"Is this real life, or is it a dream?"
When Headlines Read Like Satire: The Real Impact on Reproductive Rights
Many years ago, I sat in the front seat of my brother’s car; my niece, our family's first grandchild, was strapped into her car seat in the back. We were driving to the beach to fly kites and skip rocks when she asked, “Daddy, is this real life, or is it a dream?”
“It’s real life, why?” my brother answered.
“Oh, because it felt like I might be dreaming,” she said.
Lately, I’ve been wondering the same, wishing that I might wake up and breathe a sigh of relief that what I’ve been reading and seeing is just my brain playing tricks on me during a deep sleep.
Many of the headlines read like Onion articles:
Yet they’re not satire; they ARE real life, and behind these headlines, lives have the potential to be upended. This week, I received a letter from the Chancellor of NYC schools, Melissa Aviles-Ramos, encouraging everyone to send their child to school and advising that staff has been trained on how to respond if immigration officers arrive at school.
Those of you who have been reading my newsletter for a while, know that I’m a passionate advocate for reproductive rights and maternal healthcare. Since January, there have been alarming policy changes set in motion around these topics. Politicians haven’t been moved by the stories of women like Amber Nicole Thurman and Candi Miller, who were denied access to lifesaving care and tragically died as a result. The number of women in Texas who died while pregnant, during labor, or soon after childbirth rose by 56% following the state’s 2021 ban on abortion care.
I’ve met women who desperately wanted to be pregnant but had to terminate their pregnancies to save their own lives—or because they were carrying fetuses with lethal congenital anomalies. Ending a wanted pregnancy is a heartbreaking decision and one that haunts many women for the rest of their lives. I cannot imagine knowing your baby will die or having your baby die inside of you yet still having to carry that child to term. In states with restrictive abortion bans, fertility increased by 1.7%, yet infant mortality rose by 6%.
Today, I feel compelled to share some concerning developments from the Trump administration's first weeks in office:
Although policy changes are coming out of the White House a mile a minute, nothing has addressed Trump’s campaign promise to cover IVF access for all Americans.
On Trump's first day in office (January 20, 2025), Rep. Burlison (R-MO) introduced HR 722, which would grant embryos the same legal rights as people from the moment of conception. This isn't just about abortion—it would devastate access to IVF and other fertility treatments that help people build their families and have horrific consequences we saw with the February 2024 Alabama ruling.
Meta has been accused of shadow-banning abortion-related content. Multiple organizations reported blocked posts and locked accounts.
The Department of Defense has rescinded crucial protections for service members, eliminating paid leave and travel reimbursement for those needing to cross state lines for abortion care. This particularly impacts military personnel in states like Texas and Georgia, where access is restricted.
A freeze on foreign assistance will deny contraception to nearly one million women and girls each week. Over the 90-day review period, this could result in 4.2 million unintended pregnancies and 8,340 preventable deaths from pregnancy complications.
Nancy Northup, president and CEO of the Center for Reproductive Rights, issued a powerful statement underscoring the dire stakes of a second Trump presidency for women’s health and autonomy:
“Women have died — and are continuing to die — as a result of President Trump’s actions in his first term. Expecting even more extreme actions in his second term, we are on high alert and prepared to sue at a moment’s notice. Our fighting force of lawyers is prepared to block or delay the administration’s most harmful actions. We will be in court every day for the next four years if that’s what it takes. At the ready to support us are hundreds of pro bono attorneys from top firms, many of whom have worked for the very agencies we are prepared to sue and know their inner workings. We are already anticipating the tactics the administration will use and are preparing cases to act swiftly and aggressively.” (source)
Her words capture the sense of urgency felt across the reproductive rights community as advocates brace for potential policies that could further erode access to essential health care and endanger lives.
Here's how you can make your voice heard:
Join me during Resolve’s virtual National Advocacy Day on May 20th to support access to fertility treatments. You can sign up here. You can learn more about how Resolve is fighting to protect IVF access on this section of their website.
Use Resolve’s one-click tool to send letters to Congress.
Join the nationwide protests tomorrow, February 17th, #notmypresidentday
Access to reproductive healthcare—including fertility treatments, safe abortion care, and comprehensive maternal health services—isn't just about politics. It's about families being able to make deeply personal medical decisions without government interference. It's about ensuring that everyone who wants to start or grow their family can do so in a safe and protected manner.
Words of the Week
"The most common way people give up their power is by thinking they don't have any." —Alice Walker
Photo of the Week
I captured this photo while rushing to pick up my daughter from school—the delicate shadows of flowers dancing on the distinctive bark of a London Plane tree. These remarkable trees make up roughly 15% of New York City's street trees, chosen for their incredible resilience. Their mottled bark sheds to rid itself of pollutants—a natural defense mechanism that helped them thrive during London's Industrial Revolution, earning them their name. They're known for their tenacity, famously pushing through concrete and surviving in the harshest urban conditions.
In these challenging times, this image serves as a gentle reminder: that it’s worthwhile to pause and notice the beauty that surrounds our everyday. This poetry, written in light and shadow on the bark of a tree, reminds us that we too can learn to thrive against all odds.