kids Archives - The Michigan Star

Major Review Finds ‘Weak Evidence’ Supporting Puberty Blockers for Kids

April 14, 2024 Michigan Star Staff

There is “weak evidence” to support puberty blockers for children who identify as transgender, according to a four-year systematic review of transgender medical studies published on Tuesday.

Dr. Hilary Cass, a consultant in paediatric disability at St. Thomas’ Hospital in London, England, and formerly the president of the Royal College of Pediatrics and Child Health, conducted the review in response to a request from the National Health Service (NHS). Cass’ report determined that the current studies on the subject of “puberty suppression” showed little improvement in gender dysphoria in minors and also may push kids toward getting more extreme treatments.

Dems Propose Millions for Organizations Pushing Trans Procedures for Kids in Congressional Budget

March 22, 2024March 22, 2024 Michigan Star Staff

Democrats are looking to push through a budget that would grant millions in funding for organizations that provide sex-change procedures for children.

Congress released a proposed budget for the fiscal year 2025 in hopes of avoiding a government shutdown and Democrats are looking to send millions in taxpayer funding to organizations that help transition children. Democratic Sen. Jeff Merkley of Oregon and Sen. Ron Wyden of Oregon requested $2,000,000 for the La Clinica del Valle Family Health Care Center in Oregon which provides hormone treatments to adolescents, according to its website.

Commentary: Giving the FTC More Power Won’t Keep Kids Safe Online

March 7, 2024 Michigan Star Staff

We have seen a rise in parents concerned about social media’s impact on our children across Tennessee and America. As a proud parent and the chairman of Latinos for Tennessee, I firmly believe that parents must play a central role in ensuring the safety of our children online. I also firmly believe in states’ rights and that when it comes to enforcing legislation to protect our children, I trust Tennessee’s own Attorney General Jonathan Skrmetti much more than the bureaucrat-heavy Federal Trade Commission (FTC).

I have previously written that the well-being of future generations depends on our federal representatives taking appropriate action to protect children by empowering parents. This issue has become even more pressing as children increase their daily screen time. As a leader in the Latino community, I worry because, “Latino adolescents have a higher rate of social media use” and “face greater risks of experiencing adverse mental health outcomes,” according to the Julian Samora Research Institute at Michigan State University.

Science Won’t Stop Rhode Island from Resuming Mask Mandate on Kids: Proposed Regulation

January 31, 2024 Just the News

Rhode Island convinced parents last month to drop their 2021 lawsuit against its gone-but-not-forgotten COVID-19 mask mandates in schools by pledging to hold public hearings should it seek to reimpose them.

Now the Ocean State is proposing a health regulation under which it could force kids to mask up again without justifying it through scientific evidence, allegedly violating the dismissal stipulation that ended the case Dec. 13.

Commentary: A Way to Protect Kids Online That Passes Constitutional Muster

December 8, 2023 Michigan Star Staff

A bipartisan group of senators is about to take Big Tech CEOs to task on Jan. 31, 2024, by having them publicly address their failures to protect kids online. And the CEOs need to! The harms social media poses to children are well documented and, at this point, indisputable—even by the companies themselves.

YouTube admits that it hosts harmful content for children and even calls for legislation to address the problems it helps create. YouTube’s CEO indicated as much when he published his “principled approach for children and teenagers.”

Commentary: If Your Kids Aren’t Happy at School, Find Them Another One

December 8, 2023 Michigan Star Staff

“I hated going to school when I was a kid,” said Elon Musk in a 2015 interview. “It was torture.”

When deciding how his own children would be educated, Musk rejected traditional schooling and created his own project-based microschool, Ad Astra, in 2014, on his SpaceX campus. “The kids really love going to school,” said Musk about Ad Astra in that same interview, adding that “they actually think vacations are too long as they want to go back to school.” In 2020, Ad Astra evolved into the fully online school, Astra Nova, and its popular math enrichment spin-off, Synthesis.

Commentary: 13 Traditionalist Gift Ideas for Kids

November 24, 2023 Michigan Star Staff

Christmas is just around the corner! We often look forward to the holidays with heaps of joy … and maybe a little trepidation. There can be so many presents involved, particularly given the numerous people and parties. It can be a lot for anyone to deal with.

But presents can’t just be ignored: Children love gifts, and they find so much joy in the simple act of opening sparkly, wrapped boxes. Plus, presents are a great opportunity to share traditional values with children. But instead of opting for the “more is more” mentality of mainstream culture, let’s embrace the mantra “fewer but better.” Let’s explore alternative gift ideas that not only support traditionalist values but also won’t overwhelm children, parents, or our wallets.

‘Scientifically Bizarre’: Research, CDC Data Undermine COVID Vax Recommendations for Kids, New Moms

September 24, 2023September 23, 2023 Just the News

New research on how COVID-19 vaccines affect children and nursing mothers, and the government’s own estimates of severe side effects in teenagers, is putting scrutiny on the CDC’s recommendation that all ages stay “up to date” with newly authorized formulations.

Fully vaccinated versus unvaccinated children under age 5 were roughly as likely to require medical visits among those testing positive for SARS-CoV-2 in a large California study, challenging the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s claim that the shots “protect children against severe disease and hospitalization.”

Parents Furious at Wyoming School Board for Pushing LGBT, Sexual Content on Kids Despite Them ‘Opting Out’

June 14, 2023June 14, 2023 Michigan Star Staff

A district-wide library book policy has parents accusing a Wyoming school board of failing to stop the “sexualization” of their kids, according to ABC13 News.

Laramie County School District No. 1 (LCSD) has given parents the option to opt their kids out of particular LCSD library books by filling out a form asking them the reasoning for the request. During the school board of trustees meeting on June 5, the school board was criticized for how it handled library resources, causing parents to call for a change in the library book policy.

Majority of Kids Are Exposed to Online Porn by Age 13, Study Finds

January 11, 2023January 10, 2023 Michigan Star Staff

A recent study surveying teenagers found that 54% of children under the age of 14 had seen online pornography, with 15% reporting that they had been introduced to online porn before 11 years old.

The study, released Tuesday by nonprofit Common Sense Media, found that 73% of respondents had viewed online porn before age 18, a 31-point increase over data collected in 2014. The average age of first exposure fell around 12 years old, according to the report.

Dem-Aligned Pro-Trans Group in Virginia Helps Kids Run Away from Home, Places Them with ‘Queer Friendly’ Adults

October 7, 2022October 6, 2022 Michigan Star Staff

A pro-trans group in Virginia with ties to the Democrat party says it will help gender-confused students run away from home and will place them with “supportive, queer friendly” adults, according to internal materials obtained by The Daily Wire’s Luke Rosiak.

The Pride Liberation Project is a pro-LGBT student organization that raises money using the Democrat platform ActBlue to help minors leave their families.

Nearly 60 Percent of American Parents Are Concerned With What Their Kids Are Learning: Poll

December 28, 2021December 27, 2021 Michigan Star Staff

Roughly 6-in-10 parents are concerned about the current quality of American education, according to a survey conducted by an education advocacy group.

An overwhelming number of parents believe they should be able to determine what their kids are taught in the classroom, according to a Free to Learn (FTL) poll. Concerns over COVID-19 mitigation measures, Critical Race Theory (CRT), gender ideology and virtual learning have been on the rise since the start of the pandemic.

CRT holds that America is fundamentally racist, yet it teaches people to view every social interaction and person in terms of race. Its adherents pursue “antiracism” through the end of merit, objective truth and the adoption of race-based policies.

Commentary: New Group Equips Parents with Seven Tools to Combat Wokeness in K-12 Education

October 14, 2021October 13, 2021 Michigan Star Staff

Captured in a metropolitan Atlanta, Georgia primary school, seated amongst his classmates, this photograph depicts a young Asian-American school boy, who was in the process of creating a drawing, and was choosing from a box of crayons, the colors he’d use in order to bring his ideas to life. It is important to know that these objects are known as fomites, and can act as transmitters of illnesses.

It’s no secret that the far left has infiltrated higher education with its radical ideas. But now, woke ideology has come for K-12 classrooms across the country.

“As parents, we send our kids to school to learn to think critically, to figure out how to solve problems, and to respectfully discuss and resolve differences of opinion,” Ashley Jacobs, executive director of Parents Unite, said Friday during the new organization’s first conference.

“But,” Jacobs said, “our educational systems are not enabling these skills, and in some cases, [they are] stifling them.”

Commentary: Dilemmas of the 21st-Century American Parent

August 22, 2019August 22, 2019 Michigan Star Staff

Standing in the breeze on a warm spring day at the end of another school year, I listen as a pre-Kindergarten child receives a prize at the elementary school’s yearly awards ceremony. Inwardly, I cringe as I hear “ . . . and she wants to be a YouTuber when she grows up.” My attention suddenly is diverted as my 2-year-old darts off into the crowd, tearfully screaming for daddy.