Americans yesterday voted to protect abortion access.

Abortion

The Story

Americans yesterday voted to protect abortion access.

What happened?

In Ohio, voters approved a constitutional amendment enshrining the right to abortion and other kinds of reproductive health care. Ohio is not the first state to pass a pro-abortion-rights ballot measure. Since SCOTUS overturned Roe v. Wade in 2022, all six states with abortion on their ballots voted in favor of protecting access. But Ohio is the first Republican-led state that had the option to enshrine abortion rights in their state constitution. It took it. Now, as with Roe v. Wade, the state guarantees the right to an abortion until at least the point of viability, around 23 weeks into a pregnancy.

Anything else?

Ohio also legalized recreational use of marijuana. In Kentucky, Gov. Andy Beshear (D) is keeping his job. So is Gov. Tate Reeves (R-MS). Virginia Democrats took full control of the state legislature — spelling trouble for Republican Gov. Glenn Youngkin's agenda. Rhode Island voters elected Gabe Amo (D) to become the state’s first Black candidate elected to Congress. Philadelphia voted in its first ever female mayor: Cherelle Parker (D). In New York City, Yusef Salaam — an exonerated member of the “Central Park Five” — won a seat on city council after running unopposed. Meanwhile, concerns around voting safety and security kept some polling places open later than expected.

theSkimm

In an off-cycle year, voting turnout can plummet. Still, those who did turn out provided a glimpse into how voters across the country might be feeling ahead of 2024. As for the Oval Office, five Republican candidates will be making their case to America in a debate tonight.

Censor and Censure

Last night, the House voted 234-188 to censure Rep. Rashida Tlaib (D-MI). Twenty-two Democrats voted with most Republicans to censure — a punishment that's below expulsion. The vote came after Tlaib criticized President Biden's handling of the latest Israel-Hamas war and posted a video showing protesters chanting the phrase, “From the river to the sea.” Some see the phrase as a call for equal rights. Others, like the Anti-Defamation League, deem the phrase as antisemitic and as a call for the eradication of Israel. Tlaib describes the phrase as “an aspirational call for freedom, human rights, and peaceful coexistence, not death, destruction, or hate.”

This marks the second effort in a week to censure Tlaib, the only Palestinian-American in Congress, during the latest Israel-Hamas war. Ahead of the vote, Tlaib gave a speech on the House floor, saying she would not be “silenced.” She also said: “I can’t believe I have to say this, but Palestinian people are not disposable. We are human beings just like anyone else…Speaking up to save lives, Mr. Chair, no matter faith, no matter ethnicity should not be controversial in this chamber.”

The vote comes as Israel says it has surrounded Gaza City and that Hamas’s leader, Yahya Sinwar, was reportedly alone in a bunker. The news also comes as authorities investigate the death of a 69-year-old Jewish man following a protest in California.

What the Supremes were talking about…

Gun control. Yesterday, the conservative-leaning Supreme Court seemed likely to uphold a federal law that blocks people under domestic violence restraining orders from getting guns. In 2019, Zackey Rahimi assaulted his girlfriend and threatened to shoot her if she told anyone. She got a protective order against him, which blocked Rahimi from owning guns. He violated that order, and his case eventually reached the Supreme Court. During oral arguments yesterday, the justices seemed open to gun restrictions on dangerous people. But gun rights groups have argued that people served with a domestic abuse restraining order haven’t necessarily been convicted — so it would be an infringement on their Second Amendment rights. SCOTUS is expected to issue a ruling next summer.

What health officials are warning about…

Newborn syphilis cases. The sexually transmitted infection typically leads to sores and skin rashes but was almost eradicated in the early 2000s thanks to rapid screening and awareness. Now, it’s on the rise, with transmission growing from pregnant mothers to their fetuses. Last year, the CDC documented over 3,700 cases of syphilis in newborns — the highest in 30 years. Those impacts can be deadly, with infant death in up to 40% of cases. Those who survive face risks of becoming blind, deaf, or experiencing severe developmental delays. Authorities say 90% of these cases could’ve been prevented through routine prenatal care. But some mothers can’t have prenatal visits due to a range of potential factors, like lack of health insurance or inaccessibility. The National Coalition of STD Directors is asking for $1 billion in federal funding to tackle the rise in syphilis.

What’s starry eyed…

The Euclid telescope. Yesterday, the European Space Agency’s telescope revealed its first images of the “dark side” of the universe. The agency unveiled the telescope in July along with its mission to document dark matter and dark energy — which is believed to make up 95% of the universe but remains largely unknown. Euclid can see galaxies 10 billion light-years away, and scientists hope its images will show how the universe has evolved. The telescope’s first image captured the Perseus Galaxy Cluster and Horsehead Nebula, which includes about 100,000 galaxies — many of which have never been seen before. It comes as scientists have uncovered the oldest black hole yet, forming 470 million years after the Big Bang. It’s a booming time for space discoveries.

Who kept an eye out for Monica…

Matthew Perry.

Who’s apologizing after criticism for his ruff words...

Timbaland.