Ford Cuts Taurus, Fusion, And Fiesta Models, ‘Free-Range’ Parenting Frowned Upon If You’re Poor, Where Are We Going With The Russia Investigation?

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Ford is choosing to focus on the production of trucks and SUVs, ending production of all Fiesta, Taurus, and Fusion models. We also talk about where the line between neglect and giving your child freedom is, and what your income might have to do with it. Additionally, we take a refresher course in the Russia investigation.

Featured in this Show

  • With 'Free-Range Parenting,' Critic Says Laws Applied Differently Based On Race, Income

    One spring day back in 2008, New Yorker Lenore Skenazy let her 9-year-old boy ride the subway home alone.

    She wrote a column about it for the New York Sun newspaper. Amid strong backlash, she started a movement: “free-range parenting,” which advocates for giving children more freedom to roam on their own.

    The movement has gained popularity in the decade since because it’s a stark contrast to the “helicopter parenting” common in recent years. And in March, Utah became the first state to sign a “free-range parenting” bill into law, which protects parents from prosecution for letting their children walk to school alone or play outside unsupervised.

    But some child welfare advocates say the definition of “free-range parenting” versus “neglect” changes depending on who you’re looking at.

    In a piece for The Atlantic, sociologist Jessica McCrory Calarco writes that so-called “free-range parenting” has long been a necessity for poor and working-class parents, who work long hours or who don’t have the funds for child care. But those parents often get held to a different set of standard than middle-class parents following the trend.

    “Certainly, we have heard of high-profile cases where parents get in trouble, especially for engaging in free-range parenting,” she said. “But usually they don’t face severe consequences, at least. Whereas parents who don’t have that kind of privilege, who don’t have race or class privilege to protect them in those cases, they’re the ones who really suffer the consequences.”

    Calarco, an assistant professor of sociology at Indiana University, writes about an example from 2014, where Debra Harrell, a 46-year-old black woman in South Carolina, was arrested for letting her child play at the park while she worked at a nearby McDonald’s.

    Calarco said implicit bias research indicates people are perceived differently based on race and class.

    “There’s been some research that suggests that people perceive parenting differently depending on the motives they perceive behind what parents are doing,” she said. “If they think parents are doing this out of a moral choice to give their kids independence, it’s perceived very differently than if a parent has to do this or if a parent doesn’t have resources at home.”

    Utah’s new law comes with caveats. Children are only allowed to roam if they’re of “sufficient” age and their “basic needs are met.”

    With such vague terminology, Calarco said that might set up a situation where inequality can continue to permeate, where families will be treated differently based on their resources.

  • What Does The Death Of Ford's Signature Sedans Mean For The Auto Industry?

    Ford recently announced that in an effort to focus more on truck, SUV and crossover production, it’s doing away with three of its most well-known vehicles: the Taurus, the Fusion and the Fiesta. We discuss what the move says about the direction of the company and the broader auto industry.

  • The Double Standard Of 'Free-range' Parenting

    “Free-range parenting” has been on the rise in the past decade, and Utah recently became the first state to explicitly legalize free-range parenting, which loosens previous laws surrounding such things as letting children walk to school or play outside unsupervised, and stay at home alone.

    Our guest says poor and working-class parents will find themselves held to a different set of expectations in the public eye, as well with authorities and institutions when it comes to free-range parenting.

  • Investigations Update: The Trump Campaign, Stormy Daniels, And More.

    President Trump’s new lawyer, Rudy Giuliani, made an appearance on Fox News last night discussing many things, among them stating that President Trump had repaid his former lawyer Michael Cohen the $300,000 in settlement fees for Stormy Daniels. This contradicts what Trump and Cohen have said about the money. We take the half hour to dive into the latest updates on both the Russia and Stormy Daniels investigations, and make sure you hear what’s important.

Episode Credits

  • Rob Ferrett Host
  • Karl Christenson Producer
  • Bill Martens Producer
  • Natalie Guyette Producer
  • Jessica McCrory Calarco Guest
  • Jamie Page Deaton Guest
  • Paul Nolette Guest