Datebook
WEDNESDAY, MAY 31
SNUFFED OUT. The World Health Organization observes its 19th annual "World No Tobacco Day," calling attention to the impact of the evil weed on public health. According to the WHO, smoking is now the second major cause of death in the world: Ten percent of all adult deaths are caused by tobacco. If current smoking patterns continue, half the people who smoke today--that is about 650 million people--will eventually be killed by tobacco.
Although tobacco use has been declining in the United States, 21 percent of people 18 and over still smoke, and according to surveys, 22 percent of high school students have smoked in the past 30 days. Increasingly, though, those smokers are finding fewer places to light up. A number of states and municipalities have passed smoking bans this year, including Washington, D.C., and Arkansas (although some bars, small businesses, and hotels are exempt). New Jersey now also prohibits smoking in indoor public places, including bars and restaurants. One controversial exception: the gambling areas of casinos.
THURSDAY, JUNE 1
PRICE POINTS. Price stability will be the topic of the day when the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries meets in Caracas, Venezuela, for a special meeting to consider production quotas and their effect on oil prices. There is concern that Iran, OPEC's No. 2 producer, will cut its output of crude in response to international pressures regarding its nuclear capabilities.
OLYMPIC SPELLING. Can you spell appoggiatura? Well, then, imagine spitting out last year's championship word before a TV audience of millions. Today, for the first time in its 82 years, the National Spelling Bee will be on prime-time television. Despite the ease of spell-checker computer functions, spelling bees are more popular than ever, thanks to recent broadcasts on ESPN (which will still feature the first rounds) and recent movies, including Akeelah and the Bee. This year, about 275 spellers ages 9 to 15 compete for more than $30,000 in cash, bonds, and scholarships. The winner could use some of the money to pick up a copy of James Maguire's new book, American Bee: The National Spelling Bee and the Culture of Word Nerds.
MONDAY, JUNE 5
A PLAGUE AT 25. Twenty-five years ago, an account of five young Los Angeles men who died from pneumocystis carinii pneumonia appeared in the "Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report" published by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Fourteen months later, the illness was named acquired immune deficiency syndrome. Since then, of course, AIDS has ballooned into a veritable plague, killing over 25 million people worldwide. Today over 40 million people are living with HIV, the virus that causes AIDS, and more than half of them are in sub-Saharan Africa. Last year, almost a quarter of all new HIV infections occurred in Asia. The risks on that continent have risen with the growth of cities and thriving drug and sex trades. Once a death sentence, AIDS can now be treated with antiretroviral drugs. Yet, because of their high costs, only a small percentage of those who need the drugs receive treatment.
CALLING FOR A VOTE. Congress returns from its Memorial Day recess today, and Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist has said he plans to hold votes on a number of potentially divisive social issues. Among them is a constitutional amendment, supported by President Bush, to ban gay marriage. The proposal, which was narrowly voted out of the Senate Judiciary Committee on May 18, seeks to define marriage as the union of a man and a woman. The measure has virtually no chance of passing the Senate this year. A companion resolution in the House has not been acted on, but Majority Leader John Boehner has said that he is committed to bringing it up for a vote this year. A constitutional amendment requires the support of two thirds of those present and voting in both chambers. If passed, it would then have to be ratified by three quarters of the states.
TUESDAY, JUNE 6
THE DOOMSDAY FILES. The sixth day of the sixth month of the sixth year. Any way you look at it, it's 666, and according to at least one apocalyptic website, it's a day to "fasten your seat belts." According to some readings of the Bible's book of Revelation, 666 is the sign of the beast, or the anti-Christ, marking the final confrontation between God and the forces of evil, the day the Lord brings good Christians home and leaves the infidels behind. The Internet, naturally, is full of speculation that the end is nigh. Terrorist attacks, tsunamis, bird flu, hurricanes--what more proof do you need? On the other hand, the date is turning out to be a lucky one for marketers. Twentieth Century Fox is marking the occasion with a remake of The Omen, the classic 1970s horror flick about a couple (Lee Remick, Gregory Peck) whose child, marked with the sign of the beast, turns out to be the devil incarnate. Fox launched the Omen campaign over Florida beaches with airplanes that towed banners saying, "You Have Been Warned." Panama City beachgoers responded by calling 911 and the FBI.
This story appears in the June 5, 2006 print edition of U.S. News & World Report.