Topic: Toxic Stress

The discussion traces the modern homelessness crisis back to the 1986 "Hands Across America" event organized by Ken Kragan. Public health experts use the term "toxic stress" to describe the chronic debilitating impact of housing insecurity on children. The hosts suggest that the long-term "softening up" of the public on this issue is a precursor to the introduction of Universal Basic Income.

Sesame Workshop received a $100 million grant from the MacArthur Foundation to create educational programming for Syrian refugee children. The initiative involves creating new characters who live in tents and conducting home visits to train parents on "nurturing care" to combat the effects of "toxic stress" on brain development.