Biden’s nominee for assistant secretary of health at HHS, Dr. Rachel Levine, is historic. If confirmed by the Senate, Dr. Levine will become the highest-ranking openly transgender government official in U.S. history. As one of the key officials tackling the COVID-19 pandemic, she will have her hands full as she works to roll back harmful Trump-era health policies. Read More »


The U.S. just passed the somber milestone of 4 million COVID-19 cases in a single month (November). With the holiday season upon us, experts warn that gatherings of family and friends will accelerate the spread. Trump’s policies and rhetoric aren’t helping. Read More »


Despite his electoral defeat, President Trump’s war on reproductive health and rights is far from over: Trump-appointed judges, Mitch McConnell’s Senate, and GOP controlled state governments will continue to try to curtail everything from abortion rights to contraceptive access. But the tide of battle has turned. Starting Jan. 20, there is much that the new administration can do to restore reproductive health and rights here and abroad. Read More »


A pandemic, like any other life-threatening event, prompts us to reflect on our mortality, but our error-prone response to the pandemic should force us to ponder a larger question: Are we a fatally flawed species? Read More »


Best way to keep America great

September 26, 2020

Our presidential elections elicit bold ideas designed to capture the imagination of the American people. In that spirit, Matthew Yglesias, the founder of Vox, has written a new book, “One Billion Americans: The Case for Thinking Bigger,” which proposes that America triple its population. Read More »


The death of Justice Ruth Bader Ginsberg is a terrible loss for her family, her friends, and her country. Her likely replacement threatens to compound the loss by reversing her judicial legacy, especially her ardent defense of sexual and reproductive rights. Read More »


The U.S. Supreme Court just upheld two Trump administration rules that allow any “non-governmental employer”— even publicly traded for-profit companies — to deny their employees the contraceptive coverage provided by the Affordable Care Act (ACA) based on “moral” or “religious” objections. Last month, when the Court narrowly struck down a Louisiana law that would have limited access to abortion services, pro-choice advocates celebrated, but this new ruling is a blow to reproductive rights and health. Read More »


In a narrow victory for abortion rights, the U.S. Supreme Court struck down a Louisiana anti-abortion law in June Medical Services v. Russo on Monday. The Louisiana law would have required abortion providers to have admitting privileges at a hospital within 30 miles of the clinic, which would have effectively eliminated all clinics in the state but one. In striking it down, the Court uphold the precedent it set back in 2016, when it declared a nearly identical Texas law unconstitutional. The ruling will prevent two of Louisiana’s three remaining abortion clinics from being shuttered, protecting abortion access for the nearly 1 million women of reproductive age. Read More »


The U.S. Supreme Court decision on Monday to strike down a restrictive Louisiana abortion law in June Medical Services v. Russo is a major win for reproductive rights in the United States. If the law had been upheld, it would have severely diminished access to abortion services in Louisiana and potentially other states. It’s a welcome victory for reproductive health and equitable access to reproductive services, but the battle is far from over, and many other threats remain, especially for women of color. Read More »


As COVID-19 grips developing countries, the number of new cases per day is higher than ever, and the total caseload is approaching 5 million. If the virus is to be defeated, U.S. global leadership is indispensable. But the U.S. is retreating from it, threatening to reconsider its funding and participation in the World Health Organization (WHO), and skipping a high-level meeting of the European Union and other U.S. allies to secure funding for the global fight against the pandemic. Read More »