Lightnews — Scholar-powered news

mad mitch @maddiemitch.bsky.social · 5d

It's me, hi. I'm writing about Taylor Swift again, it's me.

I thought "Eldest Daughter" would wreck me. Instead, it made me grateful for the love in my life.

www.usatoday.com/story/entert... via @usatoday.com

I thought Taylor Swift's 'Eldest Daughter' track would wreck me. It healed me instead.

Eldest daughters everywhere have been waiting for Taylor Swift's new track five to drop. Here's how this eldest daughter reacted.

www.usatoday.com

mad mitch @maddiemitch.bsky.social · 14d

Julian Furman, 43, said he sometimes wishes he didn't have autism "because then I wouldn't have a bunch of anxiety."

But he thinks autism "can be a good thing." People with autism have special abilities, he said.

"They can be smart."

www.usatoday.com/story/life/h... via @usatoday.com

'It's a different way of being.' A cure for autism isn't what these families say they need

The Trump administration announced it found a cause of autism and made a treatment option available. Is that what families of people with autism want?

www.usatoday.com

mad mitch @maddiemitch.bsky.social · 16d

Jennifer Cortes is in the sandwich generation, caring for her 82-year-old father with vascular dementia. Even when respite care comes, Cortes said she can't relax but has to translate between Spanish and English for the home health aide.
www.usatoday.com/story/life/h... via @usatoday.com

Her dad doesn’t speak English. Without the right care help, she can’t get a break.

Jennifer Cortes needs a break. But even when her dad's home health aide comes to offer her respite, Cortes needs to be around to translate.

www.usatoday.com

1

mad mitch @maddiemitch.bsky.social · 22d

New Mexico is the first state to offer free universal child care.

The state's child care assistance program will extend to all families on Nov. 1. How does it work? Who's paying for it? These questions and more, answered, in my latest for @usatoday.com:

www.usatoday.com/story/money/...

New Mexico is first state to offer free universal child care. Will others follow suit?

Universal child care is coming to New Mexico in November, marking the first state in America to guarantee free child care to every parent.

www.usatoday.com

mad mitch @maddiemitch.bsky.social · 26d

Caregiving doesn't have to end your career.

Problem solving. Time management. Negotiation. Adaptability. Empathy. Compassion. Communication.

These are all skills caregivers have, and employers value, experts say.

www.usatoday.com/story/money/... via @usatoday.com

Caregiving pulled these women out of the workforce, then gave them new careers

Many women find themselves sacrificing their careers for caregiving. But these women put their caregiving skills to use in new careers.

www.usatoday.com

Reposted by mad mitch

Kate Gallagher Robbins @kfgrobbins.bsky.social · 29d

"It's good that men are gaining; we want to see those wages go up. We know families need it. But we also can't be in the situation where we're seeing women being left further and further behind."

Was glad to chat with @maddiemitch.bsky.social about today's new #wagegap data. Read the whole piece!

mad mitch @maddiemitch.bsky.social · 29d

Some #breaking #genderwagegap news: It's getting wider.

New Census data shows the gender wage gap widened for the second year in a row. For every dollar a man makes in America, a woman made 84 cents in 2022, 83 cents in 2023 and 81 cents in 2024.

www.usatoday.com/story/money/... via @usatoday.com

How big is the gender wage gap now? What new Census data shows.

The female-to-male earnings ratio fell in 2024 to 80.9% from 82.7% in 2023. In 2022, the ratio was 84%.

www.usatoday.com

1 2

mad mitch @maddiemitch.bsky.social · 29d

Some #breaking #genderwagegap news: It's getting wider.

New Census data shows the gender wage gap widened for the second year in a row. For every dollar a man makes in America, a woman made 84 cents in 2022, 83 cents in 2023 and 81 cents in 2024.

www.usatoday.com/story/money/... via @usatoday.com

How big is the gender wage gap now? What new Census data shows.

The female-to-male earnings ratio fell in 2024 to 80.9% from 82.7% in 2023. In 2022, the ratio was 84%.

www.usatoday.com

1 1

mad mitch @maddiemitch.bsky.social · Sep 8

America's moms love their jobs. Why are so many leaving them?

I teamed up with @baileyschulz.bsky.social & @jguynn.bsky.social on this story about mothers with young children leaving the workforce. Here's why it's happening and why it matters:

www.usatoday.com/story/money/... via @usatoday.com

They were told they could have it all. So why are so many moms leaving their jobs?

The penalty for motherhood? More women are leaving their jobs, undermining their careers and earning potential and spelling trouble for the economy.

www.usatoday.com

1 1

mad mitch @maddiemitch.bsky.social · Sep 4

Parents are spending more than they expected on their kids.

New data shows 77% of parents said that they felt pressure to keep up with other families by spending more than they should.

www.usatoday.com/story/money/... via @usatoday.com

It's not just you. Over 80% of parents say the cost of raising kids is 'out of control'

A new survey from BMO Financial Group found that 83% of parents say that the cost of raising kids has “gotten out of control."

www.usatoday.com

mad mitch @maddiemitch.bsky.social · Sep 2

“I do love parenting," @elissastrauss.bsky.social said. "But I feel like the second I say that out loud, I’m a trad wife.”

The "girl boss" and "trad wife" trends online can be damaging for moms, experts say. You can read all about it in my latest for @usatoday.com:

www.usatoday.com/story/money/...

Parenting has become a world of 'trad wives' vs. 'girl bosses.' How did we get here?

Girl boss and trad wife tropes are all over TikTok, but many moms fall somewhere in the middle. Experts say this content can cause damage.

www.usatoday.com

4

mad mitch @maddiemitch.bsky.social · Aug 30

Paying out of pocket. Amazon wish lists. Kristen Bell? How teachers buy school supplies

www.usatoday.com/story/money/... via @usatoday.com

Paying out of pocket. Amazon wish lists. Kristen Bell? How teachers buy school supplies

Teachers spent, on average, $884 of their own money in the 2024-25 school year on cleaning supplies, prizes, snacks, decorations and more.

www.usatoday.com

1

mad mitch @maddiemitch.bsky.social · Aug 26

Link to Catherine's fundraising page for her son, George: geneforgeorge.org

A Cure for George: Help Advance CMT4C Gene Therapy to Clinical Trials

Help The Illingworth Family raise money to support Charcot-Marie-Tooth Association

geneforgeorge.org

mad mitch @maddiemitch.bsky.social · Aug 26

1 in 10 Americans have a rare disease, and half of those patients are children. For parents of children with rare diseases, advocacy can be a full-time job, and the results are life or death.

www.usatoday.com/story/money/... via @usatoday.com

1 1 2

mad mitch @maddiemitch.bsky.social · Aug 18

Hi, friends! I'm looking to talk with moms of young kids (3yo and under) who recently left the workplace. This is for a @usatoday.com story. Message me or email me at [email protected] if interested! Thanks.

mad mitch @maddiemitch.bsky.social · Aug 15

Taylor Swift recently opened up about caregiving for her dad, and said it was "actually one of the most special things that's ever happened to me."

Swift's story "shines a light on what 63 million Americans are experiencing right now," said @aarp.org CEO.

www.usatoday.com/story/entert...

The role reversal in caring for parents is 'wild.' Taylor Swift knows it all too well.

Taylor Swift opened up about caring for her father this summer during an interview on her boyfriend Travis Kelce's podcast.

www.usatoday.com

3

mad mitch @maddiemitch.bsky.social · Aug 15

Karen and Jeff Groff are prearranging 3 funerals: their own and their son Danny's. He's 39 with a rare and severe type of epilepsy and needs 24/7 care.

“Our worst nightmare is that we lose him first,” Karen Groff said. “And our worst nightmare is that we go first.”

www.usatoday.com/story/life/h...

These parents don't only fear the death of their child. They fear dying first.

Danny Groff is 39 and needs 24/7 care. His parents, both 66 and retired educators, are planning for what happens if they die before he does.

www.usatoday.com

mad mitch @maddiemitch.bsky.social · Aug 14

Summer is over, but some parents are still paying for summer camp. A new study found 62% of parents go into debt to cover summer child care costs.

Here's how parents can prepare for next summer.

www.usatoday.com/story/money/...

Summer is over. But paying for summer camps? Not even close for some.

Summer is over, but some parents are still paying for summer camp. A new study found 62% of parents go into debt to cover summer child care costs.

www.usatoday.com

mad mitch @maddiemitch.bsky.social · Jul 31

One mom nearly got a divorce after a dishwasher dispute. The mental load was to blame.

www.usatoday.com/story/money/...

One mom nearly got a divorce after a dishwasher dispute. The mental load was to blame.

Mothers are often project managers for their families. But there are ways to address the mental load and find a better balance as a couple.

www.usatoday.com

3

mad mitch @maddiemitch.bsky.social · Jul 29

Reports of suicidal thoughts are higher among caregivers than the general population. Experts have been sounding the alarm for years, but because caregivers are focused on those they care for, they are often less likely to seek help. www.usatoday.com/story/life/h... via @usatoday.com

Nearly half of parents with disabled kids report suicidal thoughts, but can't find help

Family caregivers are at a higher risk of experiencing suicidal ideation but receive less mental health support and face unique barriers for care.

www.usatoday.com

3

mad mitch @maddiemitch.bsky.social · Jul 28

New, revealing data show what caregiving in America looks like today. More than 63 million (nearly 1 in 4) Americans are caregivers - a 45% increase since 2015. www.usatoday.com/story/money/... via @usatoday.com

Revealing data shows number of caregivers in the US has skyrocketed

Most family caregivers are women. A recent report from AARP found the number of American caregivers has skyrocketed since 2015.

www.usatoday.com

1 2

mad mitch @maddiemitch.bsky.social · Jul 21

Trump's reconciliation law slashes the amount of money given to states' Medicaid programs. Now states have to decide which programs to cut.

Families of children with disabilities are terrified.

www.usatoday.com/story/news/p... via @usatoday.com

2

mad mitch @maddiemitch.bsky.social · Jul 17

Miriam Sabir, 65, moved in to care for her mother who had COVID-19 in 2022.

“I thought it would be temporary,” she said. “But it has been, you know, 2 and a half years.”

Both mother and daughter carry unspoken guilt about the situation.

www.usatoday.com/story/life/h... for @usatoday.com

Her mom got sick, she moved in to help. Years later, they both feel trapped.

Miriam Sabir's mother was independent before she got COVID-19 and pneumonia in late 2022. After, Sabir became her caregiver.

www.usatoday.com

mad mitch @maddiemitch.bsky.social · Jul 14

When President Donald Trump signed the Republican-backed "big, beautiful bill" into law, he made some of the biggest increases to child care tax programs in a generation. Some parents say it's not nearly enough.

www.usatoday.com/story/money/... via @usatoday.com w/ @erinmansfield.bsky.social

Trump's sweeping law increases child care tax credits. Here's how much and who benefits.

There are three federal tax provisions related to child care. Trump's new tax law recently expanded all of them through a reconciliation package.

www.usatoday.com

2 2

mad mitch @maddiemitch.bsky.social · Jul 9

Your kids are all grown up. But what does being an 'empty nester' mean in 2025? www.usatoday.com/story/money/... via @usatoday.com

Your kids are all grown up. But what does being an 'empty nester' mean in 2025?

Some parents mourn their kids growing up and moving out. Others are excited for the next phase of life. What does "empty nester" really mean in 2025?

www.usatoday.com

mad mitch @maddiemitch.bsky.social · Jun 18

The 211 helpline is expanding its caregiver supports. But some well-meaning attempts to connect people with services are falling flat.

"There's not a lot of resources for my situation," said Jami Chapple, the single mother of an autistic 12-year-old.

www.usatoday.com/story/life/h... @usatoday.com

Millions of caregivers have access to this help line. Still, they're drowning.

Millions more caregivers will have access to caregiver-specific help by calling 211. But they're still struggling.

www.usatoday.com

1 2