Jamie Vernaelde

Five Months in Jail—for a Miscarriage 5.20.25

At the newsletter right now: A Texas woman was just released from jail after five months - FOR A MISCARRIAGE.

While she was jailed, the county turned her fetal remains over to a crisis pregnancy center - which then named the fetus and gave it a public funeral.

jessica.substack.com/p/texas-jail...

Family Planning Impact of the Trump Foreign Assistance Freeze

"Woke gender ideology" doesn’t harm women and girls, Trump and Musk killing USAID does. www.guttmacher.org/2025/01/fami...

Dmitry Medvedev, the former President of Russia and the Deputy Chair of the Security Council, endorses the plan to end USAID.

Russian government has long hated USAID, accusing it of interfering in internal matters by supporting groups that advocate for free elections and human rights.

50 protests, 50 states, one day

Call to action: 50 protests, 50 states, one day.

#3E #USprotests #endimpunity #endautogenocide #endoligarchy #Feb5

How does this affect foreign assistance? Or the 90-day pause, if at all?

A federal judge has called a 4pm conference in the emergency lawsuit brought by nonprofit groups to halt President Trump's federal aid freeze:

Dems can:

-oppose all Trump nominees until this EO is withdrawn
-deny unanimous consent to slow senate proceedings
-vote no on all cloture
-force quorum calls at every chance

It’s a constitutional crisis. There is absolutely no reason the Senate should be connecting business as usual.

Find and contact elected officials | USAGov Use USAGov’s Contact Your Elected Officials tool to get contact information for your members of Congress, the president, and state and local officials.

It is very easy to call your representatives’ offices. They have to log your calls and the call numbers are meaningful. You don’t even have to try to convince anyone; just call and tell them your concerns. They are there to represent you. Let them know what that means. www.usa.gov/elected-offi...

Trump administration orders sweeping freeze of federal aid In a two-page memo, the Office of Management and Budget ordered all federal agencies to temporarily suspend payments.

Trump is blowing up the Constitution and dismantling democracy before our eyes.

Freezing all federal grants is a radical transformation of the relationship between the President & Congress.

It’s illegal & dictatorial & Americans will die as a result.

www.politico.com/news/2025/01...

Ten Things We Can All Do to Protect Democracy From Marc | The most common question I receive is how everyday citizens can help in the fight for democracy.

The most common question I receive is how everyday citizens can help in the fight for democracy. My advice, take the first step, start with something small and see what works for you. Here are ten things all of us can do. www.democracydocket.com/opinion/10-t...

State Department issues immediate, widespread pause on foreign aid The “stop-work orders” appear to apply to US aid for all countries except Israel and Egypt.

I’m so sorry. We have failed you.
🇺🇦
www.politico.com/news/2025/01...

whoops www.devex.com/news/we-can-...

There is also now an OMB dot gov email doing the same thing. Be safe y'all.

Trump's anti-trans EO "is a clear and deliberate signal of what is to come from this Administration," says Bethany Van Kampen Saravia, Ipas senior legal and policy adviser, in this @opendemocracy.net piece from @sianushka.bsky.social. bit.ly/4h7QzKd

I did not have it on my bingo card that @theoatmeal.bsky.social would make me cry today...

A Line By Line Analysis Of Trump's Big Anti-Trans Executive Order Trump released over 70 executive orders on Monday. While orders on immigration and climate got a lot of attention, his anti-transgender order could have sweeping impacts as well.

1. Yesterday, Trump released a broad anti-trans executive order that could have extreme impacts on transgender people's lives if implemented.

There has been much discussion of what it actually does.

In my latest piece, I go line by line to explain it.

Subscribe to support my journalism.

Today and in the coming days, remember

WHO comments on United States announcement of intent to withdraw The World Health Organization regrets the announcement that the United States of America intends to withdraw from the Organization. WHO plays a crucial role in protecting the health and security of the world’s people, including Americans, by addressing the root causes of disease, building stronger health systems, and detecting, preventing and responding to health emergencies, including disease outbreaks, often in dangerous places where others cannot go. The United States was a founding member of WHO in 1948 and has participated in shaping and governing WHO’s work ever since, alongside 193 other Member States, including through its active participation in the World Health Assembly and Executive Board. For over seven decades, WHO and the USA have saved countless lives and protected Americans and all people from health threats. Together, we ended smallpox, and together we have brought polio to the brink of eradication. American institutions have contributed to and benefited from membership in WHO. With the participation of the United States and other Member States, WHO has over the past 7 years implemented the largest set of reforms in its history, to transform our accountability, cost-effectiveness, and impact in countries. This work continues. We hope the United States will reconsider and we look forward to engaging in constructive dialogue to maintain the partnership between the USA and WHO, for the benefit of the health and well-being of millions of people around the globe.

WHO comments on United States announcement of intent to withdraw bit.ly/4hrbeJ7

Trump Invites Far-Right, Bigoted Leaders to his Inauguration Donald Trump’s decision to invite far-right, authoritarian leaders from around the world to his inauguration marks a significant departure from tradition. The invitees, including figures like Argentin...

Trump’s inauguration invites far-right leaders, including Argentina’s Javier Milei and the Netherlands' Geert Wilders. Their anti-LGBTQ+ & anti-immigrant stances highlight a shift in U.S. foreign policy priorities toward aligning with global authoritarianism.

globalextremism.org/post/trump-i...

The 19th Explains: What to know about executive orders as Trump prepares to take office What are executive orders — and how do presidents use them? Here’s what to know about them and the scope of their power.

@19thnews.org explains — What to know about executive orders as Trump prepares to take office, including what executive orders are, how presidents use them and the scope of their power. @candicenorwood.bsky.social reports.

19thnews.org/2025/01/what...

A Third Woman Died Under Texas’ Abortion Ban. Doctors Are Avoiding D&Cs and Reaching for Riskier Miscarriage Treatments. Thirty-five-year-old Porsha Ngumezi’s case raises questions about how abortion bans are pressuring doctors to avoid standard care even in straightforward miscarriages.

NEW: Porsha Ngumezi is the fifth case we've reported on in which a woman died after not receiving a D&C or its second-trimester equivalent in time, or at all.

Her case raises questions about how abortion bans are pressuring doctors to avoid standard care even in straightforward miscarriages.