News Briefs

By Indykids Staff

TV Time

The average child in the US sees about 40,000 TV commercials a year.
-“Consuming Kids” by Susan Linn.

Junk Food Troubles

Children in the US are consuming more calories between meals than they ever have. A generation ago, kids got less than 20 percent of their daily calories from snacks. Today, it’s about 25 percent and rising.     –Barry Popkin, Ph.D., professor of nutrition at the University of North Carolina School of Public Health

More are Poor this Year

The number of poor Americans rose by 1.1 million last year with a total of 37 million people now living in poverty. But the wealthy are doing better than ever. For every dollar a worker earns, the average CEO (Chief Executive Officer) earns $431.                                                                                                                  –Institute for Policy Studies and United for a Fair Economy

Bush Unpopular

George W. Bush has entered the ranks of the most unpopular presidents in history. The Gallup opinion poll puts his disapproval rate at a soaring 56 percent. At the height of the Watergate scandal, Nixon hit 66 percent. But Republicans give Bush a 90 percent approval rating.

Boy and Pet Dog Snowball

On September 1, 2005, a little boy and his dog awaited their turn to board a bus to transport Hurricane Katrina victims from the New Orleans Superdome to the Astrodome in Houston. As the boy attempted to board the bus, a police officer took the child’s dog away from him. The boy, whose whereabouts are unknown, was forced to leave without his beloved dog. For more information about missing pets visit www.katrinafoundpets.com

Hurricane Babies

There are many sick babies and pregnant women endangered by Hurricane Katrina and its aftermath, including many of the people who were evacuated. For example, about 100 sick and premature babies from hospitals in New Orleans and Mississippi were airlifted or transported to a neonatal intensive care unit at Women’s Hospital of Baton Rouge, Louisiana.