This Week in Birthing Stories
![]() November 20, 2025 Greetings, Meteor readers, Why are there so many Christmas decorations up already? Can November live!? In today’s newsletter, we look at three stories of what it’s like to seek care in America. Plus, some weekend plans. Slow it down, Shannon Melero ![]() WHAT'S GOING ONA recurring pattern: This week, you may have seen a viral video of Kiara Manuel, a woman in active labor at Dallas Regional Medical Center, having to answer intake questions while screaming in pain. Her mother, who recorded the ordeal, told local news outlets that staff at the hospital had left Manuel without care for over half an hour, choosing “paperwork over life.” This week, you may have seen another viral video of Mercedes Wells, a woman who was told by a hospital in Indiana that she wasn’t really in active labor and was sent away. Eight minutes into her drive home, she gave birth on the side of the road. Wells’ sister-in-law told ABC 7 Chicago, “Mercedes begged her,” referring to a nurse. “She really begged her, she said I can feel it, I’m in active labor. She just ignored her.” This week, you may have read the story of Tierra Walker, a mother in Texas who asked for an abortion after her pregnancy had left her “wracked by unexplained seizures” and at high risk for preeclampsia. Doctors at Methodist Hospital Northeast near San Antonio told Walker that under the state’s ban, they could not abort because there was no emergency—her pregnancy was fine, it was only her health in trouble, according to ProPublica, which broke the story. Walker’s son found her dead a month later, killed by preeclampsia. All three of these women have one thing in common: they were Black women seeking reproductive care in America. It is a well-known statistic that maternal mortality rates among Black women are more than double that of any other racial group in the United States. Even outside of giving birth, Black women seeking care for any health issues face an onslaught of discrimination and neglect, rooted in centuries of racism. One would assume that, given the staggering statistics, more would have been done to address the issue. But the stories of Kiara, Mercedes, and Tiara show us that it remains persistent, entrenched, and lethal—even though we know much of what it would take to improve Black maternal health. In the last two years, legislators have introduced the Black Maternal Health Momnibus Package and the “MOMMIES” Act. The Momnibus has seen some success in inspiring similar state laws, like this one in Michigan that recognizes and makes illegal “obstetric racism” and “obstetric violence.” But neither Momnibus nor the MOMMIES Act (which focuses on expanding Medicaid coverage for those who give birth) has received enough support from Congress to be passed. So why aren’t we all doing more? Well, that is the incredible hold that systemic racism has on every aspect of this country. Despite the valiant attempts of some advocates in Congress, most members have not prioritized the issue. And even if they did, the issue requires holistic, aggressive approaches to even slightly move the needle in the right direction: racial bias training, new pathways to increase the number of Black OB-GYNs, accessible midwifery care, updated postpartum care and leave policies, and research funding to understand these disparities and the health conditions (like preeclampsia) that are more prevalent among Black women—and that’s just the beginning. But it’s worth tackling. The business of birthing intersects with nearly every facet of life, from education to economics to infrastructure, and until it is treated as such, we will continue living in a world of too many viral videos, and too little action. AND:
![]() ![]() “The Most Important Event Nobody Knows About”
It happened 48 years ago this week, in HoustonBY EMILY KOH ![]() CORETTA SCOTT KING AND FELLOW DELEGATES AT THE 1977 NATIONAL WOMEN'S CONFERENCE. (VIA GETTY IMAGES) Forty-eight years ago this week, my grandmother, Dr. Hesung Chun Koh, joined thousands of women from around the world in Houston, Texas to make history. They came to the first—and only—National Women’s Conference to adopt a National Plan of Action to improve the status of women in America. The plan delegates ultimately adopted at the conference included recommendations on a range of issues—including child care, education, health, and reproductive freedom—that still impact the lives of women today. The conference brought together women from all walks of life, from leading figures including Coretta Scott King, Maya Angelou, and First Ladies Rosalynn Carter, Betty Ford, and Lady Bird Johnson to working women, “homemakers,” and students. It was a historic milestone in the women’s movement and American history, yet its impact is overlooked. Reflecting on the conference, Gloria Steinem declared it “a constitutional convention for the female half of the country.” And she noted: “It may take the prize as the most important event nobody knows about.” It’s time to change that. The conference was an inflection point: a pinnacle achievement for the women’s movement. It also spurred backlash: Opponents who protested it pushed back on the idea that women deserve a full and equal role in public life. Now, that backlash remains as fierce as ever before, and our movement is at another inflection point. We are rapidly losing decades of progress; America is devolving into a nation where women are second-class citizens, transgender and nonbinary individuals cannot live openly and safely, and men suffer from rigid expectations of masculinity. In two years, the fiftieth anniversary of the 1977 National Women’s Conference will be here—and a chance to revisit the National Plan of Action and co-create a new vision with women from all walks of life, men, and the LGBTQ+ community. My grandmother immigrated to America from Seoul, South Korea, for college, and became one of the first Korean women to earn a doctorate in the United States. Her focus on the future made my life possible and created opportunities for the next generation. The vision she and her fellow delegates set forth in Houston can inform and inspire our work today. The question before us now is the same one they faced then: Will gender equity and equality advance or fall backwards in our lifetime? History calls on us to move forward. Emily Koh served on the White House Gender Policy Council in the Biden-Harris Administration. She is currently working on an initiative to advance gender equity and equality in the U.S. that centers on the 50th anniversary of the 1977 National Women’s Conference. ![]() WEEKEND READING 📚On screen: Parents, it might be time to free yourself from YouTube Kids. (The Verge) On a special kind of wellness: Orgasm. Cult. (TCF Emails) On the state of men: Apparently, some men are searching for the tough love they desire in…the Orthodox church? (Yes, of course “traditional values” are part of the pitch.) (The New York Times) ![]() FOLLOW THE METEOR Thank you for reading The Meteor! Got this from a friend?
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This Email is Censored
![]() September 18, 2025 Hey there, Meteor readers, I’d love to say something fun and clever here, but apparently, saying too much can cost you your job, so 🤐. In today’s newsletter, we don’t mention a single controversial or emotionally charged topic, and we definitely aren’t talking about censorship, conditions in ICE detention centers, or reproductive rights. In fact, if any spies are here, we’re actually just discussing... some popular films today. So, ya know, nothing to see or report on here. Protecting the bag, Shannon Melero ![]() WHAT'S GOING ONIt is so incredibly difficult to keep up with everything going on when it feels like everything is going on at the same time. But if the GOP can stage a multi-pronged attack on free speech, reproductive rights, and literal science all at once, then we do need to figure out how to walk and chew gum at the same time. So what exactly is happening with reproductive rights while we’re all distracted by what one is or is not allowed to say about a murdered white supremacist? We wouldn’t know. We’re just here to be chill and discuss some really interesting films: A Quiet Place: A recent study from the Electronic Frontier Foundation found a “social media censorship crisis” in which platforms like Meta, TikTok, and even LinkedIn are blocking users from viewing posts that contain information about abortion. EFF found that in the case of Meta, the company has been removing posts, claiming they violated the community terms that prevent users from buying, selling, or trading pharmaceutical drugs. But the posts reviewed by EFF “very clearly did no such thing.” Thankfully, EFF put together some helpful guidance to help keep the free flow of abortion information going (without sacrificing your privacy). Shadow Force: The Cut’s Andrea González-Ramírez spoke to a midwife caring for women in ICE detention. The suffering these women endure—sitting in a detention center where they were placed by a self-described “pro-life” government—is so horrendous and potentially triggering, we won’t repeat it here. But this reporting is a reminder that reproductive justice is inclusive of so many issues, immigration rights among them. Warfare: Anti-abortion states are bending over backwards to limit access to abortion pills, even going so far as to classify mifepristone as a Schedule IV controlled substance, putting it in the same category as Xanax, Klonopin, and Valium. To be clear, this doesn’t make mifepristone illegal, but it does make it more difficult to obtain, even though mifepristone is just as safe as penicillin and Viagra. Thunderbolts*: This is actually a positive update highlighted by our pals at Autonomy News. States like New York and California are strengthening their shield laws to protect abortion providers and doctors offering gender-affirming care. Good things are still possible when we keep vigilant and pressure our elected officials to keep abortion accessible everywhere. AND:
![]() PRECIOUS BIG BABY BEAR (SCREENSHOT VIA EXPLORE.ORG)
![]() WEEKEND READING 📚(Home) On the range: More women in the U.S. are getting into ranching than in previous years. Yee hawt or yee nawt? (The Guardian) On well-hidden extremism: Trad-wives started out as a content category, but author Cynthia Miller-Idriss explains how the once innocuous lifestyle trend morphed into something more nefarious. (Teen Vogue) On a musical comeback: Bomba y plena never went away, but it’s seeing a resurgence among young people. (Remezcla) ![]() FOLLOW THE METEOR Thank you for reading The Meteor! Got this from a friend?
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