Documentary ‘Zurawski v. Texas’ Shows the Horror of Abortion Bans—and the Bravery of Those Who Fight Them

As voters head to the ballot box to vote for the very leaders who will directly decide their reproductive healthcare access, the documentary Zurawski v. Texas is on national tour, screening in movie theaters across the country.

Executive produced by Hillary and Chelsea Clinton and directed by Maisie Crow and Abbie Perrault, the film achieves the remarkable, bringing audiences directly into the lives of three plaintiffs and their lawyer in the groundbreaking lawsuit from the Center for Reproductive Rights challenging Texas’ abject failure to honor medical exceptions under its abortion ban. The documentary gets up close and personal, shedding light on the devastating consequences experienced by each of the women—their doctor’s appointments, family interactions, surrogacy attempts, courtroom testimonies and a heart-wrenching funeral—at the hands of the state.

The Crusade to Elect Three Democrats to the Texas Supreme Court

“The Texas Supreme Court took our freedoms. And what we need to do about it in November is vote out Jimmy Blacklock, John Devine and Jane Bland,” said Gina Ortiz Jones, Texas woman and founder of the Find Out PAC.

Jones said she’s confident that “people are very motivated to hold somebody accountable” for their loss of reproductive rights in Texas, and that flipping three seats on the state Supreme Court may not be as difficult as it seems.

“When people say, ‘Oh, that’s really tough’—well how do we know?” she said. “We’ve never tried.”

Michelle Obama to Men: Take Our Lives Seriously

In her first appearance on the campaign trail since her electric speech at the Democratic National Convention, former First Lady Michelle Obama pleaded directly with men to take women’s lives seriously this election.

“To the men who love us … I am asking you from the core of my being to take our lives seriously. Do not put our hands in the lives of politicians—mostly men—who have no clue or do not care about what we as women are going through.”

Mass Deportation Won’t Solve U.S. Immigration Policy. Here Are Three Things That Will.

There are three things the U.S. government must do to address immigration. None entails policing the U.S. border, and none are prioritized by U.S. politicians today. 

Support of land sovereignty, reproductive autonomy and safe borders would do far more to address the problems accompanying U.S. immigration, than threatening expensive deportation and promising ineffective border walls.

U.S. Abortions Continue to Increase, Fueled by Telehealth and Shield State Providers

The number of abortions in the first half of 2024 was significantly higher than the same period for the previous two years—according to the Society of Family Planning’s eighth #WeCount report, released last week, which measures the number of abortions in the U.S. each month from April 2022 through June 2024.

There has been a 20.4 percent increase in just three years, despite abortion bans in 14 states and severe restrictions in many others. (And these numbers only include clinician-provided abortions—there are many more self-managed abortions occurring outside of the formal healthcare system.)

Biden-Harris Administration Proposes Most Significant Expansion of Contraception Coverage Under ACA in Over a Decade

The Biden-Harris administration last week announced a new proposed rule that would significantly expand access to no-cost birth control under the Affordable Care Act. The rule would require private health insurance to cover all forms of contraception without co-pays, including over-the-counter contraceptives.

This expansion of contraception coverage is important in light of steep declines in prescriptions for birth control and emergency contraception in states banning abortion.

‘The Hidden History of the Pelvic Exam’: Larry Nassar and the National Nightmare

An excerpt from Exposed: The Hidden History of the Pelvic Exam:

“Tasha Schwikert unwittingly entered the ranch at one of its most intense times. ‘We were all so broken down and injured,’ remembered Jeannette Antolin, who was a member of the U.S. national team from 1995 to 2000. ‘No one was taking care of their bodies. We were all malnutritioned. Most of us had eating disorders at the time. Most of us were being abused by Larry and not knowing it.'”

Gisèle Pelicot, the Woman at the Center of France’s Mass Rape Trial, Takes the Stand for the First Time

“I never, even for a single second, gave my consent to Mr. Pelicot or those other men.”

Halfway through the mass rape trial in France that has been shocking the world and brewing feminist rage since September, survivor Gisèle Pelicot took the stand for the first time on Wednesday to share her nightmarish story.

On why she’s taking a stand: “I wanted all woman victims of rape—not just when they have been drugged, rape exists at all levels—I want those woman to say: Mrs. Pelicot did it, we can do it too.”

Liberation, Family Style: Latina Voters Advance the Fight for our Freedoms

Solidarity has always been at the heart of Latina and Chicana liberation movements. Its thread binds the spirit of our community’s diversity, uniting us in pursuit of a democracy where all individuals and their families can lead safe, healthy, self-determined lives.

As men of color find their corner in the fight for abortion, and recent survey findings show that most Latinos support abortion access, families can continue fostering understanding around the importance of reproductive freedom. These conversations help dismantle stigma, encourage empathy, and promote a culture of respect for one’s own choices.