What attacks on K-12 teachers tell us about the assault on the civil service
Transgender passport chaos, housing after the LA fires, and intergenerational homesharing
The attacks on the federal workforce are so horrible, short-sighted, and cruel. I feel really speechless sometimes when I think about it, and all the people whose lives are being affected right now — including the many people who work for companies and organizations that are funded by the federal government. (One statistic I read over the weekend: “Every five federal government jobs that are lost typically wipe away an additional two jobs nationwide” per the Center for Regional Analysis at George Mason University.)
Still, I wanted to try to add something to conversation, to help bring some clarity to how dangerous this all is. I have a piece today on how these attacks draw from the same playbook that’s been used against K-12 teachers and public education for decades. (From calling them “deep state infiltrators” to claiming this is all about “bloated bureaucracy” and “efficiency”) The attacks on educators have made teaching an embattled profession, and that comes with real consequences for students. You might not know a civil servant personally like you know teachers, but I can assure you that the attacks on the federal workforce could have real consequences for all of us and future generations. We need and deserve a strong public sector, and we should do all we can to make the jobs in that public sector attractive to the most talented people we can. You can read that story here.
Yesterday I wrote about how Trump’s new passport rules are trapping transgender Americans in chaotic bureaucratic limbo. Over 1700 trans and non-binary people have already reported complaints to the ACLU about their passport applications, and I spoke with one of the ACLU attorneys currently suing the federal government over the rules. You can read that story here, and/or watch a short video I made about the article here. (I made a new professional Instagram account in January with the plan to start making more videos there about my pieces, so feel free to follow along if you like.)
My Vox colleagues have done some really tremendous reporting on the LA County fires over the last six weeks and I was glad to get to contribute one piece to that broader body of work. I wrote about how California really faces a make-or-break moment on housing, and about how what leaders decide to do next when it comes to housing policy will really have lasting effects for renters, homeowners and homeless people across the state. California has to rebuild quickly, and differently. You can read that story here.
And finally, this is a piece I was really delighted to report, and am proud to have published. I wrote about the “new empty nesting” — seniors opening up their spare bedrooms to younger renters who are looking for a cheaper option. It’s an underrated idea that bridges generations, boosts needed housing supply, and helps more people afford to age in place.
There are laws and cultural practices that still make this kind of intergenerational home-sharing more difficult than it needs to be, and I wrote about some of the people and organizations working to change that. You can read all about it here.
This is a story they’re keeping paywalled for now for Vox members — and if I could interest any of you in signing up, you’d be doing so much to help the organization stay afloat long term. (It’s $5 a month, or $50 for a year membership.)
I also wanted to say thank you to fellow journalist Katherine Goldstein who writes the thoughtful care and gender newsletter
! She posted a note on Substack this week about becoming a Vox member to read the home-sharing story.
Anyway, that’s all for now. I was out of the country for the first two weeks of the Trump administration visiting my fiancé’s family, but I’m back now and working hard try and shed some light on all the chaos that’s going on. Thanks for reading, I hope you enjoy your long weekend, and more soon.