Scripps National Spelling Bee finalists flex their knowledge quietly
The Scripps National Spelling Bee is down to 11 finalists, many of whom flash their knowledge onstage by asking questions even though they know the answers
2023-06-01 07:15
Oklahoma’s Supreme Court struck down two abortion bans. But a 113-year-old law is severely restricting access
Weeks before the US Supreme Court overturned Roe v Wade last year, Oklahoma’s Republican governor vowed to “outlaw” abortion in the state entirely, and pledged to sign any legislation that promised to do just that. Governor Kevin Stitt signed several anti-abortion bills into law, including a measure that outlaws abortion at roughly six weeks of pregnancy, and another banning all abortions with exceptions only to save the patient’s life in a medical emergency or if the pregnancy is the result of rape, sexual assault or incest that has been reported to law enforcement. On 31 May, the highest court in the state struck down both of them. But abortion access remains out of reach for most patients in the state, after that same court upheld a far-reaching abortion ban from more than 100 years ago earlier this year. A state law from 1910 makes it a felony punishable up to five years in prison for anyone to perform or help someone seek an abortion unless to save the patient’s life. “This ruling, while providing clarity in emergency situations, does not change the landscape of care significantly,” Emily Wales, president and CEO of Planned Parenthood Great Plains, said in a statement. Oklahoma was the first state in the US to successfully outlaw abortion despite a constitutional right to abortion care that was affirmed by Roe v Wade. But in March, the state’s Supreme Court ruled that the state’s constitution “creates an inherent right of a pregnant woman to terminate a pregnancy when necessary to preserve her life,” though the court declined to weigh in on whether the constitution protects abortion access in other circumstances. The court also ruled that doctors should be able to use their own medical judgment to determine whether to provide an abortion when a patient’s life is at risk “due to the pregnancy itself or due to a medical condition that the woman is either currently suffering from or likely to suffer from during the pregnancy.” But it also preserved the 1910 law, a 113-year-old ban on abortion care that threatens providers with prison. The court’s decision on 31 May reaffirmed its decision recognising a right to abortion care in life-threatening cases, and struck down two the overlapping bans. In the months after the Supreme Court’s decision in Dobbs v Jackson Women’s Health Organization, which struck down a constitutional right to abortion care, clinics in Oklahoma have been forced to close, and patients have traveled thousands of miles for legal abortion care in a region surrounded by states where abortion is severely restricted or effectively outlawed. Even in cases of emergencies, there appears to be no hospital in Oklahoma that provides “clear, consistent policies for emergency obstetric care to pregnant patients,” according to an April report from Physicians for Human Rights, Oklahoma Call for Reproductive Justice and the Center for Reproductive Rights. Oklahoma hospitals “offered opaque, contradictory, and incorrect information about abortion availability and approval processes in obstetric emergencies, as well as little reassurance that clinicians’ medical judgment and pregnant patients’ needs would be prioritized,” according to the report. Only two out of 24 hospitals described providing legal support for providers in such situations, and representatives for three hospitals claimed their facilities do not provide abortions at all, the report found. Abortion rights advocates welcomed the court’s decision on 31 May, which abortion rights advocates said will at least allow doctors to clearly rely on their own medical judgment to provide care when a patient’s life is in jeopardy. “After months of uncertainty and chaos, Oklahomans should finally be able to access the life-saving care they need in their home state,” according to Dr Alan Braid, an abortion provider and plaintiff in the case challenging the overlapping abortion bans. “Heartbreakingly, we were forced to close our Tulsa clinic due to Oklahoma’s abortion bans, but I will continue to serve patients in the region at clinics in Illinois and New Mexico,” he added. “While we are relieved the court upheld the right to abortion in medical emergencies, this does not diminish the fact that care remains out of reach for the majority of Oklahomans,” according to Ms Wales. Following the state Supreme Court decision on 31 May, Oklahoma Attorney General Gentner Drummond clarified that “except for certain circumstances outlined in that statute, abortion is still unlawful in the state of Oklahoma” because of the 1910 law. Governor Stitt accused the court of using “activism to create a right to an abortion in Oklahoma.” “This court has once more over-involved itself in the state’s democratic process, and has interceded to undo legislation created by the will of the people,” he said in a statement. Within the last year, more than a dozen states – including most of the entire US South – have outlawed abortion care for most pregnancies. Read More ACLU sues Nebraska over combined law targeting abortion and gender-affirming care: ‘Egregious overreach’ South Carolina judge halts six-week abortion ban as state Supreme Court set to review new law Doctor who provided abortion care to 10-year-old rape survivor reprimanded in case that drew national scrutiny Anti-abortion laws harm patients facing dangerous and life-threatening complications, report finds
2023-06-01 07:15
'Ted Lasso' finale proved its whole point — that those who are stuck can overcome (SPOILERS)
“Ted Lasso” was criticized by some for losing its way in its third season
2023-06-01 05:51
Pet Retailer Chewy Soars as Recurring-Purchase Program Drives Sales
Chewy Inc. stock jumped as much as 16% in late trading after the pet-products retailer beat sales expectations,
2023-06-01 05:47
7 Celebrity Perfumes R29 Staffers Wear Unironically (They’re That Good)
New celebrity skin-care and beauty brands seem to be rolling out fast and steady these days, but long before legitimately good lines like Fenty Beauty by Rihanna and Selena Gomez’s Rare Beauty could exist, there was the celebrity fragrance boom. Forget serums, sunscreens, and cream blush: For a certain generation, perfumes from 2000s icons like Britney Spears and Paris Hilton (like Elizabeth Taylor before them) dominated shelves and high-school locker rooms.
2023-06-01 05:29
11 Mattifying Beauty Products R29’s Oiliest Editors Love
Yes, I love a fresh, dewy makeup look. But what I don’t love is a makeup look that quickly turns from fresh and dewy to greasy and oily. Now, we can’t help it if we have oily skin, but we do have control over which products we use to help or hinder our predicament. To enhance and celebrate our skin without clogging our pores, the R29 Shopping editors have shared our must-have oil-free products and hot-weather makeup tips.
2023-06-01 05:21
A $300 All-You-Can-Fly Pass Ushers In Remote-Work Era in Japan
A Japanese domestic airline has started a month-long “all-you-can-fly” service from Tokyo, seeing an opportunity to cash in
2023-06-01 05:18
Fashion Upcycling Is More Popular Than Ever — 6 Tools To Get You Started
As fashion fans grapple with the environmental impact of the clothing industry, they are looking for alternative ways to shop. Chief among them is secondhand shopping, renting clothes, and upcycling, a process in which people transform waste fabric or existing products into new clothing.
2023-06-01 04:59
Argentina eases access to 'morning after pill', broadening reproductive rights
By Anna-Catherine Brigida BUENOS AIRES Argentina will no longer require a prescription to obtain emergency contraception, commonly known
2023-06-01 04:28
Nordstrom beats quarterly sales estimates as apparel demand holds up
Nordstrom Inc beat market estimates for first-quarter sales on Wednesday as demand from wealthy shoppers cushioned a wider,
2023-06-01 04:23
Here's how Jordan's royal wedding will reverberate across the region and beyond
Jordan is set to host its biggest royal wedding in years as the country’s young Crown Prince Hussein exchanges vows with a daughter of one of Saudi Arabia’s wealthiest and most influential families
2023-06-01 04:22
Oklahoma Abortion Laws Struck Down by State Supreme Court
The Oklahoma Supreme Court on Wednesday struck down two state laws that effectively banned abortions after a certain
2023-06-01 04:18