Survey: More young adults living with parents, in multigenerational households

As prices on seemingly everything over the last few years have increased, more and more families are teaming up to help one another.

A Pew Research Center survey found that young adults in the U.S. are much more likely to live in a multigenerational household these days than they were 50 years ago.

The survey defined multigenerational living as a household with two or more adult generations, typically 25 and older, and a living situation that has increased among all age groups over the past five decades.

Young adults in the U.S. have been coping with rising student debt and housing costs. According to the numbers, multigenerational living has provided young adults a little break from higher costs of living and debt.

According to the Pew Research Center, a nonpartisan American think tank based in Washington, D.C., a quarter of U.S. adults ages 25 to 34 resided in a multigenerational family household in 2021, up from 9% in 1971.

The survey showed growth in multigenerational living among 25- to 34-year-olds has been especially pronounced among those without a college degree. Multigenerational living has tripled among these young adults, compared with a doubling among young adults with at least a bachelor’s degree.

According to the survey’s findings, in 1971, the prevalence of multigenerational living among young adults was similar regardless of educational attainment. However, by 2021, 31% of young adults who had not finished college were in a multigenerational arrangement, almost double the share of their peers who had completed at least a bachelor’s degree (16%).

Survey participants in October 2021 also shared that financial issues were a primary reason adults lived in multigenerational households. The most common living arrangement was young adults living in a home with one or both of their parents.

Researchers said that when it comes to financial contributions, the typical 25- to 34-year-old in a multigenerational household contributed 22% of the household’s total income in 2021.

Conservationist Jane Goodall gets Barbie made from 99% recycled plastics

Barbie is paying tribute to renowned conservationist Jane Goodall with a new doll.

Mattel announced earlier this week that it is introducing a Dr. Jane Goodall Inspiring Women doll and a 2022 Barbie Career of the Year Eco-Leadership team.

The Barbie brand has joined the Jane Goodall Institute to make dolls that are made of 99% recycled plastic.

“I’m thrilled to partner with Barbie and encourage young children to learn from their environment and feel that they can make a difference,” Goodall said. “Through this partnership, I hope to inspire the next generation of eco-leaders.”

Mattel said the dolls are currently available and are helping the company’s goal to be using 100% recycled materials in its products and packaging by 2030.

“We are proud to unveil our first sustainable Barbie Inspiring Women and Career of the Year Eco-Leadership team dolls, which further demonstrate our shared commitment to creating a more sustainable future,” said Lisa McKnight, executive vice president and global head of Mattel. “Kids need more role models like Dr. Jane Goodall.”

According to Mattel, the Goodall doll is part of Barbie’s Inspiring Women Series, paying tribute to the female heroes of their time.

Zoo welcomes ‘extremely important’ birth of tiger cub triplets

Indianapolis

It’s the Year of the Tiger and the Indianapolis Zoo is celebrating the birth of tiger triplets.

On May 27, the zoo’s 7-year-old Amur tiger, Zoya, gave birth to the trio. Two of the cubs are male and one is female. The zoo reports the cubs are doing well and their mom is in good health.

Zoo representatives said when Zoya delivered baby number one, she was tending to the cub but still showed signs of labor. Veterinary staff then delivered the two other cubs by cesarean section. The cubs weighed in at around 2 pounds each.

Zoya was born at the zoo in 2014 and is a first-time mom. The father is 14-year-old Pavel.

The zoo also noted that the cubs’ birth is “extremely important” as there are currently fewer than 100 Amur tigers in zoos accredited by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums.

Currently, the zoo’s animal care team is taking care of the cubs and the trio is expected to be introduced to the public in mid-September at 16 weeks old.

Zoo representatives said the team would be launching a community campaign to name the cubs in July.

Mother dies, 6-year-old child missing in river after family fishing trip, officials say

Newburyport, Mass.

A family outing while fishing at Deer Island turned tragic after a mother died and her 6-year-son went missing in the Merrimack River on Thursday.

The U.S. Coast Guard reports watch standers at Coast Guard Sector Boston received a call at about 7 p.m. reporting six people, two adults and four children, had fallen in the water while fishing on Deer Island.

Officials said two people, a woman and a child, were recovered by a good Samaritan and transferred to emergency medical services for treatment. They were taken to Anna Jacques Hospital.

Three other family members, a man and two children, were recovered by the Amesbury Police Department. They were transferred to emergency medical services for treatment and taken to Seabrook emergency.

However, the Coast Guard said the woman was recovered unresponsive and later died while rescuers could not find the family’s 6-year-old and suspended its search for the boy on Friday at 5 p.m.

“It is always a difficult decision to suspend a search and rescue case, and even more painful when children are involved,” said Coast Guard Sector Boston Capt. Kailie Benson. “Considering the extensive search efforts by the Coast Guard and the numerous state and local agencies, along with on-scene conditions, I have made the decision to suspend the search for the missing 6-year-old boy. Our prayers are with the boy and mother’s family and friends during this time.”

More than a dozen agencies were involved in the search for the child.

The Coast Guard urged anyone with new information on the incident to call Sector Boston at 617-223-3201.

World-famous zoo welcomes 4-week-old cheetah cub, Rozi

The Cincinnati Zoo and Botanical Garden announced the arrival of a singleton cheetah cub earlier this week.

Zoo officials said its cheetah team is hand-rearing the 4-week-old female cub and named her Rozi. The group said they selected the name as it has ties to the cub’s home.

“We liked Rozi because it means rose (or flower) in Swahili, one of the languages spoken in the cub’s native land and because she was born in the spring,” said Cat Ambassador Program lead trainer, Linda Castaneda. “It’s also a nod to the beautiful botanical garden that will be her backyard as she grows up here.”

Cheetah mothers do not receive enough stimulation from a single cub to produce an adequate milk supply. So, zoo officials said Rozi couldn’t be cared for by her mom at Wildlife Safari in Oregon.

The Association of Zoos and Aquariums’ Cheetah Species Survival Plan then identified the Cincinnati Zoo as the best place for the cub to be raised.

“We have raised all of the eight cheetahs that are currently in the Cat Ambassador Program,” Castaneda said. “The first few months are important for bonding and building trust, so we will be with her night and day. When she’s ready, she will join the other ambassadors and eventually participate in the Zoo’s Cheetah Encounter.”

In addition to spending time with her care team, zoo representatives said the group plans to pair Rozi with a puppy. Canine companionship provides play and socialization opportunities that humans cannot give the cub.