thank you!! :)

Parental leave for all new parenthood and the path to national parental leave

my last article for a few months is about parental leave — and why U.S advocates should consider pushing for it as a standalone program (like every other country has)

rcobooth.substack.com/p/parental-l...

Want to fight fascism? Join a knitting circle. The resurgence of resistance crafting.

“I started this story thinking it was about the state of feminized forms of activism in 2026. I’m ending it thinking that a lot of the questions opened up by the Women’s March haven’t been answered yet.”

Read @annanorth.bsky.social on ‘craftivism’

www.vox.com/the-highligh...

The all-in-one approach to paid family + medical leave has been failing in Congress for 30+ years. Even when it passes in blue states, too many new parents are left out. A stand-alone parental leave benefit would reflect how other countries have gone about it

gift link: www.vox.com/the-highligh...

Chicago Housing Authority appoints Keith Pettigrew as new CEO The agency has been without a CEO for 16 months, and its vote also marks a win for the board over Mayor Brandon Johnson, who pushed for the appointment of retired Ald. Walter Burnett.

DCHA Executive Director Keith Pettigrew was just hired as CEO of the Chicago Housing Authority:

chicago.suntimes.com/real-estate/...

The fight over transgender rights in America has entered a new phase The policy fight is moving well beyond sports and youth medicine. The political response hasn’t caught up.

I spoke with Vox about the assault on transgender rights. www.vox.com/policy/48276...

We're in a new stage of restrictions for transgender Americans The policy fight is moving well beyond school sports and youth gender medical treatment, but the political class is slow to catch up

In my newsletter I wrote about my Vox piece on the expanding fight over trans rights and some personal reflections on the reporting rcobooth.substack.com/p/were-in-a-...

well the section you highlighted is not "factually wrong" because of the 4th Circuit ruling. the paragraph specifically says "many courts have..." For what it's worth I interviewed multiple law professors who focus on discrimination and they all said the same thing.

The snip shift: March Madness used to drive vasectomies. Now abortion bans do. Once marketed as an excuse to watch basketball, vasectomies are now a way men say they can support their partners after the fall of Roe v. Wade.

“The reason I got a vasectomy is to make sure my girlfriend could be cared for if she wasn’t able to have the same options,” he said. “And me doing my part to help our relationship and our future, that is masculine: helping your partner.”

I guess a question is like: should Democrats weigh in on the revocation of drivers licenses and adult health care and ‘parents rights’ and ramping up of criminal penalties for bathroom use in more tolerant private businesses ? It seems like they need to figure this out

The fight over transgender rights in America has entered a new phase The policy fight is moving well beyond sports and youth medicine. The political response hasn’t caught up.

As opponents of trans rights set their eyes on targets well beyond youth gender medicine & school sports, Democrats still haven't figured out what they want to say. They know they need to say more, but there's no real plan right now

www.vox.com/policy/48276...

I don't describe it as a reversal. But the AMA coming out to publicly agree days later as we say is and was news. We also include information about how they've continued to push back on fed proposals that would restrict doctors’ ability to provide gender affirming care to youth and adults.

yeah, I think even as there's growing consensus among Democrats (from Third Way to HRC) that Spanberger handled anti-trans attacks better than the party did in 2024, she was still ultimately vague! May be right for a campaign, but at some point will need to take clearer positions

There's growing consensus among Democrats that @abigailspanberger.com handled anti-trans attacks far better than the party did in 2024.

But she was still ultimately vague, and Democrats will have to figure out where they stand on the escalating restrictions.

As this piece alludes to, we've found that there are a few simple things pro-equality candidates can do to win, even in an age of relentless anti-trans hit pieces:

- Share your story early and often
- Lead with your values
- Address good-faith concerns directly
- Turn the tables
- Go big

Me reporting what Democrats eyeing the White House and LGBTQ+ rights organizations like Human Rights Campaign are doing today is not transphobia. Your attacks on plain journalism and on journalists aren't helping trans people.

I'm reporting the fact that Democrats are doing this! HRC's new messaging guide also represents a pretty significant political shift for the LGBTQ+ rights movement too. Surely you are not saying that you don't want those facts reported because you don't agree with them?

There are effectively 2 theories of the case

One is that silence on sports and minors made it easier for conservatives to push far broader restrictions. The other is there's no middle ground, and every concession just becomes grounds for the next attack

New: The legal attacks on transgender Americans are moving fast beyond questions of school sports and youth gender medicine. Democrats are getting caught flatfooted, as they're still debating how to respond to the wedge issues

@vox.com gift link:
www.vox.com/policy/48276...

The GOP Stronghold Where Anxiety Over the War Is Already on the Ballot Most polls since the start of the U.S.-Israel bombing campaign find that the U.S. involvement in Iran is unpopular.

"Average regular gasoline prices nationally were around $3.68 a gallon on Saturday, according to AAA, a 23% increase from before the war started at the end of February."

www.wsj.com/politics/ele...

The Cure for Snoring A journey into my larynx

this @giladedelman.bsky.social piece on snoring and snoring treatments was very fun to read

www.theatlantic.com/ideas/2026/0...

The Wrecking of the Kennedy Center America’s Trumpiest arts administrator leaves the institution renamed, nearly closed, and wildly unpopular.

I start at the Atlantic next week,
But I got an early start: www.theatlantic.com/culture/2026...

These reforms could transform criminal justice for people — and they cost almost nothing Crime is falling to historic lows. This economist knows how to make it plunge even faster.

nice @bryanrwalsh.bsky.social overview on 5 big takeaways from @jenniferdoleac.bsky.social's new book on criminal justice reform

www.vox.com/future-perfe...

Americans think nearly half of social media users post toxic/fake content. the actual number is closer to 3-7%. a small group of highly active users produces most of the harmful posts, but the misperception itself makes people feel worse about the state of the U.S academic.oup.com/pnasnexus/ar...

Exclusive | Planned Parenthood Wants You to Get Your Botox at Its Clinic Facing a $100 million revenue gap after federal budget cuts, one California affiliate looks beyond reproductive health to attract a new clientele.

"Now, along with access to birth control, abortions and testing for sexually transmitted infections, patients can order an IV hydration after a night of drinking—or smooth crow’s feet. They might soon be able to get laser hair removal and cosmetic fillers."

www.wsj.com/health/healt...

What kind of “fighter” do Democratic voters want in 2026?
@christianpaz.bsky.social on today's Senate primary in Texas and what the party might take from James Talarico's bid

www.vox.com/politics/480...

ICE training was slashed, records show, corroborating whistleblower claims Previously unreported records also offer new details about what was cut from ICE’s basic training program. Concerns about the quality of ICE agents’ training have mounted for months.

"The previously undisclosed records obtained by The Post show that, as the whistleblower said, ICE last year removed about 240 hours from its basic training program, or more than 40 percent of instructional time."

www.washingtonpost.com/investigatio...

a great @jerusalem.bsky.social a great piece. a common way to dismiss big structural problems is to dismiss regulations underpinning the structure as "small-bore"-sounding details

www.theargumentmag.com/p/stop-calli...

Messaging isn’t everything in public policy, even if some people talk about it that way. But it is part of the puzzle.

A new study finds that reframing a $1,493 tax credit as “five weeks of groceries” increased website visits by 25 percent among eligible adults

journals.sagepub.com/doi/full/10....

a lot of mainstream experts struggle to clearly respond to these attacks and it's very sad. there has definitely been poor communication about side effects in the past and so plenty of people feel burned, but we're witnessing a flat-footed overcorrection