Skip to main content

The Current: November 2024

Bite-sized news to fuel busy Puget Sound-area parents' lives

Published on: October 28, 2024

dad and son reading current events in the newspaper
Photo:
iStock

Science says size matters

Both female and male turkeys sport a sassy red snood (the dangly face bit) and a wattle (the dangly neck bit). According to the Journal of Avian Biology, studies indicate that female turkeys prefer a longer snood. Apparently, length isn’t just about looks. Male turkeys with longer snoods appear to be healthier and better at bird battles.

Turkey walking in the grass
Photo: iStock

Affordable homeownership … in Seattle?!

In a city where the average home value is over $800,000, there’s one organization that’s hoping to open doors to housing stability for more low- and moderate-income Puget Sound residents. Seattle’s Homestead Community Land Trust is testing a program that’s a possible game changer, offering houses priced around $300,000. Buyers invest in homes, while the nonprofit maintains ownership of the land. To qualify, buyers must meet income restrictions, live in the home and agree to sell at a reasonable rate if they move. For a family of four, income must be below $110,950 before taxes to qualify.

Family running into a new affordable home in Seattle
Photo: iStock

Chicks dig faces

Yes, your newborn really does love your beautiful face — also the cat’s, and Bluey’s and any other face-like object such as an electrical outlet that happens to be within eyesight. It was long believed that the ability to recognize faces developed only after exposure, with brain neurons becoming specialized for face recognition later in life. However, scientists at the University of Trento in Italy have discovered that even without prior experience, one-week-old baby chickens respond to faces, suggesting that some freshly-hatched animals are hardwired for face fascination from birth.

Smiling baby face
Photo: iStock

Kids notice when we’re posting while parenting

A recent Pew Research survey of over 1,400 U.S. teens and their parents revealed that nearly half of the kids (46 percent) feel that their parents are sometimes distracted by phones when they’re trying to talk to them.

mom using a cell phone while daughter watches
Photo: iStock

Washington coming in hot with eats from the East

According to Pew Research, if you’re dining out in King County, there’s a one in four chance you’ll end up eating Asian food — lucky you. Washington is one of five states where 45 percent of the nation’s Asian restaurants have set up shop. As with the rest of the U.S., Chinese food is winning the representation game in the Seattle area. If you’re looking for sushi, Snohomish County is the place to be. Eight percent of restaurants in Snohomish County are Japanese, ranking Everett and the surrounding cities second in the nation for the number of Japanese restaurants, just behind Honolulu.

Table full of Asian food
Photo: iStock

Healthcare for many Native families in the U.S. is a literal journey

A 2021 report from the Bipartisan Policy Center revealed unique challenges faced by Indigenous American families, especially those living away from tribal land. Alarmingly, of the 250 Native parents surveyed, more than one-quarter of families reported living over 20 miles from the nearest major medical facility.

An ambulance driving down a rural road
Photo: iStock

More news for Seattle-area parents:

JOIN THE PARENTMAP COMMUNITY
Get our weekly roundup of Seattle-area outings and parenting tips straight to your inbox.

Related Topics

Share this resource with your friends!