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

We’re Entering a New Phase in Law Enforcement’s Use of Consumer Genetic Data

By Nila Bala, SLATE | 12.19.2019

On Dec. 9, Verogen, a California-based forensic genomics company, acquired GEDmatch, a user-sourced DNA genealogy site. The acquisition suggests that...

Genomics

The corrupting syndrome of the super-rich

By Anis Chowdhury, The Financial Express [cites CGS' Marcy Darnovsky] | 12.13.2019

At the start of this year (February 06, 2019), The New York Times published Farhad Manjoo's passionate opinion piece, "Abolish...

A "Post-Human" Future?

Men in kilts holding flags marching in the New York City St. Patrick's Day parade

The Dark Side of Our Genealogy Craze

By Honor Sachs , The Washington Post | 12.13.2019

This holiday season, millions of Americans will receive gifts allowing them to explore their genealogy and ancestry. People will give...

Genomics

illustration of a group of people from above arranged in a double helix

10 Years Ago, DNA Tests Were the Future of Medicine. Now They're a Social Network—and a Data Privacy Mess.

By Peter Aldhous, Buzzfeed News | 12.11.2019

“Genetics just got personal.” So boasted the website of 23andMe in 2008, just after launching its DNA testing service.

As...

Genomics

A Year After the First CRISPR Babies, Stricter Regulations Are Now in Place

By Françoise Baylis, The Conversation | 12.10.2019

It’s been just over a year since the dramatic announcement of the world’s first genome-edited babies using CRISPR technology. Since...

Human Genetic Modification

a scientist handles genetic material with a pipette

A DNA Firm That Caters to Police Just Bought a Genealogy Site

By Megan Molteni, Wired | 12.09.2019

Just two years ago, GEDmatch was still an obscure genealogy website, known only to a million or so hobbyist DNA...

Genomics

The California Stem Cell Program's $5.5-Billion Funding Request Might Be Its Downfall

By Michael Hiltzik, Los Angeles Times | 12.08.2019

California’s stem cell program, created by voters in 2004, has made great strides in advancing what’s known as regenerative medicine...

Stem Cells

biology classroom with a microscope and synthetic human brain and heart

Can Biology Class Reduce Racism?

By Amy Harmon, The New York Times | 12.07.2019

Biology textbooks used in American high schools do not go near the sensitive question of whether genetics can explain why...

Perspectives