US abortions rise for the first time in decades

Plus, Saudia Arabia confiscates rainbow toys. In 2020, US abortion numbers rose for the first time since 1994; Saudi Arabian authorities seized rainbow-colored toys, clothes, and other items. Tonight's Sentences was written by Jariel Arvin.   TOP NEWS US abortions rose in 2020, reversing years of decline E. Jason Wambsgans/Chicago Tribune/Tribune News Service via Getty Images - US abortions rose between 2017 and 2020 after decades of decline, according to [figures]( released Wednesday. [[Associated Press / Carla K. Johnson](] - The data, from research group the Guttmacher Institute, found 930,160 patients received abortions in 2020, up 8 percent from 862,320 in 2017, the last time the survey was taken. In 2020, roughly 1 in 5 pregnancies ended in abortion. [[USA Today / Cady Stanton](] - From 2017 to 2020, US birth rates declined 6 percent, meaning fewer people got pregnant, and a greater proportion of those who did got abortions. [[Forbes / Siladitya Ray](] - Although abortions grew nationwide, the situation varied locally, likely due to varied state rules on Medicaid abortion coverage, uneven distribution of financial aid to help low-income people afford the procedure, and Covid-related care disruptions. [[Guttmacher Institute](] - Another big factor: Trump administration rules preventing family planning organizations receiving Title X funding from mentioning abortion, causing Planned Parenthood and some states to withdraw from the program. [[NYT / Pam Belluck](] - The numbers underscore the need for abortion care in the wake of a leaked [draft opinion]( suggesting the Supreme Court could soon overturn Roe v. Wade. [[NPR / Sarah McCammon](] [Learn more about RevenueStripe...]( Saudi Arabia cracks down on rainbow toys - Saudi Arabian authorities are confiscating rainbow-colored toys, clothes, and other items which they say encourage homosexuality, according to [state TV](. [[Guardian / Agence France-Presse](] - “We are giving a tour of the items that contradict the Islamic faith and public morals and promote homosexual colors targeting the younger generation,” a Saudi Arabian official said. [[Deutsche Welle](] - Saudi Arabia prohibits some forms of gender expression as well as gay sex, which, under its interpretation of Islamic law, is punishable by flogging or death. [[BBC / David Gritten](] - The country recently banned Marvel’s Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, which features a gay character, and Pixar’s upcoming Lightyear, which includes a gay kiss. [[Variety / Nick Vivarelli and Patrick Frater](]   MISCELLANEOUS The House Committee investigating the January 6, 2021, riot released footage Wednesday showing that a man who attended a Capitol tour with Rep. Barry Loudermilk (R-GA) returned for the attack the following day. [[The Hill / Rebecca Beitsch](] - On Tuesday, New Mexico’s secretary of state asked the state Supreme Court to order that the state’s primary election results be certified. A GOP-led commission has refused to do so over bogus claims about Dominion voting machines. [[AP / Morgan Lee](] - FDA advisers voted unanimously on Wednesday to authorize Moderna’s Covid-19 vaccine for children aged 6 months to 5 years. Final approval from the CDC could come next Tuesday. [[NBC News / Berkeley Lovelace Jr.](] - The Federal Reserve hiked interest rates 0.75 percent — the biggest increase since 1994 — to curb soaring inflation. [[Yahoo Finance / Brian Cheung](]   Support our journalism Reader contributions help keep newsletters like Sentences free for all. Support our work with a one-time gift today. [Give](   VERBATIM “Rather than focusing on reducing abortion, policies should instead center the needs of people and protect their right to bodily autonomy.” [[US abortion report authors / Guttmacher Institute](]   LISTEN TO THIS Lost Worlds: Why do we have a moon? In all our searching of the universe, we’ve never seen another moon like ours. It's big, it's weird, and it has played a huge role in shaping our planet. But how did we get it? Every story points to cataclysm. This is the second episode of our new four-part series, Lost Worlds. [Listen now ▶](   Read more from Vox [Juneteenth merch is American consumerism at its most crass]( [4 big questions about Covid-19 vaccines for babies and toddlers]( [Stopping inflation is going to hurt]( [4 winners and 2 losers from the Maine, Nevada, North Dakota, and South Carolina primaries]( [The federal government started New Mexico’s largest wildfire. It had good intentions]( [Learn more about RevenueStripe...](   [Facebook]( [Twitter]( [YouTube]( This email was sent to {EMAIL}. Manage your [email preferences]( or [unsubscribe](param=sentences). 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.