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

It’s Time to Safeguard Genomic Data

By Lauren Hammer Breslow and Vanessa Smith, Bill of Health | 01.28.2026

On Jan. 24, 2026, the New York Times reported that DNA sequences contributed by children and families to support...

U.S. Federal

The ‘R-Word’ Returns, Dismaying Those Who Fought to Oust It

By Dan Barry and Sonia A. Rao, The New York Times | 01.26.2026

^{Photo by Gage Skidmore from Peoria, AZ, United States

of America, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons}

Late last...

Society

Genetic Data From Over 20,000 U.S. Children Misused for ‘Race Science’

By Mike McIntire, The New York Times | 01.24.2026

Genetic researchers were seeking children for an ambitious, federally funded project to track brain development — a study that they...

Policies

The New Eugenics in Medicine

By Arthur Lazarus, MedPage Today | 01.23.2026

A growing body of contemporary research and reporting exposes how old ideas can find new life when repurposed within modern...

Genetic Selection

black and white photo of science equipment

Trump Administration Cuts Off Funding for Fetal Tissue Research. Again.

By Roni Caryn Rabin, The New York Times | 01.22.2026

The National Institutes of Health said on Thursday it is ending support for all research that makes use of human...

Policies

gene wheel colorful graphic on white background

Repairing trust in science requires a more inclusive understanding of innovation

By Shobita Parthasarathya, Science | 01.22.2026

These are extraordinarily challenging times for university researchers across the United States. After decades of government largess based on the ...

Other Countries

Medicaid has a new way to pay for costly sickle cell treatment: Only if it works

By Phil Galewitz, NPR | 01.20.2026

Serenity Cole enjoyed Christmas last month relaxing with her family near her St. Louis home, making crafts and visiting friends...

U.S. Federal

To Give Birth or Not to Give Birth

By Evelina Johansson Wilén, Jacobin | 01.18.2026

In her book The Argonauts, Maggie Nelson describes pregnancy as an experience marked by a peculiar duality. On the...

U.S. States