Number: HARD-001 Description: What kind of legislation has been considered and adopted regarding the H1B Visa? Narrative: Congressional and media discussion, proposals, legislation and reaction regarding the H1B Visa are on topic (including detailed discussions of things like, e.g., raising the cap on the number of H1B visas for a particular year). General discussion of foreign workers in the US, broader INS regulations and other visa types (e.g., student visas) are off topic. Number: HARD-002 Description: Why do so many young people lack health coverage, and does the national trend indicate that it's getting better or worse? Narrative: Articles that deal with the reasons young people go without insurance (unemployment, part time employment, poverty) are on topic. More about the (social/community-based) cost of caring for uninsured individuals when they need emergency health care. What are the recourses for a young person? What is the government doing, or what CAN the government do about this issue? Information about the uninsured elderly population is off-topic. Number: HARD-003 Description: How do fetal alcohol syndrome and fetal alcohol effect influence adoption processes worldwide? Narrative: Articles concerning the developmental needs of patients with FAS and FAE are on topic. More information about the risks and benefits of adoption of these patients, including profiles of adoptive parents who are best suited to deal with these difficulties. Any information dealing with official acts or laws associated with adoption and FAS/FAE are on topic. Documents concerning additional medical costs are relevant. Sources restricted to the effects on the Native American community are off-topic. Number: HARD-004 Description: Are more young people smoking now than ten years ago, or have certain factors (such as the rising cost of cigarettes, nascent health concerns, parental second-hand smoke, anti-smoking advertisements) limited the appeal of smoking? Narrative: Information regarding statistical reports of young smokers, in addition to reasons young people may begin smoking are on topic. Anti-smoking propaganda efforts and its perceived effects on the youth market are relevent. Measures the government has taken to curtail youth smoking are on topic. Lawsuits brought against tobacco companies are off-topic. Number: HARD-005 Description: What factors have caused meat product regulations, such as labeling and inspection, to change since 1990 in the U.S.? Narrative: Any information on product labeling and the definition of such terminology (such as "fresh", "free-range", etc.) is on topic. Stories about batches of recalled meats and the subsequent repercussions are on topic, as well as meat-related governmental measures taken to improve public health (e.g., were they to prohibit the use of Recombinant Bovine Growth Hormone). Animal-protection issues, unless they further restrictions placed on the U.S. meat market, are off-topic. Number: HARD-008 Description: What are the international aids for the Turkish earthquake disaster? Narrative: In August 17, 1999 an earthquake occurred in Northwest of Turkey. It killed more than 2,000 and injured more than 10,000 people. Our main concern is with the texts that dealt with the massive international relief efforts, as the foreign governments and charity groups. We are neither concerned with the articles dealing with the number of killed or injured people nor with any economic effects as a result of that earthquake. Also we are not anxious to pick any text dealing with the local governmental or popular efforts. Number: HARD-012 Description: How do the school shootings of 1999 compare to those of previous years? Narrative: The shooting at Columbine High School in Littleton, CO, seemed to be the culmination of a series of school shootings. Is this an entirely new phenomenon in the United States? If not, how does it differ from older cases of school violence? Articles that are restricted to the details of the shooting at Columbine High School are off-topic. Number: HARD-014 Description: Did the impeachment of Clinton strictly break down among party lines? Narrative: On-topic information would be voting records of Democrats and Republicans on the impeachment of Clinton. On-topic information would also include speech transcripts of Democrats who voted for impeachment and Republicans who voted against it. Off-topic information would include texts on the Starr investigation and Clinton's affair with Monica Lewinsky. Number: HARD-015 Description: How does the rising cost of prescription medication affect the elderly community? Narrative: Documents concerning members of the elderly and/or retired community and their ability/inability to afford adequate prescription medication are on-topic. Information regarding why the cost of medication is so high, is on-topic, in addition to the impact this issue has had on the elderly community. Documents dealing with other immuno-compromised communities (i.e., AIDS comm.) are off-topic. Number: HARD-018 Description: How did the 1998 peace settlement in Northern Ireland differ from previous peace efforts in the region? Narrative: Articles comparing the 1973 Sunningdale Agreement to the new peace treaty are on-topic, including the varying strategies and methods of negotiation for both agreements. More about the way this peace settlement was received by both sides of the conflict is on-topic. Information about participants in the peace negotiations (including former President Clinton) is relevant. Documents restricted to incidents of violence in Northern Ireland are off-topic, as are those that deal only with the IRA cease-fire (and not its impact on the current peace treaty).