Blog Posts by Lylah M. Alphonse, Senior Editor, Yahoo! Shine

Parents in West Philadelphia spent the night on the sidewalk on Sunday, vying for a chance to send their kids to a prestigious -- and public -- kindergarten.

Sleeping bags, chairs, and a few large tents occupied the sidewalk in front of the Penn Alexander school, which was accepting applications on a first-come, first-served basis. According to WPVI-TV, an ABC affiliate in Philadelphia, the waiting parents started queuing up when Kristofer Love and his wife got in line at 9 a.m. Sunday, hoping to be the first to submit their paperwork Monday morning.

"We were the catalyst to everyone getting out of their cars and getting in line. They started calling their friends and notifying everyone, within an hour there were about 35 people outside," Love said.

What makes this particular school so special? A $1,330 per student subsidy from the University of Pennsylvania, low teacher-to-student ratios, and an excellent reputation. With 60 or so spots and as many as 100 applicants,

Read More »from Has kindergarten become too competitive?

Here's a quick look at what's making political headlines right now:

Newt Gingrich wins South Carolina: Newt Gingrich beat Mitt Romney in the South Carolina primaries, racking up 40 percent of the vote to Romney's 28 percent and signaling that Republican voters have no clear front runner to watch. Rick Santorum came in third with 17 percent of the vote, and Ron Paul was fourth with 13 percent. 

Stephen Colbert rocks South Carolina (but comes in last in the primary): Comedy Central pundit and presidential candidate Stephen Colbert urged people to vote for Herman Cain in the South Carolina primary during a Friday rally that he called his "Rock Me Like a Herman Cain: South Cain-Olina Primary Rally." Why the unusual pairing? South Carolina does not allow write-in candidates, and Cain, who dropped out of the race in November, was already on the ballot.

"Mr. Colbert could not get on the ballot. I could not get off the ballot. That's how this came about." Cain explained earlier in the week.

The

Read More »from Republican Roundup: Gingrich wins SC; Colbert rallies; Santorum talks about rape victims, voters cast early ballots in FL

Arizona Democratic Representative Gabrielle Giffords announced that she will resign from Congress this week in order to concentrate on her recovery from gunshot wounds she suffered during an assassination attempt last January.

"I don't remember much from that horrible day, but I will never forget the trust you placed in me to be your voice," she said in a video posted to her Facebook page over the weekend. "Thank you for your prayers and for giving me time to recover."

Giffords was shot in the head during the attack in Arizona in January 2011. Six people were killed and 14 others were injured.

She returned to the floor of the House of Representatives in August to vote on the debt-ceiling compromise, earning a standing ovation from fellow representatives on both sides of the political aisle.

 

"Arizona is my home, always will be," she said in her resignation video. "A lot has happened over the past year. We cannot change that. But I know on the issues we fought for we can change things for

Read More »from Gabrielle Giffords resigns from Congress, says "I will return"

Beauty Tips From A Frequent FlierNew airfare rules are set to go into effect on Tuesday and this time, instead of making things more complicated (or more expensive), they aim to make things easier for passengers.

The new rules eliminate some of the fine print that comes with booking flights online, and "eliminates a lot of the skulduggery from airline pricing," Charlie Leocha of the Consumer Travel Alliance told the Associated Press. They involve disclosing hidden fees, notifying customers about delays, and making advertising prices more accurate. 

Related: 35 secrets your pilot won't tell you

Some airlines are fighting the changes -- Southwest, Spirit Airlines, and Allegiant Air argue that other industries don't have to include taxes on advertised prices. And David Berg, the general counsel of Airlines for America, a trade group of the biggest carriers, warned that the new rules will hurt the travel industry.

"It's basic economics," he told the AP. "History tells us (that consumers) will see higher prices and buy

Read More »from New airfare rules: 5 things you need to know

Will a new definition of autism affect your child?I was introduced to the world of autism in 2003 when my stepson, then 5 years old, was diagnosed. What a generation ago would have been considered "quirky" now had a name -- Aspergers Syndrome -- and a bewildering array of treatments and interventions, none of which guaranteed anything, all of which offered him the possibility of a better chance at school and at life.

No one knows what causes autism. The autism-MMR vaccine link has been thoroughly debunked, but there are genetic components to consider and environmental issues to look at. As many as one in 110 kids in the United States are diagnosed with autism each year, and some people have speculated that the rapidly increasing rate can be blamed on the fact that the definition of the autism was broadened in the 1990s.

"It was an artificial inflation," Jennifer Pinto-Martin, director of the Center for Autism and Developmental Disabilities at the University of Pennsylvania, told Time magazine. "If you have a larger umbrella, more

Read More »from What Will Redefining Autism Mean for Kids on the Spectrum?

Amazon Moms used to offer a great deal on diapers, but they've changed the program -- and parents aren't pleased.It was a great deal: Members of Amazon.com's Mom program got 30 percent off diapers and wipes, free shipping for up to a year, and didn't need to clip coupons or track store sales in order to get the best prices on baby supplies.

So parents were understandably upset last week when Amazon.com announced new parameters for the program, with lower discounts and a limit on the free two-day shipping. But things really hit the fan when members found out that they'd need to purchase a $79-per-year Amazon Prime membership in order to keep their 15 percent Moms discount once the three-month trial period was over -- and that they couldn't even get one last order in at the lower price.

"What we find devastating is that they disabled the discount 10 days before they said they would," wrote Suzanna Gabulyan  Forestell on the Amazon Moms Facebook page. "I've been a loyal customer for so many years and referred so many people to them and I cannot believe this is the treatment I am getting!"

Now

Read More »from Amazon Moms say new diaper discount program reeks

8-year-old Juliet has something to thrash about.Eight-year-old Juliet is about as far away from cloying bubble-gum pop as you can get. She's like the anti-Rebecca Black. And she's taking YouTube by storm with her new video, "My First Hardcore Song."

More music at Music.Yahoo.com

"Let's open up this pit!" she yells, slamming on a trampoline filled with stuffed animals. She's wearing a T-Shirt that reads "I Heart Phuket," which is sure to give some helicopter parents heart palpitations. She tosses her long hair, windmills in the street, and howls.

The edgy, black-and-white video -- shot by her mom, photographer Kristina Childs, and produced by a family friend, Australian producer Rob Sharpe -- is interspersed with shots of her beloved dog, Robert, her pet fish, and Juliet in a deserted playground. Juliet wrote most of the lyrics herself, her mom says.

"Yes, this is her first music video," Childs told Yahoo! Shine. "It was all done as fun when Juliet was hanging out at our friend Rob Sharpe's house. He has a studio at home and

Read More »from 8-year-old Rocker Gets Her Two Step On

Rick Perry drops out of the GOP race.Here's a quick look at the stories that are making political headlines right now:

Rick Perry ends GOP bid, endorses Newt Gingrich: Rick Perry ended his presidential campaign Thursday and endorsed Newt Gingrich for the 2012 Republican presidential nomination at a press conference in South Carolina. "Newt is not perfect, but who among us is?" Perry said. "The fact is, there is forgiveness for those who seek God." It seemed to be a reference to Gingrich's personal life, which were put back in the spotlight Thursday by his second ex-wife, Marianne, who told ABC News that her ex-husband had asked her for an open marriage after admitting to a six-year-long affair with Callista Bisek, who is now his third wife.

Gingrich says he'd ask Sarah Palin to play a major role in his administration: Former GOP vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin has long been a Newt Gingrich supporter, and CNN's Wolf Blitzer asked Gingrich what many others are wondering: Is Palin on Gingrich's short list for a

Read More »from Political Roundup: Huntsman, Perry Drop Out; Gingrich Courts Palin; Romney's Off-shore Money