991119 Are Reusable Bags Dangerous? – Michael

November 15, 2010
Are Reusable Bags Dangerous?
After a report finds high levels of lead in reusable grocery bags, a U.S. senator calls for the government to investigate
BY JAIME JOYCE

To help the environment, many Americans have made the switch from paper and plastic bags to reusable grocery bags. But a report by a Florida newspaper says that reusable grocery bags sold by some supermarkets contain high levels of lead. Lead is a metal that can be harmful to humans, especially young children. Now, Senator Charles Schumer, of New York, is asking the U.S. government to investigate the use of lead in reusable shopping bags.
"When our families go to the grocery store looking for safe and healthy foods to feed their kids, the last thing they should have to worry about are toxic bags, "Schumer said in a statement. "A quick and thorough investigation will allow everyone to make informed, timely decisions," Schumer added.
Shoppers, Beware





A store clerk in Connecticut packs groceries in a reusable shopping bag. This bag was not tested in the Florida study.

The Tampa Tribune newspaper, in Tampa, Florida, bought more than a dozen bags from Florida supermarkets. They paid a lab to test the bags for lead. The results showed that certain bags sold at Publix and Winn-Dixie supermarkets had lead levels that were a concern to health officials. Some bags had enough lead that they could be considered hazardous waste if people were to throw the bags out with their household trash.
Lead in the bags is not likely to rub off on food. But over time, paint on the bags can chip and the bags can wear out. When this happens, lead can be released.
What Consumers Can Do
The affected bags were found in Florida. But Publix has more than 1,000 stores in Alabama, Florida, Georgia, South Carolina and Tennessee. Publix says that all of its bags comply with current federal laws regarding lead content, but that they have asked the makers of the bags to reduce the lead levels in the product.
Winn-Dixie has hundreds of stores in Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana and Mississippi. Officials at Winn-Dixie say refunds will be given to customers who return the bags.
The bags with the highest levels of lead had fancy designs and many pictures. Plain reusable bags without decoration were found to contain little lead. Consumers worried about lead levels in reusable bags can switch to cloth or string bags. Paper bags are also a good choice, since paper can be recycled.
Since 2007, Publix supermarkets have sold more than 13 million reusable bags. The store says because shoppers have made the switch to reusable bags, it has saved more than 1 billion paper and plastic bags.


http://www.timeforkids.com/TFK/kids/news/story/0,28277,2031453,00.html


991119 Are Reusable Bags Dangerous? – Michael
Reusable bags are good for the environment but if the reusable bags are not good for the environment then people will not use it. There is a report wrote by a Florida newspaper said that the reusable grocery bags were sold by some supermarkets and the reusable grocery bags contain high levels of lead. That is very bad to human because lead we harm our body especially to children and babies. Lead will cause potentially permanent learning and behavior disorders to children. So, Senator Charles Schumer, of New York, is asking the U.S. government to investigate the use of lead in reusable shopping bags. If there are a lot of leads in the bag then the US government might tell the company that produces the bags to stop producing it. I think using paper bag is another good way to help the environment because paper bag can be recycled. When you use the lead bag for a long time the paint on it will chip off the bag easily and then the lead will be release and then children or adults that are not careful might eat the lead. Our body will think that the lead is a different kind of metal and start using it instead of using the original metal and that is how you let your body start to get worse.

991112 Justin Bieber Tells All-Michael

November 10, 2010
Justin Bieber Tells All
The pop star talks to TFK about his new autobiography, First Step 2 Forever: My Story
BY TFK KID REPORTER TAYLOR PANNELL

Justin Bieber is giving fans a sneak peek into his world with his new autobiography, First Step 2 Forever: My Story, on sale now. In the book, the singer describes his road to fame, from his first video on YouTube to his superstar status today. Readers are also treated to never-before-seen photos of Justin onstage and off.


COURTESY HARPER COLLINS

TFK Kid Reporter Taylor Pannell with Justin Bieber.

The 16-year-old pop sensation spoke to TFK about his decision to tell his story. Read on to see what Justin said about who he looks up to, how he deals with being in the spotlight, and more.
TFK:
Why did you want to write a book about your life?
JUSTIN BIEBER:
Well, number 1, you are probably wondering why I am wearing glasses. That's because I'm [in a British accent] "an authah." Second, you're probably wondering why I'm talking with a British accent. Well, most authors have British accents, so it's just another trademark . Just kidding! No, seriously. I decided to write a book because my fans needed to hear something from my perspective.
TFK:
What is the best part of writing a book?
JUSTIN:
Being able to put everything in my own words and being able to tell everyone how I'm feeling.
TFK:
What do you want people to learn about you?
JUSTIN:
I want people to learn that you can do anything. Just set your mind to it and be motivated to work hard, and anything is possible.
TFK:
Who do you look up to?
JUSTIN:
I look up to Shaquille O'Neal because he's tall, so I always look up to him. I can't look down on him. No, just kidding. I look up to [musicians like] Michael Jackson, Boys II Men and Stevie Wonder.
TFK:
What is most challenging about being a star?
JUSTIN:
I don't consider myself a star. I just consider myself a regular kid. I like to hang out with my friends and stuff. It's hard to be away from your friends all the time.
TFK:
How do you stay grounded?
JUSTIN:
I have great family [members] and friends who are always on my back. You know, I don't have people who always say yes to me. If I want something and it's unreasonable, then they'll say no. That really keeps me grounded. Reading the Bible keeps me grounded, too.
TFK:
What do you enjoy doing in your free time?
JUSTIN:
I like to hang out with my friends, play basketball and play Xbox.
TFK:
Where do you get ideas for songs?
JUSTIN:
Some of them are just ideas in my head that I just think of and some of them are actual stories.
TFK:
Which of your songs is your favorite?
JUSTIN:
My favorite song is "Down to Earth."
TFK:
People are always talking about you. Some of the comments are positive. Some are negative. How do you deal with all of that?
JUSTIN:
I just live my life, and I don't really pay attention to it.
TFK:
You've worked with some incredible people. Do you ever feel nervous or intimidated?
JUSTIN:
Not really. They're just regular people, so I don't really feel nervous.
TFK:
What do you think you'll be doing 10 years from now?
JUSTIN:
Ten years from now, like, exactly this time of day? Ten years from now, I'll probably be celebrating the 10th year anniversary of you asking me this question. [Laughs] Just kidding. Ten years from now I'll probably be making music—good music.

http://www.timeforkids.com/TFK/kids/news/story/0,28277,2030729,00.html

991112 Justin Bieber Tells All-Michael
Justin Bieber is a new star. He is famous all over the world. I like him a lot too because his songs are all great! He wrote a new autobiography called First Step 2 Forever: My Story. This book talks about how he succeeds. From his first video on YouTube to a big global superstar that is famous all over the world. In First Step 2 Forever, Justin Bieber tells the story of his amazing journey from small-town schoolboy to global superstar. He designed a jam-packed full of exclusive photos and other things else! Although, he has been a global superstar he is still a sixteen years old teenager he still needs his own life. When he isn’t singing he is just a normal teenager and likes to hang out with friends. They go to play together just like the others. His songs are also very popular such as “Baby” this song has received over three hundred and fifty millions hits on YouTube. This is very cool because it has the most hits on YouTube! And all his songs have received over one billion hits! That is incredible! So, I think Justin Bieber is a successful superstar!

991105 Making Halloween Count-Michael

October 29, 2010
Making Halloween Count
Trick-or-Treat for UNICEF celebrates its 60th anniversary on Sunday
BY VICKIE AN

Kids nationwide will be doing more than collecting sweet treats this Halloween. They'll be helping needy children around the world too. You'll recognize these Halloween helpers by the bright orange donation boxes they'll be carrying. The easy-to-spot box is a signature item of the annual Trick-or-Treat for UNICEF campaign.












Disney star Selena Gomez is the national spokesperson for Trick-or-Treat for UNICEF.

UNICEF, or the United Nations Children's Fund, was founded in 1946. It was originally created to help children who were struggling from the devastating effects of World War II. Today, the humanitarian organization provides millions of kids all over the globe with clean water, improved nutrition, health care, access to education and emergency assistance.
More than two million children nationwide are expected to take part in Trick-or-Treat for UNICEF on Sunday. The Halloween campaign turns 60 this year.
No Tricks, Just Treats
Trick-or-Treat for UNICEF got its start with a family in Pennsylvania, in 1950. The year before, shortly after Halloween, Mary Emma Allison and her three children were shopping in downtown Philadelphia when they stumbled upon a UNICEF parade. The colorful march featured kids dressed in costumes representing countries across the globe. A banner caught Allison's eye. It read: "One cent will buy 20 glasses of milk."
The chance encounter gave Allison an idea. Instead of just collecting candy on Halloween, why not do something good and collect money for UNICEF, too? The following Halloween, the Allison family, their neighbors and their church friends went door-to-door with decorated milk cartons, collecting spare change to send to UNICEF. Trick-or-Treat for UNICEF was born.
Kids Helping Kids
Today, the annual Halloween drive has raised over $160 million for UNICEF programs in more than 150 countries and territories. Through the years, the program has received support from U.S. Presidents, TV shows, celebrities and more.
One celebrity who is passionate about UNICEF's mission is Wizards of Waverly Place actress Selena Gomez. This Halloween marks Selena's third year as the Trick-or-Treat for UNICEF national spokesperson. At 18, the Disney Channel star is UNICEF's youngest ambassador. She hopes to use her role to inspire other young people to take action.
"Trick-or-Treat for UNICEF is the original kids-helping-kids campaign," says Selena. "Participating in Trick-or-Treat for UNICEF, or any of UNICEF's campaigns, allows me to use my voice and mobilize my peers to be active members of our global community."
Singing for a Cause
On October 26, Selena used her voice in another way by putting on a charity concert for fans in Hollywood, California. She and her band, The Scene, performed acoustic versions of songs from their two albums, A Year Without Rain and Kiss & Tell. Proceeds from the concert will go to supporting UNICEF programs. Selena urged everyone in the audience to carry UNICEF's signature orange collection box when they go trick-or-treating on Sunday.
"With UNICEF, a little bit goes a long way," Selena told TFK. "Every little bit helps ensure that UNICEF can continue its lifesaving work." To learn more, go to trickortreatforunicef.org.


http://www.timeforkids.com/TFK/kids/news/story/0,28277,2028268,00.html

991105 Making Halloween Count-Michael
Halloween is a special holiday in the western countries. They celebrate Halloween on October thirty first. On that day, children will wear scary costumes such as ghost, vampire, and wizards. But the UNICEF or the United Nations Children's Fund had started raising money for children it let the traditional Halloween became very different! Instead of collecting candy the Allison family started to collect money and sent the money to the UNICEF for children. Today the annual Halloween has raised over one hundred and sixty million for UNICEF. This year, the UNICEF marks Selena Gomez as the spokesman for raising money. I think that it will be a lot of fun this Halloween.

991029 A Race to Help Haiti-Michael

October 25, 2010
A Race to Help Haiti
Officials are working around the clock to stop the spread of a deadly disease
BY SUZANNE ZIMBLER

Nine months after a devastating earthquake struck Haiti, more than a million people are still living in temporary camps in the capital city of Port-au-Prince. With so many people living in close quarters, officials have long feared a major outbreak of disease. Now, they are fighting to prevent a deadly disease from spreading to the camps.




A medical worker helps a mother and child at a hospital in Haiti.

Last week, in an area about 60 miles northwest of the capital, more than 3,000 people became sick with cholera (kol-er-uh). The disease can spread quickly when there is a lack of clean water and sanitation. Officials are racing to help those who are sick, and to prevent the disease from spreading to other parts of the country.
In the Water
Cholera is spread when people drink contaminated, or dirty, water. Authorities think that water from Haiti's Artibonite River is to blame for the outbreak. The river is the country's central drainage system. Waste flows into the river. Communities that do not have access to enough clean water have been drinking from the river.
"We know that the disease is affecting the community near the river," says Jean-Francois St. Felix, who works for Haiti's National Department of Water Supply and Sanitation. "We are in the middle of informing people in the region."
Education Is Key
Haiti has not had a major outbreak of cholera for more than a century. The disease is a threat in many parts of the world. There are an estimated 3 to 5 million cases every year.
"One of the biggest challenges is that Haiti is not particularly familiar with this disease," says Imogene Wall, of the United Nations. Aid workers are teaching thousands of families how to avoid the disease. Radio announcements are explaining the importance of hand washing. The International Red Cross is sending out text messages, telling people to drink only safe water.
Help Is on the Way
Aid agencies like Oxfam are making sure that affected regions have clean water and medical care. Since authorities were worried about an outbreak of disease, they stored medical supplies in the country ahead of time. As a result, Haiti has enough medicine to treat 100,000 cases of cholera.
Health experts are hopeful that they will be able to control the outbreak. "It's not difficult to prevent the spread to Port-au-Prince," said Health Ministry director Gabriel Timothee. "We can prevent it."


http://www.timeforkids.com/TFK/kids/news/story/0,28277,2027478,00.html

991029 A Race to Help Haiti-Michael
Cholera is a big disease if you want to get rid of it you need to spend a lot of time. In Haiti, they have cholera around their country. I think the most reason why they have cholera in their country is that they don’t have good hygiene-conscious so they will get sick or other disease easily. The International Red Cross is helping in Haiti for the cholera and they also tell people to drink clean water instead of dirty water because dirty water may have germs and bacteria in it. I wish they will have better hygiene-conscious.

991022 Debate!-Michael

Debate!
Do Pennies Make ents?
BY TIME FOR KIDS

A penny is only worth a cent. But each one-cent coin costs 1.7 cents to produce. That's why some people would like put an end to pennies.
Lawmakers have tried to retire the one-cent coin in the past. In 2001, a congressman tried to do away with the penny. If the "Legal Tender Modernization Act" had passed, merchants would have been required to round up or round down to the nearest nickel on all cash purchases. If the price of an item were $5.02, a customer would pay $5.00. But for a $5.03 item, he or she would be charged $5.05.
Critics of the penny point out how much money would be saved if we said goodbye to the one-cent coins. But many people think that pennies are worth saving. The coin is part of our country's history, say penny fans. After all, it was the first U.S. coin to feature a President: Abraham Lincoln.
A group called Americans for Common Cents is worried that merchants would always round up to the higher five-cent number, even if the price were actually closer to the lower five-cent number. The group also points out that there are charities that collect donations in pennies.
U.S. military bases in other countries already round purchase prices up or down because it's too expensive to ship pennies to the bases. Australia and New Zealand have retired their one-cent coins.
Should the U.S. follow their example and do away with pennies? Explain your opinion in an email to tfkasks4you@timeforkids.com. Your writing could be featured in a future issue of TIME For Kids.


http://www.timeforkids.com/TFK/kids/news/story/0,28277,1921366,00.html


991022 Debate!-Michael
Do you know that how much it will take to make a penny? If a penny worth more than one cent than making the penny will cost even more money to make it! In America this kind of thing happened! Each one-cent coin costs 1.7 cents to produce so making ten one cent coins will cost seventeen cents! If I am the money producer, I will not keep producing the money because it is too expensive to make. The coin will also make people who sell things raise the price of a thing because people who sell things want to make money that is their goal of selling things. So how will America think a good way to solve the problem?? I think they can use cheaper things to make coins. Or another way is to change the value of the money such as using the same materials to make a coin but it can be a coin that has a value of two cents. So what will the US government do? I think in Taiwan there is also a coin problem. Maybe someday later we can see Taiwan using a different kind of money and it will be very special.

991016 A Miracle at the Mine-Michael

A Miracle at the Mine
Rescue teams bring trapped miners to freedom in Chile
BY ANDREA DELBANCO

Tears of relief and shouts of joy rang out last week at the San Jose mine in northern Chile as 33 miners were lifted to freedom, one by one. The men, ranging from 19 to 63 years old, have been buried alive since a cave in the copper and gold mine they were working collapsed on August 5. It is the longest time anyone has ever survived being trapped underground.
Buried Alive
After the collapse, the men found an emergency shelter off one of the mine's tunnels. The temperature in the dark shelter was around 90F. For more than two weeks, the miners' water came from the radiator tanks on their work vehicles. They shared a supply of food that was meant to last for only 48 hours.
The miners were totally isolated until rescue teams made contact with the men on August 22. They sent a note to the surface explaining their situation. Rescuers drilled small holes to reach the cavern and sent down supply tubes containing food, water, clothes, medicine, fresh air and other supplies. They also received letters from their families, a television set and games.
A Complicated Rescue
Additional collapses slowed down rescue efforts. Finally, a tunnel was built that could fit a 13-foot rescue capsule, called the Pheonix. The escape hole measures 28 inches across, a tight fit for the twisting 20-minute, 2,041-foot ride. The first miner reached the surface just after midnight on Wednesday. The rescue mission was faster than expected, and all 33 men had been brought to safety by late the same day.
The miners were met by family members who were waiting at Camp Hope, a settlement of tents near the mine. Chile's president, Sebastián Piñera, cheered at the scene and hugged the miners. "We made a promise never to surrender, and we kept it," he said. After an immediate medical exam, the men were air-lifted to the nearest hospital for 48 hours of observation.


http://www.timeforkids.com/TFK/kids/news/story/0,28277,2025274,00.html

991016 A Miracle at the Mine-Michael
The miners were trapped since August 5th. They have been trapped for sixty nine days. I can’t even think about what it will be like down there. When they were working the mine suddenly collapsed, so they were buried alive in the mine. The mine was even deeper than the Taipei 101 so staying in there was a difficult thing to do. The mine was very hot because it was closer to the earth crust. The first miner was rescued just after midnight on Wednesday. The miners’ family members were all waiting at the Camp Hope it was a tent near the mine even the Chile president was there. Their family members were all very worried about the miners because they had been buried alive for a long time. The rescue team used a rescue capsule, called the Phoenix to save the miners. After a long time of rescuing all the thirty three men were all rescued. All the people were very happy to see them to be rescued. After the miners were rescued they were air-lifted to the nearest hospital to get their treatment.

991001 A Penny's Worth-Michael

A Penny's Worth
A one-of-a-kind penny sells for more than a million dollars
BY SUZANNE ZIMBLER

Some people say pennies bring good luck. Others say pennies are not worth saving. After all, a penny is only worth a cent. But one unusual penny turned out to be worth a lot more when a coin collector paid $1.7 million for it earlier this month.
The coin is one of a kind. It is the only penny that the Denver mint made out of copper, instead of steel, in 1943. Because it is unique, it is also very valuable. No penny has ever sold for this much money.
The Changing Penny
The Lincoln penny first appeared in 1909. For 34 years, the one-cent coin was made out of copper. Then, in 1943, the penny changed. World War II was going on, and copper was needed for equipment. So for one year, pennies were made out of steel instead. At least most of them were.
A small handful of coins were made out of leftover copper. There are three main mints or places where coins are made, in the United States. Of the known copper pennies from 1943, twelve were made in the Philadelphia mint, and five were made in the San Francisco mint. Only one was made in the Denver mint.
Nobody knows for sure why a copper penny was made at the Denver mint in 1943, coin-dealer Andy Skrabalak told TFK. "There's a rumor that a mint employee [made] the coin in the middle of the night," he said.
A Special Set
The coin collector who bought the $1.7 million penny wants to remain anonymous, or unknown. But the reason for his purchase is known. He already had two copper pennies from 1943—one from the San Francisco mint and one from the Philadelphia mint. To complete the set, he needed the Denver penny. The three coins will go on display at a rare-coin convention in Tampa, Florida, this January.
The collector who sold the penny is also keeping his identity a secret. It took four years to convince him to give up the rare coin. Now that he finally sold it, he is donating all of the money to charity.

http://www.timeforkids.com/TFK/kids/news/story/0,28277,2021923,00.html

991001 A Penny's Worth-Michael
A penny is just only a coin, it is not very important to people. A penny just worth 1 cent but a coin collector spends 1. 7 million dollars to buy a penny that worth one cent! Why did the coin collector do this? It is because that this penny is a very important to coin collectors they wanted to buy this special penny. This penny is the only copper penny that is made from Denver. There are three main mints that make coin they are, “Philadelphia mint”, “San Francisco mint” and “Denver mint”. The only eighteen copper coins are made from these three mints. Twelve of them were made from Philadelphia, five of them were made from San Francisco and the last one is made from Denver. One of the copper coins that cost 1.7 million is the one is from Denver. It was made in 1943. The value of a coin depends how rare it is if a coin is made from 2000 years ago, it might be very valuable. Now the American pennies are made of 97.5% of zinc and 2.5% of copper coated outside of the coin. I think these coins are very special. Maybe I can collect some coins too.