HOMENATION
CONGRESS
A One-Man Earthquake
WORKSHEET:
The Jeffords Defection: Bold Move or Betrayal?
Stupid Tax Tricks
DEFENSE
The Secretary of Missile Defense
SOCIETY
Ghosts of the South
BUSINESS
Power Struggle
Nuclear Summer
WORKSHEET:
Nuclear Power in America: A Class Debate
Yahoo Lowers the Net
SPECIAL REPORT:
GLOBAL WARMING
A Climate of Despair
WORKSHEET:
Global Warming: Policies and Consequences
WORLD
EUROPE
A Tour Without a Trip
CHINA
Safe Landing
BRITAIN
Blair’s Next Move
MIDDLE EAST
Last Dance, Last Chance?
WORKSHEET:
Current Events In Review
Answers
A One-Man Earthquake (pages 2-4)
1. Jeffords said he decided to switch from the Republican Party to the Independent Party because he disagreed with President Bush on several "very fundamental issues," including tax decisions, missile defense, energy and the environment.
2. Jeffords’ decision caused control of the Senate to shift from the Republicans to the Democrats. Though Bush adviser Karl Rove reacted to Jeffords’ switch by calling the Senator selfish and power hungry, other observers hope that Bush will move farther to the center, in order to appeal to moderates in both parties.
The Jeffords Defection: Bold Move or Betrayal? (page 5)
Answers will vary depending on statements selected for analysis.
Stupid Tax Tricks (pages 6 and 7)
1. Bush signed a 10-year, $1.35 trillion plan that offers savings to every taxpayer. Key provisions include repeal of the "death tax" in 2010 and relief for those who pay the "marriage penalty" and the alternative minimum tax.
2. The writer charges that lawmakers rushed the tax-package through Congress, resulting in a confusing and chaotic piece of legislation. Most of the tax relief is phased in at the end of the 10-year plan; then, in 2011, the entire plan is slated to disappear under the "sunset clause" that will restore the tax laws that were in effect prior to passage of this law.
The Secretary of Missile Defense (pages 8 and 9)
1. Missile-defense shields are intended to protect the U.S. from incoming missiles.
2. Rumsfeld’s proposal is controversial because it is costly, because the technology needed to construct it does not yet exist, and because some experts believe even if built the shield will not be effective.
Ghosts of the South (page 10)
1. Of the state’s 82 counties, 18 voted to remove the Confederate emblem, while 64 voted to keep it. As a result, the flag was not changed.
2. Backers of the Confederate emblem claim it is a part of the state’s history and heritage. Opponents say the rebel emblem symbolizes slavery, segregation and second-class citizenship for African-American citizens of the state.
Power Struggle (pages 11-13)
1. Bush’s policy stresses greater production over conservation. It calls for 1,300 new power plants by 2020, additional nuclear plants, less restrictive regulations on coal, and tax incentives for new drilling of oil and gas.
2. Critics call the Bush plan shortsighted and argue that conservation should be the cornerstone of a forward-thinking national energy program.
Nuclear Summer (pages 14 and 15)
1. Bush believes that nuclear power should be a "major component" of energy production in the U.S. and favors construction of new plants.
2. Critics charge that an energy plan that focuses on nuclear power is misguided, because it will threaten the environment and public safety.
Nuclear Power in America: A Class Debate (page 16)
Answers will vary depending on students’ views on nuclear power and on points covered in the class debate.
Yahoo Lowers the Net (pages 17 and 18)
1. Yahoo’s stock price plummeted because online advertisers stopped purchasing banner ads on Yahoo’s site. This drop in ad spending led to vastly reduced sales and revenues for the company.
2. The "shock absorbers" graphic indicates that housing sales have remained steady, job growth is up slightly, interest rates have come down slightly, and inflation rates have risen only incrementally.
A Climate of Despair (pages 19-22)
1. Many nations have taken significant steps to reduce the threat of global warming. For example, China has reduced its greenhouse emissions 17%, while Mexico is planning to double its output of geothermal power.
2. World leaders met in Kyoto, Japan, in 1997 to come up with a unified response to global warming. While 83 nations signed the Kyoto accord, which calls for reductions in greenhouse emissions below 1990 levels, the U.S. considers the protocol fatally flawed and refuses to participate in its implementation.
Global Warming: Policies and Consequences (page 23)
Answers will vary.
A Tour Without a Trip (pages 24 and 25)
1. Expectations among the European media were low for Bush, because he is an inexperienced statesman and this was his first trip to Europe.
2. Bush exceeded expectations. He was greeted by demonstrators on some stops and met with leaders of Spain, Belgium, Sweden, Poland and Russia to discuss global warming, missile defense, and NATO.
3. In Sweden, where Bush met with 15 leaders of the European Union, discussion centered on Bush’s decision to reject the Kyoto treaty on global warming. To show that Bush takes the issue of global warming seriously, the White House is developing alternatives to the Kyoto accord.
Safe Landing (pages 26 and 27)
1. The clash occurred following the crash of a Chinese plane and a U.S. plane in the South China Sea. A Chinese pilot was killed in the crash, and China accused the U.S. of invading its airspace. For 11 days after the collision, China detained the U.S. crew, causing a standoff between the two nations.
2. China demanded an apology from the U.S.; the U.S. responded by issuing an artfully worded letter of regret. China eventually accepted the apology and released the crew, but initially refused to return the plane to the U.S.
Blair’s Next Move (pages 28 and 29)
1. The writer makes a case that there are "two Britains" by pointing to shabby hospitals where patients receive poor treatment, to overcrowded schools and to high rates of illiteracy. These contrast with upbeat images of a strong economy, reduced crime and rising test scores.
2. On the campaign trail, Blair promised to reform and revitalize schools and hospitals; he also spoke in favor of a "mandate for investment."
Last Dance, Last Chance? (pages 30 and 31)
1. An Islamic Jihad suicide bomber detonated an explosive at a Tel Aviv nightclub, killing 18 Israeli young people and injuring 115.
2. Ariel Sharon held Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat responsible for the bombing and gave Arafat one last chance to make good on a promised cease-fire.
3. Although Arafat has agreed to a cease-fire, most Palestinians appear to favor more attacks. Therefore Arafat faces a strategic dilemma.
Current Events in Review (page 32)
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