Reading, Writing…Failing—Pandemic Fallout Leaves Kids Falling Behind Fast

The 47 Morning Update with Ben Ferguson delivers a scathing indictment of the long-term fallout from pandemic-era education policies, revealing that 29 states saw children's well-being decline by 2024 compared to 2019. The Annie E. Casey Foundation's 2026 Kids Count data book shows a devastating 101-point drop in education scores—driven by massive declines in reading and math proficiency across 47 states—while child and teen deaths rose 8%, underscoring a youth mental health crisis. Ferguson blames social promotion and the closure of schools during lockdowns, arguing that the government's 'two-week' promise led to a generation of students entering college unable to read. He calls this a systemic failure rooted in political decisions that prioritized ideology over children's futures. The segment then pivots to a bombshell exposé on UNRWA, where a USAID inspector general report alleges that over 100 employees—including school principals, teachers, and medical workers—were directly tied to Hamas, with some participating in the October 7th attacks. These individuals were allegedly paid with American taxpayer dollars, raising urgent questions about oversight, accountability, and whether U.S. foreign aid has been used to fund terrorism. Ferguson frames both crises as symptoms of deeper institutional failures: one at home, one abroad—both enabled by political silence and a lack of consequence.