Kids: Be Afraid, Be Very Afraid

The U.S. Department of Homeland Security's new "Ready for Kids" program will "teach fourth- to eighth-grade kids the ABCs of emergency preparedness in the event of a terrorist attack," with help from "a mascot - an American shepherd dog - and instructions to bug parents to develop a family emergency plan." The program, part of "National Preparedness Month" in September, will include TV and radio ads, a website and partnerships with the Boy and Girl Scouts, Salvation Army and Chamber of Commerce. A December survey by GOP pollster Frank Luntz "showed that only 14% of Americans had created a family communications plan or emergency kit, despite much-higher numbers after 9/11."