Author: Reporter

When curators at the National Toy Hall of Fame learned last fall that the Fisher-Price Corn Popper had been voted in as part of the class of 2023, they knew they had some serious work to do. With a formal induction ceremony approaching, they would have to figure out how to showcase the beloved toddler push toy with colorful balls that ricochet around a clear dome. It isn’t as simple as going to Walmart and pulling one off the shelves: The hall, part of the The Strong National Museum of Play in upstate New York, aims to show how...

When she was in fifth grade, Scarlett Goddard Strahan started to worry about getting wrinkles. By the time she turned 10, Scarlett and her friends were spending hours on TikTok and YouTube watching influencers tout products for achieving today’s beauty aesthetic: a dewy, “glowy,” flawless complexion. Scarlett developed an elaborate skincare routine with facial cleansers, mists, hydrating masks, and moisturizers. One night, Scarlett’s skin began to burn intensely and erupted in blisters. Heavy use of adult-strength products had wreaked havoc on her skin. Months later, patches of tiny bumps remain on Scarlett’s face, and her cheeks turn red in...

Girls are bombarded on social media with advice from influencers touting elaborate skincare routines with high-priced serums, mists, and creams. But what is the right skin care routine for preteens? Simple is best, dermatologists say. Before puberty hits, most kids only need three things: a gentle cleanser, a moisturizer, and sunscreen. “That’s it. Full stop. You don’t need anything else,” said Dr. Sheilagh Maguiness, a Minneapolis-based dermatologist. She and other dermatologists around the U.S. have seen growing numbers of teen and preteen girls using anti-aging skincare products. In some cases, the adult-strength products have damaged young girls’ skin. And...

As private prison stocks soar in the wake of Donald Trump’s election victory, the U.S. faces a potentially transformative economic and human rights crisis. With the president-elect’s plan to execute the “largest mass deportation operation” in U.S. history, the private prison industry has seen unprecedented gains, stoking fears of a costly humanitarian purge that will reshape the American labor force and burden taxpayers. In the days following the election, GEO Group and CoreCivic, two of the country’s largest private prison companies, experienced dramatic stock surges of 56% and 57%, respectively. These numbers dwarf the growth seen in the months...

Donald Trump’s victory in the United States presidential election instantly changed calculations for millions of migrants or potential migrants across the globe. But perhaps not in the way Trump imagined. Trump has pledged to reduce immigration. But by narrowing the already limited legal pathways into the U.S., migrants will just recalibrate their plans and resort in greater numbers to hiring smugglers, experts say. In many cases that will mean turning to organized crime groups that increasingly profit from migrant smuggling. Those potentially affected come from dozens of countries and many have already sold their homes and their possessions to...