{"id":5968,"date":"2026-02-13T21:29:00","date_gmt":"2026-02-13T21:29:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.righteous-media.com\/IndependentAmericans\/special-report-trump-ices-war-on-kids-w-anya-kamenetz\/"},"modified":"2026-02-13T21:29:00","modified_gmt":"2026-02-13T21:29:00","slug":"special-report-trump-ices-war-on-kids-w-anya-kamenetz","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.righteous-media.com\/IndependentAmericans\/special-report-trump-ices-war-on-kids-w-anya-kamenetz\/","title":{"rendered":"Special Report: Trump &amp; ICE\u2019s War on Kids w\/ Anya Kamenetz."},"content":{"rendered":"<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/playlist.megaphone.fm\/?e=\" width=\"100%\" height=\"210\" frameborder=\"0\"><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p><b>School Phone Bans. School Vouchers &amp; Home School\u2019s Dark Side. COVID\u2019s Damage to Students. Epstein &amp; Trump\u2019s Broken Culture Where No Means Yes. Australia\u2019s Social Media Experiment. LGBTQ Kids in the Crosshairs.\u00a0\u00a0<\/b><\/p>\n<p><span>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.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>Trump has been at war with the media, the Pentagon, and Democrats\u2014but there&#8217;s also been a secret war on our children. And it\u2019s been supercharged by ICE. One in four kids in American public schools has a parent who&#8217;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.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>Especially if you\u2019re a parent\u2014and an especially if you\u2019re about to head out on winter break with them\u2014you should check out this show and take it with you.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>In this vital conversation, Paul Rieckhoff sits down with Anya Kamenetz\u2014author of <\/span><i><span>The Stolen Year: How COVID Changed Children&#8217;s Lives<\/span><\/i><span>, writer of the Substack newsletter <\/span><i><span>The Golden Hour<\/span><\/i><span>, and one of America&#8217;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&#8217;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\u2014and how we can all better cope with all that is coming at us right now.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>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\u2019s a must for every parent in America especially.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>Guest:<\/b><span> 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 <\/span><i><span>The Stolen Year<\/span><\/i><span>, and writes <\/span><i><span>The Golden Hour<\/span><\/i><span> 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<\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.anyakamenetz.net\"> <span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.anyakamenetz.net\" rel=\"nofollow\">https:\/\/www.anyakamenetz.net<\/a><\/span><\/a><span> and subscribe to her Substack at<\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/thegoldenhour.substack.com\"> <span><a href=\"https:\/\/thegoldenhour.substack.com\" rel=\"nofollow\">https:\/\/thegoldenhour.substack.com<\/a><\/span><\/a><span>.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>Be sure to check out her books: <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.hachettebookgroup.com\/titles\/anya-kamenetz\/the-stolen-year\/9781541700987\/?lens=publicaffairs\"><i><span>The Stolen Year<\/span><\/i><\/a><span>, <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.hachettebookgroup.com\/titles\/anya-kamenetz\/the-art-of-screen-time\/9781541750890\/?lens=publicaffairs\"><i><span>The Art of Screen Time<\/span><\/i><\/a><span>, <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.hachettebookgroup.com\/titles\/anya-kamenetz\/the-test\/9781610396011\/?lens=publicaffairs\"><i><span>The Test<\/span><\/i><\/a><span>, and <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.goodreads.com\/book\/show\/7527740-diy-u\"><i><span>DIY U<\/span><\/i><\/a><span>.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>Because every episode of Independent Americans with Paul Rieckhoff breaks down the most important news stories&#8211;and offers light to contrast the heat of other politics and news shows. It\u2019s 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&#8211;and stay vigilant.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>Connect with Independent Americans:<\/b><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><span>Subscribe on <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/@independentamericans\"><span>YouTube<\/span><\/a><span>, <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/open.spotify.com\/show\/0F1lzdRbTB0XYen8kyEqXe\"><span>Spotify<\/span><\/a><span>, <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/podcasts.apple.com\/us\/podcast\/independent-americans-with-paul-rieckhoff\/id1457899667\"><span>Apple Podcasts<\/span><\/a><span>, and all podcast platforms<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span>Read more at<\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/independentamericans.substack.com\"> <span>Substack<\/span><\/a><\/li>\n<li><span>Support ad-free episodes at<\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.patreon.com\/independentamericans\"> <span>Patreon<\/span><\/a><span>\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span>Connect: <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/IndependentAmericansUS\/\"><span>Instagram<\/span><\/a><span>\u00a0 \u2022 <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/indy_americans\"><span>X\/Twitter<\/span><\/a><span> \u2022 <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/bsky.app\/profile\/indyamericans.bsky.social\"><span>BlueSky<\/span><\/a><span> \u2022 <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/IndependentAmericansUS\/\"><span>Facebook<\/span><\/a><span>\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span>Follow on social: @PaulRieckhoff on <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/PaulRieckhoff\"><span>X<\/span><\/a><span>, <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/paulrieckhoff\/\"><span>Instagram<\/span><\/a><span>, <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.threads.com\/@paulrieckhoff\"><span>Threads<\/span><\/a><span>, and <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/bsky.app\/profile\/rieckhoff.bsky.social\"><span>Bluesky<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n<p><span>-WATCH <a href=\"https:\/\/youtu.be\/8n8JSyM89YE\">video of this episode on YouTube now<\/a>.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>-Learn more about Paul\u2019s work to elect a new generation of independent leaders with <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/independentveteransofamerica.org\/\"><span>Independent Veterans of America<\/span><\/a><span>.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>&#8211;<\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.patreon.com\/independentamericans\/posts\"><span>Join the movement. Hook into our exclusive Patreon community<\/span><\/a><span> of Independent Americans. Get extra content, connect with guests, meet other Independent Americans, attend events, get merch discounts, and support this show that speaks truth to power.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>&#8211;<\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/independentamericans.us\/merch\/\"><span>And get cool IA and Righteous hats, t-shirts and other merch<\/span><\/a><span> now in time for the new year.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>Independent Americans is powered by veteran-owned and led <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/righteous.us\/\"><span>Righteous Media<\/span><\/a><span>.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>And now part of <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/bleav.com\/shows\/independent-americans-with-paul-rieckhoff\/\"><span>the BLEAV network<\/span><\/a><span>!\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<\/p>\n<p>Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See <a href=\"https:\/\/pcm.adswizz.com\">pcm.adswizz.com<\/a> for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>In the midst of chaos and political turmoil, our children are facing unprecedented challenges\u2014from ICE enforcement creating fear in schools to the dismantling of public education and lingering COVID trauma. Award-winning journalist Anya Kamenetz joins Paul Rieckhoff to expose the secret war being waged on America&#8217;s kids and offer pathways to hope, resilience, and collective action.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":5969,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[3],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-5968","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-episodes","entry"],"rttpg_featured_image_url":{"full":["https:\/\/www.righteous-media.com\/IndependentAmericans\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/ia-promo-square-ep440.jpg",1400,1400,false],"landscape":["https:\/\/www.righteous-media.com\/IndependentAmericans\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/ia-promo-square-ep440.jpg",1400,1400,false],"portraits":["https:\/\/www.righteous-media.com\/IndependentAmericans\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/ia-promo-square-ep440.jpg",1400,1400,false],"thumbnail":["https:\/\/www.righteous-media.com\/IndependentAmericans\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/ia-promo-square-ep440-150x150.jpg",150,150,true],"medium":["https:\/\/www.righteous-media.com\/IndependentAmericans\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/ia-promo-square-ep440-300x300.jpg",300,300,true],"large":["https:\/\/www.righteous-media.com\/IndependentAmericans\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/ia-promo-square-ep440-1024x1024.jpg",750,750,true],"1536x1536":["https:\/\/www.righteous-media.com\/IndependentAmericans\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/ia-promo-square-ep440.jpg",1400,1400,false],"2048x2048":["https:\/\/www.righteous-media.com\/IndependentAmericans\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/ia-promo-square-ep440.jpg",1400,1400,false],"post-thumbnail":["https:\/\/www.righteous-media.com\/IndependentAmericans\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/ia-promo-square-ep440.jpg",1400,1400,false]},"rttpg_author":{"display_name":"admin","author_link":"https:\/\/www.righteous-media.com\/IndependentAmericans\/author\/admin\/"},"rttpg_comment":0,"rttpg_category":"<a href=\"https:\/\/www.righteous-media.com\/IndependentAmericans\/category\/episodes\/\" rel=\"category tag\">Episodes<\/a>","rttpg_excerpt":"In the midst of chaos and political turmoil, our children are facing unprecedented challenges\u2014from ICE enforcement creating fear in schools to the dismantling of public education and lingering COVID trauma. Award-winning journalist Anya Kamenetz joins Paul Rieckhoff to expose the secret war being waged on America's kids and offer pathways to hope, resilience, and collective&hellip;","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.righteous-media.com\/IndependentAmericans\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5968","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.righteous-media.com\/IndependentAmericans\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.righteous-media.com\/IndependentAmericans\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.righteous-media.com\/IndependentAmericans\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.righteous-media.com\/IndependentAmericans\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=5968"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.righteous-media.com\/IndependentAmericans\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5968\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.righteous-media.com\/IndependentAmericans\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/5969"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.righteous-media.com\/IndependentAmericans\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=5968"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.righteous-media.com\/IndependentAmericans\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=5968"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.righteous-media.com\/IndependentAmericans\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=5968"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}