New York Family Finds Home on Scotland's Fair Isle May 31, 2007 • An upstate New York couple was chosen from 800 applicants to move to one of Scotland's remotest islands, Fair Isle. After six months on the island, they and their 6-year-old son love their new life among the sheep and seabirds.
Economy Florida Towns May Feel Homeowners' Tax Pains May 31, 2007 • Years of rising home values have brought local governments buckets of property tax money. But now, in Florida and other states, taxpayers are saying "enough." Florida's legislature is expected to roll back property taxes next month — imposing big cuts on cities and counties. Local officials say the rollback may force police and firefighter layoffs.
Research News Study: Human Ancestors Walked Upright Early May 31, 2007 • When our human ancestors first descended from the trees, they scurried around on all fours before eventually learning to walk upright. Or did they? A report in the journal Science argues orangutans actually learned to walk upright while they were still living in trees.
TB Patient Sparks Public Health Scare TB Patient Identified; Father-in-Law Works at CDC May 31, 2007 • The Georgia man who shuttled around Europe while infected with a dangerous strain of tuberculosis has been identified as attorney Andrew Speaker, 31, of Atlanta. Speaker's father-in-law, Bob Cooksey, works at the Centers for Disease Control as a microbiologist in the tuberculosis division.
Have a Stagnant Pool? Call the Mosquito Guy May 31, 2007 • In the Sacramento, Calif., area, housing prices are way down. In the past year, sales volume has dropped by almost one-third. That means there are more vacant houses than usual, which means more untended swimming pools, which means more breeding grounds for mosquitoes.
Environment Bush Urges Curbs on Greenhouse Gases by 2009 May 31, 2007 • The United States will engage in new international negotiations to reduce greenhouse-gas emissions, according to a plan President Bush announced Thursday. The president heads to Germany next week to discuss climate change with other world leaders.
Opinion Finding the Balance Between Rap and the Books May 31, 2007 • Keith Shine, 17, is a junior at Curie High School in Chicago. He wants to go to college — but he also wants to be a rapper. In a piece produced by Curie Youth Radio, Shine shares his dilemma.
Business Lawyer Files Gender Bias Suit Against GE May 31, 2007 • A high-ranking lawyer fighting her demotion has sued General Electric, accusing the company of gender discrimination. The lawsuit alleges that GE pays female lawyers and women in entry-level executive jobs less than it does men in similar positions.
Education Textbook-Free: Checking In at Laptop High May 31, 2007 • In the fall of 2005, Empire High School in Vail, Ariz., ditched its textbooks and gave each student a laptop instead. The experiment was meant to foster creativity and put the most current material in front of students. It is now the end of another school year, and time to see how the switch measures up.
Intelligence Chief Hopes to Speed Staffing Checks May 31, 2007 • Director of National Intelligence Michael McConnell will release recommendations to streamline intelligence agencies' background checks. The FBI is having particular problems: It now takes almost twice as long to identify and hire qualified analysts as it did last year.
Opinion Koppel On The News Seeking Perspective on the U.S. Death Toll in Iraq May 31, 2007 • Casualties in Iraq are high. May has been a brutal month for American soldiers in Iraq; but it would be a mistake to think that it's the number of deaths alone that is creating the sense of national urgency to improve the situation in Iraq.
World May Is Third-Deadliest Month for U.S. in Iraq War May 31, 2007 • At least 122 U.S. troops died in Iraq in May, making it the third-deadliest month since the war began. And as more troops head to Iraq, even higher numbers of U.S. casualties are expected.
Your Health The Pill, Forty Years On May 31, 2007 • When the pill was first introduced four decades ago, it created a revolution in women's sexuality. A look at what's changed about the pill, and future trends in birth control.
New Hampshire Approves Same-Sex Unions May 31, 2007 • New Hampshire became the latest state to allow civil unions Thursday, giving gay couples access to the rights and responsibilities of marriage. Gov. John Lynch signed legislation that also recognizes legal same-sex unions from other states.
Beyond 'Dr. Death': Kevorkian Revealed May 31, 2007 • You probably know Dr. Jack Kevorkian, who is being released from prison Friday, for his role in assisting nearly 100 suicides. But friends have a different picture of the man, who is also a musician, cookbook writer and painter. Close friend Ruth Holmes talks with Madeleine Brand.