States

Curious Kids is a series for children of all ages. If you have a question you’d like an expert to answer, send it to curiouskidsus@theconversation.com. How can some states get by with no income tax? – Vonnie, age 12, Auburn, Alabama Right before I was born in the 1970s, my family moved to Texas from Nebraska. A big reason was because Texas was – and still is – considered a low-tax state, and my dad wanted to start his business there. Texas is also one of nine states that don’t have an income tax on the “earned income” of people working there. That doesn’t mean Texas doesn’t impose any taxes on its residents – it does. Texans pay other taxes to help pay for schools, hospitals, health care, roads, airports, firefighters, business loans, public safety and all kinds of other public services. For example, Texans pay some of the highest...

Chemists invented PFAS in the 1930s to make life easier: Nonstick pans, waterproof clothing, grease-resistant food packaging and stain-resistant carpet were all made possible by PFAS. But in recent years, the growing number of health risks found to be connected to these chemicals has become increasingly alarming. PFAS – perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances – are now either suspected or known to contribute to thyroid disease, elevated cholesterol, liver damage and cancer, among other health issues. They can be found in the blood of most Americans and in many drinking water systems, which is why the Environmental Protection Agency in April 2024 finalized the first enforceable federal limits for six types of PFAS in drinking water systems. The limits – between 4 and 10 parts per trillion for PFOS, PFOA, PFHxS, PFNA and GenX – are less than a drop of water in a thousand Olympic-sized swimming pools, which speaks to the chemicals’ toxicity. The...