For those seeking abortions in the state of New York, little should change if the Supreme Court overturns Roe v. Wade, at least in theory. Abortion access is enshrined in the state’s code of law—it’s illegal there to deny someone the right to terminate a pregnancy. Just after the draft opinion on abortion was leaked, […]
Author: Kiera Butler
The Anti-Abortion Movement’s Next Target: Birth Control
A few weeks ago, I attended the annual conference of the anti-abortion group Heartbeat International. Even though the Supreme Court’s draft decision to overturn Roe v. Wade hadn’t yet been leaked, there was palpable excitement about the growing political momentum behind their cause. They needed only to point to the conservative majority in the Supreme […]
The Disinformation Campaign Behind a Top Pregnancy Website
If you happen to be a pregnant person with questions—say, about the foods you should avoid, how big your developing fetus is, or when your morning sickness might finally abate—your online research may lead you to the cheerful and informative website of the American Pregnancy Association. In addition to providing answers to expectant parents, the […]
How Wellness Influencers Became Cheerleaders for Putin’s War
Until a few weeks ago, the Instagram influencer Kimberly Lynn had rarely dabbled in international affairs. With her long fuchsia and magenta dyed hair pulled up into a bun, she regularly updated her 20,000 followers about her home renovations, natural cleaning products, and why she chose to have her fourth baby at home. In her […]
Florida Advised Against Covid Vaccines for Kids. This Pediatrician Is Appalled.
On Monday, Florida surgeon general Joseph Ladapo announced that the state would no longer recommend Covid vaccines for healthy children. This change in guidance bucks recommendations from practically every public health agency, including the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. In a statement, Lisa Gwynn, the president of the state’s American Academy of Pediatrics chapter […]
Pro-Putin Disinformation on Ukraine Is Thriving in Online Anti-Vax Groups
Since the beginning of the pandemic, we’ve seen how conspiracy theories can overlap and collide. I’ve documented how anti-vaccine groups embraced QAnon disinformation about liberal elites conspiring to unseat Trump, and how white nationalists find willing audiences for their racist ideology in anti-mask groups. Over the last week, a new disinformation hybrid has appeared, as online […]
Anti-Vaxxers Have a New Obsession: Keeping Your Kids From Seeing Their Doctors
This week, activists in anti-science groups that I monitor are sharing memes suggesting that the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention changed its developmental milestones for babies and toddlers to account for the delays caused by caregivers wearing masks. “Spoiler alert: They changed the milestones so they can keep pushing the products that caused them,” […]
All the US Convoy Extremists Need Now Is Some Actual Truckers
As the antivaccine protests in Canada drag on, American groups are furiously planning their own domestic versions of the truck convoys. As I wrote last week, organizing efforts are gathering steam on the social media platform Telegram, where group leaders with white nationalist ties are delivering marching orders to thousands of followers—many of whom appear […]
These Doctors’ Groups Are Cheering On the Anti-Vax Convoys
The city of Ottawa is under siege for the third week in a row, as anti-vaccine protesters continue to paralyze the downtown business district. Last week, I wrote about how white nationalist organizers in Southern California are planning similar protests in the United States, and how their followers appear to be mostly parents. There were […]
Exclusive: White Nationalists and Anti-Vax Moms Plot Ottawa Copycat Convoys on Telegram
Before dawn on January 30, Regina Anne Bateson, a resident of Ottawa, Canada, loaded her skis into her car and headed out to one of her favorite cross-country trails. She was looking forward to some solitude—she rarely encountered others at this time of day. But as she approached the trailhead, she came upon an odd […]