Of course we need to safeguard against fraud. But with Trump/GOP smelling blood on federal child care supports, the whole investment is at risk. Providers across the country rely on these subsidies and. Will. Have. To. Close. Families will lose care whether low-income or not.

My newsletter’s 5 Questions series with candidates, electeds, and other public figures resumes this week. Up now is my chat with Evanston IL mayor and candidate for Congress @danielbiss.bsky.social We covered a ton of key issues, plus his late-breaking reaction to Venezuela👇

Read my full interview with IL 9th Congressional candidate @danielbiss.bsky.social open.substack.com/pub/joshcowe...

Every word of this from @ehaspel.bsky.social

I can’t stress this enough. Yes these $$ are for lower income families. And that matters. But the margins on child care provision are tiny (despite the price) So w/out these supports, entire providers may go under, raising costs and creating care shortages for all families too

This is entirely about denying Democrats a policy win that happens to be good for families Fraud should always be cut but this is no more about cutting fraud than gutting Medicaid was. Dems must not these goons bully them away from good, sound investment in child care policies.

If any reporters want to talk about rampant fraud and abuse in taxpayer-funded systems outside of child care: I’m happy to tell you all about the ghost students, non-existent schools, Disney tix and more in red state ESA/voucher schemes. And I welcome Republicans to the fight.

Of course we need to safeguard against fraud. But with Trump/GOP smelling blood on federal child care supports, the whole investment is at risk. Providers across the country rely on these subsidies and. Will. Have. To. Close. Families will lose care whether low-income or not.

My newsletter’s 5 Questions series with candidates, electeds, and other public figures resumes this week. Up now is my chat with Evanston IL mayor and candidate for Congress @danielbiss.bsky.social We covered a ton of key issues, plus his late-breaking reaction to Venezuela👇

For my part, I’m not going to stop talking about the risk of child care closures for families across the country just because Venezuela has kicked it off the front page. The deadline for this is 1/9 👇

As much as reasonable, stable people all know these guys are just total incompetents, it can still never be said enough

I say this as someone who ran to face this guy. This is about as skeptical as we can likely expect from Republicans in Congress. Tom has been otherwise nothing but servile to Trump. But “anxious to be briefed” and “needs to work with Congress” doesn’t scream support (so far).

What’s happening in MN is going to hurt child care everywhere. Here’s what’s about to happen in Michigan. And it’s ultimately not just low-income families. I’m telling you. If this keeps up, providers will close, many families will have to look for new care.

Trump’s starting his unnecessary, unconstitutional war in Venezuela less than 48 hours after he let health care supports expire for millions of families. It’s not going make your life more affordable, help your child read, or secure your retirement.

I say this as someone who ran to face this guy. This is about as skeptical as we can likely expect from Republicans in Congress. Tom has been otherwise nothing but servile to Trump. But “anxious to be briefed” and “needs to work with Congress” doesn’t scream support (so far).

What’s happening in MN is going to hurt child care everywhere. Here’s what’s about to happen in Michigan. And it’s ultimately not just low-income families. I’m telling you. If this keeps up, providers will close, many families will have to look for new care.

A reminder that the U.S. military officials who briefed senators on the Sept. 2 boat strikes confirmed none of these Venezuelan boats targeted by Trump's strikes have had fentanyl on them. They had cocaine, and in at least one case, it was bound for Europe.

Trump’s starting his unnecessary, unconstitutional war in Venezuela less than 48 hours after he let health care supports expire for millions of families. It’s not going make your life more affordable, help your child read, or secure your retirement.

New details on Trump’s audit of MN child care $$ (which also threatens care nationally). They’re targeting providers and recipients across funding streams We should ensure these $$ are used properly. But this DOGE-style pause w/new data sweeps creates chaos and hurts families.

New details on Trump’s audit of MN child care $$ (which also threatens care nationally). They’re targeting providers and recipients across funding streams We should ensure these $$ are used properly. But this DOGE-style pause w/new data sweeps creates chaos and hurts families.

As soon as Monday, perhaps, subsidized families will show up at their child care center for drop-off and be pulled aside and told their out-of-pocket fee is now $1000 or so/month higher to remain at the center. Even if fed subsidies get restarted, the risk this year remains

And I just want to highlight that these attacks on federal (and by extension state) investments in child care have very specific consequences here. Subsidies are crucial to overall market. Providers have closed. Jobs lost. Funding streams will get tightened/closed off. Parents lose immediate care.

Even faster than I expected. Can’t overstate the down-market effects this will have on providers and families across the country. Care centers will close, people will lose and have to quit their jobs. Right as millions are losing health care and seeing premiums jump abcnews.go.com/amp/US/hhs-f...

Listen I’m glad that major media outlets are debunking the right-wing influencer’s story on MN child care fraud. But the big story is happening now. Trump’s subsidy pause will be brutal for families whether they directly benefit or not. The cost of care is about to skyrocket

As soon as Monday, perhaps, subsidized families will show up at their child care center for drop-off and be pulled aside and told their out-of-pocket fee is now $1000 or so/month higher to remain at the center. Even if fed subsidies get restarted, the risk this year remains

Even faster than I expected. Can’t overstate the down-market effects this will have on providers and families across the country. Care centers will close, people will lose and have to quit their jobs. Right as millions are losing health care and seeing premiums jump abcnews.go.com/amp/US/hhs-f...

And I just want to highlight that these attacks on federal (and by extension state) investments in child care have very specific consequences here. Subsidies are crucial to overall market. Providers have closed. Jobs lost. Funding streams will get tightened/closed off. Parents lose immediate care.

"These attacks are baseless, racist, and despicable. And yet, they’re taking a page out of the same moral panic playbook the GOP has been running for decades to undermine public investment in childcare and achieve its broader (and often misogynistic) policy aims." open.substack.com/pub/jesscala...

And the complaint those conservatives have has three parts:

There are many more conservative university faculty than conservatives want you to believe. Or, at least, researchers whose empirical work provides some evidence for conservative policy positions. The agitators re “bias against conservatives” generally just did shitty work.

I just cannot stress enough how in danger child care funds are in upcoming budgets. Minnesota is the pretext.

Told you

Child care center fraud needs to be pursued 💯 But the MN story is blowing up as Democrats (and some GOP) are landing plans to invest new child care $$—good politics and good policy. GOP leadership/WH hate the issue, so child care fraud gives an excuse to cut state/federal $$

I just cannot stress enough how in danger child care funds are in upcoming budgets. Minnesota is the pretext.

Told you

Child care center fraud needs to be pursued 💯 But the MN story is blowing up as Democrats (and some GOP) are landing plans to invest new child care $$—good politics and good policy. GOP leadership/WH hate the issue, so child care fraud gives an excuse to cut state/federal $$

We need a bold, positive, strategy-level vision for renewing public schools. But we don’t have to wait to invest in tactical policies. School meals. HVAC updates. Cell phone bans. Reading reforms. All improve academic results and reflect broader social & economic objectives.

In my last newsletter of the year: I give a quick recap of my campaign for Congress, push again for Democrats to renew education as a top-tier issue, and preview upcoming interviews with candidates and other leaders. Link in the comments

My full year-end newsletter here! open.substack.com/pub/joshcowe...

Today we filed a lawsuit against the Dept of Ed's abrupt & unlawful decision to stop millions of $$ in funding 4 Full-Service Community Schools in the middle of approved, multi-year projects-projects that give students tutoring and after school & health care at school. www.aft.org/press-releas...

Cc all the right-wing economists still angry that universities won’t hire/tenure them and think it’s just because “politics” and “DEI”

We need a bold, positive, strategy-level vision for renewing public schools. But we don’t have to wait to invest in tactical policies. School meals. HVAC updates. Cell phone bans. Reading reforms. All improve academic results and reflect broader social & economic objectives.

“Cowen points out…Public schools would benefit from a strong coalition of funders with economic and policy muscle… Such a coalition would reaffirm public education as a shared resource, while working to address our current system’s flaws.” Examples include the Raikes Foundation, Grantmakers for Ed

In my last newsletter of the year: I give a quick recap of my campaign for Congress, push again for Democrats to renew education as a top-tier issue, and preview upcoming interviews with candidates and other leaders. Link in the comments

For my generation (I was born in 1978), Bush v Gore is the defining political trauma and sliding doors moment in US history. Everything after—the Iraq War, Roberts/Alito (even Kavanaugh got his start on the case), Trump’s rise, flows from that 5-4 decision. www.brennancenter.org/our-work/ana...

What if—and hear me out here—public education is subject to the same new social, cultural and economic challenges as other sectors and it’s not that teachers and school leaders are bad at their jobs or that labor unions are the devil?

“Cowen points out…Public schools would benefit from a strong coalition of funders with economic and policy muscle… Such a coalition would reaffirm public education as a shared resource, while working to address our current system’s flaws.” Examples include the Raikes Foundation, Grantmakers for Ed

Marty Supreme was supreme

Americans Hate AI. Which Party Will Benefit? Party insiders are divided on how to channel Americans’ growing fear of AI.

Pelosi: "Right now, Republicans in Congress have abolished the Congress. They just do what the president insists that they do. That will be over as soon as we have the gavel."