Her Choice
This story was reported in partnership with LA Public Press , an independent nonprofit newsroom advocating for a better Los Angeles. When Areli Ramos arrived for her appointment at the women’s health
Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton is so staunchly anti-abortion that his office observes June 24, the anniversary of the overturn of Roe v. Wade, as a holiday. The Republican’s actions to block aborti
I’m cold. Freezing in fact. I’m on a flight from Los Angeles to New Orleans and Delta insists on keeping the cabin temp at a balmy 58°. But my teeth-chattering, frigid plane flight will be soon worth
Guttmacher Institute Opposes Proposed Federal Funding Rules That Threaten Reproductive Health Programs and Research July 14, 2026 jloewenberg July 14, 2026 News Release Homepage featured title Guttmac
Preschoolers with disabilities in New York City will gain access to an unprecedented set of programs and services thanks to a major expansion in special education announced Tuesday by Mayor Zohran Mam
Judges, lawyers and sexual abuse survivors have raised very strong reasons why it would be reckless and unconscionable for the Senate to confirm Todd Blanche to the post of Attorney General of the Uni
Chief Justice John Roberts and Justice Amy Coney Barrett deserve high praise for the pivotal role they played at the end of the just-concluded term in two key cases. One is Trump v. Barbara , the monu
“I got plummeted into Hell and realized I was in perimenopause,” Halle Berry tells ESSENCE exclusively. Without warning, the rest of her body felt the changes, too. “I had vaginal dryness and it felt
At the end of a recent talk on the Supreme Court’s latest term I was asked what surprised me most about the term. I was not surprised by the results in the most high-profile cases of the term, such as
Watch on YouTube Please note that this transcript has been edited for clarity. Zachary Shemtob: [00:00:00] So first of all, thank you so much to Amy. I’m really excited to have this conversation. Ther
This story was originally published by CalMatters . Sign up for their newsletters. U.S. Navy sailor Chase Humes is moving back to his dad’s house in Texas. Last month, the 25-year-old was notified tha
Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche will appear before the Senate Judiciary Committee on Wednesday for a confirmation hearing to consider his official nomination to a post he has held since April. Pr
Illustration by Vanessa Saba for ProPublica. Source images: The Washington Post/Getty Images, Leonardo Cendamo/Getty Images, Onondaga District Attorney, County of Onondaga, State of New York, Courtesy
If you spent any time scrolling through your feeds this past weekend, you already know that Beyoncé and Rihanna completely dominated the internet during JAŸ-Z’s historic concert. While their presence
The politicians who have spent years claiming to "protect women's sports" have been remarkably absent when it comes to enforcing the law that actually guarantees women equal athletic opportunities. W
“Precocious” is probably the word I would use to describe Samara Cyn . At just 27 years old, the rapper is a sponge of everything Hip-Hop. With co-signs from Erykah Badu, Lauryn Hill, and Denzel Washi
Idaho voters will weigh in on their state’s abortion laws this November. The secretary of state’s office certified a ballot measure that could, if passed, overturn one of the strictest bans in the cou
True crime brain is easy to slide into, experts say, especially for women.
Click to expand Image Plainclothes Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officers detain an immigrant leaving their scheduled court appearance at a Federal immigration court in New York City, June
Mona Scott-Young ’s selection as one of the 2026 ESSENCE Black Women in Music honorees reflects a career spent opening doors, creating businesses, and helping steer the direction of music and televisi
Few teenaged talents have emerged on the scene with the presence, voice, and staying power of Monica. With a career spanning decades, the musical alchemist has solidified herself as an industry titan,
I love Brandy. I love that raspy, textured voice. The tone of it, the warmth of it, the way it wraps around a lyric and gives it life. I love that we’ve grown up with her, “Sittin’ Up in My Room” blas
Before building an audience in reality television, becoming a restaurateur, lighting up screens both large and small, and establishing herself as a multidimensional entrepreneur, Kandi Burruss first c
There are artists who make hits, or even, define an era. And then there are the rare few who permanently change the language of music. Missy Elliott belongs to the last category. Before “creative visi
To address the maternal health crisis in America, Washington must invest in a proactive agenda of healthcare access, affordability and equity. American healthcare was fundamentally reshaped a year ago
Zeta Phi Beta Sorority, Incorporated has welcomed a new group of honorary members into its sisterhood, adding several notable women from entertainment and public service to its Alpha Omega Chapter. Th
Dr. Annie Andrews, the Democratic nominee for U.S. Senate in South Carolina, is getting national attention following the death of her Republican opponent, Sen. Lindsey Graham, over the weekend. The De
Click to expand Image Rescuers work at the site of a landslide at a Rohingya refugee camp in Cox's Bazar, Bangladesh, July 8, 2026. © 2026 Shamimul Islam Faisal/AP Photo (Bangkok) – The deadly risks f
The 19th is thrilled to announce that Isabela Espadas Barros Leal and Jennifer Koons are joining us as our newest editors. The editors will work closely with editorial directors to assign, shape, edit
Wherever Grace Pavlock pursued a bachelor’s degree — in her native Texas or across the country — she would face the same hurdle: “I was always going to be on that cusp of homelessness and not having a
Each week, Rewire News Group editors scour headlines nationwide—from lawsuits over abortion access to LGBTQ+ rights—to bring you the most urgent news in reproductive justice. Here’s what you need to k
BANGOR, Maine — As Maine Democrats vie to replace Graham Platner in their state’s Senate race, abortion — a key weakness for Republican Sen. Susan Collins — is set to shape the next phase of the conte
President Donald Trump’s nominee for attorney general, Todd Blanche, will appear before the Senate Judiciary Committee for his confirmation hearing Wednesday, July 15, and Thursday, July 16. Ahead of
One of the most star-studded events returned to New Orleans during the 2026 ESSENCE Festival of Culture to continue giving flowers to those the Black community adores while they can be seen, heard, an
This summer, I am retiring my extra small knotless braids in exchange for creative low-tension styles. I knew it was time to reset when, this summer, I found a small bald spot, aka traction alopecia,
It’s been quite a week. I’m guessing, like me, you saw a connective thread in the headlines: Accountability rarely arrives on its own. It comes because people refuse to stay silent. The post From Main
Raise your awareness of gendered language on the job.
You might not be advised to buy a book for its cover, but the same can’t be said about its title. Consider the title of Heidi Kasa’s first book of poetry, published by Mouthfeel Press: The Bullet Take
Nolan Xavier Wells deserved to see his 19 th birthday next month. The 18-year-old deserved to continue his studies and athletic career at Southwest Mississippi Community College, where he was a star w
In This Edition: Milestones: Charlene Mitchell became the first Black woman presidential nominee (1968); Sandra Day O’Connor was nominated as the first woman to serve on the U.S. Supreme Court (1981);
It would be easy to be cynical about a remake of Little House on the Prairie . At a moment when "tradwife" nostalgia and gender politics dominate so much of our cultural conversation, the series arriv
For decades, single mothers have been kept from homeownership by a market that was not designed to deliver them the American Dream. That could all be about to change thanks to a bipartisan unicorn: A
“Love Island” is the rare dating show that offers a cash prize at the end, and with brand deals and commercial spots, the contestants can hope to make even more money after leaving the villa. Now, the
Peter S. Canellos is a prize-winning journalist and the author of Revenge for the Sixties: Sam Alito and the Triumph of the Conservative Legal Movement , which Publishers Weekly called “a razor-sharp”
One might argue that Supreme Court justices are more visible today than ever before. Six have published books and Brett Kavanaugh is apparently working on one to become the seventh. Several have recen
Yesterday marked 158 years since the ratification of the 14th Amendment . The amendment, which, among other things, guarantees citizenship to “[a]ll persons born or naturalized in the United States, a
Five nights a week, millions of Americans vote on Love Island USA with just a few taps on their phones. Yet when Election Day arrives, most still stand in line, mail absentee ballots or travel to poll
No matter where she’s from, every Black woman knows the beauty salon has never been just a place to get her hair done. It’s where confidence is poured back into you until you walk out standing a littl
"does anyone know how much kindness it takes to kill someone"
Is it time to cancel the term “bodice ripper,” for its connotations of aggressive, potentially non-consensual sex? Some readers think so . But, thankfully, not all bodice rippers fall under that brand
The widow, son and sister of Venezuelan dissident Ronald Ojeda attend his burial service in Santiago, Chile, on March 8, 2024. The former military officer was kidnapped, killed and buried under cement
This week Grammy-winning singer SZA, née Solána Imani Rowe, shared that she had received a formal autism diagnosis. In a now-deleted Instagram post, she joked that the diagnosis meant she was “smarter
When the Supreme Court says, as it did earlier this month in West Virginia v. B.P.J. , that banning transgender girls from school sports is about protecting the safety and fairness of women's and girl
In May, the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reported one of the greatest public health victories of the past 50 years. A government survey found that cigarette smoking among U
A pair of consecutive court actions this week brought renewed attention to policies in Republican-led states to control lessons and conversations on gender and race in public colleges and universities
After President Donald Trump gained ground with young men and rode his ascendant, aggressive brand of masculinity into a second term in the White House, a group of progressive Democratic strategists b
What happens when a legendary actress and producer, world-renowned chef, iconic television producer and writer, and Pulitzer prize-winning journalist come together to not only curate the ESSENCE Festi
When I was asked to be a model for the Teyana Taylor Makeup Challenge at Beautycon during this year’s ESSENCE Festival of Culture , I thought I understood the assignment. As an intern, I’d spent days
On July 2nd, Survival of the Thickest released its third and final season on Netflix, and the show is definitely closing out on a fashionably high note. This season, Mavis truly steps into her own, on
A year ago, abortion opponents were celebrating one of their biggest victories under the Trump administration: Planned Parenthood, the movement’s arch-villain, had been temporarily kicked out of Medic
