In Japan, “deaths outstripped births by a record 300,000 in 2016; government projections say the population of 127m could plummet by a third over the next 50 years.” The country needs more kids and the government knows it. In a town called Nagicho, local authorities are experimenting with the idea of subsidized parenthood, starting with a celebratory cash gift when a mother gives birth. And the program seems to be working. From The Economist: A small town in Japan doubles its fertility rate. (When you give birth in America, all you get is one of those chewy giraffes…)