In Minnesota, protest has taken many shapes. And caregiving — from offering mutual aid for rent and groceries to getting neighbors first aid supplies and prenatal vitamins — is a central form of resistance here. It has lessons for the rest of the country. My latest: 19thnews.org/2026/02/minn...

In Minneapolis, for every story detailing the fallout of the federal crackdown, there are as many stories of people like Bri, a mom donating breastmilk for babies whose mothers are detained by ICE. Bri's story: 19thnews.org/2026/02/minn...

The impact of Alex Pretti’s death has reverberated across America, but perhaps more deeply among the nation’s nurses and health care professionals — who see themselves reflected in the actions he took before his death. My colleague @chabeli.bsky.social and I explore: 19thnews.org/2026/01/nurs...

"Late last week, word came from GOP Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine that it was time to “activate the churches,” as one leader put it — in other words, to prepare to provide emergency care and short-term housing to children separated from their parents." 19thnews.org/2026/01/ice-...

“I really love America more than I love anywhere in the world, and now I am feeling scared and sad and humiliated,” said Fay, a day care owner in Minnesota who has been in the country for more than 20 years and is an American citizen. @chabeli.bsky.social reports: 19thnews.org/2026/01/minn...

Health insurance costs are up. Women and LGBTQ+ people are paying the price —  as some dip into savings, take on second jobs or go without coverage at all. written with my colleagues @shefali.bsky.social @bcrodriguez.bsky.social

"There is something destabilizing about having known someone only as a child and then hearing they were gunned down in the street. The person you see in your mind lying in that street is still a child.” www.theverge.com/policy/86856...

An announcement amid all the news: I'm now covering all things health at @19thnews.org as the newsroom’s health reporter. This is an extension of reporting from last year, and I’ll be working with several colleagues. If access to care is changing for you, please reach out: bcrodriguez.55 on Signal.

Many states have a key deadline today for people to enroll in an ACA plan. But Congress let expire the enhanced subsidies that helped make some of those plans more affordable. For small business owners and self-employed people, it’s created chaos: 19thnews.org/2026/01/affo...

Gender-based violence researchers told @19thnews.org that the widespread visibility of physical violence against women in public spaces does not happen in a vacuum and goes hand-in-hand with the policies and messaging coming from the administration. 19thnews.org/2026/01/ice-...

If you’re still processing the news about a new childhood vaccine schedule and what it might mean for you and your family — like whether you can still access vaccines that aren’t broadly recommended anymore by the federal government — here’s what we know: 19thnews.org/2026/01/cdc-...

Earlier this month I wrote about why doctors say you can’t compare the United States’ vaccine recommendations to other countries. Evergreen topic amid a lot of emerging headlines. 19thnews.org/2025/12/trum...

Come join us in 2026!

Every time you see reports of children being quarantined because of exposure or infection to measles, the ripple effect is not just on health but the economy: Kids have to stay away from the child care centers and schools that help ensure families can work and pay bills: 19thnews.org/2025/07/meas...

The impact of ICE arrests is extending into America's child care system: It's reducing the number of immigrant child care workers available — and prompting U.S. mothers with young children to leave their jobs as they scramble for stable care. 19thnews.org/2025/12/ice-...

I just wrote about this. If RFK Jr. and the federal government want to encourage more breastfeeding, experts say paid parental leave would help. 19thnews.org/2025/09/gove...

There’s more attention today on the childhood vaccine schedule. Here’s what you need to know: 19thnews.org/2025/10/chil...

Medical experts worry today’s vote that ended recommending the newborn hep B vaccine shot for all babies will increase hesitancy among parents about childhood vaccines amid misinformation messaging from the federal government. 19thnews.org/2025/12/vacc...

A federal advisory panel with power over vaccine policy has voted to stop recommending a universal newborn shot to prevent the hepatitis B virus, which causes liver disease — a major shakeup to the childhood vaccine schedule under Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. 19thnews.org/2025/12/vacc...

We’re all going to hear a lot about the newborn hepatitis B vaccine shot this week. Here’s some facts about the vaccine, which is safe and effective at preventing liver disease. 19thnews.org/2025/12/hepa...

@19thnews.org is here to help our readers navigate complex times with clarity and context. As our newsroom makes plans for 2026, tell us what information you need most. survey.alchemer.com/s3/8565522/7...

So many moving parts with SNAP benefits right now so I wanted to slow things down and remind folks that food insecurity is here, and so is the mom guilt. My latest for @19thnews.org: 19thnews.org/2025/11/snap...

I wrote about low wages in statehouses back in 2021 for @19thnews.org. The piece begins with the story of a state lawmaker who decided not to run again because she estimated her health insurance premiums cost more than her pay in the legislature. 19thnews.org/2021/11/stat...

Zohran Mamdani will be New York’s youngest mayor in over a century and the city’s first Muslim and first South Asian mayor. He has twice defeated Andrew Cuomo, who resigned as governor in the face of sexual harassment allegations. https://bit.ly/47pa8LH

A hunger cliff is days away. Women, children and food banks will feel it first. 19thnews.org/2025/10/food...

First ladies made history in the East Wing. It was razed for Trump’s ballroom. Latest from @errinhaines.bsky.social and @amandabecker.bsky.social for @19thnews.org: 19thnews.org/2025/10/east...

Setting aside that our post has been labeled adult content because of … a bare belly photo?? ... @slooterman.bsky.social and I dug deep into the history of blaming moms for their kids’ autism for @19thnews.org and how some moms see echos of that dark history in MAHA: 19thnews.org/2025/10/refr...

President Trump wants to revamp the childhood vaccine schedule, a move that would place an extra burden on working mothers — who often shoulder the responsibilities of scheduling doctor's visits and follow-up care within a household. My latest for @19thnews.org: 19thnews.org/2025/09/chil...

Trump to pregnant people: “Don’t take Tylenol. There’s no downside.” But acetaminophen is one of the few drugs that pregnant people can safely use to relieve pain or fever — conditions that, if left untreated, can increase risk of birth defects and premature delivery. 19thnews.org/2025/09/rfk-...

The federal government’s reported plans to link pregnant people’s use of acetaminophen — the pain-relief drug sold under the brand name Tylenol — as a cause of autism could worsen their health and stigmatize one of the few treatments pregnant people have for reducing pain and fever, doctors warn.

A vaccine panel just tabled a vote that would have delayed universal use of the Hepatitis B vaccine for newborns. For now, nothing has changed on use of the vaccine, which is safe and credited with saving lives. But how did we get here? My latest for @19thnews.org: 19thnews.org/2025/09/hepa...

The new MAHA report recommends that the United States increase its breastfeeding rates. But the report makes no mention of a federal paid parental leave program that experts in breastfeeding / caregiving say could make a difference. My latest for @19thnews.org: 19thnews.org/2025/09/gove...

I saw a lot of headlines about Florida getting rid of all its vaccine mandates for schoolchildren. So @nadrakn.bsky.social and I wanted to add a little context and clarity about what that means and what might happen next. Our latest for @19thnews.org: 19thnews.org/2025/09/flor...

If you’re looking for a better understanding of Let’s Move, Michelle Obama, RFK Jr. and MAHA, may I suggest a piece I wrote for @19thnews.org? 19thnews.org/2025/08/mich...

Can you get a COVID-19 vaccine this fall? The announcement last week that RFK Jr. and his HHS administration had essentially new guidelines for the shot made me try to answer that question. And well, it’s complicated. My latest for @19thnews.org: 19thnews.org/2025/09/new-...

Trump’s power grab in the nation’s capital, and his threat to expand his militarized takeover to other Democratic-led cities, is setting up a high-stakes showdown over the country’s democracy that pits him prominently against a familiar political foe: Black women. 19thnews.org/2025/08/blac...

There’s a lot going on right now, but I’m excited that @19thnews.org has launched a new three-year strategic plan. It has a renewed commitment to our core: gender and its many intersections — with race, ethnicity, class, disability. Learn more here: 19thnews.org/strategic-pl...

Before MAHA and the Trump administration's focus on childhood obesity and fitness … there was Michelle Obama. My latest for @19thnews.org looks at the legacy of the first lady’s work on children’s health: 19thnews.org/2025/08/mich...

Today is the 60th anniversary of the Voting Rights Act. As voting rights lose ground, The 19th spoke with four advocates working to preserve the path to the ballot for the most marginalized voters.

Who’s running for office? Amid a rise in threats of political violence and harassment, parents with young kids are increasingly weighing the risks. 19thnews.org/2025/08/pare...

A few Republican lawmakers have tried to frame the Medicaid cuts as targeting men. The data tells a different story. 19thnews.org/2025/05/medi...

In May, The 19th wrote about Ruano’s fight to remain in the country despite a pending order of deportation. Last month her fight against deportation, fueled by her Milwaukee community, ended under orders from ICE.

As a key vaccine panel (made up now of members picked by RFK Jr.) meets for the first time this morning, a new poll shows support for routine childhood vaccines is widely supported across political party lines. My latest for @19thnews.org: 19thnews.org/2025/06/vacc...

There is a lot going on right now with vaccine policy in America. Here's how doctors are responding, and what they want parents to know about their efforts to stick with evidence-based science. My latest for @19thnews.org: 19thnews.org/2025/06/rfk-...

There is a lot going on right now with vaccine policy in America. Here's how doctors are responding, and what they want parents to know about their efforts to stick with evidence-based science. My latest for @19thnews.org: 19thnews.org/2025/06/rfk-...

"Political violence is being normalized for us as an organization." After Saturday's shootings — and the reports that abortion providers were on Vance Boelter's list of possible targets — clinics in Minnesota and around the country are tightening security & figuring out how to move forward.

This bill would limit coverage of gender-affirming care as an essential benefit under Affordable Care Act plans and prohibit Medicaid & CHIP from covering the treatment. Earlier drafts limited this prohibition to care for minors; the approved bill extends it to care for all ages.

As Republicans in Congress try to tie the face of Medicaid work requirements to able-bodied people — including young men — there is data that shows many of these people are actually poor middle-aged women. My latest for @19thnews.org: 19thnews.org/2025/05/medi...

Yessenia Ruano has been in the U.S. for 14 years. She's had twins, become an integral part of the school where she works and her church, bought a home, and checked in with ICE 17 times. Now she has a one-way ticket to El Salvador that she's still hoping not to use. 19thnews.org/2025/05/upro...

While voters overwhelmingly felt safe, women and gender-nonconforming people were more likely to skip going to the polls due to safety concerns, a new report says.