Opill, the first oral contraceptive pill to be available without a prescription in the U.S., has shipped to retailers nationwide. It will be sold online and in the family planning aisle of drugstores, convenience stores and supermarkets later this month, the manufacturer announced Monday. The drug itself has been around for decades, but manufacturers have been working nine years toward making it available over the counter. (Lupkin, NPR)
Read MoreFrench lawmakers on Monday overwhelmingly approved a bill that will enshrine a woman’s right to an abortion in their nation’s constitution, a historic move designed to prevent the kind of rollback of abortion rights seen in the U.S. in recent years. In an exceptional joint session of Parliament convened at the Palace of Versailles, the bill was approved in a 780-72 vote. Abortion is widely supported in France across most of the political spectrum, and has been legal since 1975. (Surk & Garriga, Los Angeles Times)
Read MoreAmerica is a riven society. Political divisions have been on the rise for years. The gap between the Republican and Democratic Parties has grown in Congress, and the share of Americans who interact with people from the opposing party has plummeted. Studies tell us, “Democrats and Republicans both say that the other party’s members are hypocritical, selfish, and closed-minded, and they are unwilling to socialize across party lines.” (Wehner, The Atlantic)
Read MoreWith around 2 billion active users on the Meta platform, everyday people can become stars and potentially expand their reach, garnering attention and a strong following. The most-followed account on Instagram is the platform's official account, according to Social Blade, a social media analytics site. Instagram's brand account has around 669 million followers. (Munson, USA Today)
Read More“Being pro-life does not mean ‘have babies through whatever means necessary’,” a Christian influencer had written of the recent ruling by Alabama’s Supreme Court that frozen embryos are children — a decision invoking God that quickly upended IVF treatment in the state, panicked many women there and elsewhere and sent legislators scrambling to respond. Nelson, who conceived her son through IVF, is not normally political online. But that post by Allie Beth Stuckey, who has more than a half-million followers, shocked and saddened her, and she felt compelled to push back. (Hennessy-Fiske, The Washington Post)
Read MoreFrance will hold a historic joint session of parliament at the Palace of Versailles on Monday to enshrine the right to an abortion in its constitution, making it the first country in the world to do so. The extraordinary Versailles parliament session and approval of the measure by a three-fifths majority in both houses is required to officialize the change to the constitution. With both houses already approving the measure, Monday's joint session at Versailles is expected to pass it. (Beardsley, NPR)
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