Watch here.

The Hawaii Kidnapping Bill (HB2079, ‘Relating to Health’) poses significant legal and ethical risks, representing one of the most contentious proposals of the legislative session. It awaits Senate approval after clearing the House and controversially offers what could be seen as legal protection and sanctuary to individuals accused of kidnapping under the guise of facilitating access to gender-affirming healthcare for minors. Explicitly, the bill could be interpreted as legitimizing the interstate abduction of children by providing immunity to those who argue their actions were intended to obtain gender-affirming treatments in Hawaii, where such healthcare might be restricted in their home state. This aspect is highlighted in the bill’s text, particularly in §583A-208, where the removal of a child from legal guardians is not weighed against a petitioner if done for the purpose of accessing gender-affirming health services. Backing the bill, Oregon’s QueerDoc.com, a telemedicine gender-affirming clinic, has voiced strong support, asserting the non-negotiable nature of the science and medicine behind gender-affirming care. The clinic’s founder, identifying as nonbinary, openly expresses a personal and professional commitment to expanding access to such healthcare, potentially influencing the bill’s focus and application.

Nickelodeon employed or worked with five child molesters as well as two others accused of pedophilia, court records show.

Child safety activists claim the channel was infiltrated by predators who saw the power it gave them as a way to get close to their victims.

Two of the offenders were highlighted in a new HBO documentary about alleged child abuse at the channel.

Read more here.

Teens at New York high schools have the FBI paying them a visit.

Students say it is a little scary, but not in the way you may be thinking.

Schools around New York are collaborating with the FBI child exploitation and human trafficking task force, which includes numerous agencies. This week’s presentation was by the New York State Police and the Federal Bureau of Investigations.

School leaders and the FBI want to stop “sextortion” before it starts.

“They’re children; even our juniors and seniors are children. It’s very difficult to see them go through emotional issues that they really never had intended to,” says Bishop Ludden Principal Michael McAuliff.

“[We’re] letting them know that who they’re talking to isn’t always who they think they’re talking to, that they can be a victim very easily of a lot of different nefarious activities that happen,” says Sarah Ruane, a public affairs specialist with the FBI Albany field office.

Read more here. 

A reckless subway-surfer gang risked their lives riding over the Williamsburg Bridge on Friday, as the NYPD and MTA try to curb the deadly social media trend.

Seven people dressed in black were spotted riding on top of a subway car Friday as it entered the bridge headed away from Marcy Avenue, video obtained by The Post shows.

“I’ll be sitting and working, minding my own business, and see people surfing the subway out my window. It’s a regular thing, all the time,” the Brooklynite who shared the footage told The Post.

The video shows one daredevil standing as the train — which appears to be a J, M, or Z — barrels toward Manhattan stops. Several other people can be seen crouched down or slumping onto their stomachs as they go under a lower part of the bridge.

Between January and June of 2023, over 450 instances of subway surfing were documented by MTA officials.

Read more here. 

A bill allowing child trafficking is back, and it’s worse than ever.

Hello, this is Senator Lisa Keim of Oxford County. I’m joining you for this week’s Republican Radio Address to talk about a horrifying bill that would be used for the trafficking of children. Does this seem like déjà vu?

As some of you may remember, the Judiciary Committee recently worked a bill, LD 1735, which would have promoted child trafficking for so-called transgender care by limiting the rights of not only Maine parents, but also parents from all across the nation who would lose their parental rights at the Maine border.

Parents from across the country vehemently voiced opposition to that bill. In fact, no other bill in Maine’s history caused so much national worry and angst among parents who feared their child could be trafficked to Maine to receive so-called gender-affirming care.

Read more here. 

Teens at New York high schools have the FBI paying them a visit.

Students say it is a little scary, but not in the way you may be thinking.

Schools around New York are collaborating with the FBI child exploitation and human trafficking task force, which includes numerous agencies. This week’s presentation was by the New York State Police and the Federal Bureau of Investigations.

School leaders and the FBI want to stop “sextortion” before it starts.

“They’re children; even our juniors and seniors are children. It’s very difficult to see them go through emotional issues that they really never had intended to,” says Bishop Ludden Principal Michael McAuliff.

“[We’re] letting them know that who they’re talking to isn’t always who they think they’re talking to, that they can be a victim very easily of a lot of different nefarious activities that happen,” says Sarah Ruane, a public affairs specialist with the FBI Albany field office.

Read more here.

Right now, few protections exist to prevent Big Tech from tracking, collecting, and selling children’s personal data to third parties…

…and nothing to stop those third parties from targeting your child or teen with harmful messaging and advertising.

Two new bills aim to fix that: 

The NY Child Data Protection Act stops online sites from collecting and selling your child’s data

The SAFE for Kids Act protects children and teens from addictive algorithms on social media.

LEARN MORE

Common Sense Media has done all of the work for you.

Help your kids beat the break-time boredom, while also keeping screen time to a minimum, with this great list of podcasts. From family-fun trivia to activity shows, interactive audio adventures, and exercises in movement and exploration, these podcasts are sure to provide hours of entertainment. With such a wide variety, you’ll find options that spark your child’s interests and whatever Spring Break plans your family may—or may not!—have. Make sure you check out Great Podcasts to Listen to as a Family and Great Podcasts for Tweens and Teens for more Spring Break listening inspiration.