Bipartisan Tax Credit Bonanza
Plus: California reparations bills drop, the Biden administration continues the war on gas stoves, and D.C.'s rising crime rate.
Children
Florida's Youth Social Media Ban Is an Affront to Freedom
Don't let a moral panic shut everything down.
Even Canada Thinks the Nanny State Has Gone Too Far on Outlawing Fun
A new white paper from the Canadian Pediatric Society recommends more unstructured play time for kids.
Utah Would Rather Repeal Social Media Age Check Law Than Defend It In Court
Laws like Utah's would require anyone using social media to prove their age through methods such as submitting biometric data or a government-issued ID.
A Constitutionally Dubious California Bill Would Ban Possession of AI-Generated Child Pornography
The proposal seems to conflict with a Supreme Court ruling against laws that criminalize mere possession of obscene material.
Don't Shun Controversial Ideas and People. Debate Them.
They should be heard, not shouted down.
Millions of Kids Are Chronically Absent From School. The Problem Isn't Going Away.
While frequent absences were a problem before pandemic school closures, the lasting effects of online learning have led to consistently high absenteeism rates.
Toronto Bans Tobogganing on 45 Hills, Puts Up Warning Signs
"The fear of liability is ruining modern childhood," says one mom.
On Economic Issues, the Populist Right and Left Share a Lot of Common Ground
That's bad news for Americans.
10 Stories That Drove Free-Range Parents Crazy in 2023
And some good news, after all.
2023 Brought More Evidence That Pandemic School Closures Damaged Students
Post-COVID educational declines are here to stay.
Here's Why Charity Is Better at Solving Problems Than Government
Big government has been ruinous for millions of people. Charities aren't perfect, but they are much more efficient and effective.
All I Want for Christmas Is for Congress To Exercise Fiscal Restraint
Lawmakers can take small steps that are uncontroversial and bipartisan to jumpstart the fiscal stability process.
10-Year-Old Kid Offered Probation for Peeing Behind His Mom's Car
His mom is rejecting the prosecutors' absurdly strict probation rules.
Millions of Kids Left Classrooms During the Pandemic. New Data Show 50,000 Hadn't Returned 2 Years Later.
According to an analysis from the Associated Press, 50,000 children in 22 states were still missing from schools in fall 2022.
A Tennessee Youth Detention Center Has Been Illegally Throwing Kids in Solitary Confinement
An investigation from ProPublica shows that one Knoxville-area facility is putting kids in solitary but skirting scrutiny by classifying the seclusion as "voluntary."
The Media's Misleading Fearmongering Over Climate Change
"Over the last 20 years, because of temperature rises, we have seen about 116,000 more people die from heat. But 283,000 fewer people die from cold."
How Some of California's Worst Schools Got Better at Teaching Reading
Some of the worst-performing elementary schools in California retrained teachers to teach reading with phonics. A new paper says the change worked.
Don't Kill the Au Pair Program
Biden has proposed further regulating the federal au pair program, which will disproportionately burden highly skilled working mothers.
OxyContin's Reformulation Linked to Rising Suicides by Children
The study is one of several documenting the perverse impact of an intervention aimed at reducing substance abuse.
Florida Hotel Fined $5,000 for Allowing Minors To Attend Holiday Drag Show
While minors were required to be accompanied by an adult to attend the event, state regulators still went after the "not appropriate" drag performance.
How To Prepare Your College-Bound Kids for a Successful Launch
An excursion into Facebook groups for empty nesters shows many of them could use a hobby, a job, or even a straitjacket.
Yes, Heavy Regulation Hurts the Economy. Just Look at France.
We're often told European countries are better off thanks to big-government policies. So why is the U.S. beating France in many important ways?
Kids at Oklahoma Football Games Must Sit With Their Parents
Students in four Oklahoma school districts are also required to wear their school ID on a lanyard and sit on their own team's side.
New Jersey Secretly Stores Your Newborn's Blood for Decades
According to a new lawsuit, New Jersey has handed over leftover blood from newborn genetic testing to law enforcement and sold it to third parties.
Just 15 Percent of Parents With Preteens Would Let Them Trick-or-Treat Alone
A new study shows the pervasiveness of helicopter parenting.
Homeschooling Has Increased by Over 50 Percent Since 2018
In some states, homeschooling has climbed by over 100 percent.
Prosecutors Turn Their Extortion Racket Against Facebook and Instagram
The propensity of prosecutors to jump to conclusions before all the evidence is in is very destructive—and nothing new.
Meth-Laced Halloween Candy Is a Very Unlikely Danger for Kids
These kinds of poisonings are rare to nonexistent.
The Bipartisan Urge To Control Online Speech
Democrats and Republicans are united in thinking their political agendas trump the First Amendment.
9-Year-Old Kidnapping Victim Charlotte Sena Recovered Safely
Let's celebrate her return without exaggerating the relevant dangers; stranger abductions are rare.
The Real Scandal in Washington Is the Government's Reckless Spending
Those sounding the loudest alarms about possible shutdowns are largely silent when Congress ignores its own budgetary rules. All that seems to matter is that government is metaphorically funded.
Cops and Reporters Are Still Hyping the Halloween Threat Posed by Strangers With Cannabis Candy
A 2022 Canadian case involving what looks like a stoned mistake seems to be the closest real-world example of this purported danger.
Despite Debunking, Rainbow Fentanyl Myths Continue
Just as there are adult reasons for vape companies to sell flavored vape pods, there are adult reasons for drug dealers to color their fentanyl.
Florida Is Giving Foster Children Powerful Psychotropic Drugs Without Proper Records, Audit Finds
More than 1 in 3 Florida foster kids over 13 is taking psychotropic medications, but the state often doesn't follow rules requiring it to keep records of prescriptions.
This Law Will Kill Opportunities for Pregnant Workers
"These policies are motivated by good intentions. But that doesn't mean that the consequences of these policies will turn out well."
Police Threaten To Arrest 11-Year-Old Victim of Child Porn
"Doesn't matter," says the officer. "She's still making porn."
Federal Judge Blocks California Online Age-Checking Law as Unconstitutional
Shielding children from “harm” shouldn’t come at the expense of speech protected by the First Amendment.
Despite the Doomsday Narrative, Global Inequality Has Significantly Declined
This progress has been widely shared, to the great benefit of the people at the bottom of the distribution.
Mandating Civics in Schools Won't Fix American Democracy
Who cares if Americans can't answer basic civics questions?
Five Years Later, Philadelphia's Soda Tax Is Falling Flat
The city wanted to bring in more money, in part for early childhood education. But such taxes are disproportionately paid by the poor.
U.K. Government Finally Admits It Can't Scan for Child Porn Without Violating Everybody's Privacy
A surveillance authority in the country’s troubling Online Safety Bill won’t be enforced, officials say. But for how long?
Jared Polis: Democrats Are 'More Pro-Freedom Than Republicans'
The Colorado governor finds common ground with many libertarians. But does he really stand for more freedom?
Do the Proud Boys Deserve To Be in Prison Forever?
Plus: A listener question concerning porn verification laws.
It's Not Surprising That Federal Funding Didn't Stop Pandemic Learning Loss
Giving schools more money doesn't make them better.
