FDA approves over-the-counter birth control pills

Plus, India's capital underwater. 📣 Sentences is changing. Help shape its next iteration. [Take our survey.]( FDA approves the first nonprescription birth control; thousands evacuate New Delhi due to flooding. Tonight's Sentences was written by Jariel Arvin.   TOP NEWS A milestone for reproductive rights Valentine Chapuis/AFP via Getty Images - On Thursday, the US Food and Drug Administration approved the first birth control pill for sale without a prescription. [[Vox / Dylan Scott](] - The landmark decision is likely to improve reproductive health for millions as several states move to restrict abortion access after the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade. [[NPR / Bill Chappell](] - If taken correctly, Opill — a progestin-only pill that works by disrupting ovarian function — is 93 percent effective at preventing pregnancy, according to the CDC. [[Politico / Katherine Ellen Foley and Alice Miranda Ollstein](] - Opill will be available in drugstores and online without age restrictions in early 2024. Advocates said the price, which the drug maker will release later, must be affordable. [[NBC News / Berkeley Lovelace Jr.](] - The Affordable Care Act doesn’t cover over-the-counter contraception, but Democrats have introduced legislation to require that be changed, which would expand access to those in need. [[New York Times / Pam Belluck](] 📍 If you read just one story Vox’s Umair Irfan explains how warming is impacting Antarctica’s sea ice levels — and what it could mean for the world. [[Vox / Umair Irfan](]  [Learn more about RevenueStripe...]( Torrential rains flood New Delhi - India’s capital, New Delhi, on Thursday shuttered schools and recommended working from home through the weekend after flooding left much of the city underwater. [[Reuters](] - Officials evacuated thousands from low-lying areas as heavy rainfall in neighboring states and Delhi brought the city’s major river to dangerous levels. [[NYT / Sameer Yasir and Hari Kumar](] - Flooding forced the closure of three water treatment plants, so a quarter of the city’s 30 million people could also soon face fresh water shortages. [[CBS News / Arshad R. Zargar](] - While monsoons bring heavy rainfall that often causes catastrophic floods and landslides in India, climate change is making seasons stronger and more unpredictable. [[Al Jazeera](]   Support our work Reader gifts help keep Vox and newsletters like Sentences free for all. Support our work with a gift today. [Give](   MISCELLANEOUS Hollywood has its first double strike in decades with 160,000 unionized actors joining already striking screenwriters after failed negotiations with studios. [[Vox / Alissa Wilkinson](] - Nearly 90 million Americans face extreme heat this week. Meanwhile, House Republicans have recently introduced measures blocking climate initiatives that would bring communities relief. [[Guardian / Dharna Noor](] - Ukraine didn’t get the path toward NATO membership it hoped for during the bloc’s summit, but allies pledged unity and more weapons to fend off Russia’s invasion. [[Vox / Jen Kirby](] - On Thursday, the Justice Department opened a civil rights investigation into the violence and dirty conditions at Georgia’s Fulton County jail. [[NPR / Jaclyn Diaz](] VERBATIM “We need to make it affordable and available.” [[Sen. Patty Murray (D-WA) on over-the-counter birth control access / NYT](]   It's an HOA world; you're just living in it If you’re buying a new home, there’s a good chance it’s part of a homeowners association. HOAs are a form of common interest housing, and roughly a quarter of Americans live in communities with one. These private entities work as a pseudo government in many neighborhoods, and they’re shaping housing policy across the country. [Listen now ▶](   Read more from Vox [There’s no such thing as a disaster-resistant place anymore]( [Tax prep companies let Google and Facebook sell ads off your data]( [You’re not imagining it, brands are texting you way more]( [How Hollywood appeases China, explained by the Barbie movie]( [New York’s shark-infested waters are a good thing. Yes, really.](  [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 © 2023. All rights reserved.