JERUSALEM - "Puppet regimes" are back in the Middle East. Once again, they're promoting peace, diversity and the importance of brushing your teeth.

NEW YORK - The creators of "Sesame Street" are releasing a new line of videos Tuesday targeted for children as young as six months, outraging some child-development experts who feel no form of TV or video is suitable for kids under 2.

May 10, 2005

Big Bird and Elmo soon may be looking for a new address.

A butler opens the door of the large Sesame Street brownstone and guides me to the parlor. Big Bird is sitting on a large couch, wearing a silk smoking jacket, holding a bourbon and enjoying a drag on what appears to be an unfiltered Camel cigarette.

The hit Broadway musical, “Avenue Q,” is considered an adult version and parody of the popular television series “Sesame Street.” Many of the characters and puppets are spoofs of the children’s TV show and utilize adult situations, themes and language.

A kindergartner walks into San Marcos Family Resource Center in Chandler and tips the scales at more than 100 pounds.

Public radio (and TV) was started because it was felt that the commercial marketplace failed to provide sufficient educational, cultural and other quality content to the public. Now with hundreds of cable channels available, this is no longer a problem. National Geographic, Travel, Food, Discover and History channels, to name a few, offer excellent programming.

Cookie Monster sings, ‘‘C is for cookie that’s good enough for me.’’ But in ‘‘Sesame Street,’’ Cookie Monster and his friends are starting to promote fruits and veggies. Cookies will become a ‘‘sometimes’’ food.

Danny Tyree’s recent rallying cry of “Conservatives, Let’s Save PBS!” was spot on. His column recognized that public broadcasting serves all Americans, regardless of their political persuasion. Indeed, PBS traces its roots to wealthy American industrialist Andrew Carnegie — who insisted on “excellence” as his core conservative value.

NEW YORK - With a ceremonial pressing of a button Monday, the new Spanish-language network V-me hit the air.

CHICAGO - Researchers have found that every hour preschoolers watch television each day boosts their chances - by about 10 percent - of developing attention deficit problems later in life.

Anyone know what happened during the "Red Summer" of 1919? How about the literary importance of Richard Wright? What was the Kerner Commission? And who was Septima Clark?

February 1, 2005