Axios

Voters in half of U.S. states aren't able to support abortion access in direct-democracy ballot measures because their states lack the process for citizen-led initiatives.

Why it matters: Voters have backed abortion rights via such measures in the two years since the overruling of Roe v. Wade.

Novo Nordisk plans to build a $4.1 billion factory in North Carolina as it scrambles to boost supplies of weight-loss drug Wegovy and diabetes drug Ozempic.

Why it matters: Patients are experiencing widespread shortages of the newly popular GLP-1 class of injectable drugs made by the likes of Novo Nordisk and Eli Lilly.

Infant deaths surged 12.9% in Texas compared with 1.8% for the rest of the country after the state in 2021 enacted a strict abortion ban with no exceptions for birth defects, according to a new study in JAMA Pediatrics.

Why it matters: The findings add to a body of evidence showing infants born in states with more abortion restrictions are likelier to die before they're 1 year old.

President Biden took aim at former President Trump on abortion rights in a new campaign video marking the second anniversary of the Supreme Court overturning Roe v. Wade and ahead of this week's televised presidential debate.

Why it matters: The video is part of a push by Democrats linking Trump and other Republicans to what are seen as vulnerabilities for the GOP leading up to November's elections: abortion rights and access to birth control and IVF.

Rising health care prices have measurably increased unemployment in the United States, according to a new study in the National Bureau of Economic Research.

Why it matters: Surging health care costs don't just hit Americans in their pocketbooks — they could be costing them jobs, especially for middle-income workers.

America has become much more aware of the health risks facing new mothers, but the health care system is still trying to catch up.

Why it matters: More than half of pregnancy-related deaths in the United States occur up to one year after birth, a largely preventable tragic toll that disproportionately affects Black and Native American women.

State abortion bans enacted in the two years since Roe v. Wade was overturned have left residents of nearly a quarter of U.S. counties having to travel more than 200 miles to find an abortion provider, according to a Middlebury College tracker.

Why it matters: The Supreme Court's Dobbs decision left a patchwork of abortion access that poses heightened logistical and financial challenges for patients seeking care in clinics, many of whom come from areas with lower incomes and more diverse populations.

At least 1,301 Muslim pilgrims have died during the Hajj pilgrimage to Mecca in Saudi Arabia as the country experiences an extreme heat wave.

The big picture: That's according to Saudi Health Minister Fahd bin Abdurrahman Al-Jalajel, who told state media that 83% of those who died were not authorized to perform the Hajj and had "walked long distances under direct sunlight without adequate shelter or comfort."

Extreme heat is changing up school and summer camp schedules.

Why it matters: Existing U.S. infrastructure is ill-equipped to handle record-setting temperatures in the Midwest and Northeast.