by Christy Yao Pelliccioni — The Economist recently ran an article titled “In Praise of Designer-ish Babies.” The article describes how certain businesses are now offering couples using in vitro fertilization (IVF) the opportunity to “screen” the embryos they create. Embryos can supposedly be screened for genetic risks for illnesses and even for particular heights or IQ levels. The article endorses such screening of embryos. Its main argument is that parents just want to giv

by Christy Yao Pelliccioni — As I write this, it’s World Breastfeeding Week, and the Facebook algorithm is really winning at capturing my attention. While scrolling (if I remember right, while breastfeeding), I came across a post claiming that formula companies had lobbied against paid parental leave. I thought that couldn’t be true, so of course subjected this incredible claim to a Google search. To my surprise, a 2023 The Lancet series on breastfeeding confirms this. In Fe

by Timothy Kirchoff — In an interview with retired pastor Pat Kahnke, former pro-life leader Rob Schenck explained one of the experiences that ultimately reshaped his perspective on abortion. A number of years ago, after being arrested during a political protest, Schenck was briefly detained in Alabama, in the Montgomery County Jail (jails are usually temporary pre-trial holding facilities, while prisons are for holding people post-sentencing). Schenck found himself in the s

by Sarah Terzo — This post is a continuation of a series. Read Part I, Part II, and Part III. On August 6, 1945, the United States became the first and only nation to use nuclear weapons against another nation with the bombing of Hiroshima. Estimates on the exact number of people killed by the bombing of Hiroshima vary. One estimate was that 140,000 people died as a result of the bombing by the end of 1945. Many children were made orphans by the atomic bomb. This is the story

by Sarah Terzo — This post is a continuation of a series. Read Part I and Part II. The United States dropped an atomic bomb on Hiroshima, Japan, on August 6, 1945. Tens of thousands of people, mostly civilians, died in the initial blast, and many more succumbed to radiation poisoning in the weeks and months after the bombing. Many children were killed, and others were orphaned. The account in this article comes from a 1951 book by Arata Osada, PhD, called Children of Hiroshim

by John Whitehead — The anniversaries of the atomic bombings of Hiroshima (August 6) and Nagasaki (August 9) are times to reflect on the past. They are times to mourn the estimated 100,000 people killed in the bombings, as well as all those injured and bereaved. They are times to reject the injustice of using these indiscriminate, massively destructive weapons against cities. However, the atomic bombing anniversaries are also a time to reflect on the future. The invention of

by Sarah Terzo — This is part II of a series. You can read part I here. On August 6, 1945, the United States became the first and, so far, only country to use nuclear weapons in wartime when our leaders dropped the atomic bomb on a civilian target, the city of Hiroshima. US assessments shortly after the bombing estimated that over 60,000 people were killed in Hiroshima. A later assessment estimated roughly 140,000 people died by the end of 1945 because of the bombing. While

by Sarah Terzo — The Bombing of Hiroshima This month is the anniversary of the bombing of Hiroshima, which took place on August 6, 1945. Some children from Hiroshima became orphans. This article tells the stories of three of them. The accounts are from Arata Osada, PhD, Children of Hiroshima, originally published in 1951. Osada interviewed children who survived the bombing. The book was translated into English by Yoichi Fukushima. All quotes are from the 1980 edition. The thr

by Jason Jones — Originally published on The Jason Jones Show Substack. — Just this week, President Donald Trump and War Secretary Pete Hegseth stood by as four grieving families watched the remains of their children return home from the Iran war: 1st Lt. Tyler James Feehan, Pvt. Isabella Gonzales, Sgt. Angel S. Rampersad, and Sgt. Michael Emmanuel Swinton. Feehan was 25. Gonzales was just 19. Rampersad was 28. Swinton was 30. The same day, official War Department channels pu

by Sarah Terzo — At the end of this article will be a link to take action. Medicaid work requirements will soon go into effect. States have some flexibility as to when they implement them, but every state must have them in place by January 1, 2027. Details of the New Policy To stay on Medicaid, adult recipients between the ages of 19 and 64 must document that they’re working at least 80 hours a month, are enrolled in an educational program, or have a monthly income equivalent

by John Whitehead — The United States, under presidents of both parties, has been building a new generation of nuclear weapons. This project is euphemistically called “nuclear modernization.” One part of nuclear modernization is a plan to dramatically increase production of the plutonium that produces nuclear explosions. Increasing plutonium production is profoundly unwise. Producing more plutonium is unnecessary, wastes money, and endangers communities in the United States

by Timothy Kirchoff — As I write this, the United States seems to finally be on the verge of a peace deal that will conclude the unjust and unnecessary war with Iran. Other commentators have already pointed out that the peace deal does not seem to meet many, if any, of the major stated goals or justifications for the war. From the destruction of the Iranian nuclear program and ballistic missile capability, to the end of Iran’s theocratic regime, to the restoration of shipping

by Miles Gloetzner — Note: Identifying details have been changed to protect the privacy of those involved and maintain confidentiality. —————— The family members stepped out of the room and paused by the door. Before they left, they told me they had spoken with Arthur about an "end-of-life option," and that he wanted to talk with me privately about his decision. I knew exactly what that meant, and a wave of mixed emotions hit me. My first thought was a pang of self-doubt: Had

by John Whitehead — Note: This article discusses suicide. — A decade ago, I wrote an article for Rehumanize in which I argued for a particular understanding of the Consistent Life Ethic. I proposed that Consistent Life Ethic activists focus their attention on four major forms of socially approved killing—abortion, assisted suicide/euthanasia, the death penalty, and war—and I offered a rationale for this focus. After a subsequent 10 years of activism and reflection, I would no

by Sarah Terzo — Organizations on both sides of the abortion debate have been trying to raise awareness of pregnant immigrants detained by ICE. These detainees are receiving substandard medical care, resulting in harm to themselves and their babies. The Number of Pregnant People in ICE Custody Seems to be Increasing Attorney Rebecca Cassler, who works for the American Immigration Lawyers Association, says her group is seeing increasing numbers of pregnant, postpartum, and nur

by Lauren Pope — A woman is facing the death penalty. Her crime? Liking a post. Azar Yahoo, 38, was arrested in Mashhad by the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps and charged with “collaboration with a hostile state.” Her actual offense was placing heart stickers on social media posts and expressing joy over the reported death of Ali Khamenei. She is being held without a lawyer, without contact with her family, and without broad public knowledge of her situation. We can at leas

by Timothy Kirchoff — The recently-released film The Drama poses difficult questions: What is the worst thing you have ever done, and would other people be justified in rejecting you if they knew about it? (I will discuss the film’s plot in detail, so there will be spoilers.) The film explores these questions through a soon-to-be-married couple, Charlie (played by Robert Pattinson) and Emma (played by Zendaya). Early in the film, Emma and Charlie are with their Best Man and M

by John Whitehead — A terrifying escalation in the United States’ war against Iran seemed all too likely earlier in April. As of this writing, the prospect of escalation appears to have diminished somewhat. Nevertheless, recent events have shown the extreme dangers posed by the current war and by the power of the American president. Threats to Kill a Civilization Since the US-Israeli campaign against Iran began, the Iranian government has retaliated by limiting the passage of

Rehumanize is part of the bi-partisan, pro-choice AND pro-life, coalition working to pass the Supporting Healthy Moms and Babies Act (S. 1834 / H.R. 3762). The bill eliminates patient cost-sharing for prenatal, delivery, and postpartum care. If it passes, giving birth in America becomes free at the point of care. This is a bipartisan bill with Republican and Democratic cosponsors in both chambers: Senate (S. 1834): Hyde-Smith (R-MS), Kaine (D-VA), Hawley (R-MO), Gillibrand (D

by Christy Yao Pelliccioni — In college, I had an interesting pair of minors: Geography and Management of Aging Services. In both disciplines, I learned about something I hadn’t really had exposure to before: demographics. In my Geography courses, which included Environmental Studies, the overwhelming sentiment was that the Earth’s population had stabilized fairly well overall, though there was concern for those living in countries where the population was not well balanced,