1. Immigrants in Solitary

The U.S. Department of Homeland Security has asked for information about immigrants being held in solitary confinement at federal facilities. “Solitary confinement should be the exception, not the rule,” Secretary Janet Napolitano said, indicating that the practice might be acceptable on occasion if a detainee is considered disruptive or needs protection. The department’s request for more information followed a New York Times newspaper report that found on any given day, as many as 300 immigrants are held in isolation, many for 23 hours a day. U.S. Senator Charles E. Schumer, chairman of the Senate Judiciary Subcommittee on Immigration, has urged the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement program to change the practice, indicating he would address the matter further in legislation. Solitary confinement is generally agreed to be harmful. Use the Internet and other resources to research the issue. Then draw an editorial cartoon for the newspaper, giving your opinion on the issue. If necessary, refer to editorial cartoons in the newspaper to see how they are drawn.

Common Core/National Standards: Conducting short research projects that build knowledge about a topic; using drawings or visual displays when appropriate to enhance the development of main ideas or points.

2. BBC to Offer Tolstoy

Great Britain’s BBC television network has another blockbuster series in the planning stage — perhaps its most ambitious yet. It will adapt Russian writer Leo Tolstoy’s epic “War and Peace” novel into six hour-long episodes to be broadcast in Britain in 2015. No word yet on when, or whether, it will be a PBS “Masterpiece Classics” offering in the United States. The series will be faithful to the novel’s setting in 19th century war-torn Russia, scriptwriter Andrew Davies promises, but focus more on romance and family conflict than on the book’s philosophical elements. Davis has built a following around the world through TV successes like the current “House of Cards” and adaptations of Jane Austen novels and his collaboration on the Bridget Jones movies. Tolstoy’s novels examined both social and political issues in realistic detail. Think like Tolstoy and find a story in the newspaper about a person or issue that could be the basis for a novel. Write a paragraph summarizing what the novel could be about, and how it might begin.

Common Core/National Standards: Reading closely what a text says explicitly and to make logical inferences from it; citing specific textual evidence when writing or speaking to support conclusions; writing narratives to develop real or imagined experiences or events.

3. An Unconstitutional Sniffing

Can a dog be unconstitutional? No, but it can be unconstitutional for a drug-sniffing dog to be sniffing around your property without his owners having a search warrant in advance. The U.S. Supreme Court has ruled 5-4 that when police obtained a warrant to search a Florida house AFTER the department’s drug-sniffing Labrador retriever detected the smell of marijuana, it was an unreasonable search and violated the Fourth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution. The ruling upheld a Florida Supreme Court decision. In his majority opinion, Justice Antonin Scalia noted that “to find a visitor knocking on the door is routine” even if it is sometimes unwelcome but it’s unlawful for a visitor to “march … his bloodhound into the garden without saying hello and asking permission.” Four justices did not agree with the ruling. The first 10 Amendments to the Constitution are known as America’s Bill of Rights. Discuss what rights are included as a class, or look them up online. Then find a news story in the newspaper or online that involves one of these rights. Write a paragraph explaining the right involved as it applies to the story.

Common Core/National Standards: Conducting short research projects that build knowledge about a topic; writing informative/explanatory texts to examine a topic and convey ideas and information clearly.

4. Magazines in Crisis

At one time, magazines were hugely popular and successful in the publishing world. Now, Time Warner is planning to spin off its Time Inc. magazine unit into a separate, publicly-traded company, because its magazines are losing money. This means Time, Fortune, Sports Illustrated, People, InStyle and Money magazines will no longer be part of the Time Warner media conglomerate, which will now focus on its cable TV and film businesses. Time Inc. is the nation’s largest magazine publisher, but last year its magazine revenue dropped 7 percent. At the same time, Time Warner’s cable TV channels, including TNT, TBS and HBO, grew by 5 percent. The decline in magazine revenue is one example of changes going on in the nation’s economy. In the newspaper, find a story about another change going on in an industry. Use what you find to write a paragraph or short essay explaining the change.

Common Core/National Standards: Reading closely to determine what a text says explicitly and to make logical references from it; citing specific textual evidence when writing or speaking to support conclusions drawn from a text.

5. U.S. May Owe Parents $$$

The U.S. Internal Revenue Service is sitting on $917 million in unclaimed tax refunds from 2009, some exceeding $500. But time is running out for people to claim the money. The refunds are owed to nearly 1 million people who did not file tax returns for the year 2009. Many did not file because they made so little they were not required to file, but if federal income taxes were withheld from their pay, they may be entitled to money back. Taxpayers must file new returns for 2009 by April 15 to claim their refunds. If they don’t, they have a three-year window to claim the money before it becomes the property of the U.S. Treasury. There is no penalty for filing a late return that qualifies for a refund, but unless an affected taxpayer also files returns for 2010 and 2011, the refunds could be delayed. Refunds can also be withheld to settle unpaid taxes, unpaid child support or past-due student loans. Income taxes are in the news every April, because Americans must file their yearly tax returns by April 15. Find a story about income taxes in the newspaper. Use what you find to draw a comic strip showing a person hurrying or struggling to file a tax return.

Common Core/National Standards: Reading closely to determine what a text says explicitly and to make logical inferences from it; using drawings or visual displays when appropriate to enhance the development of main ideas or points.