My Childhood Under Northern Ireland's Abortion Ban

There is a leaflet I remember reading compulsively when I was in primary school. I would have been 8 or 9 years old and got it from one of the booths set up by anti-choice protesters who would often gather in town. The text was neon pink and printed on silky black paper, design choices that made the content seem sensational, even pornographic. Across one corner there was an image of a tiny human body blurred by a glowing outline. The religious imagery I grew up with was full of saints portrayed similarly.

That leaflet lived in my pocket for a while. I unfolded and refolded it until the shininess faded and it was quartered with thick, white veins. I only vaguely remember what it said, the usual gory myths about infertility and vacuums and the capacity a fetus has to feel pain, always using the word baby instead of fetus. The feelings it evoked I recall much more clearly: revulsion, shock, and fascination.

A look inside one of the world’s first human-composting facilities. If Arthur the aardvark is really going to host his own podcast, he should find headphones that actually fit his ears. Jared Leto is going to play Karl Lagerfeld, continuing his tradition of taking on roles that look nothing like him with accents he can’t do. It looks like Adidas and Kanye might be consciously uncoupling. A former Democratic operative is sinking millions into Meta’s ad network to build a media powerhouse for the left and get out the vote. Serious question: What’s the point of orcas? Do they play an important role in the ecosystem, or are they just dicks? Tips for how to get over a breakup — no matter which side of it you’re on. The search for the best mullet in America (sorry if you read “best mullet” as an oxymoron). And leading robot makers, including Boston Dynamics, are pledging not to weaponize them.

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