School Phone Bans. School Vouchers & Home School’s Dark Side. COVID’s Damage to Students. Epstein & Trump’s Broken Culture Where No Means Yes. Australia’s Social Media Experiment. LGBTQ Kids in the Crosshairs.  

These are really wild and stressful times for everyone. And if you have a child in your life, or care about kids, or just care about yourself, this is a special pod that you need to hear or watch. 

Trump has been at war with the media, the Pentagon, and Democrats—but there's also been a secret war on our children. And it’s been supercharged by ICE. One in four kids in American public schools has a parent who's an immigrant, and right now those children are afraid to go to school. Education Secretary Linda McMahon has gotten little scrutiny while moving forward with plans to totally dismantle the Department of Education. Meanwhile, our kids are still processing COVID trauma, navigating an unregulated tech landscape, and coping with mental health challenges, suicide risk and basic day-to-day stress that touches every family.

Especially if you’re a parent—and an especially if you’re about to head out on winter break with them—you should check out this show and take it with you.

In this vital conversation, Paul Rieckhoff sits down with Anya Kamenetz—author of The Stolen Year: How COVID Changed Children's Lives, writer of the Substack newsletter The Golden Hour, and one of America's leading voices on child well-being. They discuss the impact of ICE enforcement on school attendance, the strategic attack on public education, cell phone bans in schools, Australia's social media age restrictions, youth suicide trends, and how parents can cope while raising kids in a political combat zone. And how kids are surviving in real combat zones like Ukraine—and how we can all better cope with all that is coming at us right now. 

Anya brings clarity, compassion, and actionable wisdom to one of the most underreported crises in America: the well-being of our children. From mental health first aid to collective resilience, this episode offers both a stark wake-up call and a roadmap for staying vigilant and hopeful. And it’s a must for every parent in America especially. 

Guest: Anya Kamenetz is an award-winning journalist, author, and thought leader on education, parenting, and child development. She is the author of multiple books including The Stolen Year, and writes The Golden Hour on Substack. She has served as an advisor to the Aspen Institute and the Climate Mental Health Network, and her work has appeared at NPR and beyond. Learn more at https://www.anyakamenetz.net and subscribe to her Substack at https://thegoldenhour.substack.com.

Be sure to check out her books: The Stolen Year, The Art of Screen Time, The Test, and DIY U.

Because every episode of Independent Americans with Paul Rieckhoff breaks down the most important news stories--and offers light to contrast the heat of other politics and news shows. It’s independent content for independent Americans. In these trying times especially, Independent Americans is your trusted place for independent news, politics, inspiration and hope. The podcast that helps you stay ahead of the curve--and stay vigilant.

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