Michelle Obama to take on kids' obesity (Washington Post) Better eating habits, improved nutrition and a more physically fit America do not have to come with a high price tag and all are imperative to this country's economy, its future productivity and the well-being of the next generation of children.

Study finds US birth weights inch down a bit (Miami Herald) U.S. newborns are arriving a little smaller, says puzzling new Harvard research that can't explain why. Fatter mothers tend to produce heavier babies, and obesity is soaring. Yet the study of nearly 37 million births shows newborns were a bit lighter in 2005 than in 1990, ending a half-century of rising birth weights.

Ind. to launch 'hybrid' welfare system next week (Miami Herald) Indiana's human services agency is expected to roll out its "hybrid" welfare intake program, aimed at correcting problems that arose when it tried to privatize the system, in 10 southwestern counties next week.

Florida's Latest Education Ranking Deserves Closer Look (Florida Center for Fiscal and Economic Policy)Policymakers, advocates and others interested in education improvement should take the Quality Counts report for what it is: one broad evaluation of selected policy and performance policies, not a judgment that Florida provides a high-quality K-12 education system that generates an adequate talent pool for our university system or for many businesses that want to expand and locate here. On that score, Florida still has a long way to go.

First lady started it, now president is signing on: Move over girls; boys getting mentors, too (Sun-Sentinel) "We're excited to see how these kids respond, and what it does for their futures, if anything, and how these relationships grow over time," she said, adding that she plans more travel this year to encourage the development of mentoring programs around the country.

Courtrooms adjusting to a new Florida Supreme Court order against restraining juvenile defendants (St. Petersburg Times) The rule took effect Jan. 1. It prohibits the use of restraints such as handcuffs and chains during juvenile court appearances except in cases where a judge believes there is a flight risk or potential harm that cannot be prevented by less restrictive alternatives.

At $280 a day, housing juvenile offenders is too costly, county officials say (St. Petersburg Times) The goal is to get at the root of what is causing a child to break the law and find help for them outside of the criminal justice system. Offenders are given civil citations, directed to counseling programs tailored to their needs and their record kept clean if they complete community service or other tasks.

UN says financial crisis will make it harder for poor countries to get more children in school (Chicago Tribune) "The main message is that education is at risk, that we might have a lost generation because the financial gap of what resources that are needed for education and those that are provided are widening — especially with the crisis," UNESCO's chief Irina Bokova said at the launch of the report at U.N. headquarters in New York.

Business Community Speaks Up, What Do You Say?(P3 Frontburner) In the Governor’s conference room two leading business groups lead by current and former Governors Charlie Crist and Jeb Bush issued a report aimed at education reform in the state of Florida. Included as a key recommendation was the call for degreed teachers in pre-k classrooms, an education reform championed by the Children’s Campaign.