“I think years from now, people will ask: ‘How did we get here?’ Part of our responsibility, in this moment, is making sure history cannot say nobody saw it coming.” 19thnews.org/2026/05/supr... via @19thnews.org

It’s time for our annual Spring Member Drive at @19thnews.org and I’m raising money for our nonprofit newsroom. If you have appreciated my coverage of health and gender, consider a donation! 19thnews.org/ways-to-give...

The word “Black” has been almost completely removed from a package of bills that have long been viewed as Congress’ main legislative vehicle to address the Black maternal health crisis, frustrating some advocates who feel Black women are being erased from the policy. 19thnews.org/2026/05/blac...

UPDATE: After briefly letting a national ban take effect, the Supreme Court blocked a lower court’s ruling that would have prevented mailing a key abortion drug.

Moms are taking on debt, cutting back on personal medical care, delaying rent payments and skipping meals so their kids can eat. Federal cuts are poised to make things worse. Story by @bcrodriguez.bsky.social: 19thnews.org/2026/05/moth...

As the Tennessee legislature held a special session this week to redraw its congressional map to break up a majority-Black district in Memphis, state Sen. Charlane Oliver did everything she could to broadcast that what was happening was not normal. 19thnews.org/2026/05/char...?

Trump pulls his support for Casey Means, MAHA influencer, as surgeon general. Several Republicans expressed concern about Means’ answers during a February confirmation hearing where she was asked about topics including birth control and routine childhood vaccines. 19thnews.org/2026/04/trum...

Supreme Court decision could undo decades of gains by Black women lawmakers — Alito framed the ruling as an “update” that did not undo the underlying “framework” of the Voting Rights Act; Kagan strongly disagreed. 19thnews.org/2026/04/supr... via @19thnews.org

We’re on strike today! Support our fight for a fair contract by NOT visiting the @propublica.org website or engaging with ProPublica stories today. Tell ProPublica’s management you won’t cross the picket line: actionnetwork.org/petitions/te...

I’ve been tracking how parents online are looking for “vaccine friendly” or “vaccine neutral” clinics to care for children irrespective of their vaccine views. For @19thnews.org, I wanted to explore how we got here and the intersection of parental choice / doctor trust: 19thnews.org/2026/04/vacc...

Doctors say newly postpartum people need medical care, sleep and the ability to rely on friends and family for help. Immigration crackdowns have made that support impossible. https://bit.ly/3NBclNa

“I broke down three times today,” Modica, 41, said. “I have a disease that will inevitably make me completely disabled, and I can’t afford the treatment because I’m hemorrhaging money to a 20-year-old debt.” @nadrakn.bsky.social's latest for @19thnews.org.

'We are traumatizing children, and we are putting them in dangerous environments.’ Pediatricians have been warning about dire health consequences for children in immigration detention. I spoke with a trio of doctors who are demanding action from the federal government. 19thnews.org/2026/03/pedi...

“He looked pale, he looked sickly. He looked like a completely different child,” she said. “When I saw that image, my doctor brain turned on. I was like, this kid is sick. He needs medical attention.” @bcrodriguez.bsky.social's latest for @19thnews.org.

“I’d probably have to quit my job. I need to make sure she can spend time with friends and her boyfriend, but she would still be more socially isolated,” Walters said. @slooterman.bsky.social reports for @19thnews.org.

With immigration enforcement keeping kids from class, educators are going beyond the curriculum — driving students to school, delivering groceries and even paying rent to support vulnerable families. https://bit.ly/4aRukq9

As the Trump administration expands militarized immigration operations around the country, federal agents keep using tear gas near children. It’s worrying health experts. "Assume that children should have zero exposure to these chemicals.” My latest for @19thnews.org: 19thnews.org/2026/02/ice-...

What happens when a measles outbreak hits your state? For @drannieandrews.com, a pediatrician running for the U.S. Senate, it becomes a key issue on the campaign trail. My latest looks at a doctor who’s highlighting health care issues ahead of the midterms. 19thnews.org/2026/02/anni...

As a growing number of states weaken childhood immunization requirements, physicians fear many families will miss critical wellness checks. This great informative piece from @sarahelizcarr.bsky.social was originally published by @hechingerreport.org: 19thnews.org/2026/02/scho...

At 36, Star just took her first step toward gender-affirming care. She looked for Planned Parenthood clinics near her Ohio town. But when she looked online, her heart sank. Medicaid patients like her can’t use their insurance at Planned Parenthood anymore, unless their state covers it.

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.