Zohran Mamdani represents the future of the Democratic party | Robert Reich

Mamdani shows: Supporting economic security & minority/human rights goes hand in hand & is a compelling set of values (& campaign message) May we see more of this 💕

JUST IN: Courts ordered SNAP payments to restart, and the Trump administration said Monday the food benefits would be half the normal payment. About 1 in 8 U.S. residents get an average of $187 a month per person on SNAP.

Why should you 🫵🏿 care about SNAP? SNAP recipients saw: - Improved life expectancy - Lower chance of incarceration - Lowers chance of poverty - Lived in better neighborhoods - Higher human capital SNAP keeps our neighbors fed, communities safer, and kids educated. Also people are HUNGRY. DUH!

Thanks to @feedingamerica.org for helping families have food on the table this holiday season Regardless of what happens next with SNAP, many people are losing jobs at the same time as health insurance premiums are rising & Medicaid coverage is set to decline We can support those most affected

SNAP boosts households' average monthly income by 31%. For households with kids, it's 42%. SNAP prevents food insecurity, but it also enables households use scarce non-SNAP resources for other things... rent, utilities, diapers, school supplies... from: www.fns.usda.gov/data-researc... 🥗 🛟

Did you know? The US has one of the highest child poverty rates of OECD countries. The average child poverty rate across OECD countries is 12.2% In the US, it’s over 20% It’s partly why many children rely on SNAP High rates of child poverty warrant a national conversation.

Mail-in voters who haven't returned ballots yet: Check your state's deadline to make sure your vote gets counted. If your ballot must be received by Election Day, consider stopping by a ballot drop box or early voting site. It may be too late for the U.S. Postal Service to deliver it by Nov. 4...

I just spoke with Capital Area Food Bank CEO Radha Muthiah about how they are preparing for a possible lapse in SNAP funding. She told me that for every meal they provide, SNAP provides *nine*. "The magnitude of the SNAP program is significant," she says.

Food bank director: “for every meal that a food bank provides, the SNAP program provides nine. There’s no way we can meet that gap.”

“I’m so appreciative. I can’t wait to hug my babies. And then I will get to work for others like me.” — Jackie Merlos, after release from 4 months of ICE custody

Did you know? About 4.5 million SNAP recipients are babies and toddlers under age 5. About 11.1 million SNAP recipients are kids aged 5 to 17 years, who need food for healthy growth, learning, & development. The federal government has the capacity to continue funding SNAP during a shutdown.

ICYMI: This week, I published my story about text messages I exchanged with Lindsey Halligan — the prosecutor now pursuing criminal cases against Letitia James and James Comey. It’s a wild ride, and I’m still trying to make sense of it all. Your Sunday read: ⬇️ www.lawfaremedia.org/article/anna...

This is contemptible and outrageous and unprecedented. Mostly children, the elderly, and those with disabilities. Shameful. Hungry at Thanksgiving.

Punchbowl reports “White House officials determined they do not have the authority” to use contingency reserves —billions of $ that Congress provided for use when SNAP funding is inadequate— to fund Nov. SNAP benefits. But, that’s not what USDA’s now-deleted shutdown plan says:

Fantastic opportunity to lead the Equity Lab @wellcometrust.bsky.social working with the legendary Jimmy Volmink, details here wellcome.wd3.myworkdayjobs.com/en-GB/Wellco... Please repost so as many as possible can see this great opportunity

Good morning, California It’s a good day to Vote Yes on 50

My heart is with immigrant populations in the Bay Area, an important & wonderful part of our communities & of their families Grateful for leadership on supporting everyone in knowing their rights & resources

In response to anti-DEI legislation in the states, universities have started to hire more white male faculty. This increase starts before bills are signed into law. Universities appear to be anticipating anti-DEI legislation and preemptively hiring more white men.

Kudos to Ron Conway. “I am shocked and disappointed by your comments calling for an unwanted invasion of San Francisco by federal troops and by your willful ignorance and detachment from the impacts of the ICE immigration raids of families with NO criminal record.” www.nytimes.com/2025/10/16/u...

“There is added concern in parts of Latin America over unequal access to healthcare & The worrying situation in the US, which is facing its worst measles outbreak in decades following a reversal [of leadership on vaccines]” www.theguardian.com/global-devel...

What would it look like to focus the Abundance Agenda on Community Abundance, ensuring basic standards of living for all? Might this be the rising tide that lifts us all? “Those who live more than a mile away from that line — nearly 3,000 people — have no access to electricity.”

After a long pause, I've just done another England Covid & NHS update as we head into the autumn/winter season. TLDR: we're in a significant Covid wave now, the NHS is stretched, get boosted if you're eligible. christinapagel.substack.com/p/england-is...

Some Good News in public policy

One of the ways we know the perinatal dose of Hepatitis B vaccine makes a difference? NHANES & the people who powered it ACIP recommended the birth dose in 1991. The prevalence of Hepatitis B among children 6–19 years old declined 68% from 1988–1994 to 1999-2006. academic.oup.com/jid/article-...

Read this dispatch from 2025 America: Family of Chicago-area man killed by ICE seeks to reunite with his children who are now in foster care in Idaho. By @chicagotribune.com @lauranrodriguez.bsky.social www.chicagotribune.com/2025/10/12/s...

Love to see this collaboration between economists & epidemiologists We bring out the best in each other when we take a collaborative approach

“Workers continued to see elevated health-related absences linked to COVID-19… [which] has likely raised the value to workers of paid-leave policies & existing social safety net programs. Measures to reduce COVID-19 transmission in the workplace may also mitigate these new exposure risks”

Most Americans, including most Republicans and MAGA supporters, say they want Congress to extend the ACA enhanced premium tax credits that help make Marketplace coverage more affordable. https://on.kff.org/4q7ElGy

JUST IN: The Supreme Court has temporarily blocked President Trump's attempt to fire Federal Reserve governor Lisa Cook, a move that critics say would have compromised the central bank's independence

Another call for sources: I'm reporting on pediatric Covid vaccine access. If you've had trouble finding pediatric doses in stock, or if your child was turned away, I'd love to hear from you: [email protected]. Thanks to those who replied to my pregnancy callout; that story will be out soon.

Study in JAMA Pediatrics estimates that vaccinating pregnant women against COVID-19 prevented 7,000 hospitalizations in infants and 3,000 in pregnant women from January 2024 to May 2025.  #Medsky www.cidrap.umn.edu/covid-19/cov...

My general belief is that Dems need to spend more time thinking about what they believe and less about what they think some imaginary swing voters want them to believe. Political strategy will stem from an authentic set of beliefs.

How America cut deadly city fires in half www.vox.com/future-perfe...

Utah health officials discovered a person infected with measles visited a Logan medical clinic, where 11 vulnerable babies were exposed, launching a race to get the infants preventative treatment.

For all the talk of a boys and men crisis, women have seen two tangible, and troubling, trends: 1. The gender wage gap increased over the last two years 2. The number of women working is falling, while the number of working men is going up. I discuss in my latest: www.bloomberg.com/opinion/arti...

This is huge: “A drug that provides near-perfect protection against H.I.V. with shots just twice a year will be made available at $40 per patient annually in low- and middle-income countries, offering new hope… making lenacapavir a realistic choice in countries with constrained resources.”

We can take good governance for granted until it’s gone — but it’s worth reflecting on what was working well ACIP had - Rigorous vetting of expertise by civil servants - Rolling 4-year appointments providing continuity across administrations This led to strong, credible vaccine recommendations

Evidence-based vaccination recommendations are about more than individual decisions A child infected with measles as a baby “not old enough to be vaccinated at the time of infection” recently died of a complication 💔 Vaccines protect kids who receive them — & infants & others in their communities

Why is the hepatitis B vaccine important to deliver at birth? The chance of developing chronic hep B differs based on the age at which a person is infected Chance of chronic hep B: Infants <1: 90% Kids 1-5: 30% Adults: 5% Chronic hep B can cause liver damage, cancer, & even death

Grateful to the scientists standing up for the integrity of institutions essential to the health & well-being of our whole society Evidence-based approaches are especially critical to the health of infants & children, whose health depends on reduced community spread of infectious diseases

In theory, it’s sound to focus on Hepatitis B screening in pregnancy & targeted vaccination But in practice, pregnant people at elevated risk of Hepatitis B are also at risk of less prenatal care We can learn from syphilis - we haven’t been able to screen & treat in pregnancy as well as we wish

Did you know? Universal Infant Hepatitis B vaccination is a public health policy success story. The US initially tried a risk-based approach to Hepatitis B vaccination in the 1980s. But vaccination rates remained low. New cases continued to increase. www.cdc.gov/mmwr/preview....

Exclusive: Fed Governor Cook declared her Atlanta property as “vacation home,” documents show reut.rs/4n1Izxd

#MedicareForAll would cover more people, more efficiently

“America’s strength has never come from isolation or indifference, but from an instinct to care beyond our borders The belief we have a responsibility to others isn’t shortsighted sentimentalism; it’s the moral foundation of a meaningful life” — @craigspencer.bsky.social @nytopinion.nytimes.com

May this heartbreaking moment prompt us to come together around a vision of a health care system better for patients, providers, & public health Single payer is more effective, equitable, & efficient Thanks @abdulelsayed.bsky.social @awgaffney.bsky.social @nationalnurses.bsky.social & more for ⬇️

Leaders of conscience can make a world of difference www.washingtonpost.com/politics/201...

Part of holding onto Democracy is holding high standards for scientific evidence — & the institutions we rely on to parse the evidence www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025...

Gun violence is a community challenge that calls for community solutions In a new report from @publichealthac.bsky.social, we describe drivers of gun violence & strategies for change Report & brief ➡️ acphd.org/programs-and...