Jason Renker

I remember this heartbreaking pain all too well. Alzheimer’s crept into my mother’s brilliant brain when she was only 60. It’s why I will continue to fight for paid leave, because I can’t solve Alzheimer’s but I can fight for policies that make sense for caregivers. #paidleaveforall

Senate Republican leader won’t commit to vote on a GOP health care proposal with key Obamacare subsidies set to expire | CNN Politics Senate Majority Leader John Thune on Monday would not commit to a vote on a GOP health care proposal this week with key Affordable Care Act subsidies soon to expire.

Working families’ health insurance costs are going to more than double in less than a month — they don’t have time for political games.

Lawmakers must put working people first NOW and stop health insurance price spikes before they blow up our budgets. https://cnn.it/4a6F2dC

'Tis the season for price hikes: popular holiday gifts climb 26% under Trump. Background image is a series of wrapped presents each escalating in size.

NEW: Popular holiday gifts are up 26% since last year—nearly nine times the overall inflation rate. 40% of families are buying fewer gifts, nearly one-third are giving presents to fewer people, and more than one in ten are tapping into savings.

🔗 go.tcf.org/holidayprices

Enhanced ACA tax credits slash the cost of health care premiums.

The ACA’s premium tax credits doubled marketplace enrollment and helped achieve record-high health coverage rates.

Ending them will cause record-high premium increases and hit rural America hardest. The latest from TCF’s Jeanne Lambrew: go.tcf.org/taxcredits

YouTube video by More Perfect Union We Had 400 People Shop For Groceries. What We Found Will Shock You.

Ever wonder if your online grocer is charging you a different price from other people? This video by More Perfect Union shows that it probably is. "Surveillance Pricing" is here, and it's not just for airline tickets.

www.youtube.com/watch?v=osxr...

Yaphet Kotto, a black male actor, in a white suit and red shirt, leaning forward with a menacing look on his face.

The villain of that film was Dr. Kananga, played by Yaphet Kotto.

Traffic congestion grew this year in U.S. cities, but NYC saw no increase Baltimore and Philadelphia saw the largest increases in traffic delays. Congestion pricing may have helped keep New York City traffic in check.

BREAKING: traffic is getting worse around the country — but not in NYC.

Why? Because the congestion relief program is working.
www.smartcitiesdive.com/news/inrix-t...

Record numbers becoming billionaires through inheritance, UBS report finds Swiss bank says bequests made 91 people billionaires, while overall number jumped from 2,682 in 2024 to 9,919 this year

"To him that hath more shall be given; and from him that hath not the little that he hath shall be taken away. The rich have become richer and the poor have become poorer; and the vessel of State is driven between the Scylla and Charybdis of anarchy and despotism"
www.theguardian.com/news/2025/de...

Why is Donald Trump’s name now on the @usip.org building? Who put there? And when?

Congratulations to James Solomon and @hobokenemily.bsky.social on their hard fought victories! I’m looking forward to working with them to deliver a better and more affordable future for New Jerseyans in Jersey City and Hoboken.

Rep. Roger Williams defends members of Congress trading stocks: "I think we gotta be careful that we don't limit Congresspeople to where they can do nothing ... from a financial standpoint, it's not easy being up in Congress."

Election Night Reporting

New Jersey had some runoff elections yesterday, and the progressive candidates won big. Ex: James Solomon defeated James McGreevey—who had the endorsement of Governor Murphy and the Dem establishment—by an astounding 68%–32%.
results.enr.clarityelections.com/NJ/Hudson/12...

James Solomon is exactly the kind of leader we need—principled, fearless, and unwavering in his fight for working families.

He has real plans to make life more affordable and root out corruption, and he has the backbone to deliver. I’m proud to endorse him.

John Roberts has badly weakened our democracy. Will he ever stand up to Trump? | Steven Greenhouse Under the chief justice, the US supreme court has bolstered authoritarian agendas while undercutting the voice of voters

I think the answer is a resounding no, but the question should still be asked.
www.theguardian.com/commentisfre...

It contributed massively. It forces low-information voters to either actively choose a candidate in downballot races or leave downballot races blank. Previously they’d just hit a button to light up the whole column and head home.

Democrats previously didn’t talk like this in New Jersey. I’m so excited for the change this portends.

Agreed. 🎉 Looking forward to this paying dividends over and over.

How much do you think Andy Kim's getting the county line abolished contributed to these progressives getting into office?

A Pricier Plate: Thanksgiving Costs Climb Nearly 10% This Year As families across the country prepare to carve turkey and watch football, new analysis from Groundwork Collaborative, The Century Foundation, and AFT

And for a double-dose of Debbie Downer, food costs for Thanksgiving dinner have jumped 10 percent since last year. In particular, spiral hams have gone up nearly 50 percent!!
tcf.org/content/comm...

Fueling Debt: How Rising Utility Costs Are Overwhelming American Families As temperatures cool and Americans’ dissatisfaction with the economy grows, families across the country are staring down a winter season that will be more

ICYMI: My colleagues have run the numbers on rising heat and electric costs going into this winter, and it's not pretty. What's especially troubling is that many households are borrowing money to pay their utility bill, and many more have those debts in collection.
tcf.org/content/comm...

Border Patrol is monitoring US drivers and detaining those with 'suspicious' travel patterns The U.S. Border Patrol is monitoring millions of American drivers nationwide in a secretive program to identify and detain people whose travel patterns it deems suspicious.

The surveillance state intensifies....
apnews.com/article/immi...

Can Mamdani Pull Off a Child-Care Miracle? The hurdles facing the incoming mayor’s proposal are as large as its potential rewards.

TCF senior fellow @kashenj.bsky.social weighs in on @zohrankmamdani.bsky.social’s vision for child care in New York City.

Black text on a yellow background - This is Alice's friend Sandy Ho, posting. Per Alice's wishes, this message is being shared at the time of her passing. Hi everyone, it looks like I ran out of time. I have so many dreams that I wanted to fulfill and plans to create new stories for you. There are a few in progress that might come to fruition in a few years if things work out. I did not ever imagine I would live to this age and end up a writer, editor, activist, and more. As a kid riddled with insecurity and internalized ableism, I could not see a path forward. It was thanks to friendships and some great teachers who believed in me that I was able to fight my way out of miserable situations into a place where I finally felt comfortable in my skin. We need more stories about us and our culture. You all, we all, deserve the everything and more in such a hostile, ableist environment. Our wisdom is incisive and unflinching. I'm honored to be your ancestor and believe disabled oracles like us will light the way to the future. Don't let the bastards grind you down. I love you all.

“Don’t let the bastards grind you down. I love you all.”

Very happy to hear about the release of Miss Diana, the Chicago early educator who was ripped from her workplace last week. Congress must act urgently to pass an updated #SensitiveLocationsAct that prohibits horrific and unnecessary violence by ICE at child cares and schools.

Trump’s tariffs are a $29 billion tax on Americans’ holiday shopping bills, Lending Tree says | Fortune The tariff regime will cost you an extra $132 for gifts this year, which could have "a real impact on many families," LendingTree's Matt Schulz says.

New analysis from Lending Tree finds over 70% of Trump’s tariff costs get passed directly to consumers, adding an estimated $132 to every American’s shopping bill this holiday season.

That’s an added $29 billion in extra costs hitting working families this year.

I talked to Emily Tate Sullivan at @edsurge.com about Tri-Share’s limitations. We need policy solutions that make child care more affordable, build supply, and help providers cover overhead expenses including wage increases. Here’s where Tri-Share falls short 🧵
www.edsurge.com/news/2025-11...

How a London newspaper botched a New York political story Welcome to New York.

Incredible misstep by the Times of London—quoting some rando who it turns out *wasn't* Bill de Blasio in a Mamdani takedown piece. . . . which got amplified by the NY Post.
www.semafor.com/article/10/2...

Trump is using the shutdown to make life tougher for millions of workers | Steven Greenhouse Food stamps are in danger and hundreds of thousands of federal workers may go unpaid, as thousands more are laid off

We've gone from "the most pro-worker in president in history" to . . . whatever this is.
www.theguardian.com/commentisfre...

At some point, this AI system communicates with actual humans, who have the ability to look with their eyes 👀 to see if there is really a threat. This system somehow convinced all these officers there was an actual gun, when there wasn't one.

AI software mistakes high school student's bag of chips for a weapon Taki Allen was sitting outside Kenwood High School with friends, eating a bag of chips after football practice on Monday. Around 20 minutes later, cops showed up with guns, walking toward Allen. "They...

A Baltimore teen was eating Doritos after his high school football practice; an AI-enable surveillance system thought the bag of chips was a gun. Soon, cops showed up with ACTUAL guns drawn and cuffed him.
www.wbaltv.com/article/stud...