Women in pink rally in support of Lindsay Clancy who is on trial for killing 3 children

PLYMOUTH, Mass. (AP) — Hundreds of Lindsay Clancy supporters, many wearing pink, gathered Thursday outside the courthouse where she is on trial in the killings of her three children.

Several of the 300 women, and a few men, said Clancy’s story resonated with them and that they wanted to raise awareness about how the mental health system treats women. Clancy's lawyer does not dispute that she killed the children, but says she should not be held criminally responsible because she was mentally ill.

EDITOR’S NOTE: This story includes discussion of suicide. If you or someone you know needs help, the national suicide and crisis lifeline in the U.S. is available by calling or texting 988.

The livestreamed trial has brought attention to postpartum psychosis, a rare mental illness Clancy's attorney says she had that is linked to the stress, sleep deprivation and hormonal changes that follow childbirth. After strangling her children, Clancy jumped from a second-story window and remains paralyzed from the waist down.

Prosecutors say the former labor and delivery nurse planned the Jan. 24, 2023, killings and contrived to get her husband out of the house by sending him to pick up medicine for one of their children and dinner for the family. They have also questioned the seriousness of her suicide attempt.

Thursday's rally was the first time during the nearly monthlong trial that supporters have come out in such large numbers.

“Women are being dismissed, neglected and ignored when we speak up,” said April Vincent, a 52-year-old paralegal from Providence, Rhode Island. “We’re scared because nobody takes us seriously. Nobody wants to hear us and really we just need to be heard. I’ve been dismissed plenty of times.”

The women, some wearing shirts with messages including “Peace For Lindsay” and “Justice For Lindsay,” stood silently for more than an hour ahead of Thursday's proceedings. They broke into applause at the sight of Clancy's defense attorney Kevin Reddington.

Toward the end of their rally, supporters formed a circle, said the Lord's Prayer, held up their arms and formed hearts with their hands. Some held flags from different countries to show the support for Clancy was global.

Clancy, 36, has pleaded not guilty to murder charges in the deaths of Callan, Dawson and Cora Clancy, who ranged from 8 months to 5 years old. Researchers estimate that postpartum psychosis — which is more serious and less common than postpartum depression — afflicts 1 to 2 per 1,000 women after delivery.

Jeanne Zaborski, a 72-year-old retired nurse from Rockland, Massachusetts, said she hopes the cases raise awareness about postpartum health. She and many others at the rally said they had been following the trial almost daily.

“It's very sad,” Zaborski said. “I am a mother. I am a grandmother. I have a sister who had problems after birth and it's just very sad. I hope Lindsay gets the care she needs and deserves and other women will come together like we did today.”

Rally organizer Renee Kimball implored the crowd to trust that Reddington “has Lindsay’s fight.”

“It’s important that we just be still, have a moment of silence and know that God is working through us for Lindsay and for the rest of the world that are going through similar things she is going through,” Kimball said.

Kara Hurston holds her daughter Prinn, 4, as they join a demonstration in support of Lindsay Clancy outside Plymouth Superior Court, where Clancy is on trial in connection with the deaths of her three children, Thursday, Aug. 20, 2026, in Plymouth, Mass. (AP Photo/Josh Reynolds )

Defense attorney Kevin Reddington closes his eyes as he listens to the judge talk to the jury before recessing during Lindsay Clancy's murder trial Wednesday, Aug. 19, 2026, in Plymouth, Mass. (Amanda Sabga/The Boston Herald via AP, Pool)

Mandie Reibold carries Michelle Martinez, 1, both of York, Pa., during a demonstration in support of Lindsay Clancy, who is on trial in connection with the deaths of her three children, outside Plymouth Superior Court on Thursday, Aug. 20, 2026, in Plymouth, Mass. (AP Photo/Josh Reynolds )

From left, Mandie Reibold, and Michelle Martinez, both of York, Pa., and their children, gather at a demonstration of fellow supporters of Lindsay Clancy outside Plymouth Superior Court, where Clancy is on trial in connection with the deaths of her three children, Thursday, Aug. 20, 2026, in Plymouth, Mass. (AP Photo/Josh Reynolds )

Aimee Breault of Acushnet, Mass., live-streams a demonstration in support of Lindsay Clancy outside Plymouth Superior Court, where Clancy is on trial in connection with the deaths of her three children, Thursday, Aug. 20, 2026, in Plymouth, Mass. (AP Photo/Josh Reynolds )

NEW YORK (AP) — Walmart reported its slowest growth in U.S. comparable sales in six years during its most recent quarter, and the retailer’s guidance for the rest of the year was seen as cautious by Wall Street.

Walmart’s second quarter fanned anxiety about the financial well-being of low-income shoppers who are spending cautiously as prices rise at the gas pump and everywhere else.

Company shares tumbled more than 8% Thursday and helped drag the U.S. stock market lower as well.

Walmart’s comparable sales in the U.S., which measure sales at stores open at least a year along with online sales tied to those locations, rose 2.6% in the second quarter. That is down from 4.1% in the first quarter.

Excluding the wellness category that includes Walmart’s pharmacies, comparable sales increased 3.4% in the second quarter. Sales were hit by federal legislation that requires pharmacies to dispense some high-cost Medicare drugs at capped prices, the retailer said. That was still below Wall Street projections of a 3.8% increase, according to FactSet.

Still, Walmart’s quarterly profit, boosted by a $2.9 billion tariff refund, topped expectations, and so did revenue. Walmart says it continues to take market share.

Walmart is using the U.S. tariff refunds to temporarily lower prices on 11,000 items, it said Thursday, particularly on groceries and general merchandise.

The U.S. Supreme Court ruled this year that President Donald Trump overstepped his authority when he imposed double-digit import taxes, meaning U.S. companies were owed refunds from the government.

Yet Walmart is trying to contain prices as it is squeezed by the same pressures hammering the American consumer, namely rising energy costs due to fighting in Iran. The company expects to book an additional $2 billion in incremental fuel costs this year.

Slowing comparable sales, particularly in Walmart stores, also reflect a strategic shift toward e-commerce, Walmart+ memberships and advertising. Walmart’s domestic e-commerce business, which has become a growth engine for the retailer, rose 24%.

U.S. e-commerce now represents 23% in the overall U.S business., Walmart said, double the share five years ago.

“As these businesses scale, they become a more meaningful part of our mix, and they’re changing the shape of our business,” CEO John Furner said Thursday.

Walmart is considered a barometer of consumer spending given its vast customer base. More than 150 million customers are on its website or in its stores every week, according to Walmart.

Walmart’s trajectory may draw even more attention after U.S. data released Friday showed retail sales were surprisingly weak in July. On the same day, a new read on consumers from the University of Michigan revealed growing pessimism about the economy.

Chief Financial Officer John David Rainey said Friday that when gasoline prices rise above $4, the company can feel it.

“There’s a psychological impact to that ... that there are choices that consumers are making,” Rainey said. “June was a little more obvious as we look at the quarter in terms of customers making trade-offs. And it’s why we have leaned so heavily into lower prices.”

The price of a gallon of gasoline ticked higher again overnight, according to AAA, reaching $4.10.

With prices higher, Walmart continues to capture a larger share of wealthier consumers. The biggest gains in market share for Walmart are coming from households with annual incomes over $100,000, the retailer has said.

Walmart’s quarterly net income was $6.37 billion, or 80 cents per share, in the three-month period ended July 31. Adjusted per-share results were 81 cents, easily topping the 74 cents Wall Street had expected, according to FactSet.

Sales rose 5.9% to $187.94 billion. Analysts were predicting $186.62 billion, according to FactSet.

For the third quarter, Walmart expects earnings per share of 62 cents to 64 cents. It projects sales to be up 3% to 3.75%, putting sales in a range of $184.9 billion to $186.23 billion.

For the full year, Walmart now expects earnings per share to be in the range of $2.80 to $2.87, while sales should be up anywhere from 4% to 5%. That would mean a forecast for sales in the range of $741.7 billion to $748.8 billion, according to FactSet.

Analysts expected $2.90 per share and sales of $752.06 billion for the year, according to FactSet.

The Walmart logo is displayed on a store, Aug. 14, 2025, in Manchester, N.H. (AP Photo/Charles Krupa, File)