Barbara Rodriguez

This isn't the first time moms have been blamed for their kids' autism One of the earliest theories of autism is centered on “refrigerator mothers.” Echoes of it can be found in plans to Make America Healthy Again.

Setting aside that our post has been labeled adult content because of … a bare belly photo?? ... @slooterman.bsky.social and I dug deep into the history of blaming moms for their kids’ autism for @19thnews.org and how some moms see echos of that dark history in MAHA: 19thnews.org/2025/10/refr...

Trump’s vision for childhood vaccines could hurt working moms the most “Intentionally or not, Trump is adding weight to this burden that women are already carrying as family health managers."

President Trump wants to revamp the childhood vaccine schedule, a move that would place an extra burden on working mothers — who often shoulder the responsibilities of scheduling doctor's visits and follow-up care within a household. My latest for @19thnews.org: 19thnews.org/2025/09/chil...

Linking Tylenol to autism could harm pregnant people’s health, doctors warn Acetaminophen is one of the few drugs that pregnant people can safely use to relieve pain or fever — conditions that, if left untreated, can increase the risk of birth defects and premature delivery.

Trump to pregnant people: “Don’t take Tylenol. There’s no downside.” But acetaminophen is one of the few drugs that pregnant people can safely use to relieve pain or fever — conditions that, if left untreated, can increase risk of birth defects and premature delivery. 19thnews.org/2025/09/rfk-...

Linking Tylenol to autism could harm pregnant people’s health, doctors warn Acetaminophen is one of the few drugs that pregnant people can safely use to relieve pain or fever — conditions that, if left untreated, can increase the risk of birth defects and premature delivery.

The federal government’s reported plans to link pregnant people’s use of acetaminophen — the pain-relief drug sold under the brand name Tylenol — as a cause of autism could worsen their health and stigmatize one of the few treatments pregnant people have for reducing pain and fever, doctors warn.

How the newborn hepatitis B vaccine landed in MAHA’s crosshairs A panel handpicked by RFK Jr. just tabled a vote to delay use of the hep B vaccine at birth. The debate shows how these early decisions on behalf of a newborn can be used as a litmus test of fitness f...

A vaccine panel just tabled a vote that would have delayed universal use of the Hepatitis B vaccine for newborns. For now, nothing has changed on use of the vaccine, which is safe and credited with saving lives. But how did we get here? My latest for @19thnews.org: 19thnews.org/2025/09/hepa...

The government wants more people to breastfeed. Experts say paid parental leave could help. Researchers have been examining ways to increase breastfeeding rates for years. They warn it will take structural reform and funding.

The new MAHA report recommends that the United States increase its breastfeeding rates. But the report makes no mention of a federal paid parental leave program that experts in breastfeeding / caregiving say could make a difference. My latest for @19thnews.org: 19thnews.org/2025/09/gove...

Florida officials say they want to eliminate school vaccine mandates. It won’t be that simple. Many of the reversals will require action from lawmakers. Public health experts and educators warn that dropped mandates could worsen disease outbreaks and add to a teacher shortage

I saw a lot of headlines about Florida getting rid of all its vaccine mandates for schoolchildren. So @nadrakn.bsky.social and I wanted to add a little context and clarity about what that means and what might happen next. Our latest for @19thnews.org: 19thnews.org/2025/09/flor...

If you’re looking for a better understanding of Let’s Move, Michelle Obama, RFK Jr. and MAHA, may I suggest a piece I wrote for @19thnews.org? 19thnews.org/2025/08/mich...

The new COVID vaccine rules leave parents with more questions than answers Eligibility for postpartum people has changed, and while children can still access shots, questions about the cost and availability are still unclear.

Can you get a COVID-19 vaccine this fall? The announcement last week that RFK Jr. and his HHS administration had essentially new guidelines for the shot made me try to answer that question. And well, it’s complicated. My latest for @19thnews.org: 19thnews.org/2025/09/new-...

Cities led by Black women are the first targets of Trump's political power grab “This is in many ways a political warning, a political message, to say to these Black women and other Black mayors and other women of color mayors, ‘Your leadership can be challenged, too.’”

Trump’s power grab in the nation’s capital, and his threat to expand his militarized takeover to other Democratic-led cities, is setting up a high-stakes showdown over the country’s democracy that pits him prominently against a familiar political foe: Black women. 19thnews.org/2025/08/blac...

The 19th's Strategic Plan As we move from our founding phase into one focused on long-term sustainability and service, we’re excited to share what’s next: a three-year plan that will guide The 19th through this next chapter.

There’s a lot going on right now, but I’m excited that @19thnews.org has launched a new three-year strategic plan. It has a renewed commitment to our core: gender and its many intersections — with race, ethnicity, class, disability. Learn more here: 19thnews.org/strategic-pl...

Before Trump’s efforts to make kids healthier, there was Michelle Obama The first lady’s “Let’s Move!” initiative to improve school nutrition and exercise drew some criticism from the right — which has been much more muted as the Trump administration promotes MAHA messagi...

Before MAHA and the Trump administration's focus on childhood obesity and fitness … there was Michelle Obama. My latest for @19thnews.org looks at the legacy of the first lady’s work on children’s health: 19thnews.org/2025/08/mich...

The Voting Rights Act turns 60 — but its promise is still under threat As voting rights lose ground, the 19th spoke with four of the advocates working to preserve the path to the ballot for the most marginalized voters.

Today is the 60th anniversary of the Voting Rights Act. As voting rights lose ground, The 19th spoke with four advocates working to preserve the path to the ballot for the most marginalized voters.

The threat of political violence is keeping parents out of elected office Persistent harassment and threats of violence may be impacting who decides to become an elected official or candidate — especially for parents of young children.

Who’s running for office? Amid a rise in threats of political violence and harassment, parents with young kids are increasingly weighing the risks. 19thnews.org/2025/08/pare...

A few Republican lawmakers have tried to frame the Medicaid cuts as targeting men. The data tells a different story. 19thnews.org/2025/05/medi...

‘Adiós, Milwaukee’: A family uprooted, a hole left behind Yessenia Ruano's long fight against deportation, fueled by her Milwaukee community, ended last month under orders from ICE.

In May, The 19th wrote about Ruano’s fight to remain in the country despite a pending order of deportation.

Last month her fight against deportation, fueled by her Milwaukee community, ended under orders from ICE.

Vaccine support isn’t as controversial as it seems A new poll shows support is shared across political party lines — and comes as Health and Human Secretary Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. could reshape the future of vaccines.

As a key vaccine panel (made up now of members picked by RFK Jr.) meets for the first time this morning, a new poll shows support for routine childhood vaccines is widely supported across political party lines. My latest for @19thnews.org: 19thnews.org/2025/06/vacc...

How doctors are preparing for RFK Jr.’s shifts on vaccine policy After Kennedy gutted a key vaccine advisory panel, physicians are figuring out how they can share guidance to keep patients healthy.

There is a lot going on right now with vaccine policy in America. Here's how doctors are responding, and what they want parents to know about their efforts to stick with evidence-based science. My latest for @19thnews.org: 19thnews.org/2025/06/rfk-...

How doctors are preparing for RFK Jr.’s shifts on vaccine policy After Kennedy gutted a key vaccine advisory panel, physicians are figuring out how they can share guidance to keep patients healthy.

There is a lot going on right now with vaccine policy in America. Here's how doctors are responding, and what they want parents to know about their efforts to stick with evidence-based science. My latest for @19thnews.org: 19thnews.org/2025/06/rfk-...

Deadly shootings in Minnesota have shaken abortion providers The suspected shooter had a list of targets that included abortion providers, including Planned Parenthood affiliates and employees.

"Political violence is being normalized for us as an organization."

After Saturday's shootings — and the reports that abortion providers were on Vance Boelter's list of possible targets — clinics in Minnesota and around the country are tightening security & figuring out how to move forward.

How Trump’s ‘one, big, beautiful’ tax bill could impact programs for women and children House Republicans approved a sweeping package early Thursday morning that contained deep cuts to programs assisting low-income Americans, including Medicaid and SNAP food stamp eligibility.

This bill would limit coverage of gender-affirming care as an essential benefit under Affordable Care Act plans and prohibit Medicaid & CHIP from covering the treatment.

Earlier drafts limited this prohibition to care for minors; the approved bill extends it to care for all ages.

No proof of work could mean no Medicaid — and women stand to lose the most Congressional Republicans want to impose work requirements aimed at “able-bodied” adults. But data shows it would actually target poor middle-aged women who have left the workforce.

As Republicans in Congress try to tie the face of Medicaid work requirements to able-bodied people — including young men — there is data that shows many of these people are actually poor middle-aged women. My latest for @19thnews.org: 19thnews.org/2025/05/medi...

Fourteen years in America. A one-way ticket to El Salvador. Yessenia Ruano worked to build a life in Milwaukee with her family, a teaching career and church community. Now she’s fighting to stop it from being uprooted.

Yessenia Ruano has been in the U.S. for 14 years. She's had twins, become an integral part of the school where she works and her church, bought a home, and checked in with ICE 17 times. Now she has a one-way ticket to El Salvador that she's still hoping not to use. 19thnews.org/2025/05/upro...

Political tension and fears of violence may have depressed voter turnout in 2024 While voters overwhelmingly felt safe, women and gender-nonconforming people were more likely to skip going to the polls due to safety concerns, a new report says.

While voters overwhelmingly felt safe, women and gender-nonconforming people were more likely to skip going to the polls due to safety concerns, a new report says.

‘She’ll fall through the cracks’: Parents of kids with disabilities brace for new reality Cuts to Medicaid and the Department of Education could have detrimental impacts on keeping kids with complex medical needs healthy and educated.

Parents of children with complex medical needs and disabilities are navigating uncertainty over key pillars of their kids’ lives — Medicaid and the Department of Education — as the Trump administration considers major changes. My latest with @nadrakn.bsky.social: 19thnews.org/2025/05/kids...

With Medicaid cuts, Republicans target men in the name of protecting women But cuts purporting to address "able-bodied men" using Medicaid would be detrimental to women, children and caregivers, experts say.

In the fight over Medicaid, House Speaker Mike Johnson has targeted "able-bodied" men in the name of protecting women and others. But the changes he's talking about could reduce services for the very people he says he wants to protect. My latest for @19thnews.org: 19thnews.org/2025/05/medi...

Administration condemns gender-affirming care for youth in report that finds “sparse” evidence of harm The report, from the Department of Health and Human Services, stems from an executive order condemning medical treatment for trans youth.

HHS says its new report on gender-affirming care proves that science doesn't support the care & that its risks are too great.

But the report doesn't really support that blanket statement. It found “sparse” to no evidence of harm and evidence about the benefits of gender-affirming care.

First thing we’re discussing on Monday! 💕

Marty has a great role in the first episode of The Studio!

RFK Jr. says he wants to curb measles. His former nonprofit keeps undermining his message. The Children’s Health Defense has inserted itself into the outbreak with a media operation that repeatedly disputes the MMR vaccine.

RFK Jr. is trying to respond to growing cases of measles in several states, in part by promoting vaccination — but that message is being undermined by his former nonprofit. My latest for @19thnews.org: 19thnews.org/2025/04/rfk-...