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Parents in Nebraska Dumping Teens Before Law Changes

CitizenSugar — Fri, 14 Nov 2008 10:32:35 -0800

More than half of the 33 children legally abandoned in Nebraska since the state's safe-haven law took effect in July have been teens. Nebraska is the first state to permit the abandonment of anyone under 19 years of age.

The state's governor announced that lawmakers would rewrite the law, which was created to provide an alternative for so-called "dumpster babies," at the end of October after a circus of attention on stats that showed many parents were abandoning teens. Sadly, the number of drop-offs has almost tripled since the announcement of the law change.

Authorities searched for a 17-year-old girl yesterday who escaped an Omaha hospital when her mother tried to leave her there. Her 14-year-old brother was reportedly taken into custody by the state.

Source

Parents Hire Drug-Sniffing Dogs to Check Up on Their Kids

CitizenSugar — Thu, 23 Oct 2008 10:03:58 -0700

Apparently cheeky or cheesy PSAs are no longer enough ammo in helping parents keep their kids off of drugs: they're resorting to hiring K-9 units of their own. A New Jersey company called Sniff Dogs rents out retired, trained drug-sniffing dogs to parents suspicious that their kids might be involved in drugs.

The dogs rent for $200 an hour and can detect heroin, cocaine, meth, and ecstasy — not to mention pot-residue on clothes even if the drug was smoked two nights before. That knowledge alone might be enough to spark sparking up teens into doing their own laundry.

To see the conflict behind the good intentions,

Kids Go Hungry Over Weekend, Backpack Program Helps

CitizenSugar — Wed, 22 Oct 2008 08:00:14 -0700

This story caught my eye this morning because I thought it was the other Hillary — but getting my Clinton confused with my Duff led me to this great charity: Blessings in a Backpack.

It makes so much sense — there are 16.3 million kids getting free or reduced price lunches through the National School Lunch Program — so who feeds those kids on the weekend? The Blessings program packs backpacks with nonperishable food and passes them out at the end of the week to keep kids going until school rolls around on Monday. Food charity programs like this and Meals on Wheels fulfill a need especially poignant when economic times get tough.

Hilary Duff was in Fort Wayne, IN, to publicize the program. She said:

I feel lucky enough to have a voice or a name that people might pay attention to. I think that people might not be aware that a couple neighborhoods away, kids aren't having food on the weekends, and we just want people to be informed and to know what's going on in their communities and to help if they can.

To see why the need is so great, and how you can help,

Sex Offenders Get Scarlet Pumpkin for Halloween

LibertySugar — Tue, 21 Oct 2008 00:00:53 -0700

As part of their parole, Maryland sex offenders must display a pumpkin sign that states "No candy at this residence." Along with posting the warning sign, the violent and child-sex offenders must also stay in their homes on Halloween, keep the lights off, and not answer the door. The state has distributed warnings to families, telling them to stay away from homes with the pumpkins.

The ACLU is currently challenging an identical Missouri law, claiming the provisions are too vague to enforce and add punishment to sentences already served. While parents and the community must protect children, do you think rehabilitated sex-offenders have a right to some privacy? Does fear go too far in trampling the rights of these ex-cons, or did they give up those rights?

Parents Abandoning Teens Under Law Created For Babies

LibertySugar — Fri, 03 Oct 2008 14:30:44 -0700

Nebraska recently became the first state to permit the abandonment of anyone under 19 years of age, despite speculation that such a law might encourage anyone with an unruly or disabled child to simply leave them at a safe haven. It looks like those fears have been justified.

Last month, 15 older children in Nebraska were dropped off at safe-haven spots after their parents or guardians deemed them unmanageable, according to the New York Times.

One mother left her 14-year-old son, two more boys and one girl, ages 11 to 15, were abandoned in hospitals and, a single father surrendered nine of his 10 children, ages 1 to 17, saying that his wife had died and he couldn't raise them alone. Sadly, the list goes on. To see what lawmakers have to say about the trend,

Kids in Gaza Mark the End of Ramadan With a Bang

CitizenSugar — Fri, 03 Oct 2008 08:00:04 -0700

These pictures of kids in Gaza celebrating the end of Ramadan stopped me in my tracks this morning. The celebration, Eid al-Fitr, marks the end of Ramadan, the 30-day period of daylight abstinence from food and drink observed by Muslims. It's a three-day "festival of the fast-breaking," a joyous time to visit friends and relatives and to give to those in need ensuring that everyone will have a holiday meal — especially important this year as more and more feel financial woes.

The kids in these pictures are clearly having a great time, celebrating the end of the fast, but the guns. Oh, the guns give more than a little pause. While yes, kids have played cops and robbers since the beginning of time (give or take) the adult way these children handle the weapons suggests the real cost of their turbulent environment. A study showed that a crushing 98 percent of children in Gaza have experienced or witnessed war trauma. Most children, who number almost half of the residents of Gaza, have been tear-gassed, had their homes searched, or seen shootings and explosions. No wonder they seem so at home with their arsenal.

It makes me want to replace those guns with some Basboosa (a traditional post-Ramadan dessert made with semolina and yogurt, soaked in a rose water syrup.) That would certainly be sweeter.

Source

Recruiting Kids to Be Climate Cops: Hot Idea or Lights Out?

CitizenSugar — Wed, 01 Oct 2008 09:00:42 -0700

Think leaving a light on in an empty room is a crime? Well, it might be if this program sponsored by a British electric company takes off: it's called "Climate Cops" and using a slick, hyper-flashed website, it's recruiting kids to patrol their homes and neighborhoods for "energy crimes."

Using games to let kids "join the academy" (the games include chasing SUVs and saving polar bears from melting icebergs) the new little deputies can download doorhangers to signify a room where a violation against the planet are taking place, everything from leaving the water running to using the clothes dryer on a sunny day. The "Climate Cops" are encouraged to spy on the adults around them to create a "Climate Crime Case File" and encourages them to keep guard to make sure violations don't happen again. While it could be a cute idea, when the green blog Treehugger compares you ever so subtly to Hitler, maybe you've gone over the green edge.

What do you think? Hot idea or lights out?

Front Page: Senate to Vote on Bailout, Chinese Gymnasts Win Age Fight, Spain Arrests 121 For Child Porn

CitizenSugar — Wed, 01 Oct 2008 06:53:42 -0700

Senate to Vote on Bailout:
Senate leaders have scheduled a vote today on the $700 billion bailout proposal after adding tax breaks and a higher insured bank deposits limit in an attempt to win House approval and send the bill to President Bush by the end of the week. Senator Harry Reid said, “It has been determined, in our judgment, this is the best thing to move forward," when he announced the unexpected move.

Chinese Gymnasts Win Age Fight:
International gymnastics officials closed a five week investigation in to the ages of the Chinese gymnasts competing at the Beijing Olympics, ruling that documentation rules that the gymnasts were old enough to compete. The scrutiny has not yet cleared gymnasts who won the team bronze in Sydney eight years ago saying, "The FIG does not consider the explanations and evidence provided to date in regards to these athletes as satisfactory.''
Spain Arrests 121 For Child Porn:
In what's described as Spain's largest operation against child internet porn, Spain's authorities say they have arrested 121 people and millions of images. Police say two of those arrested were using their own children to make pornography. The sting involved 800 officers, 210 searches, and 347 hard drives seized. The raids bring the number of people arrest for child porn in Spain in the past five years to 1,200.

Source

Judge Orders Woman Not to Have Kids as Part of Her Probation

LibertySugar — Thu, 25 Sep 2008 11:00:21 -0700

Judge Baird of Texas has ordered Felicia Salazar, 20, to stop having children, or head to jail. Felicia is on probation after pleading guilty to injury of her child by omission. Specifically she did not provide protection and medical care to her 19-month-old daughter, after the little girl was beaten by her father.

The father has been sentenced to 15 years in prison, and the daughter put in foster care. Texas judges can set any conditions of probation they deem reasonable, but many question the enforceability of the provision.

If Felicia gets pregnant, must she abort or go to jail for a probation violation? Has she just been ordered to not have sex? I have a feeling this case isn't over.

Source

Ninety Children Held Hostage in the Congo, UN Makes Appeal

LibertySugar — Wed, 24 Sep 2008 03:00:12 -0700

Ninety children are being help hostage by Ugandan rebels in the north-east region of the Democratic Republican of Congo. In simultaneous attacks carried out by the LRA (Lord’s Resistance Army) last week, 40 children were abducted from a primary school and 50 from a secondary school. Three people died, and the village chief and three Italian missionaries were also taken.

The UN is demanding unconditional release of the children it believes the LRA will force into combat. The LRA has been fighting the Ugandan government for 20 years. The rebels won't agree to disarmament unless the ICC (International Criminal Court) drops war crime charges against its leader.

Imagine if a mass school abduction like this happened in Europe or America. I'm sure we would be hearing a lot more about it! I hope the kids make it out safe, and don't meet the fate of forced fighting that has burdened thousands of other children.

Source

Credit Woes Leave Nannies Without a Spoonful of Sugar

CitizenSugar — Mon, 22 Sep 2008 03:00:41 -0700

After hearing of the $700 billion bailout, it's hard to imagine a crevice the world's financial trouble won't seep into, though this one does take some thinking.

One of Britain’s leading exports, the Mary Poppins-esque Nanny, is also facing tough times as one brokerage firm after another collapses. What was once a highly in-demand necessity is now turning into a rare luxury item for those that can still afford a pro to take care of their moppets. And it seems as though, like everything else, a spoonful of sugar won’t do the trick to make this economic medicine go down.

One London-based Nanny service employee, Kate Baker, said of the current situation: “The problems are just starting. In the last week or two I have started getting calls from nannies saying one or both of their employers have lost their jobs and so they have too.” Thousands in the London financial district are either already unemployed or projected to be so in the near future and many are saying there aren’t any magical umbrellas floating on the horizon any time soon.

Although there are cheaper nannies to be found in Eastern Europe, which in the past four years has supplied a less expensive substitute, the British nanny is still the gold standard. Or as Baker says: “The whole world still comes to Britain shopping for the Great British Nanny.” How big of a bag of tricks will the world's economies have to have to make that shopping possible again?

Source

US Plant Fires Praying Workers, Denmark Stops Fasting Kids

LibertySugar — Mon, 15 Sep 2008 00:01:01 -0700

An unprecedented conflict has erupted between Muslim workers and management at JBS Swift & Co.'s Colorado meat packing factory, regarding when employees can pray in observance to Ramadan. Over 200 workers walked out during a shift, since management would not give them an official sunset break for prayer. As a result, the company fired half of them.

The union plans to file suit, but hopes the employees will get their jobs back without a court-battle. Right now, many that still have jobs have offered financial help to those who got fired. Sounds like the Swift plant has a different approach to Ramadan than the Tyson plant in Tennessee that agreed to give union workers the end of Ramadan off instead of Labor Day.

Meanwhile in Denmark, a municipal committee in Odense decided to call for principals and parents to stop children who are fasting for Ramadan. City officials say it's not so much politics or religion that prompted the push against fasting, but concerns over student health and ability to lean while hungry.

How should employers and teachers accommodate those observing Ramadan?

Source

Uphill Both Ways For Planet: Kids Take "Walking School Bus"

CitizenSugar — Fri, 12 Sep 2008 14:30:08 -0700

School's back in session. What's one thing we sure learned over our summer vacation? Gas costs a lot, and vehicles tend to need a steady supply of it in order to run. That includes school buses, which usually take pricey diesel that's up 34 percent in the past two years. Some Missouri parents had to get creative after the school district slashed transportation costs, eliminating bus routes — they formed a "walking school bus."

The idea is this: the neighborhood parents take turns "driving" or supervising the kids on the half-mile walk to school every morning. There are a bunch of benefits to the plan and not just for the environment. To see what they are,

Searching For Trouble? Google India Advertises Illegal Sex Kit

CitizenSugar — Fri, 12 Sep 2008 10:00:35 -0700

To the naked eye, the ad was like any other that pops up mid-browse on the ol' webs: a picture of a pregnant woman with a female symbol on one side and a male on the other. However, the ad featured on Google, is for an illegal gender selection kit.

Google has been ordered by the Indian Supreme Court to respond to a petition to remove the ads — they did, for a short period of time — but as of this week, they're back. Gender selection is a big problem in India, where female fetuses are aborted at an alarming rate. The author of the petition says by running the ads, Google is "breaking the law and making money. Every time you click on that ad, Google is making money." He went on to say, "What we are dealing with is a genocide."

To see how the company has been getting around the law,

Government Payback? Stimulus Checks Boost Child Support

CitizenSugar — Tue, 09 Sep 2008 14:25:56 -0700

Government Payback? Stimulus Checks Boost Child Support Deadbeat dads and moms around the country are discovering that their economic stimulus checks from Washington — intended to encourage the purchase of TVs, cars, and other goods — are being intercepted and funneled toward the support of their children. Treasury Department figures obtained by the Associated Press show that more than 1.4 million of the checks have been seized since the payments began last spring, and a total of $831 million has been collected by child support agencies nationwide.

The Key to Safe Roads? Should the Driving Age Be Raised?

CitizenSugar — Tue, 09 Sep 2008 07:34:45 -0700

First the drinking age gets a hard look, and now this? An influential auto safety group is calling for states to raise the legal driving age to 18. The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety president says the move would be for everyone's own good — car crashes are the leading cause of death among teenagers. He's presenting the plan at the Governors Highway Safety Association conference today — if states adopt the measure, the ol' 16th birthday might not be as sweet anymore. Not surprisingly, kids and lots of parents want brakes put on the idea — the loss of freedom for both parties is huge. One mom says, "Do we really want our kids dependent upon parents for virtually everything until they go to college, can vote and serve their country?"Here are the numbers: more than 5,000 teens die in crashes every year. Those crashes, per mile driven by a 16-year-old is almost 10 times the rate for drivers their parent's ages. Should the US follow Europe (and New Jersey) on this one? Most other industrialized countries in have a driving age of 17 or 18. Is safety (and potentially saving gas or fewer drivers on the road) worth delaying that big key hand-off another year or two? Source

The Key to Safe Roads? Should the Driving Age Be Raised?

Pedal to the Metal. This is a great idea with all kinds of benefits. Keep kids off the road!

Put on the Brakes! There are so many drawbacks to delaying the right to drive. No way.

Hmm. Keys are in my hand, I'll tell you what route I'm taking in the comments.

Too many driving puns! Too early for that! You may need a tune up. . .

Aborigines Incensed Over Didgeridoo "Dare" in Book for Girls

CitizenSugar — Wed, 03 Sep 2008 09:00:56 -0700

The Australian answer to the hit book, The Daring Book for Girls is striking the wrong note with Aborigines. The book teaches girls how to play the didgeridoo — despite the fact that Aboriginal culture views the instrument as strictly boys only and not to be played by girls.

The publisher says it wasn't aware of the taboo and has apologized for the faux pas saying there was a "divergence of opinion" on the matter. The hollowed out instrument with the quintessentially Crocodile Dundee-esque sound (just try to imagine that tone without thinking of the movie) is viewed by Aborigines as a male ceremonial instrument. Not only are women forbidden from playing it, but doing so could cause grave consequences, even infertility.

The Daring Book has a less controversial profile than it may seem — its mission: "Whether you’re a girly-girl, an athlete, a brainiac, or a little bit of everything, The Daring Book for Girls gets you ready for anything — from pitching a tent and building a campfire; to running a lemonade stand and learning about female heroines in history; and even to tying a hitch knot and organizing your own spy team. The Daring Book for Girls is the can-do, how-to manual for enthusiastic, unfettered adventure, cheering girls on to be curious and brave—and above all, to have fun."

Source

Indian Kids Are Pitted Against Each Other on Reality Shows

CitizenSugar — Wed, 27 Aug 2008 11:00:23 -0700

A show with a name like Boogie Woogie sounds like it should be nothing but harmless fun right? For the tidal wave of kids clamoring to get onto the Indian reality TV show, perhaps not. After one young girl collapsed on the dance contest show after she lost, the pressure is starting to get noticed. Her parents blame the Simon Cowell-esque reprimanding after her performance for her collapse, while the show's producers say the parents should know the limits of their children.

Regardless of the cause its anything but a deterrent for hopeful contestants for any of India's five music and dance contest shows. Thousands of kids are signing up, and the long days, grueling criticism, and even the parents themselves are becoming a problem. One Boogie Woogie producer says, "Some parents are so ambitious that they need to be counselled. We have to tell them to let the children be. Sometimes parents push the children to wear certain clothes, practice some gyrating adult moves. At such times we ask them to change their dance."

Why are kids being pushed onto TV shows? To find out,

13-Year-Old Boy Gets 15 Years For Murder — Fair Sentence?

CitizenSugar — Tue, 26 Aug 2008 10:03:53 -0700

A 13-year-old Texas boy accepted a plea deal yesterday for a 15-year sentence following the stabbing murder of his friend earlier this summer. The boy charged in the murder will be eligible for parole in three years. The judge in the case says that he agreed to the relatively light sentence for the murder (which could have been up to 40 years) because he thought the boy had a good chance to change.The judge said: I think this young man has a chance to be rehabilitated. I’m actually pulling for him. All these cases are difficult. These are kids. Some of these kids are good kids, some are rotten kids, but they’re all kids, and all these cases that come through here are difficult. You have to weigh them and evaluate them, but that’s true for judges in any situation.

The charges in the incident stemmed from the boy stabbing his 14-year-old friend in the heart. His mother is understandably distraught, but his defense attorney says, "She’s upset, but she’s accepted it and come to terms with what’s going on.” Was the judge right to value the prospect of rehabilitation in a criminal so young? Or does it speak to the underlying "rottenness" of the child to have committed a crime so young?Source

13-Year-Old Boy Gets 15 Years For Murder — Fair Sentence?

The judge was right to weigh his ability to change. 15 years when you're 13 is a lifetime.

He did the crime, regardless of age. The maximum penalty should have been given.

There kind of are no fair answers when you're dealing with someone so young. So sad.

Other. I'll tell you in the comments.

Nebraska Lets Parents Surrender Kids — Up to 19 Years Old

CitizenSugar — Mon, 25 Aug 2008 00:00:04 -0700

When you say “abandoned child,” most people conjure up an image of a basket with a baby in it left at the doorstep of an orphanage or a wealthy benefactor. In Nebraska, a new vision of the baby amongst the reeds might emerge — one of an unwanted teenager left at one of the many “safe-haven” drop-off centers for abandoned children.

Whereas every other state in the Union with safe-haven laws focuses on newborns, Nebraska just became the only state to permit the abandonment of anyone under 19 years of age. Critics of the law claim that this is going to encourage anyone with an unruly or disabled child to simply leave them at any safe haven. The executive director of a New York adoption institute says, "Whether the kid is disabled or unruly or just being a hormonal teenager, the state is saying: 'Hey, we have a really easy option for you.'"

However, Senator Tom White, who helped craft the legislation, thinks differently: “All children deserve our protection, if we save one child from being abused, it’s well, well worth it.” Is it? Should parents have the ability to abandon any kid, regardless of how old they are?

Source

Measles Infections Up Due to Autism Fears

LibertySugar — Fri, 22 Aug 2008 14:30:11 -0700

Authorities (other than Amanda Peet) are blaming parents' fear of autism for a recent surge in measles. The rate of measle infections this year beats every other year since 1996.

Parents increasingly opt out of vaccination because they believe vaccines cause autism. Most of the measles cases this year involve people who were unvaccinated, or unsure if they had been vaccinate. Two-thirds of the infected in the US were not vaccinated because of their parents' religious or philosophical beliefs. Such beliefs trigger an exemption to mandatory vaccination laws.

The rise in measles could be an unhealthy harbinger. When vaccination levels decrease, measles, an aggressively contagious disease, manifests itself before other illnesses. Scientific studies say vaccinations are safe, but many parents feel strongly about their connection to autism. Should these parents be allowed to follow their instincts and make an important parenting decision, or are they putting modern society at risk for a widespread disease thought to be eradicated?

Source

Corporal Punishment in Schools: Does It Teach Kids a Lesson?

CitizenSugar — Thu, 21 Aug 2008 15:45:53 -0700

I'll just start with the stat I didn't know at all: corporal punishment is legal in schools in 21 US states. It is, however, illegal in 106 other countries, including most of Europe and the UK. I remember having to put my head down on my desk a lot (I was a talker, big surprise) and my history teacher did smack your desk with a yardstick if you fell asleep during a video, but it's not quite the same thing — no one ever hit me.

That's not the case according to this spanking new survey, detailing almost a quarter of a million kids who have been physically disciplined in schools. Opponents of the paddling practice call it abuse, while supporters say it works wonders. One former principal says, "You know, they may think about doing something but when they think about corporal punishment, that fear will make them say, 'No, I don't think I'm going to do that right now.'"

Whether it works or not is mitigated by the study finding that the punishment isn't doled out equally. To find out who gets paddled most,

France Puts Baby-Targeted TV in a Time Out

LibertySugar — Wed, 20 Aug 2008 15:45:37 -0700

If you think 24-hour television channels dedicated to baby-targeted programming sounds like a good idea, you may not want to move to France. The country's broadcast authority has banned French channels from airing shows targeted at an audience three years old or younger.

The governmental super-nanny wants to protect French children from developmental hazards associated with television viewing. The ruling maintains that TV poses risks to babies like encouraging passivity, slow language acquisition, trouble with sleep and concentration, and dependence on screens.

Foreign or cable channels not under the ban will have to broadcast this warning to parents: "Watching television can slow the development of children under 3, even when it involves channels aimed specifically at them." Producers of baby television shows say their content should be watched by babies and their parents in an interactive manner. Do you think France has made a responsible choice, or should baby censorship be left to parents?

Source

What's That Disgusting Mess? Oh. It's Just School Lunches

CitizenSugar — Tue, 19 Aug 2008 15:45:14 -0700

So what are you fixing for dinner? Taco Patty perhaps? How about a Round Wedge Pizza or Chicken Fryz? That's what's on the menu in the Harrisonburg, VA, school system. They're so proud of their fare, the posted big ol' pictures of them in all their glory on their website. I was hungry — right up until the point I saw these pics. Count 'em 22 different meals, and I only saw one green thing in the whole lot. The saddest lunch? The Italian Dunkers. Or, Cut Up White Bread With Sugary Spaghetti Sauce.

No wonder we're facing a childhood obesity epidemic. What makes this all the more alarming, is that so many kids rely on these meals to combat hunger. In the 2006-2007 school year, 16.3 million kids got free or reduced-price lunches through the National School Lunch Program, a stat that's particularly poignant here in the midst of Summer. Reports show that Summer nutrition programs aren't meeting needs, and sponsors are backing out as rising food and fuel costs makes it impossible not to lose money.

The conundrum of course is what's cost effective and what will kids eat? For kids weaned on Cheetos and corn dogs, the goop in the pictures probably tastes fine. It's far from fine for them though.

To see which schools are combating the Italian Dunker,

85 Percent Want Kids-Only Sections on Airplanes — Do You?

CitizenSugar — Sat, 16 Aug 2008 10:00:43 -0700

Could "Kids or non?" be the new query akin to the smoking section question hitting airplanes soon? Judging by these results, lots would like that. In a survey of more than 10,000 travelers, 85 percent were in favor of special sections for parents traveling with babies or small kids. Oh man, maybe they should remake Snakes on a Plane with kids instead of snakes! Will it happen? Probably not. A spokesman for the Air Transport Association said kids-only sections would be "logistically difficult" to implement, and could result in an "adults-only" (not the XXX kind) passenger being bumped to the kids section in cases of overcrowding, which given the cutbacks in seats is increasingly common. The folks behind the survey, AirfareWatchdog, give some tips to cope in the mixed-age skies, including this one, which seems a little mean even if it is practical: "Take very early morning flights (5 a.m. or 6 a.m., if they're available). Parents can rarely manage to dress, feed, wash, and otherwise organize infants and toddlers in time to catch flights that early in the day." But the ultimate retaliation is a taste of their own medicine: "Just grin and bear it. Or start wailing, kicking and screaming yourself."Is the thought that kids are the ones causing problems an unfair assessment? After all, tons of famous (Naomi Campbell, Courtney Love, et al.) and otherwise adults are removed from airplanes for unruly behavior all the time. Do you avoid kids on planes? Is this a perfect solution, or does it make flying the skies less-than-friendly?Source

85 Percent Want Kids-Only Sections on Airplanes — Do You?

It's a perfect solution! It would make flying more comfortable for all parties! Let's do it.

It's a person's right to sit where they'd like. Having kids is not a crime, this isn't fair.

It could be an option on flights that head to places like Disney, but not a mandate.

Other. I'll tell you how I feel in the comments.

Front Page: Gold and Gold for US, Bystanders Lift Bus Off Trapped Woman, Diplomatic Efforts for Georgia

CitizenSugar — Fri, 15 Aug 2008 06:59:42 -0700

Gold and Gold for US:
US Gymnasts Nastia Liukin and Shawn Johnson won gold and silver in the women's all-around competition. Liukin held back tears until she was atop the winner's podium and the national anthem played. She said, "standing on the podium and hearing `Olympic champion' next to my name was a dream come true." She's the second US gymnast to win the title in a row. Meanwhile, Michael Phelps continues on his quest to grab gold in all of his events, winning the 200m individual medley. Find more pictures of the events below.
Bystanders Lift Bus Off Trapped Woman:
Dozens of onlookers acted quickly to lift a 5-ton bus off of a pregnant woman trapped underneath. The woman was seven months pregnant at the time of the accident. Despite the crowd's quick action, the baby was saved, though the woman was not. The baby is still in critical condition.

Diplomatic Efforts For Georgia:
US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice arrived in Georgia as part of diplomatic efforts aimed at easing the crisis. Russia still has control of the Georgian town of Gori, and Bush has condemned "bullying" by Russia. Russia in turn is concerned whether the aid being offered by the US is military or humanitarian in nature.

Source

New Toy Safety Standards Passed, Bush Signs

CitizenSugar — Fri, 15 Aug 2008 05:55:26 -0700

New Toy Safety Standards Passed, Bush Signs President Bush signed Senator Mark Prior's legislation, the Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act of 2008, passing the law on Thursday morning. The Senator said: "With the stroke of a pen, President Bush today signed my legislation allowing for sweeping reforms to begin taking place that will keep toxic toys and other dangerous products out of our homes."

Answer to Crime? Keep People Off the Streets With Curfews?

CitizenSugar — Thu, 14 Aug 2008 08:00:30 -0700

It's just like being a teenager, except your parents are the police! And instead of grounding, they can put you in jail! Curfews are popping up in tons of places, aimed at controlling crime. With goals similar to the police checkpoints in Washington DC, the newest towns getting an early bedtime: Helena, Arkansas and Hartford, Connecticut.

Sparked by violence, Helena, AR has implemented a 24-hour curfew in a troubled neighborhood, questioning all passers by. The city council voted unanimously to allow police to expand the program to any area of the city, despite ACLU claims that the police action is unconstitutional. The patrols have resulted in 32 arrests since they locked down the 10-block radius. The council acknowledges the hardship of the curfew but says those living in the city want the random and drug-fueled shootings to stop, regardless of what it takes.

To see what's happening in Hartford, and whether it actually works,

No Kid Miners! Sustainably and Responsibly Sourced Gold

CitizenSugar — Wed, 13 Aug 2008 14:30:59 -0700

In the story about children mining gold in Africa, lots of you were interested in making sure your baubles and bling had no part of the sad practice of exploiting children to extract the precious metal. I am not afraid to be servicey so I found this brand that answers that accessory predicament.

It's called Love, Earth and it's a pilot project that's a collaboration of companies in the jewelry supply chain. Not just committed to protecting kids, the brand produces pieces that can be traced back to the ecologically-sustainable mine it cam from. Since every single gold ring made produces 20 tons of mining waste, and the processing makes thousands of gallons of cyanide, they've gone ultraresponsible and transparent, allowing you to track the entire history of the piece.

Want to know where to find the line? You may be surprised. . . To find out,

Olympian Milli Vanilli? Cuter Girl Lip-Dubs For Real Singer

CitizenSugar — Tue, 12 Aug 2008 08:02:02 -0700

The angelic-faced cherub singing with a voice from heaven during the opening ceremony of the Olympics really only had one piece of that puzzle: Lin Miaoke, the 9-year-old who was featured performing "Ode to the Motherland" while fireworks flared and 1 billion people watched was pulling one of the oldest tricks in the book. She was lip-synching the song.

And not just to ensure a flawless performance in case nerves or the wires interfered with her singing — she lip-dubbed because she was cuter than the girl who owned the voice. Under pressure from the highest levels of the Communist Party, the ceremony's production team was sent on the ultimate star search: to find the perfect face and voice to represent China. Unable to find the whole package, they pulled a C+C Music Factory swapperoo: Lin Miaoke performed to 7-year-old Yang Peiyi's voice (pictured below). To see why this happened,

Upswing in Amount of Bullying? Little Devils Really Wear Prada?

CitizenSugar — Mon, 11 Aug 2008 13:20:08 -0700

Upswing in Amount of Bullying? Little Devils Really Wear Prada? New polling by the British Association of Teachers and Lecturers (ATL) says that children face increasing bullying and exclusion for not having the "right" clothes and accessories. The poll also found that advertising — most of which is targeted at young people — may be one culprit, with more than 70 percent of teachers saying its influence has increased from 10 years ago.

All That Glitters Is Gold — and Is Mined by Kids in Africa

CitizenSugar — Mon, 11 Aug 2008 03:00:59 -0700

Africa: a continent of untold riches in gold and diamonds, contrasted with shocking poverty of citizens living on the surface just above the treasure trove. Veins of gold run through the earth demanding to be mined — a job dangerous enough for adults, but savagely brutal when you're four years old.

The AP conducted a yearlong study of six African gold mines and found more than 150 child miners to interview, tracking the gold from kid to ring. The United Nation's labor agency estimates that there are 100,000 to 250,000 child miners in West Africa alone. One of these, a 12-year-old miner (who is less than four feet tall) was lured to the trade after his village's only teacher left, and the global price of gold spiked. He and two friends hiked with their recruiter for 100 miles, to the mine where the boys live, sleeping on mattresses crammed between adults. It's not just boys lured into the trade; girls also start as young as four and can be working full-time by the age of 10.

To see how the children mine,

Will Kids Who Don't Know Nature, Grow Up to Hate the Planet?

CitizenSugar — Fri, 01 Aug 2008 14:30:33 -0700

After waking up to a bird singing the car-alarm song note for note the other day, this I can believe: a recent survey shows kids have almost completely lost touch with the natural world. Half of the 700 quizzed were unable to identify a selection trees, flowers, and animals, and playing outside ranked as their least favorite way to spend time. Computer time trumped backyard expeditions for most. Think it's just a sign of the changing times, and if kids need to know what an oak tree looks like, well, that's what is Google is for? According to famed Brit nature program guru Sir David Attenbourough says it's a bad omen for the preservation of the environment. The wild world is becoming so remote to children that they miss out, and an interest in the natural world doesn't grow as it should. Nobody is going protect the natural world unless they understand it.

The blame for the gap in knowledge can be spread around: overprotective (or disinterested) parents don't introduce kids to the outdoors, and ironically conservationists keep kids away for fear they'll damage the landscape. One "play development officer" (my next job please) says, "something magical occurs when children and wild spaces mix." The only way kids will learn to protect the planet is if they're allowed to learn about it through play — and kids are the future of the globe. Source

Will Kids Who Don't Know Nature, Grow Up to Hate the Planet?

This is so true! If kids don't know the plants and animals, why will they save them?

Kids might learn about the outside in different ways now, but some knowledge is key.

So unlikely. Knowing the name of a tree can't predict future eco-awareness.

Other. I'll leave my own natural specimen in the comments.

Just Like Reagan's Kids! Obama's Girls Are Featured in People

CitizenSugar — Wed, 23 Jul 2008 09:00:42 -0700

The more things change, the more they stay the same, huh? This week in history, waaaayyy back in 1980, then-presidential candidate Ronald Reagan's children were featured in People magazine — fast-forward to 2008, and while Obama is in Israel meeting with top Israeli and Palestinian leaders on his plans for containing the nuclear threat from Iran and building peace in the Middle East, his daughters are getting their time in the mag.

In the Reagan kids' profile (which has a hilariously vintage feel) daughter Patti scandalously admitted to the question of whether she would vote for her dad, "gee, uh, I don't know — maybe I wouldn't vote for anybody. I'm really kind of antipolitical. I just get the newspaper and turn to the comics." Gee? Too good. In the profile, Patti, 27, was living at home "until I can find a new apartment."

Michael on the other hand was fully engaged as a campaigner for his dad, despite that his age (35) made his dad look ancient — and scandalous with his blended family. He said, "I suppose it makes Dad look old, having older children. Headquarters may feel it's embarrassing if Maureen and I are in the forefront, and the real kids [the two by Nancy] are not. Sometimes I've felt like I was fighting to volunteer."

And this! After talking about Ron's love of ballet, the piece included the quote from dad, "he's all man—we made sure of that," and the article goes on to say, "in fact, young Reagan seems thoroughly heterosexual." Oh, 1980. You're so cute!

All in all, it's kind of a shock to see how unmuzzled the kids were during the campaign — not produced in the least.

Though the Obama girls are decidedly younger than their Reagan predecessors, they gave out the goods, too. To see what they said,

NY Parents Paid To Parent Their Own Kids — Great Service?

CitizenSugar — Tue, 15 Jul 2008 08:02:27 -0700

Tough, dangerous, and impoverished neighborhoods are hit with a double-whammy when it comes to raising kids: parents who are away from home a lot trying to make ends meet, and as a result, kids that are left to their own devices learning tough and dangerous behaviors to match. New York City has a program aimed at ending that cycle.It's called Opportunity NYC and it pays cash to 2,500 families from the city's poorest neighborhoods, to do the things that are expected of parents: taking their kids to the doctor, or going to parent-teacher meetings. In areas where liquor stores out number banks and crime is high, the experimental plan is paid for by private funds with support from the mayor's office, aims to create well-parented kids to become future citizens of the world. One recipient of benefits from the plan is a 37-year-old mom with 12 children. She lives in a large housing tower where she enters through the back door because she is too scared to go in the front. In the past four years, she's seen 10 shootings by her house. The plan's benefits appealed to her greatly. In the past two months, she has received almost $1000 for accomplishments like making sure her children do not miss school, and have dental check-ups. Is this exactly the kind of service that will attack problems like crime at the root by giving kids the proper parental support to grow up to resist the cycle, or is it ridiculous to pay parents to parent their kids? Source

NY Parents Paid To Parent Their Own Kids — Great Service?

Great service. Letting parents raise better citizens through financial freedom is smart!

Ridiculous. Parenting is not a paid profession, and no one forces any one to do it.

I like that it's privately funded, but parenting seems like an odd thing to compensate for.

Other. I'll tell you my opinion in the comments.

82 Percent of Displaced Iraqis Are Women and Kids, Like These

CitizenSugar — Tue, 15 Jul 2008 03:00:07 -0700

I brake for pictures of children in the throes of chaos created by adults. It's a heartbreaking perspective to the headlines so often consumed by verbs: bombings, attacks, sanctions — it's the ongoing situations, those interminable realities that get forgotten. Like these children in Iraq. They're part of a growing number of internally displaced persons (IDPs) who've been driven from their homes. These children are part of Shia families displaced due to Shia-Sunni warring sparked in 2006 when a famous Shia shrine was bombed north of Baghdad.

Though wars are most often fought in the headlines through the eyes of the warriors, like the news 650 cadets have graduated from Iraq's military academies, the seeming progress of that headline is lost when you consider that 82 percent of the displaced are women and children. I don't often wax emotional, but the idea of growing up like this, surrounded by chaos and devastation and powerless to change it — it's the definition of tragedy.

To see how many are affected, and how you can help,

Got a Stop Watch? It Only Takes 10 Hours to Buy a Child Slave

LibertySugar — Wed, 09 Jul 2008 11:00:13 -0700

It takes just 10 hours for someone in New York City to travel to Haiti and buy a child. ABC News reporter Dan Harris found that out when he set out to test the ease of securing a child slave. For as little as $150 one trafficker guaranteed Harris a "trained" 11-year-old. Another child salesman asked $10,000 for a pretty 11-year-old, for which Harris could do whatever he wanted with the girl.

Still hidden in a cloak of charity, this modern travesty began less tragically. Traditionally, poor rural families gave their children to wealthy city dwellers. The child did domestic work for an education. But now, these young innocents face a nightmare of hard labor, beatings, and sexual abuse without even a glimmer of hope for an education. Harris explains that a happy ending for Haitian children of poverty seems to be leaving their families to live in an orphanage where they are safe and educated, a much better fate than that of Haiti's 300,000 child slaves.

Sadly Haiti, a country founded on an 1804 slave revolt, has little means to stop this abuse. Check out these suggestions of how you can help put an end to modern slavery.

Source

One Is the Loneliest Number: 100 Million Chinese Are "Onelies"

CitizenSugar — Tue, 08 Jul 2008 00:00:06 -0700

For someone who puts a fair amount of stock in how astrology and birth order affects a personality, this news released yesterday by China's state media is chilling: there are now 100 million only children running around. China's famed one-child policy began in the late 1970 and continues to limit couples to one child per household has resulted in 100 million people with no one to fight with, share with, relate to — and the shrinking family is becoming permanent. In 1982, the average Chinese household was 4.4 people. In 2005, it dropped to 3.1.

In a nation that currently has about 1.3 billion people, this law has prevented an estimated 400 million additional births from occurring. It's prevented the population equivalent of the United States. As China created the law to ensure better health care and education, it's possible they've succeeded, though not without its trade-offs. To see how,

Tough Love or Abuse? House Sets Juvenile Boot Camp Limits

CitizenSugar — Fri, 27 Jun 2008 09:00:53 -0700

This week, the US House approved a measure implementing national standards on juvenile boot camps intended to rehabilitate troubled youth.

The bill passed 318-103, and would nix excessive "tough love" practices like withholding water, food, clothing, shelter or medical care. The new law would allow physical restraint only when the safety of the child or others is in peril, and it would allow residents reasonable access to a telephone.

Rep. George Miller (D-CA) said of the decision, "Today we are taking an important step toward ending the horrific abuses that have gone on far too long in the residential programs for teens."

It's not a slam dunk, however. The White House has indicated they're against the plan as it expands federal oversight, and the Senate still has to vote. To see how many claims of abuse have been reported,

Groups Oppose Abortion for 11-year-old in Romania

CitizenSugar — Thu, 26 Jun 2008 09:55:14 -0700

Groups Oppose Abortion For 11-Year-Old in Romania Twenty church groups on Thursday urged a government committee not to allow an 11-year-old girl who was raped by her uncle to go to Britain for an abortion. The antiabortion Christian Orthodox groups also threatened to press charges if the girl were allowed to have a termination in Romania. Their position was in contrast to the official stand of the Romanian Orthodox Church, which said the decision should be left to the girl's family.

Sadie and Pyper Vance, Ages 9 And 7, Protest Gas Prices After Losing Cable TV

CitizenSugar — Wed, 25 Jun 2008 10:55:54 -0700

Sadie and Pyper Vance, Ages 9 And 7, Protest Gas Prices After Losing Cable TV: Cable TV was one of the family's budget-cutting casualties, leaving Sadie, 9, and her 7-year-old sister without their favorite cartoons and shows. "Gas prices are too high," Sadie said. "I just decided to come and protest so they'd go down." The girls marched through downtown Monday chanting and carrying signs. "All of my mom's money goes to the gas tank!" Pyper's sign read. Sadie carried a sign asking drivers to honk to lower gas prices — adding that her mom had to cut "cabel."

S'more Support: Camp Helps Kids Cope With Military Parents

CitizenSugar — Tue, 24 Jun 2008 06:00:14 -0700

'Tis the season for sleep away camp — and for 100 kids attending a weeklong camp in the tiny Rocky Mountain town of Larkspur organized it's no exception. The only difference is, the camp is free, and sponsored by the National Military Family Association. The association is hosting 10,000 campers in 37 states this summer — with a special mission: to help both veterans and their kids deal with the stresses of deployment.

There are more than 155,000 American children with a parent deployed in Iraq or Afghanistan, and though their parents have a tough job, the kids at home bear a burden too. With dad or mom gone, days can easily fill with loneliness and anxiety over their parents in combat. S'mores, songs, and sleeping under the stars with new friends who understand their situation is a big help. The typical camp activities are there — but they're geared toward the service as well. Instead of writing letters home the kids' notes will be dispatched to brighten military dining halls overseas. One camper says, "It's nice to help more than just our parents."

One entire wall of the dining hall is plastered with photos of parents serving in Iraq and Afghanistan. A note scrawled on one reads, "So me and my brother all have to be strong and make sacrifices for my dad because we all want him to come back."

Source