News In Brief

OVER HERE IS THE SWING SET...

For many Americans, the Elian Gonzalez saga from earlier this year is a fading memory. But of course, not for everybody. And Delfin Gonzalez, one of the Cuban boy's great uncles, wants to make sure Elian's experience isn't forgotten. So he bought the Miami home where Elian lived until federal agents seized him April 22. "He's planning a house of memory ...," says a family spokesman. "He is going to keep it exactly as it was when Elian was there." No word on when it may be open for tours.

IT'S MEMORABLE, ALL RIGHT

No question, the new Penguin Dictionary of Quotations would include lines from such 20th-century greats as Winston Churchill. But not all those who were chosen have such a historical sweep. Case in point: the Spice Girls. The British pop band was chosen for the song lyric, "I'll tell you what I want, what I really, really want." A Penguin spokesman explained the quotations were picked for their "power to entertain, intrigue, and shock."

Gene-altered foods are a source of worry, survey finds

Does all the fuss over genetically modified foods concern you? It does bother a majority of Americans, apparently, according to results of a new survey by the Zogby International research organization. The poll, conducted last week, asked 1,210 adults their views on the recalls by manufacturers of almost 300 kinds of taco shells and other products made from ingredients containing corn not federally approved for human consumption - especially on whether they raised questions about the safety of the food supply. Selected questions from the survey, and the percentage of respondents who said they agreed with each:

The recall raises questions for me about food safety 54.4%

I'm not concerned 24.9

I hadn't heard about the recalls 17.0

Planting gene-modified crops shouldn't be allowed 33.3

Farmers should be able to plant gene-modified crops 39.2

Not sure about planting 19.7

- Reuters

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