To the Point

Internet Filters on Library Computers

A mainstay of the Internet is pornography, with millions of web pages devoted to dirty words and lewd pictures. After two failed Congressional attempts to limit Internet porn, President Clinton signed the Children-s Internet Protection Act, which provides federal money for schools and libraries that install computer blocking software. CIPA, which won-t take effect until July 31, is already being challenged in federal court where computer geeks, college professors and librarians have all testified about free speech, the nature of public libraries and the limits of government regulation. We explore the highly charged controversy with one of the plaintiffs, an attorney who prosecutes pornography, and an aide to one of the men who helped draft the legislation. Newsmaker: Israel Marches into Bethlehem Egypt has suspended ties with Israel as the siege of Bethlehem continues and some 200 Palestinian gunmen have taken refuge in the Church of the Nativity. James Bennet, Jerusalem bureau chief for The New York Times, is in the old city. Bennet updates American evacuation efforts as well as negotiations to draw gunmen out of the church that is said to have been the birthplace of Christ. Reporter-s Notebook: How Houses, House Prices May Have Saved World Economy Even after September 11, the deep recession so widely predicted has not materialized, and the US economy is rapidly recovering from the burst of the dot-com bubble. This week-s Economist has a provocative explanation. Pam Woodall, the magazine-s economics editor, credits home purchases for helping restore consumer confidence.