Here We Stand Student Site

(ABC News, March 13, 2006) Officials are warning U.S. citizens that the deadly bird flu is fast approaching our coasts, and that we need to be prepared. Even though the current strain of the bird flu being tracked (...

(CNN) Have you ever wondered what it would be like to live on the moon? Scientists recently discovered a large hole in the moon that could allow humans to one day establish a lunar colony. The crater, also called...

(National Public Radio) New Orleans, Louisiana, was ravaged by strong winds, rain, and flooding caused by Hurricane Katrina in late-August 2005. Since the tragic events that took the lives of more than 600 people,...

(The Atlanta Journal-Constitution) Oprah Winfrey, one of the world's most famous women, took everyone out to lunch last week. In partnership with KFC's new Kentucky Grilled Chicken, Oprah posted a coupon for a free 2...

(USA Today) Automobile companies in the United States are struggling financially. General Motors (GM), the largest American car company, announced plans to stop making cars for nine weeks in 15 of their 21 North...

(CNN.com) Christmas is celebrated on December 25. Valentine's Day is February 14. Your birthday is held on the same date every year. The date for Easter Sunday will fall somewhere between March 22 and April 25,...

(Wall Street Journal) The people of Fargo, North Dakota, and Moorhead, Minnesota, are working around the clock to prepare for record flood levels. Students in local schools are even being excused from class so they can...

(MarketWatch) Perhaps you've heard the day after Thanksgiving referred to as Black Friday. This is the busiest shopping day of the year. Stores open their doors early in the morning and offer huge discounts on some...

(CBS News) In the days leading up to the November 4 elections, polling was the name of the game. A poll is a survey taken among a random sampling of people who are likely to vote. This survey asks several questions...

(CNN) Perhaps you've heard that America is in a bit of a financial crisis. There are a lot of reasons for how we got into this mess, but most people don't understand all of it. In fact, even really smart bankers,...

(Charlotte News & Observer) The Carolina Panthers football team was having practice as usual on August 1. Seemingly out of nowhere, wide receiver Steve Smith exchanged words with cornerback Ken Lucas. Smith then...

(Los Angeles Times) The Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD) is one of the largest in the United States, with more than 450,000 students. The district is in the middle of a massive building project, which hopes to...

(CNN.com) This summer, for the first time in the modern era, the Olympics will be held in China. Not everyone is happy about this, because China is often criticized for oppressing many of its citizens. People are...

(CNN.com) Of the two billion Christians in the world, about one billion are Roman Catholic. The leader of Roman Catholicism, the Pope, is an extremely important religious figure. The current Pope, Benedict the...

(CNN.com) Although it can be hard to think about, it is important to remember that many people around the world live in very terrible conditions. The linked article tells the story of one such person. It is about a...

(CNN.com) As you've no doubt heard by now from your parents or in schools, there are risks associated with sex or engaging in sexual activities (like oral sex). One of the biggest risks for people who engage in sexual...

Robin Williams and Wife Divorcing after 19 Years

(CNN.com) Robin Williams is a famous comedian and actor. He is best known for his parts in movies like Good Will Hunting, Mrs. Doubtfire, and Dead Poets Society. He and wife Marsha Garces Williams had been married for 19...

(CNN.com) Each year, Forbes magazine lists the world's richest people. The linked article reports on this list's recent release. For the first time recently, Bill Gates (who started the Microsoft company) was not the...

(CNN.com) Compared with 20 years ago, people today spend a lot more time watching television, playing video games, or using their computers. This behavior creates all sorts of obvious problems (such as more obesity,...

(CNN.com) You've seen people use them. You maybe even have one. Credit cards are a way for people to make a purchase using borrowed money that they promise to pay back someday. Banks make money on credit cards because...

(CNN.com) Media reports about the United States' war in Iraq often focuses on the number of American soldiers killed in Iraq. But in the war, far more U.S. soldiers are disabled than are killed. The linked...

(CNN.com) Cuba is an island nation very close to the state of Florida. For almost the past 50 years, it has been ruled by a man named Fidel Castro. In 1959, Castro and others took over the government of...

Presidential Field Narrows after Super Tuesday

(CNN.com) The list of people in the presidential race is getting smaller each week. On Tuesday, over 20 states held caucuses and primaries. These events are opportunities for Democrats and Republicans to gather together...

(CNN.com) Actor Heath Ledger died last week at the age of 28 years old. Ledger has appeared in more than 20 motion pictures, including The Patriot, A Knight's Tale, and Brokeback Mountain. He was also set to star as...

(CBS.News) The United States elects a president every four years, and 2008 is an election year. People who wish to become president typically belong to one of two major political parties: Republican or Democratic....

(CNN.com) A "strike" happens when a group of employees refuses to work until their disagreement with their employer is resolved. Strikes are often used to secure better job benefits or pay for employees who belong to...

(CNN.com) The treatment of prisoners captured in the war on terror has caused a lot of debate. What is certain is that the United States questions prisoners using methods that have been called "torture" by different...

(CNN.com) You may have heard somewhere that the U.S. economy is experiencing a housing crisis. But what does that mean? The linked article discusses one of the big problems behind the housing crisis. Many people who...

Vick Awaits Sentencing for Torturing, Killing Dogs

(CNN.com) (SI.com) Michael Vick, a well-known professional football player, has been convicted of organizing dog fights. Dog fighting is a form of entertainment (and often an opportunity to gamble) that has been outlawed...

(CNN.com) Over the past several years scientists and world leaders are working on different ways of reducing dependence on fossil fuels (like coal and gas) as a source of energy. Fossil fuels, when burned to produce energy,...

(CNN.com) The United States invaded Iraq more than five years ago, and ever since, violence has torn the country apart. More than 3,000 members of the United States military have died since the war began. In that...

Suicide is the third-leading killer of teenagers, after automobile accidents and homicide. Thousands of young Americans succeed each year. Recent reports show that suicide among preteen and teenage girls is at its highest...

ESPN.com There are lots of famous Christians in the world. The world of sports is no different. Watch any sporting event and you’ll see many athletes make a public reference to their faith. Football...

Report: National Strategy Needed to Fight Fat

(CNN.com) Too many Americans are overweight and the problem is increasing. According to a recent report, not one state experienced a decline in obesity rates during the last year. For the first time ever, more than 30...

Time.com Mother Teresa is considered by many to have modeled a life lived in deep faith. This Catholic nun died in 1997 and is well on the way to being an official saint. She is respected for the way in which she dedicated...

CNN.com McDonald's spends billions of dollars each year advertising its product, and much of that advertising is directed as children. A recent study has shown that this advertising is very effective. According to the...

CNN.com In the African nation of Sudan, more than 200,000 people have been killed over the past several years, while several million people have fled from their homes in order to stay safe! The Sudanese government is behind...

(CNN.com) The United States is experiencing a health crisis related to obesity. More of us are overweight (even obese) than ever before. While scientists have recognized the negative effects of obesity on health, there is...

Fewer Teens Having Intercourse, More Using Condoms

CNN.com The U.S. government just reported a lot of good news about health trends among young people. The linked article summarizing the report notes that young people are making more responsible decisions about sex...

The YouTube-ification of Politics: Candidates Losing Control

CNN.com There have been a few famous instances recently when well-known politicians were recorded on video doing or saying something they would not want the public to see. Ten years ago, these videos probably wouldn’t...

(CNN.com) Isaac Newton was arguably the most famous scientist who ever lived. His work is the foundation of much of modern math, calculus, physics, and astronomy. Although he has been dead for almost 300 years,...

(CNN.com) Scientists are interested in stem cells because stem cells are able to change into other kinds of healthy cells, and so could one day be helpful in curing many hard-to-treat diseases. The United States...

CNN.com The video game "Manhunt 2" was released in the United States on July 10, but it already has a history of controversy. In the game, players control the actions of an escapee from a mental asylum who...

Paris Hilton Checks into Lost Angeles County Jail

(CNN.com) Paris Hilton is a celebrity "party girl" and reality television star. She is often criticized for her lifestyle—which many people say is too obsessed with consumerism, sex, and partying. Recently,...

Religion and Politics Hand-in-Hand in 2008 Race

CNN.com The 2008 presidential election is heating up. One of the major issues that seems to be on the table this year is the religious faith of the candidates. The linked article talks about how the Democratic...

Giant Exploding Star Outshines Previous Supernovas

(CNN) Every so often scientists who study space witness a supernova: the tremendous light show created when a distant star explodes. Supernovas don't often happen and their light is usually only visible for a few weeks. A...

Drivers in the United States are paying a lot of money for gasoline these days. Gas prices are at an all-time high, which makes the idea presented in the linked article quite interesting. This article reports that some...

King Herod’s Tomb Unearthed, Israeli University Claims

(CNN) King Herod was ruler of the Holy Land thousands of years ago. He is famous for building palaces, fortresses, and other large construction projects. Until recently, no one knew where he was buried. But a few weeks ago,...

(Rueters) Any farmer can tell you that bees are good for more than honey and stinging. Bees hovering around plants help those plants reproduce. Bees are responsible for pollinating around one third of the food crops (...

(CBS) Sometimes it's easy to forget that criminals are human. Occasionally, the actions of a criminal remind us that people's motives for committing crimes are often complex. The linked article tells the story of a...

New Jersey Governor Asks for State’s Forgiveness

(MSNBC) Jon Corzine, governor of the state of New Jersey, was in an automobile accident in April. Corzine was riding in the passenger seat of an SUV traveling 91 miles per hour. He did not have his seat belt engaged when...

(CNN) The linked webpage reports the tragedy that took place recently at Virginia Tech. As you probably know, a very troubled young man named Cho Seung-Hui killed 33 people, including himself, in a bloody rampage at...

(CNN.com) American adults don't eat enough fruits and veggies! At least that's what the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is saying, according to this article. The CDC is a government agency that...

"How to Save a Life" by The Fray from the CD Live at the Electric Factory (Sony, 2006) "How to Save a Life" by The Fray has been a long-standing presence on the Billboard Top 100 charts and a regular in the playlist of most...

(CNN.com) The U.S. mint is currently introducing dollar-value coins and there have been some problems with some of the manufacturing. Some coins were accidentally printed without the phrase "In God We Trust" around the...

(CNN.com) The Pope of the Roman Catholic Church (who is called Benedict the 26th) preached recently at a large worship service in Rome on Palm Sunday. Palm Sunday is the beginning of Holy Week – the week where...

(ABC News) Each March, sports coverage in the U.S. focuses on March Madness, the NCAA college men's basketball tournament. For many sports fans, the most exciting part of the tournament is watching the smaller schools take...

(CNN.com) Somalia is a country in East Africa that has been in a civil war for the last 16 years. The linked article tells the sad story of some of the most recent innocent victims of this war. According to the...

(CNN.com) When Amillia Sonja Taylor was born last fall, she was just 9 inches long and weighed less than 10 ounces. (That is lighter than a can of soda!) Most newborn babies weigh somewhere in the range of 7-9 pounds. After...

(MSNBC) The discount airline JetBlue Airways announced this week plans to institute a "Customer Bill of Rights" for passengers, after major delays caused by a snowstorm on Valentine's Day. The storm, and JetBlue's inability...

Archaeologists, Scholars Dispute Jesus Documentary

(CNN.com) The Discovery Channel plans to air a documentary called "The Lost Tomb of Christ." The documentary claims that a tomb discovered outside Jerusalem in 1980 may have contained the bones of Jesus and his...

(MSNBC) A recent survey ranked the United States near last in the world in terms of how "family friendly" we are in policies about jobs and work. The survey examined the labor policies of 173 countries around the world to...

(ABC News) When you announce that you're going to run for President of the United States, you want people to think well of you. You want the news to convey excitement about who you are and what kind of President you...

(CNN.com) For the last 60 years, a group of scientists has maintained a symbolic "Doomsday Clock." Midnight on the clock represents disaster: all-out nuclear war or environmental devastation. Over the years, the scientists...

(CNN.com) China is the most populous country in the world (more than one billion people live there). It is a Communist country, and its government has a policy of strictly controlling the ideas and thoughts its people are...

MSNBC.com Scientists recently found out that a huge chunk of ice broke away from a coast in northern Canada. The ice shelf (bigger than 11,000 football fields!) snapped off from the coast and has become an ice island...

CNN.com Sending young people to school requires a lot of money. States are responsible for paying for their schools, but the United States government helps by giving money to each state. A recent study says that poorer...

CNN.com Many children in Africa and southern Asia are unable to read. This is bad because it means they will be unable to get the kinds of jobs that will help them escape poverty. It is also bad on a larger scale--these...

Sports Illustrated Two professional basketball teams got into a big fight a few weeks ago. Because this is bad for the game and bad for the teams, the people who participated in the fight got into trouble. Some of the...

Reuters.com I've got some important news for you. Are you ready? God created you!!! Your face, your body, your brain, everything about you is a part of God's wondrous and amazing creation. So stop with the negative body...

USA Today Snoop Dogg, whose real name is Calvin Broadus, was stopped in a California airport trying to carry on an illegal weapon. He said he didn't know that a police baton was considered an illegal weapon. A baton is an...

The Washington Post As the dust settles from the mid-tem elections, we may take pause to reflect. It seemed that we were inundated by political advertisements. Many of these ads were of a very negative tone; there often...

New York Times New rules that were announced this week by the Federal Department of Education provide opportunities for local school districts to experiment with more classes or even entire public schools that are for only...

Newsweek Demographers declared recently that the US population would cross the threshold of 300 million. It is, of course, impossible to know the exact population of the US at any given moment. But trends about how many...

CNN.com NPR.com Several weeks ago, North Korea tested a nuclear weapon. While the world has believed for some time that North Korea had a nuclear weapon, this test confirms it. The bomb that exploded was quite small by...

CNN.com MSNBC.com Scientists just released a study about academic performance and watching television. The study says that kids who watch television or play video games during school nights do worse in school (on average)...

New York City Eyes Ban on Restaurant Trans Fats

Toronto Star Health officials in New York City are considering a city-wide rule that would make it illegal for restaurants in the city to serve foods containing trans fats. All healthy diets contain some fat, but...

CNN.com ABC News A very rich man named Richard Branson recently announced that he is going to give three billion dollars over the next ten years to help fight global warming. This is a lot of money! Three...

Death of a Hunter, Australia Zoo Steve Irwin, better known as the Crocodile Hunter, was recently killed by a stingray while filming a documentary at the Great Barrier Reef off Australia's northeastern coast. The barb from...

Survivor One of the hottest reality shows on TV is Survivor, which began its 13th season on September 14 at 8 p.m. on CBS. This time, the 20 castaways are exiled on the Cook Islands, located in the middle of the Pacific...

National Geographic, July 6, 2006 ABC News, June 27, 2006 Forget nuclear weapons. Is Noah's ark in Iran? That is what Arch Bonnema of the Bible Archaeology Search and Exploration (BASE) Institute claims his team of Texas...

Decorated Wiccan Soldier Denied Star on Memorial

Washington Post, July 3, 2006 Myrtle Beach Online, July 10, 2006 Sgt. Patrick D. Stewart was posthumously awarded a Bronze Star for his service in Afghanistan. But the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) remains...

The African country of Angola suffered through a civil war for 27 years. Because of the destruction and disruption of normal life from the war, Angola has many problems—especially...

In the United States, the president can set priorities—things that he wants the government to do. But many times, whether those things will happen comes down to whether or not there is enough money. The decision of...

We've all done it. Forgotten about our books, spelling lists, and multiplication tables over the summer. Summer's for fun, right? Learning's for the school year! Have you ever noticed how hard it is to get back in...

Earlier this summer, five days of heavy rain caused massive flooding in the northeastern part of the United States. Through the mid-atlantic states, at least sixteen people died because of the rains and flooding and...

(New York Times, February 8, 2006; National Public Radio, June 26, 2006; Newsweek, July 17, 2006) What do you have in common with hair spray, automobiles, cow poop, paint, factories, and...

(HowStuffWorks.com, CNN.com) Gas prices are stirred by supply and demand. If the whole world decided to hang up the keys and strap on some sneakers, gas would be much cheaper. Increased prices come...

(March 13, 2006) Wildfires raging in Texas have consumed an area about 2/3 the size of the state of Rhode Island—over 660,000 acres—and they don't show any signs of letting up any time soon. The wildfires have already...