This Email is Censored

September 18, 2025

Just like everything else in America ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌

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 ON

It 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:

Yesterday, an immigration judge ordered that Mahmoud Khalil—the Palestinian activist, Columbia University student, and legal U.S. resident who was wrongfully detained for three months—be deported to either Syria or Algeria. Khalil’s lawyers plan to appeal the decision in the coming days.
Jerry Greenfield, of Ben & Jerry’s, announced that he was leaving the company he founded after 47 years. In a statement posted to Instagram on Monday, Greenfield attributed his departure to being silenced by Ben & Jerry’s parent company, Unilever. His statement reads in part, “Standing up for the values of justice, equity, and our shared humanity has never been more important, and yet Ben & Jerry’s has been sidelined for fear of upsetting those in power.” He also left behind this.
Track and field star Sydney McLaughlin-Lavrone made history today at the World Championships when she ran the 400 in 47.48 seconds, winning gold. It is the second-fastest time ever in the history of the event. McLaughlin-Lavrone is now the first person to win gold in both the women’s 400 and women’s 400 hurdles.
Next week, the greatest competition series on the face of the earth is back for another year. That’s right, folks: Fat Bear Week. Voting starts next Tuesday but if you want to get in on the action early (of course you do) you can cast your vote for Fat Bear Junior this week. (My money is on Grazer’s Yearling.)

PRECIOUS BIG BABY BEAR (SCREENSHOT VIA EXPLORE.ORG)

Cardi B was Outside for a whole ten minutes and came back inside to let us all know she is pregnant. So what does that mean for the tour?
Exactly how long does summer last???

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)