Lorena O’Neil
@lorenaoneil.com
NOLA freelancer reporting on repro health, politics, culture, tech
Contributing writer at Rolling Stone & nonprofit newsroom @lailluminator.bsky.social
Bylines: The GuardianUS, Elle, The LA Times, Marie Claire, Jezebel
https://www.lorenaoneil.com
Contributing writer at Rolling Stone & nonprofit newsroom @lailluminator.bsky.social
Bylines: The GuardianUS, Elle, The LA Times, Marie Claire, Jezebel
https://www.lorenaoneil.com
Reposted by Lorena O’Neil
For the first time in my career, I can’t tell people to trust what the CDC website says. And that is an incredibly sad and devastating place for this country to be.
CDC has overhauled its website to assert that “the claim ‘vaccines do not cause autism’ is not an evidence-based claim”
November 20, 2025 at 4:22 AM
For the first time in my career, I can’t tell people to trust what the CDC website says. And that is an incredibly sad and devastating place for this country to be.
Reposted by Lorena O’Neil
Sales of AI-enabled teddy bear suspended after it gave advice on BDSM sex and where to find knives
Sales of AI-enabled teddy bear suspended after it gave advice on BDSM sex and where to find knives | CNN Business
Sales of an artificial intelligence-enabled plush toy have been suspended after it was found that it engaged in conversation around sexually explicit topics and offered potentially dangerous advice.
www.cnn.com
November 20, 2025 at 3:35 AM
Sales of AI-enabled teddy bear suspended after it gave advice on BDSM sex and where to find knives
He gave her a shoe rack, but he gave us the perfect kicker
November 18, 2025 at 2:42 AM
He gave her a shoe rack, but he gave us the perfect kicker
Reposted by Lorena O’Neil
Complaints allege sexual and physical abuse at Basile ICE facility
Current and former detainees at the South Louisiana ICE Detention Center in Basile, Louisiana have filed multiple complaints through immigration rights groups against the Department of Homeland Security and U.S. Immigration and…
Current and former detainees at the South Louisiana ICE Detention Center in Basile, Louisiana have filed multiple complaints through immigration rights groups against the Department of Homeland Security and U.S. Immigration and…
Complaints allege sexual and physical abuse at Basile ICE facility
Current and former detainees at the South Louisiana ICE Detention Center in Basile, Louisiana have filed multiple complaints through immigration rights groups against the Department of Homeland Security and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, alleging repeated sexual harassment, sexual abuse, physical abuse, coerced labor and neglect of urgent medical and mental health care at the facility.
veritenews.org
September 17, 2025 at 7:08 PM
Complaints allege sexual and physical abuse at Basile ICE facility
Current and former detainees at the South Louisiana ICE Detention Center in Basile, Louisiana have filed multiple complaints through immigration rights groups against the Department of Homeland Security and U.S. Immigration and…
Current and former detainees at the South Louisiana ICE Detention Center in Basile, Louisiana have filed multiple complaints through immigration rights groups against the Department of Homeland Security and U.S. Immigration and…
Luigi Mangione’s terrorism charges were dismissed today, with Judge Gregory Carro ruling the evidence as “legally insufficient.” Mangione will still face second-degree murder charges in New York. *Pre-trial hearings* will begin on Dec. 1 www.rollingstone.com/culture/cult...
Luigi Mangione Terrorism Charges Dropped, Murder Charges Upheld During New York State Hearing
Luigi Mangione appeared in New York State Court on Tuesday, where the terrorism charges against him were dropped.
www.rollingstone.com
September 16, 2025 at 4:18 PM
Luigi Mangione’s terrorism charges were dismissed today, with Judge Gregory Carro ruling the evidence as “legally insufficient.” Mangione will still face second-degree murder charges in New York. *Pre-trial hearings* will begin on Dec. 1 www.rollingstone.com/culture/cult...
Luigi Mangione’s New York State court hearings will begin on Dec. 1. My story for @rollingstone.com www.rollingstone.com/culture/cult...
September 16, 2025 at 2:09 PM
Luigi Mangione’s New York State court hearings will begin on Dec. 1. My story for @rollingstone.com www.rollingstone.com/culture/cult...
Judge Carro dismissed the terrorism charges against Luigi Mangione claiming the evidence was "legally insufficient for these charges." Murder in the second degree charges stand. Motion to dismiss due to double jeopardy ruled premature. LM's motion to stay denied. @rollingstone.com
September 16, 2025 at 1:39 PM
Judge Carro dismissed the terrorism charges against Luigi Mangione claiming the evidence was "legally insufficient for these charges." Murder in the second degree charges stand. Motion to dismiss due to double jeopardy ruled premature. LM's motion to stay denied. @rollingstone.com
I’m at Manhattan criminal courthouse today for the Luigi Mangione pre trial court appearance. Mangione's legal team is here, as well as 24 members of the public and about 70 members of the press.
September 16, 2025 at 1:11 PM
I’m at Manhattan criminal courthouse today for the Luigi Mangione pre trial court appearance. Mangione's legal team is here, as well as 24 members of the public and about 70 members of the press.
Reposted by Lorena O’Neil
The Justice Department's acting deputy chief was caught on a hidden camera saying that the government will "redact every Republican" from an Epstein client list and "leave all the liberal, Democratic people."
DOJ deputy chief: government will "redact every Republican" from Epstein client list
The deputy chief later said his comments were not based on what he's learned from his role at the DOJ.
www.axios.com
September 4, 2025 at 9:19 PM
The Justice Department's acting deputy chief was caught on a hidden camera saying that the government will "redact every Republican" from an Epstein client list and "leave all the liberal, Democratic people."
Before calling New Orleans "quite bad" and threatening to send the National Guard here, Trump once called it a "sexy city" and hyped up a Trump Tower NOLA (which never happened despite post-Katrina promises) @rollingstone.com www.rollingstone.com/politics/pol...
September 3, 2025 at 9:25 PM
Before calling New Orleans "quite bad" and threatening to send the National Guard here, Trump once called it a "sexy city" and hyped up a Trump Tower NOLA (which never happened despite post-Katrina promises) @rollingstone.com www.rollingstone.com/politics/pol...
Reposted by Lorena O’Neil
Trump to make an announcement from Oval tomorrow at 2 pm, as it now stands. rollcall.com/factbase/tru...
September 2, 2025 at 2:27 AM
Trump to make an announcement from Oval tomorrow at 2 pm, as it now stands. rollcall.com/factbase/tru...
Reposted by Lorena O’Neil
Twenty years ago, Donald Trump pledged to stand behind New Orleans as it rebuilt after Hurricane Katrina. The place where the 70-story building was supposed to sit is still a parking lot. www.rollingstone.com/politics/pol...
Trump Vowed to 'Stand Behind' New Orleans After Katrina -- Then Let Real Estate Project Die
Donald Trump vowed to "stand by" New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina, but let a real estate project he said would help rebuild the city die.
www.rollingstone.com
August 30, 2025 at 2:15 PM
Twenty years ago, Donald Trump pledged to stand behind New Orleans as it rebuilt after Hurricane Katrina. The place where the 70-story building was supposed to sit is still a parking lot. www.rollingstone.com/politics/pol...
Reposted by Lorena O’Neil
9 CDC Directors going back to 1977 speak out. What RFK Jr has done to our nation’s public health system "should alarm every American."
It "is unlike anything we have ever seen at the agency, and unlike anything our country has ever experienced." www.nytimes.com/2025/09/01/o...
It "is unlike anything we have ever seen at the agency, and unlike anything our country has ever experienced." www.nytimes.com/2025/09/01/o...
Opinion | We Ran the C.D.C.: Kennedy Is Endangering Every American’s Health
www.nytimes.com
September 1, 2025 at 11:23 AM
9 CDC Directors going back to 1977 speak out. What RFK Jr has done to our nation’s public health system "should alarm every American."
It "is unlike anything we have ever seen at the agency, and unlike anything our country has ever experienced." www.nytimes.com/2025/09/01/o...
It "is unlike anything we have ever seen at the agency, and unlike anything our country has ever experienced." www.nytimes.com/2025/09/01/o...
Reposted by Lorena O’Neil
Also… please don’t miss the intro website Trump Tower New Orleans had. It featured Trump, Don Jr. and Ivanka in masquerade masks. Just in case you need a pick-me up today for whatever reason.
August 30, 2025 at 2:17 PM
Also… please don’t miss the intro website Trump Tower New Orleans had. It featured Trump, Don Jr. and Ivanka in masquerade masks. Just in case you need a pick-me up today for whatever reason.
Also… please don’t miss the intro website Trump Tower New Orleans had. It featured Trump, Don Jr. and Ivanka in masquerade masks. Just in case you need a pick-me up today for whatever reason.
August 30, 2025 at 2:17 PM
Also… please don’t miss the intro website Trump Tower New Orleans had. It featured Trump, Don Jr. and Ivanka in masquerade masks. Just in case you need a pick-me up today for whatever reason.
Twenty years ago, Donald Trump pledged to stand behind New Orleans as it rebuilt after Hurricane Katrina. The place where the 70-story building was supposed to sit is still a parking lot. www.rollingstone.com/politics/pol...
Trump Vowed to 'Stand Behind' New Orleans After Katrina -- Then Let Real Estate Project Die
Donald Trump vowed to "stand by" New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina, but let a real estate project he said would help rebuild the city die.
www.rollingstone.com
August 30, 2025 at 2:15 PM
Twenty years ago, Donald Trump pledged to stand behind New Orleans as it rebuilt after Hurricane Katrina. The place where the 70-story building was supposed to sit is still a parking lot. www.rollingstone.com/politics/pol...
So honored my @pulitzercenter.org and @lailluminator.com fellowship on misoprostol and reproductive health in Louisiana won a Murrow award. Grateful to all of the doctors, nurses and patients who shared their stories with me
WINNER! The Louisiana Illuminator receives a national Edward R. Murrow Award for its reproductive health reporting. Reporter @lorenaoneil.com and Editor @greglarose.bsky.social worked on this project supported by @pulitzercenter.org lailluminator.com/2025/08/14/i...
Illuminator wins national Murrow Award for reproductive health reporting • Louisiana Illuminator
Doctors and pharmacists shared concerns about how a new state law would impact their ability to provide timely and, in some cases, life-saving care.
lailluminator.com
August 15, 2025 at 1:17 AM
So honored my @pulitzercenter.org and @lailluminator.com fellowship on misoprostol and reproductive health in Louisiana won a Murrow award. Grateful to all of the doctors, nurses and patients who shared their stories with me
Reposted by Lorena O’Neil
WINNER! The Louisiana Illuminator receives a national Edward R. Murrow Award for its reproductive health reporting. Reporter @lorenaoneil.com and Editor @greglarose.bsky.social worked on this project supported by @pulitzercenter.org lailluminator.com/2025/08/14/i...
Illuminator wins national Murrow Award for reproductive health reporting • Louisiana Illuminator
Doctors and pharmacists shared concerns about how a new state law would impact their ability to provide timely and, in some cases, life-saving care.
lailluminator.com
August 14, 2025 at 11:26 PM
WINNER! The Louisiana Illuminator receives a national Edward R. Murrow Award for its reproductive health reporting. Reporter @lorenaoneil.com and Editor @greglarose.bsky.social worked on this project supported by @pulitzercenter.org lailluminator.com/2025/08/14/i...
Reposted by Lorena O’Neil
There's much more in the piece, with commentary from the great @mattdpearce.com, @arielwittenberg.bsky.social, @mishal-khan.bsky.social, and @jasonkoebler.bsky.social, who touched on this dynamic in the barnburner linked below.
In sum, the fight over AI in journalism is just beginning to erupt.
In sum, the fight over AI in journalism is just beginning to erupt.
The Media's Pivot to AI Is Not Real and Not Going to Work
AI is not going to save media companies, and forcing journalists to use AI is not a business model.
www.404media.co
July 21, 2025 at 5:37 PM
There's much more in the piece, with commentary from the great @mattdpearce.com, @arielwittenberg.bsky.social, @mishal-khan.bsky.social, and @jasonkoebler.bsky.social, who touched on this dynamic in the barnburner linked below.
In sum, the fight over AI in journalism is just beginning to erupt.
In sum, the fight over AI in journalism is just beginning to erupt.
Reposted by Lorena O’Neil
Woman in line in front of me at the post office is not happy about the cost of shipping. She just whipped out her phone, asked ChatGPT how much it thinks the shipping should cost, and is trying to get the mailman to honor that price.
July 21, 2025 at 11:41 PM
Woman in line in front of me at the post office is not happy about the cost of shipping. She just whipped out her phone, asked ChatGPT how much it thinks the shipping should cost, and is trying to get the mailman to honor that price.
Reposted by Lorena O’Neil
BREAKING: In a unanimous decision, a federal court of appeals has ruled that Louisiana's law requiring the Ten Commandments to be displayed in all public school classrooms is unconstitutional.
We’ll keep saying it: Public schools are not Sunday schools.
We’ll keep saying it: Public schools are not Sunday schools.
June 20, 2025 at 7:50 PM
BREAKING: In a unanimous decision, a federal court of appeals has ruled that Louisiana's law requiring the Ten Commandments to be displayed in all public school classrooms is unconstitutional.
We’ll keep saying it: Public schools are not Sunday schools.
We’ll keep saying it: Public schools are not Sunday schools.
Reposted by Lorena O’Neil
The Supreme Court ruled that the Equal Protection Clause does not protect everybody equally. Instead it upheld the Tennessee law that seeks to eradicate trans kids.
My latest in @thenation
www.thenation.com/article/poli...
My latest in @thenation
www.thenation.com/article/poli...
The Supreme Court's Anti-Trans Decision Will Live In Infamy
In its bigotry and deceitfulness, US v. Skrmetti is destined to be seen alongside Plessy, Dobbs, Dred Scott, and all of the court's other most notorious decisions.
www.thenation.com
June 18, 2025 at 7:05 PM
The Supreme Court ruled that the Equal Protection Clause does not protect everybody equally. Instead it upheld the Tennessee law that seeks to eradicate trans kids.
My latest in @thenation
www.thenation.com/article/poli...
My latest in @thenation
www.thenation.com/article/poli...
Reposted by Lorena O’Neil
It's been a year since #Louisiana became the first state in the U.S. to reclassify pregnancy care drugs as controlled dangerous substances.
StoryReach U.S. Fellow @lorenaoneil.com explains how this has affected the lives of many.
Story for @lailluminator.com. bit.ly/45YRYju
StoryReach U.S. Fellow @lorenaoneil.com explains how this has affected the lives of many.
Story for @lailluminator.com. bit.ly/45YRYju
Confusion Over Maternal Care Medication Plagues Politics in Louisiana and Beyond
New Orleans health department fields complaints over access obstacles for non-abortion health needs A year ago, Gov. Jeff Landry signed a bill into law that made Louisiana the first state in the...
pulitzercenter.org
June 17, 2025 at 6:20 PM
It's been a year since #Louisiana became the first state in the U.S. to reclassify pregnancy care drugs as controlled dangerous substances.
StoryReach U.S. Fellow @lorenaoneil.com explains how this has affected the lives of many.
Story for @lailluminator.com. bit.ly/45YRYju
StoryReach U.S. Fellow @lorenaoneil.com explains how this has affected the lives of many.
Story for @lailluminator.com. bit.ly/45YRYju
Reposted by Lorena O’Neil
🧪NIH staff have released the Bethesda Declaration, a public statement signed by over 340 scientists and staff, urging their director to depoliticize the agency and reverse significant cuts and freezes to external grants. It comes in response to a proposed 40% budget cut to NIH for 2026. #MedSky
NIH staff and biomedical community sound alarm about agency politicization, funding slowdown
In test of NIH director’s support of dissent, NIH staff sign Bethesda Declaration urging reversal of grant cuts and freezes
www.science.org
June 9, 2025 at 12:41 PM
🧪NIH staff have released the Bethesda Declaration, a public statement signed by over 340 scientists and staff, urging their director to depoliticize the agency and reverse significant cuts and freezes to external grants. It comes in response to a proposed 40% budget cut to NIH for 2026. #MedSky
Reposted by Lorena O’Neil
misoprostol before an IUD insertion seems like a good idea. the most painful part of insertion is typically the tenaculum holding your cervix. Misoprostol softens and opens your cervix.
One mother who miscarried said: "I was denied misoprostol, essentially leaving me with my dead baby inside of me even longer because the pharmacist said he couldn’t give it to me. It was more horrific than it needed to be.”
June 6, 2025 at 10:48 PM
misoprostol before an IUD insertion seems like a good idea. the most painful part of insertion is typically the tenaculum holding your cervix. Misoprostol softens and opens your cervix.