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The article reports on the stepped up efforts to police the U.S.-Mexican border taking place as immigration reform stalls at the federal legislative level. Illegal border crossings from Mexico to the U.S. are down significantly, based on apprehension statistics. The methods of U.S. Border Patrol agents are examined. INSET: An Electronic Peeping Tom.

The article speculates about comparisons made between the Vietnam War and the Iraq War and between former U.S. president Lyndon B. Johnson and U.S. President George W. Bush. According to the author, it is the historical parallel that the Bush administration dreads most because of fears that comparisons with Vietnam will cast even more doubt on the conduct of the war in Iraq. Topics such as the roots of war, conflict management, and credibility gaps are explored for both presidencies.

The article reports that the police across the U.S. are keeping tabs on ordinary Americans. City and county police in the name of homeland security have surveilled or harassed animal-rights and antiwar protesters, union activists, and even library patrons surfing the Web. The U.S. Departments of Justice and Homeland Security have spent important sums of money into building up local and state police intelligence operations. INSET: When the Cops Only Saw Red.

The article focuses on the flow of illegal immigrants through the border between the United States and Mexico. Statistics showing the number of arrests and the number of "other than Mexico" immigrants who are crossing the border. The administration of U.S. President George W. Bush has proposed a guest worker program. The Secure Border Initiative, a plan developed by Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff, is discussed. The governors of Arizona and New Mexico have declared states of emergency. Information about various border sectors and patrols in Arizona, California, New Mexico, and Texas is provided. Minutemen's founder Chris Simcox and Border Patrol Chief David Aguilar comment on law enforcement. INSETS: A Welcome Mat for Guests?;TRACKING A MULTIFRONT WAR.

Focuses on the economic and management challenges facing the U.S. Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) following Hurricane Katrina. Controversy surrounding FEMA's no-bid contract with the Carnival Corp.; Review of how the rebuilding effort will be the most expensive government building exercise in history; Economic statistics related to the cost of the recovery effort; Political controversies stemming from government contracts involving Halliburton Co. and Kellog Brown & Root.

Discusses the impact of Hurricane Katrina and Hurricane Rita on the Gulf Coast. Lessons learned from Katrina in regard to emergency response; Efforts of the White House, the Department of Homeland Security and the Federal Emergency Management Agency to demonstrate their readiness for Rita; Evacuation of residents; Questions about rebuilding the city of New Orleans, Louisiana; Who will pay for the cleanup.

Presents a timeline chronicling Hurricane Katrina as it passed over New Orleans. Predictions made by the National Weather Service as Katrina entered the Gulf of Mexico; Influence of steering winds on Katrina's path, according to Max Mayfield of the National Hurricane Center; Computer simulations predicting Katrina's impact run by Mark Levitan at Louisiana State University's Hurricane Center; Strength gained by Katrina as it crossed the Gulf of Mexico, due to the warm waters of the Gulf supplied by the loop current.

Describes the condition of the levee system in New Orleans, the damage it suffered from Hurricane Katrina, and the past efforts to have it repaired. How officials and scientists were aware of the possibility of disaster; Requests by the Army Corps of Engineers to upgrade the levees; Comments from Al Naomi of the Corps and Walter Maestri of Jefferson Parish New Orleans; How the wetlands protect New Orleans; Attempts to get government funding to repair levees and destroyed wetlands; Criticism of the federal government's disaster relief efforts.

Describes the destruction and problems caused by Hurricane Katrina and the Federal government's response. Description of conditions in New Orleans and other cities; Comments from Tony Ebbert, New Orleans homeland-security director, Homeland Security Director Michael Chertoff, and President George W. Bush; Criticism of the sluggish response by the government; How the levee system failed and the lack of proper evacuation planning.

Looks at the role of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) in the U.S. since its creation following the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks on the U.S. Creation of the DHS in March, 2003, when 22 federal agencies were merged; Report that the DHS budget has grown to $50 billion; Details of information technology and other security products marketed to and developed by the DHS; Comments on the frequency of personnel changes in the DHS due to the departure of many staff members for private lobbying jobs; Details of the distribution of DHS funds to U.S. states; Critique of the expenditure of DHS funds; Role of the DHS in funding research at U.S. universities; Plans of Secretary Michael Chertoff to review the organization and focus of the DHS. INSET: SPREADING THE LOOT AROUND.

Discusses the Terri Schiavo case. Description of the controversy surrounding the legislation passed by Congress and signed by U.S. President George W. Bush to reconnect the feeding tube which had kept Schiavo alive for sixteen years; Role of the Florida Senate in defeating a bill to outlaw withholding food or water from patients without written instructions; Efforts of religious conservatives in a movement to protect "the sanctity of life" over a "quality of life" approach; Appeal of the case to abortion opponents; Significance of an eighty-two percent opposition to Washington's interference in the case; Reasons for Democratic Party members keeping low profiles.

Discusses the expanding role of nurses in American medical care. Profile of Teresa Ritchie, a nurse practitioner who makes home visits, performs minor surgery, and has admittance and prescription rights; Significance of the increasing autonomy of nurses; Need for more nurses in the U.S.; Challenges of independent nursing; Analysis of the shift in nursing.

Profiles President George W. Bush and his inaugural address introducing his second term in office. Focus on a call to end tyranny and spread freedom worldwide; Quotes from his 21-minute speech; Questions as to where the new Bush doctrine might lead in the U.S. relationships with China, Russia, Saudi Arabia, and Pakistan; Reactions from some Bush supporters; Description of Washington, D.C. on the day of the inauguration; Question as to whether Bush's "civic religion" is compatible with today's world.

Discusses the 2004 U.S. presidential election, which resulted in the re–election of President George W. Bush. Factors which contributed to the Bush victory, including his status as a wartime president and the importance of values to the American people; Response of the Democrats when they realized Bush was going to win Ohio; Importance of a new strategy for the Democrats; Statement that Bush was better at connecting with voters on an emotional level; Importance of moral issues to Ohio voters; Reflections on political perspectives in various swing states; Belief among Republicans that they have a mandate from the American people.

Four years ago, the overriding issue in the presidential election was how to let the good times roll: There were large government surpluses, and more were projected. Fixing Social Security, increasing healthcare benefits, improving education, and cleaning up the environment all seemed like good ideas at the time. But there is something different about the fear campaign this time around. Something that makes it scarier and, therefore, more potent as a political tool: The attacks of Sept. 11, 2001, have left a legacy, a specter, and it is the specter of our own deaths and the deaths of our loved ones. If the 2004 campaign has become about anything, it has become about actual survival, about worrying whether we, our spouses, our children, our parents will return home at the end of the day. In times of war, fear usually works to the advantage of the incumbent president. But Bush's relative popularity (his approval rating hovers around 50 percent) during a controversial war also reflects something else: his success so far in linking the war in Iraq to the war on terror and the fight to protect the homeland.Kerry does his best, as he did in the three debates, when he manages to decouple the war in Iraq from the war on terrorism and when he charges that Bush, by pursuing a war against Saddam Hussein in Iraq rather than Osama bin Laden in Afghanistan, actually increased the threat to the United States.

Discusses the 2004 U.S. Presidential campaign debates. Opinions on the performances of President George W. Bush and Democratic contender for the Presidency, John Kerry; Reactions and interpretation of the debates by viewers who support Bush or Kerry; Success for Kerry in changing opinions by his performance in the debates.

Reports on the response of U.S. presidential candidates George W. Bush and John Kerry to the terrorist threat currently facing the United States. Focus during the Republican National Convention on which candidate can keep America safer; Importance for President Bush of voters staying focused on fighting terrorism; Efforts of Kerry to stress other issues, such as the economy and health care while at the same time convincing voters that he's the best man to prosecute the war on terror; Differences in perspective on Iraq; Advantage for Bush as commander in chief during trying times; Contradictions in the voting record of Senator Kerry; Failure of President Bush to achieve consensus on Capital Hill.

Focuses on families who found ways to pay college costs. Decision of Debra Butler of Vancouver, Washington, to become a buyer on eBay to raise extra money for her son's college tuition; Strategy of Dee Calhoun-Rush, who used prepaid tuition funds to send three sons to Florida A&M University; The bartering approach of Al Houston of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, for his son Michael; How Scott Isaacson of Allouez, Michigan, avoided student loan debt; Details of other personal stories.

Offers a look at the 2004 United States presidential elections between President George W. Bush and Democratic presidential candidate John Kerry. Claim that the state of Florida could decide who wins the election; Report on the growth in Florida cities and towns since the 2000 elections; Discussion of the campaigns of each candidate in the Florida; Statement that one in five Florida voters is registered as an independent; Voting trends of the Hispanic American community in Florida; Report that health care is an important issue to Florida voters; Lack of support for the Iraq War.

Offers a look at United States Democratic presidential candidate John Kerry's choice of Senator John Edwards to be his vice-presidential running-mate in the 2004 elections. Popularity of Edwards due to his populist credibility; Discussion of Edwards' critique of the gap between the wealthy and the poor in the United States; Appeal of Edwards to middle-class citizens on economic issues; Criticism of Edwards issued by the Republican Party; Reference to the book "Four Trials," by John Edwards; Lack of foreign relations experience.

Focuses on the popularity of evangelical Christians and how they are acting more like regular members of society. Way that they are both influencing and being influenced by the society around them; Assertion that evangelicals have integrated into the mainstream; Struggles of evangelicals in the past over their relationship to the larger society; Comparison of evangelicals to nonevangelicals in regards to various issues.

Profiles National Security Adviser Condoleezza Rice and her role in the administration of U.S. President George W. Bush. Criticism of how Rice failed to anticipate the major terrorist attack on September 11, 2001; Claims from former National Security Council counterterrorism chief Richard Clarke that he warned Rice about the dangers associated with al Qaeda in January 2001; Development of the National Security Council in 1947 by President Harry Truman; How Rice promoted a false report that former Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein sought out uranium in Niger for use to build nuclear weapons.

Reports on the reaction of the administration of U.S. president George W. Bush of criticisms of their record on terrorism by former counterterrorism czar Richard A. Clarke. Details of Clarke's testimony before the commission investigating the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001; Details of charges made by Clarke against the Bush and Clinton administrations in his book, "Against All Enemies;" Report on the controversy surrounding national security advisor Condoleezza Rice's refusal to testify under oath before the commission; Speculation about whether Clarke's criticisms of Bush could raise doubts about his effectiveness as a wartime leader; Details of the media campaign by the White House to counter Clarke's charges and undermine his credibility; Response of Clarke and his supporters to the White House attacks; Potential impact of Clarke's assertions that the Bush administration failed to take seriously the threat posed by Al Qaeda prior to September 11; Potential impact of Clarke's sharp criticisms of Bush's decision to go to war Iraq; Details of the findings of the September 11 commission; Speculation about whether the CIA was serious about plans to assassinate Osama bin Laden prior to September 11; Details of testimony by CIA director George Tenet. INSET: THE TRAIL OF TERROR.

Offers a look at the job market of the United States as of March 2004. Availability of job opportunities in fields such as education, entertainment and healthcare; Jobs in homeland security; Jobs available in computer animation and video-game design; Training needed for these fields including formal courses on computer graphics; Salary available for animators; Positions available for contract nurses; Need for physical therapists in the United States; Jobs in manufacturing such as maintenance electrician; Availability of jobs in the government such as intelligence analyst; Discussion of the training and pay for software designers; Need for auditors; Demand for special education teachers.

Reports on the seeming solidity of the United States economic recovery. Companies forced to clean up their balance sheets and cut payroll to the bone which are now in a position to make money; Rise in manufacturing; Addition of workers; Role of federal tax cuts and low interest rates; Continued consumer spending; Costs which have been driven down by greater productivity; Dangers that could lie ahead including the devaluing of the dollar and the shift of white and blue-collar jobs overseas; Reinvention of the American workforce.

Discusses the power yielded by United States Vice-President Dick Cheney in the administration of President George W. Bush. Importance of Cheney to Bush in Congressional relations and in achieving a Conservative political agenda; Criticism of Cheney over the Iraq War reconstruction and his rightist views at a time when voters may be more interested in centrist views; His reaction to criticism; His views on Iraq; Their relations during crises, such as the September 11 terrorist attacks; His penchant for privacy.