Kate Wells, Michigan Radio

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Michigan Voters Backed Abortion Rights. Now Democrats Want to Go Further.

Michigan is one of the few remaining abortion havens in the Midwest. But getting an abortion in that state is still more difficult than it should be, providers say.

What Does a Chatbot Know About Eating Disorders? Users of a Help Line Are About to Find Out

The National Eating Disorders Association’s help line has seen demand climb to unsustainable levels since the beginning of the covid pandemic, with more people reporting severe mental health problems, the nonprofit says. But staffers worry this chatbot may make things worse.

Inside a Children’s Hospital: Struggling to Cope With a Surge of Respiratory Illness

Pediatric cases of RSV and flu have families crowding into ERs, as health systems juggle staff shortages. In Michigan, only 10 out of 130 hospitals have a pediatric ICU.

Listen: With Abortion Rights on the Ballot in Michigan, Women Tell Their Stories

Women who need abortion care come to Michigan from surrounding states that already have banned the procedure. A clinic in suburban Detroit allowed a reporter to interview patients, doctors, and nurses to understand what is at stake as voters decide whether to guarantee abortion access in the Michigan Constitution.

Family Caregivers Find Support on #dementia TikTok

The TikTok hashtag “dementia” has billions of views. Caregivers of people with Alzheimer’s and other dementias have been using the site to swap tips and share the burdens of life with dementia.

In Some States, Voters Will Get to Decide the Future of Abortion Rights

Measures to enshrine the right to abortion in the state constitution will be on the ballot in California and Vermont this fall. Abortion-rights advocates in Michigan are hoping their state will follow suit.

1931 State Law Makes Abortion a Felony if ‘Roe’ Falls, Warns Michigan Attorney General

Dana Nessel, the Democratic attorney general of Michigan, said she would not have the authority to keep county prosecutors from enforcing the old law. Nessel also discussed the “selective reduction” abortion she had when pregnant with triplets.

ERs Are Swamped With Seriously Ill Patients, Although Many Don’t Have Covid

Certain patients who couldn’t get in to see a doctor earlier in the pandemic, or were avoiding the covid risks inside hospitals, have become too sick to stay away. Many ERs now struggle to cope with an onslaught of demand.