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Today, the weatherman says expect highs in the 90's, scattered clouds with the possibility of an isolated thunderstorm developing this afternoon. It’s also a code orange ozone day.

Here’s what’s brewing in the news:

Media’s Family Reunion, black youth and TV
A new study on children and media consumption compared trends for groups of children based on race and ethnicity. Guess which group of children watched the most television?

Researchers at Northwestern University released a report titled "Children, Media and Race: Media Use Among White, Black, Hispanic and Asian-American Children." According to the report, minority youth spend more than half their day consuming media content, a rate that's 4.5 hours greater than their white counterparts.

Add in DVD’s, TiVo, and portable gadgets such as cell phones or iPods and the viewing time increases. Some minorities are spending an average of 13 hours per day consuming media of various types, according to the study, which was released Wednesday. It is the first national study focused specifically on media consumption by race and ethnicity.

Northwestern Professor Ellen Wartella, who co-authored the study, told the Detroit Free Press the “study is not meant to blame parents." She added that in some cases minority youth are using media to bridge the gap between themselves and a predominantly white culture. "But it suggests that kids are very much tethered to technology at all times. To be tethered so much by technology seems to be an imbalance ... as a parent of two boys, I know it's a wake-up call for me: All things in moderation."

According to the report, Black and Hispanic youth are also more likely to have TV sets in their bedrooms equipped with premium cable channels, and nearly 80 percent of black youth also report that the television is “usually” on during home meals.

The report comes at a time when TV viewing among all children is at an eight-year high. On average, children ages 2-5 spend 32 hours a week watching television or using a game console, according to the University of Michigan. Kids ages 6-11 spend about 28 hours a week in front of the TV. Many children have no rules regarding TV consumption.

*** Question: When it comes to your children and TV, what are the rules in your household? Do you allow them to have a television in their bedrooms?

Read the full report here.

View more information about children and TV

• How TV affects your child
• Facts about television and children
• Resources on media and media literacy

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Voter ID Bill breezes through House
A bill requiring voters in North Carolina to show a photo ID before casting their ballots passed through the Republican-led N.C. House on Thursday. The controversial measure passed 66-48 along party lines. Democrats say it will decrease voter turnout, particularly among the elderly and African Americans. Some critics have compared the legislation to Jim Crow-era voting barriers. “We understand who this bill is targeted against,” Democratic Rep. Ray Rapp of Madison County told the Charlotte Observer. “The name of this bill should be the ‘Voter Suppression Bill.’” Republicans said the new requirement is nothing more than an effort to ensure the integrity of elections and prevent voter fraud. What do you think? Is this bill is about reducing voter fraud or something else? Share your opinions in the comment section below. (Read more at the Charlotte Observer)
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Teen arrested for spanking bus driver
A Miami Dade bus driver told police that when 18-year-old Tyrone Darell Hubbert boarded his bus, he tried to swipe his social security card for payment. When the bus driver demanded the teen pay up or get off, Hubbert allegedly took off his belt and began striking him as he drove. The driver pulled over and subdued the teen until police arrived. Hubbert was arrested and charged with battery. He is being held in Miami-Dade jail on a $5,000 bond. (Read more here)

*** This is your chance to speak out. Share what's brewing on your mind in the comments section below.

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