The Brian Lehrer Show Holiday Best-Of: Jelani Cobb; Pregnancy; Grandparenting; Julia Ioffe; Cartoons
Dec 26, 2025
Jelani Cobb, a New Yorker staff writer and dean at Columbia, explores the connections between recent protests and U.S. political history. Irin Carmon tackles the intense challenges of pregnancy in America post-Dobbs, revealing alarming maternal health disparities. Marina Lopes discusses Singapore's innovative approach to grandparent caregiving, advocating for compensation and support. Julia Ioffe delves into Russia's feminist history, examining policies that once empowered women but have since unraveled. Liza Donnelly highlights the unique perspectives women cartoonists bring to humor.
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Inequality Drives Maternal Risk
- Carmon highlights New York City's extreme racial gaps where Black women face far higher maternal mortality, linked to hospital resources and racism.
- She argues inequity, not just legal access to abortion, drives dangerous pregnancy outcomes even in liberal states.
Fund Midwives And Community Hospitals
- Carmon recommends expanding sustainable midwife and doula programs and funding them fairly to keep providers in the system.
- She urges investing resources in community hospitals so they can provide timely advanced care.
Singapore Makes Grandparenting Work
- Marina Lopes notes Singapore formalizes grandparent caregiving with allowances, housing grants, and tax relief to make intergenerational care viable.
- Those public supports create reliable, flexible, and affordable childcare without privatizing the entire burden.