Sierra Dawn McClain

In its ruling, the high court recognized that the NJ attorney general's demands chill the pregnancy centers’ First Amendment speech and association rights.

BREAKING: The Supreme Court has ruled unanimously that a network of faith-based pregnancy centers in New Jersey may challenge in federal court a subpoena issued by NJ's attorney general. I wrote about this two years ago: wsj.com/opinion/new-je… via @WSJopinion

In 2024, I interviewed the DeGrosses about Washington denying to renew their foster care license because they disagreed with the state on gender ideology. This week's ruling denied state officials' request to dismiss the case, allowing the DeGrosses to continue their lawsuit.

A federal district court ruled Wednesday that a Washington state rule requiring foster parents to socially "transition" foster children plausibly violates the First Amendment. This is good news for Shane and Jennifer DeGross: wsj.com/opinion/gender… via @WSJopinion

The Wall Street Journal is hiring a Letters Editor. Come work with my amazing team at WSJ Opinion! dowjones.jobs/new-york-ny/le…

From @WSJopinion: An artificial Christmas tree is practical, but a real one is glorious. Finding a real tree is part of the fun, writes @sierradmcclain. on.wsj.com/45e6HWA

An artificial Christmas tree is practical, but a real one is glorious. Finding a real tree is part of the fun, writes @sierradmcclain on.wsj.com/4pTKLIT

@BenSasse I’m so sorry. It’s been such a pleasure editing your great work. I’m praying for you.

Friends- This is a tough note to write, but since a bunch of you have started to suspect something, I’ll cut to the chase: Last week I was diagnosed with metastasized, stage-four pancreatic cancer, and am gonna die. Advanced pancreatic is nasty stuff; it’s a death sentence. But I already had a death sentence before last week too — we all do. I’m blessed with amazing siblings and half-a-dozen buddies that are genuinely brothers. As one of them put it, “Sure, you’re on the clock, but we’re all on the clock.” Death is a wicked thief, and the bastard pursues us all. Still, I’ve got less time than I’d prefer. This is hard for someone wired to work and build, but harder still as a husband and a dad. I can’t begin to describe how great my people are. During the past year, as we’d temporarily stepped back from public life and built new family rhythms, Melissa and I have grown even closer — and that on top of three decades of the best friend a man could ever have. Seven months ago, Corrie was commissioned into the Air Force and she’s off at instrument and multi-engine rounds of flight school. Last week, Alex kicked butt graduating from college a semester early even while teaching gen chem, organic, and physics (she’s a freak). This summer, 14-year-old Breck started learning to drive. (Okay, we’ve been driving off-book for six years — but now we’ve got paper to make it street-legal.) I couldn’t be more grateful to constantly get to bear-hug this motley crew of sinners and saints. There’s not a good time to tell your peeps you’re now marching to the beat of a faster drummer — but the season of advent isn’t the worst. As a Christian, the weeks running up to Christmas are a time to orient our hearts toward the hope of what’s to come. Not an abstract hope in fanciful human goodness; not hope in vague hallmark-sappy spirituality; not a bootstrapped hope in our own strength (what foolishness is the evaporating-muscle I once prided myself in). Nope — often we lazily say “hope” when what we mean is “optimism.” To be clear, optimism is great, and it’s absolutely necessary, but it’s insufficient. It’s not the kinda thing that holds up when you tell your daughters you’re not going to walk them down the aisle. Nor telling your mom and pops they’re gonna bury their son. A well-lived life demands more reality — stiffer stuff. That’s why, during advent, even while still walking in darkness, we shout our hope — often properly with a gravelly voice soldiering through tears. Such is the calling of the pilgrim. Those who know ourselves to need a Physician should dang well look forward to enduring beauty and eventual fulfillment. That is, we hope in a real Deliverer — a rescuing God, born at a real time, in a real place. But the eternal city — with foundations and without cancer — is not yet. Remembering Isaiah’s prophecies of what’s to come doesn’t dull the pain of current sufferings. But it does put it in eternity’s perspective: “When we've been there 10,000 years…We've no less days to sing God's praise.” I’ll have more to say. I’m not going down without a fight. One sub-part of God’s grace is found in the jawdropping advances science has made the past few years in immunotherapy and more. Death and dying aren’t the same — the process of dying is still something to be lived. We’re zealously embracing a lot of gallows humor in our house, and I’ve pledged to do my part to run through the irreverent tape. But for now, as our family faces the reality of treatments, but more importantly as we celebrate Christmas, we wish you peace: “The people walking in darkness have seen a great light; on those living in the land of deep darkness a light has dawned….For to us a son is given” (Isaiah 9). With great gratitude, and with gravelly-but-hopeful voices, Ben — and the Sasses

An artificial Christmas tree is practical, but a real one is glorious. My favorite memories are of our tree hunts in the mountains. The Great Christmas Tree Hunt by @sierradmcclain wsj.com/opinion/the-gr… via @WSJopinion

Today is the launch of @WSJFreeEx, a new project of @WSJopinion. It's a culture-focused newsletter that won't ignore Washington and Wall Street, but will cast a wider net. Sign up here: wsj.com/preference-cen…

Nearly all of the Joe Rago Fellows, past and present, are pictured here with Mr. and Mrs. Rago on the left. This fellowship is a wonderful opportunity to which I owe my position at the WSJ today. Read more here if you'd like to apply: tfas.org/programs/cente…

Tariffs are making toys pricier and harder to find, so Santa might have a lighter sleigh this year, writes @sierradmcclain. on.wsj.com/44XdPXd

From @WSJopinion: Christmas is coming, and parents looking for toys face tariff-induced price hikes and shortages, writes @sierradmcclain on.wsj.com/48B4ZiV

Christmas is coming, and parents looking for toys face tariff-induced price hikes and shortages, writes @sierradmcclain on.wsj.com/4axTawA

Big Winner in Trump’s Trade War: The Grinch by @sierradmcclain Christmas is coming, and parents looking for toys face tariff-induced price hikes and shortages. wsj.com/opinion/big-wi… via @WSJopinion

Trump is caught between two competing goals: enforcing immigration law by deporting illegal aliens and ensuring enough workers for American agriculture, writes @sierradmcclain on.wsj.com/4oCPg9A

Facing a shrinking supply of pickers and rising labor costs, U.S. apple growers have long wanted robotic harvesters. But the apple industry illustrates the challenges of automating, writes @sierradmcclain on.wsj.com/47MEvvA

How Does a Robot Pick an Apple? Not Very Well by @sierradmcclain Farms automate harvests of corn and other row crops, but the technology to pick crops that need delicate handling (such as peaches, asparagus and apples) still needs work. wsj.com/opinion/how-do… via @WSJopinion

@jackbutler4815 @WSJopinion Welcome! We’re happy to have you on board. :)

Today is my first day as a Deputy Opinion Editor for @WSJopinion. I am excited about what is in store. I hope the rest of you are, too.

High standards and competition lift the disadvantaged. Voters who see the tragedy of low standards in education might question if Mr. Mamdani is the right pick for mayor. wsj.com/opinion/zohran… via @WSJopinion