Wyoming governor signs ban on abortions after about 6 weeks but cites misgivings |
Wyoming Gov. Mark Gordon on Monday signed a ban on abortions after embryonic cardiac activity can be detected, generally at about six weeks' gestation and often before women know they're pregnant. The signing makes Wyoming the fifth state to bar abortions at that stage of pregnancy, along with Florida, Georgia, Iowa and South Carolina. Thirteen other states bar abortion at all stages of pregnancy, with some exceptions. Gordon, a Republican, said in a letter to lawmakers that he has some misgivings about the law he signed because it does not include exceptions for pregnancies caused by rape or incest. Read more. |
Beyond the Potomac River, sewage spills threaten cities with old infrastructure and little funds |
The January collapse of a pipe as wide as a car dumped so much sewage into the Potomac River that officials tracked a spike of gut-wrenching bacteria drifting slowly past Washington for weeks, prompting an emergency declaration and federal assistance. It was a disaster of historic scale — 244 million gallons spilled — spotlighting the severe consequences of old, failing infrastructure. But smaller sewer overflows that draw far less notice are common. Tens of thousands occur every year across the U.S., contaminating rivers, flooding streets and sometimes causing backups into homes that threaten human health. Read more. |
