“It took so much stress away,” said #RxKids participant Angela Sintery. With the cash, she bought a car seat, bassinet, and crib, covered diapers and wipes, took 14 weeks off work, and, for the first time, could “step back and enjoy my pregnancy.”

"If the enhanced subsidies expire, nearly 4 million people are projected to go without coverage in 2026 because they won’t be able to afford the premiums, according to a 2024 analysis by the Congressional Budget Office."

1/ Childcare is one of the biggest expenses families face, often costing more than rent or mortgage. New Mexico is changing that by making it free for all residents, saving families an average of $12K per child every year.

Imagine paying more for a flight to a funeral—just because the airline knows why you’re traveling. That’s surveillance pricing: companies using your personal data to predict how much you're willing to pay to squeeze every dollar.

Their conversation was moderated by @nataliefoster.bsky.social President and Co-Founder of @economicsecurityproject.org and author of “The Guarantee.” Register now: techequity.us/event/the-ri...

Private capital’s reach is everywhere—from housing to retail to healthcare. TOMORROW: ESP’s @nataliefoster.bsky.social will moderate a conversation with @techequity.us Founder + CEO Catherine Bracy and journalist @greenwell.bsky.social on what this means for our economy. 🔗 ow.ly/LK0w50WKnq1

Bay Area folks! I’m so excited about this event on Tuesday with the great @nataliefoster.bsky.social @catherinebracy.com @economicsecurityproject.org @techequity.us. Please come hang if you’re free; it’s gonna be great. techequity.us/event/the-ri...

🧵Groceries or rent. Medicine or the electric bill. These aren’t hypothetical choices. They're the real trade-offs Illinois families told us about on our Road to Affordability Tour, a series of listening conversations across the state.

I'll be live with @c-hughes.bsky.social, founder of @economicsecurityproject.org talking about what's in store for the U.S. economy. Make sure to tune in and add to your calendars. open.substack.com/live-stream/...

Cash isn’t a cure-all. It won’t end homelessness or fix our broken healthcare system. But as @annielowrey.bsky.social reminds us, it can help families afford the basics like groceries and lower the poverty rate. That isn’t a disappointment—that’s the point. 🔗 www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archiv...

1/ NEW: California just struck a historic deal with Uber & Lyft. For the first time, rideshare drivers will have a pathway to unionize. After years of organizing, this victory could pave the way in other states and bring stronger protections for gig workers. #LaborDay

Thrilled to be moderating The Future of Equal Opportunity with @eop.aspeninstitute.org next week. I’ll be in conversation with luminaries like @staceyabrams.com , @kotagaleeoc.bsky.social , and @profmpastor.bsky.social to talk about the attacks on equity and how we can turn the tide around.

READ: ESP Fellow @asteephen.bsky.social breaks down why families are facing higher energy bills—from the rollback of clean energy incentives to the rapid growth of AI data centers—and how these shifts are raising costs for families.

NEW: ESP Future of Tax Filing Fellow @cmgiven.bsky.social on what comes next after #DirectFile.

President Trump’s attempt to fire Federal Reserve Governor Cook is the most aggressive assault on the Fed's independence that we have ever seen, explains @c-hughes.bsky.social on Squawk Box. This instability won’t just rattle markets—it will hit families already struggling with high costs, too.

Cash helps families cover essentials like groceries, rent, and medical bills, while also improving birth outcomes and boosting school attendance—just a few of the many proven benefits. But it was never meant to be a silver bullet, explains ESP’s Shafeka Hashash via @vox.com.

🚀Gig work is everywhere. For some, it’s a way to make extra cash. For others, it’s a lifeline in a tough economy. But behind the headlines are real struggles. 🧵

Speaking with @arimelber.bsky.social, ESP co-founder @c-hughes.bsky.social warns that firing Federal Reserve Governor Cook undermines the independence of the central bank—creating more economic instability at a time when families are already facing an affordability crisis.

Last week, our Director of Cash Initiatives Shafeka Hashash joined @jeremybney.bsky.social on Substack Live to talk about what it really takes to build direct cash programs that deliver for families. Watch a highlight!

1/ MN families spend almost 20% of their income on childcare. As ESP's Taylor Jo Isenberg explains, affordable + accessible care isn't just a family issue, it's foundational to a "healthy, dynamic economy and country." ✍️ @publicnewsservice.bsky.social

TODAY: ESP's Shafeka Hashash joins @jeremybney.bsky.social to talk about the state of direct cash right now. Don't miss it!

1/ Direct cash support works: it reduces stress, improves health outcomes, and creates stability. But as ESP's Shafeka Hashash explains, political attacks from the Trump admin threaten these programs—even while promoting their own cash schemes.

“This is easily the biggest impact on child survival that I’ve seen from an intervention that was designed to alleviate poverty" Read the full story: www.nytimes.com/2025/08/18/h...

1/ NEW: A study in Kenya found that giving families $1K cut infant mortality rates by nearly half. The infusion of cash meant mothers could afford prenatal visits, rest instead of working late into pregnancy, and deliver safely at hospitals. @give-directly.bsky.social

1/ Big news from @LACity! The City Council just approved $2M for a new #guaranteedincome pilot. The STAY SAFE pilot will provide $1,000/month for two years to foster youth & survivors of domestic violence, paired with job training.

I think the endgame won't be Sharpie moments, where bad BLS numbers are replaced with 'good' ones. Instead it is creating so much confusion around the data estimates on purpose, so much noise and doubt, that they ceases to function as an independent gauge of what is happening under Trump.

Trump’s “Big Bad Bill” guts healthcare, food assistance, student loan relief, and clean energy—while funding tax breaks for the wealthy. Many of these changes don’t happen all at once—they’re phased in over the next few years, with big impacts on families and hospitals. See what’s at stake👇

You’ve probably seen headlines about the study implying that direct cash support makes no difference to families. I was away on family vacay when the story broke, but now that I’m back, I want to unpack why that framing is misleading, and share what experts are saying. 🧵

excited to work with @economicsecurityproject.org! b/c they get that fighting *against* corporate power and fighting *for* a universal public infrastructure to meet essential needs is the *same fight* not everyone gets that which is wild esp these days b/c .. <waves hands around>

Not billionaires. Not big corporations. Families, seniors, and small business owners will pay the cost while the wealthy cash in on massive tax breaks.

Thrilled to welcome @lenorepalladino.bsky.social as an ESP Fellow! Lenore has spent her career unpacking how corporate power shapes our economy. Now, she’s bringing that sharp lens to help us reimagine how #publicoptions like universal public childcare can create an economy that works for all.

Delta confirmed it’s piloting AI-driven pricing—used on 3% of fares now & expanding to 20% of domestic flights by year’s end. Delta calls it innovation. Privacy experts call it a step toward surveillance pricing—when companies use personal & behavioral data to find the maximum price you’ll pay.

Groceries, cars, strollers—it’s all gotten more expensive. And that’s no accident. ESP’s @mtkonczal.bsky.social explains on @cspanwj.bsky.social how President Trump’s economic policy protects the wealthy and shifts the cost to families.

Headed to @netrootsnation.bsky.social? Don’t miss ESP’s @harishipatel.bsky.social, alongside @taraghuveer.bsky.social, Hope Wollensack, and Andrea Paluso for a panel on tackling the affordability crisis—and how bold, people-first policies on housing, care, and cash can reshape our economy. #NN25

IRS Commissioner Long confirmed what’s been expected for months: Direct File is dead. By prioritizing “Direct Audits” over free filing, he makes it clear he’d rather serve big businesses accused of tax fraud than regular people waiting on refunds. ESP's Adam Ruben weighed in on today’s Morning Tax.

Saying the quiet part out loud: President Trump’s Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent just admitted the Trump Accounts are a “backdoor for privatizing #SocialSecurity.” It’s a revealing moment—and a clear sign the Big Bad Bill doesn’t just gut healthcare. It puts retirement benefits at risk, too.

1/ A NYT headline about the Baby’s First Years study is making rounds, suggesting direct cash is not a tool for creating better outcomes for child development. But it leaves out critical context about what we know about cash. Let’s take a closer look at what the study shows — and what it doesn’t.

1/ Childcare is one of the biggest expenses families face, up there with rent or a mortgage. Paired with low wages for caregivers and endless waitlists, it’s a prime example of a broken market.

1/ @merici.bsky.social—former DOGE + former senior advisor to the IRS commissioner was a chief architect of #DirectFile and is now a Future of Tax Fellow at ESP—pulls back the curtain on Musk’s power play in DC.

We teamed up with Community Change, in partnership with @economicsecurityproject.org & engaged directly with parents, providers, & organizers to envision a path to a universal public childcare system that meets the needs of families & providers. Watch what they have to say ⬇️

1/ NEW: OpenResearch just released research from the most comprehensive #guaranteedincome study in the U.S. Here are a few of the toplines: ✅ Less parental stress = better parenting ✅ More medical care, often therapy ✅ Stronger parent-child relationships Let’s dive in:

Over the last year, Roosevelt had the invaluable opportunity to speak with parents, childcare providers, and grassroots organizers to help us vision what a truly public, universal childcare system could look like, w/ partners at Community Change & @economicsecurityproject.org. Check out our report:

1/ Something is fundamentally wrong when families are spending MORE on childcare than a mortgage or rent. Childcare is a textbook example of a broken market, failing parents, providers, and kids alike.

One of the best-reviewed gov’t tools in years? IRS #DirectFile. Free, easy, and fast, yet the Trump admin shut it down. Now, we’re partnering with the people who built it to keep the code and dream alive. cc: @merici.bsky.social @cmgiven.bsky.social

1/ Today, California’s #SB53 went before the Assembly Privacy committee with a proposal for #CalCompute—public computing infrastructure that could democratize access to AI development beyond the current 3-company monopoly.

Access to affordable, healthy food shouldn't depend on profit margins and public grocery stores put community needs first. As ESP’s Erion Malasi puts it, “It is a government tool to better the community.” 🍎 🛒

This new tax and budget law passed by Trump is detrimental to the majority of Americans. I’m joined by @mtkonczal.bsky.social from @economicsecurityproject.org to break it down. youtu.be/sOGRrVmza7U?...

Silicon Valley titans are racing to automate millions of jobs, and point to UBI as a quick fix for what they break. If we don’t take on concentrated corporate power now, the powerful few will shape the AI economy to serve themselves.

The priorities in President Trump’s “Big Ugly Bill” are clear—and they’re not with working families. While billionaires get massive tax breaks, people at the bottom will see their incomes drop. Medicaid, food aid, and rural healthcare face brutal cuts. These headlines say it all:

1/ 37% of families can’t afford a $400 emergency. Now imagine facing that reality and a childhood cancer diagnosis.