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Today’s best stories
The Arizona Supreme Court rules that the state should follow a restrictive abortion ban happened during the civil war. The near-total ban makes no exceptions for rape or incest and makes performing an abortion punishable by two to five years in prison. It includes an exception to save the woman’s life. In their ruling, the justices wrote that they would suspend the ruling for 14 business days, possibly longer, allowing abortions to continue during that time.
After the Arizona Supreme Court allowed a near-total ban on abortion, a group of pro-abortion rights protesters gathered outside the Arizona State Capitol in Phoenix on April 9, 2024.
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Katherine Davis-Young/KJZZ
After the Arizona Supreme Court allowed a near-total ban on abortion, a group of pro-abortion rights protesters gathered outside the Arizona State Capitol in Phoenix on April 9, 2024.
Katherine Davis-Young/KJZZ
- On First, NPR’s Ximena Bustillo says it’s now one of the oldest abortion laws on the books – older than Arizona itself. Efforts are being made to place a measure on the November ballot that would overturn that decision and establish a fundamental right to abortion. The amendment would protect access to abortion until it is viable and protect the health of the patient, as determined by the health care provider providing the treatment. Supporters of this amendment have already collected enough signatures to put it on the ballot.
The Environmental Protection Agency has placed limits on certain PFAS, or so-called “forever chemicals” in drinking water for the first time. PFAS are a broad group of man-made chemicals that have been used since the 1940s to waterproof and protect products from stains, to the detriment of human health. These chemicals have been linked to cancers, liver damage, high cholesterol and more. The new rules mean utilities will now have to screen for six of these chemicals in drinking water and remove them if they exceed EPA limits.
- Limiting six chemicals doesn’t seem like much, given that there are more than 12,000 known PFAS, NPR’s Pien Huang reports. But experts she spoke with say it’s an important first step. The EPA estimates it will cost water companies $1.5 billion each year to comply with its new rules. Huang says consumers’ water bills could eventually rise, but the federal government has dedicated billions of dollars to eliminating PFAS as a first resort.
President Biden to host Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida at the White House today for a state visit. The leaders are expected to discuss how to deepen cooperation on global security issues, AI research and more. But a crack in economic relations between allies could overshadow the event. Last year, US Steel reached a nearly $15 billion buyout deal with Japan’s Nippon Steel – a deal Biden opposed.
- This will make the state visit “very delicate”, NPR’s Franco Ordoñez says. White House officials insist leaders won’t discuss it in their meetings, but Ordoñez says reporters will likely raise questions at the news conference. He says it’s “highly unusual” for Biden to come out so publicly against the deal. Critics say Biden could discourage foreign investment and “contradict the idea that the United States is open for business.”
The Science of Siblings
Malte Mueller/Getty Images/fStop
Malte Mueller/Getty Images/fStop
THE Sibling Science is a new series from NPR exploring how our brothers and sisters can influence us, from our money and our mental health to our molecules
Happy National Brothers and Sisters Day! Science tells us that siblings can change our lives, even affecting our identity and sexuality. Here’s how:
- Studies have shown that men attracted to the same sex are more likely to have older brothers than other sibling types. This phenomenon has been dubbed the “birth order sibling effect.”
- This effect shows an increase of approximately 33% in the likelihood of male same-sex attraction for each older brother you have.
- Scientists have hypothesized that the mother’s immune system response to proteins created by the Y chromosome in male fetuses could be responsible for this effect. This is called the “maternal immune hypothesis.”
- But a recent study of 9 million people showed same-sex married women were also more likely to have older brothers, bringing the hypothesis up for debate.
Learn more about the fraternal birth order effect and the dark history of scientific research on sexuality Short wave. Learn more about the science of siblings here, including how a male fetus’s hormones can affect his sister’s future in the womb.
Deep dive
Many young people who started vaping nicotine as teenagers several years ago have not given up the habit, data shows.
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Many young people who started vaping nicotine as teenagers several years ago have not given up the habit, data shows.
Marguerite-Daisy/Getty Images
New data on vaping use among young adults suggests those who became addicted to vaping as teenagers did not quit. For years, e-cigarette company marketing has lured teens into trying vaping. In Colorado, the share of 18- to 24-year-olds who vaped regularly increased by about 61% between 2020 and 2022, to nearly a quarter of that age group. Nationally, vaping rates among young adults increased from 7.6% in 2018 to 11% in 2021. At the same time, vaping rates among high school students and minors have declined significantly.
- Isolation and the pandemic have fueled substance use. Experts say a failure to understand how much nicotine is in these products means more and more young people are becoming addicted without realizing it.
- The “Juul effect” plays a role even after it was banned. In 2019, Juul products were everywhere. The lawsuits argued that the company aggressively marketed itself to children and that Juul paid millions in settlements as a result. The FDA banned flavored vape cartridges in 2020 in an effort to crack down on marketing to minors, but the products are still easy to find.
- Young adults lead vape sales, even though the product was initially intended to help users quit smoking. The 18-24 age group leads all age groups in regular use, and this consumption gradually declines with each age cohort, up to the 65 and over demographic. , of which only 1% use electronic cigarettes.
3 things to know before you leave
Country music star Morgan Wallen attends the CMA Awards in Nashville in November 2023.
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Country music star Morgan Wallen attends the CMA Awards in Nashville in November 2023.
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- Country star Morgan Wallen arrested after allegedly throwing a chair off the roof of a bar Sunday night.
- Truth Social shares fell, and it is now trading at its lowest level since the company’s trading debut on March 26.
- 911 call center workers say their facilities are understaffed, according to a 2023 survey. Here’s why those who respond to emergency calls say their job has become even more difficult in recent months.
This newsletter was published by Majd Al-Waheidi And Obed Manuel. Mansee Khurana contributed.
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