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U.S. gender wage gap grows for first time in a decade; Trump has embraced NC's Mark Robinson, calling him 'Martin Luther King on steroids'; Volunteers sought as early voting kicks off in MN; Women's political contributions in congressional races fall short of men's.

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Rising threats of political violence, a Federal Reserve rate cut, crypto industry campaign contributions and reproductive rights are shaping today's political landscape.

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A USDA report shows a widening gap in rural versus urban health, a North Carolina county remains divided over a LGBTQ library display, and Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz' policies are spotlighted after his elevation to the Democratic presidential ticket.

A Call to Show Kids in PA What Outside Has to Offer

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Thursday, February 4, 2010   

HARRISBURG, Penn. - It seems kids today in Pennsylvania and around the country are spending more time sitting on the couch than in the grass or on their bikes, but now there's a move to re-introduce them to the great outdoors. A coalition of health, conservation and youth groups is appealing to U.S. Surgeon General Regina Benjamin to take a stand on the matter.

Rebecca Garland is executive director of the National Wildlife Federation Be Out There program. She says they've sent a letter and petition to Dr. Regina Benjamin requesting that she issue a call to action that says playing outside does a body good.

Garland says they'd like to see Benjamin take it one step further.

"We would like her to convene a national summit on unstructured play and really document the benefits of that."

Garland says a new study from the Kaiser Family Foundation finds that even in the past five years, the amount of time kids spend plugged into a computer or a video game or an MP3 player is up 20 percent. National Wildlife Federation research indicates that kids who are outside more and inside less can show longer attention spans, lesaggressive behavior and fewer bouts of depression, Garland says, and they also may be less likely than their peers to develop nearsightedness.

For too many kids in America, the indoors lifestyle has become a full-time job, she explains.

"Today's average is seven hours and thirty-eight minutes that kids spend on some sort of electronic media, every day."

Recent generations of kids begged to stay outside as long as possible. Garland says getting children to spend even short amounts of time outside on a regular basis can be a life changer.

"The reality of today's world is that even five to 10 minutes outdoors, especially if you can sprinkle it throughout the day, is a really, really important element of childhood."

More information is available at www.beoutthere.org.



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