Guaranteed Income

Keeping Score: Trump’s Dangerous Claims About Tylenol; Government Shutdown Begins; Diddy’s Four-Year Sentence

PUBLISHED 10/9/2025 by

In every issue of Ms., we track research on our progress in the fight for equality, catalogue can’t-miss quotes from feminist voices and keep tabs on the feminist movement’s many milestones. We’re Keeping Score online, too—in this biweekly roundup.

This week:
—Doctors push back against Trump’s dangerous claims that Tylenol in pregnancy increases the risk of autism.
—The U.S. entered a government shutdown, affecting millions of federal workers.
—Sean “Diddy” Combs was sentenced to four years in prison.
—Zoologist and anthropologist Jane Goodall died at age 91.
—University of California students and faculty are suing the Trump administration for violating free speech rights.
—Student activists are stepping up to get around birth control bans on campus.
—Louisiana admits non-citizens voting is not a systemic problem.
—The ACLU and religious freedom organizations are suing to block 14 more Texas school districts from implementing a law requiring classrooms to display Ten Commandments posters.

… and more.

‘I Don’t Want to Live in Low-Income Housing Forever’: How Guaranteed Income Is Helping One Mom Dream Bigger

PUBLISHED 10/9/2025 by

Front & Center amplifies the voices of Black women navigating poverty—highlighting their struggles, resilience and dreams as they care for their families, build careers and challenge systems not built for their success. Now in its fourth year, Front & Center is a collaboration between Ms. and Springboard to Opportunities, a nonprofit based in Jackson, Miss., working alongside residents of federally subsidized housing as they pursue their goals.

Deneader is a 37-year-old mother of three. She’s a participant in the Magnolia Mother’s Trust, receiving one year of guaranteed income as she searches for stable work and builds a better future for her family.

“I think a lot about going back to school, but my youngest needs me. Tamara is still little and having her at home takes up most of my focus.”

“I also want to get back on my feet fully and become a better person. I know the first step will be finding the right job—something stable, something that allows me to take care of my family. I don’t want to live in low-income housing forever. I know some people do it, but I want more for us.”

My Paycheck Covers Rent, Lights and Food. Guaranteed Income Helps Me Dream Bigger.

PUBLISHED 9/4/2025 by

Front & Center amplifies the voices of Black women navigating poverty—highlighting their struggles, resilience and dreams as they care for their families, build careers and challenge systems not built for their success. Now in its fourth year, Front & Center is a collaboration between Ms. and Springboard to Opportunities, a nonprofit based in Jackson, Miss., working alongside residents of federally subsidized housing as they pursue their goals.

In Jackson, Miss., Latisha juggles full-time work, parenting and rising costs—while a guaranteed income program gives her the breathing room to plan for the future.

“Affordable childcare is [a] big barrier. Right now there aren’t even openings for state childcare vouchers, and when there are, the hoops to qualify … keep a lot of working parents from getting help they really need. …

“If I could tell Congress one thing, it would be this: Don’t cut benefits like SNAP or childcare. Make them stronger, because they fill the gap for working families. In jobs like mine—essential jobs serving food and keeping businesses going—the paychecks often aren’t enough to cover the most basic needs of childcare, food and rent. These programs are a safety net when hours get cut or expenses spike.

“These days, I’m finding joy at home. The money from the Trust has allowed me to scale back my hours a little, which means I can rest and be more present with my kids. Having that time and energy back makes a difference in how I show up for them—and for myself.”

How Rising Prices and Policy Cuts Are Squeezing Moms and Families

PUBLISHED 8/13/2025 by

Articles on tariffs, the labor market, and economic growth or decline often neglect to report how these policies are affecting real people’s ability to keep a roof over their head or put food on the table for their families each night.

When U.S. companies face higher costs for importing goods, those costs get passed directly to consumers, which means everyday goods—from diapers to carrots—become more expensive. Women, in particular, shoulder the brunt of these increased costs.

When we make sure moms and babies have what they need to thrive, we’re not just addressing today’s crises … we’re building tomorrow’s prosperity.

‘Poverty Is a Systemic Failing, Not an Individual Failing’: Aisha Nyandoro Is Seeding a Movement to Liberate Financial Capital and Support Black Moms’ Economic Freedom

PUBLISHED 8/6/2025 by

The founding CEO of Springboard to Opportunities, home to the Magnolia Mother’s Trust guaranteed income program, called out how our economy has left the women she serves behind in the latest episode of Looking Back, Moving Forward—and how our narratives around poverty and deservedness shape what’s possible in the fight for economic justice.

“What would it look like if we gave Black mamas living in affordable housing the financial resources that they needed to be the author of their own lives—trusting that they know better than anyone else what it is that they need for themselves and their families to be successful?”

Listen to the latest episode of Looking Back, Moving Forward, “Women Can’t Afford to Wait for a Feminist Economic Future (with Premilla Nadasen, Rakeen Mabud and Lenore Palladino, Aisha Nyandoro, Gaylynn Burroughs, and Dolores Huerta)” on Spotify, Apple Podcasts or wherever you get your podcasts.

‘Some Months Are Good, Some Aren’t’: A Mississippi Mom on Security, Self-Reliance and Showing Up for Her Kids

PUBLISHED 8/6/2025 by

Front & Center amplifies the voices of Black women navigating poverty—highlighting their struggles, resilience and dreams as they care for their families, build careers and challenge systems not built for their success. Now in its fourth year, Front & Center is a collaboration between Ms. and Springboard to Opportunities, a nonprofit based in Jackson, Miss., working alongside residents of federally subsidized housing as they pursue their goals.

Adrian is a mother to three boys and the recipient of one year of guaranteed income from the Magnolia Mother’s Trust.

“My income covers the basics, but sometimes unexpected expenses come up, and then things get hard. Some months are good, some aren’t.”

“Having a bit more cash coming in … has helped my mental and emotional health—I feel like I can breathe a little easier.”

‘It’s Always Been Me and the Boys’: How Guaranteed Income Is Helping Black Mothers Build Stronger Families and Futures

PUBLISHED 6/6/2025 by

Now in its fourth year, Front & Center is a groundbreaking Ms. series amplifying the voices of Black women navigating poverty—highlighting their struggles, resilience and dreams as they care for their families, build careers and challenge systems not built for their success.

“Every Friday, my boys and I have a special ritual. We go get snow cones and head to the snow park. We walk around, talk about our week and do affirmations. We discuss what we can do better, with each other and for ourselves. If I messed up, they let me know, and we talk about it. If I feel like they need to improve, we discuss that, too. …

“I dream of going back to school and finishing my criminal justice degree. I fell short because of hard times. But I’m going back this year! I want to make my kids proud. If I can do it, they can do it, too. It’s not easy, but it’s not hard, either. You just have to push. As long as you have that mindset, you’re going to make it.”

‘More Cash, Less Paperwork’: Mothers on the Frontlines of Poverty Are Telling Their Stories. Are We Listening?

PUBLISHED 6/5/2025 by

We are living in challenging times. Fundamental rights are under attack, the economy is teetering on the edge of a recession, and our already-insufficient social safety net’s holes grow larger by the day. It is never easy to live in poverty in America, but the past four-plus months have managed to make a bad situation worse.

As I often say, policy only changes at the speed of narrative. And unless we start truly listening to the real stories of families living in poverty—with all their challenges, joys, complications and layers—we won’t be able to change poverty policy in this country.

Can Unconditional Cash Transfers Help Reduce Poverty?

PUBLISHED 5/13/2025 by

How transformative would an extra $1,000 a month be for low-income Americans? That’s the question OpenResearch, started by the founder of OpenAI Sam Altman, set out to answer with its three-year Unconditional Cash Study. Participants were given $1,000 per month with no strings attached and their experiences were compared against a control group that received $50 per month.

The study’s director, Dr. Elizabeth Rhodes, sat down with Ms. to discuss the study’s findings and how cash transfers can help inform government policy to alleviate poverty.

Some highlights:
— “There are some very transformative stories and some ‘I was able to buy shampoo’ stories.”
— “We saw small reductions, about 2 percent or 1.3 hours per week, in employment. … Do we care that single parents are working a few hours less and spending more time with their kids?”
— “Critics of cash transfers argue that people will not spend the money in socially optimal ways, but participants spent to meet their basic needs.”

‘I Just Want My Babies to Be at Peace’: A Mississippi Single Mom on Surviving the System

PUBLISHED 5/8/2025 by

Front & Center began as first-person accounts of Black mothers in Jackson, Miss., receiving a guaranteed income. Now in its fourth year, the series is expanding to explore broader systemic issues affecting Black women in poverty, including the safety net, healthcare, caregiving and overall well-being.

Maylasalisa has a newborn and is juggling school and caretaking while also trying to find work. She is the recipient of one year of guaranteed income from the Magnolia Mother’s Trust.

“Balancing work and motherhood isn’t easy, especially with a newborn. Right now, I have no choice but to stay home … If I could speak directly to the governor or the president, I’d ask for more help for single mothers—better programs that actually provide efficient support without all the runaround. There needs to be real opportunities for people to get and keep jobs, better transportation and more accessible resources. They have the money to do these things, they just don’t want to.”