Copernicus Channel Guide — October 1999

What are the six building blocks of your body? Protein, carbohydrates, fats, minerals, fiber, and vitamins. Answer questions like these and more using our online reference library of dictionaries, encyclopedias, thesauri, and search engines in Quick Facts.#

You'll need more than muscles to tend to your new pet: a 60-pound Siberian cyber tiger. Start by building a home and choosing food for your feline. Then let him loose to hunt around his new habitat.#

Before the first day of school, visit Learning Center for lesson plans, teacher tools, online resources, and more.#

Participate in discussion groups, go to friendly chat areas, or find an electronic pen pal, locally or from across the world.#

How do your school's academic standards measure up and what can you do to foster improvement? Many federal and state agencies publish free information for school communities, and the Partnership for Family Involvement in Education is a great resource. Even if your school isn't part of a localized Copernicus community, School Biz offers valuable information for educators and parents alike.#

Though school's out, continue your child's education "after the bell." Read movie and music reviews, conduct science experiments from home, or even plan your entire family vacation online using our featured family resources.#

Based on a Census Bureau report published today, the problem of providing health insurance worsened between 1997 and 1998, when one million more people were added to a growing number of uninsured Americans.#

Children may see lighting up as a way to slim down, according to a new study that found that boys and girls concerned with their weight were more likely to smoke than peers who were not trying to lose weight.#

A portion of the money fetched from jumpsuits and jewelry sold in the first-ever auction of Elvis Presley memorabilia will be donated to the Estival Communities homeless shelter, a center similar to the ones of Elvis' youth.#

San Francisco and Rochester, Minn. were chosen as the best big and the best small city to live in, respectively, when ranked according to criteria such as housing, health, crime, leisure activities, and weather.#

The U.S. Space Command will take charge of defending the U.S. against a uniquely Information Age threat: cyberwarfare. Officials will study how to protect the military's computer networks against hackers and how to build cyberattack capabilities.#

In less than 75 years the Earth's population has tripled and on Tuesday, the world will welcome its six billionth baby, a milestone that makes some experts more anxious than eager.#

When Harvard president James Bryant Conant created the SAT test, he intended it as a tool to help colleges choose students based only on academic merit. So how has the test, which is now accused of bias, veered so far from its original purpose?#

Before Michael, there was Wilt. Wilt "the Stilt" Chamberlain, a basketball legend with a career average of more than 30 points per game, was found dead yesterday from an apparent heart attack.#

Twenty teachers have been named to the USA TODAY's All-USA Teacher First Team, a group of educators chosen because they use creative teaching techniques -- ones not found in traditional textbooks -- to encourage students to learn.#

Strapped for cash, Russia reports it will not be able to fix the Y2K bug before the millennium, so officials there will switch important processes from automatic to manual control for the turn of the century.#

Residents of eastern North Carolina had no sooner begun recovering from last month's Hurricane Floyd when they were visited this weekend by Hurricane Irene, which dumped a half-foot of rain on the area and renewed the threat of flooding rivers.#

Senator Jesse Helms is threatening to block former Senator Carol Moseley-Braun's nomination to the New Zealand ambassadorship, possibly due to their clash in 1993 over use of the Confederate battle flag, which Moseley-Braun argued represented slavery.#

In the next few years, U.S. elementary school educators will be required to pass tougher teacher licensing exams that will require them to prove their knowledge of specific subjects and creative teaching techniques.#

Yesterday, Elizabeth Dole became the fourth republican presidential nominee to drop out of the race. She cited lack of funds, having only $860,000 to George W. Bush's $37.7 million. Click here for the full story.#

Celera Genomics announced that it decoded one-third of all human genes in only one month, an accomplishment that should ultimately help researchers discover the secrets behind diseases and aging. Click here for the full story.#

A perfectly preserved adult wooly mammoth in Siberia is getting worldwide attention from researchers who want to extract tiny DNA from the giant 11-foot tall animal for use in cloning experiments. Click here for the full story.#

The golf community is in shock today over the loss of golf great Payne Stewart, who died yesterday along with at least 4 others when their Learjet reportedly lost cabin pressure and crashed in South Dakota. Click here for the full story.#

Looking for an industry with growth potential? Try the Internet. According to a new study, the Internet economy increased 68 percent in the last year, growing faster than the overall U.S. economy. Click here for the full story.#

Baseball season ended joyously for New York Yankees' fans who watched their team beat the Atlanta Braves last night to seal up a four-game sweep of the World Series, the second championship title for the Yanks in a row. Click here for the full story.#

George W. Bush, front-runner among Republican presidential hopefuls, was notably missing from a New Hampshire debate last night where other candidates criticized his absence and discussed issues such as health care and taxes. Click here for the full story.#