‘America, the Beautiful’--Florida: Men standing in toilets is part of the standard tableau along death row during sticky, hot summers, prisoner advocates say. The men do this to escape temperatures of 100 degrees in their cells, which are not air-conditioned, according to a federal class-action lawsuit.

Capitalist education--"French schoolchildren can be sent to prison for up to six months under a new law for insulting their teachers.... Approved as part of an attempt to curb juvenile offenses and unruly behavior...the measure could apply to children as young as 13.

"Under the legislation approved by the National Assembly, the State Prosecution Service can begin proceedings against children who ‘attack the dignity or respect due’ to their teachers--or police and fire officers, gendarmes and railway guards.’ The maximum penalty is six months" and a $7,000 fine.--The Times, London.

All at once?--"Judges want names of corrupt politicos"--News headline.

A puzzle--A study found that the CEOs at 23 major corporations who are now under federal scrutiny enjoy 70 percent greater compensation than their counterparts in other comparable similar companies. The riddle seems to be: Do they steal more because they have more, or vice versa?

Quiet understatement--Since July 22 James Ujaama of Denver has been held in a federal prison in Virginia as a material witness who is "suspected" of having aided the Taliban before September 11. He’s being held under a name he allegedly used in Pakistan. It took lawyers, reporters, and his mother a period to locate him. Access is severely limited.

A reporter for Denver’s Rocky Mountain News was denied access three times, with a warning the third time to stay off jail property. A civil liberties lawyer observed: "What seventh-graders are learning in civics classes is not exactly what is in practice in our country right now."

Crème de ??--"Popular sun creams, moisturizers and shampoos are being blamed for ‘an alarming epidemic’ of painful skin complaints, including rashes, swelling, and itching. Five times as many people are reporting allergic skin reactions.... European Union scientists have identified a chemical found [in major products] as the culprit."--The Times, London.  
 
 
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