Parents

The Wall Street Journal examines the growing number of adult children choosing to cut off contact with their parents. The piece explores what is driving the rise in family estrangement, touching on mental health, boundaries and shifting expectations between generations. Readers are debating whether estrangement is a legitimate act of self-protection or a symptom of a wider breakdown in family ties.

Advice columnist Carolyn Hax takes a question from a reader raised in the 1980s who struggles to understand why her sister parents with such close supervision and intensity. The column contrasts the freer parenting of previous decades with today's more involved, safety-conscious style, a gap that is causing friction between the siblings.

WhatsApp has introduced a new parental control feature that gives parents more oversight of their teenage children's accounts, aiming to protect teens from online scams and cyber criminals. In a separate announcement, the company confirmed changes to WhatsApp Business Platform pricing taking effect from October 1, prompting businesses to review how the updates will affect their messaging costs.

An Olympic figure skater has paid public tribute to their parents, who died in the Washington DC plane crash. The skater honored their memory in remarks following the tragedy, which claimed dozens of lives when a passenger jet collided with a military helicopter near Reagan National Airport. The tribute has drawn widespread sympathy and renewed attention to the victims of the January disaster.

The father of a suspected school shooter has been found guilty of murder. ABC News reported the conviction, which marks a rare legal outcome in which a parent is held criminally responsible for a child's deadly attack. The verdict is likely to fuel ongoing debate in the United States over parental accountability in mass school shootings, following other high-profile cases where parents faced charges after their children carried out attacks.

Writer Louise Millington has spoken out about being unable to see her father in his final period, drawing a parallel with the family of explorer Ranulph Fiennes, who faced similar restrictions. She describes the pain of being excluded from a parent's side at the end of life and calls attention to rules that keep relatives apart from seriously ill loved ones.

A couple and the biological parents of their daughter have reached a custody agreement after an alleged in vitro fertilization mix-up, according to ABC News. The reported deal settles the dispute over the child, whose biological parents are another pair. Details of the agreement, the fertility clinic involved and the families' identities have not been disclosed, and it is not clear whether any legal action is being pursued over the alleged error.

Education meetings are being listed for residents in the Skagit Valley area, as reported by local outlet goSkagit. The notices cover upcoming school and education-related gatherings where parents and community members can discuss district matters. Little additional detail is available beyond the meeting listings themselves, leaving the topics and outcomes unclear.

A viral 'Cat in the Hat' trend is circulating among schoolchildren, prompting warnings from schools to parents. Authorities and educators are alerting families about the trend's spread on social media and its potential impact on students, though details about exactly what the trend involves and what risks it poses remain limited in available reporting.

Health officials have confirmed cases of hepatitis A at two primary schools in a UK city, with warning letters sent to parents advising them on symptoms and hygiene precautions. The news is spreading as families seek details on which schools are affected and whether further cases may emerge.

A mother of three has described leaving her husband and children for the first time to attend a work conference, then extending the trip by two days for solo travel. Her account is drawing attention for its candid take on stepping away from family duties and carving out personal time, a topic that regularly sparks debate about motherhood, work and self-care.

George Clooney has voiced disapproval of the parenting style of his close friends Cindy Crawford and Rande Gerber, according to commentary circulating on The Nerve with Maureen Callahan. The remarks involve the longtime friends' approach to raising their children, and the story is drawing attention given the couples' long-standing friendship and high profiles.

A viral parenting item claims that someone's parents view a person named Graziana in a surprising or shocking way, judging by the alarmed framing. Beyond the headline, no details are available about who Graziana is, what the parents' view actually is, or where the family is from. The item has drawn large engagement, suggesting audiences are curious about the family dynamic being described.

Italy's Court of Cassation has ruled that money sent by parents to children via bank transfer, without a formal deed of donation, can be subject to an 8% gift tax. The decision is drawing wide attention in Italy, with commentators warning that ordinary family transfers may now face taxation unless properly documented as donations.

The Alaska Science Forum has republished a classic time capsule column looking at the hidden lives of a red fox family in Alaska. The piece explores how fox parents raise their kits, hunt, and defend territory, offering readers a glimpse into wildlife behavior. It stands as an example of the Forum's long-running science writing for Alaskan audiences.