Rachel Cohen Booth
@rcobooth.bsky.social
Vox reporter - covering housing, homelessness, family policy
trying to prod productively
trying to prod productively
Reposted by Rachel Cohen Booth
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)
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)
December 29, 2025 at 1:30 AM
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)
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...
December 30, 2025 at 12:04 AM
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...
@annanorth.bsky.social looks at the likely showdown at the EEOC www.vox.com/policy/47264...
December 19, 2025 at 12:07 AM
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...
@annanorth.bsky.social looks at the likely showdown at the EEOC www.vox.com/policy/47264...
Reposted by Rachel Cohen Booth
I wrote about a schism on the right over IVF, that’s set to come to a head in 2026 (gift link)
The looming showdown over IVF, explained
Trump says he supports IVF. That’s about to be tested.
www.vox.com
December 18, 2025 at 3:27 PM
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...
the headline estimate came from the 2025 NYC comptroller report
bsky.app/profile/rcob...
December 13, 2025 at 1:59 AM
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...
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...
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...
December 13, 2025 at 1:35 AM
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...
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...
www.politico.com/news/2025/12...
Menin and Mamdani could find common ground on child care push
The incoming mayor and speaker-elect are aligned on the $6 billion program, but will face major financial and logistical challenges.
www.politico.com
December 13, 2025 at 12:14 AM
"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...
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-...
www.newamerica.org/better-life-...
The Impact of Increased ICE Activity on the Child Care Workforce and Mothers’ Employment
The surge in ICE arrests erodes the child care workforce and pulls mothers of young children out of the labor market.
www.newamerica.org
December 11, 2025 at 12:29 AM
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-...
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
December 8, 2025 at 4:47 PM
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
Reposted by Rachel Cohen Booth
claudia goldin apology form
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)
December 8, 2025 at 1:37 PM
claudia goldin apology form
@philipncohen.com how is the line you quoted from TNR an example of birth rate "panic" ?
December 8, 2025 at 2:03 PM
@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)
December 8, 2025 at 1:26 PM
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)
Reposted by Rachel Cohen Booth
This truly is exciting - and inspiring!
my goal as a journalist is to report carefully on the best, most practical social policy ideas that can change the world, and this is easily the most exciting one I’ve had the opportunity to cover this year
🧵↓
www.vox.com/policy/46963...
🧵↓
www.vox.com/policy/46963...
What happens when a city takes women’s unpaid work seriously?
Bogotá’s radical experiment in caregiving is going global.
www.vox.com
December 6, 2025 at 4:18 PM
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...
just…staggeringly dangerous stuff
www.nytimes.com/2025/12/05/h...
December 6, 2025 at 1:20 AM
“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...
just…staggeringly dangerous stuff
www.nytimes.com/2025/12/05/h...
Reposted by Rachel Cohen Booth
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...
December 5, 2025 at 3:40 PM
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
my goal as a journalist is to report carefully on the best, most practical social policy ideas that can change the world, and this is easily the most exciting one I’ve had the opportunity to cover this year
🧵↓
www.vox.com/policy/46963...
🧵↓
www.vox.com/policy/46963...
What happens when a city takes women’s unpaid work seriously?
Bogotá’s radical experiment in caregiving is going global.
www.vox.com
December 5, 2025 at 3:09 PM
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
One way I think about care blocks is they're part of a larger and powerful trend of taking single-use govt. buildings and transforming them into multi-purpose intergenerational hubs.
see also: public schools with declining enrollments, libraries
see also: public schools with declining enrollments, libraries
Bogotá has opened 25 "care blocks" since 2020 — neighborhood hubs where women can hand off laundry, see a therapist, finish their education, join a fitness class or just rest, while their kids or elderly relatives are cared for nearby.
December 5, 2025 at 2:11 PM
One way I think about care blocks is they're part of a larger and powerful trend of taking single-use govt. buildings and transforming them into multi-purpose intergenerational hubs.
see also: public schools with declining enrollments, libraries
see also: public schools with declining enrollments, libraries
my goal as a journalist is to report carefully on the best, most practical social policy ideas that can change the world, and this is easily the most exciting one I’ve had the opportunity to cover this year
🧵↓
www.vox.com/policy/46963...
🧵↓
www.vox.com/policy/46963...
What happens when a city takes women’s unpaid work seriously?
Bogotá’s radical experiment in caregiving is going global.
www.vox.com
December 5, 2025 at 12:51 PM
my goal as a journalist is to report carefully on the best, most practical social policy ideas that can change the world, and this is easily the most exciting one I’ve had the opportunity to cover this year
🧵↓
www.vox.com/policy/46963...
🧵↓
www.vox.com/policy/46963...
After decades of building for singles, cities are realizing the bill has come due. I wrote about the dearth of housing for families — and what it’ll take to fix it
www.vox.com/policy/46981...
www.vox.com/policy/46981...
Cities made a bet on millennials — but forgot one key thing
Can cities learn to love kids again?
www.vox.com
November 24, 2025 at 12:21 PM
After decades of building for singles, cities are realizing the bill has come due. I wrote about the dearth of housing for families — and what it’ll take to fix it
www.vox.com/policy/46981...
www.vox.com/policy/46981...
Reposted by Rachel Cohen Booth
Excited to share that I'm writing a book: a history of the debates over funding public schools from the 1960's to now.
(Yes the working title is tongue in cheek.)
Now I just need to finish writing—stay tuned!
And if you want to follow my work, you can do so here: www.chalkbeat.org/newsletters/...
(Yes the working title is tongue in cheek.)
Now I just need to finish writing—stay tuned!
And if you want to follow my work, you can do so here: www.chalkbeat.org/newsletters/...
November 21, 2025 at 6:39 PM
Excited to share that I'm writing a book: a history of the debates over funding public schools from the 1960's to now.
(Yes the working title is tongue in cheek.)
Now I just need to finish writing—stay tuned!
And if you want to follow my work, you can do so here: www.chalkbeat.org/newsletters/...
(Yes the working title is tongue in cheek.)
Now I just need to finish writing—stay tuned!
And if you want to follow my work, you can do so here: www.chalkbeat.org/newsletters/...
Reposted by Rachel Cohen Booth
Vox is now on Patreon! 💛📣
We’re using Patreon’s tools to introduce great new benefits and give you even more insights into our journalism and the people who make it: exclusive videos, live conversations featuring our reporters, new community features, and more.
We’re using Patreon’s tools to introduce great new benefits and give you even more insights into our journalism and the people who make it: exclusive videos, live conversations featuring our reporters, new community features, and more.
November 17, 2025 at 5:31 PM
Vox is now on Patreon! 💛📣
We’re using Patreon’s tools to introduce great new benefits and give you even more insights into our journalism and the people who make it: exclusive videos, live conversations featuring our reporters, new community features, and more.
We’re using Patreon’s tools to introduce great new benefits and give you even more insights into our journalism and the people who make it: exclusive videos, live conversations featuring our reporters, new community features, and more.
Reposted by Rachel Cohen Booth
This week on Explain It to Me: the future of housing. We talk to @ayesharascoe.bsky.social about buying a house with her bestie, @rcobooth.bsky.social about the new options out there, and @jerusalem.bsky.social on why homeownership just might be overrated. open.spotify.com/episode/1JUU...
Spotify – Web Player
open.spotify.com
November 16, 2025 at 2:30 PM
This week on Explain It to Me: the future of housing. We talk to @ayesharascoe.bsky.social about buying a house with her bestie, @rcobooth.bsky.social about the new options out there, and @jerusalem.bsky.social on why homeownership just might be overrated. open.spotify.com/episode/1JUU...
it's clear reading this @rtraister.bsky.social piece how little the Democratic Party thinks it erred in running Joe Biden at his age
Also this memorable quote: "Many can’t imagine doing anything in which they won’t be heavily staffed and relevant all the time.”
nymag.com/intelligence...
Also this memorable quote: "Many can’t imagine doing anything in which they won’t be heavily staffed and relevant all the time.”
nymag.com/intelligence...
It’s My Party and I’ll Leave When I Want To
Talking to the gerontocracy.
nymag.com
November 3, 2025 at 9:30 PM
it's clear reading this @rtraister.bsky.social piece how little the Democratic Party thinks it erred in running Joe Biden at his age
Also this memorable quote: "Many can’t imagine doing anything in which they won’t be heavily staffed and relevant all the time.”
nymag.com/intelligence...
Also this memorable quote: "Many can’t imagine doing anything in which they won’t be heavily staffed and relevant all the time.”
nymag.com/intelligence...
I love reading @sigalsamuel.bsky.social's ethical advice column. It's refreshing and I always learn something new
www.vox.com/the-highligh...
www.vox.com/the-highligh...
You don’t need better boundaries. You need a better framework.
“Setting boundaries” is broken — but there’s a different way to think about caring for yourself and others.
www.vox.com
November 3, 2025 at 1:00 PM
I love reading @sigalsamuel.bsky.social's ethical advice column. It's refreshing and I always learn something new
www.vox.com/the-highligh...
www.vox.com/the-highligh...
a sharp @suzmkahn.bsky.social review in @washingtonmonthly.com on After the Spike. Parenting will always have something of an "opportunity cost" but that doesn't mean there's not a lot policy can do to make it a better option
washingtonmonthly.com/2025/11/02/a...
washingtonmonthly.com/2025/11/02/a...
Running Out of People
In After the Spike, two economists make a provocative case that population decline could stall innovation and human progress.
washingtonmonthly.com
November 3, 2025 at 12:49 PM
a sharp @suzmkahn.bsky.social review in @washingtonmonthly.com on After the Spike. Parenting will always have something of an "opportunity cost" but that doesn't mean there's not a lot policy can do to make it a better option
washingtonmonthly.com/2025/11/02/a...
washingtonmonthly.com/2025/11/02/a...