Economic Freedom Is Declining in the U.S.
We once ranked No. 4 in the world, according to the Heritage Foundation. Now we're 25th.
Children
Resourceful Indigenous Kids Survive 40 Days in Amazon Jungle
In the U.S., we arrest parents who let their 8-year-olds walk half a mile.
Arkansas Ban on Gender Transition Treatments for Minors Ruled Unconstitutional
Plus: New rules limit asylum applications, the bad math behind economic doomerism, and more...
Confused TikTok Mom Asks for Help When Random Child Comes Over To Play With Her Kid
"I don't know this kid, I don't know his mom, I don't know where he lives," she said in a viral video.
Why Does Alabama Only Let You Consume Peach-Flavored Edibles?
The state seems to think kids don't like the taste of peach.
Online Learning During COVID-19 Linked With Lower Test Scores
A new study has found that the more schools kept kids online, the worse their pass rates on state standardized tests were.
Poppy Seeds Trigger Child Neglect Investigations
Drug tests for new moms are "unnecessary and nonconsensual," argues the ACLU.
Did NYC Schools Retaliate Against Parents Who Asked Too Many Questions?
Parents of disabled children say the schools filed false neglect reports against them.
Court Clears Colorado Day Care Worker Accused of Child Abuse After Mundane Incident
"All I've been able to see for a little while was this trial," says Amy Lovato.
Should Libertarians Be Noncombatants in the Pride Wars?
Plus: A listener question considers the pros and cons of the libertarian focus on political processes rather than political results.
NYC's Child Protection Agency Lobbying To Weaken Parents' Rights Bill
A bill advancing the New York State Assembly would require child welfare agents to inform parents of their legal rights when beginning an investigation of child abuse or neglect.
The 2021 Baby Boom Didn't Last
But there were still 47,573 more births last year than there were in 2020.
Childproofing the Internet
How online “child protection” measures could make child and adult internet users more vulnerable to hackers, identity thieves, and snoops.
Teaching Kids To Swim Is a Great Way To Protect Them From Actual Danger
"Parents have told me that once their children learn to swim they have more confidence and self-esteem," says Joseph Brier, a swim instructor.
Not Every Study on Teen Depression and Social Media Is Bad. Only Most of Them.
The few good studies on teen depression and social media undercut attempts to establish causal connections between the two.
New Federal Report: Half of Public School Students Are Now Performing Below Grade Level
The number surged during the pandemic.
Texas Tries To Rein in False Accusations of Child Abuse
The state legislature passed a law to limit anonymous reports to its child abuse hotline.
The Two Faces of Ron DeSantis
Sometimes he calls for freedom, and sometimes he preaches something darker.
Do the Natcons Get Anything Right?
Plus: A listener asks if the Roundtable has given the arguments of those opposed to low-skilled immigration a fair hearing.
Texas Bill Would Ban School Instruction, Guidance, or Activities Related to Sexual Orientation, Gender Identity
Plus: Naked Feminism, marijuana legalization in Minnesota, and more...
More States Are Using Science-Backed Reading Instruction. It Shouldn't Have Taken This Long.
Mississippi, Alabama, and Louisiana have all seen dramatic improvements in reading scores by investing in "science-based" reading instruction.
Conservatives Pushing 'Common Good Capitalism' Sound a Lot Like Progressives
The ideology champions the same tired policies that big government types predictably propose whenever they see something they don't like.
Even Kindergartners Should Be Allowed To Walk To School: Study
A new report finds that "most children benefit from some degree of independence by the time they are 5–6 years old."
New York City Calls The Cops On Unruly Elementary Schoolers Hundreds of Times Each Year
While city policy dictates that 911 calls should only occur when a student poses a genuine safety threat, parents say it's become a run-of-the-mill disciplinary tactic.
New York City Public Schools Will Now Be Required To Actually Teach Kids To Read
Education officials unveiled new rules on Tuesday which will mandate that city elementary schools use one of three "research-backed" reading curricula.
Momfluencer Convicted of Falsely Reporting an Attempted Abduction of Her Kids
Her viral video received 4 million views—and the police's attention.
These Senators Want the Federal Government To Verify Your Age Online
Requiring users to verify their age to use social media will degrade their privacy and cybersecurity.
The Government Wants To Cap Credit Card Late Fees. It Will Hurt the Poor.
Delayed payments will increase, and companies will respond by raising interest rates—or denying low-income applicants outright.
'Reprehensible and Plainly Unconstitutional': Child Welfare Agents Took Their Kids. Now They're Suing.
Even though a family pediatrician said she had "zero concerns," child welfare services still seized Josh Sabey's and Sarah Perkins' two young children. It took four months for the couple to regain custody.
Storks Don't Take Orders From the State
Falling birthrates, pro-natalist policies, and the limits of population control
Justice Department Challenges Tennessee Ban on Drugs, Surgery for Transgender Youth
Plus: Court sides with journalists sued by LAPD, don't ban private employers from requiring college degrees, and more...
Autopsy Shines Light on Death of Child Taken by Arizona's Child Welfare Agency
He was hospitalized multiple times for diabetes while in state custody.
Josie Duffy Rice Investigates Gruesome State Violence at an Alabama 'Reform School'
Her podcast Unreformed: The Story of the Alabama Industrial School for Negro Children delves into abuse at a state-run institution.
Why Do Public Schools Suck and What Should We Do About Them? Live With Corey DeAngelis and Connor Boyack
Join Reason on YouTube and Facebook on Thursday at 1 p.m. Eastern for a live discussion with the authors of Mediocrity: 40 Ways Government Schools Are Failing Today's Students
Texas' Foster Care System Is Grossly Mismanaged
"These things are just so inexcusable," a judge said. "It's hard to understand."
The Media and Politicians Keep Trying To Censor Things That Turn Out To Be True
The COVID-19 lab leak theory was labeled "misinformation." Now it's the most plausible explanation.
Don't Freak Out Over Teens Having Fast Food Jobs
"I think it's really good for a lot of young people, no matter if they need a job or not, to work," says one college student who got her first job at 16.
Are These Obscure FAA Regulations Putting Babies in Danger?
Restrictions on baby carriers during takeoff and landing are based on a single study from 1994 that didn’t even study these types of devices.
Mom Who Was Arrested for Letting 14-Year-Old Babysit Has Finally Been Cleared
"I didn't know if this would ever end," says Melissa Henderson. "I'm very relieved. A heaviness has lifted."
A 5-Year-Old Pulled Down a 3-Year-Old's Pants. The Preschool Workers Are on Trial.
"We are here because one preschooler pulled down another preschooler's pants," says defense attorney Jason Flores-Williams.
Conservative Florida Lawmakers Want To Expand LGBT Censorship to Charter Schools
New bill makes a mockery of parents’ rights, school choice, and educational freedom.
Comic: Maria Montessori and the Freedom To Learn
Maria Montessori valued independence and experimentation in a time of authoritarianism.
Police Traveled 500 Miles To Seize Girl's Pet Goat for Slaughter
A 9-year-old backed out of a deal to sell her pet goat for slaughter. Local officials and sheriff's deputies used the power of the state to force her to go through with it.
Ron DeSantis Signs Bill Expanding School Choice to All Florida Students
The Florida governor has a history of using state power to bully Florida schools over speech he doesn't like. H.B. 1 may accomplish his goal while ceding power to parents.
Utah Law Gives Parents Full Access to Teens' Social Media
Plus: Theatrics at the House hearing on TikTok, doomsday merger predictions haven't panned out, and more...
Hospitals Are Still Reporting New Mothers for Neglect Based on Drug Tests Triggered by Poppy Seeds
Two New Jersey women who gave birth last fall suffered harrowing ordeals thanks to their breakfast choices.
Florida Decides To Extend LGBT School Censorship to All Grades After All
This was never about shielding just the youngest kids from sexual topics.
A Thursday Bonus Reason Roundtable! Live From Reason Weekend in California
Plus: did the editors sing Happy Birthday to Adam Smith?
