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In Focus: Mourning in Newtown

Today is Monday, the first school day since the horrific shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary School that claimed so many young lives last week. Like millions of other American parents, I sent my kids off to school today knowing that the difficult family discussions we had over the weekend will continue in the classroom, as educators and students address yet another tragic outburst of violence in our schools. Today, the first of many funerals will take place in Newtown, after a weekend of vigils and mourning. President Obama visited Newtown on Sunday, speaking before an auditorium of grieving parents. “We can’t accept events like this as routine,” he said, “These tragedies must end, and to end them, we must change.”

See more. [Images: Reuters, Getty, AP]

hypervocal:

This real-life Toy Story will leave you in tears: A boy who lost his beloved stuffed monkey, Ah-ah, on a family vacation 500 miles away gets reunited with him three years later — thanks to an impossibly lucky bid on eBay.

Weeping. This is amazing. 

Chicago imposed a curfew on its youngest residents to help save them from street violence. As of last night, children must be inside by 8:30 p.m. Sunday through Thursday, and 9 p.m. Friday and Saturday. The existing curfew for 12-to-16-year-olds is 10 p.m. Sunday through Thursday, 11 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays. Last school year, 27 children were killed due to violence and another 256 students were shot. Cities with curfews have seen a 10 percent drop in the number of children arrested, Emanuel said. Three years after San Antonio enacted a curfew, the instances of young people becoming victims dropped 84 percent, his office said. “While the government can do its part, we need parents to do theirs,” Emanuel said. “We need parents to help make sure their children are home safe where they belong.” Curfew violators are subject to a fine of up to $500. Three offenses in a 12-month period could mean a fine of up to $1,500.

Chicago imposed a curfew on its youngest residents to help save them from street violence. As of last night, children must be inside by 8:30 p.m. Sunday through Thursday, and 9 p.m. Friday and Saturday. The existing curfew for 12-to-16-year-olds is 10 p.m. Sunday through Thursday, 11 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays. Last school year, 27 children were killed due to violence and another 256 students were shot.

Cities with curfews have seen a 10 percent drop in the number of children arrested, Emanuel said. Three years after San Antonio enacted a curfew, the instances of young people becoming victims dropped 84 percent, his office said.

“While the government can do its part, we need parents to do theirs,” Emanuel said. “We need parents to help make sure their children are home safe where they belong.”

Curfew violators are subject to a fine of up to $500. Three offenses in a 12-month period could mean a fine of up to $1,500.

Nearly 1 in 5 children lived in poverty in the U.S. in 2009. That’s 15 million kids. Alabama, Louisiana and Mississippi ranked lowest on the study’s 10 indicators of child well-being. New Hampshire, Minnesota and Massachusetts ranked highest.

Nearly 1 in 5 children lived in poverty in the U.S. in 2009. That’s 15 million kids. Alabama, Louisiana and Mississippi ranked lowest on the study’s 10 indicators of child well-being. New Hampshire, Minnesota and Massachusetts ranked highest.

The Daily has obtained from prosecutors a range of evidence from the trial of Warren Jeffs, including thousands of pages of documents and photos seized from his compound during a 2008 raid by Texas Rangers.

Photo 1 (above) Jeffs wrote instructions on how this bed, found on the top floor of the limestone temple at YFZ Ranch, should be built, specifying a plastic-covered mattress and a pedestal that didn’t make creaking sounds.

Photo 2 Prosecutors believe that Jeffs held orgies in this bath, which he termed a “baptismal font,” with groups of his wives. Prosecutors played for the jury an audio recording that they said was of Jeffs having group sex in the bath.

A court reporter provided eight audio recordings in the case: six that were played during the trial and two that have never before been heard publicly. Much of the audio was not fit for publication. This audio recording is of Jeffs on a phone call with 12 female followers. He made all the tapes himself.

(Warning: Content may disturb some readers.)

10-year-old Thylane Loubry Blondeau poses provocatively in this month’s issue of Vogue Enfants, reigniting the debate over what constitutes child exploitation.  “I understand this may offend,” the girl’s mother Veronika Loubry, a French soap-opera star and children’s clothing designer, told the blog of French TV personality and media commenter Jean Marc Morandini yesterday. “My daughter is not naked, exaggeration is unnecessary!” she said. “Those who have their minds in the gutter, too bad for them.”

10-year-old Thylane Loubry Blondeau poses provocatively in this month’s issue of Vogue Enfants, reigniting the debate over what constitutes child exploitation. 

“I understand this may offend,” the girl’s mother Veronika Loubry, a French soap-opera star and children’s clothing designer, told the blog of French TV personality and media commenter Jean Marc Morandini yesterday.

“My daughter is not naked, exaggeration is unnecessary!” she said. “Those who have their minds in the gutter, too bad for them.”

The horrific death of Leiby Kletzky has parents wondering how in the world they can protect their children — especially when they’re out on their own. Experts say “Don’t talk to strangers” doesn’t cut it anymore. The No. 1 mistake parents make is focusing on “stranger danger.” Many children envision a “stranger” as a mean, ugly person, when in fact dangerous abductors can be good-looking and charming, [Nancy McBride, national safety director for the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children] said. Leiby “got totally discombobulated,” she said. “The person he sought out wasn’t in any way frightening to him.” In the vast majority of cases, children are abducted by someone they know.

The horrific death of Leiby Kletzky has parents wondering how in the world they can protect their children — especially when they’re out on their own. Experts say “Don’t talk to strangers” doesn’t cut it anymore.

The No. 1 mistake parents make is focusing on “stranger danger.”

Many children envision a “stranger” as a mean, ugly person, when in fact dangerous abductors can be good-looking and charming, [Nancy McBride, national safety director for the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children] said.

Leiby “got totally discombobulated,” she said. “The person he sought out wasn’t in any way frightening to him.”

In the vast majority of cases, children are abducted by someone they know.

I don’t remember why my parents spanked me, but the handful of times that they did left an impression. (Not literally … ouch.) I recall crying and that it hurt, but I think it speaks volumes about spanking’s effectiveness — or lack thereof — that I can’t for the life of me remember what I did to deserve a swift slap on the behind. And that’s the rub: Spanking or swatting your child’s hand may stop what they’re doing in the short run, but it’s not likely to have any lasting effect in terms of curbing bad behavior. If anything, it just teaches that violence is an appropriate reaction in some circumstances when really, you don’t want your child to think it ever is.
Opinion columnist Jessica Valenti, in “Hurting the one you love: Parents aren’t ashamed of spanking, but they should be.”
COVER STORY: Survivors describe the savage tornado that lay waste to Joplin, Missouri OUR INTERVIEW WITH ENDEAVOUR: We asked the astronauts your questions CHOKELAHOMA CITY: Today in sports GUN FIGHT: Florida legislators want to prevent pediatricians from talking with parents about guns in the home, a move doctors call crazy and dangerous WHAT A CUTE LITTLE GIRL! Or is she a boy?

COVER STORY: Survivors describe the savage tornado that lay waste to Joplin, Missouri

OUR INTERVIEW WITH ENDEAVOUR: We asked the astronauts your questions

CHOKELAHOMA CITY: Today in sports

GUN FIGHT: Florida legislators want to prevent pediatricians from talking with parents about guns in the home, a move doctors call crazy and dangerous

WHAT A CUTE LITTLE GIRL! Or is she a boy?


GUN FIGHT. Florida lawmakers want to prevent pediatricians from talking with parents about guns in the home, a move that both doctors and public health officials call crazy and dangerous. The proposal, which has passed both legislative houses and is expected to be signed into law by Gov. Rick Scott, penalizes pediatricians who inquire about gun ownership or possession, unless that information is “relevant to patient’s medical care or safety or safety of others.” Doctors are also prohibited from recording firearm ownership information in a patient’s medical record.

GUN FIGHT. Florida lawmakers want to prevent pediatricians from talking with parents about guns in the home, a move that both doctors and public health officials call crazy and dangerous.

The proposal, which has passed both legislative houses and is expected to be signed into law by Gov. Rick Scott, penalizes pediatricians who inquire about gun ownership or possession, unless that information is “relevant to patient’s medical care or safety or safety of others.” Doctors are also prohibited from recording firearm ownership information in a patient’s medical record.