High-risk pregnancy doctors publish new standards for care under state abortion bans stateline.org/2026/09/25/hig…

For years, mifepristone and similar drugs have been used to treat common but often debilitating conditions, including uterine fibroids and endometriosis. Now researchers are exploring whether these drugs could have other uses in women’s health, including preventing some cancers. But the politics and restrictions surrounding these drugs in the U.S. could affect the research. @SarahVarney4 has more.

For more than 25 years, mifepristone has been approved for abortion in the United States, and it’s been used safely by more than 7.5 million American women. But mifepristone and a similar drug have also been proven to treat common conditions like uterine fibroids and endometriosis. As anti-abortion groups lobby the Trump administration to further restrict these drugs, @SarahVarney4 and Rachel Wellford take a look at these treatments.

"Creating news deserts is a net-positive long-term investment b/c without investigative, damning coverage of businesses, hedge funds will make money off their assets." Democracy dies in darkness.

"It's like if my house was on fire, and the firefighters came in their truck and they connected their hoses and they had all the water and they had all of the equipment that they needed, and they just stood there." —Dr. Anitra Beasley, Texas pbs.org/video/doctors-after-…

At the turn of the 20th century, Egyptian & Tunisian reformists condemned female seclusion. They provide hugely valuable insights on its causes and consequences. Reading their books in translation taught me a great deal. Here's my new essay: ggd.world/p/behind-bolted-do…

"She fears female-focused health care will soon disappear entirely." Nearly 20-percent of the babies that reach this one hospital in Afghanistan die. piped.video/watch?v=21-WyoiU…

A rule change pushed by White House officials would slash benefits or end support for as many as 400,000 Supplemental Security Income recipients with Down syndrome, dementia and other disabilities whose parents or relatives receive SNAP benefits. propublica.org/article/trump…

Excellent story by Kelcie Moseley-Morris about how GOP opposition to IVF and surrogacy is rising: stateline.org/2026/08/13/mor…

Since Kentucky’s abortion ban went into effect, doctors say the law is having a devastating impact on their patients. But it’s also having a deep professional and personal impact on Kentucky’s physicians. podcasts.apple.com/us/podcas…

Uber’s Strategy for Fighting Sexual Assault Suits: ‘What Were You Wearing?’ new investigation from @emilysteel nytimes.com/2026/08/04/busin…

What care can look at an anti-abortion pregnancy center, by @chatlanis and me: stateline.org/2026/08/07/i-w…

Watch our latest reporting: "It's like if my house was on fire and the firefighters came in their truck and they connected their hoses and they had all the water and they had all of the equipment that they needed, and they just stood there and said, I can't help you."

It's been four years since the Supreme Court's Dobbs decision opened the door to state abortion bans. Now, a new study finds those bans are hurting women who aren't seeking abortions at all. Researchers found delays in miscarriage treatment increase the risk to a woman’s health and fertility and prolong the grief of a lost pregnancy. @SarahVarney4 has more.

Since Roe v. Wade was overturned, a majority of Republicans continue to oppose abortion. But there’s been a shift in opinion among many Americans. More Democrats and independents now say abortion should be legal in all, and in some cases, there are even conservatives questioning their own views in response to state bans. @SarahVarney4 brings us the story of one Arkansas woman whose own pregnancy changed how she sees abortion.

Rape survivor Gisèle Pelicot says the videos of her being assaulted by her husband and dozens of strangers are "etched in my memory forever." "We cannot describe videos of such horror," she told PBS News Hour co-anchor @IAmAmnaNawaz. "So it helped me to think that this woman was not me because she was just like a rag doll, who had no more soul, no more life, who was being abused." Pelicot discovered in 2020 that her husband had been repeatedly drugging and raping her for close to a decade, inviting dozens of strangers to abuse her. During her landmark public mass rape trial in 2024, Pelicot waived her right to anonymity, and all 51 men were found guilty. To prepare for the trial, Pelicot’s lawyers encouraged her to watch the videos of her assaults, which she’d previously avoided. Pelicot recalled feeling she needed to "expose" her abusers so they faced the consequences for what they did. "It was for them to bear the burden of shame, not the victims," she said. Pelicot spoke to Nawaz about her experience, her recently published memoir, "A Hymn to Life: Shame Must Change Sides," and the global reckoning over sexual assault. Watch the full conversation Wednesday night on PBS News Hour.

NEW from me: Ketamine, Prostitution and Money: Here Are The Details of a Secret DEA Probe of Jeffrey Epstein 🎁bloomberg.com/news/features/…

Eight Years of Jeffrey Epstein Coverage by The Miami Herald How we got here With Links: jkbjournalist.substack.com/p…

“About two dozen journalists are working through the three million pages— and so far they’ve seen only 2 to 3 percent of the material.” >> How The Times Is Digging Into Millions of Pages of Epstein Files nytimes.com/2026/02/12/insid…

“This is a deeper revelation of how very powerful men use their networks to help each other stay in control.” The Epstein files are a dark exposure of how powerful men use misogynistic networks to protect one another and maintain control, says Times columnist @HelenRumbelow.