Scholastic News Online <http://www.scholastic.com/news> has announced the launch of Desktop News, a user-friendly interactive application that downloads news directly onto any computer. Desktop News operates as a homepage that delivers news to a computer's desktop, automatically checking for new content every five minutes. This tool was developed to connect kids with up-to-the-minute news as it happens so students, parents, and teachers can have instant access to the latest breaking news, both in school and at home.

Desktop News is available on both Macs and PCs, and teachers can download this feature onto every computer in the classroom or computer lab. In addition to breaking news articles, Desktop News delivers educational content such as Special Reports and regular news polls, which offer students a place to weigh in on relevant news stories and issues of the day.

To download Desktop News, visit http://www.scholastic.com/desktopnews.

Source: Scholastic Corporation, http://www.scholastic.com