LATEST NEWSLETTERS

This week, Cindi Leive interviews "The Vagina Monologues" writer V and we talk about the changes to the AP's African American Studies curriculum. Plus, let's get into the backlash to Sam Smith's sexy new video for "I'm Not Here To Make Friends."

This week we get into why the race of a police officer has little to do with whether encounters with them turn violent.

This week we're thinking about the breakout Sundance documentary "Justice" which picks up where the botched FBI investigation left off. Plus a fond farewell from one of our writers.

America has managed, slowly but surely, to normalize the occurrence of mass shootings. In today’s newsletter, we attempt to make sense of another tragedy and search for a few bright spots in the world. 

We’ve got a great newsletter for you today with a look into the many lived lives of George Santos and a special announcement about our next Say the Word event!

In today's newsletter, Sherry Hakimi explains why continuing to share stories about the protests in Iran is the best thing we can do right now as a global community.

In today’s newsletter, we revisit the words of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.—and not just the ones you already know. Instead, Meteor editor-at-large Rebecca Carroll takes a closer look at King’s writing, and how it moves her today. 

For our 100th newsletter, we return our attention to Iran, which slipped from headlines while Kevin McCarthy and his drama were sucking up all the air in the room. Plus some other news you might have missed.

It's been a bad week for Representative Kevin McCarthy. But beyond the extremely good tweets this event has produced lies a more serious problem. The 118th Congress can’t be sworn in until a Speaker has been chosen, which means that because of this right-wing nonsense, the country has been running…

In today’s newsletter, we’re easing ourselves into 2023 with our own version of what’s in (embracing your inner Greta Thunberg) and what is absolutely out (*cough* low-rise jeans *cough*). But first, we take a look at Arizona's latest attack on bodily autonomy.

Thank you, readers, for every open, every click, and every time you’ve forwarded our stories to someone you know. It means the world to us. And if you are so inclined to continue sharing The Meteor with your friends, family, enemies, exes—anyone you want, we don’t judge!—here’s a list of our top 10…

Cindi Leive writes about abortion—what she’s learned from years of covering it and how not to repeat the mistakes of the past.

A new joint investigation has found widespread “sexual abuse, unwanted sexual advances…emotional abuse, cronyism, racist remarks” and retaliation against players who reported this behavior within the NWSL. If you’re wondering why this sounds so familiar it's because this is the second report on the…

Today we reflect on the 10-year anniversary of Sandy Hook, which takes place December 14. What have we learned since then, and where do we go from here? 

Early Thursday morning, President Biden announced that Griner was being safely returned home as a result of a prisoner swap. In exchange for her freedom, the U.S. returned convicted arms dealer Viktor Bout to Russia. Unfortunately, the news is not all good.

In today’s newsletter, we are sifting through the confusion of the recent headlines about the morality police in Iran, applauding some brave Swifties, and checking in on what else is going on in our world. 

In today’s newsletter: a disastrous contract extension in Puerto Rico, positive news out of Jackson, Mississippi, and a little time spent with the Harry and Meghan trailer. Or maybe a lot of time.

In today's newsletter we dive into the protests in China which began last week after 10 people died by fire in an apartment building where strict lockdown measures were in place. What started out as a protest about a fire in a heavily surveilled area quickly evolved into what the Washington Post…

In today’s newsletter, we mourn the loss of five lives in the Colorado Springs shooting and question how exactly it came to pass. As the Counting Crowds Consortium points out, actions against LGBTQ+ venues have been on the rise and one event in particular has been drawing the attentions of…

In a speech announcing that she will step down as Speaker, Nancy Pelosi passed the torch to the next generation: “I look forward to the unfolding story of our nation, a story of light and love, of patriotism and progress.” Also in this newsletter, Ticketmaster’s Taylor Swift debacle.

One protestor has been sentenced to death in Iran on charges of "enmity against God." As the government continues to arrest more people, many of them teenagers, will they be subjected to the same fate? Also in today's newsletter, a new development in the story of Shireen Abu Akleh.

We're taking a moment to celebrate all of the positive news that came out of this year's midterm elections and reflecting on the season finale of Love is Blind. Plus, another chance to win free tickets to Meet the Moment!

Tonight, we’ve got some last-minute treats: an interview with Supermajority’s Amanda Brown Lierman on why women could literally change the outcome of tomorrow’s election—and voter guides to help you do it.

In today’s newsletter, we’ve got an exclusive interview with Stacey Abrams and Arizona Secretary of State Katie Hobbs, who are running for governor of Georgia and Arizona, respectively. Also, an update on the unrest in Iran.

Meteor co-founder Cindi Leive spoke with journalist Kyle Spencer about what’s really behind the rise of far-right extremist groups on college campuses. Your horror movie marathon’s got nothing on the realities of young, college-educated men being trained to “weaponize” their cell phones against…

In today’s newsletter, we’ve got a rundown on some of the midterm races we have our eye on, the candidates who say they will fight for bodily autonomy—and of course, the news. We also dive into the escalating situation with Brittney Griner, who remains wrongfully detained in Russia.

In today’s newsletter, we’ve got another great news rundown for you, including an infuriating abortion update from Georgia and an explainer on the battle between former British Prime Minister Liz Truss and Latuca Sativa. Lettuce get into it.

In today’s newsletter, Samhita Mukhopadhyay talks to feminist author and TV host Zerlina Maxwell, who told her own story years before #MeToo, about the anniversary, and what it actually means to #believewomen. We also share a list of changes we’ve seen in the last five years to fight rape culture.……

Last week, we watched as young girls in Iran led the way in protests, and mourned the unexplained death of 16-year-old protestor Nika Shakarami. This week, the fallout continues and the situation is grim. Advocacy group Iran Human Rights (IHRNGO) estimates that 185 people have been killed during…

On Monday, the sports world was rocked to its core by the release of the Yates Report, an incredibly thorough investigation commissioned by the U.S. Soccer Federation and conducted by former U.S. Deputy Attorney General Sally Yates which found decades of ignored systemic abuse at all levels of…

It’s been 100 days since the overturn of Roe v. Wade, and we’ve got reproductive rights on the brain. Maybe it’s the fall weather keeping some of us indoors or maybe it’s the absolutely wild anti-abortion scene in Blonde, but today we’re thinking about the ways abortion is portrayed in film and…

We’ve got something very exciting for today’s newsletter: Meteor editor-at-large Rebecca Carroll sat down with the one and only Whoopi Goldberg last week at our #SaytheWord event to talk about her long-time commitment to saying that word: abortion. 

What is happening in Iran is not merely an issue of unclipping the shackles of a religion that’s already been demonized in the West. What's happening is a political uprising against a corrupt government; a scene not so far off from recent events in the United States despite what conservative…

In today’s newsletter we’re covering the latest on the growing unrest in Iran after the death of Mahsa Amini, a 22-year-old woman who died under suspicious circumstances after being detained by Iran’s morality police. 

In today’s newsletter, Meteor editor-at-large Rebecca Carroll takes us to the movies. She interviews Rhea Combs, creator of Regeneration: Black Cinema 1898-1971, a new exhibit at the Los Angeles Academy Museum introducing visitors to a rich history of Black filmmakers, photographers, and……

The escalating war on the existence of trans people continues. But as the issue falls out of national headlines, we have to ask: Are LGBTQ+ allies doing enough to support the movement to protect trans lives?

It's no exaggeration to say that we've witnessed the end of an era with the death of Queen Elizabeth II. Britain's longest-reigning monarch leaves a complex and polarizing legacy that will no doubt be reexamined for years to come—also happening this week, a historic win for the USWNT and a very bad…

In today's newsletter, Samhita Mukhopadhyay spoke with author and filmmaker Nancy Schwartzman about her book, Roll Red Roll, which explores every facet of the Steubenville, Ohio rape case of 2012. \

In honor of the 25th anniversary of Princess Diana’s death on August 31, writer Susanne Ramirez de Arellano explores how the princess’s death helped her mourn a more personal one—and what she’s learned in the years since.

With abortion illegal in many states, some companies have promised to cover the travel expenses of employees who need care. As a high school junior, the next question felt obvious to me: Will colleges do the same?

Another packed news week but one store really caught out eye. A Missouri school district has reinstated corporal punishment (specifically, hitting with paddles) as a last resort to discipline students. We're also talking about Biden's new loan forgiveness plan and how we're spending this weekend.

If you think the Supreme Court overturning Roe v. Wade was the start of teens' troubles with accessing abortion you'd be surprised. For decades, teens have had to jump through flaming hoops of humiliation to end their pregnancies. Currently, there are at least 36 states with measures requiring…

Samhita Mukhopadhyay spoke to journalist Nona Willis Aronowitz about her latest book,  “Bad Sex: Truth, Pleasure and an Unfinished Revolution.” It’s a conversation about the philosophical dilemma of being a heterosexual feminist, (which, yes, is possible).

In today’s newsletter, we’re talking about Harriet Hageman, the Wyoming Republican who is projected to win her primary against U.S. Rep. Liz Cheney. Hageman is just the latest addition to our frightening era of right-wing politics, so we’re especially grateful to have Meteor editor and Wyomingite…

We’ve seen stories about how our personal data can be used against us in post-Roe America, but it's all a little confusing. In today’s newsletter, writer and security nerd Shamira Ibrahim explains how it happens and why we should care.

Here is a sentence we never thought we'd type: Serena Williams has announced her retirement from professional tennis, although she is referring to it as an “evolution” which makes it hard to be too sad about the change.

The two questions that continue to arise from folks unfamiliar with Griner and her career are Why was she there in the first place? and Why plead guilty?

For this weekend’s newsletter, Meteor superstar Samhita Mukhopadhyay has a crucial Q&A with Dr. Darien Sutton on the misinformation and homophobia surrounding the U.S. outbreaks of monkeypox. 

It’s been one month since SCOTUS issued the deadly Dobbs decision, and the impact across America is already worse than predicted. But if you speak with abortion advocates in Global Majority countries, an additionally devastating picture emerges.

Writer and editor Megan Carpentier chats with award-winning Guardian environmental justice reporter Nina Lakhani about her groundbreaking book on the life and murder of Honduran grassroots activist Berta Cáceres.

Because life is multi-faceted and so is former Fly Girl Jennifer Lopez, here's a little about the Latina icon’s decision to change her name after marrying longtime beau Ben Affleck. 

Meteor editor-at-large Rebecca Carroll and author Evette Dionne talk about how to avoid defaulting to despair and maintain a sense of hope.

Mariane Pearl talks to Ukrainian journalist and activist Anastasia Melnychenko about what she believes the West isn’t hearing about the situation in Ukraine five months in, her activism, and how the never-ending war has impacted her life.  

Why exactly is trans-exclusionary radical feminist rhetoric rearing its ugly head in the U.S. at this moment? And why is it sprouting from the keyboards of self-styled feminists? We spoke to author and journalist Meredith Talusan to understand this phenomenon.

Despite the pressure from right-wing conservatives to ban kids from drag events, some kids are actually performing in drag shows themselves. And they're amazing. Writer Ellie Rudy talks to three young queens about how integral drag is to their identities.

The July 4th weekend is upon us. "And if we just absorb the loss of Roe and integrate it and then move on and don't turn it into the most urgent, existential fight of our lives, this is not going to end here," says Dahlia Lithwick.

It's so crucial to celebrate the victories we've already won, while we still have them. To understand what the 50th anniversary of Title IX means—and whether it, like Roe, could be at risk—we spoke to Alexandra Brodsky author and founder of Know Your IX.

So the question for Americans who value reproductive rights is: What happens now? How do we help each other, help our friends, and, ultimately, win back our freedoms?

It's not too late to help patients trying to get abortions right now.

Does anyone else feel like SCOTUS is angling for a daytime Emmy with all of the drama the justices are building up over the release of the Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization decision?

Leave it to Texas to pretend they didn’t hear that slavery was over. While the Emancipation Proclamation was passed in 1863, the then-still border state of Texas was like, “What? No, uh-uh. We don’t know her.”

Writer,and professor Syreeta McFadden talks to award-winning journalist Linda Villarosa about her new book, Under the Skin, and what she’s learned in her years as a health reporter.

The series premiere of Ms. Marvel is everything fans could have hoped for. It is visually stunning, a testament to the artwork that made the comics stand out on the shelf. It’s lighthearted and funny and is about so much more than a journey to superherodom.

The Amber Heard/Johnny Depp trial inspired an orgy of hate against Heard, and in this issue, Meteor editor-at-large Rebecca Carroll sat down with Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist, scholar, and activist Salamishah Tillet to understand what it all meant—for the legal system and for survivors. 

So how do you celebrate Pride during a prolonged nationwide attack against trans folx? We called some friends to find out.

How we moved from the great transgender “tipping point” to the “tripping point”—with over 300 laws introduced to restrict our rights this year alone—is the story of how the increased visibility of trans and nonbinary people became the very thing that inspired conservatives to try to erase us.……

While we've watched the bafflingly un-nuanced reaction to the Johnny Depp/Amber Heard defamation trial unfold, there’s one person we've really been wanting to hear from—Jaclyn Friedman.

Uvalde is the third mass shooting in a week; there have been 212 in the United States alone this year and 27 of them have been in schools. Every shooting, we are told, is the “tipping point” that will change the will of politicians on guns. But Congress has yet to pass any meaningful gun control…

For some disengaging from the news cycle is merely a privilege, but for others, it can be the only way to get through a day. Or even save us from utterly losing hope. 

Some legal scholars argue that the Equal Rights Amendment (ERA)—the constitutional amendment guaranteeing sex equality—could be a powerful tool in protecting abortion rights. But what would it take to make that happen?

Between 1947 - 1949 the people of Palestine lived through Al-Nakba, a violent displacement carried out by Zionist militias. In 2022, the violence continues, but under a different name. But every year on May 15th, the Palestinian community stops to remember those lost and those sent into a lifelong…

In today’s newsletter, in honor of AAPIHM, we are excited to share with you a conversation with award-winning author Min Jin Lee. In light of high rates of AAPI violence, she talks to Emmy and Golden Globe-nominated actor, author, and director Amber Tamblyn. 

Author Angela Garbes talks about the unpaid labor that keeps the world turning and her latest book "Essential Labor: Mothering as Social Change."

I’m angry. You’re angry. Entire pockets of the country are angry. So what’s left to do? Rebecca Traister has a few answers.

Maybe you don't care about the new owner of Twitter, but he certainly cares about you. Elon Musk paid $45 billion for all your bad tweets and the data that goes along with them. So what now?

The latest back and forth on masking policies has everyone wondering if America is the land of the free or just the land of the self-centered. But it turns out "toxic individualism" is as American as apple pie.

The stories we know about union efforts in America are missing a few key characters. Kim Kelly's latest book looks to rectify that oversight.

Cannabis consumption is for everyone but legal sales and profits from the industry have long been closed off to women and people of color. Things are finally starting to change but, of course, it's a slow burn.

"It’s so difficult for people to just hold Black women in esteem. Black women are on a continuous journey of trying to make it clear–I am who I am, and I said what I said"

We all need to understand how and why so many Black mothers giving birth are three times more likely to die from pregnancy complications than white women

We're still celebrating Ketanji Brown Jackson's confirmation. But now we have questions. What will her nomination mean for the courts? How soon will she make her mark on upcoming cases?

This week was a heartening, electric moment for anyone invested in holding powerful corporations accountable for the well-being of workers.

Ramadan is a beautiful time full of reflection and rich traditions. But not a single drop of water so please stop asking about that.

Abortion should be federally funded—and Biden's 2023 budget shows there's a path to making that a reality.

Black women aren’t just forbidden from being “the best,” we are simply not allowed to have or hold the word and its meaning.

In the last 48 hours, I have watched approximately 324 hours of confirmation hearings for Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson. The Republican line of questioning was so much more absurd than I anticipated

Mexico introduced me to the lies of whiteness, but it was the United States that taught me just how corrosive white supremacy truly is.

How it felt voting for Francia Marquez, Colombia’s most progressive political candidate in years 

Lawmakers’ repeated invocation of the ugly history of forced sterilization to justify their anti-trans campaigns has been especially disturbing over the past few weeks

Tracy Clark-Flory looks at the misogynist legacy of the celebrity sex tape and Carrie Goldberg explains how current laws protect and in some cases don't protect victims of revenge porn

The crisis ought to have been a time when we got to see how good people can be, and we did. But so many others showed their cruel, narcissistic sides instead.

Netflix's Inventing Anna functions as a bit of a Rorschach test: Is the viewer looking at a criminal or just a misunderstood girlboss? 

What’s happening in Texas is deeply cruel, but trans people have always existed despite cruelty. The kids are going to win, even if it’s really fucking hard

Six years, two medals, one documentary, and several hundred pages of legalese after the United States Women's National Team sued their employer for gender discrimination, equal pay is finally on the horizon

"Each of our students needs to be able to see themselves in books and have that representation. It’s extremely important, and personally, to me, this is a life-or-death situation for some of our kids."

Every memoir writer knows that mining the truth can be a fraught and risky endeavor. But I could not have imagined how keenly the response from my family would reflect the truth of America

Two Afghan journalists discuss leading a women-run news outlet under Taliban rule, plus a look at France's ban on hijab in sports

A conversation with Flight Attendants Union President Sara Nelson about the future of organizing

How "Sex and the City" presaged the rise of girlbosses, maybe even set the stage for them. Plus: America's most benevolent billionaire

Former Olympian Casey Legler is not buying the "level playing field" arguments against trans athletes.

Black History Month is rooted in a tradition of Black people writing themselves into history in ways that reject the logic of white supremacy.

We believe in something as impossible as the power of love to heal grieving souls, or—who knows?—as glorious as the sight of a wild comet in a cold sky.

The holidays are the perfect time to revisit this smart advice from the "Nap Bishop" Tricia Hersey, plus 24 last-minute donation ideas (because Santa is a feminist)

Brittany Packnett Cunningham sat down with Gloria Steinem and Renee Bracey Sherman to discuss what happens if Roe v. Wade is overturned in this week’s episode of UNDISTRACTED, plus catch up on our latest briefing

New season of UNDISTRACTED! Professor Brittney Cooper is this week’s guest, plus catch up on our abortion access briefing

Join The Meteor this Monday, November 29 for a free virtual briefing about what the fight for reproductive freedom will look like in 2022 and beyond

Join The Meteor this Monday, November 8 for a free virtual briefing on voting rights—one year out from the 2022 midterms

For the third episode of "Because of Anita"—our podcast about the legacy of Professor Hill’s 1991 testimony in the Supreme Court confirmation hearings of Clarence Thomas—Professor Hill and Dr. Ford sat down for their first-ever public conversation.

Our new podcast about the lasting impact of Professor Anita Hill’s testimony is out today. Here, hosts Dr. Salamishah Tillet and Cindi Leive share highlights of their conversations with Professor Kimberlé Crenshaw, Jane Mayer, and more

Our new podcast “Because of Anita” examines the legacy of Professor Anita Hill’s testimony, featuring conversations with Professor Hill herself, Dr. Christine Blasey Ford, Kerry Washington, Tarana Burke, and more

Join The Meteor and the Center for Reproductive Rights this Monday for a free virtual workshop on Texas, the Supreme Court, and the future of abortion access

Emily Ladau—writer, activist, and founding member of The Meteor—shares an excerpt from her new book, “Demystifying Disability.” And don’t miss our highlights from Season 1 of UNDISTRACTED.

The founder of the Me Too movement is this week’s guest on the season-finale episode of UNDISTRACTED, plus journalists to follow on Afghanistan.

Sportscaster Jemele Hill breaks down everything about this year’s complicated games on UNDISTRACTED, plus powerful stories from Drew Dixon and more.

Brittany Packnett Cunningham talks with award-winning Cree journalist Connie Walker about the crisis of missing and murdered Indigenous women on this week’s episode of UNDISTRACTED.

Come celebrate the launch of The Meteor’s new audio program, “In Love and Struggle: A Black Woman Grows in America,” plus legal scholar Professor Kimberlé Crenshaw is this week’s guest on UNDISTRACTED.

This week on UNDISTRACTED, the New York Democrat talks about her 10-year campaign to ensure more accountability for military sexual assault—and why justice may finally be on the horizon.

We’ve got recommendations for your summer downtime from The Meteor Fund’s "21 For ’21 Syllabus." Plus, the ACLU’s Chase Strangio is this week’s guest on UNDISTRACTED.

There's still time to watch our virtual gathering 21 For ’21: Visions For a Feminist Future, plus "Queen Sugar" author Natalie Baszile is this week's guest on UNDISTRACTED.

If laughter is the best medicine, then this week’s episode of UNDISTRACTED is the drug we all need. Brittany Packnett Cunningham sat down with actress and comedian Yvonne Orji.

Come join us at 21 For ’21: Visions For a Feminist Future—a free virtual gathering on May 18 of artists and activists from different disciplines, all sharing their visions of the future for women, girls, and nonbinary people in 2021 and beyond.

It’s been over 80 years since Billie Holiday first recorded “Strange Fruit,” about a lynching in the South, and yet in a week that saw multiple Black and brown people killed by police, the song—and the activism that Holiday brought to it—remains painfully relevant.

It’s only April, but state lawmakers have already introduced over 500 bills restricting abortion—500!—in 2021 alone. What’s the connection between these various assaults on human rights? Why are they escalating now—and how can we stop them?

Need a laugh after the week we just had? (Or, perhaps, the year?) So did we, so for the latest episode of UNDISTRACTED, Brittany Packnett Cunningham sat down with Amber Ruffin to talk about the TV host’s brilliant blend of social justice commentary and comedy.

You’ve heard the stats: Anti-Asian hate crimes are up, more than doubling over the course of the last year. And you may have seen the disturbing videos, since so many of the violent attacks have been captured on film. How did we get here? And how can we create a safer future for Asian Americans?

Data is showing that white people are getting vaccinated at much higher rates than Black and Latinx people. How can we prevent the vaccine rollout from becoming yet another way systemic racism literally kills Black and brown people? Representative Ayanna Pressley (D-MA) has a plan.

President Biden may have signed new protections for LGBTQ people, but there’s anti-trans legislation being proposed in over a dozen states—and trans and gender-nonconforming people still face dangerous realities everyday.

This week feels like go time. “There is so much to get done in this new administration,” Brittany Packnett Cunningham says in this week’s episode of UNDISTRACTED. “Let’s get moving. Everyone is talking about what we need to get done in the first hundred days.”

It was a week of whiplash: the jubilation of victories in Georgia followed by the toxicity of a white-power insurrection at the Capitol. So if you’re trying to process it all—trying to figure out how much joy we can feel in the face of all this un-joyous madness—well, so are we.

The U.S. has the highest maternal death rate in the developed world, and Black and Indigenous moms are hit the hardest, dying at rates that are far higher than their white counterparts. The majority of these deaths are preventable...

The election is behind us—but abortion access, reproductive justice and maternal health are still on the line, and will be front and center in 2021. With a record number of recent conservative appointments to the federal judiciary and the most conservative Supreme Court...

This week is heavy on contradiction. With news of a COVID-19 vaccine on the horizon, we’re facing a record surge in cases. As pie photos flood Instagram, food insecurity across the country is spiking, with women and children, particularly BIPOC families, hit hardest.

America has emerged from Election Week, and two things are clear: One, we saw massive, record, historic turnout with more people voting in this election than in any in over 100 years. (You did that.) And two, the victory for the Biden-Harris ticket—a ticket that breaks a 231-year run of white male…

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