What's Happening

Health

Report: A Texas Woman Died After Being Told It'd Be a "Crime" To Intervene in Her Miscarriage 

What's going on: A 28-year-old Texas woman died in 2021 after doctors delayed emergency care for her miscarriage for 40 hours, according to a new ProPublica investigation. At 17-weeks pregnant, Josseli Barnica went to the hospital with cramps and learned a miscarriage was “inevitable.” But under the state’s strict six-week abortion ban, ProPublica reports her doctors felt that they were unable to intervene early. Barnica’s medical team told her that “they had to wait until there was no heartbeat” and that “it would be a crime to give her an abortion,” according to her husband. Medical experts, who reviewed Barnica’s case, called the case “egregious” and “horrific.” More than a dozen doctors told ProPublica that her medical team could’ve taken steps to prevent the infection that ultimately killed Barnica, leaving her young daughter without a mother. In a statement to ProPublica, the hospital chain that treated Barnica said “our responsibility is to be in compliance with applicable state and federal laws and regulations.”

What it means: Barnica’s case highlights the effects of strict abortion bans like Texas’s, which came before the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade. Her story is coming to light now partly because Texas’s committee of maternal health experts is still reviewing deaths from 2021. The circumstances surrounding Barnica’s death are gaining attention just days before the first presidential election post-Roe. A recent survey found that abortion has surpassed inflation as the top voting issue for women under 30, and some experts say the outcome of the presidential race (and the House and Senate races) could decide the future of reproductive health care nationwide. Meanwhile, on Nov. 5, voters in 10 states will decide on abortion rights initiatives.

Related: This Woman Said She Miscarried — Then She Got Arrested (WaPo)

Election

‘Til Booth Do Us Part: Are Women Secretly Voting For Harris, Despite Their Husbands? 

What's going on: Democrats are reminding women: one place you can ditch your ‘ol ball-and-chain spouse? At the voting booth. Supporters for VP Kamala Harris are using ads targeting married, heterosexual women just days ahead of the election to drive home this point. In one spot, Julia Roberts narrates: “In the one place in America where women still have a right to choose, you can vote any way you want and no one will ever know.” Meanwhile, Post-it notes in women’s restrooms, part of a guerrilla campaign, also reinforce the reminder that the secret ballot has been a thing since the late 1800s.

What it means: It’s unclear how effective the strategy of targeting women who are married to Trump supporters will be. There’s little data on politically mixed marriages, but one analysis found only 21% of Americans in 2020 were married to partners with differing views. So what’s behind the ad strategy? Well, some experts say this could be the “gender election” — with women and men drifting apart on the issues they prioritize, like reproductive health care. Democrats also hope this approach could be enough to seal the deal, especially in battleground states. Meanwhile, some women have taken to social media to say the ad is outdated and condescending.

Related: The Supreme Court Just OK'd Virginia's Voter Purge Pre-Election (Axios)

Travel

Will New Airline Rules Help You Get a Refund When Things Go Wrong?

What's going on: The airport is one of the few places where it’s acceptable to order a martini at 10 am. But it’s also where travel dreams can go to die. That’s especially true when flights are delayed for hours or canceled at the last minute (bye, bye Aruba). The Department of Transportation (DOT) can’t do much to make sure that never happens, but it's taking action to ensure fliers no longer have to wrestle with airlines to get their money back. The DOT’s new rules went into effect earlier this week and require airlines to issue an automatic and full refund within 20 days for “significant” delays, changes, or cancellations. Yes, that even applies to people who book flights with their treasured credit card points and travel miles. Sounds pretty fly.

What it means: Before this week, individual airlines had their own definitions of what is considered a “significant” delay. Now, the DOT has put it plane-ly: Customers will get a refund if the departure or arrival of a domestic flight is delayed by three hours or more; for international flights, the threshold is six hours. Airlines also have to refund checked baggage fees for luggage that goes missing for more than 12 hours for domestic travel and 15 hours for international (but you still have to file a mishandled baggage report first). Previously, getting a refund from airlines could require hours on the phone and a massive paper trail.

Related: American Airlines Lands Its Longest Ever Non-Stop Flight (USA Today)