Axios PM

June 29, 2022
Good Wednesday afternoon. Today's PM — edited by Kate Nocera — is 476 words, a 2-minute read.
1 big thing: Clip and save no more
Illustration: Natalie Peeples/Axios
The vanishing paper coupon is another reason grocery bills are rising in this inflationary era, Axios' Kelly Tyko reports.
- "It's hard to pinpoint exactly if and when print coupons will become extinct, but they're definitely on that path," Kristin McGrath, savings expert with RetailMeNot, told Axios.
Brands and retailers are moving away from newspaper coupons — and digital offers haven’t grown fast enough to catch up, The New York Times reports (subscription).
- Kantar Media estimates 168 billion coupons circulated in 2021 across print and digital formats, down from about 294 billion in 2015.
Here's how Kelly is cutting costs sans scissors:
- Switch to more store brands: She's replaced Nabisco Wheat Thins with Aldi's Thin Wheat Crackers and saves around 75% on a box.
- Buy in bulk at wholesale clubs.
- Monitor weekly sales: She looks at the store circulars (usually digitally) to figure out where to shop.
- Clip digital coupons: Check the apps and supermarket websites to "clip" them before shopping.
- Earn cash back: She has earned nearly $3,000 in rebates through the Ibotta shopping app, which gives rebates on groceries and cash back on online purchases.
2. Maternal deaths spiked during pandemic

The pandemic led to an "unprecedented" increase in Hispanic pregnant women dying in 2020 compared to previous years, Axios' Arielle Dreher writes from a study in JAMA.
- Maternal mortality rates rose sharply after COVID took hold.
- There was an increase in existing disparities for Black pregnant women, who die at higher rates than white women.
Why it matters: COVID itself, along with the way the pandemic delayed care for other conditions, likely contributed to the higher death toll during 2020.
- There were large increases in the rate of maternal deaths from viral and respiratory diseases in 2020.
- Maternal deaths from diabetes and hypertensive disorders also increased during the pandemic. That could be linked to diagnosed infections or a byproduct of women delaying necessary care.
The bottom line:Â The pandemic "created a new disparity and exacerbated existing ones," Marie Thoma, one of the study co-authors, told Axios.
3. Catch up quick
Photo: Vatican Media via AP
- Above: Pope Francis greets Speaker Pelosi and her husband, Paul, today before a Mass in St. Peter's Basilica at the Vatican. She received Communion despite her support for abortion rights. Go deeper.
- Unilever sold its Ben & Jerry’s business interests in Israel to a local company licensed to sell its ice cream, allowing West Bank sales to resume. Go deeper.
- President Biden announced U.S. forces will have a permanent presence in Poland amid Russia's ongoing war in Ukraine. Go deeper.
- Substack is laying off 13 people — 14% of the company. Go deeper.
4. 🔠Red Planet, as you've never seen it

This photo of Mars was taken by China's Tianwen-1 unmanned probe, which has acquired imagery covering all of Mars, after circling the planet more than 1,300 times since early last year.
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