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...

“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...

DCHA Executive Director Keith Pettigrew was just hired as CEO of the Chicago Housing Authority: chicago.suntimes.com/real-estate/...

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

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-...

“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.”

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...

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

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...

"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...

this @giladedelman.bsky.social piece on snoring and snoring treatments was very fun to read www.theatlantic.com/ideas/2026/0...

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

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...

"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...

"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....

it's all so misleading because virtually all meds carry some risk for some people. You could react poorly to the pill & poorly to Miregard (a non-hormonal IUD) but do well on Mirena (a hormonal IUD) and nuva ring (a lower dose hormonal option). Endless combinations of these bsky.app/profile/atru...

and they'll continue to blur the line between abortion and birth control www.vox.com/24087411/ant...

I have 3 weeks left of book leave, and wrote up some things I've learned along the way — about thinking about research and structure, about getting two dozen rejections on my last proposal, and why it's really fine to not love writing rcobooth.substack.com

I can’t stress this enough. The state of 4th Amendment law is that the cops can’t force you to type in a passcode but they can force you to swipe your finger or present your face. Never stop using passcodes/passwords to unlock your devices. And consider additional code to unlock Signal.

Guys if you see observers thank them. There’s real stress and burnout in the ranks right now. People understand they are waking up every day to chase and monitor federal thugs who can execute them. But they keep doing it nonstop to protect their neighbors

this was so good, and I had no real idea this was happening

Update: The admin is moving to quickly deport witnesses who saw ICE detainee die. They say the man was just trying to get his meds. ICE guards shackled him Then they choked him. The admin moved to deport the witnesses — right after they spoke to WaPo. www.washingtonpost.com/immigration/...

Also, when you defy Trump, you’re kind of implicitly making fools of the elite law firms and universities and media companies and billionaires and Congress, which is fun.

They expect - they NEED - the people they threaten to fall in line, like the law firms and universities and media companies and billionaires and Congress did. If you say “No, make me,” they simply do not have a Plan B. TRUMP DOES NOT HAVE ENOUGH GUYS TO MAKE YOU.

just parody, @wsj.com

"Both in Massachusetts and around the country, white and Asian parents were far likelier to pull their children out of public schools than Hispanics and African Americans." www.the74million.org/article/fall...

a little reflection from my third timester rcobooth.substack.com/p/whats-surp...

I feel like "attention hacking" is most of politics now. The Minnesota aid fraud story is becoming a perfect example. Recap: In 2022, the Biden DOJ filed the first charges against dozens of fraudsters, many of them Somali-American, who'd fleeced a state food aid program. (1/x)

some last thoughts on a big year open.substack.com/pub/rcobooth...

there's going to be pressure within Trump world in 2026 to rewrite the Pregnant Workers Fairness Act to exclude patients undergoing IVF @annanorth.bsky.social looks at the likely showdown at the EEOC www.vox.com/policy/47264...

I wrote about a schism on the right over IVF, that’s set to come to a head in 2026 (gift link)

and yes, many people in NYC spend even more than that! the headline estimate came from the 2025 NYC comptroller report bsky.app/profile/rcob...

Universal child care in NYC won't be easy. But it's possible, practical, and could give the United States a desperately-needed blueprint. I wrote for @nytimes.com about what Zohran Mamdani will need to keep in mind as he looks to deliver on his campaign pledge www.nytimes.com/2025/12/11/o...

"Democratic socialist Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani and moderate presumptive City Council Speaker Julie Menin are seemingly on an ideological collision course. But free child care is emerging as one issue area they might potentially align on." www.politico.com/news/2025/12...

Chris Herbst and @erdaltekin.bsky.social find the increase in ICE arrests since Trump took office to be associated with 39,000 fewer foreign-born child care workers and 77,000 fewer U.S.-born working mothers (as of July) www.newamerica.org/better-life-...

I started working on this one originally because I was struck by the fact that men were registering more concern than women about falling birth rates, but also voicing greater support for a return to traditional gender roles

claudia goldin apology form

@philipncohen.com how is the line you quoted from TNR an example of birth rate "panic" ?

A new study on 40+ European countries found women increasingly want men to share child care and housework equally—but men's attitudes have barely budged. In countries where this gap was widest, both birth rates and female employment were lower. (1/3)

This truly is exciting - and inspiring!

“Only about half of cases before 1991 were a result of transmission from an infected mother.” just…staggeringly dangerous stuff www.nytimes.com/2025/12/05/h...

I love this idea of highly flexible childcare, and the care during night shifts reminded me of this work on nighttime childcare in the US: www.erikson.edu/research/ill...

One idea from Bogotá I can't stop thinking about: 24-hour mobile child care for parents working night shifts — bus drivers, recyclers who sort trash before dawn. Or child care that comes to a college student on exam day, or to a workplace that pays for it and gets a tax break