Laura Carroll

As always, so well said, Nandita!

People without kids should make this money move before it's too late, estate planning expert says Having certain estate planning documents in place is especially important for people without obvious next-of-kin, experts say.

Estate planning for those of us with no kids is different, but just as important to put in place so wishes are honored, and making it easy for the chosen Trustee. www.cnbc.com/amp/2025/11/...

...have to change (from reliance on growth) in response to this cultural shift. This is the heart of the real discussion that needs more attention. 2/2

Population Shift Examining what happens when families have fewer kids

NPR series on "Population Shift: How Smaller Families Are Changing the World" has some good eps. Yes, smaller families are impacting how current economies work. I sure would like to see eps focusing on how economies...https://www.npr.org/series/g-s1-94348/population-shift 1/2

Last I saw, the estimate is that we add 1.9 million more people to the planet Every Day.

Says it all:

A woman’s choice to remain childless is nobody’s decision but hers - The Queen's Journal Women need equal access to fair and non-judgmental reproductive healthcare.Prince Edward Island (PEI) resident Lynn Paulin decided to undergo tubal ligation, more commonly known as getting your “tubes...

Here's to The Queen's Journal, a student-run newspaper at Queen’s University in Kingston, Ontario, Canada: www.queensjournal.ca/a-womans-cho... #childfree

Opinion | In Trump’s America, Are We Losing Our Democracy? (Gift Article) Donald Trump has wielded power as no previous president has.

Of "12 markers of democratic erosion...the sobering reality is that the United States has regressed, to different degrees, on all 12."

Simply put summary is a def read.

www.nytimes.com/interactive/...

"US is expected to grow to 380M until 2080" (then decline to ~266M ~ 2100) = "We're not in any danger of shrinking anytime soon" !! 5/5

"Low birth rates have been mainstreamed w/o being well understood, using to foment #population panic..used to justify policy that restores a hierachy that is deeply regressive"... 4/5

...as it has run societies for centuries, and Already Does Now. The definition presented is just a slice within an old pronatalist playbook that has circled back around, again, with today's twists. Guzzo is right on here: 3/5

Bedrock pronatalist 'beliefs' (not truths) include:We're bio wired to want children, neg judgments/stereotypes of those who don't want them, judgments re having kids, e.g., a bio baby is best (and go to all lengths to do it), shame when miscarry, + many more.It is also Not a "growing movement" 2/5

This starts with a definition of #pronatalism as "thinking that procreation aided by gov't policy is a moral imperative." This is just part of what it is: a huge belief system that is pro-birth, encourages reproduction, and exhalts the role of parenthood. www.kgou.org/politics-and... 1/5

Even starving children won’t break the population taboo - The Overpopulation Project Articles on child malnutrition often avoid mentioning population growth's effect on food availability, to the detriment of the malnourished

Another effect of #overpopulation denial: overpopulation-project.com/even-starvin...

Ejaculate Responsibly: A Whole New Way to Think About Abortion

"Highly readable, accessible, funny, and unflinching, Blair...[addresses] the counterintuitive reality that men, who are fertile 100% of the time, take little to no responsibility for preventing pregnancy." This should be given to every anti-abortion man in government. amzn.to/435r2fQ

1.8M views · 56K reactions | Dame Emma Thompson has two words for you, AI... #Colbert #EmmaThompson #AI #Writing | The Late Show with Stephen Colbert Dame Emma Thompson has two words for you, AI... #Colbert #EmmaThompson #AI #Writing

This! 😍https://www.facebook.com/reel/1178843631020851

On this day in 1897, Special Sister Edith Head was born. One of the most influential costume designers in cinema history, she won a record 8 Oscars. Just love her! She is one of the women I highlight in A Special Sisterhood: 100 Fascinating Women From History Who Never Had Children: amzn.to/4htY6nE

Six Impossible Episodes: U.S. Ghost Towns - Stuff You Missed in History Class We've had a lot of listener requests related to ghost towns, so this Halloween season, we've got six places in the U.S. that could be labeled as such. But not not all are empty today.

Looks like a fun way to get in the Halloween mood! omny.fm/shows/stuff-...?

FIRST PERSON | I’m childless by choice. Having my fallopian tubes removed in my 30s helped me trust my gut | CBC News P.E.I. resident Lynn Paulin knew she didn’t want kids – but when it came to seeking a permanent form of contraception, she was worried she’d be discouraged from doing what she knew was best for her bo...

Sure like how. When it came down to it, she did not experience medical paternalism that is so common when women want permanent contraception (and docs refuse to do it): www.cbc.ca/news/canada/... #childfree

What Mamdani’s Success Reveals About the Democrats

The interview with Karen Hao, Empire of AI, is a must-listen wherever you get your podcasts. open.spotify.com/episode/6jR6...

Child-free by choice: Kenya’s Gen Z redefine success beyond motherhood In Nairobi’s bustling cafés, Mombasa’s tech hubs, and across Kenya’s towns and rural communities, a quiet revolution is

"A new generation of Kenyans is redefining success, choosing freedom, financial stability, and mental wellness over traditional expectations of parenthood." peopledaily.digital/lifestyle/ch... #childfree

Women’s Pay Is Falling Behind. Is the Return to the Office to Blame? Women have made big workforce gains, but their pay growth isn’t keeping pace with men’s.

Another factor to be aware of when deciding when and whether to have children: www.wsj.com/economy/gend...

Take a Look at Rare Photos of Red Lightning in New Zealand

Fascinating! www.nytimes.com/2025/10/25/s...

"On Nov 12, 2025 at 11a ET, the Jane Goodall Institute USA will host a memorial service at the Washington National Cathedral to honor the extraordinary life and legacy of our founder, Dr. Jane Goodall. The service will be broadcast live at JaneGoodall.org for all who wish to join us virtually."

Thx for this info!

How presidents have changed the White House — and how Trump's ballroom is different President Trump is demolishing the East Wing to make room for a ballroom. His administration says he's continuing a presidential legacy of White House renovations, but this is the biggest in decades.

Some interesting history, including, "FDR also had the East Wing created in 1942, primarily to cover up an underground bunker and to house more staff and offices during the war." www.kpbs.org/news/arts-cu...

The White House is asking people not to share pictures of the East Wing because it’s even worse today.

Surrogacy Is a Multibillion-Dollar Business. Sometimes the Money Goes Missing. The growing industry has little regulation and many cases of financial abuse, including escrow funds taken to pay gambling debts or to buy bitcoin.

Addressing big social issues that come as a result of living in a #pronatalist society, e.g., baby abandonment: www.nytimes.com/2025/10/22/n... or impacts of lack of regulation in the $B surrogacy business: www.wsj.com/us-news/surr...

The Parental-Happiness Fallacy Where commentary on moms’ satisfaction goes wrong

Instead continuing to trying to dissect parental happiness, can we just say "people’s feelings about parenthood are pretty complicated" because it is not all about just parenthood to begin with when defining happiness and well-being in life, and move on to... www.theatlantic.com/family/2025/... 1/2