Child care keeps parents working and local economies moving, and Fort Worth is leading the way. Last week I joined @MayorMattie for a conversation hosted by @ChildCareAssoc. Other cities should take notes. More from @startelegram:

New PISA results: American students are going the wrong direction on the skills they need most. Reading down, math flat, critical thinking slipping in the age of AI. We know how to close these gaps. What we lack is a plan and the will to do it. Let's get to work on both!

1/A recent thoughtful op-ed from @JohnBoozman on paid family leave is worth a read—really appreciated him highlighting teachers. I talked with my friend @romydrucker from @WaltonFamilyFdn about the importance of paid leave for teachers earlier this year. Links to both below. Sen. Boozman's Op-ed: swark.today/articles/more-pa…

You may have seen the news today that the U.S. has reached $40 trillion in debt. This bleak milestone serves as yet another reminder that it’s past time to confront a fundamental mismatch. Our federal programs spend much more than the government takes in, and the biggest-ticket items in the federal budget are all running on autopilot. Federal debt is already raising the cost of living and choking out other spending and investment, threatening our economy and Americans’ long-term prosperity. Our current fiscal trajectory is plainly unsustainable, and that’s the best-case scenario. AI disruption, a recession, global war, or any number of other events could quickly push us over the edge from a challenge into a full-blown crisis. Even in the rosiest scenarios, we’re speeding toward a cliff and refusing to turn the wheel. Solutions are well within reach, but they start with being willing to say the quiet part out loud. We can’t confront our fiscal challenges without also accounting for bigger societal trends like an aging population and how AI is changing our economy. That’s why @BPC_Bipartisan recently launched the American Opportunity Project in partnership with the @NatlGovsAssoc. We will leverage practical solutions from governors to develop federal policy options that put America’s fiscal trajectory on a sustainable path while expanding economic opportunity for the next generation. This will be the defining challenge for Congress and presidential administrations over the next several years, and the sooner we act, the more options we have to meet the moment.

With summer winding down and a busy fall ahead, I've been reflecting on how much the teams at @BPC_Bipartisan and @BPCAction got done in 2026. I'm highlighting a few of the big ones this week, and BPC will be sharing more. Follow along, because we all need a reminder that Washington can still get things done when people work together.