In this month’s cover story, Brian O’Connor reflects on a major parenting milestone: his 16-year-old son, Owen, earning his learner’s permit and taking the wheel for their 50 hours of required driving practice. While navigating the tension of riding in the passenger seat, Brian finds valuable parallels between defensive driving and life lessons—such as never assuming what other drivers will do and giving children the room to develop their own judgment. It serves as a reminder that parenting isn’t about keeping kids in the passenger seat forever, but equipping them with the confidence to steer their own paths.

Also featured in this issue:

• Bagley’s Battle: The bizarre legal tale of a Utah woman who, as the representative of her late partner’s estate, had to sue herself to recover insurance damages following a fatal car accident.

• When Everything Feels Different: Practical advice for parents helping children navigate difficult transitions, focusing on open communication, familiar routines, and emotional validation.

• The AI Gold Rush: Opportunity or Overhype?: An examination of whether the current artificial intelligence boom mirrors the dot-com bubble of the 1990s, offering strategies for managing market uncertainty.

• Sasquatch Has Legal Protection: A look at Skamania County, Washington’s real 1969 ordinance that made harming Bigfoot a crime with jail time and fines to prevent accidental shootings of hikers and pranksters.

• Orange-Glazed Salmon: A quick skillet recipe featuring pan-seared salmon fillets coated in a savory-sweet honey, soy, and orange juice reduction.