New America
Coverage of New America in the Nexus archive.
- Inside Vermont’s Decade-Long Effort to Change Childcare
Vermont passed Act 76 in May 2023 to improve early care and education through dedicated funding, livable wages for educators, and financial support for families. The law followed two decades of advocacy by Let’s Grow Kids, a nonprofit that sunsetted its operations in 2025 after a decade of work to ensure childcare accessibility and affordability.
- Chinese humanoid robots dominate the market with thousands shipped a year. But most are still performative rather than functional
Chinese humanoid robots are gaining market traction with capabilities like backflips and coffee-making, driven by government and private sector orders. However, experts note limited real-world functionality and demand lags behind production capacity, with China leading in manufacturing and the U.S. in AI development.
- A slow shift among Black voters is opening the door for Republicans
A generational shift is decoupling Black identity from Democratic Party loyalty, with President Trump making gains among Black voters despite controversies. Republican identification among Black Americans has increased, and Trump's approval rating among Black voters surged to near 20% in early 2025. This shift could make a difference in close elections.