News

Surrogacy goes more mainstream

By Carly Mallenbaum, Axios [cites Emily Galpern] | 03.29.2026

More Americans are turning to surrogacy to build their families, as the practice becomes more common and more publicly discussed.

Why it matters: As surrogacy becomes more visible and accessible, ethical, legal and cultural tensions become harder to ignore...

U.S. Federal

Eugenics and the Modern Synthesis, Part I

By Jessica Riskin, Los Ángeles Review of Books | 03.23.2026

This is the first part of the 14th installment in the Legacies of Eugenics series, which features essays by leading thinkers devoted to exploring the history of eugenics and the ways it shapes our present. The series is organized by...

Civil Society

Surrogacy laws are all over the map

By Carly Mallenbaum, Axios [cites Surrogacy360] | 03.29.2026

Without a federal law, surrogacy in the U.S. is governed by a patchwork of state regulations/

Why it matters: Confusing...

Policies

Project Eugenics: The Rollback of Disability Rights

By Kiana Jackson and Shannon Stubblefield, New Disabled South | 02.09.2026

"MC0_8230" via Wikimedia Commons licensed under CC by 2.0 

This report documents a deliberate assault on disabled people in...

U.S. States
a bunch of colorful chromosomes

The map of our DNA is finally complete. Here's what that means for humanity.

By Karen Weintraub, USA Today | 03.31.2022

Scientists are finally done mapping the human genome, more than two decades after the first draft was completed, researchers announced Thursday. About...

Genomics
Blue operating table surrounded by other surgical equipment

Jury Gives $5.25 Million To Woman Impregnated By Fertility Doctor’s Sperm

By Wilson Ring, Huffington Post | 03.30.2022

A federal court jury in Vermont on Wednesday awarded a Florida couple $5.25 million from a doctor who used...

U.S. States
2 mitochondria in grayscale

'Maeve's Law' passes Senate hurdle to legalising mitochondrial donation through IVF

By Anna Salleh, ABC News | 03.30.2022

Photo of mitochondria from Wikicommons

Mitochondrial donation will become legal in Australia, with a controversial bill passing the Senate after...

Human Genetic Modification
covid vaccine

Politics and expertise: How to use science in a democratic society

By Zeynep Pamuk, LSE European Politics and Policy Blog | 03.30.2022

The Covid-19 pandemic has underlined the importance of scientific advice to modern policymaking. But how can the use of expertise...

Biotech & Pharma

Biopiracy row at UN talks in Geneva threatens global deal to save nature

By Patrick Greenfield, The Guardian | 03.30.2022

A standoff over biopiracy is threatening to derail a global agreement to halt the loss of nature, with developing countries...

Policies
The former Ryland Hall and surrounding area in the University of Richmond

University of Richmond strips names of enslavers from campus buildings

By Nick Anderson, The Washington Post | 03.28.2022

Photo of the Humanities Building from Wikicommons

The University of Richmond announced Monday that it has removed from six buildings...

Society
Labor organizers protesting Starbucks

She got a job at Starbucks for access to IVF treatment. It cost more than her actual paycheck.

By Leticia Miranda and Louise Matsakis, NBC News | 03.28.2022

Photo of Starbucks workers from Wikicommons

Leah Russell felt a surge of hope when she spotted Starbucks on a list...

Society

Experts push for genetic testing to personalise drug prescriptions

By Linda Geddes, The Guardian | 03.28.2022

Genetic testing to predict how individuals will respond to common medicines should be implemented without delay to reduce the risk...

Genomics