Friday, October 25th, 2024

Today’s core story is about: Infant mortality after Roe’s reversal.

KNEAD TO KNOW

U.S. intelligence officials warned of foreign adversaries undermining trust ahead of Election Day. Russia, Iran, and China “remain intent on fanning divisive narratives to divide Americans and undermine Americans' confidence in the U.S. democratic system,” and may incite violence after voters go to the polls, officials from the Office of the Director of National Intelligence said this week.

At least 17 people were killed Thursday in an Israeli airstrike on a school being used as a shelter in central Gaza. The strike came the same day U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said Israel had accomplished its goal of “effectively dismantling” Hamas, and that negotiations over a cease-fire and hostage deal would resume “in the coming days.” 

The Justice Department warned Elon Musk’s super PAC that its $1 million daily giveaway may violate federal law. Legal experts say the giveaway falls into somewhat of a gray area, however, it would take months before he or anyone involved would be prosecuted anyways, and the Federal Election Commission, which would be tasked with the case, is politically deadlocked, making it hard to pursue charges.

President Joe Biden is expected to formally apologize later today for the U.S.’s role in the Indian boarding school system. “I would never have guessed in a million years that something like this would happen,” said Interior Secretary Deb Haaland, a member of the Pueblo of Laguna. “It’s a big deal to me. I’m sure it will be a big deal to all of Indian Country.”

Infant Mortality Increased After the Supreme Court Overturned Roe

U.S. babies died at higher rates in the months following the U.S. Supreme Court’s 2022 decision overturning Roe v. Wade, according to a new study by researchers at The Ohio State University. 

What to know: 

The study found infant mortality in the U.S. increased 7% in the seven to 14 months following the Court’s decision in Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health, which ended nearly 50 years of constitutional protections for women’s abortion rights and ushered in a new era of state bans on abortions. 

• Babies born with congenital anomalies also increased 10% in the months after Roe was overturned, according to the study.

• Comparing the months pre- and post-Dobbs, the researchers found 247 more total infant deaths per month than expected and 204 more deaths per month than expected due to chromosomal and genetic conditions.

The cause: 

“There’s a really straightforward mechanism here,” Alison Gemmill, a demographer and perinatal epidemiologist at Johns Hopkins University, who wasn’t involved with the present study, told The Los Angeles Times.

“Prior to these abortion bans, people had the option to terminate if the fetus was found to have a severe congenital anomaly — we’re talking about organs being outside of the body and other things that are very severe and not compatible with life,” according to Gemmill. 

“However, if women in these situations had no choice but to continue their pregnancies, those babies would die shortly after birth,” she said.

Going forward:

The researchers say it’s an open question as to whether the elevated rate of infant death will continue past the 14 month period observed in the study, as it’ll ultimately come down to whether state legislatures restrict or open access to abortion care. 

Study co-author Parvati Singh says it also goes beyond just infant deaths. 

“There’s a broader human toll to consider,” said Singh. “Including mental health consequences of being denied abortion care or being forced to carry a fetus with a fatal genetic abnormality to term.” 

QUICK BITES

Few Trans Youth Regret Gender-Affirming Care

Trans teenagers who have received medical care like puberty blockers and hormones report being highly satisfied with their care, according to a new study by researchers at the TransYouth Project. 

What to know: 

• The researchers have followed a group of about 300 trans youth since 2013, and the present study is based on survey responses from 220 of those kids and their parents.

• The team found more than 50% of participants rated their satisfaction at 7 on a 7-point scale, with just 4% (nine kids) expressing regret with some aspect of their care. 

Way Too Many Americans Are Okay With Internment Camps

Americans are divided on whether they support (47%) or oppose (50%) rounding up and deporting immigrants who are in the U.S. illegally, even if it includes setting up encampments guarded by U.S. military, according to a new survey by the Public Religion Research Institute. 

What to know:

• The survey found 79% of Republicans support the use of encampments, compared to 47% of independents and 22% of Democrats. 

• The PRRI found Americans’ attitudes about immigration have grown more conservative in recent years, primarily due to Republicans and independents adopting more conservative views on the subject.

Bidenomics: Decent Name, World-Leading Results

The U.S. economy continues to defy recession predictions and is on track to extend its globally leading streak of robust economic growth, according to a new report from the International Monetary Fund.

What to know: 

• The IMF’s World Economic Outlook projects the U.S. economy to grow 2.8% this year, an upgrade of 0.2 percentage points from its July forecast. The growth is projected to be the fastest among the G7 major economies, just like it was in 2023. 

• The report projects U.S. consumer prices to rise 1.9% next year, suggesting the pandemic price spike is ending and inflation will return to the Federal Reserve’s target level.

PLAIN INTERESTING

The Wheel May Have Been Invented in a Copper Mine 6,000 Years Ago

The wheel may have been invented by copper miners in the Carpathian Mountains up to 6,000 years ago, according to a new study by researchers at Columbia University and Georgia Tech University. 

Rollin’ rollin’:

Doing whatever scientists do to know these things (“computational mechanics” and “design science,” apparently), the researchers found the wheel could have evolved through three innovations by miners to help move heavy boxes of copper ore in and out of mines.

It started with wooden rollers (“a” at the top left of the picture above), which allowed the miners to move the boxes back and forth.

• The first innovation to improve the rollers was adding a groove (“b” above), which allowed the box to rest on the rollers as it moved in each direction. 

• The second innovation added wheels to the box that were fixed to an axle (i.e., a wheelset) (“c” above), which gave the box clearance to move over debris and that classic “wheel” look we all love today. 

• Finally, the third innovation, which likely arose some 500 years after the second, added parts to the ends of the axles that allowed the wheels to move independently, leading to improved maneuverability and several questions as to what took so long. 

The reality:

Although the team’s model may explain how the wheel was invented in Eastern Europe, they note their findings likely aren’t the last word on the topic, since it’s possible multiple civilizations independently discovered that round things roll. 

The truth is we’ll probably never know who invented the wheel, as it’s been widely used around the world since at least 3,000 BC, with some people (nerds) cleverly suggesting it even predates humans.

OVEN-FRESH STATS

• $53 billion - How much the catastrophic flooding and destruction caused by Hurricane Helene in western North Carolina is likely to have caused in damage and recovery costs, according to Gov. Roy Cooper’s administration.  

• 23 - The number of Nobel Prize-winning economists who signed a letter saying Vice President Kamala Harris’s economic policies would be “vastly better” than former President Donald Trump’s. Tough choice America: 23 Nobel economists or “concepts” of plans? 

• 60% - The increase in global carbon dioxide emissions from forest fires since 2001, according to a new study by researchers at the University of East Anglia. Emissions have tripled in some of the most climate-sensitive boreal forests. 

• $51,744 - How much you can get fined for writing a fake review online under new rules approved this week by the U.S. Federal Trade Commission. Review bombing may be coming to an end.

EXTRA SCHMEAR

Long Video. How airline companies keep prices high and what governments can do to fix it. (12 min) 

Short Video. Richard Reich on why our future depends on the Senate. (7 min)

Fun Video. The History Channel’s response to Trump’s Hitler comments, according to The Daily Show. (1 min)

Good Read. A history of dolls in horror movies from Annabelle to Me3gan.

Neat List. Move over Halloween, here are eight spooky celebrations around the world.

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Written by Ryan Wittler