In the past few years, Taiwan has seen a sharp spike in the number of animals smuggled to China. Most of them are 53 Chinese box turtles and yellow pond turtles. From 2006 to 2013, more than 11,000 turtles were confiscated from smugglers. In Taiwan, each turtle sells for $30 but in China, they can fetch up to $200. Last year saw an especially large number of confiscations: 7,010 turtles were confiscated by Taiwan’s coast guard -- more than any other year.54 in China, they would be worth $1.4m. 55 is Chinese people’s increasing wealth and appetite for exotic cuisine, unusual pets and traditional Chinese medicine. Turtles are the easiest target because they stand a better chance of surviving the smuggling process -- they can go without food and water for longer periods of time 56 other animals. The turtles are also considered by Chinese as good luck charms that can bring fortune to their owners.

   But now all that has changed. Beltran says, "I haven't seen a bullet hole in a year." Turner boasts, "I can sit on my porch anytime." These women are not the only Americans feeling a little safer these days. In many cities, the rate of crime is going down. In 1994, violent crime dropped 8% in the nine largest U.S. cities. During the first half of 1995, serious crime dropped an additional 2%. Murder was down 12%.

   Why is crime down? One reason may be the smart new way some police departments work. In cities such as New Orleans, Philadelphia, New York and Chicago, police don't just cruise around in patrol cars watching for crimes. Officers are on the streets, talking with the folks they protect. The new system is called community policing. Officers know the good citizens and the troublemakers, which makes it easier to solve crimes. "I felt better almost as soon as the police moved in," says Brenda Holmes of New Orleans. "They've given us our lives back."

   Police officers are taking on new roles. "We do neighborhood cleanups, counseling...you name it," says Djuana Adams, a police officer in New Orleans. "We help the children with their homework, and they show up for treats when they get good grades." Community policing is not the only reason experts give for the drop in crime. More criminals than ever are in prison, where they can't get into trouble. Also, fewer people use crack, the drug blamed for the rise in violent crime that started in 1984.

   Some experts think the crime rate will bounce back up in a few years. There will be more males ages 15 to 29, the group that commits most crimes. Plus, crime among kids has gone up, not down. But if crime does rise again, police departments across the country are better prepared than ever to fight it.

    On April 17, 2011, Helen Lander was found dead in her home. The medical examiner Dr. Robertson originally declared the death an accident. After an anonymous letter and belief from former medical examiner Meryn Jumble that Helen’s death was a murder, the case was reopened.

    Helen’s husband, Mr. Richard Lander, was indicted on charges of murder and tampering with evidence. However, Lander had a solid alibi. His daughter, the sole eyewitness, claimed that the door to the bathroom was shut, and when Lander heard no response from his wife, he opened the door and found his wife, and then he moved her to the bedroom to lay her on a more comfortable floor. Besides, the prosecution failed to come up with a murder weapon and motive at beginning.

    Later in the trial, an alleged murder weapon was brought forth, the shower bench. But Lander’s defense team called upon many witnesses to testify for Mr. Lander. One of them was Tracy Williams, a personal trainer, who said Helen Lander had dizziness, which would explain why she fell in the shower.

    The possibility that Lander was innocent was quickly disputed by the facts that District Attorney Will Thompson displayed. From the opening statements of the trial, the prosecution stressed the idea that, in view of the rigor mortis, i.e., the stiffening of the limbs after death, Helen Lander had been dead for hours before her daughter called the police. The rigor mortis, which would not happen in twenty minutes, contradicted Lander’s alibi that he moved his wife’s body from the bathroom where he claimed that she fell to the bedroom almost 60 feet away. Lander’s movement of the body also became more noted when the prosecution began to investigate blood spatter around the bedroom. There was blood spatter at the scene on a bedside lampshade, a slanted wall and water bottles next to the bed. This blood spatter indicated to Rose Green, a forensic scientist, that the injuries occurred while at the bedside, not the shower as Mr. Lander had claimed.

    After a two-week-long trial, Mr. Lander was found guilty of second-degree murder in killing his wife. He was also convicted of tampering with evidence in his attempt to cover up the crime.

     If you are unfamiliar with kohlrabi, it’s worth checking out. Its name comes from German and literally means cabbage turnip. Not commonly used in American cuisine, it is widely used in Central Europe and Asia. It is still patiently waiting to be discovered in this country. Kohlrabi is in season from summer through early fall so you can find it at your local market right now. It belongs to the Brassica family, the cancer fighting vegetables that include cabbage, broccoli, and turnips. This turnip-shaped vegetable comes in green or purple and can be eaten raw or cooked. When kohlrabi is raw, it’s crunchy and tastes like broccoli stems; when cooked, it tastes like a mild turnip. When you buy kohlrabi, the leaves may be attached to the bulb. Usually smaller kohlrabi is the sweetest and most tender. Bulbs that are much bigger than the size of a tennis ball won’t be as tasty. Though kohlrabi might look like an alien life form, it is packed with Vitamin C and provides a healthy dose of fiber, iron, and calcium. Most importantly, it is delicious.