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

Cracking the Egg Donation Market

By Katherine McKeen, The Regulatory Review | 10.13.2021

“Earn up to $50,000 dollars!” “Help a family!” “Donate your eggs!”

Such slogans appear regularly on college bulletin boards and...

U.S. Federal

Mural with an image of Henrietta Lacks and short bio

WHO honors Henrietta Lacks, woman whose cells served science

By Jamey Keaten, Associated Press | 10.13.2021

^{"Henrietta Lacks" by Crawford Brian is licensed under CC BY-SA 2.0}

The chief of the World Health Organization on Wednesday...

Global Governance

Hawaiian double hulled sailing canoe setting out on ceremonial voyage

Genomes Show the History and Travels of Indigenous Peoples

By Keolu Fox, Scientific American | 10.13.2021

^{Robert Cudney / CC-BY-SA-4.0}

I am the proud descendant of people who, at least 1,000 years ago, made one of...

Bioethics

California's Multi-Billion Dollar Plan for Spending on Cell and Gene Therapy Is Nearing Completion

By David Jensen, The California Stem Cell Report | 10.11.2021

The 35 directors of the $12 billion California stem cell agency are scheduled to meet next week for a full...

Policies

Graphic of a test tube, DNA, and 5 people

Heritable human genome editing: Who decides? Science or society?

By Françoise Baylis, Journal of Medical Ethics Blog | 10.11.2021

Many describe the move from bench to bedside (from basic science to therapeutic or preventive applications) as a sprint –...

Human Genetic Modification

silhouette of a seated man with trees in background

‘Lies and trauma’: donor-conceived adults are still haunted by their origins

By Gary Nunn, The Guardian | 10.09.2021

^{Photo by Emiliano Vittoriosi on Unsplash}

Brendan Ritter, 22, recently discovered he was donor conceived.

When he was told, his...

Genomics

Placque-ridden neurons in a brain affected by Alzheimer's

The most common Alzheimer’s risk gene may also protect against memory loss

By Jocelyn Kaiser, Science | 10.07.2021

^{Photo by NIH Image Gallery on Flickr}

A common genetic variant called APOE4 raises a person’s risk of Alzheimer’s disease...

Genetic Selection

illustration shows a padlock hanging from a DNA helix

Genetic discrimination: The next great health battle likely to wash up on NZ shores

By Chelsea Daniels, NewstalkZB | 10.06.2021

There’s growing concern about genetic discrimination in New Zealand – and the lack of Government intervention in this fast-moving field. ...

Policies