The XX Factor

We’re Talking About: Michelle Obama, a Kenyan Sex Scandal, and Rolfing

- In the closing weeks of the campaign, Democrats are working hard to convince voters that a conservative social agenda awaits them, should Republicans be elected in large numbers in November. Their main focus? Abortion rights. [ New York Times ]

- Michelle Obama is No. 1 on Forbes ’ list of the World’s 100 Most Powerful Women , which is now “based less on traditional calculations of wealth and executive position, and more on creative influence and entrepreneurship”. [ Daily News ]

- More than 1,000 teachers have been sacked in Kenya for sexually abusing girls , mostly in rural primary schools, over the past two years. [ BBC World ]

- Rolfing (deep-tissue bodywork that is a lot more intense than a regular massage) is making a comeback, especially among younger city dwellers who are seeking more extreme ways to relieve the stresses of modern life. [ New York Times ]

- A newly discovered poem by Ted Hughes describing his first wife Sylvia Plath ‘s final days before her suicide was published today. [ Yahoo ]

Photograph of Michelle Obama by Getty Images.