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New York, NY, United States (AHN) – Although millions of American children and teens are on the popular social networking site Facebook and use it to communicate across the digital expanse. There are two children with the last name of Obama whose mother won’t allow them on the site.

While speaking on NBC’s “Today” show first lady Michelle Obama said security issues limit some of the things her daughters can’t do.

However, even if they were two normal kids living in Chicago, she wouldn’t allow them on the site.

Michelle, who is “not a big fan of young kids having Facebook,” says Facebook is “not something they need.” She did say that when they get older it may be a something that gets revisited.

While on the morning program Obama also revealed her husband doesn’t dye his hair and attributed images that reveal a darker hair color could just be the lighting the picture was taken in.

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New York, NY, United States (AHN) – A recent Harris Poll found that thirty-four percent of Americans have no retirement savings and 27% have no personal savings.

The findings mark an increase, when just 18 months ago those numbers were moderately lower, at 30% and 22% respectively.

These are some of the results of The Harris Poll of 2,151 adults surveyed online between November 8 and 15, 2010 by Harris Interactive.

According to the 2,151 adults surveyed, one-in-four Baby Boomers have no retirement savings, with 22% of people aged 65 and over are in the same boat. While Gen Xers aged 34-45 are struggling just to survive with immediate needs and 32 of them have no personal savings.

“Current economic conditions seem to be driving somewhat less risky investment behavior by Gen Xers, which goes against the grain of traditional investment advice,” stated Barbara Bertner, Vice President of Financial Services Research for Harris Interactive.

Some of the other key findings from research includes that 31% of all adults report that they keep their personal savings “mostly in bank savings and and/or CDs”, 17% keep “a relatively equal mix of stocks/mutual funds and investments such as bonds and money market funds”, 11% keep their personal savings “mostly in stocks and/or mutual funds”, 8% keep theirs “mostly in bonds, money market funds and other stable investments.”

While many Americans’ retirement plans look bleak because they don’t have enough money saved, 84% of high net worth baby boomers believe their retirement will be better than their parents.

Seventy percent of these boomers said they plan to work in retirement even if it is part time simply “to remain more active and engaged.”

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Jyvaskyla, Finland (AHN) – A study nearly 30 years in the making has found poor work ability in middle age can be linked to an accelerated deterioration of health and functioning in old age.

Finnish researchers studied middle-aged white-collar and blue-collar employees and found a person’s work ability in midlife might predict their risk of death or disability.

“We found that work ability in midlife predicted decline in health and functioning among men and women during the 28-year follow-up even after adjustments for health and lifestyle factors,” according to one of the co-authors, Dr. Mikaela von Bonsdorff with the Gerontology Research Centre at the University of Jyvaskyla.

The risks were similar for both blue- and white-collar employees; however the risk of death was generally higher among blue-collar employees. The findings show that perceived work ability in midlife correlated with mortality among blue-collar and white-collar employees, and work ability in midlife can be an early predictor of functioning in old age.

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Chicago, IL, United States (AHN) – A new CareerBuilder survey finds that nearly three-quarters of workers–72 percent–typically go to work when they are sick. Workplace pressures and fears of not being present could be the main culprit in causing sick employees to show up to work.

More than half, or 55 percent, of survey respondents said they feel guilty if they call in sick.

With so many workers heading to work ill, they are likely passing their germs on to others. Some 53 percent of workers said they have gotten sick from a co-worker who came to the office sick, while 12 percent said they picked up a bug from someone who was sick on public transportation going to or from work.

Rosemary Haefner, vice president of human resources at CareerBuilder, said, “Even if workers feel pressure to be at the office, they should talk to their managers about staying home if they are sick, or ask about other options such as working remotely. Most employers are flexible and understand that employees are more productive if they are feeling their best.”

When workers were asked how they attempt to avoid germs, they said:

• I wash my hands often – 78 percent

• I carry hand sanitizer with me and use it often – 32 percent

• I regularly clean my keyboard, phone, desk, etc. – 30 percent

• I avoid shaking hands with people – 15 percent

• I skip meetings where I know people are sick – 3 percent

Workers who feel they absolutely must come into the office sick may want to work in a conference room or away from others so they don’t spread their sickness.

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Detroit, MI, United States (AHN) – General Motors issued a statement Friday confirming it has completed a contribution of 60.6 million shares of GM common stock to its U.S. hourly and salaried pension plans. The deal is valued at nearly $2 billion.

The contribution completes the estimated $6 billion contribution that was announced in October, consisting of $4 billion in cash and $2 billion in stock.

“We continue to take the steps necessary to lower our risk profile, so our focus can be on designing, building and selling the world’s best vehicles,” said Chris Liddell, GM vice chairman and chief financial officer.

GM U.S. pension plans currently provide benefits to approximately 688,000 participants.

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New York, NY, United States (AHN) – The principal at a private New York City prep school has been fired after school officials learned he was having an affair with an 18-year-old ex-student.

Christopher Durnford, 39, served as principal of York Prep until he was dismissed over the winter break, according to a New York Post article.

The school was founded by his father-in-law Ronald Stewart. Stewart’s daughter Jayme is married to Durnford, so it’s no surprise that when the affair was discovered his job was placed on the chopping block.

Stewart notified parents of the change in the institution’s administration last week in a welcome back letter to students and parents. Durnford has since been replaced by the middle school dean.

According to reports, nothing sexual happened while the girl was enrolled, however fellow students noticed an intimacy between the two of them. The student was on the volleyball team, and Durnford served as coach.

Students said that the two appeared to be close and she was often seen going into his office.

The student reportedly involved with Durnford graduated last June.

Tuition at the 40-year-old sixth-through-12th grade academy costs parents an average of $35,000 a year.

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Detroit, MI, United States (AHN) – Ford announced it will add more than 7,000 new hourly and salaried jobs between this year and next in the U.S. market. The automaker also revealed it will begin by recruiting engineers specializing in electrification at the 2011 North American International Auto Show this week.

This year alone, Ford is adding nearly 4,000 hourly jobs at several of its U.S. plants. Additionally Ford also will add 750 salaried engineering jobs in product development and manufacturing.

“Ford is committed to American manufacturing, and we are on a path to add more than 7,000 American workers over the next two years as we continue to grow our product lineup,” said Mark Fields, Ford president of The Americas.

He went on to say, “Working with our partners, including the UAW, Ford is finding competitive ways to engineer and build even more high-quality, fuel-efficient vehicles with technologies American consumers really want.”

The company is specifically seeking highly trained engineers specializing in batteries, system controls, software and energy storage to work on electric vehicles.

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Washington, D.C., United States (AHN) – A national report finds that more than 1 in 5 recent high school graduates across the country failed to score enough points on a military test to meet the Army’s minimum standards for enlistment.

The Education Trust compiled the report and outlined that twenty-three percent of those who took the test failed to achieve a qualifying score on the basic math and reading portions of the Armed Services vocational Aptitude Battery.

Some states stood out with large percentages testers who failed. Hawaii, Louisiana and Mississippi all had more than 30 percent of applicants scored too low to be able to enlist. In Idaho, Indiana, Nebraska, New Hampshire and Wyoming, less than 15 percent did.

“Too many of us, including educators, have comforted ourselves with the notion that kids who aren’t ready for college can find a place in the armed services. These findings shatter that myth and strip away the illusion of opportunity available to undeprepared students,” Ed Trust president Kati Haycock.

He went on to say, “Our economy, our democracy and our national security demand much more than our schools are delivering now.”

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Atlanta, GA, United States (AHN) – The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is reporting the birth rate for U.S. teens aged 15-19 dropped to a record low. The 2009 birth rate of 39.1 births per 1,000 teens is down 6 percent from 2008′s rate of 42.5 births. This marks the lowest ever recorded in seven decades of tracking teenage childbearing.

The rates reflect both younger and older teens and for all race/ethnic groups reached historic lows in 2009.

The data was comprised from almost 100 percent of birth records collected in all 50 states, the District of Columbia and U.S. territories.

The report also found declines in the overall fertility rate – the average number of births that a group of women would have over their lifetimes – and the total number of U.S. births.

The total number of births declined from 4,247,694 in 2008 to 4,131,019 in 2009.

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Besancon, France (AHN) – An elite French police force ended a dramatic situation on Monday after a teen held a nursery school hostage with a sword.

Police arrested the 17-year-old boy after the last remaining toddlers and their teacher were freed.

The tense ordeal occurred in the eastern city of Besancon. Initially the teen took 20 children hostage but released most of the youngsters over the course of the morning. He kept five children and their teacher for several hours.

The one-story education facility was located in the middle of a public housing estate.

Education Minister Luc Chatel travelled to the scene and told local media the young man did not threaten the children and had allowed them to go to the bathroom when they needed to.

The teen’s motives remain unclear. Authorities say he had been previously treated for depression but had not taken his medication in recent days.

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