U.S., World Combat Swine Flu

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What are you, your family, and your school doing to stay healthy during this flu outbreak?

Photo: Zuma/NewsCom

First 100 Days

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What grade would you give President Obama's performance in his first 100 days on the job? What do you think are some things he has done well? What do you think are some things he has not done well?

Photo captions for top image composite:

Top Left
President Barack Obama and first lady Michelle Obama pose with 2ndgrade students at the Capital City Public Charter School in Washington, D.C., February 3, 2009. (Photo: Larry Downing/Reuters)

Top right
President Barack Obama signs the $787 billion dollar economic recoverybill, with Vice President Joe Biden at his side, at the Denver Museum ofNature and Science in Colorado on February 17, 2009. (Photo: Gary C. Caskey/UPI Photo/NewsCom)

Lower left
President Barack Obama talks to workers following a plant tour at the Trinity Structural Towers in Newton, Iowa, Wednesday, April 22, 2009.The company manufactures towers for wind energy production. (Photo: Charlie Neibergall/AP Images)

Lower right
President Barack Obama greets troops at Camp Victory in Baghdad, Iraq, April 7, 2009. (Photo: Jim Young/Reuters)

League of Her Own

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Mackenzie Brown is one of the many kids who participate in Little League baseball around the world. For them, playing baseball is an important activity. What activities and sports do you participate in?

Photo: Tim Farrell/Newark Star-Ledger

Look! Up in the Sky! It's a... Farm?

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Do you think a vertical farm would benefit your community? Why or why not?

Image: SOA Architects

It's Earth Day!

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What has your school done to show respect for the Earth? Do you have an environment club? Does your school support recycling? Share your green stories and ideas with other kids!

Photo: Tim Pannell/Corbis

Greenhouse-Gas Pollution Confirmed

You don't need a law to tell you what ways you can shrink your own carbon footprint. What are some of the changes you are making right now help stop the process of global warming?

Join the conversation about what you are doing to help the environment on the Kids Environmental Report Card page!

Learning From Jackie Robinson

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Jackie Robinson is a hero to a lot of people because he was able to become the first African-American player in major-league baseball. Who are your heroes? What makes them so special? What can you learn from them

Photo: Citi Field Kids

Kids Environmental Report Card Is In

Join the conversation about the environment on the Kids Environmental Report Card page!

Photo: Corbis/Veer

Moon Gardeners

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If you had basic necessities like air, water, and food, would you want to live on the moon? Why or why not? What flowers and foods would you choose to grow in your moon garden?

Image composite. Prototype of minature greenhouse "Lunar Oasis" courtesy Paragon Space Development Corporation. Background image: photo taken from surface of the moon.

Bag-Ban Debate

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Do you think plastic bag bans or fees are a good idea? Would you support one in your town?

Photo: Plastic bag blows in the wind. (istockphoto.com)

Hello, My Name Is Bo

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What do you think of Malia and Sasha's new puppy? What are the biggest challenges in raising and caring for a pet?

Image composite. Photo of dog: The Obamas welcome Bo, a six-month old Portuguese water dog and a gift from Senator and Mrs. Kennedy to Sasha and Malia, recently at the White House. (Pete Souza). Background image: The White House. (istockphoto.com).

Cars of the Future

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Do you think people will want to drive smaller, more-eco-friendly cars in the future? Do you have any other ideas for what cars should be like in the future?

Photo: Steve Fecht for General Motors

Connecticut Women Complete Perfect Season

The women of the University of Connecticut were unbeatable all season. And on Tuesday night, they sealed a perfect record—and a national championship—with a victory over the Louisville Cardinals, 76-54.

In the final game of the NCAA women’s basketball tournament in St. Louis, the Huskies (39-0) dominated the Cardinals (34-5) from the opening tip to the closing buzzer. That’s nothing new for the Connecticut women—they won every game they played this season by double digits, the first time that’s happened in college basketball.

On Tuesday night, though, nothing the Huskies did in their previous 38 games mattered. If they lost, they would finish the season as runners-up to the national championship.

But Connecticut came to play. Offensively, the Huskies outshot and outrebounded the Cardinals. On defense they never let Louisville get more than a three-point lead.

At the 4:03 mark of the first half, Louisville led 9-6. But once the Huskies went ahead 11-9 a minute and a half later, they never looked back—their largest lead was 26 points, and they cruised to their sixth national women’s basketball championship and third undefeated season.

For the players, winning meant joining the ranks of national champions—and finally being able to enjoy their accomplishments.

“We can finally breathe,” Huskies senior point guard Renee Montgomery said. “Everything we won—the Cancun tournament, the regular season, Big East—we couldn't be too excited because we had another game to follow up. So I think this is the first time we actually can just stop and really enjoy the win for more than a couple of days.”

For their part, the Louisville women did their best to contain the unstoppable Huskies. And whether it was butterflies from playing in the national title game or just running out of gas after a long season, the Cardinals weren’t able to match Connecticut’s skill.

After the game, Louisville coach Jeff Walz praised his team’s tempo and intensity. But, he said, it all came down to missing shots that his players normally make.

“Hey, you know, it's the big stage," Walz said. "It was our first time playing in a championship game. We have nothing to be disappointed about. We're going to hold our heads up high and we're grateful to be here. We have so much to be proud of.”

--Dante A. Ciampaglia

Photo: Jeff Roberson/AP Images

Suprise Stop in Iraq

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President Barack Obama says that all American troops will be out of Iraq by 2011. Do you think that's a good idea? Should troops stay longer or be brought home sooner? Why or why not?

Photo: Jim Young/Reuters

Tar Heels Are Champs!

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Did you watch the NCAA Men’s Basketball tournament? What team were you rooting for? What team do you think as the best shot at winning the national championship next season? Why?

Photo: Mike Segar/Reuters

Earthquake Hits Italy

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Have you ever experienced an earthquake or known someone who has? Share your experiences with other Scholastic News Online readers.

Photo: CHRISTOPHE SIMON/AFP/NewsCom

Poetry for the Public

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Do you write poetry? Share it with other kids on the Scholastic News Online Blog!

Photos: Denver Office of Cultural Affairs, istockphoto.com

Recovery on the Red River

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Residents in Fargo and volunteers from many places worked together to protect the city from floodwaters. Have you ever worked with other people who live in your town or have come to volunteer on an important project? Describe your experience(s).

Photo: Richard Tsong-Taatarii/Minneapolis Star Tribune/MCT/NewsCom

Why I Love the Final Four!

By Sean Coffey

Well, it’s here. The second most televised event of the year: The Final Four.

Personally, this is one of my favorite times of year, because you have the Final Four, followed by The Masters Golf Tournament and the beginning of Major the League Baseball season concurrently.

Millions of people all around the U.S. savor the head to head battles of the four best college basketball teams in the country. This year, the resurgent Villanova Wildcats have surprised everyone in their march to the Final Four. The team rolled right over UCLA and Duke, while Michigan State, led by Tom Izzo, beat the number one overall seeded Louisville Cardinals. In addition, both UConn and the University of North Carolina are in, both top seeded in their division.

Personally, this year’s tournament and last year’s tournament have somewhat put a damper on my love for college basketball. Since the 11 seeded George Mason Patriots made the final four in 2006, there really have not been any “Cinderella” basketball teams in the championship battles. 

Last year, for the first time ever, all four of the top seeded teams made the final four. I think that the point of the final four is to excite people with the hope of an upset. Unfortunately, that hope seems to be diminishing with each new season.

Nevertheless, the Final Four remains one of the most beloved events of the entire year, one that people, myself included, look forward to all year long.

From a viewer’s standpoint, the passion of every single game, especially in the Final Four when the stakes are the highest, truly symbolizes the love of the game that all of these young men from these four teams share. 

Taking the International Stage

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What do you think President Barack Obama’s top priorities should be on his European trip? The economy? Rebuilding relationships with other countries? Something else? Why do you think that?

Photo: Charles Dharapak/AP Images