Shefali Luthra

Shefali Luthra

@shefali.bsky.social

Reproductive health reporter @19thnews.org‬ I wrote UNDUE BURDEN, a book about abortion post-Dobbs. Past lives: KHN, The Texas Tribune. Julien Baker/Boston Celtics/Jaguars enthusiast. She / Her. sbluthra(at)19thnews(dot)org; Signal: shefaliluthra.94

5.8K followers399 following468 posts

Shefali Luthra reposted

19thnews
@19thnews.org

Maria Alejandra Valero Brinez, who is five months pregnant and has a history of stillbirth, says she isn’t receiving regular prenatal care at an Arizona detention center, where even getting clean drinking water is a struggle.

19thnews.orgWoman with history of stillbirth fears losing another pregnancy in ICE detentionMaria Alejandra Valero Brinez, who is five months into a high-risk pregnancy, said she isn’t receiving regular prenatal care at an Arizona detention center, lawmakers exclusively told The 19th.
Shefali Luthra
@shefali.bsky.social

Big news: The family of Tierra Walker, who died after she couldn't get an abortion, is suing a slate of Texas actors in state court, including AG Ken Paxton. They say the state ban is unconstitutional. This is the first suit of its kind. 19thnews.org/2026/09/texa...

19thnews.orgTierra Walker died after she couldn’t get an abortion. Her family is suing Ken PaxtonThe case, filed Tuesday, argues that Texas’ near-total abortion ban violates the state and U.S. Constitutions, which “prohibit state actors from killing their citizens.”

Shefali Luthra reposted

Brooke Migdon
@bmigdon.bsky.social

In less than a week, Elon Musk’s super PAC has pushed out dozens of ads vilifying trans people and accusing Democratic Senate candidates of backing a “radical trans agenda.” In at least two of the ads, the people portrayed as trans women don’t even appear to be real. 19thnews.org/2026/09/elon...

19thnews.orgPolitical ads with made-up trans people are being used to bash DemocratsElon Musk’s super PAC dropped dozens of ads this week in key Senate races, and the majority of them focus on trans people.
Shefali Luthra
@shefali.bsky.social

With social conservatives pushing for surrogacy restrictions, I wanted to spend time with a woman who relied on a surrogate to have her second child. Tina's story was more complicated than I could have ever imagined. It's worth spending some time with her. 19thnews.org/2026/09/texa...

19thnews.orgTina wanted another baby. She also needed an abortion. Texas made both harder.She endured eight hysteroscopies and years of IVF, turning to surrogacy to grow her family. When she unexpectedly became pregnant herself, the state's abortion ban made her next decision far more comp...

Shefali Luthra reposted

Kelcie Moseley-Morris
@kelciemmorris.bsky.social

An important update in the federal case out of Idaho: Judge Winmill narrowed the injunction to only apply to Dr. Seyb, the physician who sued the state. This is a significant change from the original ruling. From Laura Guido:

idahocapitalsun.comIdaho federal judge narrows abortion ruling to only protect Boise doctor who filed lawsuit • Idaho Capital SunOther Idaho doctors will be subject to Idaho’s near-total abortion ban, without exceptions for health or risk of death from self-harm.

Shefali Luthra reposted

Melissa Deckman
@melissadeckman.bsky.social

@shefali.bsky.social at @19thnews.org is one of the best reporters out there covering abortion politics -- here she cites @prri.org data on how Ken Paxton's extreme views on abortion are deeply out of step with the views of Texans. 19thnews.org/2026/07/ken-...

19thnews.orgWhy everyone will bring Ken Paxton’s abortion record up in his Senate raceNeither Senate candidate in Texas is emphasizing abortion on the campaign trail. But their staunch stances could influence the close race.
Shefali Luthra
@shefali.bsky.social

Women denied in Texas abortions say they're ready to make it an issue in the state's tight Senate race. So are national reproductive rights groups. So are state anti-abortion orgs. All say that if elected, Ken Paxton would be among our most anti-abortion Senators. 19thnews.org/2026/07/ken-...

19thnews.orgWhy everyone will bring Ken Paxton’s abortion record up in his Senate raceNeither Senate candidate in Texas is emphasizing abortion on the campaign trail. But their staunch stances could influence the close race.
Shefali Luthra
@shefali.bsky.social

Idaho voters will get a chance to overturn their state's punitive abortion ban. The law has driven OBGYNs to leave the state and has even forced women to be airlifted for emergency medical care to places where abortion is still available. 19thnews.org/2026/07/idah...

19thnews.orgIdaho voters will weigh in on one of the strictest abortion bans in the countryA 2026 ballot measure gives Idaho voters the chance to establish “reproductive freedom” in the state this November.
Shefali Luthra
@shefali.bsky.social

With Platner out, here is what could be next for Maine: a conversation about Susan Collins and abortion. W/ @gracepanetta.bsky.social reporting from Maine, what candidates are saying and why it matters 19thnews.org/2026/07/main...

19thnews.orgThe race to unseat Susan Collins is resetting around abortionDemocrats say Collins' actions undermine her stated support for reproductive rights — an argument they hope will resonate with the women voters who could decide the Maine Senate race.

Shefali Luthra reposted

Barbara Rodriguez
@bcrodriguez.bsky.social

A year after Planned Parenthood was temporarily kicked out of Medicaid under the Trump administration, abortion opponents’ biggest win has expired — and has little chance of being renewed any time soon. Latest from @shefali.bsky.social for @19thnews.org: 19thnews.org/2026/07/plan...

19thnews.orgPlanned Parenthood survived ‘defunding’ — just in time for electionsAbortion opponents are facing an uphill battle to defund them again, while Planned Parenthood is pushing to make it a midterm issue.

Shefali Luthra reposted

19thnews
@19thnews.org

1/ A doctor denied care to 28-year-old Harmonie Perrone for her ectopic pregnancy because she believed there was a “1 percent chance” she could have a healthy pregnancy. Now, she’s suing an Illinois hospital and the OBGYN.

19thnews.orgIllinois’ law protects abortion. She says she still couldn’t get treatment for her ectopic pregnancy.A lawsuit filed in Illinois raises questions about who can get life-saving reproductive health care, even in states with legal protections.
Shefali Luthra
@shefali.bsky.social

one might say Don had limited his exposure

Philip Bump@pbump.com

I’ve been watching Mad Men which I didn’t watch when it first aired and I’m sorry but Salvatore would not have been able to see Don on the fire escape from inside a brightly lit room, did these people never read the Hardy Boys

Shefali Luthra
@shefali.bsky.social

rewatched the girls pilot and who would have thought a beautiful 2012 google page would be part of what makes it a period piece

TechCrunch@techcrunch.com

Google is transforming Search from a list of links into an AI-powered experience filled with conversational answers, autonomous agents, and interactive interfaces — a shift that could further reduce traffic to publishers across the web.

techcrunch.comGoogle Search as you know it is over | TechCrunchGoogle is transforming Search from a list of links into an AI-powered experience filled with conversational answers, autonomous agents, and interactive interfaces — a shift that could further reduce traffic to publishers across the web.
Shefali Luthra
@shefali.bsky.social

Our first national study shows what doctors and patients have been warning: In states with abortion bans, fewer people are getting miscarriage care. This can threaten patients' health and lives. And it can add a layer of grief on top of an already devastating experience.

19thnews.orgAbortion bans are restricting miscarriage care, new study findsThe research is the first national analysis to quantify how abortion restrictions affect people losing their pregnancies.

Shefali Luthra reposted

Grace Panetta
@gracepanetta.bsky.social

The Supreme Court allowed medication abortion to stay available for now, but Louisiana's lawsuit has put reproductive rights back on the agenda ahead of the midterms. From @shefali.bsky.social and me: 19thnews.org/2026/05/medi...

19thnews.orgMedication abortion is available — for now. But reproductive rights could still shape the midterms.Even without a Supreme Court court ruling restricting abortion rights, Democrats in tight races are likely to keep the consequences of bans in their midterm campaigns.
Shefali Luthra
@shefali.bsky.social

UPDATE: ban blocked www.documentcloud.org/documents/28...

Shefali Luthra@shefali.bsky.social

SCOTUS let take effect a ban on mailing mifepristone, one of two drugs used in most abortions. Telehealth abortion providers have prepped workarounds so people can still get care, even in states w/ bans. But this is the biggest national restriction since Roe fell. 19thnews.org/2026/05/supr...

19thnews.orgSupreme Court allows ban on getting an abortion pill by mail to take effectMailed prescriptions have allowed people living in states with bans to continue getting abortions, contributing to an increase in abortions since the fall of Roe.
Shefali Luthra
@shefali.bsky.social

SCOTUS let take effect a ban on mailing mifepristone, one of two drugs used in most abortions. Telehealth abortion providers have prepped workarounds so people can still get care, even in states w/ bans. But this is the biggest national restriction since Roe fell. 19thnews.org/2026/05/supr...

19thnews.orgSupreme Court allows ban on getting an abortion pill by mail to take effectMailed prescriptions have allowed people living in states with bans to continue getting abortions, contributing to an increase in abortions since the fall of Roe.
Shefali Luthra
@shefali.bsky.social

did the 8 year old boy take women’s self defense at the ymca like Hank Hill suggested

Garrett M. Graff@vermontgmg.bsky.social

To be fair, Trump is the most likely president of modern times to end up in a fight with an eight-year-old boy….

Shefali Luthra
@shefali.bsky.social

industry season 4 episode 5

Bobby Allyn@bobbyallyn.bsky.social

We looked into Polymarket's presence in Panama, obtained its government paperwork and visited its headquarters in Panama City. There was no sign of Polymarket. Nobody had heard of Polymarket there. www.npr.org/2026/05/05/n...

npr.orgNPR went looking for Polymarket's Panama headquarters. It's elusiveThe hugely popular prediction market was shut down by U.S. regulators in 2022 and re-opened in Panama, where it has benefited from tax and legal benefits for years.
Shefali Luthra
@shefali.bsky.social

Our story on the decision by the Fifth Circuit decision blocking telehealth abortions. This could have critical consequences for people who seek abortions from states with bans. Telehealth has been a lifeline for them. 19thnews.org/2026/05/cour...

19thnews.orgCourt blocks access to abortion pills prescribed through telehealthTelehealth has become a key option for people living in states with abortion bans. If upheld, the ruling could upend how abortions are provided in the United States.
Shefali Luthra
@shefali.bsky.social

As GLP-1s become more available, new moms are increasingly seeking them as a way to lose "baby weight." One mom: “I was seeing all this messaging like, ‘This is the way to lose weight, if you take it, it’ll be so easy — you’ll be so skinny, you won’t have to worry about weight at all.’”

19thnews.orgSleepless nights, diapers and GLP-1s: More people are turning to weight loss drugs after having babiesFor some, the weight loss medications offer a way to feel like themselves again. But others said the drugs’ availability feeds into a pressure to “bounce back” soon after giving birth.
Shefali Luthra
@shefali.bsky.social

It is such an honor to be part of this remarkable group of journalists— and to be recognized with @mellbarclay.bsky.social for our reporting on the detention of pregnant immigrants. It's a privilege to work at a newsroom that prioritizes this journalism. wallacehouse.umich.edu/livingston-a...

wallacehouse.umich.eduPresenting the 2025 Livingston Award FinalistsThese Livingston Award finalists highlight excellence in reporting and storytelling by journalists under the age of 35. Here is the best work of 2024 from young reporters.