gun locks. He will give them to
people in his church.
Another man was offering a class. This class will help parents and children. The class teaches people
how to use and care for a firearm.
Governor Wants Kids to Eat Healthy

Many people are concerned about the health of children in this country. One big problem is that
children are becoming more overweight. Being overweight is a problem that costs money. People are
less productive when they weigh too much. They also have more health issues when they are
overweight.
One thing that makes people overweight is eating too much junk food. Chips, candy and sugary snacks
are called junk food. Junk food is not healthy for people. It can make them overweight. Most junk food
contains too much fat and sugar. When children have too much fat and sugar in their diets, they can
become overweight or even obese.
Teenagers and children eat a lot of junk food. Some studies say that teenagers drink soda every day and
eat too much fast food. They also eat a lot of junk food.
The governor of California wants children to be healthier. He held a special summit meeting to talk
about the problem. He invited several other health groups, as well as children. He talked to the
children about staying healthy. He asked them to exercise more and to stay away from junk food. The
governor also took a walk with the children. We wanted to show them that exercise can be fun. He
asked the students for a commitment to stay healthy.
The governor also signed a new law. It limits the sale of junk food and soda in school cafeterias.
Lawmakers hope that this new law will stop children from eating so much junk food. They hope this will
help make children healthier in the state.
Growers Announce New Food Safety

In September 2006 many people became sick all around the United States. Doctors were very puzzled.
The doctors thought that the people had all gotten stomach flu. Then they discovered it was something
worse. The doctors and health officials discovered that all of the people ate fresh spinach around the
same time. The spinach that was eaten was not good. It had a bacteria on it or in it called "E. coli".
The E. coli bacteria causes lots of health problems. If a plant is near contaminated water it can become
infected with E. coli. There are other ways E. coli can get on or into fruits and vegetables. When
someone gets E. coli their symptoms are very similar to the flu. Most healthy adults can recover from it.
Some people can get very sick and die from it.
About 166 people in 25 states got sick from the bacteria that was in fresh spinach. Many of them had to
go to the hospital because they were so sick. One person did not recover and died.
The Food and Drug Administration investigated the problem. They wanted to make sure that no one
was tampering with food and making people sick on purpose. They found that there was probably a
problem with the way growers handled the food. They did not think there was any tampering.
People were told not to eat fresh or bagged spinach while the FDA was investigating. Washing the
produce will not solve the problem.They told grocery stores to throw the spinach away and not sell it.
Many companies who process spinach had to throw what they had away so that no more people would
get sick. Frozen and canned spinach were safe. The bacteria can not live if it is frozen or cooked at a
very high heat in a can.
It is not known where exactly the outbreak started. Other outbreaks were caused by water that was
contaminated by cow waste and other things. The state of California is trying to figure out where the
problem started. Knowing where the spinach came from helps investigators figure out how it became
contaminated.
The Food and Drug Administration said that it warned California farmers to do more to make sure
their spinach and lettuce was safe to eat. Since 1995 there have been 20 cases of spinach or lettuce
contaminated with E. coli.
Food growers in California and other states wanted to prevent this from happening again. They put
together new guidelines for produce growers. The guidelines are like rules that produce growers should
follow when planting, picking, and packaging food. The plan is designed to protect food from E. coli so
that people do not get sick again.
Health Insurance
The purpose of health insurance is to help you plan for unexpected, costly emergencies. If you get sick
or injured, you need health insurance so the doctors can help you.
Medical insurance can be very expensive. The cost for this kind of insurance is going up. Like most
people, you may not be able to afford all of the insurance you might need.
Many people think that if you could only afford one kind of insurance, you should buy health insurance.
If you can afford only a small amount of health insurance, it is best to insure yourself against the big
unexpected costs and pay the smaller common bills yourself.
There are different kinds of insurance you can get. Hospital Expense insurance will pay for any costs
you get while having to be in a hospital. Surgical Expense insurance will pay for the doctor to operate
on you. Regular Medical insurance will pay for any non-surgical treatment. Disability Income
insurance will help pay for living expenses if you are sick and cannot work.
Healthy Baby
In order to have a healthy baby, it is best not to do certain things while pregnant. The most common
reason that babies have problems when they are born is because the mother took drugs or drank
alcohol while pregnant.

Any food she eats, any liquid she drinks, and any drug she takes passes through the mother's body and
into the unborn baby. There is nothing that stops the baby from getting whatever the mother has in her
body.
There is no safe amount of alcohol or drugs a pregnant woman can take. Doctors do not know how any
baby will react to the alcohol or drugs in the mother's body. The best advice it is to not use any alcohol
or drugs while pregnant.
There is no safe time to take any drugs or alcohol during pregnancy. If a woman discovers she is
pregnant, she should stop smoking or using drugs and alcohol immediately. The sooner the woman
stops taking them, the better chance the baby has to be born healthy.
After the baby is born, it is important for the mother to not take drugs or alcohol if she is breast feeding
her child. Any drug or alcohol can be passed on to the baby through the mother's milk.
It is best if you eat healthy foods, get plenty of sleep, and see a doctor regularly if you are pregnant.
Healthy Families
Health insurance can be very expensive. Some working people do not make enough money to pay for it.
The state started a program called Healthy Families. This program offers people health insurance at a
low cost.
Families are charged about $7.00 a month per child for this health insurance. This is much less money
than buying insurance any other way. Having health insurance is very important. With insurance
people can see a doctor when they are sick or hurt.
The cost of this program is low. Many people are still not enrolling in it. People say that it still costs
too much money. They need all of their money for things like food and rent.
It would be great if everyone could have health insurance. People are working hard to come up with
ways to make this to happen. One idea is to make the Healthy Families Program free for some people.
It is important for people to see a doctor when they need to. The Healthy Families Program makes it
possible for more people to do this. Many ideas are being considered. Hopefully some of them will
allow even more families to get health insurance.
High Seas
A family is sailing around the Pacific Ocean. They are on a big yacht. The trip will take them away
from home for a year.
They stay in touch with family and friends by e-mail. The children send e-mail to their grandmother
three or four times a week. The father is in touch with his office every day. He also gets weather
information by e-mail.
E-mail on the sea takes more time than on land. The family's computer connects by a modem to a short-
wave radio. The radio sends the message to the Internet. The grandmother gets the message from the
Internet.
The grandmother learned to use the Internet just before she retired. She learned because of her
children and grandchildren. She says e-mail makes her feel like she has been traveling with them.

Close to 8 million senior citizens use the Internet. That is two times as many as a year ago. They use it
mainly to keep in touch with their families.
Home Fire
There was a fire that burned a house down. The local police are trying to find out how it started. There
was a man and three children who are missing.
No one knows what happened to them. When the police first looked at the burned home, they did not see
any bodies. They were not sure if the people were killed by the fire.
A home fire can be very dangerous. Many things can start a fire in the home. It is important that a
home is clean and safe so fires will not be started.
The mother of the missing children could not find them. She did not know if they were in the home
before it burned. She has not seen the father or her children since the fire.
The police are not sure how the fire started. Some people start fires on purpose. There is nothing that
shows that the fire was started on purpose but the police want to make sure.
Housing Plan to End Homelessness

One county has a problem. The problem is that many people don’t have places to live. This is called
being homeless. There are many reasons why people become homeless. Sometimes people lose their job
and can’t afford to pay rent. Some are teenagers who ran away from home. Homeless people often
sleep in their cars or in public places. Sometimes they sleep in parks or under bridges. They beg for
money on the streets. The county does not like having homeless people living on the streets. It is not
safe for the public or the homeless people.
Being homeless can be harmful to a person’s health. It is not healthy to live on the street. Some cities
provide shelters for these people. But the shelters are usually very crowded. Sometimes the shelters are
not safe. Homeless people are often sick. In shelters, they can spread their illness to others.
Shelters can provide beds, but they can’t meet all the needs of the homeless people. The homeless often
have many other problems. Some homeless people have mental illness. Some are addicted to drugs.
Some are alcoholics. Some have lost their families.
One city has decided to help end the problem. City leaders have developed a plan. The plan has two
parts. Leaders think the plan will take ten years to work.
The first part of the plan will focus on housing. The city will provide stable housing. Clean, safe
apartments will be rented to homeless people. Then the homeless won’t have to live in crowded
shelters. No one will be denied an apartment. These apartments are located in an apartment complex in
the county. The manager of the complex is a success story. He was once homeless.
The second part of the plan will help homeless people in other ways. Some services will help them find
a job. Classes will teach them special skills, and how to keep their job. The plan will also provide
mental health services. This will help the clients become healthy enough to live a normal life.
There have been many plans to help the homeless. Most plans require that people are healthy. They
cannot be addicted to drugs. That is not possible for many. This plan is different. It gives them an
apartment while they are getting sober. Then they have a better chance at ending their drug habit.
The mayor hopes that state funding will be given to the county to help with this plan. Local leaders

hope federal aid will also help them put their plan into action. Many homeless people will be given a
chance at a new life.
Kidnapping Alert
Sometimes children are kidnapped. Kidnapping is like stealing a child. It is important that kidnapped
children are found and brought home as soon as possible.
The sooner the public knows about a kidnapping the sooner they might be able to help. Some people
decided to start a program that would alert the public about kidnappings right away. This program is
called Care Alert.
The Care Alert program gives television and radio stations important information about a recently
kidnapped child. These stations will then tell the public what happened in hopes that someone might be
able to help. Anyone that may have seen something about the kidnapping could then call the police.
Sometimes one parent of a child kidnaps his or her own child. These kidnappings are not usually used
in the Care Alert program. The Care Alert program is only used when a stranger has taken a child.
When a child is kidnapped he is in a lot of danger. It is very important to find him as soon as possible.
It is hoped that this new Care Alert program will save children’s lives.
Kids In Jail - A New Plan

When young people break the law they are put into a special kind of jail. These jails are for juveniles.
Juveniles are people who are young.
It can be very dangerous in these jails. Sometimes the juveniles hurt each other when they are there.
Some of the young people even kill themselves. Many adults want the violence in jail to stop.
A group of people think that there is a better way to help the juveniles in jail. They want to put small
groups of them in settings that are more like homes. They think that this will help the the young people
learn and stay safe.
When juveniles are in these special homes they can get help. Counselors can talk to them about crime
and try to teach them that it is bad. Hopefully this will help the young people make better choices when
they leave.
Some states have already tried this plan. They say that it has worked. A group of people want to try it in
California.
Other people do not think that the homes are a good idea. They are worried that the violent juveniles
will be let go and that they will break the law again. These people want anyone who breaks the law to
be punished and put in jail.
One man that was in jail when he was young said that he learned bad things there. He was not taught
how to make good decisions. He said that he only learned how to become more violent. He does not
think jails help juveniles at all.
There are many young people in jail. Adults need to decide how best to help them. Most of the juveniles
that are put in jail will break the law again when they are let go. Some people think that by putting
them in small group homes it will help the kids become better people.
Letters to Santa Reveal Need

Many letters are written to Santa Claus each year. The letters are addressed to the North Pole. Lots of
them are stacking up at post offices.
People who work in one post office are reading the letters. They are looking for letters from needy
families. These letters are put in piles with the same zip codes.
Once letters are sorted other people can adopt a child or family to help. People, families, and
businesses can choose one or more letters and send gifts to the person or family who wrote it. Most
people like to deliver the gifts to the homes, but gifts can also be mailed.
One man who works at the post office said he has seen a lot of letters to Santa come in this year. Many
of the letters are asking for clothes.
He also said that the need seems to be greater this time of year. "I've seen more letters come in at the
beginning of this holiday season than any other," he said.
A woman chose two letters from children who live near her. She wants to help teach her daughter about
the importance of giving to others in need. They will buy gifts for the children who wrote the letters.
Many children and families in need are writing letters to Santa this year. Lots of kind people are getting
these letters and trying to help make wishes come true this holiday season.
Memorial Bells
A memorial was put up in California. The memorial was to honor a small boy. The boy was killed. His
family was on vacation in Italy when it happened.
When the boy died his parents donated his body parts. The body parts helped save 7 people living in
Italy. The people in Italy were very happy. They wanted to thank the boy’s family in some way. They
sent 130 bells to them.
The bells reminded the family of all the love the people in Italy had for them and their dead son. An
artist made a memorial from the bells. It is 18 feet high. It was placed by the ocean. When the wind
blows it makes the bells ring.
The parents want the memorial to be a comfort for anyone who visits. The father still remembers how
special his son was. He hopes people will keep giving body parts to those that need them. He wants to
keep sharing the love that his son had.
Neighbors Fight
A man says someone has lit eight fires outside his home. He thinks a neighbor did it. He and his
neighbor have not been getting along.
These neighbors have been arguing about this man's children. The children seem to be doing things the
neighbor does not like. He called the police.
Other neighbors say the arguments have gotten worse since then. Many small things outside the man's
home have been set on fire. He is very mad.
Police say they know about the disagreement between the two neighbors. They cannot arrest anyone for
the fires. They do not have enough proof showing who started them.

The man says he wants to get along with all of his neighbors. He hopes someone can help them solve
the problems with the children. Hopefully the arguments will stop.
New Driving Laws for Teens

There are new laws for teenage drivers. Some parents do not know about these new laws. It is very
important that everyone learns about and understands these new laws.
A teenage girl died in a car crash. She was a passenger in a car. The driver of the car was 16 years old.
There were two other passengers in the car who were also hurt.
The accident reminded some people of how important the new laws are for teenage drivers. The laws
were written to hopefully save lives. Maybe the teenage girl would still be alive if the law was followed.
The new law states that teen drivers cannot have passengers in their car who are under the age of 20
unless there is another licensed driver over the age of 25 in the car too. The law also states that
teenagers cannot drive between the hours of 11 p.m. and 5 a.m. These laws need to be followed for the
first year that a teen driver has his license.
Some students said that they know about the laws but do not obey them. They want to drive with their
friends. Some teenagers are breaking the law by driving with friends in their cars.
There are some exceptions to the new driving laws. Teens can drive their brothers and sisters to school.
They can also drive during off-limits hours because of work or medical reasons. They need to keep a
note in their car stating why they need to drive.
Many more teenagers die in car crashes than adults. New laws were made to help keep young drivers
safer. If the laws are going to work they will need to be followed.
Parents Arrested When Students Skip School

The law says that all children must go to school. It is a parent’s responsibility to send their children to
school. If a child does not go to school, the parent could get into some big trouble.
One county said that they have 90 parents that have failed to send their children to school on a regular
basis. These children have had at least 30 unexcused absences. This is against the law. The police will
visit these families.
Many parents will be arrested. They will face charges of contributing to the delinquency of a minor.
They could be sent to jail for up to a year and be fined $2,500.
The parents that will be arrested have been talked to many times before. They have been told that they
need to make sure their kids go to school. Now they will see that the school and the police are very
serious.
Parents Warned About Technology and Drug Use

Cell phones and the Internet are great ways to stay in touch with people. There are other things that
teenagers have been doing with this kind of technology too. Some things teenagers have been doing
while on the Internet and cell phones are bad.
Everyone used to be worried about sexual predators when their teens used the Internet. Today they
have even more to worry about. One big concern about kids using technology today is drug use.

The Internet and cell phones have become ways that some kids get drugs or learn how to use them.
They are able to contact drug dealers without their parents knowing about it. This is a very serious
concern to many people.
The government is saying that parents need to watch what their kids are doing on the Internet and who
they talk to on the phone. Many parents have no idea what their kids are doing while online. One man
was shocked when he saw how much information was online showing how to use drugs, make drugs,
and buy drugs.
There are some things that parents can do to help. Software products are available that can help with
this problem. They can monitor activity on the Internet. This will let parents see what kind of sites their
kids have been visiting. Also, parents should keep computers in a common room of the house. It is much
harder to be secretive when the family is always near.
Patient Rights
When people get sick, they need to see a doctor. In order to see a doctor, they need to make sure they
can pay the doctor. Since a visit to the doctor can be expensive, many people do not have enough
money to always pay for it.
One way to help people to pay for the doctor visits is to have a company get money from people every
month. Then when a person has to go to the doctor, the company will pay for the visit. This way, many
people can afford to go to the doctor when they need to.
Sometimes the company will not pay for the doctor when they are asked to. There is a book that will
explain what people can expect from a company that pays for doctor visits. The book is to help people
understand what the company will or will not do.
One man had a daughter who was very sick. When the daughter was in the hospital, the company who
was suppose to pay for the visit would not. This made the man mad. He complained and the company
got in trouble.
The book can help this man find out about his rights. He can learn how to get medical records. It will
show him how to get another doctor's help. It can tell him how to use legal action against the
companies if they do not do things right.
Playground Completed Despite Rain

A very nice playground was built almost 15 years ago. It had slides, sandboxes and tunnels. Children
who lived in the area liked to play there a lot. Then it was ruined. Someone burned it to the ground.
Parents and children were very upset and sad. Many parents and neighbors hoped the playground
would be rebuilt.
After the playground was destroyed, organizers got together to work on rebuilding the playground.
They got new materials and were ready to rebuild. They chose a day on a weekend to start building so
that people could help. The weekend they chose to rebuild was was not very good for working. It was
raining. The organizers were worried that nobody would show up to help build the new playground.
Almost 400 people showed up to help! One woman said that she was very worried about the weather
ruining their plans. She was extremely happy when she showed up and saw so many people there to
help.
A little girl had said how nice the park used to be. Lots of children were sad when the park was burned
down. She said that it was a fun park to play at.

Many people came out to help rebuild the playground. Bad weather did not stop volunteers from getting
the work done. They are sure that they will finish the project on time.
Poison Proof Your Home

Many poisoning accidents happen with children between the ages of one to five years. Poison injures
many children each year. Almost all childhood poisonings are caused by not storing things safely.
Medicines, paint, cleaners, bug spray, and car products are dangerous to children. Other items are
dangerous too.
It is bad when these products are put in places that a child can get to easily. If small children live in or
visit your home, poison proof your home today. You can prevent poisonings by following some simple
steps.
Remove household cleaning products from under the sink. Lock them in a sturdy cabinet. Keep all
cleaners and household products out of reach. Put things like medicines, sprays, and powders in a
locked cabinet. Make sure all medicine bottles have safety caps. Keep all products in their original
containers. Keep ashtrays empty and cleaned. Use child-safety latches on all cabinets a child can
reach. Do not leave a child and a poison alone even for a second.
If you are not sure if a child has swallowed poison, you should call a doctor! It is better to be safe than
to let a child suffer.
Police Arrest Parents

Sometimes kids skip school. This means that they do not go to school. Kids need to go to school to
learn.
People from the school call the parents of these kids. They want to tell the parents that their kids are
missing school a lot. Some parents do not seem to care.
People from the school also try to set up meetings with these parents. Some parents do not come to the
meeting. They do not seem to be worried that their kids are skipping school.
The police and workers at the schools are unhappy that the parents do not do something. They think
that parents should be responsible for keeping their kids in school. They decided to do something to
make the parents responsible.
The police looked for these parents. Many of them were found and they were arrested.
Police Officer Delivers Own Baby

A man named Dustin Smith is a police officer. He has been a police officer in Sacramento for 12 years.
He has handled many emergencies as an officer. Recently he had to deal with a very special emergency.
This officer has a wife named Natasha. She was pregnant with their third child. They wanted their baby
to be delivered at a hospital. The couple could not make it in time.
Natasha went into labor. It was time to drive to the hospital where their doctor works. They did not
have enough time to make it there. They decided to go to a closer hospital. They hoped that they could
make it there before the baby was born.

They could not make it. Natasha told her husband to pull the car over. She was having the baby.
Officer Smith pulled over and turned on his car's hazard lights. He quickly took off his shirt to help
deliver his baby. He said, "By the time I took off my shirt, the baby's head was there. It happened
quickly."
Officer Smith delivered his baby. Then he drove the family to the hospital. He was very happy.
Officer Smith was taught how to deliver babies as part of his police officer training. He had never
delivered a baby before. He is very glad that he paid attention to the training film that he was shown.
The baby is healthy and is now at home with her family.
Officer Smith plans on showing the baby where he delivered her when she is old enough. He says he
will drive over the bridge and tell her, "Right here is where you were born."
Program Helps Get Word Out About Missing Children

Parents in a small city have a new way to help find a missing child. The police in this city want parents
to know about a new program. The program is free and could save valuable time looking for a child.
Here is how the program works. The police take a picture of the child with a digital camera. The digital
camera saves pictures as a computer file. The computer file is copied onto a floppy disk. The disk is
given to the parents to take home. Once parents take the disk home they can add information about
their child using their home computer.
If a child does become missing, the parents can quickly send the picture and information that is on the
disk to the police using e-mail. It can also be sent to places that help find missing children. Parents can
even use the disk to print flyers to help find their child.
Someone who works for the city thought of the new system. A service club gave almost $4,000 to make
the system and buy disks.
About 500 parents in the city are using the system. The police would like to make the system bigger and
use it to help find old people who get lost too.
Ruling by the Courts

The Supreme Court said that a federal law was against the Constitution. That law tried to keep children
from bad things on the Internet. The Constitution says that it is okay to say anything you want. The new
law would put limits on free speech.
Some people are happy that the Supreme Court said the law was against the Constitution. They say it is
an important victory for free speech. They say there are already ways to stop children from seeing bad
things on the Internet. One parent said that kids should be open to everything.
Other people are unhappy about what the Supreme Court said. They say that children need to be kept
away from some things on the Internet. They say that laws are needed to do that. A mother was worried
for her children because of what might be put on the Internet.
The people who want a law to stop showing bad things to children on the Internet will try again. They
will try to write a law that is not against the Constitution. The president will call a meeting to talk about
it.

There are already laws that say you cannot show or say bad things on TV and radio. People say that
you cannot send these things over the Internet either. The Supreme Court said that these laws are not
against the Constitution.
School Deal
There is a district that takes care of many schools. They make decisions for lots of people. One decision
they made was not liked by all of the people.
In some of their schools, they sell drinks. These are soft drinks that are sold from a machine. This
district wanted to have Pepsi Cola the only soft drink in these machines.
The district knows that the selling of soft drinks will bring in a lot of money for them. They also will sell
bottled water. The machines will also have fruit juices.
But some parents do not like the plan. They think that ads will be allowed in the schools. They also
think that students who drink the soft drinks will not be very healthy. They are worried that the drinks
have too much sugar and no good calories.
Both sides want to keep talking about it. They are getting together to study the problem more. The
district will switch from Coca Cola to Pepsi Cola very soon.
School Nurse
People wanted to have a nurse at their school. A company was able to put a nurse there. Now some of
the teachers do not want that company to put nurses in schools.
The company wanted to place nurses at schools because there were so few nurses available. Many
schools have to do without a nurse. Children at the school needed someone to take care of them when
they get sick or hurt. Also classes could have the nurse talk about health care to the students.
Teachers feel that the nurse should not come from an outside company. They think the nurse should be
hired by the school. They say the company nurse does not have the skills to do the job right.
They want the nurse to stop working at the school until someone is hired to do it. The nurse will stay
there until a decision is made.
Schools Give Students Tools to Fight Back Against Bullies

Bullies are a big problem in schools. Every week, many children are afraid to go to school. They are
afraid they will be picked on by a bully. One study found that 52% of children reported being bullied at
least once a week. Sixty percent say that they know someone who could harm them. One student was
always being teased because he was short. He didn’t like to go to school because he had to face the
bullies.
Some children choose not to go to school at all so they can avoid the bullies. When they miss school,
students fall behind their classmates. A new program is helping put an end to this problem. The
program is teaching kids how to deal with bullies. This is helping more children feel safe in school.
One school principal is working to end this negative behavior. Last year, he decided to let students
know bullying is not allowed there. Students are now encouraged to report bullies and stand up for
themselves. Those found to be bullies face harsh penalties. Students at his school participate in a
program called “Be Bold.” In this program, students work together to prevent violence. They do skits
and go into classrooms to talk about the problem. They give other students strategies on how to deal
with bullies.
The principal says that the school has changed since he has addressed the bullying problem. But there
are other steps parents can take to help their children with this problem. First, students and their
parents should know the school's rules about bullying and what they should do if it happens. Second,
children should be taught to stand up for themselves. They should try to resolve issues by talking them
out. If the problem continues, parents and children should record each incident. Children should tell
someone if they are being picked on. Many children keep bullying a secret.
Parents should look for warning signs of bullying. These can include cuts and bruises, worrying,
wanting to stay home from school, or a sudden drop in grades.
Seven Year Old Boy Sets Swimming Record

A boy named Braxton is an excellent swimmer. He is seven years old. He holds the record for being the
youngest person to swim from Alcatraz to San Francisco’s Aquatic Park.
This second-grader read a magazine article. The article was about another boy who did the same swim.
That boy was nine-years-old when he did it. Braxton decided that he wanted to swim it too.
Braxton’s swim was 1.4 miles long. He did it with his coach and two other swimmers. A Coast Guard
boat was next to them also. When they finished, the boy became the youngest swimmer to ever make the
swim.
Braxton’s mother was not always excited about the idea of her son doing the swim. Once he proved that
he really wanted to do it she agreed. He trained two hours a day, four times a week.
Someone asked Braxton what the hardest part was about his record-breaking swim was. He said, “The
swimming.”
Smoking Kills
Smoking kills more Americans than AIDS, drug abuse, car accidents and crime.
Did you know that 390,000 Americans die each year from cigarette smoking? Smoking tobacco causes
1 out of 6 deaths. Smoking can also cause some very serious diseases. Some people become addicted to
smoking.
Lung cancer has caused more deaths in women than breast cancer. If a pregnant woman smokes, she
has a greater chance of medical problems with her baby.
Cigarette smoking is the number one cause of cancer death in men. Male smokers over the age of 35
are more likely to die from smoking-related diseases like lung cancer.
Many children start smoking before they reach high school. They run the risk of smoking most of their
lives. They could die of smoking-related diseases.
Smoking May be Banned in Cars

Studies show that smoking is bad for a person’s health. Even being around a person that is smoking can
be unhealthy. It is called "second-hand smoke". Smoking is very bad for children. It may become illegal
in California for a person to smoke in a vehicle when children are present.
The California Senate is considering a bill that would make it a crime to smoke in the car when
children are inside. This law would be called SB 7. The author of the bill is a democratic senator from
Long Beach. She says that she thinks this bill could protect kids’ health.
The senator from Long Beach thinks adults should be fined $100 for each violation. She believes that
this would make them think twice about smoking when kids are on the car.
Some people do not like this bill. They say that it gives government too much control over what people
choose to do. These critics of SB 7 are calling it a “nanny government” measure.
A republican senator from Grass Valley does not support the bill. He does not think that the
government needs to tell people what they can or cannot do in their homes or cars. He also believes
that this bill infringes on parents' rights.
This senator said that he knows that smoking can be dangerous. He does not allow smoking in his car
when his grandchildren are inside. Still, he does not think that the government should make that
decision. He believes that it should be left up to the parents.
The governor of California, Arnold Schwarzenegger has not said whether he would sign the bill or not
to make it a law. When he was asked what he thought about adults smoking in cars when children were
inside, he said that he thought it was terrible.
Spanking
Sometimes children do not do what their parents tell them to do. When this happens, a parent tries to
help the child to do the right thing. When this does not work, the parent usually punishes the child.
There are many things that a parent can do. One thing that people have done is to spank the child.
When a parent spanks a child, they will use their hand or a hard object to strike them on their bottom.
This is meant to show the child that they have done something wrong.
One parent remembers being spanked when he was a child. His parents used a wooden spoon. When he
spanked his own children with his hand, he saw that he put a red mark on his child’s leg. He never did
that again.
One problem with spanking is that it teaches the child to hit someone when they do not like what the
other person is doing. Another problem with spanking is that the parent is usually angry and can hit the
child too hard. Sometimes parents will use spanking for everything and not try other ways to get the
child to do the right thing.
Many parents are not sure of what to do instead of spanking. Some people think that their religion tells
them that spanking is okay. Some think that the law lets them do it. The courts say that parents have the
right to teach their children how to behave.
Other things should be tried before a parent decides to spank a child. Telling the child exactly what is
wanted from them can be one thing. Giving a child more than one choice is another thing that can be
tried. Getting down to the child’s level and taking a more child-friendly approach can help as well.
Teen Drinking
Some kids start to drink alcohol at a young age. They think it is part of becoming an adult. They also
think drinking is not that bad because so many people do it. They feel it is not as bad as taking drugs. It
is easy for kids to get liquor by using fake identification.
Parents may start to notice a change in their child’s behavior if the child starts drinking. Kids who

drink sometimes stop doing things they normally liked to do. They may keep telephone calls and
meetings a secret and not want anybody to touch their things. They act moody and do not have the same
eating and sleeping habits.
Parents need to stay involved in their kids’ lives. They should talk to their children about their
problems to be aware of any changes.
Parents can be the best protection. Children who get a lot of love can feel good about themselves. It
helps them resist doing bad things even when other kids are doing them. Parents can also help set a
good example by not drinking and driving. They can have firm rules in the home that everyone follows.
Give the children good ideas on how to say "no" to drinking, even when they are at a party. Try not to
overreact or panic if the child tries alcohol. How you handle it can affect their attitude. It may be
helpful to talk to other parents about setting up curfews and rules about parties or other events.
Teen Suicide
In 1985, two boys spent an afternoon drinking beer. They were also smoking. They listened to music by
a band called Judas Priest. Later that evening they tried to kill themselves. One boy died right away.
The other died three years later.
The two families blame the record company that made the record and the band. They believe the music
helped the boys to kill themselves. They are going to go to court to get money from the record company
and the band.
The parents think people should know what type of music their kids are listening to. They want warning
labels put on all records so people will know if the music is good or bad.
A judge said that the band and the record company did not get the two boys to kill themselves. The
court said that what was on the record was an accident of the sounds mixing together. The song does
not call for teenagers to commit suicide. One lawyer said all music can be heard wrong. Any song
played backwards could make strange words. The lawyer thinks the judge was very fair because the
band did not put any secret words into their music.
One of the boy's father says he does not think this will be the last time parents will go to court for this.
He believes other bands will be held responsible for the music they make. An Oregon family who lost
their son to suicide is thinking about going to court, too.
Threatened at School
A man's son is leaving California to stay safe. The boy was threatened at school. A group of kids said
they were going to hurt him.
The group of boys said they were going to shoot him. They wanted him dead because of his race. The
boy said he was very scared.
The boy and his father told people at the school about the threats. The father said that they did not do
anything about it. The father called the police and filed a report.
The father and son are very upset. They think the school should have taken care of the problem. They
decided that the boy should leave the state in order to stay safe.
People from the school say that they take all threats seriously. They are looking into the threats. They
also say that it takes time to find out exactly what happened.

Trying to Change CPS
Child Protective Services is a group that tries to help kids. They are often called CPS for short. They
visit families that might not be taking good care of their children.
Sometimes it is better to take children away from their parents for a while. Children are taken to
another home. They usually stay with other family members or a foster family.
The Child Protective Services want children to be safe. They make this happen by putting kids in better
homes. They try to help parents become better moms and dads while their kids are away.
Right now CPS gets money if they place kids with foster families. They do not get money if they place
them with family members. Many people are mad about this.
Some people are trying to change the way CPS works. They think that children should stay with family
members if they can. Many of these people marched together to show that they want changes made in
the way CPS works.
Video Games
There are many kinds of computer games. Some games let you shoot a gun at people on the screen. If a
body is hit, blood and body parts come off the body. Another game shows a monster eating a person.
In another game, many of the pictures show violence. Some pictures show women with very little
clothes on. The people who make the games are worried that these kinds of games are not good for
people to play.
One game company wants less violence in the computer games. They want their games to not have
women shown without much clothing.
Some people think that the violence in the games is like growing up. Some boys like to fight and they
will use the computer to pretend to fight.
These games were made by young men. The violence and sex are put in the game for boys. But what
about girls? Girls need to be comfortable with computers so they can use them when they grow up.
Most computer games are not violent. Playing computer games help kids to get involved with
computers. The problem now is to get girls to learn computers while they are still young.
Youth Programs May Be Cut

One county is facing severe budget cuts. These cuts could impact young people. Funding may be
eliminated for youth centers in the county. This would leave young people with no place to go after
school.
Many youth centers are expected to be closed by the end of the summer. People who operate the centers
are worried. They say that the programs combined serve more than one thousand kids. County
supervisors have to cut a large amount of money from the county’s recreation budget. A plan was
presented that would give more money to the teen centers. Voters did not pass it. Police and firefighter
budgets were also cut.
Teenagers at one facility are disappointed. They complain that they will have no place to go. These
centers are important to them. They can get help with their homework, play games, and get to know
other kids. These activities are supervised by an adult. One student said he got F’s in school before he
started going to the center. Now he has raised his grades up to C's.
Parents feel that reducing these teen programs will hurt their children. One parent says that he sees
kids get into trouble if they have nothing to do. Hey says that they write graffiti on the walls. They
vandalize the schools. Closing the teen centers will give them more time to do these things.
The centers are safe places for kids to hang out. Kids can also learn a lot at the centers, too. Programs
about healthy eating and staying fit are offered. Also, kids learn about ways to prevent teen pregnancy.
Both parents and teenagers are upset about the closings.
Banks Share Information

Your bank knows a lot about you. It knows how much money you have and how much money you spend.
Banks often share this information with other businesses.
Many people do not think banks should be able to share information like this with others. Some of these
people are trying to pass a new bill that would stop it. This bill would make banks ask for permission
from their customers before sharing personal information.
Banks collect information every time you use your ATM, go inside your bank, or even write a check.
They often let others know what you are doing with your money. This makes some people angry.
Right now you must tell the bank not to share your information with others if you do not want them to.
Most banks feel that this is good enough. The banks are not happy about this possible new bill.
Banks say that it is already easy for people to protect their personal information. They do not want any
changes to be made. Banks are afraid that many customers might not let them continue to share
personal information with others.
Buying and Selling Votes

Every four years there is an election in the United States. We vote for people to help make laws for us.
When we vote, we go to a place that has our ballots. To pick the person we want to elect, we mark
ballots and put them in a box.
The law says that we have the right to vote for the person we want. The law also says that we can not
sell or give away our vote to someone else. Someone has decided to help people sell and buy their
votes. Helping people to buy or sell votes is wrong.
A person in charge of the elections is mad. He is going to try to stop those people who are selling and
buying votes. He will try to arrest those who are in charge.
The information about buying and selling votes is on the Internet. The Internet is a system with many
people connected to it using their computers. Anyone with access to the Internet can read about buying
and selling votes on a Web page.
A college student started this Web page. It was shut down. Another person from a different country
bought it and still has it on the Internet. He was told to shut it down as well. No one knows whether or
not any voting was changed because of this web page.
California Governor Pulls Investments from Other Country

The governor of California signed a law. The law says that California retirement funds can not spend
money in a country called Sudan. The law also states that schools can not invest money or make money
in that country.
Companies help countries by investing in them. They give them money so that they can buy the things
they need. The country grows and makes more money and gives money back to the companies. Investing
is usually a very good thing. The country gets help and the company makes money.
Sudan is a very large country in Africa and most of the people there are very poor. Right now there is a
war going on in Sudan. Many people are being killed. Companies that invest in Sudan could be
profiting from the war. That would be wrong.
There are many people in California that wish the war in Sudan would stop. They encouraged the
governor of California to sign the new law. They think that if everyone stopped investing in Sudan that
would make the leaders of that country stop the war.
Many people are being killed in Sudan and many others have lost their homes. There are so many
people being killed that leaders of other countries are calling the war "genocide". Genocide means that
a political or racial group is being destroyed.
Genocide is the term that was also used for all of the innocent people killed in World War II. People at
that time were killed because of their religion. That period in time is also known as the Holocaust.
People today do not want that to happen again. They do not want another Holocaust to happen in
Sudan.
Check Cashing
When people work, they get paid with a paycheck. Many times, the paycheck is not given until the end
of the month. Sometimes people need the money before the paycheck is available.
In order to get money, some people use a store that will give them money. It is money that will be taken
from a person’s paycheck when it comes. This way, a person can spend some of the money before the
end of the month.
These stores that lend out money ask that they get paid extra for their services. In fact, many of the
stores charge large amounts of money for their services. So when a person gets a loan from them, they
will have to pay the store a very large sum of money plus the money they borrowed. When you owe a lot
of money, you are in debt.
The people who make the laws want to change that. They think that those people who have to pay so
much money back are losing too much of their money. When that happens to poor people, they never
seem to get out of debt.
The people who make the laws want people to be able to pay back the borrowed money slowly. They
want people to be able to make regular payments. They also want to make the stores ask for less money
for their services. The stores think it is the job of the people who borrow to get themselves out of debt.
The stores do not want people to make payments.
City Pays Late Utility Bills

Utility bills are the bills you pay for things like gas and electricity. Gas and electricity are what heat
and cool your home. They also give you light. It is important to pay your utility bills. If you do not pay
your bills the services will be turned off.

One local apartment complex had its gas and electricity turned off. People living there thought that
there was problem with the equipment. They had no electricity, hot water, or air conditioning. They
were very upset when they found out why it was all shut off.
The man in charge of the seventy apartments did not pay the utility bill. This was not the first time it
happened. The city already had to pay the bill two other times. If the city did not pay the bill, the
tenants would not have any power.
The tenants needed their power to be turned back on. The utility company said that it might be a day
before that could be done. The tenants were very frustrated.
The landlord was asked why he had not paid the bill. He said that there was a mix-up. He also said that
the apartments would be going up for sale. The city will be able to collect their $50,000 in unpaid bills
when the complex sells.
Couple Says They are Guilty

A woman bought some chili at a fast food restaurant. She and her husband put a finger in the bowl of
chili after she bought it. The husband got the finger from a friend. The friend got his finger cut off in an
accident at work.
The couple accused the restaurant of selling bad food. They said the chili had the finger in it when they
bought it. Then the couple tried to get money. They tried to sue the restaurant.
The police found out that the husband and wife were lying. The couple was arrested and went to jail.
They were charged with making a false claim and attempting to steal money. They decided to tell the
judge they were guilty before their trial started.
The restaurant says that they lost a lot of money. They say it is because of the lies the couple told.
People did not want to buy food from the restaurant when news of the finger spread. The restaurant
blames the couple for the loss of money.
A judge will decide how much time the couple will spend in jail. Both could be spending a lot of time in
prison.
Down Payment for Homes

When a family does not have very much money, it is hard for them to buy things. One thing that is
important to have is a place to live. But owning a home can cost a lot of money.
There is a company that helps people get a house to live in. Part of the deal is that the family helps to
build the house. This helps to keep the cost of the house down.
In one city, there are a number of houses going up that are built by families. One man is building a
house with three bedrooms and two bathrooms. He always wanted a house for his family.
His wife and his father are helping to build the house. They are pounding in the nails and putting up all
of the boards. The wife was scared to go up on the roof. Now she climbs up there and helps to build it.
The company that helps the family wants the family to spend a lot of hours building their own home.
The company helps to pay for the supplies. It also helps to pay for the land. The family then pays back
the money later.
Farmers Plant Different Crops

Some farmers are having a hard time picking their crops. There are not enough workers to help them
with the harvest.
One farmer used to grow peaches, but will soon switch to growing almonds. Peaches require more
labor to harvest. They are fragile, and must be picked by hand. Machines would damage the ripe
peaches. Then the farmer could not sell them. He is using a bulldozer to remove his peach trees. Then
he will plant almond trees in their place.
Almonds are harvested differently. It does not take as many workers to pick them because a machine
shakes the almond trees. The almonds fall on the ground and then are gathered up. The farmer does not
have to hire many workers to pick the almonds off the trees.
Some farmers think there are two reasons why there is a shortage of farm workers. One reason is that
there are a lot of construction jobs in the area. These jobs pay higher wages. Many workers are taking
construction jobs instead of picking fruit.
Another reason is that it has become more difficult to cross the border from Mexico into California.
Many farm workers come from Mexico. Fewer are able to cross the border in order to work on the fruit
farms.
One solution might be to allow Mexican workers to work here as guests. That would help them to
provide for their family and help farmers harvest their crops.
Farmers say that unless things change, more produce will come from other countries. This is because
labor is cheaper in other nations than it is in the United States.
Gas Prices Increase a Penny a Day

Most people drive a car every day. They drive to work, school, or shopping. Most Americans are very
dependent on their cars. People are concerned about increasing gasoline prices.
It seems as if gasoline prices are going up more than they are dropping. Every day, gas prices go up
more. The cost of gasoline has steadily increased all year. One organization says that the price of
unleaded gasoline has jumped 29 cents in the past month.
One man has been thinking about why the price has gone up. He knows that crude oil prices have gone
up. Gasoline is made from crude oil. That means that the price of gasoline will go up also.
He says that another reason for the price increase is the active hurricane season. Bad weather had an
impact on oil drilling. It was difficult and dangerous for companies to drill for oil in the ocean. That
meant that less crude oil was available. Special factories use oil to make gasoline. A factory that makes
products from oil is called a refinery. A shortage of oil means that less gasoline can be produced.
Many people like to take long car trips in the summer. The weather is nice so they go on vacation. More
trips will create more demand for gasoline. This will make the price go escalate even further. In
California, the price has gone up $0.33 in the last month.
High demand for gasoline has made the price go up. This makes it hard for people to afford to travel by
car.
Group that Saves Animals Given Phony Donation

A group that takes care of animals was given a fake donation. It was for a very large sum of money. The
check that they received in the mail was for $95, 000. The group depends on donations to help the

animals. They were very happy when they got the check.
Ed Stewart is very thankful when somebody writes a check for the animal group. He works for them.
The animal group is called PAWS. They take care of animals that used to perform and other rescued
animals. They have elephants, lions, bears and lots of other animals at their shelters. They depend on
donations to help feed and take care of the animals.
There was a note that came with the donation in the mail. The note was short but looked official. It
looked like it was from a company called O'Reilly Media. The note said that the donation was to help
PAWS.
PAWS took the check to their bank. They wanted to add the money to their bank account. The people
who work at the bank said that the check looked real. The bank deposited the check into the PAWS
account. Then PAWS started spending the money. They bought equipment, paid for animal food and
paid some of their bills.
A few days later PAWS got a surprise. Their bank called to tell them that the check was not real. The
check bounced and there was no longer $95,000 in their account. The money that PAWS thought they
had was gone.
PAWS contacted the firm that they thought donated the money. They learned that the company did not
send the check and was also a victim of the scam. They told PAWS that they did not know who sent the
phony check.
The publishing firm also talked to a local news station. They said that PAWS was not the first
organization to receive a fake check. They told a reporter that several dozen organizations had received
phone donations in their name. The publishing firm said it has notified authorities in the United States
and Canada. The phony donation to PAWS had a Canadian postmark.
Once an organization gets a fake check they get a second letter a few days later. They are told in the
second letter that part of the money needs to be sent back. The organizations usually get the second
letter before their checks bounce. They send money back and then find out that their donated checks
have bounced.
PAWS did not receive a second letter from the crooks before their check bounced. PAWS did not
actually lose money. But now they have to explain to people why their bills are not really paid.
Home Prices
Owning a home is a dream for a lot of people. Many people want to be able to buy their own home.
Many families live in homes all over the world.
Since homes are large, they cost a lot of money. Most people cannot pay all of the money for a house at
one time. They need to pay some money each month.
In California, the price of a house has gone up. In just the past year, the prices have risen and are
continuing to go up. Many people want to buy a house before the house costs too much.
Many people are rushing to buy a new house. When a new house becomes available, there are a lot of
people who want it. Sometimes a house can be sold in a day or two.
Low Air Fares

Flying on a plane can cost a lot of money. Now is a good time to buy plane tickets at a low price. Many
airlines are selling cheap tickets.
A woman from a news station says that there are good prices now. She also says that you need to be
careful. The tickets may not really be a very good deal.
These cheaper plane tickets come with many rules. If you do not follow the rules you may have to pay
more money. People need to be very careful when buying these tickets.
You need to be sure that you want these tickets before buying them. If changes need to be made it will
cost a lot of money. Buyers also need to use their tickets before the middle of December.
The airlines will not lose any money by selling these cheaper tickets. They are sure that many people
will buy them. They will sell more tickets now because they cost less money.
Lunar Real Estate

A business called Lunar Embassy is selling property on the moon. It sells 175 to 200 parcels a day.
People pay $16.00 a parcel. They get a deed that says where their property is on the moon.
A treaty says that no country can own planets or moons. But it does not say that people cannot own
planets or moons. The person who runs Lunar Embassy filed a paper that says he owns them all. He is
selling property on the moon and Mars.
American astronauts have gone to the moon. They do not say they own it. One of them says you can buy
a deed if you want, but all you will have is a piece of paper.
Some people have bought deeds to moon property. One says he will sell it if someone wants to buy it.
One business bought many deeds to give to its customers.
Some people want to know if it is legal to sell deeds to lunar property. The Attorney General of
California says it may be a scam. He does not know why anyone would want to buy land on Mars.
The owner of Lunar Embassy is making $3000 to $4000 a day. He has sold 11,000 parcels on the moon
and 1,000 on Mars. He says that countries that explore in space will have to buy from him. Otherwise,
they will be trespassers.
Mall Makeovers
Lots of people love to shop in Los Angeles. Their malls have a great look and feel to them and are
called "lifestyle centers". Owners of other malls in California want that look and feel too. They hope
that the new look will make people want to shop even more.
One mall in Sacramento, California is getting a new look. It is located downtown. The city is working
with the mall’s owner to open it up to the surrounding streets. They want to stay competitive with other
malls.
They want to create a lifestyle center.” Lifestyle centers are not only about shopping but dining,
working, and living as well. The first change they will be working on is to make the food court face the
street instead of the interior of the mall.
The owner of the mall is spending a billion dollars to make similar changes to its malls in Southern
California. People really seem to love these new lifestyle centers.

One man who recently moved from Los Angeles said that he thinks people love all of the flash. He says
that they are drawn to the music and lights. He thinks that it all makes people want to go to the mall
and spend money.
Other malls in the Sacramento area are also going to be undergoing facelifts soon too. Others will be
updating their storefronts but are keeping the same layout. The city wants to maintain an assortment in
the shopping experience. People will have choices for shopping. They will be able to choose between
the new lifestyle centers and improved malls. They may even choose both!
One shopper said that it really doesn't matter to her what the lifestyle center or mall looks like. She just
wants to make sure that they have the shops she wants to go to.
Man Gets Calls and Sues

Telemarketers are people who call homes trying to sell things or services. It is their job to call people.
If people do not like to be called by telemarketers they can sign up to be on a “do not call” list. This list
tells telemarketers not to call phone numbers that are on the list.
Telemarketers are not supposed to call people who are on the “do not call” list. If they do call these
people they can get in trouble. They can be fined $500 for each call that they make after they have been
told to stop calling.
One man is fed up with calls from telemarketers. He signed up to be on the “do not call” list but still
got a lot of calls. He kept a list of telemarketers who continued to call his home. He took some of them
to court. He sued them. So far this man has collected over $13,000 from telemarketers who would not
take no for an answer.
This man said that if others are interested in suing telemarketers they will need to keep good records.
He offers detailed instructions on a Web site that he created. Many people have visited his Web site.
This man believes that Americans are tired of telemarketers who break the law.
Man Realizes He Is a Lottery Winner

A man has a winning lottery ticket. Lotto is a game of luck played by using lottery tickets. People can
buy tickets in hopes of matching numbers and winning some money.
One retired man bought a lottery ticket. He listed the numbers that were on his ticket onto his
computer. He accidentally listed the numbers incorrectly. Therefore, he did not realize that he had the
winning ticket.
The man said that he has been playing the same numbers for 20 years. He thought that he had won
$1,217. He saw that the winning jackpot ticket had been sold at the same store where he bought his
ticket. He decided to look at his numbers again.
Once he looked at his numbers a second time, he realized that he had matched all six numbers. He
would win $50 million.
The man said that he plans to live the same way he always has. He would like to save some of the
money for his grandchildren to go to college. He would also like to buy a bigger home for himself and
help out his family and friends.
The store that sold the winning ticket also wins some money. They will get $250,000.

This is the second largest jackpot ever sold in this county. This man is the 31st jackpot winner from the
county.
Milk Prices
The price of milk may be going up. There was not enough rain in some parts of the country last year.
The bad weather may mean that a gallon of milk will cost 41-cents more after October 1.
A California court wants to keep the cost down. California already has high milk prices. The court does
not want the cost to go any higher.
High milk prices will be very hard for some people. Families with many children buy a lot of milk. The
poor and older people without much money will also be hurt by higher prices.
The court said that more milk from other states can be sold in California. The price of milk from other
states might not be as high. Some states got enough rain so their cost did not go up.
People will buy the cheaper milk. This will make all the milk sellers lower their prices. If they do not,
their milk will not sell.
Money Helps Teachers

Students have to take tests every year to see how much they are learning. Some schools do not do very
well on these tests. It can be hard for teachers to see their students not do well.
Many teachers at these low-performing schools get frustrated and quit. Some of them leave to teach at
schools where scores are usually higher. Other teachers look for jobs at schools that pay more money.
The leader of California recently signed a bill that he hopes will help struggling schools. The bill will
give money to teachers who take classes to learn more about teaching. They will also get more money if
they teach in the low-performing schools.
If a teacher is able to make test scores better he might get a bonus. This means that he would get extra
money for doing a great job. People hope that this will make teachers want to teach in schools that are
not doing as well as others.
The governor of California wants to help low-performing schools do better on these tests. Teachers are
needed to help this happen. Many people hope that this extra money will make teachers want to teach at
these schools.
New Sewer Rates in Small Town

The state of California has new clean water standards. This means that all counties in the state will
need to meet these standards. When permits at a sewage treatment plants expire the facility must
rebuild in order to meet the new regulations.
When a sewage plant is upgraded all of the customers in the area share the cost of the improvements.
The money required to improve a facility is passed on to customers as a rate increase. As permits
expire in large cities the cost to customers should not be too much because there are a lot of people
living there.
This is not true for people who live in small cities. Their costs will increase quite a bit. One small city is
facing a very large increase in sewer rates. Their rates will more than double. Some people are saying
that they will not be able to afford the cost.
It will cost about $6.4 million to update the current facility in one small city. Only 83 families live in
this area. They will have to pay much more money than a person living in a very large city. One man
said that his new sewage rates would be higher than his property taxes. It would cost his family fifty-
two cents per hour for sewer service. That will be about $3 each time he needs to flush the toilet. It will
cost about 10 times more to pour a glass of water down the drain than it does to fill the glass in the first
place.
Many more small areas will face the same problem very soon. The people that live there have prepared
reports and gathered signatures to give to lawmakers in Sacramento. They hope to get some help with
this problem.
If they do not have a new plant up and running by the time their current permit expires they will be
punished. They will face fines of several thousand dollars each day for being out of compliance with
new clean water standards. They hope to get help from lawmakers before this happens.
Pay Lower Taxes (Earned Income)

When you work, you do not always get what you earn. If you get paid for working, sometimes you will
have to pay taxes. The money collected helps pay for a number of different things.
If you do not earn very much money, there is a way to get some of the tax money back. It is called the
Earned Income Tax Credit. It helps people who do not earn much money to pay much less in taxes each
year.
Many poor people do not know about this credit. They end up paying a lot more in taxes. But many of
them do not fill out and send in a tax return form. You must do this if you want to get the tax credit.
There are people who are trying to teach others about this tax credit. One person is paying for
announcements. These announcements explain how to get the tax credit. Many Latino families do not
know about this. Very few of them have received this credit.
Most people who do not owe large amounts of taxes usually do not send in a tax return form. The only
way to get the tax credit is to return this form. The money that pays for this credit comes from other
taxes that are collected.
Pool Scam
When it is hot outside, many people like to go swimming. One place to swim is in a pool in someone’s
backyard. Families like to have pools so everyone can cool off during the hot summer months.
Putting a pool in the backyard can be a lot of work. It takes a lot of equipment to put one in the ground.
A lot of supplies are needed to finish the job. It takes a lot of time from a number of workers to do the
job.
One person told people that he would build them a pool in their backyard. He had them pay him money
for the whole job. He started building the pool but never finished.
Many people now have part of a pool in their yard that is not done. Many had the pool started a long
time ago but the man never came back to finish it. The man is now in jail for taking their money and not
finishing the job.
The people who paid money to this man will not get their money back. Now they have to pay another

company to come in and finish their pool. They should have not paid all of the money to the man until
he was finished with the job.
Power Protest
The state of California has a problem. They can not produce enough electricity for everyone. Many
people want something done about it. The company that makes the electricity wants to charge people
more money for it.
Some people met to talk about the increase in the cost of electricity. Some people put their name on a
letter to protest it. Other people want to pay only part of their electric bill.
Some people who met want to stop paying so much money for electricity. They are afraid that they will
have to pay even more money later. They think that if they pay more now, the power company will
charge them more later.
The letter they signed went to the governor. They sent one to the power company as well. Most people
in California think that the problem with the power comes from the electric companies who want more
money.
President Asks People to Conserve Fuel
President Bush asked many people to help with a big oil problem. He said that recent storms showed
that we are not able to make enough gas and heating oil. The storms hurt some refineries that make gas
and oil from crude oil.
The President wants everyone to conserve gas by not driving as much. He would like more people to
use public transportation too. Doing this could really help.
President Bush said oil companies need to build new refineries. He believes that gas could cost more
money because there is not enough to sell to everyone who wants it. The President wants everyone to be
able to get the gas that they need.
The supply of gas has been hurt. President Bush said that he would open a supply of oil that is only for
emergencies. He also said that companies would not have to follow some rules about what they put in
the gasoline. Doing this should help to get gas where it is needed.
The hurricanes that hit the Gulf Coast hurt our ability to make and ship gas. Oil companies shut down
16 refineries before the storm. It takes time to get them going again, even if they are not hurt by the
storm. It takes more time to fix refineries that are damaged. The Gulf Coast supplies about one fourth
of the oil and gas that the United States needs.
Ready, Click, Spend!

Most Americans celebrate Thanksgiving. They share a festive meal, watch football, and enjoy each
other’s company. For some people, shopping is a big part of their Thanksgiving tradition as well.
For many years, the day after Thanksgiving has been the busiest shopping day of the year. Many stores
have sales on that day. Many people go to the sales so they can save money. The shoppers are looking
for bargains. This busy shopping day is called “Black Friday.”
Recently, researchers have noticed another busy shopping day. This day is a little different. It is the
busiest day of the year for online shopping. The Monday after Thanksgiving has become known as
“Cyber Monday.” On this day, more and more shoppers buy their holiday gifts online.
One organization took a survey. The survey found that 80 percent of Internet users buy gifts online.
Some cities have more online shoppers than others. The survey found that shoppers in one city will
spend one third of their holiday budget online.
But, most shoppers still do not want to buy online. They are afraid to use their credit card on a Website.
They fear that their credit card number will be stolen. They worry that retail Websites are not secure.
They are afraid that shopping sites could be hacked into. Their personal banking information could be
stolen. This is called fraud.
Shopping online is a new way for people to shop. An expert in preventing fraud says shoppers should be
careful. He says that online shoppers should use caution when they shop online. He has some helpful
tips to keep shoppers safe. If you decide to shop online, follow these rules:
First, don’t follow an email link to a shopping Website. The link could lead to a fake site. Type the
retailers’ address into your browser yourself. Also, make sure that you are shopping on a secure server.
You should see a little lock at the bottom of the screen. The picture means you are on a secure server
and it’s safe to shop. One last tip is to avoid using debit cards online. Credit cards are a safer choice.
The survey predicts that more people will shop online in the future. But holiday shoppers will still shop
in stores to find good bargains.
Save the Forest

A change is coming in the forest. Scientists are trying to make the logging companies stop clear cutting.
We have to protect the fish, wildlife, and water quality. They have value, too. The forest is a beautiful
place that people should be able to enjoy.
It changes everything when the all the trees are cut. The trees, animals, and water depend on each
other. Many plants and animals disappear. The water level in the ground changes. It can even affect
our climate.
This does not mean some of the trees cannot be cut. It just means all the trees in one place cannot be
cut at one time. It means that you plant new trees when the old ones are cut. When trees are cut in this
way, the land does not erode. The streams do not fill with dirt and the animals are not destroyed.
The industry is beginning to cut trees this way. They are leaving many dead trees so small animals will
have homes. They are leaving many trees alone to give shade and shelter for animals. This also means
that the forest's trees are not all the same kind. This seems very import to the survival of the forests.
Both the loggers and the forest scientists are trying to agree on things. They have to balance the lumber
we need with the forest's protection. A good rule seems to be not to cut more than you grow each year.
Sensible Driving Can Save Fuel

The price of gas has been going up. We do not know when it will end. Many people want to know how
they can conserve fuel. The best way to conserve fuel is to change driving habits.
The accelerator, or gas pedal, has a lot to do with how much gas you use. The faster you drive, the
more gas you use. Drivers should slow down a bit to conserve fuel. Driving at a steady speed helps to
save how much gas you use. Accelerating slowly to get to the speed you want to go helps conserve gas
too.

The more you drive your car, the more gas you use. Think about the places you need to go before
leaving your home. You should run as many errands that you need to do in one trip. Always try to pick
the shortest route when going somewhere.
Cars that are in good working condition use less fuel. Take care of your vehicle. Make sure the engine
is running well and is tuned-up often. Have a mechanic check it if something seems wrong.
Tires are important too. Keep the tires inflated properly on a car. It will help the vehicle roll better and
will get you better mileage. If a car's tires are worn then they should be replaced.
Finally, think about using your car less. Walk or ride a bike if you do not have far to go. Carpool or
take public transportation when you can. Leaving your car at home really saves gas.
There are many ways a person can conserve fuel. These are just a few ideas that can help you save
some money at the gas pump. Try changing the way you drive and see how much it saves you!
Some New Cars Save Gas

Gasoline prices are getting higher and higher. Drivers have to pay more to fill their cars with gas. The
prices make it hard for drivers to afford the fuel. Some drivers are looking for solutions. They want to
find a way to solve this problem. Car makers are also looking for was to lower gas prices.
One auto group hosted a special event. The event was designed to display new kinds of cars. The new
cars don’t run on gasoline. Their engines are different. They run on alternative fuels.
These new kinds of cars burn many different kinds of fuel. Some of these cars are called hybrids.
Hybrids run on a combination of gasoline and electricity. Other cars run on natural gas. Another kind
of car runs on a special fuel cell. The cell is filled with a gas called hydrogen. All of these cars use less
gasoline. That makes them less expensive for people to drive.
The fuel cell cars are also better in another way. They give off no emissions. They are very clean, and
don’t give off bad fumes when they run. Cars that run on gasoline give off harmful fumes. These fumes
pollute the air. Air pollution is very bad for the environment.
One man who makes fuel cell cars is excited about hydrogen fuel cell technology. He says we will never
run out of the source of the fuel, but we may run out of oil. Oil is a fossil fuel, and comes from deep in
the ground. Once we use it up, it will take millions of years for more oil to form. Since gasoline is made
from oil, that could be a problem for companies who make traditional cars, and for drivers. However, it
won’t be a problem for cars that run on fuel cells.
Many people are happy that they will have an alternative to gasoline cars, but they worry about the
cost of fuel cell cars. Right now they are very expensive. One man says that if he buys a fuel cell car, he
will have to drive it thousands of miles before he breaks even. Manufacturers say that fuel cell cars
won’t be affordable for about ten years.
The manufacturer says that fuel cell cars will save drivers money in another way. Drivers will have to
spend less money on maintenance. There are no big moving parts in the engine. If something goes
wrong, an owner can plug a laptop into to check it out. Most repairs will be made by computer
programs instead of mechanics.
Buses that run on hydrogen fuel cell power are being tested on the roads. They could become a
common form of transportation in the near future.

Sprewell Reinstated
A man who choked someone got his job back. He played basketball for a professional team. The league
told him he could not play after he hit and choked his coach. If he can stop from getting angry, the
player can play again.
The league made the decision to let him play again. He said that the team and the league can not
punish the player for the same act. Such a thing has never happened before.
Some people are not happy the player got his job back. The owner of the team was shocked. A league
leader said that in other jobs a person would get fired for choking his boss. A person on the street said
basketball players are paid to be role models. They should behave themselves.
Some people want him to come back. A player on the team said he would not mind if the player helps
the team win. Another player said the player got some money back but others will not respect him. A
person on the street thought that the coach was to blame.
The player had to stop playing for 68 days. It was the longest in basketball history. The team will have
to pay him the rest of his salary. He will lose more than six and a half million dollars.
Students Protest High Fees

Many students are unhappy. They are frustrated that the cost of going to a university in California is
going up. Some of the students are protesting.
One woman is very upset. She does not think students should have to pay more money. She said that the
university passed an agreement to increase tuition. She said that under the new agreement fees will
continue to rise until 2011.
The vote by the California State University board includes 23 college campuses. The cost for going to a
university has increased by 76 percent over the last four years. Increasing the cost to go to a university
will make it too hard for some students to stay in school.
One student said that he thinks the fee increases are going to force many people out of school. He
explained that it is already difficult to pay for food, bills, and housing. "You know the stories about
eating a lot of Top Ramen? Sometimes that's true. You've got to make do with what you've got," he said.
A spokesman from the University system said that they do not want to raise student fees. The system has
had $500 million in state funding cut over the last ten years. They need to raise fees so they will have
more money to pay for their costs. He also said that one big cost is the salary increase for faculty and
staff administration.
Administrators are saying that the increase in student fees helps to pay for teacher salaries. Instructors
say that is not true. They say that the law states that teacher salaries can not come from student fees.
The instructors say that their salary increases are not the reason that student fees have been raised.
That would be against the law.
Right now students pay about $3,300 a year for tuition. The increase will raise tuition to about $3,550
in September 2007. Students want the cost of education to be lowered. They believe that it should be
affordable.
Children From Russia Spend Summers in California

In the year 1986 there was a terrible explosion. The explosion was at a nuclear power plant in the
another country called Ukraine. The radiation caused a lot of damage. It contaminated the soil and
other things. People lived in the area when the explosion happened. Twenty years later those people are
still suffering. Effects from the explosion will go on for a long time.
Over two million people still live in the contaminated areas. Only 56 people died from the explosion but
many other problems have been caused because of it. Some types of cancer are more than 200 times
above world average. Many children have cancer now and birth defects have doubled since the
accident.
Some people in the United States are worried about the children living there. One group has been
trying to raise money. They are called the Chernobyl Children's Project. They want to bring children
from the Ukraine to the U.S. each summer.
A spokesperson for the group says that radiation is the highest in the summertime so it is a good time to
get the children out of the country. They want to help the children get away for a little while. The
Project wants them to be safe from radiation.
It costs $1,500 to bring each child to the United States for six weeks. The group raised enough money to
bring 28 children to the United States. They children were able to do lots of fun things. They enjoyed
clean air, healthy food, and plenty of outdoor fun.
One little nine year-old girl who got to come to the United States said that she likes America.
A spokesperson for the Project said that the children that come to America during the summer miss less
school when they return home.
Computers in the Classroom

Kids are going all over the world without ever leaving their school. They are using their computers. A
school in California could be the most wired school in America. They are wired to the Internet through
their computers.
Thirty students are able to use the Internet every day. The kids are between the grades of kindergarten
and fifth grade. The teacher says that it is hard to get them away from the computers. They do not even
want to go to recess.
Internet has opened the world to many people. Now students can go to any library on earth. They can
get information. They can visit a child in another country.
Laura Bacon likes to visit with other students. She's going to Peggy's page. Peggy is a school student in
London, England. She put her own home page on the Internet. It includes pictures of Peggy, her school,
her mom, dad and friends. You can send her mail, too.
A scientist helped to wire the school. He says, "There is a plan to connect 12 thousand California
schools to the Internet."
Wiring schools in California can cost a lot of money. It needs to be done on volunteer effort or schools
will not be able to afford it. They think that it will cost as much as fifty billion dollars.
Some people say that the money should be spent on teachers instead of computers. Some people say
that it would be worth it to wire all of the classrooms.
Dogs Help Children Become Better Readers

Dogs are a very popular pet in the Unites States. Most dogs just live with their families, but some dogs
have very special jobs to do. Some dogs help police find criminals. Other dogs are trained to sniff out
drugs or explosives. Some dogs assist people who are blind, deaf, or have trouble getting around.
Amazingly, some dogs can tell when their owner is about to have a seizure. They signal their owner to
lie down and be calm. Dogs that help their owners are called "Assistance Dogs."
A very special group of dogs are known as “Therapy Dogs.” These dogs are family pets with special
training. The training allows them to go into public buildings and comfort people in need. The dogs are
trained to be calm and quiet. Loud noises and unfamiliar places don’t frighten them. They enjoy
spending time with people.
Some therapy dogs go into places such as hospitals and nursing homes. When the patients visit with the
dogs, the patients are cheered up. They enjoy petting the dogs, and look forward to their visits. The
dogs help to brighten their day. Therapy dogs can improve people’s health, as well. Studies show that
when people pet animals, their blood pressure and heart rates go down. They are calmer, and their
mood improves.
Other therapy dogs work in schools and libraries. The serve as warm and caring friends to children,
but they also do more. In one town in California, therapy dogs have become children’s reading
buddies.
The dogs belong to a therapy dog group called PAWS for Healing. Eight of these special dogs have
been trained to be listening companions for young readers.
The local library is trying to encourage kids to enjoy reading more. The children are invited to meet at
the library. They are paired up with a PAWS therapy dog and can read to the dog.
The dogs make a great audience. They don’t judge a child who cannot read well, they just listen calmly.
The children can read at their own pace. The kids find it less intimidating than reading in front of their
class. Sometimes, reading in front of their peers makes kids nervous. The dogs are quiet and attentive.
They listen very well.
These therapy dogs are making a difference in the life of the children they visit. The children look
forward to reading to the dogs, and the dogs love the attention. The library and the teachers are very
happy with the program.
Free Food for Kids

Fun Reading Show

Knowing how to read is very important. Reading helps you understand things. Many people want to get
more children, adults, and families to read.
A special program was created to help others learn about reading. This program is a tour that goes to
different places. It gets people watching it to be a part of it.
The program puts on a show that is 20 minutes long. It has two funny people putting on a show. They
go to schools all over California and perform.
One of the things they do is a game show with someone in the audience. That person has to answer
questions about books and reading. They will win a prize if they get the questions right.
The show is part of a program that costs a lot of money. It wants to get as many people involved in
reading as they can. They will travel to many different places.
Google It!
The word “google” has many uses. It is an adjective, used to describe very large numbers. It is also a
proper noun. “Google” is the name of a popular Internet search engine. It also has a new meaning.
The writers of a new edition of a dictionary have used it as a verb. They list "google" as a verb. It
means to search the Internet. This makes terms like "google me" part of the English language. A person
could say "I wanted to know more about volcanoes so I googled it." "Google" is now an official part of
the English language. The dictionary's editors say that this just means that the public has adopted the
term.
"Google" is one of 100 new words that were included in the new dictionary. Many other words are
based on technology. "Mouse potato" is someone who spends a lot of time in front of a computer.
"Ringtone" is the sound of a cell phone ringing.
Many new technology words have become common. We use them every day and don’t even think about
them.
Governor Wants Kids to Eat Healthy

Many people are concerned about the health of children in this country. One big problem is that
children are becoming more overweight. Being overweight is a problem that costs money. People are
less productive when they weigh too much. They also have more health issues when they are
overweight.
One thing that makes people overweight is eating too much junk food. Chips, candy and sugary snacks
are called junk food. Junk food is not healthy for people. It can make them overweight. Most junk food
contains too much fat and sugar. When children have too much fat and sugar in their diets, they can
become overweight or even obese.
Teenagers and children eat a lot of junk food. Some studies say that teenagers drink soda every day and
eat too much fast food. They also eat a lot of junk food.
The governor of California wants children to be healthier. He held a special summit meeting to talk
about the problem. He invited several other health groups, as well as children. He talked to the
children about staying healthy. He asked them to exercise more and to stay away from junk food. The
governor also took a walk with the children. We wanted to show them that exercise can be fun. He
asked the students for a commitment to stay healthy.
The governor also signed a new law. It limits the sale of junk food and soda in school cafeterias.

Lawmakers hope that this new law will stop children from eating so much junk food. They hope this will
help make children healthier in the state.
Historic Letters Get Responses

Many years ago, an old woman named Peggy Ford wrote letters to some men. The men were soldiers
who were fighting in the Vietnam War. The soldiers were in combat, far way from their home. They
missed their families, and they liked to get the letters from Peggy. Peggy also kept the letters that the
soldiers wrote back to her.
Peggy Ford died more than 30 years ago. Earlier this year, Ford’s children discovered the letters in
her attic. They decided to donate the letters to a history museum. The museum is happy to have the
letters. They feel that the soldiers’ stories of the war are valuable. They tell the story of the war better
than anyone else could. The museum feels that it’s important to remember the war. The letters show a
personal perspective of the war. They are a valuable part of history.
A news station filmed a story about Peggy Ford and the letters. The story was posted on the internet.
Many people saw the story, and read about Ford’s letters to the soldiers. The story made other people
want to donate letters. Many people called the museum. They offered to donate their letters from that
era. One woman gave the museum more than 200 letters that she wrote to her husband while he was
stationed in Vietnam. She had saved them for many years. She thought others would be interested in
them.
Peggy Ford was a kind, caring woman. Her letters to the soldiers made them feel better. One woman
thinks Ford is an inspiration. She is urging others to write to soldiers in Iraq. She says that a letter
would bring a smile to a soldier’s face. Cookies and other treats could be sent with the letters. Small
gifts and letters would make the soldiers feel better. She plans to write many letters to soldiers, just as
Ford did many years ago. She believes that it’s important to say thank you to the soldiers. She thinks
the letters would be a good way to do that. She knows that the soldiers appreciate the letters.
The history museum is still interested in Vietnam-era letters written to or from soldiers. The workers
there suggest that people contact their local history center or museum if they have similar letters.
Letters like Peggy Ford's are considered pieces of history. They tell us about a time in history by the the
people living through it.
Judge Decides Part of Pledge is Unconstitutional

Some people do not believe in God. People who do not believe in God are called atheists. Some atheist
families are not happy that children recite the Pledge of Allegiance in public schools. They do not like it
because it refers to one nation “under God.” One atheist man filed a lawsuit on behalf of three
families. The lawsuit was filed to try to stop the Pledge of Allegiance from being recited in public
schools.
The atheist man filed a similar case on behalf of his daughter a while ago. He lost the case. The courts
thought that he might be right, but they decided not to rule. They said that it was unclear if he had legal
custody of his daughter.
This time a judge ruled that public school children should not be reciting the Pledge of Allegiance in
class. The judge said that it was unconstitutional. He agreed to sign a restraining order stating that
children could not recite the Pledge in the three school districts involved in the lawsuit.
The school districts were disappointed with the judge’s decision. They wanted there to be a full-court
review of the case. They said that they would continue to recite the Pledge of Allegiance until they were
ordered to stop.

Kids' Cafe
Every morning, kids from a local high school are working hard. They are making and selling special
coffee at a coffee cafe. They are also making a lot of money.
These students can make up to twelve hundred dollars a day. They are selling their special coffee to
airplane passengers. After the students get paid, the rest of the money goes to helping a local youth
project.
These high school students use a space in the Oakland airport. It is usually very crowded. Many people
who fly on the planes like to drink the special coffee.
One customer thinks that the coffee costs a lot but it is good and worth it. Most customers are pleasant
but some are unhappy. They do not like it if the coffee cafe is not open for business.
The students earn $6.10 an hour plus tips. They also get school credit while they learn how to run a
business. Many of the students enjoy the work although it took some time to learn how to do it.
They have to learn how to steam milk, load the pots, and add flavor. It takes some skill and sometimes
mistakes are made. The most common mistake is forgetting to add the coffee.

they leave.
California.
Lawmakers Pass a Drug Bill

The state Senate approved a bill for the governor to sign on Thursday. The creators of the bill want to
stop student athletes from using drugs.
The bill is called Senate Bill 37. It was introduced last year by a senator from San Francisco. If the
governor signs the bill, it becomes a law. The new law would make student athletes sign a promise. The
students would promise not to use drugs called steroids.
Steroids make some athletes faster and stronger. But, they are bad for the body. Part of the bill requires
that high school coaches be trained. Coaches and their athletes would be taught about the dangers of
steroids.
A bill similar to Senate Bill 37 was sent to the governor last year. The governor did not sign the other
bill.
Many high schools are in favor of the bill. They are teaching their coaches about drugs. Their students
have to sign an agreement not to use drugs.
An agency in charge of the rules for high school sports is also in favor of the bill. They think many
students use steroids. The agency has told high schools to do what the bill says by 2008.
Sheldon High School began to teach athletes and coaches about drugs. The high school also requires
signed promises from players. The players must promise not to take drugs. The Sheldon High football
coach thinks the bill is a good idea for the athletes.
Many other high schools are doing the same thing. They want to raise awareness about steriods. If
athletes learn about the drugs, they will know that they are bad for their bodies. People hope that this
bill will help end drug use.
Many Student Athletes Hurt Playing Football

Some parents worry about their kids playing sports. Many of them wonder if football is too dangerous.
At least two young football players have recently been hurt very badly.
Football is a contact sport. Football players can get hurt. One college football player said that he has
had four or five concussions. He also said that getting hurt is one of the risks players have to take.
A football coach said that players can be taught how to play safe. Playing safe can minimize the risk of
injury. Practice and good instruction are very important. The coach also said that life-threatening
injuries are rare.
Sometimes children are seriously hurt while playing a sport. They have to be taken to the hospital.
Football is not the sport that sends most kids to the hospital. Kids that are hurt while playing basketball
are sent to the hospital more often than those playing football. People can get hurt playing almost any
sport.
At least half of all sports injuries to children happen during practice, not games. Therefore, it is
important to always play safe.
Money Helps Teachers

Students have to take tests every year to see how much they are learning. Some schools do not do very
well on these tests. It can be hard for teachers to see their students not do well.

Many teachers at these low-performing schools get frustrated and quit. Some of them leave to teach at
schools where scores are usually higher. Other teachers look for jobs at schools that pay more money.
The leader of California recently signed a bill that he hopes will help struggling schools. The bill will
give money to teachers who take classes to learn more about teaching. They will also get more money if
they teach in the low-performing schools.
If a teacher is able to make test scores better he might get a bonus. This means that he would get extra
money for doing a great job. People hope that this will make teachers want to teach in schools that are
not doing as well as others.
The governor of California wants to help low-performing schools do better on these tests. Teachers are
needed to help this happen. Many people hope that this extra money will make teachers want to teach at
these schools.



serious.

and buy drugs.

learn.
Preschool Saves Money

A new study says that paying for preschool now will save much more money later. The study was done
by a corporation. This corporation does not favor any political party.
The study showed that kids who went to a good preschool did better later in school. They also found
that these kids did not get in as much trouble. Fewer kids who went to preschool also dropped out of
school. The study also showed that they did not commit as many crimes.
Another study showed that kids who went to preschool saved taxpayers’ money. It found that for every
dollar spent on preschool, $2.62 was saved later. They also discovered that we can spend less money
on special education or students repeating grades if we send our kids to preschool.
A man who makes films is trying to get people to make a law that would tax rich people to pay for
preschool programs. A group that does not think this would be fair says that there should be more
studies before making such a big tax.
School Deal
There is a district that takes care of many schools. They make decisions for lots of people. One decision
they made was not liked by all of the people.
In some of their schools, they sell drinks. These are soft drinks that are sold from a machine. This
district wanted to have Pepsi Cola the only soft drink in these machines.
The district knows that the selling of soft drinks will bring in a lot of money for them. They also will sell
bottled water. The machines will also have fruit juices.
But some parents do not like the plan. They think that ads will be allowed in the schools. They also
think that students who drink the soft drinks will not be very healthy. They are worried that the drinks
have too much sugar and no good calories.
Both sides want to keep talking about it. They are getting together to study the problem more. The
district will switch from Coca Cola to Pepsi Cola very soon.
School Nurse
School Tries Longer Day for Kids

One school district is trying something new. They are changing the amount of time their
kindergarteners are in school. Many kindergarten classes are only three and a half hours long each
day. This district is having their kindergarteners stay for five hours each day. The district will try this
for a while to see if it works well or not.
Teachers hope that this extra time will give students a chance to learn more. Teachers want their
kindergarteners to be able to read and do simple math problems before they go into first grade. They
think that this extra time in class will help the students.
Some school districts already have these longer days. Some schools still have the shorter days. This
district wants to try the longer days to see if it will help their students become better prepared for first
grade.

One parent thinks that her son is doing very well. She said that his writing really improved once his
school day got longer. She even said that his attention got better too.
Some people think that a full day of kindergarten is too long for such young children. They believe that
the kids get too tired. They do not think that kindergarteners should be in school for so long.
This school district is just trying out a longer day for kindergarteners. They want to see how much they
can teach the children in the longer day. They also want to see if it is too difficult for the kids to be
there for an extra hour and a half. They will decide later if they continue with the longer days or go
back to the way it was.
Schools Give Students Tools to Fight Back Against Bullies

Bullies are a big problem in schools. Every week, many children are afraid to go to school. They are
afraid they will be picked on by a bully. One study found that 52% of children reported being bullied at
least once a week. Sixty percent say that they know someone who could harm them. One student was
always being teased because he was short. He didn’t like to go to school because he had to face the
bullies.
Some children choose not to go to school at all so they can avoid the bullies. When they miss school,
students fall behind their classmates. A new program is helping put an end to this problem. The
program is teaching kids how to deal with bullies. This is helping more children feel safe in school.
One school principal is working to end this negative behavior. Last year, he decided to let students
know bullying is not allowed there. Students are now encouraged to report bullies and stand up for
themselves. Those found to be bullies face harsh penalties. Students at his school participate in a
program called “Be Bold.” In this program, students work together to prevent violence. They do skits
and go into classrooms to talk about the problem. They give other students strategies on how to deal
with bullies.
The principal says that the school has changed since he has addressed the bullying problem. But there
are other steps parents can take to help their children with this problem. First, students and their
parents should know the school's rules about bullying and what they should do if it happens. Second,
children should be taught to stand up for themselves. They should try to resolve issues by talking them
out. If the problem continues, parents and children should record each incident. Children should tell
someone if they are being picked on. Many children keep bullying a secret.
Parents should look for warning signs of bullying. These can include cuts and bruises, worrying,
wanting to stay home from school, or a sudden drop in grades.
Seven Year Old Boy Sets Swimming Record

A boy named Braxton is an excellent swimmer. He is seven years old. He holds the record for being the
youngest person to swim from Alcatraz to San Francisco’s Aquatic Park.
This second-grader read a magazine article. The article was about another boy who did the same swim.
That boy was nine-years-old when he did it. Braxton decided that he wanted to swim it too.
Braxton’s swim was 1.4 miles long. He did it with his coach and two other swimmers. A Coast Guard
boat was next to them also. When they finished, the boy became the youngest swimmer to ever make the
swim.
Braxton’s mother was not always excited about the idea of her son doing the swim. Once he proved that
he really wanted to do it she agreed. He trained two hours a day, four times a week.

Someone asked Braxton what the hardest part was about his record-breaking swim was. He said, “The
swimming.”
Student on Trial for Changing Grades

A young man is fighting to stay out of trouble. Authorities believe that he changed many grades through
a computer when he was in high school a year ago. This 19 year old faces 98 felony counts.
The young man’s attorney says that his client is innocent. He also says that he has alibis for most of the
dates when the crimes were committed. The school was broken into five times and the computer was
used to change grades. The young man claims that he was with people other places during those times.
As many as 84 grades were changed for at least 38 students. Administrators and prosecutors believe
that this young man changed nine of his own grades but also changed others to cover his tracks. The
attorney argued that lots of students had access to the classroom key and also knew the password
needed to change grades.
This young man already had good grades. His attorney says that he would not need to change them.
His overall grade point average was 3.76. Administrators said that these grades were not good enough
to get into the college of his choice. That is why they think he did it.
Two other people that were suspected of being involved in the crime blamed this young man. He says
that he is innocent. He has to go to court to see who the judge believes.
The young man was allowed to graduate from high school but could not go through ceremonies. He has
now finished his first year in college.
Authorities say that they are pursuing this case because they believe that the financial aid he got was
under false pretense. His transcripts were not good enough without his grades being changed.
He could be sentenced to the California Youth Authority until he is 21 if he is found guilty. This is the
first case that has gone to trial.
Students and Satellites

College students are making their own space satellites. One student holds a plastic satellite up above
her head. She tells everyone that it is ready go. It goes into a garbage can. The can is shaken by the
other students. This is to copy what it is like out in space. The can is then dropped to the floor.
The students show that their small satellites can work. They are built strong enough to survive being in
the garbage can. The teacher says that if the satellite is built right, it should not break apart. The
students are learning that when you launch something into space, you can not go up and fix it.
The students are learning how to build a good rocket to get their satellites to fly. The satellites must fly
or the students do not get a good grade. They are learning how to use wood, foam, glue and computer
parts to put together their satellites.
Two years ago the students started to build a real satellite which they hope to send up in space. The
student satellites will measure the Earth from space. The teacher says that new satellites will be
smaller. They will be built faster and be cheaper to build.
Students Protest High Fees

Many students are unhappy. They are frustrated that the cost of going to a university in California is
going up. Some of the students are protesting.
One woman is very upset. She does not think students should have to pay more money. She said that the
university passed an agreement to increase tuition. She said that under the new agreement fees will
continue to rise until 2011.
The vote by the California State University board includes 23 college campuses. The cost for going to a
university has increased by 76 percent over the last four years. Increasing the cost to go to a university
will make it too hard for some students to stay in school.
One student said that he thinks the fee increases are going to force many people out of school. He
explained that it is already difficult to pay for food, bills, and housing. "You know the stories about
eating a lot of Top Ramen? Sometimes that's true. You've got to make do with what you've got," he said.
A spokesman from the University system said that they do not want to raise student fees. The system has
had $500 million in state funding cut over the last ten years. They need to raise fees so they will have
more money to pay for their costs. He also said that one big cost is the salary increase for faculty and
staff administration.
Administrators are saying that the increase in student fees helps to pay for teacher salaries. Instructors
say that is not true. They say that the law states that teacher salaries can not come from student fees.
The instructors say that their salary increases are not the reason that student fees have been raised.
That would be against the law.
Right now students pay about $3,300 a year for tuition. The increase will raise tuition to about $3,550
in September 2007. Students want the cost of education to be lowered. They believe that it should be
affordable.
Students Sue Over Tuition

Lots of students go to college in California. Some of these students moved to California from other
states. These students have to pay more money attend school.
Other students that go to school in California came from other countries. Some of these students are
illegal immigrants. These students pay less money to go to college in California than the students that
moved from other states.
The out-of-state students have to pay between $10,000 to $20,000 a year more than the illegal
immigrants. They are not happy about this. They do not think that it is fair that they pay more money to
go to school. They are suing the state of California to try to change this.
One student that is paying the higher out-of-state fees said that he thinks that it is not fair that he has to
pay so much more money. He wants the laws to change.
Another student that is an illegal immigrant said that he could not afford to go to school if he had to
pay more money. He does not want the laws to change.
Out-of-state students are suing the state of California to try to get the laws changed. They want the cost
of going to college to be fair for everyone. They think that changing the laws would make this happen.
Teen Drinking

Some kids start to drink alcohol at a young age. They think it is part of becoming an adult. They also
think drinking is not that bad because so many people do it. They feel it is not as bad as taking drugs. It
is easy for kids to get liquor by using fake identification.
Parents may start to notice a change in their child’s behavior if the child starts drinking. Kids who
drink sometimes stop doing things they normally liked to do. They may keep telephone calls and
meetings a secret and not want anybody to touch their things. They act moody and do not have the same
eating and sleeping habits.
Parents need to stay involved in their kids’ lives. They should talk to their children about their
problems to be aware of any changes.
Parents can be the best protection. Children who get a lot of love can feel good about themselves. It
helps them resist doing bad things even when other kids are doing them. Parents can also help set a
good example by not drinking and driving. They can have firm rules in the home that everyone follows.
Give the children good ideas on how to say "no" to drinking, even when they are at a party. Try not to
overreact or panic if the child tries alcohol. How you handle it can affect their attitude. It may be
helpful to talk to other parents about setting up curfews and rules about parties or other events.
Too Many Students Enroll in Summer School

The Elk Grove High School has a problem. In that school district, too many students showed up for
summer school classes. Teachers were scrambling to register the students for classes. There wasn’t
room for all of the students. It was a very busy first day of summer school.
Many different subjects are taught during summer school. On the first morning, the school suddenly
realized they had a problem. They didn’t have enough teachers for all of the classes. Students want to
take many different subjects in summer school. These subjects include math, English, science and gym.
The subjects that the school can offer depend on how many teachers they have. Teachers are not
required to teach during the summer. Some teachers want to earn some extra money. They teach
summer school.
School officials did not expect so many students to show up for summer school. About three thousand
kids arrived on the first morning. Many more students were not enrolled. They showed up anyway. The
extra students surprised the principal.

Many students spent four hours in the school gym. They were waiting to be assigned classes. This made
many of the students unhappy. One student suggested that some students should go to a different
school. He was concerned that he wouldn’t get his classes. A mother was angry that her son didn’t get
the classes that he registered for. She said that he enrolled three months ago. Instead of history, her son
was enrolled in gym. Her son was happy about it, however. He knew that he wouldn’t have any
homework! His mother wants a better system for summer school. She said that the schools are new.
They have new technology. They should have a more efficient plan.
Students take summer school classes for many reasons. Some are trying to improve a grade. Some are
preparing to take a special exam. Students must pass this exam to graduate from high school. The exam
is a new requirement for graduation in California. Many of the students needed these summer school
classes in order to graduate. They were out of luck.
Next year, the district wants to improve their summer school system. They will consider offering
summer school classes at each school site.
University Students Not Allowed to Drink Alcohol

Some college students drink too much alcohol at school. Many of them live on the campus. Heavy
drinking has caused many problems. It can cause students to make bad choices and do dangerous
things.
One college has decided to ban alcohol. It has gotten a reputation as a party school. Five students at
the college have died from drinking too much alcohol. Recently, one student drank too much vodka. He
slipped into a coma. The college hopes the new rule will prevent any more tragedies.
The new rule prohibits students from drinking alcohol in the dorms. The first time a student breaks the
rule they will receive a warning. If they break the rule again, they will be evicted from the dorm.
However, they will still have to pay for the dorm. Some students do not live on the campus. They live in
houses near the campus. Those students are also banned from drinking alcohol, even if they are of legal
age.
Freshmen at the college are now required to take a special course. The course is called AlcoholEdu,
and lasts for two and a half hours. The students learn about the dangers of alcohol. They also take a
survey to find out how much they know about alcohol. All first-year students must pass the course.
The college hopes that more information will help students make better choices.
Youth Programs May Be Cut

One county is facing severe budget cuts. These cuts could impact young people. Funding may be
eliminated for youth centers in the county. This would leave young people with no place to go after
school.
Many youth centers are expected to be closed by the end of the summer. People who operate the centers
are worried. They say that the programs combined serve more than one thousand kids. County
supervisors have to cut a large amount of money from the county’s recreation budget. A plan was
presented that would give more money to the teen centers. Voters did not pass it. Police and firefighter
budgets were also cut.
Teenagers at one facility are disappointed. They complain that they will have no place to go. These
centers are important to them. They can get help with their homework, play games, and get to know
other kids. These activities are supervised by an adult. One student said he got F’s in school before he
started going to the center. Now he has raised his grades up to C's.

Parents feel that reducing these teen programs will hurt their children. One parent says that he sees
kids get into trouble if they have nothing to do. Hey says that they write graffiti on the walls. They
vandalize the schools. Closing the teen centers will give them more time to do these things.
The centers are safe places for kids to hang out. Kids can also learn a lot at the centers, too. Programs
about healthy eating and staying fit are offered. Also, kids learn about ways to prevent teen pregnancy.
Both parents and teenagers are upset about the closings.
121. Civil Service

Civil service offers jobs to thousands of men and women. They work at many different levels of the
government. The levels are city, county, state, and federal.
All areas of civil service work on the merit system. This system is set up to protect the employee. It is
meant to have each job filled by the people best qualified to have them.
The merit system makes sure each employee gets equal and fair pay. Training is provided for those who
need it. Fair treatment will be given to all no matter who they are.
Many kinds of jobs are available through civil service. Some of these jobs could be clerks, cabinet
makers, painters, law enforcement, and mail delivery.
A problem with trying to get a civil service job is that it takes a long time to get placed in a job. Another
problem is that applying for a job can be time consuming. However, once you get a civil service job,
you will be secure in the job for a long time, as long as you work hard.
122. County Starts Using Electric Buses

A city in California recently got some new buses. They cost $490,000 each. The new buses are different
than the old ones.
These new buses are better for the environment. They are called hybrid buses. They run on diesel and
electric power. This will help keep the air cleaner.
One bus driver said that the air smells much cleaner when he drives the new buses. He smells diesel all
day when he drives the old ones.
The company that builds the buses had many good things to say about them. For example, they said
that they use a lot less fuel. They also said that they are 90 percent cleaner for the environment. The
buses are very quiet too.
The buses have a diesel engine in the back and batteries on top. When the engine starts-up it is powered
by electricity. Then the diesel power takes over. The motor recharges the batteries.
Over time the city would like to replace all 50 of their buses with the new hybrid buses. They hope to do
this over the next three years. The city has had help purchasing the buses with grant money.
123. Disc Jockey Threatens Lives

Many people listen to a specific radio station. One morning listeners heard more than just music. They
heard the disc jockey threaten himself and others.
People who work at the radio station called the police. They got worried when they heard the disc
jockey talking about a fight he had with his wife. He was talking about it while he was on the air.
The police wanted to calm the man down. They needed to be very careful. The man's young son was in
the building.
Officers talked to the man. He quickly walked out of his booth. He was taken to the police station.
Nobody was hurt. The little boy was fine. People just got worried and wanted to make sure everyone
would stay safe.
Farmers and the Weather

The weather is very important to farmers. This time of year seems to be cooler than usual. This change
is nice for some farmers but causes worry for others.
One man who grows grapes said that he welcomed the cooler weather. It was giving him and his
workers extra time to bottle their wine. Usually they would still be picking grapes this time of year.
Other farmers are not quite as happy. The possible rain can cause a lot of damage to their crops. Food
that is not picked right away can often rot.
Farmers are usually on a very strict schedule. They need to get all of their food picked before the
weather gets bad. When the rains start early it can ruin a lot of their crops.
It seems that some farmers are happy about the cooler weather and others are concerned. It has been a
nice relief for a few of them. For others, they hope that the rain will not start because it could ruin
many of their crops.
Farmers Plant Different Crops

Some farmers are having a hard time picking their crops. There are not enough workers to help them
with the harvest.
One farmer used to grow peaches, but will soon switch to growing almonds. Peaches require more
labor to harvest. They are fragile, and must be picked by hand. Machines would damage the ripe
peaches. Then the farmer could not sell them. He is using a bulldozer to remove his peach trees. Then
he will plant almond trees in their place.
Almonds are harvested differently. It does not take as many workers to pick them because a machine
shakes the almond trees. The almonds fall on the ground and then are gathered up. The farmer does not
have to hire many workers to pick the almonds off the trees.
Some farmers think there are two reasons why there is a shortage of farm workers. One reason is that
there are a lot of construction jobs in the area. These jobs pay higher wages. Many workers are taking
construction jobs instead of picking fruit.
Another reason is that it has become more difficult to cross the border from Mexico into California.
Many farm workers come from Mexico. Fewer are able to cross the border in order to work on the fruit
farms.
One solution might be to allow Mexican workers to work here as guests. That would help them to
provide for their family and help farmers harvest their crops.

Farmers say that unless things change, more produce will come from other countries. This is because
labor is cheaper in other nations than it is in the United States.
Guest Worker Program

Farmers need lots of workers to help them on their farms. They often hire people from Mexico to do
work. People that the farmers hire are all supposed to be citizens of the United States.
A citizen is a person that legally lives in a country. It is against the law to hire workers that are not
citizens. Sometimes illegal citizens are hired anyway. They will work for less money.
Farmers say that it can be hard to tell if a person is an illegal worker. Papers that prove a person is a
citizen often look real even if they are not. Some farmers do not care if their workers are illegal. Hiring
illegal workers saves them money.
Many farmers want a deal to be made. The deal would be between Mexico and the United States. It
would be called a “Guest Worker” program. This program would help both the farmers and workers. It
would let them legally work together.
Farmers in California need lots of workers. Lots of people in Mexico want to work in California.
Farmers hope that the United States and Mexico will start a “Guest Worker” program. This program
would make working together legal for everyone.
Kids' Cafe
Every morning, kids from a local high school are working hard. They are making and selling special
coffee at a coffee cafe. They are also making a lot of money.
These students can make up to twelve hundred dollars a day. They are selling their special coffee to
airplane passengers. After the students get paid, the rest of the money goes to helping a local youth
project.
These high school students use a space in the Oakland airport. It is usually very crowded. Many people
who fly on the planes like to drink the special coffee.
One customer thinks that the coffee costs a lot but it is good and worth it. Most customers are pleasant
but some are unhappy. They do not like it if the coffee cafe is not open for business.
The students earn $6.10 an hour plus tips. They also get school credit while they learn how to run a
business. Many of the students enjoy the work although it took some time to learn how to do it.
They have to learn how to steam milk, load the pots, and add flavor. It takes some skill and sometimes
mistakes are made. The most common mistake is forgetting to add the coffee.
Looking for a Job

Are you looking for a job? More and more people are looking for work. Also, more people are
changing jobs as job markets change. How do you find out about new jobs? Besides the local
newspaper, there are many places to check for more information on possible jobs.
Public libraries in most towns and cities have information about jobs and different careers. This
information includes lists of local, state, and federal government job opportunities. The information
tells you how to apply for the jobs.

Government offices provide services in locating jobs. Federal, state, and local governments offer many
civil service job opportunities. Civil service jobs are jobs with the federal, state, or local government
like forest rangers, post office clerks, and highway workers.
Many businesses hire workers through employment agencies. Employment agencies handle both
temporary and permanent jobs. Many employment agencies list jobs in the want ad section of
newspapers. You can also find the names of employment agencies in the telephone directory.
Employment agencies usually charge a fee.
Your friends and relatives who are working are another source to learn about jobs. They can tell you
about job openings where they are working or about other jobs.
Man Answers Email

A computer company has a special person who answers all questions that are sent to him. The person is
a 63 year old man. He is known for always finding the right answers. On the Internet, more people are
finding out about this smart man.
He does not look like a computer expert. He has silver hair and is gentle. He feels that his age helps
him with his job. He remembers a lot of things people ask about. He says that every day is different, so
he is never bored.
He tries to return the answers within 24 hours. He will answer any questions that he can. The questions
he gets are very different each day. He loves his job.
Other companies do not have a place for people to ask questions. If they do, it may take a long time to
get an answer. Sometimes you may never get an answer at all.
It is important for companies to have a person who will answer your questions. It keeps the customers
happy. Happy customers will keep coming back.

living there.
place.

this problem.
No Strike
More than 2000 San Joaquin County workers planned a strike. Workers strike because they want
change. Often, they want more money or changes in their work place.
The strike did not happen because the union and the county reached an agreement in time. Both sides
say there are details to settle before the contract is final. Because there was no strike, people can get
services at the hospital, the courthouse, and other county offices.
Old Ranger
Carl Sharsmith loves the mountains. Carl is a park ranger in Yosemite National Park. He has worked
for 63 years in the park.
Carl wakes up every morning at 6:00 a.m. His cabin door looks out toward the top of a mountain. At
ninety years old, Carl is the oldest park ranger.
Ranger Carl likes to walk in his favorite meadow. Many visitors have walked with him over the years.
He points out wild berries and onions. He tells people stories about the beauty of the high country.
Other rangers say Carl helps the visitors feel good about being there. Even though he has seen things
at the park, he believes it is a miracle.
There is a book about Carl. It is called Mountain Sage. It tells about Carl's love of the meadows he
cares for. He tries to show the meadows to everyone who visits.
Police Officers Needed

Police departments need more officers. They are trying to hire more people to work for them. They are
having a hard time finding good workers.
One reason is money. New police officers do not make much money compared to other jobs. Many
people that might want to become police officers choose other jobs because they will make more money.
Another reason police departments are having a difficult time is that it can be hard to qualify for the
job. People that are trying to become officers need to pass many tests. These tests are not always easy.
One of the tests given is to see how honest the applicants are. These people also have to take drug tests.
Many of them do not pass these tests.
Lots of people that want to become police officers are not qualified for the job. They cannot pass all of
the tests. Many different departments try to get the few qualified applicants to work for them.
Relief Group Sends Supplies

Three men wanted to help survivors who lost their homes in a hurricane. They asked people who lived
in their area to help too. People donated food, water, and even medicines. They collected a lot of
supplies to send to the Gulf Coast.
The men who started collecting were ready to send supplies after five days. They loaded a semi-truck
with food, medicine and other things. The first truck was sent to Louisiana to help people who had lost
their belongings and homes. It took the truck about a day and a half to get there from California.
Seven more trucks were loaded and made ready. The trucks were sent to states that were damaged by
Hurricane Katrina. Those states are Louisiana, Alabama, and Mississippi. The supplies will be given to
people who survived the hurricane.
Chris Snow is a volunteer who is loading supplies into the trucks. He was asked why he was helping.
He said, "It's a disaster and everybody needs to jump in and help."
Roads Being Fixed After Rainy Weather

There have been many weeks of rainy weather in one area of California. The rain has a tendency to
seep into the cracks of the road. When cars and trucks drive on these wet roads it breaks down the
base. This causes potholes to develop.
Potholes can cause a lot of damage to cars. Auto repair experts said the holes in the roads have been
causing more damage than usual to cars. They said that they have already seen many bent and cracked
wheels.
The rain has caused over $70 million in damage to roads in California in just one month. When the
rain finally stopped for a bit, many workers began trying to patch the holes in the roads.
One area actually lost a 40-foot section of road. The heavy rains washed it away. Crews have been
working hard to try to fix it.
A new lane is being built around the damaged area. People will have to use this for a little while.
Permanent repairs will begin later in the year.
Sprewell Reinstated
A man who choked someone got his job back. He played basketball for a professional team. The league
told him he could not play after he hit and choked his coach. If he can stop from getting angry, the
player can play again.
The league made the decision to let him play again. He said that the team and the league can not
punish the player for the same act. Such a thing has never happened before.
Some people are not happy the player got his job back. The owner of the team was shocked. A league
leader said that in other jobs a person would get fired for choking his boss. A person on the street said
basketball players are paid to be role models. They should behave themselves.
Some people want him to come back. A player on the team said he would not mind if the player helps
the team win. Another player said the player got some money back but others will not respect him. A
person on the street thought that the coach was to blame.
The player had to stop playing for 68 days. It was the longest in basketball history. The team will have
to pay him the rest of his salary. He will lose more than six and a half million dollars.

Stolen Identity Blocks New Job
A young woman was having trouble getting a credit card. She was rejected many times. Then she
applied for a new job. She was turned down again. Then the reason became clear. She had become the
victim of identity theft. She found out that three different people were using her Social Security number.
She discovered this when she applied for a job at a new Target store.
Some employers are checking credit reports before they hire people. They also use background checks.
When Target checked on the woman’s credit history, they found a problem. Target did not hire her. But
the law said that they had to tell her why. They told her she was a fraud risk.
A lawyer who specializes in workplace law said that credit reports help employers hire good people.
The reports help weed out dishonest or unreliable job applicants.
Now the woman knows about her identity theft. She can solve her problem. She must order copies of her
credit reports. The she must make corrections and send them back. A law says that the three major
credit bureaus must give people credit reports for free. They have to do this once per year. Consumers
can order these reports online.
The woman may have some good news. Target told her they would reconsider her for the job. She has
to give them a letter from the Social Security office. The letter should verify who she is. She may be able
to get a job after all.
Team Player
When you are working at a job, it is important to be a "team player." A team player works well with the
other people on the job. Employers like when their employees get along and still get the job done.
There are many things you can do to be a good team player. When working with others, be willing to
compromise. Think of ways to solve problems. Do not demand that your ideas are used.
Show loyalty to your team. Be committed to the team's growth and improvement. Think of ways to help
your team meet its goals.
Find a way to work in different conditions. Adapt to change in your work setting. Be responsible and
accept new ways of doing your job.
If you do these things, you will be a better team member. Your employer will appreciate your good
work.
Truck Drivers Might Strike

Truck drivers deliver food to grocery stores. Some drivers that deliver to one grocery store are not
happy. They want a new contract.
A contract is an agreement between two groups. The truck drivers want the grocery store to agree to
some things or they might stop taking them their food. If the drivers stop working they will be on strike.
The truck drivers want some changes to be made. They want to be paid more money. They also want
working conditions to be safer and to be treated better.
If the truck drivers go on strike the grocery store might not get all of their supplies. This means that the
shelves in the grocery store might not be as full. Customers will not have as many things to buy.

The truck drivers hope that the grocery store will agree to a new contract. Drivers say that if things do
not get better they might go on strike. If drivers go on strike the grocery store shelves will not be as full
as customers are used to seeing.
W-4 Form
When you are hired for a job, you will fill out a W-4 form. This form tells your employer how much
money to withhold from your paycheck. This money is for state and federal taxes.
The amount withheld depends on several things: how much money you earn, the number of dependents
you have, and if you are over 65 years old or blind. People who live with you and that you take care of
are called dependents. These people are counted as “exemptions” on the W-4 form.
The number of exemptions you claim can change. It can change if you get married or divorced. If you
have a baby or a dependent dies, it can also change. If your dependent stops living with you, your
exemptions can change too.
When you claim the correct number of exemptions, you pay the right amount of tax. If you claim too
many exemptions, you will pay more taxes in April. If you don’t claim enough exemptions, more taxes
will be taken from your check. You will get a tax refund after April.
Workers Protest
Many employees of the state are getting together to protest the way they are treated at work. These
people are not happy. They feel that minorities are being discriminated against.
This group of people says that minorities are not being treated fairly at work. They think that minorities
are accused of doing things wrong more often than other people. They also feel that workers are getting
in trouble if they file complaints.
One woman who worked for the state for fifteen years was fired. She does not think that she should
have lost her job. This woman is angry and feels that she was discriminated against because of her
race.
When people were running for the office of governor one man spoke about taking care of racial
discrimination. Many minorities liked what he had to say and voted for him. This man became governor
but many minorities do not feel he has done anything to help them.
This group of people is very unhappy about their working conditions. They do not feel that they are
being treated fairly. They gathered to protest what they are calling discrimination against minorities in
the workplace.
BART Strike
The Bay Area Rapid Transit (BART) workers in San Francisco went on strike. They are some of the
highest paid transit workers in the country. They want raises of 5% to 6%. BART managers say they
can only pay a 3% raise.
BART's 93 miles of track and 56 trains serve the whole San Francisco Bay Area. None of the trains will
run during the strike. Managers will not use substitute drivers.
The strike added 275,000 extra commuters to the rush hour traffic. Rush hour took 6 hours instead of 2
hours. There were not enough parking spaces for all the cars.

People used many ways to get into San Francisco. They formed car pools. They rode buses. They took
ferries.
Union leaders and BART managers were trying to settle the strike. They met with the mayor. They
talked all night. But after three days they still had not settled the strike.
911 Calls
People can call 911 when they need help. The police will come quickly. This phone number should be
used only in an emergency.
There have been some problems with people using the 911 phone number. More than half of the calls
made to it are accidental. These accidental calls are not real emergencies.
Calling 911 when you do not need it can be very bad. It wastes the time of the people answering the
calls. It can even force someone who has a real emergency to wait before getting the help they need.
Many accidental 911 calls come from cell phones. Keys are sometimes pushed and the call goes
through without the owner of the phone knowing that he has called in an emergency. A group of people
is trying to find a way to fix this problem.
One area is trying a new program that might help solve the problem of accidental 911 calls. This
program will make callers of 911 calls push another key on the phone if it is a real emergency. People
hope that change will reduce the number of accidental 911 calls going through.
Baby Born at Train Station - Sisters Follow at Hospital

One day a woman was waiting for a train at the train station. She was pregnant with triplets and was
on her way to her doctor’s office. As she walked up the stairwell, she felt the first contractions start.
She knew she was going to have the baby there. She could not wait for the train to take her to her
doctor’s office.
A history teacher also happened to be at the train station. He rushed over to help her. He took off his
shirt and caught the first baby as it was born. He used his shirt to wrap up the baby. The baby was a
very tiny baby girl. She only weighed three pounds.
The man called the paramedics to come help the woman and take her to a hospital so that she could
deliver the other two babies with the help of doctors and nurses.
When paramedics arrived, they rushed the baby to an Oakland hospital. They put the mother in another
ambulance and took her to a different hospital so that she could deliver the other babies. The doctors
delivered the babies by doing surgery on the mother. The other two babies were also little girls.
The babies were too young to be able to swallow their food, so doctors and nurses were feeding them
through a special tube. The impatient babies and their mother are all doing well.
Birds of Alcatraz
Alcatraz Island used to be a prison. Prisoners like Al Capone and Scarface used to live there. The
people who ran the prison used to chase birds away. Now thousands of birds live there.
Now the island is a National Park. More than a million visitors come to see and hear about prison
history and see the ruins. They also see white bird droppings. They hear gulls screeching.

The visitors do not all agree about the birds. Bird lovers think they are wonderful. Other visitors
complain about dodging bird droppings. They don't like stepping in it. They say it is scary. They want
the National Park Service to clean up the bird droppings.
The National Park Service does not chase the birds away. They have to choose between saving the
buildings of the prison or saving the habitat of the birds. They say there haven't been any complaints
from visitors about the bird droppings. They say the bird droppings come with the island. There is no
water to wash it away.
Visitors to Alcatraz get two for the price of one. They get prison history. They get a bird sanctuary. But
they need to wear a hat!
City Pays Late Utility Bills

Utility bills are the bills you pay for things like gas and electricity. Gas and electricity are what heat
and cool your home. They also give you light. It is important to pay your utility bills. If you do not pay
your bills the services will be turned off.
One local apartment complex had its gas and electricity turned off. People living there thought that
there was problem with the equipment. They had no electricity, hot water, or air conditioning. They
were very upset when they found out why it was all shut off.
The man in charge of the seventy apartments did not pay the utility bill. This was not the first time it
happened. The city already had to pay the bill two other times. If the city did not pay the bill, the
tenants would not have any power.
The tenants needed their power to be turned back on. The utility company said that it might be a day
before that could be done. The tenants were very frustrated.
The landlord was asked why he had not paid the bill. He said that there was a mix-up. He also said that
the apartments would be going up for sale. The city will be able to collect their $50,000 in unpaid bills
when the complex sells.
Council May Purchase Needles

A city council has decided to write a new law. The law would allow drug stores to sell syringes. The
council also thought about a needle exchange program. They approved money to study it.
Syringes are also called hypodermic needles. They are very helpful to some people. Some people use
them to take medicine that they need to stay alive. The syringe injects the medicine into a vein. This
helps the body to use the medicine better.
Right now, people need a prescription to buy syringes. This is because some people use them to take
illegal drugs. It’s hard to buy syringes, so drug users often share needles with each other. They would
also use the same need over and over. This is dangerous because used needles are not clean. They
spread diseases from one person to the next. People who share needles can catch terrible diseases such
as HIV. The disease is passed from one user to the next through the needle. Some think that there are
15,000 drug users who use needles in the county.
Some people agree with the council. They think that if needles are easier to get, this will stop. Drug
users will not share their dirty needles if they have a good supply of clean ones. This might help stop
the spread of diseases.
Opponents of the needle program don’t agree. They think needles should be regulated. They believe

selling needles will condone drug use. They think this is the wrong approach. Some police officers think
drug users need to get off drugs. Making needles easier to get will not give the users an incentive to
quit. Selling needles could result in more needles thrown away with the trash. This could endanger
workers. They could get stuck with a needle. The dirty needles could infect them with diseases.
If the law is passed, pharmacies could choose whether or not to participate. If they do, they would have
to register with the County Health Officer. The County Health Officer would manage the program.
A similar proposal did not pass last year. But many other cities and counties have needle exchange
programs.
County Gets Ready for Emergency

San Joaquin County has flooded in the past. The people there know it could happen again. A person
who works for the county says they are ready for the worst to happen. His name is Ron Baldwin. He is
in charge of emergencies when they happen. He said that good organization is needed during a flood.
Stockton had a very bad flood a long time ago. Manteca had a flood emergency a few years ago. They
are both towns in San Joaquin County. Mr. Baldwin is not worried if there is another flood. He thinks
everything will be alright as long as everyone does a good job.
Mr. Baldwin believes the way California handles disasters is a good one. He also thinks it is up to local
agencies to find out what is needed. They have to tell the state what supplies are necessary. They need
tell the state where to send the supplies.
People need to know when there is an emergency. They need to be warned. People can be given
warnings over the radio. They are also warned over the television.
Mr. Baldwin also said more work needs to be done in an emergency. One thing he is worried about is
how to evacuate people from towns. People need to know where to go if they have to leave their homes.
If people need to relocate there is no plan in place. There are warehouses that might be available. The
state fairgrounds are another place for people to go.
He is going to try very hard to make a plan that works well.
Couple Adopts Children

A family went from zero to six children in one day. Sarah and Jim Cole adopted six brothers and sisters
from the same family. On adoption day, they went on TV and then to the courthouse to sign papers.
Four years ago, government workers took all six children away from their real parents. They said the
parents were not taking care of them. They split the children up among three foster homes. This upset
the children very much.
At first, the Coles wanted to take only two children. But the government workers wanted all the brothers
and sisters together again. Finally the Coles agreed to take all of them.
It was hard in the beginning. But it slowly got easier. The children got older. The Coles got used to
taking care of six children.
The Coles are not rich people. The government has a program to help people who adopt children. They
pay them money for each child each month.

The children are happy to be with the Coles. They are getting to know each other again. They are not
afraid of being taken away and split up again.
Crabs Cause Problems

Some crabs are causing many problems for rivers and streams. People are worried. They are trying to
find ways to get rid of them.
These crabs are said to be a special food in China. Some people think that they were brought from
China to California about ten years ago. Since then there are many more of these crabs.
These crabs are making the sides of rivers and streams weak. This can be very dangerous. If the sides
of the rivers and streams get too weak they can break and cause flooding.
People are trying to find ways to keep the crabs out of certain areas. They are using screens to do this.
The screens are big enough to let fish through but small enough to block the crabs.
Other people are collecting the crabs. They want to learn more about them. They hope to find a way to
keep them from having babies.
Crisis Nursery
Being a parent is hard work. There are many things to think about. There are many things that can go
wrong. Sometimes it is too much to handle.
There is now a place where parents can get help if they need it. No one wants to see children get hurt.
Parents can leave their children at a nursery while they get help. There are many people to help out at
the nursery so the children are safe.
Sometimes parents have a hard time dealing with everything. When it becomes hard for the parents,
they can sometimes take it out on their children. When a child might be hurt, there is a place that will
take the child. This place will keep them until it is safe for them to go home.
One mother was using drugs and alcohol. She decided that her daughter could be suffering from this.
While the mother got help, the child stayed at the nursery. Many people were able to help the mother.
The mother and daughter will be able to start a new life.
Defenders of Foster Children Gather at State Capitol

People who try to help foster youth met at the State Capitol. They gave the governor’s office 200
postcards. The postcards were asking that two pending bills be signed.
One of the bills that they wanted the governor to sign would help foster youth receive money and other
services from the state. It would also allow children to stay in foster care longer. If a foster child was
getting their high school equivalency certificate they could stay in foster care until they were older than
18. Right now, the law only allows foster children to remain in the system if they are trying to get their
high school diploma.
One man said that this law would have really helped him when he was in foster care. He had to take a
lot of extra classes and also go to night school to finish in time.
The other bill would give foster youth the right to help make decisions that concerned themselves. It
would let them have a say in what they wanted.

Followup:
found.
saved.
Earthquake Exhibit at Now Open at State Capitol

One hundred years ago a tragedy happened in San Francisco. A huge earthquake damaged much of the
city. Then a big fire swept through the city. Many buildings burned down. Hundreds of people were
killed.
Thousands of people lost their homes. They had to leave the city. They went to another large town. The
town welcomed them and gave them shelter. The refugees stayed at rail yards. Special centers were set
up to help the people. Trains delivered supplies to the damaged city. These supplies helped the
survivors of the earthquake.
A museum about the disaster is open at the State Capitol. Visitors can see many artifacts. They can also
watch a movie about the earthquake. Accounts of the disaster will also be told. The museum will stay
open for one year.
The people who set up the display say they want to help people remember the earthquake. They also
want people to know that it could happen again. Scientists say another large quake will happen near
San Francisco. They do not know when.

Energy Changes in California?
Almost twenty years ago the people of California took a vote. They voted to close their nuclear power
plant. Today there is a group that thinks nuclear energy is a wonderful thing. They want to build a new
one. They want to build this one in a different area of California.
There is a man leading the nuclear energy group. He says that a new nuclear power plant would be
good. He thinks that the people would benefit by having one. Other people agree with him. They say
that Californians should think about using nuclear energy. They believe that it is a clean alternative to
using fossil fuels.
Maybe California should be looking for other ways of producing energy. Some groups do not think that
nuclear energy is the way to go. Others think it is a good idea.
Trying to use nuclear power in California could be difficult. Right now laws say that new nuclear
power facilities can not be built. The federal government will first have to build a place to store spent
fuel rods. A man who works for the government is trying to get that changed. He thinks California
should give nuclear power another try.
Fire in Colorado
Firefighters have had a hard time putting out a big fire near Boulder, Colorado.
It took firefighters a long time to control the fire. It was very windy. One firefighter said that the winds
can blow the fire out of the area very easily.
The fire destroyed 65 homes. During the worst part of the fire, people were asked to leave their homes.
Police were worried that the empty homes might be looted. They checked every car going in and out of
the fire area.
One family returned to their home to find that only a small part of it had been hurt by the blaze. They
felt very lucky to be able to repair the damage. The fire had come so close to their house that the girl
had to run out with only her teddy bear.
Another family lost only their outdoor toilet. Their cabin had no indoor plumbing so their outhouse was
in the yard. They were thankful their home was not burned down.
Floods of '97
The winter storms brought a lot of snow and rain. In Seattle, a roof fell down because of the heavy
snow on top of it. People under the roof were very scared.
It was very hard for the police and fire fighters to go to the places that needed them. The roads were
hard to travel on because of the snow. Many people could not get to their homes.
One woman had a hard time driving. All of the snow and rain made people stay indoors. It was quiet on
the downtown streets.
This storm brought up to ten inches of snow. It destroyed a lot of homes and buildings. No one knows
how much money it will take to fix it all. Many people think it will cost a lot.
Foster Children

When children can no longer stay at home, they are moved to another home. This home is known as a
foster home. The child becomes a foster child.
Now there are many foster children living in Sacramento. There are not enough foster homes for these
children. There needs to be more places for foster children to live.
There are children who need more help than their parents can give them. Sometimes a parent is not
able to take care of them properly. Sometimes the child needs to be removed from the home to keep
them safe.
The county has a way to watch over the children who need a new home. They will remove the children
and put them in a foster home. When there are not enough foster homes in the county, they have to be
moved far away.
There is a place that takes in foster children. They are trying to raise money to build more homes. They
are also trying to add more special places like a nursery and a resource center.
Free Food for Kids

Free Gun Locks

A man from a church wants to help save lives. He learned that many young people were using guns. He
was worried.
Some kids hurt people with guns. Other kids injure themselves with guns. Guns can be very dangerous.
This man got an idea. He thought gun locks could help keep people safe. He wanted to give people gun
locks.
A store agreed to sell the locks to him at a good price. He bought the gun locks. He will give them to
people in his church.
Another man was offering a class. This class will help parents and children. The class teaches people
how to use and care for a firearm.
Freemen Surrender
A group of people decided that the American government was not acting like it should. They felt the
government was breaking its own laws. The group decided to make their own government. They called
themselves the Freemen group.
The Freemen wrote bad checks. They wanted to have a judge killed. Doing things like this is against the
law. The F.B.I. wanted to arrest these people. But the Freemen group went to a ranch in Montana. They
protected themselves with guns and would shoot anyone who came near.
The F. B. I. did not want anyone killed or hurt. They talked to the Freemen about what they did. Many
people tried to tell the Freemen to give up. The Freemen group did not want to be arrested. They did
not think that they did anything wrong.
The Freemen decided to give up after staying on the ranch for 81 days. The F. B. I. director was glad
that no one was hurt. The U. S. president asked people at his dinner party to say a prayer for everyone
involved.
The Freemen group will still be charged with writing bad checks and for threatening a judge.
Fruit Flies
Two tiny fruit flies were found. These flies can be harmful. People are worried.
One fly was caught in a trap. The trap was in a tree. The other fly was found not far from there.
These flies can hurt fruit trees. They damage many different kinds of fruit trees. The flies need to be
killed.
Some people make their money by selling fruit. These fruit flies are damaging their fruit trees. The fruit
sellers will lose money if the flies are not stopped.
Workers will spray telephone poles and trees. The spray will have poison in it. They hope this poison
will kill the flies.
Glen Canyon
Floating down the river in the Glen Canyon is fun. The Glen Canyon is pretty with a lot of plants. It has
wildlife, too.
For a long time, the dirt on the bottom of the river has been used by the plants and fish. Now the dirt is
no longer getting to the plants and fish.
A dam has been built to make electricity. But the dam controls how much water goes down the river. To
make the electricity, the dam must change how much water goes through it. This changes how the dirt
gets to the plants and fish.
Since the dam was built, the dirt now stays on the bottom of the lake. The cleaner water goes through
the dam. It then washes away the river banks. It also stops the fish from growing in the river.
The dam also changes the temperature of the water. Cold water fish like the change in temperature. But
the fish that had lived there before the dam can not live in the cold water.
The government is looking at how to fix the problem. A congressman wants the dam to stop changing
the water flow now. He thinks it will destroy the canyon.
Fixing the problem will be hard. It will cost a lot of money. The electricity the dam is making is good
but it is destroying the rest of the canyon.

Grand Canyon Crowding
The Grand Canyon is running out of empty places. About five million people will visit the Grand
Canyon this year. Most of them will see it from parking lots on the South Rim.
There will be many people in a few small places. There will also be many cars. There will be six
thousand cars a day in the parking lots. That is three times more cars than parking spaces.
The people who run the Grand Canyon Park are trying to do something about the overcrowding. They
have put a limit on boats at the bottom of the canyon. They have put a limit on how low airplanes can
fly. Now they want to get rid of the cars.
The manager of the park says that people will like the park without the cars. They will not have to listen
to noise from buses, motorcycles, and helicopters.
The Grand Canyon Railway wants to put a small train along the South Rim. It would be for people who
like train rides. They could have more time to see the park.
There are many things to do in the Grand Canyon National Park. People do not need cars for all of
them. They can raft down the Colorado River. They can hike on the trails.
The millions of visitors to the South Rim hurt the park. Their showers and toilets take water from the
springs and streams around the canyon. Animals and plants need that water.
There are other dangers to the Grand Canyon. Smog makes it hard to see the views. A dam cools and
cleans the water. This hurts the plants and animals nearby.
The way people visit the National Parks is changing. People may have to make reservations to get into
Grand Canyon. They may have to pay $20 to get in.
Hate Crimes
Some people do not like people that are different than they are. They might hate someone because of
their skin color. They might even hate people that believe in a different religion than themselves.
There is a man that is in charge of making sure all people are treated fairly. He is worried about the
bad things that have been happening to some groups of people. He is looking for signs of hate and also
learning what makes people work well together.
He visited three churches. These churches were burned by someone. It is believed that the person who
burned the churches did not like people of that religion.
This man thinks that more work needs to be done to stop hate crimes like these. He wants everyone to
work together to make changes in the way people treat others. He wants to help this happen.
Hate crimes hurt in many ways. This man said that his office will help groups that are dealing with the
effects of them. He wants all people to get along and stop hurting others.
Holiday Traffic
Many people go out of town for this long holiday weekend. Sometimes traffic can get very bad. Be
ready for bad traffic if you are going to drive to the Lake Tahoe area.
Some are saying that people will have lots of time to look out their windows. Traffic will be very bad in
the Lake Tahoe area. You will be sitting in your cars for a very long time.
Police officers will try to help. Many of them will go to the Lake Tahoe area. They hope to direct traffic
and keep cars moving.
It is important for everyone to stay safe when they are on the road. Holidays usually bring more traffic.
Everyone needs to be ready for longer waits and stay calm.
Home Fire
There was a fire that burned a house down. The local police are trying to find out how it started. There
was a man and three children who are missing.
No one knows what happened to them. When the police first looked at the burned home, they did not see
any bodies. They were not sure if the people were killed by the fire.
A home fire can be very dangerous. Many things can start a fire in the home. It is important that a
home is clean and safe so fires will not be started.
The mother of the missing children could not find them. She did not know if they were in the home
before it burned. She has not seen the father or her children since the fire.
The police are not sure how the fire started. Some people start fires on purpose. There is nothing that
shows that the fire was started on purpose but the police want to make sure.
Judge Stops Water

Rivers can serve many purposes. Some are habitats for many different kinds of fish. They offer people a
place to spend time on the water. They help irrigate crops. One river even provides drinking water for
people. Twenty-three million people get their water from this river. The river water is valuable to
everyone in the state. Now there is a conflict between the fish who use this river and the humans who
get their water from it.
In order to use the water for drinking, the water must go through a pumping station. The pumps suck in
large amounts of water and move it to an aqueduct. From there it goes on to treatment plants to be
cleaned for drinking.
Two species of fish migrate in this river. Migrating means they travel through the river on their way to
breed. The salmon and smelts are endangered. The state is required to protect the fish populations. A
law called The Endangered Species Act protects the fish. A group of citizens are concerned about the
fish. They say that the state is not following the law. They claimed that the fish were getting sucked into
the pumping station. They said the fish populations were being damaged. The group has decided to sue
the state.
In response, a judge has said the state must stop pumping water from the river. He has given them sixty
days to decide whether to comply with the Endangered Species Act. If the state decides to comply, they
will be allowed to continue pumping. If they don’t, they will have to stop using water from the river.
This could be a problem for many people in the state. Humans need the water for drinking and watering
crops. But the laws were designed to protect the wildlife that lives in and around the river. It will be a
difficult decision for the state to make.
Kidnapping Alert
Sometimes children are kidnapped. Kidnapping is like stealing a child. It is important that kidnapped
children are found and brought home as soon as possible.
The sooner the public knows about a kidnapping the sooner they might be able to help. Some people
decided to start a program that would alert the public about kidnappings right away. This program is
called Care Alert.
The Care Alert program gives television and radio stations important information about a recently
kidnapped child. These stations will then tell the public what happened in hopes that someone might be
able to help. Anyone that may have seen something about the kidnapping could then call the police.
Sometimes one parent of a child kidnaps his or her own child. These kidnappings are not usually used
in the Care Alert program. The Care Alert program is only used when a stranger has taken a child.
When a child is kidnapped he is in a lot of danger. It is very important to find him as soon as possible.
It is hoped that this new Care Alert program will save children’s lives.

they leave.
California.
Letters to Santa Reveal Need

Many letters are written to Santa Claus each year. The letters are addressed to the North Pole. Lots of
them are stacking up at post offices.
People who work in one post office are reading the letters. They are looking for letters from needy

families. These letters are put in piles with the same zip codes.
Once letters are sorted other people can adopt a child or family to help. People, families, and
businesses can choose one or more letters and send gifts to the person or family who wrote it. Most
people like to deliver the gifts to the homes, but gifts can also be mailed.
One man who works at the post office said he has seen a lot of letters to Santa come in this year. Many
of the letters are asking for clothes.
He also said that the need seems to be greater this time of year. "I've seen more letters come in at the
beginning of this holiday season than any other," he said.
A woman chose two letters from children who live near her. She wants to help teach her daughter about
the importance of giving to others in need. They will buy gifts for the children who wrote the letters.
Many children and families in need are writing letters to Santa this year. Lots of kind people are getting
these letters and trying to help make wishes come true this holiday season.
Light Rail Grows

Light rails are like small trains that run through city streets. Many people ride light rails to get places.
Light rails help keep traffic down by allowing more people to leave their cars at home.
There is a need for one light rail to reach a certain area. Workers are beginning to make the tracks go
there. To do this workers are going to add six miles onto the tracks.
Because light rails run through the streets, working on them can cause traffic problems. Traffic
problems often frustrate people. Workers are going to try to finish the job as quickly as possible.
Workers say that they will finish the job in four days. It will be hard for some people to have to find
other roads to drive on for a few days. When the job is done it should help make traffic problems much
better.
The light rail helps many people. It takes them to work and around town. Hopefully by making the
tracks longer more people will be able to use the light rail.
Mall Makeovers
Lots of people love to shop in Los Angeles. Their malls have a great look and feel to them and are
called "lifestyle centers". Owners of other malls in California want that look and feel too. They hope
that the new look will make people want to shop even more.
One mall in Sacramento, California is getting a new look. It is located downtown. The city is working
with the mall’s owner to open it up to the surrounding streets. They want to stay competitive with other
malls.
They want to create a lifestyle center.” Lifestyle centers are not only about shopping but dining,
working, and living as well. The first change they will be working on is to make the food court face the
street instead of the interior of the mall.
The owner of the mall is spending a billion dollars to make similar changes to its malls in Southern
California. People really seem to love these new lifestyle centers.

One man who recently moved from Los Angeles said that he thinks people love all of the flash. He says
that they are drawn to the music and lights. He thinks that it all makes people want to go to the mall
and spend money.
Other malls in the Sacramento area are also going to be undergoing facelifts soon too. Others will be
updating their storefronts but are keeping the same layout. The city wants to maintain an assortment in
the shopping experience. People will have choices for shopping. They will be able to choose between
the new lifestyle centers and improved malls. They may even choose both!
One shopper said that it really doesn't matter to her what the lifestyle center or mall looks like. She just
wants to make sure that they have the shops she wants to go to.
Man Gets Calls and Sues

Telemarketers are people who call homes trying to sell things or services. It is their job to call people.
If people do not like to be called by telemarketers they can sign up to be on a “do not call” list. This list
tells telemarketers not to call phone numbers that are on the list.
Telemarketers are not supposed to call people who are on the “do not call” list. If they do call these
people they can get in trouble. They can be fined $500 for each call that they make after they have been
told to stop calling.
One man is fed up with calls from telemarketers. He signed up to be on the “do not call” list but still
got a lot of calls. He kept a list of telemarketers who continued to call his home. He took some of them
to court. He sued them. So far this man has collected over $13,000 from telemarketers who would not
take no for an answer.
This man said that if others are interested in suing telemarketers they will need to keep good records.
He offers detailed instructions on a Web site that he created. Many people have visited his Web site.
This man believes that Americans are tired of telemarketers who break the law.

living there.
place.

this problem.
No Strike
More than 2000 San Joaquin County workers planned a strike. Workers strike because they want
change. Often, they want more money or changes in their work place.
The strike did not happen because the union and the county reached an agreement in time. Both sides
say there are details to settle before the contract is final. Because there was no strike, people can get
services at the hospital, the courthouse, and other county offices.
Old Ranger
Carl Sharsmith loves the mountains. Carl is a park ranger in Yosemite National Park. He has worked
for 63 years in the park.
Carl wakes up every morning at 6:00 a.m. His cabin door looks out toward the top of a mountain. At
ninety years old, Carl is the oldest park ranger.
Ranger Carl likes to walk in his favorite meadow. Many visitors have walked with him over the years.
He points out wild berries and onions. He tells people stories about the beauty of the high country.
Other rangers say Carl helps the visitors feel good about being there. Even though he has seen things
at the park, he believes it is a miracle.
There is a book about Carl. It is called Mountain Sage. It tells about Carl's love of the meadows he
cares for. He tries to show the meadows to everyone who visits.
Organ Donations
Sometimes people get sick. Sometimes a part of their body is not working right. Sometimes these parts
or organs stop working. These organs might be the heart, the liver, or the kidneys. Some sick people
need a new organ to take the place of the one that is not working right.
When a person dies, some of their organs can be used in other people. The family of the dead person
can choose to give the working organs to people who need them.
A senator wants to make a law that will help keep records of people who want to give their organs. He
thinks it will be easier for the relatives of a person who dies to make the decision. The relatives would
still have the choice whether or not to give the organs.
Good organs are needed everywhere. There are not enough organs in California.
More people need to know about the need for organs. Many of the people who need them are not white.
But people from other races are not giving enough of their organs. Without enough organs from people
of all races, it is hard to find organs for all people who need one.

Park Attack
A woman was running in a park. A man attacked her. He tried to rape her.
The woman saw the man get out of a car. He started coming close to her. He was carrying something
shiny.
The man came up to the woman. She fought him off. He cut her arm.
The woman sprayed the man's face with something from a can that makes your eyes burn. Then he ran
away. The police have not yet found him.
A witness saw the woman get hurt. This person took her to a nearby hospital. She is now getting better.
Patient Rights
When people get sick, they need to see a doctor. In order to see a doctor, they need to make sure they
can pay the doctor. Since a visit to the doctor can be expensive, many people do not have enough
money to always pay for it.
One way to help people to pay for the doctor visits is to have a company get money from people every
month. Then when a person has to go to the doctor, the company will pay for the visit. This way, many
people can afford to go to the doctor when they need to.
Sometimes the company will not pay for the doctor when they are asked to. There is a book that will
explain what people can expect from a company that pays for doctor visits. The book is to help people
understand what the company will or will not do.
One man had a daughter who was very sick. When the daughter was in the hospital, the company who
was suppose to pay for the visit would not. This made the man mad. He complained and the company
got in trouble.
The book can help this man find out about his rights. He can learn how to get medical records. It will
show him how to get another doctor's help. It can tell him how to use legal action against the
companies if they do not do things right.
Playground Completed Despite Rain

A very nice playground was built almost 15 years ago. It had slides, sandboxes and tunnels. Children
who lived in the area liked to play there a lot. Then it was ruined. Someone burned it to the ground.
Parents and children were very upset and sad. Many parents and neighbors hoped the playground
would be rebuilt.
After the playground was destroyed, organizers got together to work on rebuilding the playground.
They got new materials and were ready to rebuild. They chose a day on a weekend to start building so
that people could help. The weekend they chose to rebuild was was not very good for working. It was
raining. The organizers were worried that nobody would show up to help build the new playground.
Almost 400 people showed up to help! One woman said that she was very worried about the weather
ruining their plans. She was extremely happy when she showed up and saw so many people there to
help.
A little girl had said how nice the park used to be. Lots of children were sad when the park was burned
down. She said that it was a fun park to play at.
Many people came out to help rebuild the playground. Bad weather did not stop volunteers from getting
the work done. They are sure that they will finish the project on time.
Police Officers Needed

Police departments need more officers. They are trying to hire more people to work for them. They are
having a hard time finding good workers.
One reason is money. New police officers do not make much money compared to other jobs. Many
people that might want to become police officers choose other jobs because they will make more money.
Another reason police departments are having a difficult time is that it can be hard to qualify for the
job. People that are trying to become officers need to pass many tests. These tests are not always easy.
One of the tests given is to see how honest the applicants are. These people also have to take drug tests.
Many of them do not pass these tests.
Lots of people that want to become police officers are not qualified for the job. They cannot pass all of
the tests. Many different departments try to get the few qualified applicants to work for them.
Polluting Cars
Some cars do not run the way they should. Bad smoke from a car’s engine can get into the air. This bad
smoke is called pollution.
Pollution turns the air a gray color. It is very dirty. It is not good for people to breathe this dirty air.
In order to keep pollution down the state makes cars take a test every two years. This test checks to
make sure the cars do not pollute the air. If a car does not pass the test the owner cannot register it.
Some car owners drive their cars even though they cannot pass the test. This is against the law. It is
also very bad for the air.
People wanted to find a way to get these cars off the road. A program was started that seems to be
helping. This program buys cars that cannot pass the tests or will help pay for repairs.
In order to qualify for the program a car must be drivable and the owner cannot make over a certain
amount of money. This program has been helping people by giving them money to help buy better cars
or fixing their old ones. It has also been helping to cut down on pollution.
Pollution Fight
A city wants to get money from some companies in the city. These companies are putting bad things into
the water under the ground. It might cost $100 million to clean up the water.
Companies use many chemicals in their work. Some of these chemicals can leak into the ground. The
chemicals pollute the water under the ground.
The city does not want to put the companies out of business. It is talking to their insurance companies.
One insurance company has already given the city $1 million.
Some companies are not happy about the city's plan. They do not want their insurance companies to
pay the city. It would be like saying the water pollution is their fault.
A man in charge of the local newspaper does not like the plan. He does not want his business blamed
for pollution. He is afraid lawsuits will put him out of business.
Preschool Saves Money

A new study says that paying for preschool now will save much more money later. The study was done
by a corporation. This corporation does not favor any political party.
The study showed that kids who went to a good preschool did better later in school. They also found
that these kids did not get in as much trouble. Fewer kids who went to preschool also dropped out of
school. The study also showed that they did not commit as many crimes.
Another study showed that kids who went to preschool saved taxpayers’ money. It found that for every
dollar spent on preschool, $2.62 was saved later. They also discovered that we can spend less money
on special education or students repeating grades if we send our kids to preschool.
A man who makes films is trying to get people to make a law that would tax rich people to pay for
preschool programs. A group that does not think this would be fair says that there should be more
studies before making such a big tax.
President Asks People to Conserve Fuel

President Bush asked many people to help with a big oil problem. He said that recent storms showed
that we are not able to make enough gas and heating oil. The storms hurt some refineries that make gas
and oil from crude oil.
The President wants everyone to conserve gas by not driving as much. He would like more people to
use public transportation too. Doing this could really help.
President Bush said oil companies need to build new refineries. He believes that gas could cost more
money because there is not enough to sell to everyone who wants it. The President wants everyone to be
able to get the gas that they need.
The supply of gas has been hurt. President Bush said that he would open a supply of oil that is only for
emergencies. He also said that companies would not have to follow some rules about what they put in
the gasoline. Doing this should help to get gas where it is needed.
The hurricanes that hit the Gulf Coast hurt our ability to make and ship gas. Oil companies shut down
16 refineries before the storm. It takes time to get them going again, even if they are not hurt by the
storm. It takes more time to fix refineries that are damaged. The Gulf Coast supplies about one fourth
of the oil and gas that the United States needs.
Problems With Bison

There is a large park in Montana. A lot of bison live in the park. These animals are like buffalo. The
bison have lived there a long time.
The government wants to protect the bison that live in the park. Sometimes the bison move out of the
park. They begin to eat food that is for supposed to be for cows. The farmers who raise the cows do not
want the bison eating their food.
The state of Montana lets the bison be killed if they are not inside the park. Bison have been killed by
the farmers since 1990. The farmers claim there is not enough food for both the cows and the bison.
Some people want the shooting of these animals to stop. Too many bison have been killed. Some of the
bison are very young and some are pregnant. Some people think that the bison are important to Native
American culture.
Others want the bison killed because they carry a disease. The farmers are afraid the bison will give
their cows the disease. The farmers also say that the bison ruin all of their fences.
Right now there is no easy answer to the problem. Some people want to hunt them. Others want to stop
them from having babies. The killing will continue because there is no simple answer.
Program Helps Get Word Out About Missing Children

Parents in a small city have a new way to help find a missing child. The police in this city want parents
to know about a new program. The program is free and could save valuable time looking for a child.
Here is how the program works. The police take a picture of the child with a digital camera. The digital
camera saves pictures as a computer file. The computer file is copied onto a floppy disk. The disk is
given to the parents to take home. Once parents take the disk home they can add information about
their child using their home computer.
If a child does become missing, the parents can quickly send the picture and information that is on the
disk to the police using e-mail. It can also be sent to places that help find missing children. Parents can
even use the disk to print flyers to help find their child.
Someone who works for the city thought of the new system. A service club gave almost $4,000 to make
the system and buy disks.
About 500 parents in the city are using the system. The police would like to make the system bigger and
use it to help find old people who get lost too.
Relief Group Sends Supplies

Three men wanted to help survivors who lost their homes in a hurricane. They asked people who lived
in their area to help too. People donated food, water, and even medicines. They collected a lot of
supplies to send to the Gulf Coast.
The men who started collecting were ready to send supplies after five days. They loaded a semi-truck
with food, medicine and other things. The first truck was sent to Louisiana to help people who had lost
their belongings and homes. It took the truck about a day and a half to get there from California.
Seven more trucks were loaded and made ready. The trucks were sent to states that were damaged by
Hurricane Katrina. Those states are Louisiana, Alabama, and Mississippi. The supplies will be given to
people who survived the hurricane.
Chris Snow is a volunteer who is loading supplies into the trucks. He was asked why he was helping.
He said, "It's a disaster and everybody needs to jump in and help."
Roads Being Fixed After Rainy Weather

There have been many weeks of rainy weather in one area of California. The rain has a tendency to
seep into the cracks of the road. When cars and trucks drive on these wet roads it breaks down the
base. This causes potholes to develop.

Potholes can cause a lot of damage to cars. Auto repair experts said the holes in the roads have been
causing more damage than usual to cars. They said that they have already seen many bent and cracked
wheels.
The rain has caused over $70 million in damage to roads in California in just one month. When the
rain finally stopped for a bit, many workers began trying to patch the holes in the roads.
One area actually lost a 40-foot section of road. The heavy rains washed it away. Crews have been
working hard to try to fix it.
A new lane is being built around the damaged area. People will have to use this for a little while.
Permanent repairs will begin later in the year.
School Nurse
Suspect Recognized
A woman saw the picture of a murder suspect on television. She recognized him. She called the F.B.I.
The woman says she met the man not long after the murders happened. She met him at a nudist camp.
She said that she talked to the man.
The man was a handyman. He joked about being questioned about the murders. At the time the woman
did not think much about it.
When the woman saw his picture on television she called investigators right away. She told them where
the man was at that time. She also told them everything that the man had said to her.
Investigators showed up about an hour later. They arrested the man. There was no fight.
Telephone Lines Cut

A crew of workers was doing some work along the road. They were digging trenches. They accidentally
dug in the wrong place.
When the workers were digging they cut through the main telephone line for a town. They did not do
this on purpose. It was an accident.
The telephones in the town did not work for several hours. People could not make any phone calls out
of town. They also could not receive any phone calls.

It can be very dangerous when telephone lines are not working. People cannot call 911 if there is an
emergency. Something had to be done until the phone lines could be fixed.
It was decided that all 911 calls would be transferred to an area that was working. Emergency calls
were answered there. The telephone lines were finally fixed later that same day.
Tire Fire
Lightning struck early in the morning. It started a fire in a huge pile of tires. The fire is near a big city
in California.
Firefighters say it could take more than a year to put the fire all the way out. Another tire fire started a
year ago. It is still burning.
An agency of the government is in charge of waste. It makes rules about keeping old tires. It tries to
make sure people obey the rules.
The agency is angry at the man who owns the tires. It has told him many times to get rid of them. He
has not done it.
Right now the smoke from the fire does not hurt people's health. Firefighters are using bulldozers to
clear the ground around the fire. They do not want it to get bigger.
Trying to Change CPS

Child Protective Services is a group that tries to help kids. They are often called CPS for short. They
visit families that might not be taking good care of their children.
Sometimes it is better to take children away from their parents for a while. Children are taken to
another home. They usually stay with other family members or a foster family.
The Child Protective Services want children to be safe. They make this happen by putting kids in better
homes. They try to help parents become better moms and dads while their kids are away.
Right now CPS gets money if they place kids with foster families. They do not get money if they place
them with family members. Many people are mad about this.
Some people are trying to change the way CPS works. They think that children should stay with family
members if they can. Many of these people marched together to show that they want changes made in
the way CPS works.
Unity Center
The Governor went to three Jewish churches in Sacramento. He wanted to see what was left after fires
that were started by people who hate Jewish people.
The Governor said he wants to stop hate crimes. He thinks it would be good to build a center to fight
hate. Now the Governor must decide if the state will pay to build the center.
State lawmakers said California has the money for the center. It will teach young people about other
faiths and people from other countries. It will be a place to show how good and different all people are.
Sometimes people hate other people because they are afraid of them. They can become afraid when
they see people different from themselves. To understand more about people who are different makes
others less afraid.
The center wants to teach young people about other faiths and countries so they will not be afraid of
them. The hope is that young people will see the good in all people. This will help stop the hate crimes.
Water Pipe Breaks

A large water pipe broke. Water gushed out of it. The streets flooded.
The water pipe that broke was underground. The pressure from the water coming out of the pipe broke
the street. The street fell into a huge hole.
This break caused a lot of damage. One woman’s car flooded. It had four inches of water in it.
There was a lot of work to be done. It took many hours for workers to shut the water off. Then they had
to begin fixing the broken pipe.
Shutting the water off would cause problems for some people. They would not have running water in
their homes. They need water for cooking and cleaning. The water company hopes to get clean water
back to them very soon.
Wind Worries
Firefighters hope to have control of a big fire by Friday. It has already burned a lot of land.
Firefighters do not want it to burn any more.
Firefighters worked very hard to control other fires in the area. They worked all night. Their hard work
saved a lot of land.
Now firefighters are getting worried. The wind is starting to blow. They think that the winds could fan
the flames again.
When wind fans a flame, it helps the fire grow. This would be very bad. The firefighters are hoping that
the winds do not get any stronger.
The fire destroyed more than just land. Homes and other buildings were also burned. Fires can destroy
things very fast.
Workers Protest
Many employees of the state are getting together to protest the way they are treated at work. These
people are not happy. They feel that minorities are being discriminated against.
This group of people says that minorities are not being treated fairly at work. They think that minorities
are accused of doing things wrong more often than other people. They also feel that workers are getting
in trouble if they file complaints.
One woman who worked for the state for fifteen years was fired. She does not think that she should
have lost her job. This woman is angry and feels that she was discriminated against because of her
race.
When people were running for the office of governor one man spoke about taking care of racial
discrimination. Many minorities liked what he had to say and voted for him. This man became governor
but many minorities do not feel he has done anything to help them.
This group of people is very unhappy about their working conditions. They do not feel that they are
being treated fairly. They gathered to protest what they are calling discrimination against minorities in
the workplace.
Yellowstone
Alsten Chase wrote a book about Yellowstone National Park. He is worried about the damage that fires
can do to the park. He is also concerned about the park rules.
These rules say that nature should decide what happens to the park. Alsten writes that the elk herd has
grown too big. The elk walk on the riverbanks. They eat the new grass and roots of baby trees. The
beavers need the trees to build dams.
The dams raise the water levels. Higher water levels put more water into the soil. Moist soil helps
plants grow faster. The plants offer homes and food to other animals.
Chase thinks that the park rules would work only in a park with natural settings. He believes that
Yellowstone has had an artificial setting for a long time. The native people left long ago. The wolves
were taken away and other animals were removed. Some areas were fenced off and other animals were
added.
He thinks that rules that let herds grow too big and let fires burn are hurting the nature of the park.
The park manager thinks the rules are good and the park will be fine. Chase thinks the way the people
run the park should be changed.
Yosemite Car Ban

The people who run Yosemite National Park want to make some changes. They say there are too many
cars in the park. Sometimes, no more people can fit into the park.
The cars, trucks, and campers cause many problems. The cars make too much noise. People cannot
hear each other talk. The best view of Yosemite Falls is from the parking lot.
The new plan is to keep most cars out of the park. Some people come only for one day. They will have
to leave their cars outside the park. They will have to ride buses into the park. Some people have
reservations at hotels or campgrounds at Yosemite. They can bring in their cars, but they will have to
leave them in the parking lot.
The new plan will include removing some roads. It will include removing bridges over the river. It will
include making new paths for hiking and biking.
Floods last year hurt in the park in many ways. Congress wants the people who run Yosemite to fix up
the park. But Congress does not want Yosemite like it was before the floods. They want it to be better.
Yosemite Crowding
Yosemite is a national park in California. It is very beautiful and big. The park includes more than
760,000 acres in the California mountains. Most of the park is wilderness.
The part of Yosemite that everyone likes is Yosemite Valley. It is a tiny valley that is 7 miles long and
less than 1 mile wide. It has tall rock walls and streams that splash down in waterfalls. More than two
million visitors come to the valley each year.
One ranger says the number of visitors is more than the land can handle. The valley has 4,500 camping
spots. It has a hotel that can hold 4,000 families. This is still not enough to handle all of the visitors.
The valley has grown so big it has a lot of traffic and crime.
A worker says the park is trying to keep the beauty of the park and let everyone visit. Some areas have
been fenced off from people and planted with seeds to try to keep them beautiful.
A former worker thinks Yosemite should get more money to take better care of the park. He would also
like to teach people what the park service is trying to do.
Some people are trying to save Yosemite Valley. A plan has been made that will get rid of some
buildings. There will be fewer cars allowed inside the park. More buses will help get people around.
9,000 Year-Old Man Found

Someone found the bones of a man who died a very long time ago. The bones were found near a river in
Washington. The government has taken them and many people want them back.
Native Americans think that the bones are from a man who used to be one of them. They want to bury
the bones. They are angry because they can not do it right away.
A scientist says the bones looks more like a modern person than like a Native American. He says it
looks like a bald person who is on television. Some people say the bones have a message for them. They
do not understand it yet.
The scientist was surprised the bones looked like a modern person. It changed his way of thinking. He
took the bones and found out how old they were. They are over 9,000 years old. They found a point
from a spear in the bones.
No one knows what kind of person the bones came from. They do not know how the person ended up at
the river. Scientists say the bones could help them answer these questions. They will not know the
answers until they can get the bones.
Body Scan
Sometimes it takes many years for diseases to be found. Now there is a way to look for them before
someone is feeling sick. Some illnesses can be found and treated very early by having a body scan.
Body scans allow doctors to look into a person’s body. They can see bones, tissue, and blood vessels.
By looking into a person’s body like this doctors can sometimes see how healthy a person is.
People that have a family history of illness might want to have a body scan. Others that are young and
healthy would probably not need one. Some people have body scans because it makes them feel more
secure.
Many doctors do not think everyone should have body scans. Body scans are expensive. They are often
not necessary. Sometimes body scans can be wrong. When this happens it can cause a lot of
unnecessary worry.
Body scans can be very useful to doctors and patients. They can help find diseases at early stages. If
diseases are found early they can be treated more easily. It would be a good idea to talk to a doctor
before spending money on one.

Burning Wood Bad for the Air
A panel of government officials is worried. The air quality in some areas is not good. The air is polluted
with soot. The officials worry that the air is harmful to the people who breathe the air. They are
experts. They study the environment. They discuss ways to stop the air pollution. The panel decided to
make some changes to the law.
The new plan places strict limits on how much soot can be released into the air. Now, a measurement of
65 parts of soot is considered safe. The new plan would reduce that number to 30. The daily limit of
pollution in the air would be cut in half.
These new standards would affect industry. The limits would also affect people who own wood stoves
and fireplaces. The county will keep track of the air quality every day. People would be required to stop
burning wood when the levels are high. They could also install a kind of special fireplace. These
fireplaces burn very little wood. They do not pollute the air as much. Some counties will punish families
who violate the ban. They will have to pay a fine for not complying with the law.
Some states do not have much industry. Their pollution problem is not too bad. They would still have to
regulate how much pollution is released into the air. The experts hope that this ban will help keep the
air cleaner.
Before the plan becomes a law the public will have a chance to comment on it. Citizens will have ninety
days to ask questions and voice concerns about the plan. Then it will become a law.
Californians Want to Fight Global Warming

Many people who live in California are very concerned about the earth. They are worried that the earth
is warming too much. They believe that living things on the earth will be affected by the warming. Most
Californian's think that the state should investigate the problem.
A survey was taken in California. The questions that were asked were about global warming. The
results of the survey were very interesting. They showed that most people in California are very
concerned about global warming.
The survey showed that over half of the people who live in California want the state to work on the
global warming. Last year not as many people felt that way. People think the problem is getting worse.
Another poll showed that many people are not happy with the federal government. They do not like the
way global warming is being handled. Only a few people asked think that the federal government is
doing a good job with this issue.
One man said that Californians are feeling worse, not better. They are more concerned today than they
ever have been about global warming. Many of them want the state of California to deal with the
problem instead of waiting for the federal government to do something.
The people do not want to wait. They want the state to start working on the problem immediately.
Cell Phone Safety

Many people are wondering if it is safe to talk on the phone while driving. There have been quite a few
accidents while drivers were talking on the phone. Some research is being done to find out if driving
while talking on the phone is dangerous.
When there is a car accident police officers will find out if any of the drivers were using a cell phone.
They will write this information in a report. The information will be saved and later studied.
There have been some very bad car accidents caused by drivers being distracted by cell phones.
Drivers sometimes forget to watch the road carefully when they are using their phones. Not paying
attention to the road can dangerous, even deadly.
It is important for drivers to focus on the road. They need to pay attention to what is going on around
them. They might need to stop or swerve quickly.
People want to make sure that the roads are safe for everyone. Studies will be done using the
information police officers collect at accidents. Maybe someday this information will lead to laws about
driving and using cell phones.
Computer Virus
A computer is a machine. It handles a lot of information. Many places use computers to help them work
better. Someone sent a computer virus to a lot of computers. A computer virus is a set of bad
instructions written just to hurt computers.
Someone made the virus and sent it to other computers. It was set to turn on by itself. When it did, many
computers around the world began to have problems.
When the virus is turned on, it makes the computer do things it is not supposed to do. Many computers
started filling up with a lot of useless information. Several computer projects were in trouble. One
project that will have to be stopped has already spent millions of dollars.
People started turning off their computers. Others stopped their computers from being hooked up to
other computers. The virus was spread by having computers share information with each other. Once in
the computer, it takes over and tells the computer to do harmful things.
The FBI will try to find who or what has caused this virus to be spread.
Computers in the Classroom

Kids are going all over the world without ever leaving their school. They are using their computers. A
school in California could be the most wired school in America. They are wired to the Internet through
their computers.
Thirty students are able to use the Internet every day. The kids are between the grades of kindergarten
and fifth grade. The teacher says that it is hard to get them away from the computers. They do not even
want to go to recess.
Internet has opened the world to many people. Now students can go to any library on earth. They can
get information. They can visit a child in another country.
Laura Bacon likes to visit with other students. She's going to Peggy's page. Peggy is a school student in
London, England. She put her own home page on the Internet. It includes pictures of Peggy, her school,
her mom, dad and friends. You can send her mail, too.
A scientist helped to wire the school. He says, "There is a plan to connect 12 thousand California
schools to the Internet."
Wiring schools in California can cost a lot of money. It needs to be done on volunteer effort or schools
will not be able to afford it. They think that it will cost as much as fifty billion dollars.

Some people say that the money should be spent on teachers instead of computers. Some people say
that it would be worth it to wire all of the classrooms.
Council May Purchase Needles

A city council has decided to write a new law. The law would allow drug stores to sell syringes. The
council also thought about a needle exchange program. They approved money to study it.
Syringes are also called hypodermic needles. They are very helpful to some people. Some people use
them to take medicine that they need to stay alive. The syringe injects the medicine into a vein. This
helps the body to use the medicine better.
Right now, people need a prescription to buy syringes. This is because some people use them to take
illegal drugs. It’s hard to buy syringes, so drug users often share needles with each other. They would
also use the same need over and over. This is dangerous because used needles are not clean. They
spread diseases from one person to the next. People who share needles can catch terrible diseases such
as HIV. The disease is passed from one user to the next through the needle. Some think that there are
15,000 drug users who use needles in the county.
Some people agree with the council. They think that if needles are easier to get, this will stop. Drug
users will not share their dirty needles if they have a good supply of clean ones. This might help stop
the spread of diseases.
Opponents of the needle program don’t agree. They think needles should be regulated. They believe
selling needles will condone drug use. They think this is the wrong approach. Some police officers think
drug users need to get off drugs. Making needles easier to get will not give the users an incentive to
quit. Selling needles could result in more needles thrown away with the trash. This could endanger
workers. They could get stuck with a needle. The dirty needles could infect them with diseases.
If the law is passed, pharmacies could choose whether or not to participate. If they do, they would have
to register with the County Health Officer. The County Health Officer would manage the program.
A similar proposal did not pass last year. But many other cities and counties have needle exchange
programs.
County Starts Using Electric Buses

A city in California recently got some new buses. They cost $490,000 each. The new buses are different
than the old ones.
These new buses are better for the environment. They are called hybrid buses. They run on diesel and
electric power. This will help keep the air cleaner.
One bus driver said that the air smells much cleaner when he drives the new buses. He smells diesel all
day when he drives the old ones.
The company that builds the buses had many good things to say about them. For example, they said
that they use a lot less fuel. They also said that they are 90 percent cleaner for the environment. The
buses are very quiet too.
The buses have a diesel engine in the back and batteries on top. When the engine starts-up it is powered
by electricity. Then the diesel power takes over. The motor recharges the batteries.

Over time the city would like to replace all 50 of their buses with the new hybrid buses. They hope to do
this over the next three years. The city has had help purchasing the buses with grant money.
DNA Solves Very Old Murder

DNA helped a sheriff solve an old murder. Someone killed an eleven year old girl almost 30 years ago.
They could not prove who killed her until now.
The sheriff was able to get new DNA evidence from under the victim’s fingernails and from her
clothing. That DNA matched the DNA of a man who died in prison three years ago. The man was put in
jail because he was found guilty of killing a college professor in 1982.
The new evidence also linked this man to six other murders. It surprised everyone that this man killed
the little girl. They thought that she was killed by a different man.
The man they thought killed the girl is currently in jail. He murdered three other young women around
the same time the little girl was killed. He will be in jail for the rest of his life.
Do you ChaCha?
When people are looking for information on the Internet they use a search engine. There are a couple
of very popular search engines that people usually use. Two of them are Google and Yahoo. A new way
to search for information has recently started. It is called ChaCha.
ChaCha is different from other standard search sites. People are still able to search topics on their
own. But with ChaCha they can even talk to experts who can help them find better information.
Some people who have tried using ChaCha thought they were talking to a robot. One man who works
for ChaCha said that people are very surprised when they realize that they are talking to a real person.
To use ChaCha a person starts their search much like one with Google or Yahoo. Results will appear
on the screen. But if someone needs more precise information they can click on “chat live with a
guide.” This will connect them with someone who is trained in the subject they are researching.
ChaCha faces a challenge. Other search engines are already very popular. Almost everyone already
knows about them and uses them. A group of laptop users were asked some questions about search
engines. Very few people had ever heard of ChaCha. One of them tried it and liked it. He said he would
try using it some more.
The man who started ChaCha is an inventor. He also started the voice mail system used on many cell
phones and office phones. He thought that searching for information on the Internet was very
frustrating. He felt that it would be more useful if people could talk to experts who could help them
search for information.
Using ChaCha is free. People who work for ChaCha get paid between 50 cents and $1 for each search
and chat they conduct. These people are called guides. Hard working guides can make more than $10
and hour and work from home.
The man who started ChaCha hopes to expand beyond the online experience. He plans to start a phone
service too.

Followup:
found.
saved.
Earthquake Could be Worse than Hurricane

Experts know that a disaster is coming but they do not know when it will happen. They do know that it
could cause a lot of damage. They think it will be worse than a hurricane. The disaster they are worried
about is an earthquake.
There is a break in the earth's crust. It is called the San Andreas Fault. The San Andreas Fault is in
California. Many earthquakes happen along the San Andreas Fault. In 1989 there was a big
earthquake on the fault. The earthquake was called the "Loma Prieta Earthquake." Many people were
hurt or died. Many buildings were ruined. Lots of people lost their homes. Roads and bridges were also
damaged.
A large earthquake could happen in Southern California. Many small earthquakes have happened in
the last year. Earthquake experts think that a large earthquake will happen there soon. They think a big
earthquake will happen in the next few years.
The San Andreas Fault has many power lines stretched across it. There are water channels close to the
earthquake fault. A large earthquake in Southern California would destroy energy and water supplies.
Lots of people would be without power or water for weeks. Buildings that have not been built strong
enough would be destroyed. Not all hospitals would be able to help people who were injured. Many
people would die or be homeless.

People need to be prepared. They need to know what to do if an earthquake happens. Everyone in
California should have a survival kit at home. The emergency kit would include food and water. There
should be medication and first aid supplies in the kit. A good survival kit will also have a portable
radio, flashlights and spare batteries. All of the supplies in the kit should last at least 3 days.
Fast Car
Years ago, Craig Breedlove set speed records. He raced across flat land made of salt. He went as fast
as 600 miles per hour in his special car.
Now he wants to go the speed of sound. He has built a car with a jet engine. He will try to go 765 miles
per hour on land.
He will ride in a five wheeled hot rod. It has a Navy jet engine. The last time he raced, two parachutes
failed. He burned the brakes out in the car. Then he went through a telephone pole. He finally ended up
in a salt water canal. He had to swim out of it.
Breedlove builds his car in a garage in the small town of Rio Vista, California. His wife Marilyn and
the crew live with the project 24 hours a day. It has taken 23 years to get his idea made into a car. In
early October, he will learn if his idea works.
High Seas
A family is sailing around the Pacific Ocean. They are on a big yacht. The trip will take them away
from home for a year.
They stay in touch with family and friends by e-mail. The children send e-mail to their grandmother
three or four times a week. The father is in touch with his office every day. He also gets weather
information by e-mail.
E-mail on the sea takes more time than on land. The family's computer connects by a modem to a short-
wave radio. The radio sends the message to the Internet. The grandmother gets the message from the
Internet.
The grandmother learned to use the Internet just before she retired. She learned because of her
children and grandchildren. She says e-mail makes her feel like she has been traveling with them.
Close to 8 million senior citizens use the Internet. That is two times as many as a year ago. They use it
mainly to keep in touch with their families.
Historic Letters Get Responses

Many years ago, an old woman named Peggy Ford wrote letters to some men. The men were soldiers
who were fighting in the Vietnam War. The soldiers were in combat, far way from their home. They
missed their families, and they liked to get the letters from Peggy. Peggy also kept the letters that the
soldiers wrote back to her.
Peggy Ford died more than 30 years ago. Earlier this year, Ford’s children discovered the letters in
her attic. They decided to donate the letters to a history museum. The museum is happy to have the
letters. They feel that the soldiers’ stories of the war are valuable. They tell the story of the war better
than anyone else could. The museum feels that it’s important to remember the war. The letters show a
personal perspective of the war. They are a valuable part of history.
A news station filmed a story about Peggy Ford and the letters. The story was posted on the internet.
Many people saw the story, and read about Ford’s letters to the soldiers. The story made other people
want to donate letters. Many people called the museum. They offered to donate their letters from that
era. One woman gave the museum more than 200 letters that she wrote to her husband while he was
stationed in Vietnam. She had saved them for many years. She thought others would be interested in
them.
Peggy Ford was a kind, caring woman. Her letters to the soldiers made them feel better. One woman
thinks Ford is an inspiration. She is urging others to write to soldiers in Iraq. She says that a letter
would bring a smile to a soldier’s face. Cookies and other treats could be sent with the letters. Small
gifts and letters would make the soldiers feel better. She plans to write many letters to soldiers, just as
Ford did many years ago. She believes that it’s important to say thank you to the soldiers. She thinks
the letters would be a good way to do that. She knows that the soldiers appreciate the letters.
The history museum is still interested in Vietnam-era letters written to or from soldiers. The workers
there suggest that people contact their local history center or museum if they have similar letters.
Letters like Peggy Ford's are considered pieces of history. They tell us about a time in history by the the
people living through it.
Hurricanes Could Be Caused by Warm Weather

Scientists will look back and remember this year for having lots of hurricanes that were very strong. A
group in charge of naming hurricanes is getting worried. They think that they might run out of names
for the hurricanes if we have many more.
Category 4 and 5 hurricanes are very strong. There have been many more of these strong hurricanes
over the last 35 years. The number of them has doubled. Some people think that this might be because
of global warming. However, no one can prove the link global warming has with hurricanes. It will
need to be studied for many more years.
One science professor said that there are other things that could create these extra hurricanes. He said
that ocean temperatures going up could make hurricanes grow. Another thing that he talks about is
weather cycles. He said that we are entering a cycle with more frequent hurricanes.
Most scientists agree that global warming does exist. Many also agree that burning fossil fuels have
made it happen much faster. All scientists do not agree though on what is causing the most global
warming. Some think that people are doing it. Others think that it is simply natural.
Coughs Up Nail
In 1970, a man was mowing his lawn. He felt a pain in his throat. He saw a little bit of blood. The man
said that he was not too worried, but a few hours later it really started to hurt.
The next day, the man said that it felt like he had a hot knife cutting him when he coughed. He also had
a high fever. His family rushed him to the hospital. The doctors found a small nail that had embedded
itself in the man’s rib cage.
Doctors gave the man some medicine to help fight an infection. They said that he should be okay. They
thought that the nail would seal itself off in his body. They did not think that he needed surgery to
remove the nail.
More than 35 years after the incident, doctors saw the nail again in the man’s body. The nail was no
longer in his rib cage. It was now in his lung. Doctors decided that the nail needed to be removed. They
made the 84- year old man an appointment to have it taken out.

Before the day of the appointment, the man was brushing his teeth in the bathroom. He said that he felt
a tickle in his throat. He started coughing. The nail popped right out.
Doctors said that the man is doing fine. They do not think that the nail caused any damage to his
health.
Nature Sounds
Burney Crouss went to school to study the sounds of nature. For 20 years he has recorded the sounds
animals make. He has recordings of animal sounds from all over the world.
Burney has made a record of animal songs. It all began when he took some of the sounds and put them
together. Last year, he put together a song he called "Jungle Shoes." It turned out great.
Burney makes the music by taking part of his animal noises and saving them on a computer. He makes
each sound play when a key is pressed. Then he asks other musicians to play the keys into songs.
Burney believes in working to save nature. He thinks that more people need to take care of our world.
The sounds of nature are quickly disappearing.
When he recorded whales in Alaska, he could hear the sound of oil well drilling from fifteen to twenty
miles away. It was very loud. He says his goal is to save nature sounds so his children will be able to
hear them.
Nuclear Scientists
Russia and the United States decided to stop being enemies. They no longer wanted to blow each other
up with bombs. Each side stopped making bombs.
The U.S. no longer tests nuclear weapons. There is not enough money to support making nuclear
weapons. But the piles of nuclear weapons are still around. They need to be watched over to keep them
safe.
The scientists who made the bombs still have a lot of their research information. They did not want to
get rid of it. They decided to save it for others to use and learn from.
The men and women who invented nuclear weapons helped to create large bombs. By having so many
large bombs, the countries who had them did not want to use them. All of the bombs would wipe out
everyone on Earth. This knowledge is being kept by scientists across the U.S.
The nation's nuclear weapons labs are trying to save that knowledge. They are making video tapes of
the men who built the weapons. The tapes will be where anyone can look at them. It will help answer
questions for other scientists. They want everyone to remember what went right and wrong for future
generations.


and buy drugs.
Photographers Gather at Yosemite

Amateur photographers traveled to Yosemite National Park on September 15, 2005. They were trying
to take the same picture as a famous photographer. His name was Ansel Adams. The picture he took
was made on September 15, 1948.
The snapshot that Mr. Adams took was of the moon at night. It is a black and white picture. It has
turned out to be a very famous picture. The photo shows the moon hanging in the sky. Mountains are
below the moon. Adams named the photo “Autumn Moon.” Park rangers expected a lot of
photographers would go to Glacier Point. That is where Ansel Adams took the well-known picture.
Mr. Adams was known for his record-keeping. When he took a picture he wrote down details in his
notebook. He noted the kind of camera settings and film he used. One thing he did not write down was
the date that he took the photo. People are not sure when the picture was taken.
Some experts who study the stars have looked at Mr. Adams’ picture. They wanted to learn when it was
taken. They looked at the picture very closely. They measured the angles of the shadows. This helped
them find out where the moon was in the sky. Next, they looked at old charts and maps of the stars.
They figured out where the moon would have been when Mr. Adams took the picture. They think that
the picture was taken on September 15, 1948. They also think the picture was taken at around 7 pm.
Every 19 years the moon is in the same position as it was in Mr. Adam's picture.
Ready, Click, Spend!

Most Americans celebrate Thanksgiving. They share a festive meal, watch football, and enjoy each
other’s company. For some people, shopping is a big part of their Thanksgiving tradition as well.
For many years, the day after Thanksgiving has been the busiest shopping day of the year. Many stores
have sales on that day. Many people go to the sales so they can save money. The shoppers are looking
for bargains. This busy shopping day is called “Black Friday.”
Recently, researchers have noticed another busy shopping day. This day is a little different. It is the
busiest day of the year for online shopping. The Monday after Thanksgiving has become known as
“Cyber Monday.” On this day, more and more shoppers buy their holiday gifts online.
One organization took a survey. The survey found that 80 percent of Internet users buy gifts online.
Some cities have more online shoppers than others. The survey found that shoppers in one city will
spend one third of their holiday budget online.

But, most shoppers still do not want to buy online. They are afraid to use their credit card on a Website.
They fear that their credit card number will be stolen. They worry that retail Websites are not secure.
They are afraid that shopping sites could be hacked into. Their personal banking information could be
stolen. This is called fraud.
Shopping online is a new way for people to shop. An expert in preventing fraud says shoppers should be
careful. He says that online shoppers should use caution when they shop online. He has some helpful
tips to keep shoppers safe. If you decide to shop online, follow these rules:
First, don’t follow an email link to a shopping Website. The link could lead to a fake site. Type the
retailers’ address into your browser yourself. Also, make sure that you are shopping on a secure server.
You should see a little lock at the bottom of the screen. The picture means you are on a secure server
and it’s safe to shop. One last tip is to avoid using debit cards online. Credit cards are a safer choice.
The survey predicts that more people will shop online in the future. But holiday shoppers will still shop
in stores to find good bargains.
Ruling by the Courts

The Supreme Court said that a federal law was against the Constitution. That law tried to keep children
from bad things on the Internet. The Constitution says that it is okay to say anything you want. The new
law would put limits on free speech.
Some people are happy that the Supreme Court said the law was against the Constitution. They say it is
an important victory for free speech. They say there are already ways to stop children from seeing bad
things on the Internet. One parent said that kids should be open to everything.
Other people are unhappy about what the Supreme Court said. They say that children need to be kept
away from some things on the Internet. They say that laws are needed to do that. A mother was worried
for her children because of what might be put on the Internet.
The people who want a law to stop showing bad things to children on the Internet will try again. They
will try to write a law that is not against the Constitution. The president will call a meeting to talk about
it.
There are already laws that say you cannot show or say bad things on TV and radio. People say that
you cannot send these things over the Internet either. The Supreme Court said that these laws are not
against the Constitution.
Save the Forest

A change is coming in the forest. Scientists are trying to make the logging companies stop clear cutting.
We have to protect the fish, wildlife, and water quality. They have value, too. The forest is a beautiful
place that people should be able to enjoy.
It changes everything when the all the trees are cut. The trees, animals, and water depend on each
other. Many plants and animals disappear. The water level in the ground changes. It can even affect
our climate.
This does not mean some of the trees cannot be cut. It just means all the trees in one place cannot be
cut at one time. It means that you plant new trees when the old ones are cut. When trees are cut in this
way, the land does not erode. The streams do not fill with dirt and the animals are not destroyed.
The industry is beginning to cut trees this way. They are leaving many dead trees so small animals will

have homes. They are leaving many trees alone to give shade and shelter for animals. This also means
that the forest's trees are not all the same kind. This seems very import to the survival of the forests.
Both the loggers and the forest scientists are trying to agree on things. They have to balance the lumber
we need with the forest's protection. A good rule seems to be not to cut more than you grow each year.
Sensible Driving Can Save Fuel

The price of gas has been going up. We do not know when it will end. Many people want to know how
they can conserve fuel. The best way to conserve fuel is to change driving habits.
The accelerator, or gas pedal, has a lot to do with how much gas you use. The faster you drive, the
more gas you use. Drivers should slow down a bit to conserve fuel. Driving at a steady speed helps to
save how much gas you use. Accelerating slowly to get to the speed you want to go helps conserve gas
too.
The more you drive your car, the more gas you use. Think about the places you need to go before
leaving your home. You should run as many errands that you need to do in one trip. Always try to pick
the shortest route when going somewhere.
Cars that are in good working condition use less fuel. Take care of your vehicle. Make sure the engine
is running well and is tuned-up often. Have a mechanic check it if something seems wrong.
Tires are important too. Keep the tires inflated properly on a car. It will help the vehicle roll better and
will get you better mileage. If a car's tires are worn then they should be replaced.
Finally, think about using your car less. Walk or ride a bike if you do not have far to go. Carpool or
take public transportation when you can. Leaving your car at home really saves gas.
There are many ways a person can conserve fuel. These are just a few ideas that can help you save
some money at the gas pump. Try changing the way you drive and see how much it saves you!
Smokers Have New Way to Quit

Smoking is a very bad habit. It can cause many diseases, such as cancer and high blood pressure, and
many people want to quit. It is not easy to quit smoking, however. Many people try to quit, but are not
able to quit. They go right back to smoking cigarettes. They are addicted to smoking, but want help to
quit.
There is a new way to help people quit smoking. It is based on an ancient Chinese method of treating
pain. The method is called acupuncture. It is done by sticking needles in special areas of the body.
These needles trigger special chemicals to help the pain go away.
A therapist is using acupuncture in a new way. She is using lasers instead of needles. She applies the
lasers around the face and arms of people who want to quit smoking. The lasers do not hurt. They
release chemicals called endorphins. The chemicals help people resist the urge to smoke.
One woman who had the laser acupuncture smoked for 45 years. The lasers helped her to quit. She did
not feel like she had to smoke. She believes in the treatment and says that it can work for others. She
says it helps to take the edge off her cravings. She has not smoked for a long time. The therapists say
that the laser treatment does not cure the patient. They must have some willpower.
This treatment has been used for years in Canada and Europe. Until now, the government did not
approve of acupuncture. Many doctors think that it is a very exciting way to treat smoking addiction.

Snow Levels Are Just Average
Snowpack levels are very important to the people living in California. Many people rely on the snow for
water throughout the year. Snowpack levels need to be checked and studied many times.
Special people study the snowpack levels. These levels are checked in different ways. Sometimes people
go to the snow to check the levels by hand. They do this five times a year in the Sierras. Another way of
checking it is by using a special device that is left in the Sierras all of the time.
When winter was half over in 2006, the snowpack levels were studied. The information showed that
some parts of the Sierra Nevada Mountains had a little less snow this year than they have had in the
past. Other areas had a little more snow than usual.
A man that was in charge of the project said that 2006 was a pretty normal year. He thought that it will
stay that way. He knows that things can change though.
It is important for people to study the snowpack measurements. This information will help them figure
out how much water will be available to use later in the year. It also helps power companies figure out
how much power they will be able make by using water.
Some New Cars Save Gas

Gasoline prices are getting higher and higher. Drivers have to pay more to fill their cars with gas. The
prices make it hard for drivers to afford the fuel. Some drivers are looking for solutions. They want to
find a way to solve this problem. Car makers are also looking for was to lower gas prices.
One auto group hosted a special event. The event was designed to display new kinds of cars. The new
cars don’t run on gasoline. Their engines are different. They run on alternative fuels.
These new kinds of cars burn many different kinds of fuel. Some of these cars are called hybrids.
Hybrids run on a combination of gasoline and electricity. Other cars run on natural gas. Another kind
of car runs on a special fuel cell. The cell is filled with a gas called hydrogen. All of these cars use less
gasoline. That makes them less expensive for people to drive.
The fuel cell cars are also better in another way. They give off no emissions. They are very clean, and
don’t give off bad fumes when they run. Cars that run on gasoline give off harmful fumes. These fumes
pollute the air. Air pollution is very bad for the environment.
One man who makes fuel cell cars is excited about hydrogen fuel cell technology. He says we will never
run out of the source of the fuel, but we may run out of oil. Oil is a fossil fuel, and comes from deep in
the ground. Once we use it up, it will take millions of years for more oil to form. Since gasoline is made
from oil, that could be a problem for companies who make traditional cars, and for drivers. However, it
won’t be a problem for cars that run on fuel cells.
Many people are happy that they will have an alternative to gasoline cars, but they worry about the
cost of fuel cell cars. Right now they are very expensive. One man says that if he buys a fuel cell car, he
will have to drive it thousands of miles before he breaks even. Manufacturers say that fuel cell cars
won’t be affordable for about ten years.
The manufacturer says that fuel cell cars will save drivers money in another way. Drivers will have to
spend less money on maintenance. There are no big moving parts in the engine. If something goes
wrong, an owner can plug a laptop into to check it out. Most repairs will be made by computer
programs instead of mechanics.

Buses that run on hydrogen fuel cell power are being tested on the roads. They could become a
common form of transportation in the near future.
Student on Trial for Changing Grades

A young man is fighting to stay out of trouble. Authorities believe that he changed many grades through
a computer when he was in high school a year ago. This 19 year old faces 98 felony counts.
The young man’s attorney says that his client is innocent. He also says that he has alibis for most of the
dates when the crimes were committed. The school was broken into five times and the computer was
used to change grades. The young man claims that he was with people other places during those times.
As many as 84 grades were changed for at least 38 students. Administrators and prosecutors believe
that this young man changed nine of his own grades but also changed others to cover his tracks. The
attorney argued that lots of students had access to the classroom key and also knew the password
needed to change grades.
This young man already had good grades. His attorney says that he would not need to change them.
His overall grade point average was 3.76. Administrators said that these grades were not good enough
to get into the college of his choice. That is why they think he did it.
Two other people that were suspected of being involved in the crime blamed this young man. He says
that he is innocent. He has to go to court to see who the judge believes.
The young man was allowed to graduate from high school but could not go through ceremonies. He has
now finished his first year in college.
Authorities say that they are pursuing this case because they believe that the financial aid he got was
under false pretense. His transcripts were not good enough without his grades being changed.
He could be sentenced to the California Youth Authority until he is 21 if he is found guilty. This is the
first case that has gone to trial.
Students and Satellites

College students are making their own space satellites. One student holds a plastic satellite up above
her head. She tells everyone that it is ready go. It goes into a garbage can. The can is shaken by the
other students. This is to copy what it is like out in space. The can is then dropped to the floor.
The students show that their small satellites can work. They are built strong enough to survive being in
the garbage can. The teacher says that if the satellite is built right, it should not break apart. The
students are learning that when you launch something into space, you can not go up and fix it.
The students are learning how to build a good rocket to get their satellites to fly. The satellites must fly
or the students do not get a good grade. They are learning how to use wood, foam, glue and computer
parts to put together their satellites.
Two years ago the students started to build a real satellite which they hope to send up in space. The
student satellites will measure the Earth from space. The teacher says that new satellites will be
smaller. They will be built faster and be cheaper to build.
T-Rex

Dinosaurs lived a long time ago before humans were around. Skeletons tell us what shape they were.
Little is known about their daily lives. Looking at what they ate helps us to know more about them.
Researchers have found teeth marks of one dinosaur on the bones of another dinosaur. A large
dinosaur know as Tyrannosaurus Rex, or T-Rex, made teeth marks on the bones of a smaller dinosaur.
There were many marks on the bones suggesting that the dinosaur kept chewing on the bones.
The bones of a T-Rex were found 65 million years after they all died and became extinct. People did not
know if it killed what it ate or only ate already killed animals.
Scientists found that the bite of a T-Rex was strong enough to kill another animal. This does not prove
that he tracked and killed his food himself. It does show that he could use his bite to kill other animals.
Video Games
There are many kinds of computer games. Some games let you shoot a gun at people on the screen. If a
body is hit, blood and body parts come off the body. Another game shows a monster eating a person.
In another game, many of the pictures show violence. Some pictures show women with very little
clothes on. The people who make the games are worried that these kinds of games are not good for
people to play.
One game company wants less violence in the computer games. They want their games to not have
women shown without much clothing.
Some people think that the violence in the games is like growing up. Some boys like to fight and they
will use the computer to pretend to fight.
These games were made by young men. The violence and sex are put in the game for boys. But what
about girls? Girls need to be comfortable with computers so they can use them when they grow up.
Most computer games are not violent. Playing computer games help kids to get involved with
computers. The problem now is to get girls to learn computers while they are still young.
Volcano by the Sea

There is a volcano on a Hawaiian island. It pushes lava into the ocean and causes a lot of steam. But it
is not the biggest volcano there. On the ocean floor, a new volcano is erupting nearby.
Scientists are watching it underwater from a submarine. It has caused a lot of earthquakes. The
scientists found a part of the new volcano is missing. An earthquake made the volcano top collapse.
They can tell that it will be an island some day.
The Hawaiian islands continue to grow. The lava from the middle of the earth continues to push
upward. Hot water can be seen pouring out of the cracks of the new volcano. The scientists can not get
too close or they might get hurt from the new land breaking up.
Scientists will watch the eruptions and earthquakes as the new volcano grows. It will be the newest
island in the Hawaiian chain. There will be plenty of time to watch it grow. The new volcano will not
reach the surface of the ocean for about 50,000 years.
Voting Machines Go Through More Testing

Many areas of California use voting machines. It is important that the machines work well. Some
people are afraid that the machines are not reliable. They also worry that the machines could be
tampered with.
The Secretary of State is a man by the name of Bruce McPherson. Mr. McPherson said that the
machines must be tested before they can be certified in California. He also wants the company that
makes the machines to turn in some important information about the memory cards they use. The
company is not sure they want to do that. They are worried that their ideas could be stolen.
The company that makes the machines is located in Texas. They said that they will look at the request to
turn in the information. They also said that they are willing to prove that their machines very work well.
World's Largest Motorcycle

Greg Dunham has built a big motorcycle. It is so big that when people see it for the first time, they
sometimes think that they have shrunk!
Officials from the Guinness Book of World Records say that Dunham’s motorcycle is the biggest one in
the world. It took Dunham three years to build it. It is 15 feet tall and 25 feet long. It weighs about
6,500 pounds. He steers the motorcycle from a special cage below the handlebars.
Greg Dunham built the monster motorcycle because his friends said it was impossible. He wanted to
prove that he could do it. It was a giant project, but he accomplished it.
He enjoys the way people react when they see his motorcycle. “Fifteen guys came to see it. One of the
guys said, ‘Build me one!” Greg reports. “People love it!” he says.
Dunham would like to take the motorcycle on a tour of the country so that more people can see it.
However, he would need a corporate sponsor to help pay for the tour.
A New City
A growing area recently became its own city. Many people who live there are very excited. They hope
that this will give them the power to make some changes for the better in their neighborhoods.
One of the first things that many people would like to do is build new parks. Before this area became a
city it was hard to do things like that. Now people who live in the city can decide what they would like
to do and raise the money to do it.
The city’s first mayor and four new council members were sworn in. They met and had a celebration.
They discussed what changes they would like to see for their new city.
One change that many people want to see is better police protection. In the past this area had to depend
on nearby police officers to patrol their neighborhoods. Having its own police department should make
the area a safer place to live.
This area has doubled in size in the past ten years. It is expected to grow much more over the next
twenty years. People are going to see many changes in this new city during those years.
Down Payment for Homes

When a family does not have very much money, it is hard for them to buy things. One thing that is
important to have is a place to live. But owning a home can cost a lot of money.

There is a company that helps people get a house to live in. Part of the deal is that the family helps to
build the house. This helps to keep the cost of the house down.
In one city, there are a number of houses going up that are built by families. One man is building a
house with three bedrooms and two bathrooms. He always wanted a house for his family.
His wife and his father are helping to build the house. They are pounding in the nails and putting up all
of the boards. The wife was scared to go up on the roof. Now she climbs up there and helps to build it.
The company that helps the family wants the family to spend a lot of hours building their own home.
The company helps to pay for the supplies. It also helps to pay for the land. The family then pays back
the money later.
Fireplace Users Could Get Fined

Many people use wood stoves and fireplaces to heat their homes. Scientists have become worried about
the smoke that they give off. Harmful chemicals are in the smoke. The smoke is causing air pollution.
The pieces of pollution, called soot, are floating in the air. They are too tiny to see. Scientists must use
a microscope to see them.
Small amounts of soot are safe, but large amounts can be dangerous. The government wants to limit
this kind of pollution. It may stop people from using their fireplaces.
The air is tested every day. When soot levels are high, more than 65 micrograms of soot per cubic
meter, factories must stop making smoke. The government thinks that limit should be much lower.
Factories produce the most smoke and soot. But the government thinks that all types of burning should
be limited. The soot levels from factories and homes could be limited. Home owners may have to install
new wood stoves that they comply with the new law. Or, they may not be able to burn on days when the
air quality is bad.
Residents of some towns are fined if they violate the burning ban. Scientists hope these new regulations
will make the air cleaner and less harmful to breathe.
Home Invasion
Some men went to a house in Sacramento. They wanted to rob the people who lived there. They did not
get to rob them. In fact, it turned out bad for one of the men.
The owner of the house answered his door in the morning. A man pointed a gun at him and made him
open the door. Other men came in.
The owner of the house had a roommate who lived with him. The roommate went and got a gun. He
came back and began to shoot the men who came in. Their dog was killed and one of the men got shot.
The men ran away without taking anything. The one who was shot went to a hospital. He was arrested
at the hospital for what he did.
People at the house said they had drugs. This might be why the men wanted to break in.
Home Prices
Owning a home is a dream for a lot of people. Many people want to be able to buy their own home.
Many families live in homes all over the world.
Since homes are large, they cost a lot of money. Most people cannot pay all of the money for a house at
one time. They need to pay some money each month.
In California, the price of a house has gone up. In just the past year, the prices have risen and are
continuing to go up. Many people want to buy a house before the house costs too much.
Many people are rushing to buy a new house. When a new house becomes available, there are a lot of
people who want it. Sometimes a house can be sold in a day or two.
Homeless Area Bulldozed

A number of homeless people used one area of land with lots of trees and bushes as their home. Other
people considered the area to be a place of crime. It has been bulldozed.
It took many years to plan the tearing down of this place. It took only minutes to knock it all to the
ground.
Police said that this overgrown area protected many homeless people from the sun, wind, rain, and
cold weather. It also kept criminal activity from sight. This place was near a school and homes. It had
to be bulldozed and cleaned up.
One business owner nearby was glad to see everything torn down. He said that two or three times a
week his business would be broken into. He also said that all kinds of illegal activities would go on
there.
One homeless man said that he likes being outdoors. He thinks that it is safer than staying in a shelter.
Another man said that the shelters are too full. A woman stated that she has been waiting more than a
year for a room to stay in.
People in charge of the local shelters said that they will find places for these homeless people to sleep
for the night. They will probably need more rooms in the future because the city is not done with this
project. They are planning to clear even more trees in the city that are thought to provide shelter for the
homeless.
Housing Plan to End Homelessness

One county has a problem. The problem is that many people don’t have places to live. This is called
being homeless. There are many reasons why people become homeless. Sometimes people lose their job
and can’t afford to pay rent. Some are teenagers who ran away from home. Homeless people often
sleep in their cars or in public places. Sometimes they sleep in parks or under bridges. They beg for
money on the streets. The county does not like having homeless people living on the streets. It is not
safe for the public or the homeless people.
Being homeless can be harmful to a person’s health. It is not healthy to live on the street. Some cities
provide shelters for these people. But the shelters are usually very crowded. Sometimes the shelters are
not safe. Homeless people are often sick. In shelters, they can spread their illness to others.
Shelters can provide beds, but they can’t meet all the needs of the homeless people. The homeless often
have many other problems. Some homeless people have mental illness. Some are addicted to drugs.
Some are alcoholics. Some have lost their families.
One city has decided to help end the problem. City leaders have developed a plan. The plan has two
parts. Leaders think the plan will take ten years to work.

The first part of the plan will focus on housing. The city will provide stable housing. Clean, safe
apartments will be rented to homeless people. Then the homeless won’t have to live in crowded
shelters. No one will be denied an apartment. These apartments are located in an apartment complex in
the county. The manager of the complex is a success story. He was once homeless.
The second part of the plan will help homeless people in other ways. Some services will help them find
a job. Classes will teach them special skills, and how to keep their job. The plan will also provide
mental health services. This will help the clients become healthy enough to live a normal life.
There have been many plans to help the homeless. Most plans require that people are healthy. They
cannot be addicted to drugs. That is not possible for many. This plan is different. It gives them an
apartment while they are getting sober. Then they have a better chance at ending their drug habit.
The mayor hopes that state funding will be given to the county to help with this plan. Local leaders
hope federal aid will also help them put their plan into action. Many homeless people will be given a
chance at a new life.
Judge Blocks Sale

Some people in apartment complexes in California won an important court case. The renters thought
they might have to move. The person who owns their buildings was going to sell them. The renters were
worried that someone would buy the buildings and raise the rent. That would be terrible for the renters.
The people who live in the buildings do not make much money. They are on fixed incomes. The all went
to court to try to stop the sales.
Some community groups help people find apartments that have a low rent payment. A new law says that
if an owner wants to sell a building, he has to notify these groups first so that they can try to buy them if
they want to. That way, the people who reside there will be able to stay in their homes. The rent will not
be too expensive for them to pay.
This helped the renters because the judge decided that the owner of the buildings did not tell the
community groups that he wanted to sell his buildings. The judge blocked the sale of the buildings. Now
the owner has to notify the groups before he can sell his buildings. The renters and their neighbors are
very happy about this decision. They hope that the community groups will purchase the buildings so
that the residents can remain in their homes.
Law Protects Disabled People

Some people have disabilities. This means that they cannot do some things that other people are able to
do. Sometimes it can be hard for them to do everyday activities.
People with disabilities have the right to go everywhere that anybody else goes. There are laws that
make sure disabled people are treated fairly. Unfortunately not everyone follows these laws.
One law states that people with disabilities must be able to easily get into buildings and other places.
This means that special ramps must be built so people in wheelchairs can get in. It is also said that new
things being built cannot block access to the disabled.
One man feels that he is not being treated fairly. He is in a wheelchair. The people that own the
building that he lives in put a gate up around the complex. The gate blocks the only wheelchair ramp.
The disabled man can no longer easily get to his home. When he wants to get to his house he has to call
someone to let him in. This is frustrating for him. He said that he is going to remove the gate so he can

easily get home.
The owners of the building are not talking about the issue. They said that they are working with their
lawyers on it. Hopefully they will be able to come up with a solution that will be fair for everyone.
Monarch Butterflies
One of the last sites of the monarch butterfly may soon be gone. The site is in Pacific Grove, California.
That town calls itself Butterfly U.S.A.
In this town, one woman owns some land that the butterflies like to live on. She wants to sell her land to
people who want to build homes. The city does not want her to sell because the butterflies will not have
a home.
The city would like to make the land a place just for butterflies. It cannot do this because it cannot
afford to buy the land.
Millions of butterflies have followed the same paths for thousands of years. They start their trip in
Mexico and return to the same trees in California. They come to Pacific Grove to stay warm.
The female butterflies need the plants there to lay their eggs. Thousands of butterflies land on the local
trees.
The monarch butterfly is the Pacific Grove city mascot. Many people come to the city each year to see
them. The money these people bring is very important for the town. Some people say that more
butterflies used to come. Not as many come now. Many people think that all of the new buildings take
the butterfly homes away. If their nests are destroyed, all of the monarch butterfly could be killed.
Neighbors Fight
A man says someone has lit eight fires outside his home. He thinks a neighbor did it. He and his
neighbor have not been getting along.
These neighbors have been arguing about this man's children. The children seem to be doing things the
neighbor does not like. He called the police.
Other neighbors say the arguments have gotten worse since then. Many small things outside the man's
home have been set on fire. He is very mad.
Police say they know about the disagreement between the two neighbors. They cannot arrest anyone for
the fires. They do not have enough proof showing who started them.
The man says he wants to get along with all of his neighbors. He hopes someone can help them solve
the problems with the children. Hopefully the arguments will stop.
Pool Scam
When it is hot outside, many people like to go swimming. One place to swim is in a pool in someone’s
backyard. Families like to have pools so everyone can cool off during the hot summer months.
Putting a pool in the backyard can be a lot of work. It takes a lot of equipment to put one in the ground.
A lot of supplies are needed to finish the job. It takes a lot of time from a number of workers to do the
job.

One person told people that he would build them a pool in their backyard. He had them pay him money
for the whole job. He started building the pool but never finished.
Many people now have part of a pool in their yard that is not done. Many had the pool started a long
time ago but the man never came back to finish it. The man is now in jail for taking their money and not
finishing the job.
The people who paid money to this man will not get their money back. Now they have to pay another
company to come in and finish their pool. They should have not paid all of the money to the man until
he was finished with the job.
Alaskan Oil Spill

An oil tanker became stuck on a reef in Alaska. The rocks in the reef tore a hole in the ship. Lots of oil
spilled out of the hole and into the ocean. This oil began getting on everything.
A person from the oil company said that they are trying to clean it up as fast as they can. They will pay
for the entire clean up.
When the oil pipes were put across Alaska, the pipe builders said that this would not happen. A person
who lives in Alaska said that they were told that they would never see this kind of problem.
A fisherman worried that an oil spill could wipe out his fishing business. The sale of oil brings in much
more money than the fishing business.
The people at the pipeline company thought they were ready for a spill. They had even practiced it with
a model in their office. The problem was that they did not practice with real equipment.
People complained that the clean up was not being done right. The number of workers cleaning up the
mess was cut back. When the ship hit the reef, the first call was for tarps. They should have asked for
equipment to to contain the oil.
The ship's captain was fired by his company. A person from the ship company said that they were upset
that an officer put his ship and crew in danger like that.
The oil company could not do much about cleaning it up quickly. In 36 hours, the oil spread for twenty
miles. The oil company could only put out a few thousand feet of boom to contain it. The oil spill could
not be stopped.
Biosphere
People who fly in space have to eat food that they bring from earth. In the future, these people will
grow their own food.
Scientists are getting ready for the future by living in a biosphere in Arizona. In 1989, eight people
began living inside the biosphere. They were sealed off from the outside world. They grew their own
food.
A scientist said that we will need some kind of life system on another planet.
A new project is called Biosphere Two. Many different areas will be put in the biosphere. It will copy
the oceans, the tropics, and a rain forest. A small desert and a tiny swamp will also be put in. A
greenhouse will help them grow food.

They will try to grow all of the food they need with no help from outside. If they can do this, then it
could be done on another planet that does not have any plants growing on it.
The idea has been tried already on a small scale. On a desk in an office, two tiny shrimps have lived
two years in a sealed globe.
California Toxic Spill

Scientists have been watching chemicals float down the Sacramento River. The spill is 13 miles long. It
is heading for Shasta Lake.
They think it will take 45 days for the chemicals to get to the dam. The water in the lake is for drinking
and farming. The water with the chemicals in it has killed many fish. It would be very bad for humans
to drink.
Some people who live by the river were not told about the chemical spill. They wanted to know why the
spill was not stopped before it reached the lake.
Another man wanted to know if the chemicals would cause health problems. The government said that
the chemicals that spilled into the water did not harm people right away. This spill may change the way
chemicals are checked for safety from now on.
The river is one of California's best places to fish. It may be a while before people come back to fish. It
will take a long time for the chemicals to go away.
Drought in California
A place in California called Marin County is having a drought. People who live there have very little
water. It has not rained there for a long time. They have to keep track of how much water they use.
They can only use fifty gallons of water per day for each person.
One family has found a way to use less water. Not a drop of water is wasted. Family members take
baths together. The bathtub water goes to the washing machine. Water from cleaning dishes is put in
the garden. All leftover water is saved.
Many companies that use water must save water to save them money. A car wash has been changed to
use less water. A car wash could use three hundred gallons of water per car. The changed car wash
only uses five gallons per car.
People in Southern California are not as worried. They still allow pools to be built. The government
does not force people to save their water.
Elephant Gets New Home

There is an elephant that has spent the last 20 years in a California zoo. Her name is Ruby. She was
sent to the zoo after she spent some time performing in a circus.
A group called PAWS has been trying to get her into an animal sanctuary. PAWS stands for
"Performing Animals Welfare Society. The animal sanctuary that PAWS owns has a lot of land. They let
the animals roam around instead of being in a cage. It would be more like a natural home to Ruby.
It took PAWS nine years to get permission to move Ruby. She was finally loaded onto a truck and
moved out of the urban environment.

A person who works for PAWS said that she seems right at home at the sanctuary. She is eating well
and has already made a special friend.
Ruby has been rubbing trunks with another elephant. This is something that elephants do when they
care about each other. The other elephant was brought to the sanctuary two years ago. She also came
from a zoo.
The sanctuary will give Ruby 100 acres to roam around on. She will also get the chance to socialize
with three other elephants there.
Experts say that elephants that have been in captivity often have a hard time getting along. Ruby seems
to be doing great and adjusting well. She seems to like her new home and friends.
Free Willy Debate

Keiko the whale is in an aquarium. He was in the movie "Free Willy." He has been in the aquarium
almost two years. People do not know if he is healthy or not.
People at the aquarium think Keiko might be sick. He had an infection. He also had worms inside him.
The people who own Keiko say he is healthy. They say he has been checked. They say he has no
infections. The government wants Keiko to have another medical checkup.
Keiko's owners would like to set him free. But they are not sure if he is ready. Can he see well? Can he
talk with other whales? Will he be able to hunt?
Right now Keiko does not seem ready. He can not hunt. He eats frozen fish. He spends 15 hours a day
with humans.
Some people think that Keiko can not be set free. He has not been in the ocean by himself. He needs
humans too much. Gangs of young whales might attack him. Keiko's owners say they will not force him
to be free if he is not ready.
Free Willy Update

The whale that starred in the movie Free Willy is not free. Keiko still lives in a large fish tank. He is
healthier than when he was found in a Mexico City park.
When he was found, Keiko was out of shape and sick. Many people wanted to help save him. He now
lives in Oregon.
The keepers of the whale want him to be healthy. Keiko eats up to 200 pounds of fish a day. He also
does a lot of activities. They want him to start thinking for himself.
Keiko can do a lot of tricks. But they do not want people to watch him. The whale is trying to be
stronger so he can one day live in the ocean. No one is sure if he could survive living in the sea.
Funnel Cloud Spotted

Something surprising was spotted in the California sky. It was a funnel cloud. Funnel clouds spin down
out of the sky toward the ground.
The day that the cloud was seen the weather was very rainy and windy. This combination of different
temperatures created the funnel cloud. Funnel clouds form when warm air and cool air mix.
Funnel clouds and tornadoes are created the same way. They even look a little bit alike.
They both look like funnels coming down out of the sky.
Funnel clouds can cause damage. Luckily this cloud did not damage anything. It never even touched
the ground.
It was interesting for people to see the cloud. Funnel clouds are not seen very often in California. Some
people may have even gotten a little scared.
Group that Saves Animals Given Phony Donation

A group that takes care of animals was given a fake donation. It was for a very large sum of money. The
check that they received in the mail was for $95, 000. The group depends on donations to help the
animals. They were very happy when they got the check.
Ed Stewart is very thankful when somebody writes a check for the animal group. He works for them.
The animal group is called PAWS. They take care of animals that used to perform and other rescued
animals. They have elephants, lions, bears and lots of other animals at their shelters. They depend on
donations to help feed and take care of the animals.
There was a note that came with the donation in the mail. The note was short but looked official. It
looked like it was from a company called O'Reilly Media. The note said that the donation was to help
PAWS.
PAWS took the check to their bank. They wanted to add the money to their bank account. The people
who work at the bank said that the check looked real. The bank deposited the check into the PAWS
account. Then PAWS started spending the money. They bought equipment, paid for animal food and
paid some of their bills.
A few days later PAWS got a surprise. Their bank called to tell them that the check was not real. The
check bounced and there was no longer $95,000 in their account. The money that PAWS thought they
had was gone.
PAWS contacted the firm that they thought donated the money. They learned that the company did not
send the check and was also a victim of the scam. They told PAWS that they did not know who sent the
phony check.
The publishing firm also talked to a local news station. They said that PAWS was not the first
organization to receive a fake check. They told a reporter that several dozen organizations had received
phone donations in their name. The publishing firm said it has notified authorities in the United States
and Canada. The phony donation to PAWS had a Canadian postmark.
Once an organization gets a fake check they get a second letter a few days later. They are told in the
second letter that part of the money needs to be sent back. The organizations usually get the second
letter before their checks bounce. They send money back and then find out that their donated checks
have bounced.
PAWS did not receive a second letter from the crooks before their check bounced. PAWS did not
actually lose money. But now they have to explain to people why their bills are not really paid.
Hunting Whales

There were many whales swimming in the ocean a long time ago. Then they were hunted and killed by
Native American tribes. They used the whale for food, oil, and other items. Seventy years ago, they were
told to stop killing them because the number of whales was so small.
Now the Native Americans were told that they could start hunting them again. The problem was that
other people did not want the whales to be killed. They told the Native Americans that the whales
should be left alone. Many people were upset.
During a celebration, guards were asked to protect the Native Americans. There were no problems.
One Native American felt good about that. He just wanted to enjoy his celebration.
The Native Americans wanted to do what their ancestors had done for many years. They want to teach
their children about their past. They think that it helps the group to stay together.
Other people are afraid to let the Native Americans kill the whales. They think that other countries will
start killing them, too. If too many people start killing the whales, then there will soon be no more
whales.
Some people will try to stop anyone from killing whales. They will sue the people who help to kill them.
They will get in the way of those trying to kill a whale. Everyone will be watching to see what happens
the first time the whales are hunted.
Lost Whales
Two humpback whales have swum up a river in northern California. They need to get back to the
Pacific Ocean. Scientists are trying to figure out a way to get them to go back to where they belong.
The whales are hurt. Veterinarians believe that they suffered cuts probably caused by a boat propeller.
They are not healing well in the fresh water.
In order to try to coax the whales back out toward the ocean scientists have tried a few different things.
They played different sounds underwater. One recording they played was of banging metal pipes.
Another was a noisy mix of unnatural sounds. They even tried playing sounds that they thought the
whales would like. These were of humpbacks feeding. The whales did not respond to any of these. They
also tried using a small fleet of boats to herd the whales downstream. None of this worked.
The whales have been very active. One day they started slapping their tails on the surface of the water.
This behavior concerns the scientists. They think that this could show that the whales are distressed.
They also noticed that the whales’ injuries have gotten worse. Their skin is being affected by the fresh
water. It has changed from smooth and shiny to irregular and pitted. The scientists are worried about
their health.
The U.S. Coast Guard will help protect the whales while they are in the river. They are making boaters
stay at least 500 yards away from them at all times.
Scientists have backed off some of their efforts for now. They are concerned that the whales will become
too stressed.
*****
Footnote: The whales referred to in this story made it safely back to the Pacific Ocean. It took one week
for them to swim back to their natural habitat.
Milk Prices

The price of milk may be going up. There was not enough rain in some parts of the country last year.
The bad weather may mean that a gallon of milk will cost 41-cents more after October 1.
A California court wants to keep the cost down. California already has high milk prices. The court does
not want the cost to go any higher.
High milk prices will be very hard for some people. Families with many children buy a lot of milk. The
poor and older people without much money will also be hurt by higher prices.
The court said that more milk from other states can be sold in California. The price of milk from other
states might not be as high. Some states got enough rain so their cost did not go up.
People will buy the cheaper milk. This will make all the milk sellers lower their prices. If they do not,
their milk will not sell.
Mosquitoes Are Coming

People of California are being warned about a virus. This virus can be spread by mosquitoes. It is
called West Nile virus.
A man who is a State Public Health officer said that people should be careful. Because of the warm
weather mosquitoes are breeding earlier that normal. No one can tell how bad West Nile virus might be
this season. People should try to protect themselves from mosquito bites. All standing water should be
cleared so mosquitoes can not breed. Also, insect repellent with DEET should be worn when outside.
It is also a good idea to stay inside during dawn and dusk. Mosquitoes are most active at this time. If
someone must go outside they should wear long-sleeve shirts and pants.
No human cases of West Nile virus have been found yet in 2007. There have been areas that the virus
has been found however. They are trying to reduce the number of mosquito breeding pools there.
Most people do not usually get extremely sick from the virus. They may get flu-like symptoms like fever,
head and body aches. Sometimes it can be very serious. A person may contract encephalitis.
The first case of West Nile virus found in the United States was in 1999.
Sea Lion Found on Street

A sea lion, who likes to get around, turned up on a Sacramento street late last night.
People taking a walk at night almost stepped on the sea lion. It was sitting at the corner of two streets.
The passersby poured water on the sea lion to keep him comfortable. Then they called the police. "The
callers told us there was a sea lion," said a police spokesperson. The police called other agencies that
could help the sea lion. They found people who were experts. They were from the Marine Mammal
Center.
The experts from the center arrived early in the morning and moved the sea lion into a cage. They also
gave the sea lion medical care. They think the lost sea lion swam from the San Francisco bay into the
Sacramento River. Then they think the sea lion took a side trip into the American River. He ended up in
a creek that feeds the river. The experts think the sea lion is confused because he may have a brain
illness. Small polluted plant life could have made the sea lion sick and mixed-up.
This sea lion has also shown up in San Luis Obispo and in Moss Landing. A special tag that the sea

lion wears lets people recognize him. Experts know where he has been because of the tag.
A male sea lion can weigh more than one ton. Sea lions are mammals and have a bark like a dog. Sea
lions are often seen along the rocky coastline during summer months. They occasionally make their
way upriver following the fish.
Timber or Trees
There are many trees in America. The trees have many uses. They provide many things to the area
where they grow. Trees are also cut down to make many things for people to use.
People who cut down trees are mad. Many of them lost their jobs because they could not cut down any
more trees. Some people want all the trees to grow and not be cut down.
Some people get together to make the National Forest Service stop the logging companies from cutting
down trees. The logging companies get together to make the National Forest Service let them cut the
trees down. The National Forest Service is trying to let all the American people use the national forests.
The people with the most money can tell the forest service to allow the cutting to be done. Even when
scientists say that cutting the trees down would hurt the forest and the animals, they still cut the trees
down. Anybody who does not like that idea is not listened to.
Some parts of the forests have been overcut. Too many trees have been taken away. Other parts have
been stopped from being cut. When this happens, many people lose their jobs. The biggest problem is
deciding what should be done with all of the trees.
Tuna and Dolphins

Dolphins swim with other fish. Many are found trapped and killed in tuna nets. A company that cans
tuna will not use any tuna captured with dolphins.
Finding tuna is hard to do. They hide in the shadows. For years, fishermen would find them by looking
for dolphins. Then they would throw out their nets and pull in any fish caught in the net.
Some people are very mad that all those dolphins are being killed. They are not buying the cans of tuna
at the store.The company who sells the tuna will make sure no dolphins are killed when they get the
tuna.
Fishermen will get help from the canning company. They will help change the way they catch the tuna.
A person on each ship will check to see if any dolphins were killed.
About 26 boats will have to change the way they fish for tuna. People buying the new cans of tuna will
have to pay more money. But this change will save the lives of many dolphins.
Unwanted Chimps
Many chimpanzees have been bred for AIDS research. Researchers did not learn enough about AIDS
from chimps. The chimps are not needed. There are 1,500 of them. Some people wanted to kill them.
A research panel has a different idea. It says someone needs to take care of the 1,500 chimps. It says to
stop breeding more chimps. It says to put them someplace like their natural habitat.
Many people say this is a good idea. They say chimps are very special animals. They look like people.
They sometimes act like people. They are close relatives to people.
Some people do not want chimps to be used for research. They say it is not right to hurt them. They say
taking care of chimps is better than killing them.
It will cost a lot of money to take care of the chimps. The government spends more than 7 million
dollars a year to take care of them. The chimps will live 30 to 40 years. People say it is worth using
them. We have learned many valuable things from chimps.
Wild Horses Killed

More than 450 wild horses have been killed in Nevada. Some people say it is worse than when all the
buffaloes were killed. Many of the horses were shot while running.
The land they were on belongs to the government. Twenty-eight thousand horses share the land with six
million cattle. Cattlemen say the horses are crowding the cattle out. One rancher said that there is a
range war going on. Both the cattle and the horses need the water and grass that is on the land.
The law protects wild horses. The president of the Nevada cattleman group also helps to protect the
horses. He says that he does not like what is happening to the horses, but he does want the government
to help keep the number of horses low.
Some people think the Navy used the wild horses for target practice. Pilots fly over the area where the
horses were found. The horses were found far from the nearest road. The killings happened over a
large area. It has been happening for the last two years. The Navy said that they do not let their pilots
kill horses.
Some people think that the horses should be gotten rid of. Others think that they should stay. In the
meantime, the police will try to figure out who did it.
Amusement Parks
California has lots of amusement parks. Amusement parks have many rides that are fun for people.
Some of the rides can be dangerous.
When rides are not checked for safety bad things can happen. Lots of people have been hurt when rides
are not safe. Many others have even died.
Right now the state does not check rides to make sure they are safe. People who work at the parks try to
do this. Sometimes they do not see things that are broken.
People want the state to check the rides. They hope to make rules for amusement parks that will make
rides safer. These people want this to become a law.
Safety is important. People do not want to be hurt on rides. The governor of California will make sure
rides are safer by passing a law.
Blind Man Sues Cab Company

A blind man is suing a cab company. He feels that he was not treated fairly. A cab driver that claims to
be allergic to dogs would not let the blind man and his dog into her cab.
The blind man has been using the cab company for years and has never had any problems before this.
He is very angry. He feels that he is being discriminated against.
Discrimination is when someone is not treated the same as others because he or she is different in some
way. Discriminating against people with disabilities is against the law. If courts find that the cab
company was discriminating against this man they will be in a lot of trouble.
Someone from the cab company said that the driver has a note from her doctor stating that she is
allergic to dogs. Dogs can make her feel sick. The cab company does not think that she should have had
to let the man and his dog into her cab.
A judge will have to decide who will win this case. Both the blind man and the cab driver have rights.
Both sides will need to be looked and only one will win.
Blind Man Sues Cab Company

A blind man is suing a cab company. He feels that he was not treated fairly. A cab driver that claims to
be allergic to dogs would not let the blind man and his dog into her cab.
The blind man has been using the cab company for years and has never had any problems before this.
He is very angry. He feels that he is being discriminated against.
Discrimination is when someone is not treated the same as others because he or she is different in some
way. Discriminating against people with disabilities is against the law. If courts find that the cab
company was discriminating against this man they will be in a lot of trouble.
Someone from the cab company said that the driver has a note from her doctor stating that she is
allergic to dogs. Dogs can make her feel sick. The cab company does not think that she should have had
to let the man and his dog into her cab.
A judge will have to decide who will win this case. Both the blind man and the cab driver have rights.
Both sides will need to be looked and only one will win.
Couple Says They are Guilty

A woman bought some chili at a fast food restaurant. She and her husband put a finger in the bowl of
chili after she bought it. The husband got the finger from a friend. The friend got his finger cut off in an
accident at work.
The couple accused the restaurant of selling bad food. They said the chili had the finger in it when they
bought it. Then the couple tried to get money. They tried to sue the restaurant.
The police found out that the husband and wife were lying. The couple was arrested and went to jail.
They were charged with making a false claim and attempting to steal money. They decided to tell the
judge they were guilty before their trial started.
The restaurant says that they lost a lot of money. They say it is because of the lies the couple told.
People did not want to buy food from the restaurant when news of the finger spread. The restaurant
blames the couple for the loss of money.
A judge will decide how much time the couple will spend in jail. Both could be spending a lot of time in
prison.
Danger at Car Shows

Each year there is a car show. It is held in Reno, Nevada. Many people go to it. Sometimes there are
problems at these shows.
Last year it became very dangerous. Lots of people were violent. They got in trouble. They were
arrested.
People say that the danger did not stop at the car show. Even driving home became dangerous. There
were drunk drivers, people driving too fast, and other problems.
Police want to be ready this year. They will have many more police officers there. The police will watch
for anyone who is causing trouble.
Most people go to these shows to have fun. Unfortunately some people do bad things. This year there
will be extra police to help keep everyone safe.
Disabled Parking Signs Abused

Some disabled people have a special card they use when they park their car. These are called disabled
placards. They are removable signs that can be hung from the rearview mirror of a car. These placards
are only supposed to be for disabled people.
These placards are meant to help disabled people in a number of ways. They allow the person to park
in special parking spaces. They can also be used when dropping-off or picking-up a disabled person. A
disabled person can even use it to park without having to put money into meters.
Parking officials think that some people are cheating. Not all people who have these placards are
disabled. Today, one in sixteen drivers in California carries the sign.
There are a lot more people who have disabled placards today than ten years ago. A person from the
DMV says that there are many reasons for the increase in numbers. As people get older they may have
a reason to receive one. There are also more reasons that allow drivers to have one today. Finally,
there are a number of people who have them that should not.
Last year the DMV cancelled more than 25,000 permits. They found that lots of people who had the
disabled placards had died. These permits are no longer valid.
Some people are worried about the system being abused. They are worried that access to the program
could be limited because of misuse by others. More rules could make it harder for truly disabled people
to get disabled placards.
Electoral College
There is an election in the United States. Every four years, people vote for someone to be their
president. The person running for president is called a candidate. There are usually two or three
candidates for each election.
Each state counts up how many votes each candidate gets. Each state also picks people to help choose
a candidate for that state. This group of people is called the electoral college.
No one can be the president until the electoral college meets and votes for one candidate. The people in
this group are very important. They are picked by other candidates to make the right choice.
One of the people chosen for the electoral college is the wife of a state candidate. He wanted to make
sure his family got a chance to choose a president. She will get together with other members of the

electoral college and vote for one candidate. Since one candidate won more votes than the other, the
electoral college will vote for that person.
Ex-Officer Sentenced to Jail

A man is going to jail. He confessed to a terrible crime. He admitted to driving drunk and hitting a
young boy. The boy died. The man lost his job as a police officer and now must spend five years in jail
for the crime.
Jason March was a policeman. He was off duty one afternoon and was driving his car. He passed a
school bus and struck a young boy who was running across the road. Drivers are supposed to stop
when they’ve been in an accident. However, March did not stop his car after the accident. He drove
away from the scene, which is a felony.
Many onlookers witnessed the accident. They were shocked that March didn’t stop. One witness
followed March in his car. March stopped three miles away and admitted that he had run over the
child. He also told the witness that he was a police officer. He was arrested and tests showed that he
was drunk. His blood alcohol level was twice the legal limit. Many people were disappointed that a
police officer could break such a serious law.
There was controversy about the case. Some people say that March was treated differently by law
enforcement because he was a policeman. Officials say that is not true. They say he was treated like
anyone else.
The judge planned to hold a trial for March. Then March decided to enter a plea. This means that he
would admit that he was guilty so he could get a lighter sentence. It also meant that March would not
have a trial. The little boy’s parents were relieved that they would not have to go through a trial. It
would be very difficult and emotional for them. March pleaded guilty to the crime. A judge sentenced
him to no more than five years in prison. He also said March must pay more than $14,000 in fines.
The little boy’s family was sad because they felt that March’s sentence was too light. They believe he
should have to serve more time in prison. They wanted more justice for their son.
Executions in California May be Stopped

Not long ago a criminal was killed. He was executed by the State of California. Some people thought it
was wrong. There were many stories about it in newspapers and on TV. These stories made people
think California needs a new law.
The new law would stop executions until 2009. It would allow time to finish a report in 2008. It might
say that the law should change. But if the law does not change, there could be executions in 2009.
In the last 30 years, courts said the death penalty was wrong more than 100 times. People who want the
new law are worried. They are afraid that the state could kill the wrong people. They say California
might have the same problems as other states. In other states, people were killed when they should not
have been. They were killed because of their race or because they had bad lawyers. Some people say
California should stop all executions. They should do this until they are sure they are right.
Other people do not agree. These people say that there is nothing wrong with what they are doing now.
They say California is more careful than anyone.
The State of California has killed 12 criminals since 1992. There are now 640 people waiting for
execution in California jails.

Girl Dies
Some people had a party. A little girl was missing. Many people looked for her.
The little girl was found. She was dead. Someone found her in the swimming pool.
Police officers want to talk to everyone who was at the party. They hope to find more clues. They need
to know what happened.
The girl's body was examined. The person who examined her stated that she did not drown. She was
murdered.
Police are not saying much to the public. They have not named anyone as a suspect. They need to find
out more about what happened the day of the party.
Gun Control
Anyone who wants to buy a gun in California will have to wait for 2 weeks. Four people waited 15 days
to buy guns. Then they robbed a store and shot 3 people.
Congress is now trying to pass a law that will make everyone wait to buy a gun. Many people do not
want this law. Others are glad it might happen.
California has one of the longest waiting times for someone to buy a gun. A gun dealer said that this
waiting time does not seem to do much good. He has not seen crime go away because of it.
One good thing that has happened with the waiting time to buy a gun is lower suicide rates. A lot of
suicides are with a gun. In California, there are fewer suicides by gun than other places.
One reason to make people wait to buy a gun is to make sure the guns are not sold to criminals. Last
year, this check stopped 2,400 guns from being sold to criminals. This check does not stop anyone else
from buying a gun.
Many criminals buy guns on the street and not in a store. Some people think that a law like this will not
do any good. But other people think that if only one person is stopped from getting a gun, then this law
is worth it.
Judge Decides Part of Pledge is Unconstitutional

Some people do not believe in God. People who do not believe in God are called atheists. Some atheist
families are not happy that children recite the Pledge of Allegiance in public schools. They do not like it
because it refers to one nation “under God.” One atheist man filed a lawsuit on behalf of three
families. The lawsuit was filed to try to stop the Pledge of Allegiance from being recited in public
schools.
The atheist man filed a similar case on behalf of his daughter a while ago. He lost the case. The courts
thought that he might be right, but they decided not to rule. They said that it was unclear if he had legal
custody of his daughter.
This time a judge ruled that public school children should not be reciting the Pledge of Allegiance in
class. The judge said that it was unconstitutional. He agreed to sign a restraining order stating that
children could not recite the Pledge in the three school districts involved in the lawsuit.
The school districts were disappointed with the judge’s decision. They wanted there to be a full-court
review of the case. They said that they would continue to recite the Pledge of Allegiance until they were
ordered to stop.
Lawmakers Pass a Drug Bill

The state Senate approved a bill for the governor to sign on Thursday. The creators of the bill want to
stop student athletes from using drugs.
The bill is called Senate Bill 37. It was introduced last year by a senator from San Francisco. If the
governor signs the bill, it becomes a law. The new law would make student athletes sign a promise. The
students would promise not to use drugs called steroids.
Steroids make some athletes faster and stronger. But, they are bad for the body. Part of the bill requires
that high school coaches be trained. Coaches and their athletes would be taught about the dangers of
steroids.
A bill similar to Senate Bill 37 was sent to the governor last year. The governor did not sign the other
bill.
Many high schools are in favor of the bill. They are teaching their coaches about drugs. Their students
have to sign an agreement not to use drugs.
An agency in charge of the rules for high school sports is also in favor of the bill. They think many
students use steroids. The agency has told high schools to do what the bill says by 2008.
Sheldon High School began to teach athletes and coaches about drugs. The high school also requires
signed promises from players. The players must promise not to take drugs. The Sheldon High football
coach thinks the bill is a good idea for the athletes.
Many other high schools are doing the same thing. They want to raise awareness about steriods. If
athletes learn about the drugs, they will know that they are bad for their bodies. People hope that this
bill will help end drug use.
Lawmakers Want to Ban Cell Phones

People of California are arguing whether or not it should be legal to use handheld cell phones while
driving. Some people think it should be okay. Other people do not think it is safe.
One man is trying for a law that would only allow drivers to use hands-free cell phones while driving.
He thinks that the bill could save lives. Similar bills have been introduced in the past. They have never
passed.
Other people do not think the bill should pass. They say that studies have not proven that hands-free
cell phones make driving safer. They think that drivers can become distracted by other things too.
Having pets in the car, putting makeup on, or brushing your hair can be distractions also.
The proposed bill would fine people $20 the first time they are caught talking on their handheld cell
phone while driving. They would be fined $50 every time they are caught after that.
Many People Vote

People that live in America vote for things that they want. There are many elections every year.
Americans vote for people to help make laws for us to follow. They make decisions to help our lives be
better.
Sometimes elections can seem like they are not very important. Some people who can vote choose not
to. Others think that their vote will not make a difference. Sometimes not very many people will vote.
There was an election in November of 2000. Many people in California turned out to vote. People were
voting for the President. This person would be the leader of the United States of America for four years.
They were also voting on some new laws.
One person said that it was the highest turn out of voters for an election in California. Many people
mailed in their choices. Most people were interested in choosing who they wanted for President.
The new laws were also very interesting. There were many different kinds. People want to be able to
choose which ones they want.
Marijuana Proposition
People in California voted to let marijuana be used for people who were in pain. The proposition said
that people who are sick or dying can smoke marijuana. The marijuana helps get rid of the pain.
Some people really wanted the proposition to pass. They were happy when it did. One person said that
it shows how much people care about others who are sick and dying.
Now people in California can smoke marijuana if they are sick. They need to have a doctor say that it is
okay first. The federal law still says that it is illegal. The two courts not agreeing causes a problem.
California is getting ready to work it out in the courts.
The new laws allow almost anyone who is suffering to smoke marijuana. No written note from the
doctor is needed to smoke it. The new law also says that it is legal to grow marijuana for medical use.
Police are worried. They think that some people might smoke it even if they are not sick. Others are
scared that the new laws will hurt the war on drugs. Police say they will continue to make people follow
the drug laws, including the illegal use of marijuana.
Murderer's Movie
A man killed three women. He confessed to the crimes. He is now in jail.
A reporter wanted to talk to the man about the murders. He agreed to talk if the reporter would do
something for him. He wanted the reporter to put him in contact with people in Hollywood.
This confessed murderer wants a movie made about his crimes. He wants to talk to people in
Hollywood so he can tell them everything that happened. He hopes to become very famous.
Many people have said that FBI investigators did not do a good job on this case. They did not think this
man was the killer. Then local police gave the man's name and picture to the media. They showed it on
television.
Someone recognized the man's picture. She called the police. Police arrested the man and he later
confessed.

New Driving Laws May be Passed

A city council is considering a new law. The law will help make parking lots safer. It will allow police
to ticket drivers in mall parking lots. The target of the law would be drivers who perform car tricks or
don’t obey rules in parking lots. Police believe that reckless driving in these areas is a big problem in
their town. They hope the council will pass the new law.
Some teens and young adults do not follow the rules in mall parking lots. They drive dangerously and
perform stunts. Drivers gather in the lots to put on trick shows called “sideshows.” The drivers squeal
their tires. They spin donuts. They also do a dangerous stunt called “ghostriding.” Drivers set their car
in gear and let it roll through the parking lot. They walk alongside it, or jump on the hood. These tricks
are very dangerous to the many people who watch the shows. In one city, a spectator was killed
watching a show in a mall parking lot.
The shows also damage the mall property and impact sales. Sometimes as many as 50 cars join in the
shows. The tires leave marks on the asphalt. Also, they park in fire lanes, roll through stop signs and
crosswalks and play their radios too loudly.
Police feel that sideshows and reckless driving have become a big public safety problem. Unfortunately,
police could not do much about it to stop it. This is because drivers used private parking lots for their
shows. Traffic laws do not apply to private property. All police can do is tell the crowds and drivers to
leave. It doesn’t help, because they just go to another parking lot and continue.
Police spoke to the city council about the problem and asked them for help. If the law is passed, police
could write tickets to drivers who break the law. Police could only enforce the law if property owners
give them written permission. Many shoppers are in favor of the new law. They don’t like to shop at the
mall now because of all the chaos. They think this would help make it a safer place.
Officers May Be Required to Workout

One city has a very fit group of police officers. Each officer is required to spend one hour in the
department gym before each shift. It is said that most of the officers do not mind keeping in shape as
part of their duties.
This city’s police chief said that his officers are in great shape. He thinks that their policy of working
out has also attracted some excellent recruits. He believes that this program has done a lot for his
police force. The officers are in much better shape. He said that the work ethic has improved too.
One man wants this kind of program for all California police officers. He would like to have $10
million. With the money he wants to create a voluntary fitness program for police officers. Not everyone
thinks that this is money well spent.
This man believes that the program would actually save money. He says that millions of dollars would
be saved in medical costs. He also thinks that money spent on disability payments would go down too.
People who are against the program do not think that taxes should be raised to pay for the program.

serious.

learn.
Police Find Drugs

Police officers saw someone driving badly. They decided to pull the driver over. They thought it was a
drunk driver.
The officers turned on their sirens. The driver pulled over. The officers walked up to the car.
They spoke to the driver of the car. They searched the driver. One of the officers found some drugs in
the driver's pocket.
The officers arrested the person. While they were making the arrest one of the officers looked into the
back of the car. He saw supplies for making a lot of drugs.
It is illegal to have drug-making supplies. The driver was taken to jail. This person is accused of a
serious crime.
Police Officer Delivers Own Baby

A man named Dustin Smith is a police officer. He has been a police officer in Sacramento for 12 years.
He has handled many emergencies as an officer. Recently he had to deal with a very special emergency.
This officer has a wife named Natasha. She was pregnant with their third child. They wanted their baby
to be delivered at a hospital. The couple could not make it in time.
Natasha went into labor. It was time to drive to the hospital where their doctor works. They did not
have enough time to make it there. They decided to go to a closer hospital. They hoped that they could
make it there before the baby was born.
They could not make it. Natasha told her husband to pull the car over. She was having the baby.
Officer Smith pulled over and turned on his car's hazard lights. He quickly took off his shirt to help
deliver his baby. He said, "By the time I took off my shirt, the baby's head was there. It happened
quickly."
Officer Smith delivered his baby. Then he drove the family to the hospital. He was very happy.
Officer Smith was taught how to deliver babies as part of his police officer training. He had never
delivered a baby before. He is very glad that he paid attention to the training film that he was shown.
The baby is healthy and is now at home with her family.
Officer Smith plans on showing the baby where he delivered her when she is old enough. He says he
will drive over the bridge and tell her, "Right here is where you were born."
Red Light Runners

The San Francisco Department of Traffic is putting cameras at street corners. The cameras take
pictures of cars running red lights. One camera shows 80 to 100 of them a day.
Running red lights is a big problem in San Francisco. A policeman says he could write tickets all day
just for that. Running red lights causes about 1000 accidents a year.
The cameras show drivers not looking. They read maps. They talk on cell phones. They look at
buildings.
The cameras sometimes show cars crashing. The drivers look surprised. Sometimes they look angry.
One driver says he has never seen a stoplight change so quickly.

The red light cameras seem to be working. Drivers caught running red lights get tickets. There are 40%
fewer red light runners at the intersections with cameras. The city has ordered 20 more cameras.
Smoking May be Banned in Cars

Studies show that smoking is bad for a person’s health. Even being around a person that is smoking can
be unhealthy. It is called "second-hand smoke". Smoking is very bad for children. It may become illegal
in California for a person to smoke in a vehicle when children are present.
The California Senate is considering a bill that would make it a crime to smoke in the car when
children are inside. This law would be called SB 7. The author of the bill is a democratic senator from
Long Beach. She says that she thinks this bill could protect kids’ health.
The senator from Long Beach thinks adults should be fined $100 for each violation. She believes that
this would make them think twice about smoking when kids are on the car.
Some people do not like this bill. They say that it gives government too much control over what people
choose to do. These critics of SB 7 are calling it a “nanny government” measure.
A republican senator from Grass Valley does not support the bill. He does not think that the
government needs to tell people what they can or cannot do in their homes or cars. He also believes
that this bill infringes on parents' rights.
This senator said that he knows that smoking can be dangerous. He does not allow smoking in his car
when his grandchildren are inside. Still, he does not think that the government should make that
decision. He believes that it should be left up to the parents.
The governor of California, Arnold Schwarzenegger has not said whether he would sign the bill or not
to make it a law. When he was asked what he thought about adults smoking in cars when children were
inside, he said that he thought it was terrible.
Stop Carjacking
Your car can be stolen at anytime. This is called "carjacking." Carjacking can happen anywhere but
there are ways to keep your car from being taken.
When you leave your car, lock all the doors and close the windows. When you drive, lock your doors
and keep the windows rolled up.
Do not stop to help a car that has broken down. Instead call a service station or police to tell them
where the car is.
When stopped at a light, leave enough room between you and the car in front of you. This will leave you
room for escape.
Be suspicious of anyone approaching the car with fliers, asking for change or directions. Be ready to
leave quickly, even if it means running a red light or stop sign.
While driving, if struck from behind or in any suspicious way, stay in your vehicle with the doors locked
and windows closed until the police arrive. Turn on your car's emergency flashers.
If you're very suspicious, get the other vehicle's license number and drive to the nearest police station
or a well-lighted area with lots of people.

If you think you are being followed, drive immediately to an area with lots of lights and people. If
possible, drive to the nearest police station.
Students Sue Over Tuition

Lots of students go to college in California. Some of these students moved to California from other
states. These students have to pay more money attend school.
Other students that go to school in California came from other countries. Some of these students are
illegal immigrants. These students pay less money to go to college in California than the students that
moved from other states.
The out-of-state students have to pay between $10,000 to $20,000 a year more than the illegal
immigrants. They are not happy about this. They do not think that it is fair that they pay more money to
go to school. They are suing the state of California to try to change this.
One student that is paying the higher out-of-state fees said that he thinks that it is not fair that he has to
pay so much more money. He wants the laws to change.
Another student that is an illegal immigrant said that he could not afford to go to school if he had to
pay more money. He does not want the laws to change.
Out-of-state students are suing the state of California to try to get the laws changed. They want the cost
of going to college to be fair for everyone. They think that changing the laws would make this happen.
Teen Suicide
In 1985, two boys spent an afternoon drinking beer. They were also smoking. They listened to music by
a band called Judas Priest. Later that evening they tried to kill themselves. One boy died right away.
The other died three years later.
The two families blame the record company that made the record and the band. They believe the music
helped the boys to kill themselves. They are going to go to court to get money from the record company
and the band.
The parents think people should know what type of music their kids are listening to. They want warning
labels put on all records so people will know if the music is good or bad.
A judge said that the band and the record company did not get the two boys to kill themselves. The
court said that what was on the record was an accident of the sounds mixing together. The song does
not call for teenagers to commit suicide. One lawyer said all music can be heard wrong. Any song
played backwards could make strange words. The lawyer thinks the judge was very fair because the
band did not put any secret words into their music.
One of the boy's father says he does not think this will be the last time parents will go to court for this.
He believes other bands will be held responsible for the music they make. An Oregon family who lost
their son to suicide is thinking about going to court, too.
Tip Leads to Arrest

A man who works at a motel helped police solve a crime. He thought that some guests at the motel were
acting suspicious. He called the police and told them what he saw.
The worker noticed that some of the guests seemed to be acting unusual. They paid cash for their
rooms. They looked nervous. They were also carrying some large items with cords on them to the
rooms. He thought that they were microwaves. He suspected that the guests were probably doing
something illegal.
The motel employee believed that the guests might be making drugs. He called the police. The police
investigated. They realized that one of the men was recently let out of jail, so they decided to search the
rooms.
When police searched the rooms they found that there was something bad going on. They found illegal
drugs and stolen items.
Police made a list of everything that they found in the motel rooms. They learned that many of the items
in the rooms had been stolen from doctors in the area. Some of the things that they found were
checkbooks, personal papers, passports, and jewelry.
One woman was arrested for having the stolen items. Police are still looking for two other men and
another woman that were seen taking items into the rooms.
The worker at the motel was happy to help solve the crime. He likes what he does for a living. He does
not want people doing illegal things where he works.
TV Programs Effect Jurors

Some lawyers who try to prove that someone did a crime are saying that TV shows are making their job
harder. TV programs show science quickly proving crimes. One popular show that does this is called
CSI.
These lawyers say that solving crimes in real life is not like that in the real world. Unfortunately, some
juries expect them to prove crimes that way. This problem is being called the “CSI Effect.”
On TV shows like CSI, the police are always able to show high-tech scientific proof that the person is
guilty in just one hour. No one can argue with that kind of proof. Some people think that now real juries
want to see that kind of proof before they will say someone is guilty.
One lawyer says that the real world is not like the TV programs. For example, tests that are done in
minutes on TV can take weeks to do in reality. Not all evidence can be tested scientifically. This lawyer

asks jurors about what TV shows they watch. She also tells them that the way things are proved in the
real world is very different from what they see on TV.
University Students Not Allowed to Drink Alcohol

Some college students drink too much alcohol at school. Many of them live on the campus. Heavy
drinking has caused many problems. It can cause students to make bad choices and do dangerous
things.
One college has decided to ban alcohol. It has gotten a reputation as a party school. Five students at
the college have died from drinking too much alcohol. Recently, one student drank too much vodka. He
slipped into a coma. The college hopes the new rule will prevent any more tragedies.
The new rule prohibits students from drinking alcohol in the dorms. The first time a student breaks the
rule they will receive a warning. If they break the rule again, they will be evicted from the dorm.
However, they will still have to pay for the dorm. Some students do not live on the campus. They live in
houses near the campus. Those students are also banned from drinking alcohol, even if they are of legal
age.
Freshmen at the college are now required to take a special course. The course is called AlcoholEdu,
and lasts for two and a half hours. The students learn about the dangers of alcohol. They also take a
survey to find out how much they know about alcohol. All first-year students must pass the course.
The college hopes that more information will help students make better choices.

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LISTENING ENGLISH Trang 1

Baby Born at Train Station - Sisters Follow at Hospital

Child Safety Seats

Children From Russia Spend Summers in California

Couple Adopts Children

BS: TRẦN ĐỨC CHÍNH TP.HCM 20/7/2010

Defenders of Foster Children Gather at State Capitol

BS: TRẦN ĐỨC CHÍNH TP.HCM 20/7/2010

Dogs Help Children Become Better Readers

Donor Needed for Baby

BS: TRẦN ĐỨC CHÍNH TP.HCM 20/7/2010

Ex-Officer Sentenced to Jail

Festival For Families

Free Food for Kids

BS: TRẦN ĐỨC CHÍNH TP.HCM 20/7/2010

Free Gun Locks

Governor Wants Kids to Eat Healthy

Growers Announce New Food Safety

BS: TRẦN ĐỨC CHÍNH TP.HCM 20/7/2010

BS: TRẦN ĐỨC CHÍNH TP.HCM 20/7/2010

Housing Plan to End Homelessness

BS: TRẦN ĐỨC CHÍNH TP.HCM 20/7/2010

Kids In Jail - A New Plan

Letters to Santa Reveal Need

BS: TRẦN ĐỨC CHÍNH TP.HCM 20/7/2010

New Driving Laws for Teens

Parents Arrested When Students Skip School

Parents Warned About Technology and Drug Use

BS: TRẦN ĐỨC CHÍNH TP.HCM 20/7/2010

Playground Completed Despite Rain

BS: TRẦN ĐỨC CHÍNH TP.HCM 20/7/2010

Poison Proof Your Home

Police Arrest Parents

Police Officer Delivers Own Baby

BS: TRẦN ĐỨC CHÍNH TP.HCM 20/7/2010

The baby is healthy and is now at home with her family.

Program Helps Get Word Out About Missing Children

Ruling by the Courts

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Schools Give Students Tools to Fight Back Against Bullies

Seven Year Old Boy Sets Swimming Record

Smoking May be Banned in Cars

BS: TRẦN ĐỨC CHÍNH TP.HCM 20/7/2010

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Youth Programs May Be Cut

Banks Share Information

Buying and Selling Votes

California Governor Pulls Investments from Other Country

City Pays Late Utility Bills

BS: TRẦN ĐỨC CHÍNH TP.HCM 20/7/2010

Couple Says They are Guilty

Down Payment for Homes

Farmers Plant Different Crops

Gas Prices Increase a Penny a Day

Group that Saves Animals Given Phony Donation

BS: TRẦN ĐỨC CHÍNH TP.HCM 20/7/2010

Low Air Fares

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Lunar Real Estate

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Man Gets Calls and Sues

Man Realizes He Is a Lottery Winner