The cops are sliding into your DMs

July 11, 2023

This Nebraska abortion case is a warning ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌

July 11, 2023

High vibrations, Meteor readers,

It’s 7/11! All my numerology girlies just nodded while the rest of you are wondering why I feel the need to state the date. But ~mystically speaking~ when those two numbers appear together, they become a powerful and affirming “angel number,” which numerologists say can serve as a reminder to move forward within your intuition and a sign that the universe is open to providing you with new opportunities.

Meanwhile, here on earth: we’ve got a troubling update on a Nebraska abortion case, an AI lawsuit, and a fond almost-farewell to Megan Rapinoe.

Reading the stars,

Shannon Melero

WHAT’S GOING ON

Privacy: Last week, a mother in Nebraska pled guilty to helping her daughter obtain an illegal abortion and discard the fetus after it was expelled. Now Jessica Burgess and her daughter Celeste, 18, are both looking at jail time for their actions. You may remember Jessica and Celeste’s case from last August, shortly after the overturn of Roe v Wade, when charges were first filed against them. What made the case unique was not simply the fact that two women were going to be tried for acquiring and using abortion pills in a state where it was newly illegal—but also the questions the case raised about data privacy.

A refresher: After Celeste found out she was pregnant, she and her mother communicated via Facebook messages and came up with a plan to end the pregnancy and discard the fetus so as not to leave behind any evidence. Because Celeste was already 20 weeks pregnant and Nebraska bans abortion after 12 weeks gestation, the two knew they could not go to a medical provider to do any of this—hence the secrecy. They thought the messages they shared about the ordeal were private. But Facebook’s parent company, Meta, turned over their correspondence to the police after being served with a search warrant (pertaining to a different investigation)—and the police had what they needed to charge the mother and daughter.

The case was among the first to highlight just how vulnerable abortion seekers, many of whom rely heavily on online searches for care, had become in the immediate aftermath of Dobbs. As Shamira Ibrahim wrote for The Meteor last year, apps that use location data and cookie tracking “help law enforcement investigate and prosecute abortion-seekers and their respective networks of support.” That’s exactly what happened in the Nebraska case. Now the women face up to two years in prison, and a man who helped them bury the fetus was also charged and given probation.

If you or someone you know lives in an abortion-ban state and needs care, Ibrahim suggests visiting the Digital Defense Fund, which provides steps for protecting your abortion-related data privacy—from Facebook, the phone company, and anyone else you don’t want to know your business.

AND:

Olympic runner Caster Semenya—who was banned from international competition because of the naturally high level of testosterone her body produces—has finally won her appeal in the European Court of Human Rights. The court found that sporting regulations which “forced [Semenya] to medically reduce her natural hormone levels” violated her human rights. While the regulation that targeted Semenya has not yet been rolled back, the ruling does open the door for her to compete at the Paris Olympics next summer.
Don’t use people’s copyrighted material without their consent—and that applies to you, too, AI overlords. Sarah Silverman has joined two other authors in suing OpenAI for using their books to train their AI chatbots.
While complaining about antitrust laws in college sports, Sen. Rand Paul (R-KY) claimed that if college athletes are given the money they’re owed from their schools, “we’re gonna be seeing rap stars instead of basketball stars.” So, first of all…racist. And I don’t know about you, but personally, I think it’s good when people get paid for their work!
According to a new Mayo Clinic study, about 15 percent of women either miss or cut back on work due to menopause symptoms—with one percent of respondents actually quitting or losing their jobs. Sounds like we need more menopause-friendly workplaces, no?
This weekend, in a relatively lowkey Instagram post, the legendary Megan Rapinoe announced her retirement from soccer. You could write a book about this woman’s accomplishments (which she did, by the way), both on and off the pitch, and still, it wouldn’t be enough to encompass the impact of her two-decades-long career. And while I am always ready to recite entire soliloquies about her importance, at this particular moment I feel there is one crucial thing that must be said: She’s not done yet. Rapinoe is on the roster for this year’s World Cup team and will be making one final attempt at another gold medal. So before we send her off into the sunset with Sue Bird, let’s do the one thing Megan would want: watch women’s soccer. And this Cup will be especially important, as it will be the first one in history where the US Women’s National Team will receive the same pay rate as the men’s team. (Alas, this gender equity does NOT apply to all teams competing in the World Cup. You can learn more about how the prize money is broken down here.) If ever there was a year to show up and show out for women players around the world, this is it. The first day of games is July 20 and will feature matches between New Zealand and Norway; Australia and The Republic of Ireland; and Nigeria and Canada.