Nancy Grace Roman always seemed to be on a quest to uncover the secrets of the universe. As NASA’s first-ever Chief of Astronomy (the first woman to hold an executive role at the agency, BTW), she championed the launch of the Hubble telescope. So it’s only fitting that the latest launch out of the Kennedy Space Center on Sunday was a telescope named after her. If you missed it, here’s the moment of liftoff. Over the next five years, the $4.3 billion Nancy Grace Roman telescope will explore dark matter and dark energy, which make up about 95% of the universe. Scientists also expect to discover more than 100,000 exoplanets with Roman’s help. Will we finally get closer to answering: Is there life beyond Earth? And to think the Trump administration almost shut this mission down — it must’ve made the president’s congratulatory phone call yesterday extra awkward for NASA… Roman’s first images could come as early as next year, and anyone can access the raw data. But before you get ready to dive into the mysteries of the universe, here are today’s top headlines…
— Maria Corpus / Editor / Madison, WI
Reproductive Rights
Rising Costs, Declining Access, and Delayed Care
What’s going on: Abortion patients are increasingly getting caught in a perfect storm, and abortion providers are seeing the effects. Diane Horvath, cofounder of Partners in Abortion Care in Maryland, told The Guardian that people are coming in “later and sicker” in their pregnancies. Today, increasing healthcare premiums, decreasing Medicaid coverage, and growing abortion restrictions and bans have put abortion care further out of reach for many patients. “They’re just not going in. There’s no place to go,” Horvath added. And delays can compound the problem: As pregnancy progresses, abortion costs and health risks can also climb. Meanwhile, the number of providers available decreases: Only four states and Washington, DC, have clinics offering all-trimester care. One 2024 study found that, including out-of-state travel costs, the median cost of an abortion at 33 weeks was $17,250.
Out of the spotlight: After the Dobbs decision revoked the constitutional right to an abortion in 2022, abortion funds around the country saw an increase in donations. But the “rage giving” soon declined. By early 2024, the National Network of Abortion Funds reported a “staggering drop off” in donations despite the need. “Public attention has shifted elsewhere,” one Richmond, Virginia-based provider told RVAMagazine. Many Democrats are no longer making reproductive rights a focal point of their campaigns. There are other factors, too: Inflation and rising cost of living have led many Americans to reduce their charitable giving out of concern for their own finances. It’s forced some abortion funds to make tough decisions. Earlier this year, Poonam Dreyfus-Pai, interim executive director of the National Network of Abortion Funds, told Stateline that about one-third of abortion funds had to pause hotlines in 2025, and 2026 “is even harder.”
