Tonight: a Georgia woman is charged with murder over a self-managed abortion and there are (of course) early cracks in the case, plus what’s actually worth paying attention to on midlife exercise and COVID shots in pregnancy.
p.s. We unfortunately had some broken links in Tuesday’s edition! Below are links that actually work.
GEORGIA MURDER CHARGE GETS A $1 BOND AND A SKEPTICAL JUDGE // Alexia Moore, a Georgia woman charged with murder by local police after taking abortion medication at home, was granted a $1 bond this week by a judge who called the charge "extremely problematic" and said it would be "a hard charge to convict upon." Moore said she didn't know how far along she was and the county coroner did not rule the death a homicide. If prosecutors pursue it, it would be among the first murder cases brought against a woman for ending her own pregnancy under Georgia's six-week ban.
STAYING ACTIVE IN MIDLIFE CUTS PREMATURE DEATH RISK IN HALF // A study of more than 11,000 Australian women found those who consistently met exercise guidelines across midlife had about half the risk of dying prematurely compared to those who stayed inactive. Researchers followed participants for over two decades, surveying them nine times. The association appeared similar for cardiovascular and cancer deaths, though those findings were less conclusive.
YOUR COVID SHOT DURING PREGNANCY STILL PROTECTS YOUR BABY // A study more than 140,000 infants in Norway found COVID vaccination during pregnancy was linked to about half the risk of COVID hospitalization in the first two months of life. Protection waned by about six months, around when babies become eligible for vaccination themselves. The study also found no increased risk of other infections in exposed infants, undercutting claims made by Robert Malone, an RFK Jr. appointee leading CDC vaccine policy.
SENATE VOTES TO KEEP THE VA ABORTION BAN // Senate Republicans on Wednesday blocked a Democratic effort to restore abortion access for veterans and their dependents at VA facilities. The ban was reimposed by the Trump administration earlier this year. Advocates noted the result means women veterans now have less access to abortion than people in federal prisons or on Medicaid.