Health

Dr. Yashica Robinson. Black woman in white suit and black shirt sits at microphone with people behind her.
Ayana Byrd  Jun 19, 2019 2:00PM EDT

The Stakes Podcast Speaks to Alabama's Sole Abortion Provider

Host Kai Wright tours one of just three clinics that provide the medical procedure in the entire state.
AIDS quilt on the National Mall in Washington, D.C.
Ayana Byrd  Jun 18, 2019 12:08PM EDT

ICYMI: HIV Prevention Drug PrEP to Be Covered by Most Insurance Plans

At $2,000 per month, the pill is currently inaccessible to most of the people who are at highest risk of contracting HIV.
a number of protest signs supporting abortion rights
Ayana Byrd  Jun 17, 2019 3:11PM EDT

NYC Funds Abortions For People From States With Restrictive Bans

It is the first time a city has used its budget to step into the national abortion battle.
Pregnant person in a striped gray and black shirt holding a purple flower as someone touches their stomach
Ayana Byrd  Jun 11, 2019 4:24PM EDT

STUDY: Being Denied an Abortion is Detrimental to Long-Term Health

In the first study of its kind, researchers looked at illness in people denied abortions compared to those who were able to obtain the medical procedure.
Protesters shout and raise fists outside a Flint, Michigan, municipal building.
Ayana Byrd  Jun 5, 2019 10:57AM EDT

Flint Update: Prosecutors Examine Phone And Hard Drive of Former Governor Rick Snyder

A search warrant was executed to delve into data stored on devices used by Snyder and 66 other government officials.
outside of St. Louis Planned Parenthood with Missouri and U.S. flags
Ayana Byrd  Jun 3, 2019 10:32AM EDT

Missouri's One Abortion Clinic Will Stay Open—For Now

A judge temporarily stopped the state from revoking St. Louis Planned Parenthood’s license.
People on steps at Connecticut Black Reproductive Freedom Rally. Three Black women stand in front of banner with megaphone.
N. Jamiyla Chisholm  May 30, 2019 3:38PM EDT

Activists Unite for Black Reproductive Freedom Rally

Activists from nine organizations stood up for Black people’s bodies on the steps of Connecticut’s State Supreme Court.
women hold signs in support of abortion rights outside Supreme Court
Ayana Byrd  May 29, 2019 10:11AM EDT

Supreme Court Issues Partial Ruling on Indiana Abortion Law

The justices did not rule on the part of the law that addresses the constitutionality of the medical procedure.
Black woman standing in front of signs supporting abortion rights
Ayana Byrd  May 28, 2019 1:34PM EDT

ICYMI: Court Blocks Mississippi's 6-Week Abortion Ban

In his ruling, United States District Judge Carlton W. Reeves began with four telling words: “Here we go again.” 
outside shot of Manhattan's federal courthouse
Ayana Byrd  May 22, 2019 12:39PM EDT

Two Dozen States and Cities Sue Trump Administration to Protect Reproductive Rights

The lawsuits seek to block the “conscience rule,” which allows health care providers to deny abortion care and other legal medical services.
Male farmers in a fruit field in Central Valley, California
Ayana Byrd  May 21, 2019 2:34PM EDT

READ: California Water Crisis Hits Latinx Farmworkers

A New York Times article examines how the success of the state’s agricultural industry is polluting the water of the people who work in it.
Profile view of pregnant woman wearing black shirt with long brown hair hiding her face standing beside a white and green U.S. Border Patrol truck.
Shani Saxon  May 15, 2019 5:42PM EDT

Are Federal Officials Criminalizing Pregnant Migrants?

Immigrant advocates say the United States Marshals Service is committing “atrocities” against these vulnerable asylum-seekers.
Roger Smitherman of Alabama state senate at a podium
Ayana Byrd  May 15, 2019 1:41PM EDT

Alabama Passes Bill That Effectively Bans Abortion

The nation’s most restrictive law was drafted with the hope that it will lead to the Supreme Court overturning Roe v. Wade.
Baltimore City Hall
Ayana Byrd  May 14, 2019 1:46PM EDT

Does Your City Employ Environmental Justice Best Practices?

A new study examines how cities from San Francisco to Baltimore are making the environment safer for residents of color.
Black man in white tuxedo and black glasses smiles while holding gold award statue in front of black and white and gold background
Ayana Byrd  May 13, 2019 4:25PM EDT

Hollywood Reacts to Georgia Abortion Law

Nearly $3 billion was spent in the state on television and film shoots last year. Now, producers are using that leverage to protest the restrictive law.
Black mom against a black backdrop holding and kissing a black baby on its forehead
catherine lizette gonzalez  May 10, 2019 12:07PM EDT

Author Q&A: Dani McClain On the Power of Black Mothering

In her new book, “We Live for the We: The Political Power of Black Motherhood,” author and journalist Dani McClain sets out to discover what it means to raise her daughter with dignity and joy in a hostile world.
orange pill that reads Free the Pill
Ayana Byrd  May 9, 2019 4:47PM EDT

#FreeThePill Day Marks 59th Anniversary of Birth Control Pill

The movement to make the pill available over the counter hops on Twitter. 
An oil refinery is shown near Houston following Hurricane Harvey August 30, 2017 in Houston, Texas.
Ayana Byrd  May 7, 2019 3:44PM EDT

EPA Reverses Rule That Curbed Power Plants From Releasing Toxins in Communities of Color

Texas won a lawsuit it filed against the government agency.
Robert Taylor. Black man wearing light blue buttondown shirt stands in front of brown brick building
Ayana Byrd  May 6, 2019 3:09PM EDT

Inside a Louisiana Town's Fight Against Environmental Racism

Reserve, located in “Cancer Alley,” is the focus of a year-long investigative series by The Guardian. 
Children in brightly colorled clothes in shelter in Puerto Rico, child in front wears red and white and carries blue bag
Ayana Byrd  Apr 29, 2019 1:39PM EDT

STUDY: How Hurricane Maria Affected Mental Health of Children in Puerto Rico

A new study from the  Puerto Rico Department of Education and Medical University of South Carolina found that nearly one-third of the children surveyed reported strong predictors of PTSD following the storm.