1. New Jersey is one of the last blue states to not have passed a transgender shield/sanctuary state law for trans youth. Despite having a trifecta, Democratic leadership is refusing to put the bill up for a vote as the lameduck session comes to a close. Subscribe to support our journalism.

The “prosecute the former regime at every level” candidate has my vote in 2028.

OPINION by Jennifer Bouek and Casey Stockstill: “Shirley’s video could lead to center closures and thousands of families across Minnesota losing access to child care.” READ MORE: www.ms.now/opinion/minn...

“Uncertainty is not good for kids, and uncertainty is not good for economies." Grateful to speak with the Post & Courier about the current federal "freeze" on #childcare funding. States, providers, and families need ANSWERS on what comes next. www.postandcourier.com/education-la...

Experts tell @melodyschreiber.com it's the largest change to the vaccination schedule in modern American history, made without scientific evidence or public input

I don't know what this says about me but, like 70% of the time I go to open the calculator on my phone, I accidentally open the calendar instead. Fiancée *trying to work out tip* "What's 20% of 78?" Me: October.

Hunger is on the rise for the early care and education workforce, raising concerns about care quality. From @the74.bsky.social:

"Deepfake detection company Copyleaks estimated that at one point last week, Grok was generating about one nonconsensual sexual image per minute." What in God's name are we doing here? www.washingtonpost.com/technology/2...

Moving to prospective #childcare payments helps stabilize operations for providers - incredibly important to maintaining the sector. There already ARE lots of safeguards in place. Provider submit records to verify afterwards and there is ALWAYS a paper trail. www.npr.org/2026/01/05/n...

It is hard to believe that of the 100 U.S. Senators...2 of them are named Bernie.

An important look at how some states are stepping in to fill the ACA subsidy gap. New Mexico is apparently the only state committed to cover their residents' gap in full! www.politico.com/news/2025/12...

And here it is: HHS statement on the NPRM, linking it closely to "fraud in Minnesota." Note the NPRM's *do not come out overnight.* This is not a response to MN. They are either choosing to tie it to it for coverage, or there was a decision to launch them together. acf.gov/media/press/...

I cannot stop thinking of the tragic death of Dr. Jannell Green Smith, CNM, a midwife and Black maternal health advocate in SC who herself died after giving birth. I did not know Dr. Green Smith but I have had the privilege to work alongside some of the same maternal health communities.

Glad winter break is about to end, we've turned to the washing machine for entertainment at this point.

Behind the mask of reducing “costs and burden” for states administering and “restoring flexibility,” it does away with requirements to limit family co-payments to 7% of income and to pay providers prospectively based on enrollment (just like they are in the private market).

Today the administration quietly released a proposal to FULLY RESCIND these provisions. public-inspection.federalregister.gov/2025-24272.pdf

It was suspicious because the policy is so in-the-weeds. Why mention it? Most readers wouldn’t know what it was or why it mattered. It wasn’t great PR.

Statements from anti-child care legislators started coming out. All at least mentioning paying providers based on enrollment rather than attendance - one of several best practices ALL states were being mandated to implement soon by the 2024 CCDF Final Rule. acf.gov/occ/outreach...

I’ve seen programs get dinged for having tweezers in the wrong place or the wrong kind of bleach spray. I’ve seen families get denied subsidies for providing the wrong week of paystubs or skipping an application question accidentally.

When “news” first broke I was super skeptical. I’m a child care researcher and work with providers who accept publicly funded kiddos all the time. First of all there were no substantiated cases of fraud, it all seemed to be thinly veiled race baiting using buzzwords and old, unrelated fraud cases.

I unfortunately went through a similar process today. Ali is 100% right - this is not a flash in the pan. The CCDF public comment period opening now turns this into a whole new thing. No tin hats here.

Trying to see what, if any, guidance HSS has put out so far on child care funding freeze. And instead see...a banner on the official HHS website to report alleged child care fraud.

Primer from @ehaspel.bsky.social on #childcare funds as a political football: "this isn’t really a story about fraud. Right now, this is a story about millions of American households...that are about to take yet another blow to their well-being...." familyfrontier.substack.com/p/the-new-ye...

In our family, we have a train engineer *and* a mechanical engineer who works on rail safety. Cannot tell you how much my kids love having not 1 but 2 sources for their train questions though they don't quite get different perspectives of each! (We also have a physics teacher for good measure)

"the application process for the funding is complex and multilayered...Her own child care center has been subjected to random audits, she said, and all centers are required to submit to licensing visits by officialsI don’t know what else I would provide,” she said" apnews.com/article/minn...

This situation is scary but it's also incredibly funny that it flourished on twitter over a holiday weekend when only isolated, unlovable freaks were online and as soon as normal people logged on everyone was like "no actually you can never ever just walk into a child care program"

"I'm furious for the childcare providers who will be vilified, furious for the parents (especially moms) who will end up having to fill in the resulting gaps in childcare, and furious that we're letting the GOP run this tired play yet again."

I am completely out of clean leggings, so I'm pleased to say I am maximizing my winter break at home.

This is an absolute nightmare. Families and vulnerable child care providers will be left out to dry.

Oh wow, the lowest level is $1/month! And the annual is only $10! Delighted to be able to support.

Deeply moved by the NJ woman who held the hand of an injured pilot and reassured him after he crashed in her yard. Sadly, he died of his injuries. But I can't imagine what it means to his loved ones that someone provided comfort in that terrible time. www.nj.com/atlantic/202...

"And speaking out after a traumatic experience, in a moment when so few are able to access care, can either be weaponized by anti-trans activists or interpreted by advocates as a step back."

My husband and I went out to a nice dinner. Somebody's continuous glucose monitor was going off elsewhere in the restaurant and I could not relax until it stopped. Life with diabetic parents has trained us well.

"...the Department of Justice issued a memo last week that prohibited the VA from providing abortion services to veterans and their dependents who become pregnant as a result of rape or incest or in cases when their health is endangered by carrying a pregnancy to term."

It’s that time of year again! And by that I mean time to read this hilarious story.

This ignores the most important question which is: can my kids please please please see them up close?

Filmmaker Rob Reiner devoted his influence to reshaping early childhood education policy in California www.the74million.org/zero2eight/r...

Americans having to bootleg broadcast news about our government’s offshored concentration camp is a level of fascism that immediately precedes democratic societies dropping leaflets on us from weather balloons.

Yuanxin and his dad entered the US seeking asylum. After separating the 6yo from his dad for more than a week, they were reunited just to be deported back to a country where Fei fears being tortured. What are we doing here? www.the-independent.com/news/world/a...

I have been feeling extremely STUCK in communicating the realities of policy advocacy during a rapidly changing state & federal landscape. This 2019 report from ORS Impact is extremely validating & given me the language I've been struggling with! www.orsimpact.com/blog/Publica...

I see you "smoke detector low battery always starts to chirp in the middle of the night" and raise you a "thermostat batteries died overnight without warning and turned off the heat." 🥶

I just called Tiny Tim "Little Jim or whatever" if you were wondering how things are going over here

It's so important that we do everything we can to keep people out of these death traps. www.nj.com/essex/2025/1...

It's always "too soon" after shootings to talk about gun reform meanwhile this administration will shut down any residency pathways used by a miniscule fraction of violent offenders. www.google.com/amp/s/thehil...

Just a quick shout-out to blood donors. And I see you, As & Bs! We put a lot of spotlight on Os and ABs but don't think your pints are less amazing. A loved one got an urgent transfusion - they had time to type, so he got his A and O stayed in the bank for an emergency.

Rob Reiner in a very real way helped to pave the mainstream conversations we have now about funding #earlyed and investing in children. Our field owes him a debt of gratitude. What a terrible loss. From 2018: www.k12dive.com/news/how-fil...

Rob Reiner made some great movies but he was also unafraid to speak the truth, and was one of the public voices who knew you don’t squander your platform, and only got louder about opposing evil fucks as he got older. Legend.

The cultural impact of Rob Reiner cannot be understated. Legend isn't big enough a word. It goes to 11. You can't handle the truth. As you wish. I'll have what she's having. I'm your number one fan. You guys wanna see a dead body? The very idea of a bucket list. The West Wing. All from his movies.

This entire weekend