Nicole Lafond

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Nicole Lafond is TPM’s deputy editor, based in New York. She has also worked as the special projects editor and as a senior newswriter for TPM. She has a master’s degree in journalism from Columbia University and previously covered education in central Illinois.

Where Things Stand: Advocacy Group Finds GOP’s Slew Of Education-Gagging Laws Intentionally Vague
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Political observers have been theorizing for some time that the Republican Party’s current war on education and school-related issues is all part of a broader effort to create a political illusion. The right-wing media and right-wing politicians are seemingly using each other to make enough noise about faux cultural grievances that it’s impossible to tell where the noise originated in the first place.

Are kindergarteners in Florida being exposed to LGBTQ or gender identity issues in an age inappropriate way? Are math textbooks in Texas indoctrinating kids to become liberal cyborgs? No, but asking the question gives the question a life of its own.

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Where Things Stand: Roger Born-Again Stone Warns Of ‘Satanic Portal’ Above White House
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I will admit: I have watched every episode ever of the documentary-style “Ghost Trackers” and “Haunted,” as well as the fictionalized adaptations of the hauntings of “Bly Manor” and “Hill House.”

If there’s a fleck of dust in a dark room and you wanna call it an orb, I’m there.

But Roger Stone could perhaps stand to watch a few episodes of “Ghost Brothers” or “Haunted Towns” — particularly the episodes when they talk about how basic things like light reflections work — before he starts proclaiming evidence of “satanic portals.”

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Where Things Stand: Schumer Claims Biden’s Leaning His Way On Student Debt Cancellation
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There’s not a ton to make of Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer’s (D-NY) remarks from the Senate floor today — when he suggested that President Biden is “moving in our direction” on student debt forgiveness.

But he could be signaling a few things.

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Where Things Stand: Raskin Keeps Nodding At Significance Of Pence Not Getting In Car On Jan 6
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Rep. Jamie Raskin (D-MD) has been a consistent, public voice of authority on the Jan. 6 panel’s work since the committee first began its investigation into the insurrection and broader efforts by Trump and his allies to subvert the 2020 election.

But lately he’s given a series of blunt remarks, honing in on the events surrounding former Vice President Mike Pence’s decision to not get into an armored vehicle as Secret Service attempted to evacuate him from the U.S. Capitol. Raskin is interested in why the vice president so strenuously objected.

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Where Things Stand: Activist Petitions To Get Bible Banned From Florida Schools In DeSantis-Trolling Move
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The guy’s got a point.

In what is seemingly a move to troll Florida Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis and his administration’s latest effort to censor school children from non-existent “prohibited” material for no discernible reason, a Florida man and atheist activist recently asked some of the state’s largest school districts to ban the Bible from public schools, citing age inappropriate content.

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Where Things Stand: Those DeSantis-Banned Textbooks Teach Kids To Be Kind And Acknowledge That Black Mathematicians Exist
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The horror.

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) and his office have been incredibly tight-lipped about what exactly the state education department found to be so appalling in those 54 math textbooks that the state decided to immediately ban them from public schools.

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on July 18, 2017 in Washington, DC. Where Things Stand: Mike Lee Runs Away From Event To Avoid Addressing Those Texts
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Sen. Mike Lee (R-UT) exited an event in Utah on Tuesday so quickly that even his staffer was out of breath.

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WASHINGTON, DC - JANUARY 06:  Protesters gather storm the Capitol and halt a joint session of the 117th Congress on Wednesday, Jan. 6, 2021 in Washington, DC. (Kent Nishimura / Los Angeles Times) Where Things Stand: Uber Driver Turned In Jan 6 Rioter With Dashcam Footage Of The Guy Bleeding And Bragging
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Not to boast but on this day, April 19, 2022, I, Nicole Lafond, was awarded the ride-sharing apps’ most coveted distinction for a passenger: I am now a 5-star rider.

My robot cab app of choice, Lyft, sent me an email just this afternoon to inform me that a “badge” had been added to my profile. Apparently enough drivers have given me five-star ratings in a row that I now deserve this flashy honor:

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Where Things Stand: Warren Tries To Revive Drowsy Dems Ahead Of Midterms
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If you’re a lifer, you probably know Sen. Elizabeth Warren’s (D-MA) origin story, at least as it relates to TPM.

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Where Things Stand: DeSantis Joins Mad Dash To Make Abortion Illegal Before Doing So Is Even Legal
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As he has with most trendy right-wing political stunts, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) refused to be left out of the abortion-banning race.

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