Mar 16, 2018

Report: U.S. abortions are safer when not restricted by state laws

Girl holds up hand-lettered sign in front of Planned Parenthood. Photo: Andy Katz / Pacific Press / LightRocket via Getty Images

A new report from the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering and Medicine reveals that abortions in the U.S. are safe, but "state laws and regulations can interfere," NPR reports. Co-chair of the committee who authored the report, Ned Calonge, said that 90% of abortions take place "in the first 12 weeks of pregnancy," and complications are "rare."

Why it matters: Different states have different regulations, which the report says can "create barriers to safe and effective care." For example, NPR reports that 27 states require a 24-hour waiting period to have an abortion, but CEO of the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists told NPR that delays "can actually worsen the safety" of the woman.

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Sam Baker

1 hour ago - Health

We're losing the war on the coronavirus

Chart: Danielle Alberti/Axios

By any standard, no matter how you look at it, the U.S. is losing its war against the coronavirus.

Why it matters: The pandemic is not an abstraction, and it is not something that’s simmering in the background. It is an ongoing emergency ravaging nearly the entire country, with a loss of life equivalent to a Sept. 11 every three days — for four months and counting.

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Jacob Knutson

12 hours ago - Politics & Policy

Trump commutes Roger Stone's sentence

Roger Stone arriving at his sentencing hearing on Feb. 20. Photo: Drew Angerer/Getty Images

President Trump on Friday evening commuted the sentence of his longtime associate Roger Stone, according to two senior administration officials. Stone in February was sentenced to 40 months in prison for crimes including obstruction, witness tampering and making false statements to Congress.

Why it matters: The controversial move brings an abrupt end to the possibility of Stone spending time behind bars. He had been scheduled to report to prison on July 14.

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Orion Rummler

Updated 13 hours ago - Health

Which states have set single-day coronavirus records this week

Data: COVID Tracking Project and state health department data compiled by Axios; Map: Danielle Alberti and Naema Ahmed/Axios

13 states this week surpassed records set just last week for their highest number of coronavirus infections in a single day, according to the COVID Tracking Project and state health department data. 16 states in total reported new highs.

The big picture: The United States' alarming rise in coronavirus cases isn't just due to increased testing — particularly where the number of cases has grown fastest over the last month, Axios' Andrew Witherspoon and Caitlin Owens report.