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CONTENT NOTE: This episode discusses child sexual abuse by a former elected official (public record, not graphic in the retelling), reproductive healthcare restrictions, medical mistreatment of pregnant patients, and sexual violence in general terms.

Gloria talks with independent journalist Rachel Wells, founder of TN Repro News, about what's really happening to reproductive healthcare in Tennessee: real patient stories, the crisis pregnancy centers now teaching sex education in schools, and a new state-church data-sharing initiative most Tennesseans don't know exists yet. They dig into cases of patients denied care under Tennessee's Medical Ethics Defense Act, the maternal mortality crisis driven by rural hospital closures, and what it actually looks like when reproductive policy reaches into everyday life far beyond the headlines. Gloria and Rachel also share how they first connected years ago through advocacy work, and close with what's giving them both hope heading into the next election cycle.

For full episodes and show notes visit: ⁠https://www.standingtallpod.com/episodes⁠

Rachel Wells: TN Repro News (Substack): ⁠https://wellsrachelm.substack.com/⁠ | Website: ⁠wellsrachelm.com⁠

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