• Americans are placing more importance on community activities, hobbies and money than they did 20 years ago, a new Gallup poll shows.

• Health and family are still what Americans value the most in their lives, according to the poll.  

• But the percentage of adults who say community activities are “extremely” or “very” important to them has gone up by 23 percentage points since 2002.  

What Americans view as important in their lives is changing, with U.S. adults valuing hobbies, money and community more than they did 20 years ago, according to a new Gallup poll.   

The share of American adults reporting that community activities are “extremely” or “very” important to them has jumped by 23 percentage points over the last two decades, according to the poll’s findings.  

In 2002, 32 percent of American adults said community activities were “extremely” or “very” important to them. Now, 55 percent say they are.  

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The percentage of men and women who have placed more value on community activities over the years is about equal, but views on the importance of such activities has varied among age groups, poll findings show.  

The importance of community activities has grown the most among middle-aged adults, or those 35 to 54 years old, according to the poll.  

The percentage of middle-aged adults who say community activities are “extremely” or “very” important to them has gone up by 31 points since 2002.  

Now, 59 percent of 35- to 54-year-olds say that community activities are “extremely” or “very” important to them, compared to 28 percent in 2002.  

Meanwhile, the percentage of young adults placing more value in community activities has increased by 19 percentage points over the last two decades, with 52 percent of young adults saying community activities are “extremely” or “very” important to them.  

Similarly, 53 percent of older adults, those 55 and up, say community activities are “extremely” or “very” important to them.  

In 2002, 36 percent of older adults said the same, according to the poll. 

The percentage of U.S. adults valuing hobbies and money has also shot up since the early 2000s.  

Now, 61 percent of U.S. adults say their hobbies and recreational activities are “extremely” or “very” important to them and 79 percent say the same for money.  

But two decades ago, 67 percent of U.S. adults said money was “extremely” or “very” important to them, and 48 percent said the same for hobbies and recreational activities, the poll found.  

While the percentage of U.S. adults valuing money has risen equally among men and women of different ages, the same is not true for hobbies.  

Hobbies and recreational activities have grown more important in the lives of young adults in particular over the years.

In 2002, 45 percent of 18- to 34-year-olds said hobbies and recreational activities were “extremely” or “very” important to them. By 2023 that number reached 66 percent, poll findings show.  

• Charlie Clinton, 11, was fishing in an Oklahoma pond when he reeled in a pacu, a fish native to South America that has human-like teeth.

• The Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation warned the public not to release pets.

• Invasive species such as pacu can be a menace to native wildlife.

OKLAHOMA CITY (KFOR) - An 11-year-old Oklahoma boy recently caught a fish related to the piranha in a neighborhood pond, prompting wildlife officials to warn residents not to release exotic fish into local waters.

Charlie Clinton recently reeled in a pacu, a fish native to South America that has human-like teeth.

"Dear, whoever released an entire Pacu (a South American fish closely related to Piranha) into a NEIGHBORHOOD pond; how dare you," the Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation said on Twitter. "DO NOT RELEASE YOUR PETS. THEY ARE AN EXOTIC, INVASIVE SPECIES THAT CAN CAUSE DAMAGE TO OUR LOCAL ECOSYSTEMS."

Piaractus brachypomus, or the red-bellied pacu, are native to the Amazon basin and are mainly herbivores, but they are known to be opportunistic carnivores that feed on zooplankton, insects and small fish or crustaceans.

"These fish are generally harmless to humans, but the practice of dumping unwanted pets in waterways is so harmful to native wildlife," ODWC continued. "Don’t be that pet owner. Don’t let it loose."

The Global Center for Species Survival retweeted the ODWC's thread, saying, "These fish don't belong in U.S. waters." The center also noted that they can "get much bigger" than piranhas.

• On Monday morning Nestor Guallpa pulled over at New York City's Lincoln Tunnel. His partner Maria Marin was bleeding and in labor.

• The motorists received help from two police officers, one of whom had been an EMT.

• Kylian Aaron Guallpa Castano was born and is doing well.

NEW YORK CITY (WPIX) -- A healthy baby boy was born at New York City's Lincoln Tunnel on Monday thanks to two Port Authority police officers.

A driver, Nestor Guallpa, pulled over around 9 a.m. and told officer Timothy Jozefczyk that his partner was bleeding and in labor, according to officials. When Jozefczyk reached the mother, Maria Marin, he noticed the baby crowning. Officials said Jozefczyk continued telling Marin to push, and Kylian Aaron Guallpa Castano was born after about three minutes.

A second officer, Evan Butts, arrived after Kylian was born. Butts, a former EMT with FDNY, assisted Jozefczyk with clamping the umbilical cord and helping with the afterbirth until the EMT arrived.

“We are so happy that we got help from the police,” said Nestor Guallpa, the father. “We are so grateful that they were there and that everyone is healthy. Seeing the officers work carefully and knew what they were doing was amazing. They’re our heroes. It was like something out of a movie, and I will never forget this experience.”

Marin and Kylian were taken to the hospital, according to officials. Kylian arrived weighing 6 pounds and 9 ounces.

A nine-year veteran on the job, Jozefczyk said he was nervous, and it was his first time holding a newborn.

“I was so relieved when the baby cried and so happy that everyone is healthy,” said Jozefczyk.

Muscle cars are among the most deadly to drive, according to newly released data on driver fatalities from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS).

Smaller cars, most notably muscle cars, topped the list of vehicles with the most driver deaths. SUVs, minivans and luxury cars were the least deadly, the research found.

“We typically find that smaller vehicles have high driver death rates because they don’t provide as much protection, especially in crashes with larger, heavier SUVs and pickups,” IIHS President David Harkey said. 

“The muscle cars on this list highlight that a vehicle’s image and how it is marketed can also contribute to crash risk,” Harkey added.

Data from 2018-2021 found that the Mitsubishi Mirage G4 and hatchback models are the two most deadly cars for drivers, with 205 driver deaths per million miles. That’s significantly higher than comparable minicars, which also make the top of the list.

The third most deadly vehicle, the Dodge Challenger muscle car, had a death rate of 154.

Here are the 10 most deadly cars on the road, according to IIHS data:

1. Mitsubishi Mirage G4
2. Mitsubishi Mirage hatchback
3. Dodge Challenger 2WD
4. Hyundai Accent
5. Chevrolet Spark
6. Kia Rio sedan
7. Dodge Charger HEMI 2WD
8. Chevrolet Camaro convertible
9. Nissan Altima
10. Kia Forte

Research found that when large vehicles are involved in a crash, the other vehicles’ driver is significantly more likely to die than in a crash with a smaller vehicle. The most dangerous vehicles to get into a crash with are large pickup trucks, which kill the other driver in crashes at a much higher rate than smaller vehicles, the data found.

Those larger vehicles are also significantly safer for the driver. Nearly all the safest vehicles in the IIHS data are SUVs or minivans.

Here are the 10 least deadly cars on the road, according to IIHS data:

1. BMW X3 4WD
2. Lexus ES 350
3. Mercedes-Benz E-Class Sedan 4WD
4. Nissan Pathfinder 2WD
5. Audi Q5 4WD
6. Toyota C-HR
7. Nissan Murano 2WD
8. Volvo XC90 4WD
9. GMC Canyon Crew Cab 4WD
10. Lexus RX 350 4WD

Roads are deadlier now than in previous years. The average death rate for vehicles was 38 between 2018 and 2021, but was 36 in 2017. That’s also a significant increase from the low in 2011 of 28 deaths per million miles.

Over 155,000 people died in car wrecks between 2018 and 2021.

“Overall, newer vehicles are much safer than those of the past,” IIHS researcher Chuck Farmer said. “But, unfortunately, there are still major differences in the levels of protection that various models provide. There was also a spike in speeding-related fatalities during the pandemic, which may help explain why we find so many muscle cars among the worst performers for this period.”