National

Data: Google Trends; Map: Jacque Schrag and Will Chase/Axios 

"China" became the third most-searched topic across the nation last week out of a list of issues likely to sway midterm voters, according to the newest data for Axios' Google Trends midterm tracker.

Why it matters: The attention and controversy over Speaker Nancy Pelosi's trip to Taiwan extended outside the D.C. bubble, capturing national attention. China's ranking was the highest it's been since Axios began tracking the data in late May.

China ranked 6th on the list the last week of July and 11th the last week of June.

By the numbers: Three out of the top five search topics remain economic-related — jobs, taxes and wages. Firearms has also hovered in and around the top five for weeks now.

The top five districts searching for China were all in California — Pelosi's home state.

Rep. Judy Chu's (D-Calif.) district had the most China searches relative to any other district. Chu, the first Chinese American woman elected to Congress, told CNN ahead of Pelosi's visit that she has "always supported Taiwan."

Between the lines: The dashboard also revealed a surge in attention related to Kansas voters' rejection of an anti-abortion constitutional amendment last week. 

In Kansas' 4th District, which includes the city of Wichita, abortion became the most-searched topic — outpacing jobs, which is highly unusual. 

All four Kansas districts recorded more Google search interest in abortion than any other district in the country, with Missouri's neighboring 5th District following closely behind.

Google interest in China surged nationwide after Pelosi's Taiwan visit

The attention over Pelosi's trip to Taiwan extended outside the D.C. bubble.

Taiwan

China

&quot;China&quot; became the third most-searched topic across the nation last week out of a list of issues likely to sway midterm voters, according to the newest data for <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="Axios&#x27; Google Trends midterm tracker" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/midterms-elections-2022-issues-americans-care" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/midterms-elections-2022-issues-americans-care" target="_self">Axios&#x27; Google Trends midterm tracker</a>.Why it matters: The attention and controversy over Speaker Nancy Pelosi&#x27;s trip to Taiwan extended outside the D.C. bubble, capturing national attention. China&#x27;s ranking was the highest it&#x27;s been since Axios began tracking the data in late May.

President Biden has made the COVID-19 crisis and a post-Trump return to national unity and traditional democratic ideals his top priorities. From vaccinations to stimulus to schools, Biden is seeking bipartisan compromise while showing a willingness to use executive authority and bare Democratic majorities in the U.S. House and Senate to implement his policies. Republican leaders are navigating deep party divisions over if and how to move beyond former President Trump.

Politics & Policy

China is becoming the most formidable rival America has faced, and the risk of confrontation with Russia, North Korea or Iran still looms. Authoritarians are rising, the chaotic Afghanistan exit revealed the limits of U.S. power, and the pandemic, climate change and other critical challenges continue to pose grave threats.

World

Data: Guttmacher and Axios research; Map: Jacque Schrag/Axios

As the Supreme Court considers potentially overturning Roe v. Wade, abortion rights activists are heralding abortion pills as a potential option in places where clinics may have to close — but several red states are already cracking down on the pills.

The big picture: Almost half of U.S. states have banned or tightly restricted abortion pills — two medicines named mifepristone and misoprostol — and more could soon follow suit. 

Prior to the pandemic, the FDA said patients seeking abortion pills had to get the drug from hospitals or medical facilities in person. 

The FDA in December changed its guidance on abortion pills, permanently allowing people to access the medication through telemedicine and receive the pills by mail, where permitted by state law.

The latest: The Louisiana governor in June signed a law making it illegal for anyone to mail abortion pills, punishable by up to five years in prison and a $50,000 fine. 

In Tennessee, the governor signed a law in May making it a felony to mail abortion pills, with a penalty of 20-year imprisonment and a $50,000 fine. The law also adds further restrictions to medication abortion.

Texas and Indiana are the only two states that ban the use of abortion pills at seven weeks and 10 weeks, respectively. So do South Dakota, Oklahoma and Montana, though courts have blocked those laws.

Republican lawmakers in several states have moved to introduce legislation aimed at making abortion pills illegal. 

There's a bill moving through the Alabama legislature that would make it a crime to "manufacture, distribute, prescribe, dispense, sell, or transfer" abortion pills in the state.

The Wyoming state Senate passed a bill in March aimed at completely outlawing abortion pills. 

In Iowa and Ohio, laws require a physician to be present when a patient takes the medication. However, federal judges blocked those laws , saying the requirement places an "undue burden" on women. 

Of note: South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem (R) attempted to prohibit the mailing of abortion pills via executive order instead of a legislation. However, a federal court temporarily blocked it. 

People in the state are still required to see a health provider when looking to access the pill, which is given in a two-dose regimen. They are allowed to take the second dose at home.

In March, Noem signed into law a bill to add more restrictions to medication abortion access. It is set to take effect if the state can convince the court to overturn its block on the governor's order.

What they're saying: "I think pretty much any state that is on the conservative side might expect to see similar legislation in 2022," Elizabeth Nash, state policy expert at the Guttmacher Institute, told Axios.

What's next: Some activists have been pointing to newer options that skirt certain telemedicine restrictions and operate in a legal gray area, including one online medication abortion provider, Aid Access, founded by a Dutch physician in 2018, which will mail abortion pills internationally.

Abortion rights advocates say people who want to end a pregnancy will use abortion pills no matter what the policy landscape is.

"It is going to be in their hands in the U.S., it's inevitable," said Elisa Wells, co-founder of Plan C, which provides information on how to access abortion pills online. "This is modern medical technology everybody should have access to. Whether people can use it under the radar without being criminalized is the question."

The other side: "Pro-life groups are encouraging states to take action to install safeguards for women that will ensure they are aware of the risks when undergoing a chemical abortion," said Prudence Robinson, a communications associate at Susan B. Anthony List, an anti-abortion advocacy group. 

"And the states are facing this threat head on. In this year alone, nearly 10 states enacted state-level restrictions on this dangerous method of abortion."

By the numbers: Medication abortion accounted for 54% of all U.S. abortions in 2020, an increase from 39% in 2017, according to the Guttmacher Institute.

Go deeper: Pills are the next big abortion battleground

Red states crack down on abortion pills

Several states have moved to restrict access to the pills and more could follow suit.

Abortion

Axios Explains: Abortion

Policymaking

As the Supreme Court <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="considers potentially overturning Roe v. Wade" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/2022/05/03/roe-v-wade-supreme-court-leak-stuns-nation" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/2022/05/03/roe-v-wade-supreme-court-leak-stuns-nation" target="_self">considers potentially overturning Roe v. Wade</a>, abortion rights activists are heralding abortion pills as a potential option in places where clinics may have to close — but several red states are already cracking down on the pills.The big picture: Almost half of U.S. states have banned or tightly restricted abortion pills — two medicines named mifepristone and misoprostol — and more could soon follow suit.

The U.S. faces a range of health care flashpoints — unaffordable drugs, opioids, vaping — as we debate whether to adopt universal care. For now, the Affordable Care Act is the law of the land, but Republicans want to issue it a final death blow.

Health

"Abortion" landed in the top five most-Googled midterm topics in every single congressional district in America in the week the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade — compared to just one district the week prior, according to Axios' midterms dashboard.

Why it matters: Abortion has now surged as a top issue for potential midterm voters. It's a trend Democrats hope will fuel turnout in their favor come November, but the potency of the issue will depend on future state actions and Americans' attention spans.

Abortion became the No. 2 most-searched midterm topic in the nation last week — ousting "taxes" from the top two, and falling second only to "jobs."

The Supreme Court made it into the national top five for the first time since Axios has been tracking the data.

What we're watching: Democrats saw a small bump on generic ballot surveys in the wake of the Supreme Court's decision. 

Abortion rights activists see an opportunity to drive voters to the polls in November, and pro-abortion rights ads are already flooding social media, as Axios has reported.

But November is a long way away, and Republicans still have huge political advantages heading into the midterms.

By the numbers: Five districts had "abortion" as their No. 1 most-searched issue: Arizona's 1st, California's 16th and 32nd, Massachusetts' 5th and Maine's 1st. All are rated solid Democratic districts by FiveThirtyEight except for Arizona's 1st, which leans Republican. 

On average, districts rated as "toss up" had higher search interest in abortion than any other political bucket, followed by districts that "lean right."

Of those "lean right" and "toss up" districts, the ones with the highest level of interest in the topic were Arizona's 4th and 1st districts, followed by Wisconsin's 1st, Kansas' 3rd, Connecticut's 2nd and Virginia's 7th.

The new, competitive Arizona 4th District, currently represented by Democratic Rep. Greg Stanton, had the highest search interest in abortion of any district. 

Our thought bubble: While attention to abortion surged everywhere, Google interest along the "Bible Belt" appeared noticeably lower than in other parts of the country.

This geographic segment of America tends to have large numbers of white evangelicals — 74% of whom believe abortion should be illegal in all or most cases, according to data by Pew Research Center.

Search interest in abortion was also particularly high in districts in Midwest swing states that have not yet passed laws codifying abortion rights or bans, such as in Michigan and Wisconsin.

Mapped: Which districts are Googling "abortion" the most

Abortion became the No. 2 most-searched topic in the nation last week.

2022 elections

&quot;Abortion&quot; landed in the top five most-Googled midterm topics in every single congressional district in America in the week the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade — compared to just one district the week prior, <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="according to Axios&#x27; midterms dashboard" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/midterms-elections-2022-issues-americans-care" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/midterms-elections-2022-issues-americans-care" target="_self">according to Axios&#x27; midterms dashboard</a>.Why it matters: Abortion has now surged as a top issue for potential midterm voters. It&#x27;s a trend <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="Democrats hope will fuel" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/2022/06/24/roe-wade-abortion-democrats-campaign-republicans-inflation" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/2022/06/24/roe-wade-abortion-democrats-campaign-republicans-inflation" target="_self">Democrats hope will fuel</a> turnout in their favor come November, but the potency of the issue will depend on future state actions and Americans&#x27; attention spans.

Note: Data not available from Aug. 8 to Sept. 4, 2022; Data: Google Trends; Chart: Jacque Schrag and Will Chase/Axios

Americans' Google searches and story interactions around crime and immigration are eclipsing abortion and the FBI search of Mar-a-Lago, according to the Axios midterms dashboard powered by Google Trends, as well as new data from NewsWhip.

Why it matters: With elections seven weeks away, some topics more likely to favor Democrats have been losing ground to those that may favor Republicans.

The big picture: Democrats have been laser focused on abortion as a winning issue, but the new data shows a waning interest nationally after the initial surge that followed the Supreme Court's overturning of Roe v. Wade. It remains high in some states and districts, including Indiana, which passed a near total ban last month.

Meanwhile, searches related to immigration and the border vaulted into the top 10 last week, as Florida Governor Ron DeSantis grabbed national attention by flying asylum seekers to Martha's Vineyard.

Crime has continued to hover around the top 10 as an issue many voters have been paying close attention to.

Search interest in inflation and generally about the economy has been rising again.

One positive trend for Democrats: Declining interest in "gas prices," after the topic landed in the top 3 in early June. That decline tracked with falling prices at the pump.

Zoom in: Stories about the busing and flying of migrants to other parts of the country captured significant social media attention over the past week, according to data from NewsWhip.

Interactions on stories about DeSantis flying migrants to Martha's Vineyard far outnumbered those on the stories about abortion or the FBI raid at Mar-a-Lago during that same time period, for example.

Of note: Jobs, taxes and wages have without fail remained at or near the top of the search hierarchy over the past several months. It tracks with polls that show voters care most about economic issues.

Firearms dropped out of the top 5 for only the second time since Axios has been recording the data.

Ukraine is back again in the top 5, after several weeks of falling interest as the conflict stagnated. 

The Google Trends data compares weekly data from the period of May 23-August 8 and September 8 to September 20.

Search interest in abortion falls as the border rises

The midterm election is just seven weeks away.

Midterms SEO

Mapped: "Gas prices" searches rise on Google

As the 2022 midterms approach, Axios is tracking what topics are trending.

A choropleth map of the U.S. showing search interest in "gas prices."

Search interest in gas prices has risen steeply in the U.S. as the national average hit an <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="unprecedented $5 per gallon" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/2022/06/11/gas-prices-5-per-gallon" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/2022/06/11/gas-prices-5-per-gallon" target="_self">unprecedented $5 per gallon</a> on June 11, new Google Trends data shows.Driving the news: &quot;Gas prices&quot; was in the top three most searched topics in 121 out of 435 congressional districts during the week of June 6-13, according to data Axios&#x27; <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="midterms dashboard" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/midterms-elections-2022-issues-americans-care/" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/midterms-elections-2022-issues-americans-care/" target="_self">midterms dashboard</a>.

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Jacque Schrag

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Search interest in abortion falls as the border rises

Google interest in China surged nationwide after Pelosi's Taiwan visit

Mapped: Which districts are Googling "abortion" the most

Red states crack down on abortion pills

Mapped: "Gas prices" searches rise on Google