Teen Birth Rate Shrinking
The U.S. teenage birthrate dropped to an all-time low in 2009, according to government figures—down to 39 births per 1,000 girls ages 15 to 19. Experts say that part of the drop is attributable to our changing times. The teen birthrate hit its all-time high back in 1957, when nearly one of every 10 teens ages 15 to 19 was giving birth. Authorities note that folks were getting younger back then, too. Now, Americans are waiting longer to get married and start families…if they elect to start them at all. The birthrate overall dropped 3 percent in 2009—dipping for the second straight year. Some experts also say the sluggish economy has stifled baby-making, too. “I’m not suggesting that teens are examining futures of 401K’s or how the market is doing,” said Sarah Brown, chief executive of the National Campaign to Prevent Teen and Unplanned Pregnancy. “I think they are living in families that experience that stress. They are living next door to families that lost their jobs. The recession has touched us all,” Ms. Brown said. (Associated Press)

Muslims Enrolling in Catholic Schools
American Muslims looking for a quality education are turning more and more to Catholic colleges and universities. In fact, the Muslim population at Catholic schools is larger than found at secular universities. Some colleges are even creating special prayer rooms for their Islamic scholars. Surprising? Yes, but experts say it just makes sense. “Because it is an overtly religious place, it’s not strange or weird to care about your religion here, to pray and make God a priority,” says Reef Al-Shabnan, a political science major at Catholic University in Washington, D.C. “They have the same values we do.” Indeed, the idea of prayer and fasting is normative at many Catholic institutions—important pillars in Islam, as well. Dorms often are segregated by gender, and universities set strict visiting hours. Sex before marriage is forbidden. Sometimes, the cross-cultural connections can benefit Catholics and Muslims alike. “We do this thing where [fellow student Ali Basiri] teaches me his prayers in Arabic, and I share with him the prayers I say as a Catholic,” says Catholic University sophomore Kenny White. “I’ve learned about God by learning about him and his own faith. It’s been a really important and beautiful part of being here.” (Washington Post)

Practice Doesn’t Necessarily Make for Exercise
We all know that kids who play sports are inherently healthier than those who don’t. Yet researchers have found that many children aren’t getting as much exercise as perhaps their parents thought. Youth on soccer, baseball and softball teams are generally at practice for 90 minutes but only exercising hard for about half of that. The government recommends that kids get at least an hour of exercise a day, which means that children involved in sports practice typically have another 15 minutes to exercise elsewhere. “Millions of youth participate in sports, but kids are spending a lot of time waiting their turn, getting instruction or doing skills practice, which may not be very active, especially in baseball and softball,” says researcher James Sallis from San Diego State University (USA Today)

I’ll Trade You a Bieber for a Bieber…
More proof that we’re merely living in Justin Bieber’s world: The teen superstar is gracing his own set of trading cards, courtesy Panini America. The full collection consists of 150 different cards and 30 stickers, and some packs will contain a card personally signed by the Biebmaster himself. Panini also created four nine-card puzzles (to encourage young card traders to purchase multiple packs) that when fully pieced together, will form mini Bieber posters. Bieber, whose swooshy-haired mug already graces everything from T-shirts to lunch boxes to Christmas tree ornaments, says the cards are particularly cool. “It makes me feel great,” he said. “I always dreamed of being a hockey player and having my own trading card. I remember collecting hockey cards, so the idea that kids are going to enjoy my cards like I enjoyed my hockey cards is amazing!” (MTV.com)