Poynter Online

Blacks, Hispanics & American Indians More Likely to Be 'Underbanked'

By Al Tompkins

 The Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. reported this week that more than one in four American households say they have no bank checking account or have used "alternative" financial institutions such as check-cashing stores and pawn shops. The findings come from the FDIC's 2009 National Household Survey.

The report says that blacks (an estimated 31.6 percent), American Indian/Alaskans (28.9 percent) and Hispanics (24 percent) are more likely to be "underbanked." These groups answered "no" to the question: "Do you or does anyone in your household currently have a checking or savings account?" 

"Underbanked households were defined as those that have a checking or savings account but rely on alternative financial services," the FDIC explained. "Specifically, underbanked households have used nonbank money orders, nonbank check-cashing services, payday loans, rent-to-own agreements, or pawn shops at least once or twice a year or refund anticipation loans at least once in the past five years."

The FDIC went on to say that moreover, blacks, Hispanics and American Indians or Alaskans are more likely to be "unbanked" -- "answering 'no' to the question, 'Do you or does anyone in your household currently have a checking or savings account?' " An estimated 21.7 percent of black households are unbanked, as are 19.3 percent of Hispanic households and 15.6 percent of American Indian/Alaskans.

The FDIC has been looking at this issue for some time. ItsWeb site collects previous findings and a fair amount of video from previous hearings. 

USA Today put together an interactive map showing underbanked households by state and summarized the report, saying "the FDIC will use the data in its effort to persuade more banks to offer 'starter accounts' ":

"Buying money orders and cashing checks are the most frequent transactions, the survey shows. Those using check cashers and other services say they are faster, cheaper and more convenient than banks -- even though they pay a fee to cash a check they could deposit in a bank account for free.

"The FDIC wants banks to win back those customers, saying consumers should have the benefit of insured savings and be able to build a credit history. ...

" 'There's a substantial segment of American households whose financial services needs aren't being adequately met,' Martin Gruenberg, FDIC vice chairman, said in an interview Tuesday. He called the disproportion of minority households in the group 'dramatic and troubling.'

"The FDIC will use the data in its effort to persuade more banks to offer 'starter accounts,' low-cost, no-minimum checking accounts without automatic overdraft programs that can result in customers getting hit with fees if they go in the red. One option, Gruenberg said, is to offer incentives to banks through the Community Reinvestment Act, which encourages banks to do business in low- and moderate-income communities.

"Banks already are required to offer low- and no-cost checking, but a 2008 FDIC survey showed that 77 percent of large banks use automated overdraft programs."

An FDIC site provides just-released data about the financial health of any bank that the FDIC insures.

More from the FDIC:

• Is My Account Fully Insured?
• Failed Bank List
• Failed Financial Institution Contact Search
• Bank Failures in Brief

Kodak Tries to Curb Frustrations Over Printer-Ink Costs

By Al Tompkins

 Hoping to tap into the public's frustration over the cost of using ink-jet printers, Kodak decided two years ago to sell ink at half the price of its competitors. Now, the company is saying how much customers would have saved had they switched to Kodak. Competitors, meanwhile, are disputing their claims. 

USA Today reported that Kodak's Web site "tells consumers they would have saved $110 in printing costs had they switched to Kodak. It also offers a price chart that promises to tell how much folks overspent with their printer models from Epson, HP, Canon, Lexmark and Brother":

"The calculations are based on a basic formula, of, for instance, eight black-and-white documents, six color documents and a 4-by-6 photo printed in a specific time period. Kodak generally charges more than competitors do for printers.

"No. 1 HP says the ink-savings claims are misleading. 'Their savings are probably at best at about $1 per month,' says Andy Binder, HP's director of market development.

"Still, on an average HP color printer, Binder says that it costs about $75 to restock the six color inks and one black ink. Kodak's inks are $9.99 for a black cartridge and $14.99 for color.

"Kodak says it bases its findings on an average of 1,500 printed pages per year for the average consumer. Binder says that's way too high and that most folks print 750 pages.

"He adds that HP makes printers specifically for price-sensitive people who print a lot of black-and-white documents, which use less ink.

"Cheryl Pohlman, a Kodak marketing director, says the 'Print and Prosper' marketing campaign has helped the company sell twice as many printers this year as last year."

Market watchers told Computerworld that printing is actually down these days, as people have greater access to the Web and don't need to print out every little thing. USA Today reported that sales of ink-jet printers are down 12 percent this year. 

The American Consumer Institute tries to calculate the real cost per page of printing, but analysts say most buyers don't look at such things when shopping for a printer. They are more concerned with the printer cost. At ConsumerCalculator.org, you can plug in the number of pages you print per week and see what various models will cost to operate.

The Consumer Institute says printer companies should be required to display the cost per page, sort of the way car companies post the MPG rating.

Last year, the Christian Science Monitor found that off-price brands and "refill them yourself" solutions didn't save much money and were not worth the hassle.

Ways to save ink 

Consumer Reports said its tests show one way to save ink is to always print in "draft mode." You will use less ink and hardly notice a difference in print quality.

The sensors inside ink-jet printers often jump the gun. The Christian Science Monitor said some sensors warn that the tank is running empty when it is still half full. Sometimes just popping out the tank and popping it back in will keep the printer going.

Millions of Dollars Going to Farmers Who Died

By Al Tompkins

 It is not unusual or even illegal to find federal farm subsidies -- your tax dollars-- going to people who do not live on farms and never did.

But WFOR-TV in Miami found millions of dollars going to farmers who died, some of them a long time ago.

"Working with help from the Environmental Working Group's database experts, the CBS4 I-Team matched Federal Farm Bill recipients with people, birth dates, addresses and Social Security numbers found on the Social Security Administration's death index.

"The I-Team discovered at least 234 people in South Florida who are deceased. They are on the farm aid's list, even though they are dead. To view the complete list, click here. 

"Those people still received your tax dollars in the form of farm aid. The I-Team's research shows the 234 people received a total of $9,506,255." 

The head of the Environmental Working Group, a nonprofit research organization that has tracked farm subsidy spending for years, said he is hardly surprised. In fact, he said, it is not uncommon for farmers to keep getting subsidies for three to five years after death. The system just doesn't catch the mistake. Find out more on thisEnvironmental Working Group Web site. 

Now, the really disturbing news. The government has known for years that this sort of thing goes on. In 2007, the General Accountability Office wrote about the problem of subsidy payments going to farmers. It looked at 181 cases from 1999 to 2005 and found that officials approved payments without any review 40 percent of the time:

" 'It is completely outrageous that dead farmers continue to get money,'  EWG's Richard Wiles said. 'Can you imagine if it were dead welfare recipients? The Congress would be up in arms!' "

Additional resources

--The Environmental Working Group data base. Enter a name, a county or a state and find out who is getting farm subsidies near you. Remember, just because people get a subsidy does not mean they are doing something wrong or illegal. For some farmers, subsidies have been lifelines in tough times. But billions of dollars go to people who have never farmed but hold a financial interest in a farm. I find it interesting, for example, that in my own beach community of St. Petersburg, Fla., so many of my neighbors are getting checks for crop subsidies. We don't grow a lot of soybeans and corn on the beach.

--"Federal Farm Programs: USDA Needs to Strengthen Management Controls to Prevent Improper Payments to Estates and Deceased Individuals. GAO-07-1137T, July 24, 2007, Summary, Highlights Page [PDF] Full Report [PDF, 14 pages] Accessible Text"

Pew Study Finds Recession Delaying Marriages, Births and Independent Living

The Pew Research Center has found that the recession is strongly altering how younger adults live. The Journalism Center on Children & Families explained the U.S. Census Bureau figures behind the report:

"Approximately 15 percent of adults younger than 35 say they have postponed getting married because of the recession, and an additional 14 percent say they have delayed having a baby. According to studies conducted by Pew, 13 percent of parents with grown children say one of their adult sons or daughters has moved back home in the past year. Data also suggests that proportionately fewer young singles are living solo now than before the recession, with particularly steep declines among young women.

"Overall, the proportion of adults ages 18 to 29 who live alone declined from 7.9 percent in 2007 to 7.3 percent in 2009. Similar drops in the proportion of young people who live by themselves occurred during or immediately after the recessions of 1982 and 2001.

 

"The current decline has been particularly steep among young women; the proportion who live by themselves fell by a full percentage point to 6.1 percent. Among young men, the share living on their own fell 0.2 percentage points to 8.4 percent, a statistically insignificant change.

 

"While the recession has touched Americans of all ages, it has been particularly hard on young adults. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, a smaller share of 16- to 24-year-olds are currently employed -- 46.1 percent -- than at any time since the government began collecting such data in 1948."

 

"At the same time, college enrollment has soared to an all-time high. Taken together, record unemployment and growing college enrollments help explain why proportionately fewer young people today are living by themselves."

The Pew Center has provided some graphs that illustrate the study's findings. You can see these graphs, and read more about the study, here.

Resources for Localizing Obama's New Afghanistan Strategy

By Al Tompkins

On Tuesday, President Barack Obama plans to announce a new plan for American involvement in Afghanistan. Estimates say he will send 30,000 or so additional troops. According to the Christian Science Monitor, he will alsopress other countries to send more troops to reach the 40,000 figure that commanders requested.

According to The New York Times, the president will lay out how the United States will turn control of the country over to the Kabul government, but will not provide a specific time line.

So far, more than 850 Americans have died in and around Afghanistan. Service members who gave the ulimate sacrifice are listed here, with home cities and states.

More soldiers from California, Texas, Florida, New York, Pennsylvania and Illinois have died or been injured in Afghanistan than from other states, as you can see in thisinteractive map.

Next to the United States and the United Kingdom,Canadian troops have suffered the third highest casualties in Afghanistan.

A map shows Afghanistan's southernmost provinces to be the most dangerous. 

The majority of the new deployments would begin in February or March 2010. The Washington Post said that by the end of the week, 9,000 Marines will be deployed to hit Taliban targets. The Associated Press said this would be "the largest expansion since the beginning of the war and one that could bring the cost above $75 billion annually."

AP reported:

"The Afghan war bill hit $43 billion annually this summer, with the addition of 21,000 forces Obama has already added to the fight this year. The White House has given Congress this rough yardstick for future troop increases: Approximately $1 billion a year for each 1,000 troops atop the current record figure of 68,000.

"NATO and other allies collectively have about 45,000 troops in Afghanistan.

"If the full expansion that U.S. military plannersanticipate does happen, it would take up to two years to get all the additional U.S. forces into the landlocked country.

"The United States is quietly pressing NATO and other allies to increase forces as well, with a goal of between 5,000 and 7,000 additional non-U.S. troops. European and other diplomats have said that number is probably optimistic."

As we try to count the U.S. involvement in Afghanistan, don't forget the thousands of non-combat deployments, including medical, MPs, engineers and intelligence personnel sent there.

GovSpot.com has listed these resources:

• iCasualties
  "Updated daily, this site is incredibly comprehensive and organized. First divided into the categories 'deaths,' 'missing or captured' and 'wounded,' it then provides data by month, country, military force and more. The site also features a newswire. And that's just the home page. Go to the tabs at the top to look at more specialized statistics, ranging from ethnicity to gender to journalist deaths."
  
  
• Washington Post
  "The Washington Post's 'Faces of the Fallen' acts as a tribute to the service members who have died in the invasion and war thus far. Click on a face to view the person's hometown, age, unit, details about the incident and related links. You can view by age, year of death, home state and military branch."
  
  
• CNN
  "View by date or name to read the details of every casualty of Operation Enduring Freedom (count updated daily)."
  
  
• Wall Street Journal
  "Choose a year to see a monthly tally of the military toll since 2001."


• CNN: Year-by-year highlights of U.S. involvement in Afghanistan
  
• BBC News: Timeline of Afghanistan
  "Chronological timeline of the country, starting in 1919 when Afghanistan gains independence after third war against Britain and ending with the Aug. 20, 2009, elections."
  
• PBS: Historical and political timeline
  "Begins with a brief history of Afghanistan and then broken up into periods from 1921 up until Obama's March 2009 plan."
  
• Telegraph: British involvement timeline
  "A basic timeline of Britain's participation, beginning in October 2001." 
  
• Council on Foreign Relations: U.S. involvement timeline
  "An extensive, up-to-date and interactive timeline of the U.S. war in Afghanistan with corresponding photos."

Additional resources:

• Could Afghanistan become Obama's Vietnam? (Peter Baker, The New York Times)

• In 2008, then-candidate Obama said the United States should move out of Iraq and move into Afghanistan.


• Time Magazine focused on this key difference between Obama and his Republican rival, John McCain.

Resources for Localizing Obama's New Afghanistan Strategy

By Al Tompkins

 On Tuesday, President Barack Obama plans to announce a new plan for American involvement in Afghanistan. Estimates say he will send 30,000 or so additional troops. According to the Christian Science Monitor, he will alsopress other countries to send more troops to reach the 40,000 figure that commanders requested.

According to The New York Times, the president will lay out how the United States will turn control of the country over to the Kabul government, but will not provide a specific time line.

So far, more than 850 Americans have died in and around Afghanistan. Service members who gave the ulimate sacrifice are listed here, with home cities and states.

More soldiers from California, Texas, Florida, New York, Pennsylvania and Illinois have died or been injured in Afghanistan than from other states, as you can see in thisinteractive map.

Next to the United States and the United Kingdom,Canadian troops have suffered the third highest casualties in Afghanistan.

A map shows Afghanistan's southernmost provinces to be the most dangerous. 

The majority of the new deployments would begin in February or March 2010. The Washington Post said that by the end of the week, 9,000 Marines will be deployed to hit Taliban targets. The Associated Press said this would be "the largest expansion since the beginning of the war and one that could bring the cost above $75 billion annually."

AP reported:

"The Afghan war bill hit $43 billion annually this summer, with the addition of 21,000 forces Obama has already added to the fight this year. The White House has given Congress this rough yardstick for future troop increases: Approximately $1 billion a year for each 1,000 troops atop the current record figure of 68,000.

"NATO and other allies collectively have about 45,000 troops in Afghanistan.

"If the full expansion that U.S. military plannersanticipate does happen, it would take up to two years to get all the additional U.S. forces into the landlocked country.

"The United States is quietly pressing NATO and other allies to increase forces as well, with a goal of between 5,000 and 7,000 additional non-U.S. troops. European and other diplomats have said that number is probably optimistic."

As we try to count the U.S. involvement in Afghanistan, don't forget the thousands of non-combat deployments, including medical, MPs, engineers and intelligence personnel sent there.

GovSpot.com has listed these resources:

• iCasualties
  "Updated daily, this site is incredibly comprehensive and organized. First divided into the categories 'deaths,' 'missing or captured' and 'wounded,' it then provides data by month, country, military force and more. The site also features a newswire. And that's just the home page. Go to the tabs at the top to look at more specialized statistics, ranging from ethnicity to gender to journalist deaths."
  
  
• Washington Post
  "The Washington Post's 'Faces of the Fallen' acts as a tribute to the service members who have died in the invasion and war thus far. Click on a face to view the person's hometown, age, unit, details about the incident and related links. You can view by age, year of death, home state and military branch."
  
  
• CNN
  "View by date or name to read the details of every casualty of Operation Enduring Freedom (count updated daily)."
  
  
• Wall Street Journal
  "Choose a year to see a monthly tally of the military toll since 2001."


• CNN: Year-by-year highlights of U.S. involvement in Afghanistan
  
• BBC News: Timeline of Afghanistan
  "Chronological timeline of the country, starting in 1919 when Afghanistan gains independence after third war against Britain and ending with the Aug. 20, 2009, elections."
  
• PBS: Historical and political timeline
  "Begins with a brief history of Afghanistan and then broken up into periods from 1921 up until Obama's March 2009 plan."
  
• Telegraph: British involvement timeline
  "A basic timeline of Britain's participation, beginning in October 2001." 
  
• Council on Foreign Relations: U.S. involvement timeline
  "An extensive, up-to-date and interactive timeline of the U.S. war in Afghanistan with corresponding photos."

Additional resources:

• Could Afghanistan become Obama's Vietnam? (Peter Baker, The New York Times)

• In 2008, then-candidate Obama said the United States should move out of Iraq and move into Afghanistan.


• Time Magazine focused on this key difference between Obama and his Republican rival, John McCain.

Seasonal Jobs Harder to Get This Holiday Season

By Al Tompkins

I know you will be searching for holiday shopping stories this week. In addition to looking at the shoppers, consider the workers. In a CareerBuilder.com survey, one-third of the companies questioned said they "are likely to hire a seasonal worker for a full-time position."  

It is going to be a lot tougher to snag a seasonal job this year, but lots of Americans will try. At a recent job fair in Atlanta, more than 100 people lined up for a temporary seasonal job stocking shelves at a Toy "R" Us. 

USA Today was blunt: "The battle for holiday employment is brutal," it reported:

" 'There are a lot more people looking for jobs this year,' says Jennifer Grasz, a spokeswoman for online job site CareerBuilder.com. For instance, laid-off employees are competing with those who want to pad income after being hit with furloughs and pay cuts, she says.

"About 1-in-8 employed workers plan to take on a seasonal job, according to a CareerBuilder.com survey. 

"More than half of employers expect to get more applications than last year, according to a separate seasonal hiring survey by SnagAJob.com. At the same time, those managers expect to hire 16 percent fewer hourly workers."

Some retailers, such as Target, have said they won't hire as many seasonal workers but would give full-timers overtime instead. UPS said it would hire 50,000 seasonal workers this year, down from 60,000 in 2007. 

The Wall Street Journal characterized the nature of seasonal jobs:

" 'A seasonal job is like an audition,' says Terry Foy, a human-resources vice president for Macy's. The retailer is looking to hire an undisclosed number of support people this holiday season for its more than 850 retail stores and 25 call and distribution centers nationwide. 'It's your time to really showcase your skills.' "

ABC's "Good Morning America" offered advice on turning a temporary job into a full-time gig.

"If you take a holiday job, treat it like it has long-term potential. Show up on time, give it your all, and envision the advancement opportunities. Maximize every opportunity to get to know the long-term staffers and be sure they know of your desire to stay on."

The Wall Street Journal added:

"Job seekers can boost their odds of landing seasonal positions by offering to work flexible hours, including evenings and weekends, and on the days leading up to the holidays. 'The more availability you have, the better your chances of getting hired and getting more hours,' says Steve Mullins, a recruiter for Michael's Stores Inc. The Irving, Texas, retailer of arts and crafts supplies expects to hire about 10,000 seasonal workers this year, up from 7,300 last year; about 10 percent are typically recruited into staff positions, he adds.

"Applicants can set themselves apart further by showing they're familiar with their target employer's products or services and pointing out any related experience. E-mailing interviewers a thank-you note afterward, something few seasonal candidates do, is another way to stand out, adds Mr. Mullins. Hiring managers say applicants with professional backgrounds should inform interviewers about their qualifications and interest in moving into a staff position in their area of expertise. The reason: Employers often prefer to promote from within and consider seasonal workers who bring more to the table than what's required highly attractive, says Mr. Mullins. 'You're definitely taking the best seasonal workers and considering them first for any regular positions that open up,' he says."

How to Report the Crisis Among Foster Kids Who 'Age Out'

By Al Tompkins

Stories about foster care have to be among the most difficult pieces that local reporters try to pull together. And yet when journalists do the hard work of making contacts and building trust, they can shed light on critically important problems.

Zachary Reid of the Richmond (Va.) Times-Dispatch recently produced a story about kids who are "aging out" of the system. When these young people turn 18, they might find themselves without a home and any family or state support. Reid writes that "what those children need and deserve is not what they have traditionally received."

Twenty-five percent of teens who aged out of the system wound up in jail within two years, according to a report from the Pew Charitable Trusts, "Time for Reform: Aging Out and On Their Own" [PDF].

More than 20 percent became homeless. Only 3 percent of those who had been through foster care earned a four-year college degree, the report says -- far below the 28 percent of the general population who do.

I asked Reid some questions by e-mail about his project. Here's an edited version of our exchange.

Al Tompkins: What happens when a foster child turns 18 and has no birth-family connection?

Zachary Reid: If the kid's in a legitimate school or training program and is working, he or she can continue to receive some state benefits -- mostly rent and tuition assistance -- until age 21. If they're not the college type, they're released from whatever program they're in. Kind of like any other kid moving out of their home, except they don't have a home to return to in case things don't work out. (That's where the homeless problem quickly starts coming into play.)

Zach Reid

Your story includes this passage, which I would like for you to explain: " 'Every time a child ages out, there's a tragedy,' said NadineMarsh-Carter, director of the Children's Home Society of Virginia, whose adoption program includes the placement of foster children." What is the evidence that "aging out" is a tragedy?

Reid: The evidence most cited is from a Pew Charitable Trusts study a few years ago. The three big findings are in my story: 25 percent of these kids wind up in jail before they're 25, 20 percent wind up homeless and only 3 percent will graduate from a four-year college. Marsh-Carter seemed convinced, though she didn't have the research to back it up, that kids who age out never stop having an impact on society. Only they move from school-age kids with some hope of a future to becoming adult-age criminals and ex-cons who are chronically unemployed or underemployed and put a strain on social-service spending at all levels.

What alternatives have you found?

Reid: In Virginia, the first lady made family placements a priority, and she was able to create some change. But her term ends in two months, and it's not certain what will happen next.

How can journalists find these folks who have "aged out" of the system?

Reid: Check with whatever state or local agency handles foster care. But my best luck was simply attending a couple of conferences about the issue and talking to as many people as I could. Some people are shy, but most aren't. The program administrators want to talk because they're game for anything that might help their cause. The kids are hit or miss, but that's the way it is with anything involving interviewing kids.

From state to state, there are wide differences in the percentages of foster-care kids who age out. Look at the Pew report to see the trends in your state, then get new figures to see if the trend is rising. (The state data is on Appendix A of the report.)

Helping Seniors Decide When They're Too Old to Drive

By Al Tompkins

I suspect that when they come together for the holidays, plenty of families contemplate what to do about senior parents who might be too old to drive. It is among the most difficult family decisions because it signals a passing from independence to dependence.

The St. Petersburg Times produced a series on this sensitive subject. The stories are close-up tales of older folks struggling just to get around. But they blow through school zones, can't spot barriers and lose concentration at stop lights. The story includes this context:

"To be fair, very old people are not the only dangerous drivers out there.

"Teenagers are notoriously bad; they get in more crashes per mile traveled than any other age group.

"The difference is that young people generally become better drivers as they age. Old people don't. Their reflexes slow, their hearing and eyesight deteriorate, their concentration falters.

"There is encouraging data showing that older drivers have gotten into fewer fatal crashes in recent years, likely because of safer cars, better fitness and improved emergency medical treatment.

"But the fact remains that the older they get, the worse they get. The number of crashes seniors get into per mile driven spikes dramatically after age 80.

"Most of their mistakes are minor -- the surprise lane change, the parking lot thump. But some are disastrous and seem directly connected to their age. Seniors ramble into ditches, off bridges, through storefronts.

"Several years ago, a 93-year-old man struck a pedestrian in St. Petersburg and kept driving for miles with the man's body lodged in his windshield.

"Florida has 732,293 licensed drivers over 80, says the Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles.

"The question is how many should really be out there. Some states have begun pilot programs to regularly test the reflexes and cognitive abilities of older drivers. But Florida is not among them. It requires only that people over 80 renew their licenses every six years instead of every eight, like everyone else. In addition, those 80 and over must pass a vision test to keep driving. A 2005 study showed that only 7 percent of them did not pass it.

"The state may also order a driving test for someone who has caused a wreck or generated a complaint. And some seniors have their keys taken away by a concerned family member.

"But for most, the decision to give up driving is a personal one. It is also a profoundly difficult one because of the loss of mobility and independence that comes with it."

Resources

AAASeniors.com: "Helping Senior Drivers in Your Life."

Also from AAA:

"The AAA Foundation's Drivers 55 Plus is a tool that allows drivers to assess their own performance. It provides specific safety suggestions based on the driver's answers to 15 questions.

"AAA's AAA Roadwise Review is a computer-based self-assessment tool that measures the eight functional abilities shown to be the strongest predictors of collision risk among senior drivers."

SeniorDriving.org, "a Web site for the senior drivers, their families, traffic safety professionals, and alternative transportation providers."

SmartMotorist.com claims, "In the next 20 years the number of elderly drivers (persons 70 and over) is predicted to triple in the United States."

A List of Things to be Thankful For

By Al Tompkins

It may feel as though we are being express-mailed to hell these days, but the truth is that there is some good news. In the United States, cancer and heart disease deaths are down. AIDS deaths have dropped, too.

The Wall Street Journal provides 20 health care advances to give thanks for this Thanksgiving:

• "Nearly 62 percent of U.S. adults said they were in excellent or very good health, along with 82 percent of their children, according to families sampled by the federal government for the National Health Interview Survey."
• "Fewer Americans died in traffic fatalities in 2008 than in any year since 1961, and fewer were injured than in any year since 1988 ... One possible reason: Seat-belt use hit a record high of 84 percent nationally."
• "Life expectancy in the U.S. reached an all-time high of 77.9 years in 2007 ... continuing a long upward trend."
• "Death rates dropped significantly for eight of the 15 leading causes of death in the United States, including cancer, heart disease, stroke, hypertension, accidents, diabetes, homicides and pneumonia, from 2006 to 2007."
• "The death rate from coronary heart disease dropped34 percent from 1995 to 2005 ... Deaths from stroke dropped 29 percent since 1999." 
  
• "The death rate from cancer, the second-biggest killer, dropped 16 percent from 1990 to 2006. That reflects declines in deaths due to lung, prostate, stomach and colorectal cancers in men, and breast, colorectal, uterine and stomach cancers in women."
• "Nearly 40 percent of U.S. adults have never had a permanent tooth extracted because of dental cavities or periodontal disease in 2004, the most recent data available, compared with 30 percent in 1994."
• In 2007, "three out of 10 U.S. school children aged 5 to 17 did not miss a day of school because of illness or injury during the preceding 12 months."
• "Hip fractures -- which can rob elderly patients of their mobility forever -- are down nearly 30 percent in the U.S. and Canada since 1985."
• "U.S. deaths from AIDS dropped 10 percent from 2006 to 2007, the biggest decline since 1998, and they remain well below the 1995 peak."

Time magazine has a list of the top 50 inventions of 2009. Here are some amazing things on that list for which to be thankful:

• The Best Invention of the Year: NASA's Ares Rockets
• The Tank-Bred Tuna
• The $10 Million Lightbulb
• The Smart Thermostat
• Controller-Free Gaming
• Teleportation
• The Telescope for Invisible Stars
• The AIDS Vaccine
• Tweeting by Thinking
• The Electric Eye
• The Mercury Probe
• The Personal Carbon Footprint
• The Solar Shingle
• The Handheld Ultrasound
• The YikeBike
• Vertical Farming
• The Planetary Skin
• The $20 Knee
• A Watchdog for Financial Products
• The Electric Microbe

Also in 2009, we changed in some important ways.

• Data released this week show we are buying more fuel-efficient cars. The Environmental Protection Agency says its new figures represent a reversal of the decline in the average fuel economy of vehicles sold in the U.S.

• The brown pelican was removed from the endangered species list. But other species are being proposed.