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Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) put abortion again on Republicans’ agenda this week with a legislative proposal calling for a nationwide ban on most abortions after 15 weeks of being pregnant. For a lot of in his occasion, it was an unwelcome intrusion that might add to public unease with the occasion’s efforts to restrict entry to abortion as they appear towards the midterm elections.
The World Well being Group urged this week that the tip of the covid-19 pandemic is close by, however that doesn’t imply there’s an finish to second-guessing about how public well being officers reacted or their plans going ahead.
This week’s panelists are Mary Agnes Carey of KHN, Rachel Cohrs of Stat, Sandhya Raman of CQ Roll Name, and Margot Sanger-Katz of The New York Instances.
Among the many takeaways from this week’s episode:
- Graham seemed to be making an attempt to construct consensus amongst conservatives along with his invoice. Republicans have been startled how the Supreme Court docket’s determination this summer season ending a constitutional proper to abortion has energized voters against the transfer. In some pink states, confusion has arisen over how strict a ban lawmakers can help. Graham’s invoice would permit states to enact abortion legal guidelines which can be extra restrictive however would cap efforts by extra progressive states to maintain abortion authorized later in being pregnant. He had the backing of a number of influential anti-abortion teams.
- That didn’t appear to matter to many Capitol Hill Republicans. Senate Minority Chief Mitch McConnell was dismissive of the proposal, saying the problem must be handled on a state degree, and refused to decide to mentioning the invoice if Republicans seize the Senate within the fall elections. Conservatives have lengthy argued that abortion entry needs to be a state determination.
- Graham’s announcement was inconvenient for Capitol Hill Republicans. A lot of the political debate on abortion entry had been centered on state races, however his invoice permits Democrats to make it a difficulty in congressional races, too.
- Teams that oppose abortion say that Graham’s effort is an effective first step towards setting coverage for the nation, particularly since states could proceed to be extra restrictive.
- Previously, the 15-week gestational ban has been pretty effectively supported by the general public, in line with opinion polling. However new surveys recommend People’ views could also be shifting as they witness the results of the Supreme Court docket determination and tragic tales seem about pregnancies wherein fetal anomalies are found late or a mom’s well being is impaired in late being pregnant.
- On the covid-19 entrance, World Well being Group Director-Common Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus instructed reporters Wednesday that the covid pandemic just isn’t over however was upbeat in regards to the combat in opposition to the virus. “The tip is in sight,” he stated.
- His feedback got here as a bunch of world well being specialists, the Lancet Covid-19 Fee, blamed the WHO, the U.S. authorities, and others for inadequate coordination in combating the illness. And a report by Politico and the German newspaper Welt appears to be like at 4 non-governmental well being organizations that had an affect on pandemic efforts.
- Regardless of Adhanom Ghebreyesus’ feedback, public well being officers within the U.S. are pushing exhausting for People to get one other covid booster this fall. And the scenario factors out that public well being officers could not have a great deal with on methods to transition from treating covid as an emergency to an ongoing well being menace.
- The outlook can be muddled as a result of the Biden administration has requested for more cash from Congress to proceed to fund vaccination and testing efforts, however congressional Republicans seem unlikely to help that effort. They consider it’s time for the federal government to maneuver out of that effort and permit the common well being business to take over.
- The most recent statistics from the Census Bureau present a near-record low within the variety of people who find themselves uninsured. However most specialists are involved as a result of as soon as the covid emergency ends, states will once more be allowed to recalibrate their Medicaid rolls and many individuals who’ve been coated by the federal-state well being program in the course of the pandemic could possibly be pushed off authorities protection.
Plus, for further credit score, the panelists suggest their favourite well being coverage tales of the week they suppose you must learn, too:
Mary Agnes Carey: KHN’s “As State Institutions Close, Families of Longtime Residents Face Agonizing Choices” by Tony Leys
Rachel Cohrs: Politico’s “A New Approach to Domestic Violence” by Joanne Kenen
Sandhya Raman: The Philadelphia Inquirer’s “Philly’s Kids Are Grieving Alone From the Far-Reaching Trauma of Gun Violence, Advocates Say” by Abraham Gutman
Margot Sanger-Katz: The New York Instances’ “Despite Their Influence and Extensive Access to Information, Members of Congress Can Buy and Sell Stocks With Few Restrictions” and “These 97 Members of Congress Reported Trades in Companies Influenced by Their Committees” by Kate Kelly, Adam Playford, and Alicia Parlapiano
Additionally mentioned on this week’s podcast:
Politico and Welt’s “How Bill Gates and Partners Used Their Clout to Control the Global Covid Response — With Little Oversight” by Erin Banco, Ashleigh Furlong, and Lennart Pfahler
The Census Bureau’s “Income, Poverty, and Health Insurance Coverage in the United States: 2021”
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