Will a failed abortion bill turn out voters?

Senate Democrats fail to codify federal abortion rights; more than 90 percent of Australia’s Great Barrier Reef experienced bleaching this year.

Tonight's Sentences was written by Jariel Arvin.

A symbolic vote on abortion rights fails

Kent Nishimura / Los Angeles Times via Getty Images

• On Wednesday, Senate Democrats’ efforts to enshrine abortion rights into federal law failed 49-51. [Guardian/ Richard Luscombe]
• A draft opinion published by Politico suggests the Supreme Court will soon overturn Roe v. Wade. Senate Democrats were eager to use the leak to cast the GOP as fully opposed to abortion rights. [Washington Post / Mike DeBonis and Rachel Roubein]
• Though Sens. Lisa Murkowski (R-AK) and Susan Collins (R-ME) back limited federal abortion protections, they voted with their party, arguing Democrats’ bill went too far. Sen. Joe Manchin (D-WV) voted with Republicans. [Reuters / Richard Cowan]
• The failed bill, the Women’s Health Protection Act, would’ve prevented states from restricting abortion access. A similar version passed the House in November. [Politico / Alice Miranda Ollstein and Marianne Levine]
• The majority of Americans want Roe v. Wade upheld; Democrats hope to use that fact to rally support ahead of the November midterms. [NBC News / Sahil Kupar]

91 percent of Australia's Great Barrier Reef bleached this year

• More than 90 percent of Australia’s Great Barrier Reef experienced bleaching this year — the fourth mass bleaching event recorded since 2016. [Guardian / Adam Morton and Lisa Cox]
• Corals bleach, or turn white, in response to stress from warming sea temperatures exacerbated by climate change. This year’s mass bleaching was notable for occurring during La Niña, which should result in cooler water temperatures. [Associated Press / Rod McGuirk]
• Scientists are hopeful that the bleaching — which happens when coral expel algae from their tissue — doesn’t result in high mortality. Corals that don’t experience severe bleaching are more likely to recover. [CBS News / Tori B. Powell]
• Scientists said governments need to slash greenhouse gas emissions this decade to give coral reefs a chance at survival. [CNN / Hilary Whiteman, Hannah Ritchie, and Helen Regan]

US drug overdose deaths rose to 107,000 last year, primarily driven by fentanyl and meth. [NYT / Noah Weiland and Margot Sanger-Katz]

• On Wednesday, Shireen Abu Akleh, a Palestinian-American journalist, was killed while covering an Israeli raid on the West Bank. [AP/ Josef Federman and Fares Akram]
• Also on Wednesday, a Florida judge blocked Gov. Ron DeSantis’s map of congressional districts because it diminishes Black voting power. [Guardian / Sam Levine]
• Russian President Vladimir Putin is preparing for a prolonged conflict in Ukraine, dashing hopes for peace negotiations. [Axios / Zachary Basu]

Support our journalism

Reader contributions help keep Vox and newsletters like Sentences free for all. Support our work with a one-time gift today.

“Vote to protect the fundamental rights of women across the country, or stand with five conservative justices ready to destroy these rights in one fell swoop.”

[Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) on the abortion bill / Guardian]

Did the sexual revolution go wrong?

Sean Illing talks with author and Washington Post columnist Christine Emba about why, according to the research and reporting in her new book Rethinking Sex, many Americans are unhappy with the sex they're having.

Read more from Vox

The extraordinary heat wave in India and Pakistan, explained

Trends are dead

Blue states are preparing to become abortion safe havens

The rise of the crypto cop

Coming soon to a streaming service near you: Ads

This email was sent to you. Manage your email preferences or unsubscribe. If you value Vox’s unique explanatory journalism, support our work with a one-time or recurring contribution.

View our Privacy Notice and our Terms of Service.

Vox Media, 1201 Connecticut Ave. NW, Floor 12, Washington, DC 20036.
Copyright © 2022. All rights reserved.