A protester in Maine was photographed wearing the famous straw hat from One Piece. Last year, I wrote about how young protesters are using anime as a touchstone in protests worldwide. newrepublic.com/article/2023...
Grace Segers
@gracesegers.bsky.social
Politics reporter for The New Republic. I don't write headlines. Email: gsegers@tnr.com Signal: gracesegers.58
For @hothtakes.bsky.social' new episode, @gracesegers.bsky.social and I each picked a controversial Star Wars character to defend. My choice won't surprise longtime listeners, but I found Grace's pick super interesting. hothtakes.wordpress.com/2026/06/19/h...
Hoth Takes #71: Galactic Counterfactuals
Star Wars fans love to debate whether controversial characters are sorely misunderstood or rightfully condemned, and we at Hoth Takes are not immune to that temptation. In this episode, Eric and Gr…
hothtakes.wordpress.com
I visited Kansas to discuss the impact of Trump's tariffs and the war in Iran with soybean farmers. What I found doesn't fit a specific political narrative, but rather offers insight into how farmers' struggles and decisions connect to the larger economy. newrepublic.com/article/2100...
The Farmers Caught in the Middle of Trump’s Tariffs and the Iran War
Soybean farmers have been hit particularly hard. Most are sticking with the president anyway.
newrepublic.com
We sent @gracesegers.bsky.social to Kansas to talk to farmers about what they're going through thanks to Trump's tariffs and the Iran War newrepublic.com/article/2100...
The Farmers Caught in the Middle of Trump’s Tariffs and the Iran War
Soybean farmers have been hit particularly hard. Most are sticking with the president anyway.
newrepublic.com
ICYMI: I wrote about the difficulties that Alaskans face in obtaining SNAP and Medicaid—on top of existing challenges with accessing adequate food and medical care. Featuring on the ground reporting from rural coastal Alaska: newrepublic.com/article/2027...
Inside the Hunger Crisis in America’s Last Frontier
Alaska’s unique challenges make it difficult to obtain healthy food and adequate medical care. Are the Trump administration and Congress making it worse?
newrepublic.com
@gracesegers.bsky.social's feature on the hunger crisis in Alaska is an absolute banger of a story—and one which we wish we had no reason to publish newrepublic.com/article/2027...
Inside the Hunger Crisis in America’s Last Frontier
Alaska’s unique challenges make it difficult to obtain healthy food and adequate medical care. Are the Trump administration and Congress making it worse?
newrepublic.com
Amazing long-form reporting and a really good read capturing what it's really like to deal with bureaucratic hurdles to getting food stamps, from @gracesegers.bsky.social. A document for the Trump 2.0 era: newrepublic.com/article/2027...
Inside the Hunger Crisis in America’s Last Frontier
Alaska’s unique challenges make it difficult to obtain healthy food and adequate medical care. Are the Trump administration and Congress making it worse?
newrepublic.com
This is fantastic and eye-opening reporting from @gracesegers.bsky.social about SNAP and hunger in a remote part of Alaska -- Americans we don't hear from much in national reporting. More reporting like this, please, everyone! newrepublic.com/article/2027...
Inside the Hunger Crisis in America’s Last Frontier
Alaska’s unique challenges make it difficult to obtain healthy food and adequate medical care. Are the Trump administration and Congress making it worse?
newrepublic.com
"Alaskans’ struggles are a microcosm of what poor and rural Americans face across the country. When the social safety net is riddled with holes, people fall through," writes @gracesegers.bsky.social. Great story. newrepublic.com/article/2027...
Inside the Hunger Crisis in America’s Last Frontier
Alaska’s unique challenges make it difficult to obtain healthy food and adequate medical care. Are the Trump administration and Congress making it worse?
newrepublic.com
I traveled to Unalakleet, a coastal Alaskan village, to learn more about the difficulties rural Alaskans face in obtaining adequate food and medical care. With changes to SNAP and Medicaid, avoiding hunger and staying healthy may only get more complicated. newrepublic.com/article/2027...
Inside the Hunger Crisis in America’s Last Frontier
Alaska’s unique challenges make it difficult to obtain healthy food and adequate medical care. Are the Trump administration and Congress making it worse?
newrepublic.com
A great piece from @gracesegers.bsky.social using Alaska as a way to show how Trump's benefit cuts are going to devastate the already struggling rural communities Republicans are supposedly so sympathetic to newrepublic.com/article/2027...
Inside the Hunger Crisis in America’s Last Frontier
Alaska’s unique challenges make it difficult to obtain healthy food and adequate medical care. Are the Trump administration and Congress making it worse?
newrepublic.com
If you've ever thought, "I know how to make the Star Wars sequels better," you need to hear @gracesegers.bsky.social's pitch in our new "Hoth Tank" episode. hothtakes.wordpress.com/2025/09/26/h...
Hoth Takes #63: Please Don’t Sue Us, Guy Fieri
With few Star Wars film or television projects on the horizon, it’s time to think about how we would fill the void if we were in charge. In this episode: three pitches for revitalizing the Star War…
hothtakes.wordpress.com
I don't really post anything but my articles anymore but I cannot stay silent. Demon Slayer is painfully mid, it is boring narratively and visually (high quality animation =/= interesting animation), and it definitely does not deserve to be the most popular anime in the world
The USDA abruptly decided to terminate an annual survey that policymakers and organizations use to help Americans struggling with food insecurity. newrepublic.com/article/2007...
The Latest Casualty of Trump’s War on Data Is a Critical Hunger Report
The USDA abruptly decided to terminate an annual survey that policymakers and organizations use to help Americans struggling with food insecurity.
newrepublic.com
If Congress does not act before November 1, which is when ACA enrollment opens, people will get an early look at the effect of higher premiums and the expiration of tax credits. newrepublic.com/article/2002...
A Health Care Cost Bomb Is Coming—Unless Congress Acts
If lawmakers don’t extend enhanced tax credits for the Affordable Care Act marketplaces, low- and middle-income households should get ready for some significant sticker shock.
newrepublic.com
Great newsletter by @titonka.bsky.social on the conversation around political "authenticity." Authenticity is often just code for masculinity, which "defines what kind of behavior, what kind of signifiers, are acceptable in top political candidates." daniellekurtzleben.substack.com/p/when-authe...
When "authenticity" means "dudes"
As 2026 approaches, can we political reporters please not forget every damn thing we learned just last year for the love of God
daniellekurtzleben.substack.com
The health and human services secretary wants to limit access to items he has called “poison.” But this mission is more complex than it seems, with serious consequences for low-income citizens. newrepublic.com/article/1988...
How RFK Jr.’s War on Junk Food Could Backfire on Vulnerable Americans
The health and human services secretary wants to limit access to items he has called “poison.” But this mission is more complex than it seems, with serious consequences for low-income citizens.
newrepublic.com
one day I woke up and everyone was saying "labubu" as if it was a word that meant something
A wide array of hunger and health care advocates are hoping to mitigate the effects of some provisions in Trump’s budget bill before they are implemented. newrepublic.com/article/1980...
Inside the Fight to Save SNAP and Medicaid
A wide array of hunger and health care advocates are hoping to mitigate the effects of some provisions in Trump’s budget bill before they are implemented.
newrepublic.com
How a skeptical Albany and hostile Washington could stymie the Democratic mayoral nominee’s agenda if he’s elected in November. newrepublic.com/article/1974...
These Are Obstacles to Zohran Mamdani’s Plans for New York City
How a skeptical Albany and hostile Washington could stymie the Democratic mayoral nominee’s agenda if he’s elected in November
newrepublic.com
@gracesegers.bsky.social takes the helm for our new episode, which is all about female characters (and creators) in Star Wars. hothtakes.wordpress.com/2025/06/30/h...
Hoth Takes #61: No Bras In Space
Strong women have been part of the Star Wars saga from the very beginning, but the franchise has often struggled with how it portrays them. In this episode, we compare and critique how storytellers…
hothtakes.wordpress.com
Regardless of how lawmakers react, experts say the president’s actions were unlawful. newrepublic.com/article/1973...
Congress Won’t Act on the Iran Strikes. That Doesn’t Make Them Legal.
Regardless of how lawmakers react, experts say the president’s actions were unlawful.
newrepublic.com
was trying to type out "The New Republic" and my phone wanted to autofill "The Raid 2" instead, which I guess gives you a sense of how often I text about The Raid 2
ICYMI: I wrote about how the modern social safety net has been crafted around ideas of "deservingness," and how that has affected low-income single moms in the past—as well as how poor single moms today could be impacted by cuts to benefits. newrepublic.com/article/1970...
Single Moms Will Bear the Brunt of the Republicans’ Budget Cuts
Whenever lawmakers start carving up benefit programs, women raising children alone are always the first to feel the pain. Trump’s “big, beautiful bill” follows in that grim tradition.
newrepublic.com
The U.S. social safety net was constructed around ideas of "deservingness." For single moms, that often meant additional hoops to jump through. Analysis on how poor single moms rely on benefits programs, & what the reconciliation bill would mean for them: newrepublic.com/article/1970...
Single Moms Will Bear the Brunt of the Republicans’ Cruel Budget Cuts
Whenever lawmakers start carving up benefit programs, women raising children alone are always the first to feel the pain. Trump’s “big, beautiful bill” follows in that grim tradition.
newrepublic.com
Four years after electing Eric Adams, the city’s mayoral primaries on Tuesday will provide another chance for voters to use a still-novel system for choosing a nominee. newrepublic.com/article/1967...
Ranked-Choice Voting in NYC Faces Its Make-or-Break Moment
Four years after electing Eric Adams, the city’s mayoral primaries on Tuesday will provide another chance for voters to use a still-novel system for choosing a nominee.
newrepublic.com
Progressives are wringing their hands over the shift that took young men voters to the right. But some worry about focusing more on the symptom than the cause. newrepublic.com/article/1961...
The Quest to Bring Young Men Back to the Democrats
Progressives are wringing their hands over the shift that took these voters to the right. But some worry about focusing more on the symptom than the cause.
newrepublic.com
Grant freezes and program cuts at USDA, as well as efforts to slash food stamps, could leave community providers in rural America floundering. newrepublic.com/article/1959...
Small Farmers Are Struggling With Trumpian Chaos—and Bracing for More
Grant freezes and program cuts at USDA, as well as efforts to slash food stamps, could leave community providers in rural America floundering.
newrepublic.com