Bruce Lesley

Medicaid at 60: A Legacy of Protecting Children, Now Under Threat It has been 60 years since President Lyndon B. Johnson signed legislation amending the Social Security Act, creating Medicaid (alongside Medicare). With

Medicaid at 60: A Legacy of Protecting Children, Now Under Threat | Abuko Estrada - First Focus on Children firstfocus.org/update/medic...

Trump bids to scrap almost all pollution regulations – can anything stop this? EPA tries to rescind ‘endangerment finding’ – part of ‘drill, baby, drill’ agenda that experts say poses grave threat

Trump bids to scrap almost all pollution regulations – can anything stop this? www.theguardian.com/environment/...

I Studied Poverty for Years. Then I Ended Up on Medicaid. I Learned a Hard Truth That Everyone Should Know. The day I enrolled in Medicaid, I arrived at the welfare office carrying a designer bag.

I Studied Poverty for Years. Then I Ended Up on Medicaid. I Learned a Hard Truth That Everyone Should Know. slate.com/life/2025/07...

The Boy Genius Who Killed 14 Million Poor People What is the moral weight of responsibility for the men who carried out DOGE’s work?

The Boy Genius Who Killed 14 Million Poor People www.thebulwark.com/p/the-boy-ge...

Who Counts as American? The Constitutional Crisis at the Maternity Ward Trump’s Executive Order 14160 rewrites the 14th Amendment – targeting babies and redefining birthright citizenship

The Trump Admin keeps losing in court on birthright citizenship, but it continues to move forward with guidance released by USCIS, the State Dept, and the Social Security Admin that paints a disturbing picture of what this would look like for BABIES. brucelesley.substack.com/p/who-counts...

Letter of Support: Maintain strong funding for the Healthy Start program Today, First Focus Campaign for Children, the National Healthy Start Association, and nearly 200 national, state, and local partner organizations urged

Letter of Support: Maintain strong funding for the Healthy Start program - Campaign For Children campaignforchildren.org/resource/let...

New documents show how passport and Social Security rules would change to enforce Trump’s birthright citizenship order | CNN www.cnn.com/2025/07/28/p...

The bureaucracy, paperwork, and administrative barriers imposed by the EO could potentially negatively impact every baby born in this country.

MAHA Moms: What Say You? What does it truly mean to make America healthy again – for our children?

🥗 @brucelesley.bsky.social from @firstfocus.bsky.social asks MAHA moms, “What say you now?” Is this what they wanted?

open.substack.com/pub/bruceles...

Fewer NV families will qualify for child tax credit under Trump tax and spending bill Parents or guardians of about 175,000 Nevada children are already ineligible for the federal child tax credit, and an additional 35,000 Nevada children will lose eligibility under President Donald…

Fewer NV families will qualify for child tax credit under Trump tax and spending bill | @mjlyle.bsky.social - News From The States www.newsfromthestates.com/article/fewe...

MAHA Moms: What Say You? What does it truly mean to make America healthy again – for our children?

MAHA Moms: What Say You?
open.substack.com/pub/bruceles...

Segregation in schools surges as Trump Administration scuttles desegregation orders Over 70 years have passed since the Supreme Court ruled on Brown v. Board of Education, yet segregation in American schools is surging. In the largest 100

Segregation in schools surges as Trump Administration scuttles desegregation orders | First Focus on Children firstfocus.org/update/segre...

A pediatrician helped expose Flint's water crisis. Now she's fighting poverty one baby at a time. Dr. Mona Hanna created Rx kids, a program that gives cash to pregnant moms with no strings attached.

A pediatrician helped expose Flint's water crisis. Now she's fighting poverty one baby at a time. - CBS News www.cbsnews.com/news/mona-ha...

The Message Is ‘We Can Take Your Children’ More systematically than in his first term, Trump is rolling back protections for undocumented minors.

THE MESSAGE IS ‘WE CAN TAKE YOUR CHILDREN’
More systematically than in his first term, Trump is rolling back protections for undocumented minors. - The Atlantic www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archiv...

No Sun Bucks in Tennessee: Gov. Lee Rejects Summer Meal Funds, Lets Kids Go Hungry Innovative, low-cost program with proven results rejected in favor of spending more and feeding less

No Sun Bucks in Tennessee: Gov. Lee Rejects Summer Meal Funds, Lets Kids Go Hungry open.substack.com/pub/theeduca...

Why child health advocates worry about the loss of federal summer EBT funding Iowa has launched its own summer EBT program that food security advocates say provides nutrition for a fraction of kids who otherwise may struggle to eat enough when school is out of session. More…

Why child health advocates worry about the loss of federal summer EBT funding | PBS News www.pbs.org/newshour/hea...

Trump administration cuts to school nutrition program will hurt New Jersey kids, farmers The US Department of Agriculture canceled $1.13 billion in funds promised to America’s schools, child care facilities, and food banks.

Trump administration cuts to school nutrition program will hurt New Jersey kids, farmers | Josh Israel - The New Jersey Independent jerseyindependent.com/politics/tru...

You Must Have Your Baby, But Sorry, You Have No Insurance - Ms. Magazine Under Trump, Medicaid will lose $1 trillion in funding over the next decade, posing extreme threats to women's maternal healthcare nationwide.

You Must Have Your Baby, But Sorry, You Have No Insurance - Ms. Magazine msmagazine.com/2025/07/21/m...

Cuts to Food Benefits Stand in the Way of RFK Jr.’s Goals for a Healthier National Diet - KFF Health News The Trump administration has said improving American nutrition is a priority, but deep cuts to federal food assistance could lead people to forgo healthy food in favor of cheaper alternatives.

Cuts to Food Benefits Stand in the Way of RFK Jr.’s Goals for a Healthier National Diet - KFF Health News kffhealthnews.org/news/article...

Opinion | JD Vance is putting a new spin on Trump’s wildly unpopular megabill It’s true that the law will provide modest support for child care costs, yet it’s anything but pro-family.

Our paper argues that a public system is the best way to meet these needs. As @lbilik.bsky.social and I write today, tax credits--whether the paltry ones JD Vance is touting or the robust ones families deserve--will not get us there. www.msnbc.com/opinion/msnb...

New in @msnbc.com from me & @suzmkahn.bsky.social:

Don't let the messaging fool you: a few tax credits (that don't even reach the poorest families) will never solve the childcare crisis. Americans need and deserve historic investment in public universal childcare, and we should demand nothing less.

The Child Tax Credit Changes in H.R. 1 Fail Children and Families The Child Tax Credit will be less generous per child than it was more than two decades ago and continues to shortchange the millions of children and families who need it the most.

The Child Tax Credit Changes in H.R. 1 Fail Children and Families open.substack.com/pub/bruceles...

H.R. 1's Child Tax Credit fails over 20 million children.

Opinion | Pregnancy Is Going to Be Even More Dangerous in America The most vulnerable mothers have the most to lose from Medicaid cuts.

Pregnancy Is Going to Be Even More Dangerous in America - The New York Times www.nytimes.com/2025/07/09/o...

Trump’s ‘big beautiful bill’ cuts food stamps for millions — the average family may lose $146 per month, report finds - CNBC

Trump’s megabill is creating a budget nightmare for states — POLITICO The fiscal pain comes as up to 20 governors face reelection in 2026.

Trump’s megabill is creating a budget nightmare for states - POLITICO apple.news/AlhMvBr6vS5K...

And what is a major budget item in state budgets: CHILDREN (education, early childhood, child care, child health, child nutrition, foster care, juvenile justice, etc.).

16 and 17-year-olds to be able to vote in next general election as government says it will lower voting age in UK Lowering the voting age across the UK means around 1.5 million 16 and 17-year-olds will be able to vote at the next general election.

16 and 17-year-olds to be able to vote in next general election as government says it will lower voting age in UK www.bbc.com/news/live/c9...

Almost 200 countries guarantee children’s rights. Why doesn’t the US? The US never signed on to the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child, which experts say paves the way for cuts to federal funding for children’s health coverage

Almost 200 countries guarantee children’s rights. Why doesn’t the US? | The Guardian www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025...

Trump and Kennedy Throw Head Start Into Reverse How the administration seeks to use the venerable children's care program as an anti-immigrant weapon.

Trump and Kennedy Throw Head Start Into Reverse - Mark Kreidler - Capital & Main capitalandmain.com/trump-and-ke...

Letter of Opposition: The Constitutional Citizenship Clarification Act of 2025 singles out babies for harm Today, First Focus Campaign for Children sent a letter to the sponsors of S. 2274, the Constitutional Citizenship Clarification Act of 2025, strongly

Letter of Opposition: Sen. Cotton’s bill, the Constitutional Citizenship Clarification Act of 2025, singles out babies for harm campaignforchildren.org/resource/let...

Trump's Power & the Rule of Law FRONTLINE goes inside the high-stakes showdown between President Donald Trump and the courts over presidential power.

Trump's Power & the Rule of Law | FRONTLINE www.pbs.org/wgbh/frontli...

No Matter How You Look at It, the Big Beautiful Bill is a Monstrosity Here are three views of the bill's horrific distributional consequences.

No Matter How You Look at It, the Big Beautiful Bill is a Monstrosity www.dollarsandsense.org/no-matter-ho...