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As for the latest round of name calling, it seems the aspect of the Minnesota law that has conservatives most agitated is its language: the law states that pads and tampons must be available to “all menstruating students” and “in restrooms regularly used by students in grades 4 to 12.” A failed attempt to amend the bill to only name “female restrooms,” did not keep it from passing as is with bipartisan support. Among its Republican supporters, Rep. Dean Urdahl remarked, “Just talking with my wife and family members, they felt like it was an important issue I should support.” And it really should be that simple. Policies that address the economic burden of menstruation, and that acknowledge the educational value of treating period products as basic school supplies, have proven to be a popular and common sense reform—at home and abroad. (Jennifer Weiss-Wolf, 8/7)

Almost two years after the first signs of bird flu in the United States, we are still flying blind. (David Wallace-Wells, 8/7)

A six-week ban on abortion went into effect in Florida on May 1, 2024. Thankfully, a proposed constitutional amendment to protect abortion access will appear before voters on Florida’s November ballot. (Aryana M. Gharagozloo, 8/8)

Simone Biles credited her return to the Olympics this year primarily to being “in a really good spot mentally.” She described her devotion to weekly therapy as “kinda religious.” Her athletic performances at the Paris Olympics this month were thrilling, earning her three gold medals and one silver medal. But what I really admire is her commitment to keeping her mental health in the limelight right alongside her gymnastics accomplishments. (Charlotte Maya, 8/7)

The liver is one of the few organs that need not be transplanted whole. It can be split into parts, with one part going to one person needing a new liver and the other part going to a second one. Removing barriers to this procedure, known as split liver transplantation, could reduce the number of deaths caused by liver failure. (Evelyn Tenenbaum and Jed Adam Gross, 8/8)