April 14, 2006

Many Chinese citizens are finding that the Constitution is a flimsy tool for protecting individual rights.

The fledgling solar-cell industry uses just about as many silicon wafers as the chip industry does, but the resemblance ends there.

New York City police officers with metal detectors will conduct surprise sweeps for weapons as students enter middle schools and high schools.

The pitch was a fastball on the outside part of the plate, exactly what Jeffrey Maier was looking for on Wednesday afternoon as Wesleyan University took on Bates College in a relaxed baseball setting that bore no resemblance to Yankee Stadium. Maier took a left-handed swing and drove the ball into the outfield for a run-scoring double. His Wesleyan teammates cheered, and so did several dozen fans, including his parents and sister. As the umpire tossed the souvenir ball to the bench, Maier stood on second base and tried to keep the smile off his bearded face. For the second time in his life, Maier had made baseball history.

New York City Mayor Michael R Bloomberg announces plans to conduct unannounced searches of students entering various middle and high schools throughout city; sweeps are intended to be deterrent to students bringing weapons into schools; Donna Lieberman, New York Civil Liberties Union executive director, hopes to ensure that student privacy is not infringed on (M)