US F-16s flew to Greenland for force posturing after Russian aircraft were detected in the Arctic.The US and Greenland continue their standard agreement for presence in the Arctic region.Tensions are high as President Trump continues pressing his desire to buy Greenland.US F-16 fighter jets flew to Greenland earlier this week, highlighting the vast autonomous territory's long-standing role in supporting North American defense, even as the new administration complicates matters with new landgrab ambitions.Right now is an unusually tense time between the US and Denmark, a longtime American ally, as President Donald Trump continues to push forward on ambitions to acquire Greenland. His newly confirmed secretary of state, Marco Rubio, says he's serious.The North American Aerospace Defense Command confirmed Thursday that it monitored the activity of multiple Russian military aircraft in the Arctic earlier this week. The aircraft remained in international airspace and weren't seen as a threat, but as part of its defense mission, NORAD regularly scrambles patrol aircraft to monitor these situations.Two patrols one from the Canadian NORAD region and the other from the Alaskan NORAD region were dispatched to track the activity. The Canadian patrol consisted of two Canadian CF-18s and KC-135 refueling aircraft, while the Alaskan patrol included two American F-35s, one E-3, and two KC-135 refueling aircraft.Several hours after those patrols, NORAD "sent two F-16s from Alaska to Greenland exercising its standard agreement with Greenland to forward posture NORAD presence in the activity." The command said that the dispatch was not in response to any current threat.Aircraft with the bilateral NORAD command regularly deploy to Pituffik Space Base on the western tip of northern Greenland. NORAD Public Affairs said that these aircraft "support various long planned NORAD activities with our allies and partners, building on the longstanding defense cooperation between the US, Canada, and the Kingdom of Denmark." Trump's desire to acquire Greenland have raised concerns with the Arctic island, Denmark, and European allies. Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images The routine activity highlights that Greenland isn't simply land; it is part of a strategic partnership.In recent months, President Donald Trump has repeatedly expressed interest in a US acquisition of Greenland, a self-ruling Danish territory. He has called the island, which is rich in natural resources, an "absolutely necessity" and has even suggested using force or coercion to bring it under US control.Trump's comments on Greenland have been met with a wide range of responses and confusion, especially with Greenlanders and US partners in Europe, but on Thursday, the newly sworn-in US secretary of state, Rubio, said on The Megyn Kelly Show on SiriusXM that Trump's desire to acquire the island is "not a joke."He said "this is not about acquiring land for the purpose of acquiring land. This is in our national interest, and it needs to be solved."Beyond its natural resources, Greenland is also primely located in an area of growing strategic competition: the Arctic. It could support the US force posture in the Arctic, making it easier to monitor and counter China and Russia's ambitions in the region. China is a critical factor in Trump's attitude on the Panama Canal, as well.In response to Rubio's remarks on Trump's ambitions, Danish Foreign Minister Lars Lkke Rasmussen said Friday, "I would be more surprised if he said it was a joke," per Danish public broadcaster TV2. "We have no interest in selling Greenland to the US, it will not happen."

OpenAI introduced o3-mini, a cost-efficient reasoning AI model, on Friday.The release comes as DeepSeek's R1 model shakes up the tech industry.OpenAI said the o3-mini excels in science, math, and coding.OpenAI's first small reasoning model is here just weeks after a Chinese AI startup emerged as a potential competitor to its artificial intelligence lineup.The ChatGPT maker launched OpenAI o3-mini, its "most cost-efficient model" in its reasoning series, on Friday. The model was previewed in December, but the release date comes in the same week that DeepSeek's open-source R1 model disrupted Big Tech.R1 prompted OpenAI to say it was investigating whether DeekSeek "may have inappropriately distilled" the tech company's models."We know that groups in the PRC (People's Republic of China) are actively working to use methods, including what's known as distillation, to try to replicate advanced US AI models," an OpenAI spokesperson previously told BI.While analysts examined the investment strategies of companies like Meta and Microsoft during their earnings calls, the affordability and efficiency of R1 has raised questions.Most companies have doubled down on investing heavily in AI, and it appears OpenAI is also beefing up its financial arsenal. The company is reportedly discussing a $25 billion investment from SoftBank in its latest funding round, which could give it a $300 billion valuation.Like R1, o3-mini is meant to handle complex questions, and OpenAI says it's particularly strong in science, math, and coding. Developers can set reasoning to low, medium, or high, depending on how complicated the challenge is.ChatGPT Plus, Team, and Pro users have access to o3-mini starting Friday, and free plan users can try it out using the "Reason" option.

Since its arrival on Netflix in December, the Spanish-language French film Emilia Prez has been a nesting doll of controversies. The musical, directed by Jacques Audiard, has been slammed by critics and on social media for its regressive portrayal of trans identity. The film has also been critiqued for its Eurocentric depiction of Mexico even inspiring a viral spoof film made by Mexican filmmakers, called Johanne Sacreblu and Audiard himself has made dismissive if not offensive comments about Mexico and the Spanish language. Meanwhile, earlier this week, the movies Oscar lead actress, Karla Sofa Gascn, was most notable for being at war with Brazilian Twitter for comments she made about her Best Actress rival Fernanda Torress social media team.Despite all this, Emilia Prez is up for 13 Oscar nominations and is predicted to pick up at least one for Zoe Saldaa in the Best Supporting Actress category. Gascns Oscar hopes are likely done, however, following a series of offensive, resurfaced tweets in what might be one of the most surprising scandals in Oscars history. On Wednesday, after Gascn was already in the news for her comments about Torres, X users began circulating years-old tweets from the Spanish actress using derogatory language aimed at marginalized communities. The tweets, from as recent as 2021, include disturbing remarks about George Floyd, Islam, and even the nonwhite winners of the 2021 Oscars ceremony. Other tweets find her casually using anti-gay and other hateful language. The Oscars arent unfamiliar with controversy. However, the mounting issues corroding the Emilia Prez Oscar campaign are pretty extraordinary and even make the controversy surrounding 2019 Best Picture Green Book look quaint in comparison. Likewise, its an ironic but extremely familiar trajectory for a movie that has been bolstered by the Hollywood establishment for its diversity and progressive themes. On Thursday, journalist Sarah Hagi posted a thread with screenshots of more than a dozen tweets from Gascn (in her native Spanish) disparaging Islam and immigrants from the Arabic countries. In one tweet posted on July 2, 2016, and translated by Vox editor Izzie Ramirez, she says, Islam is becoming an infection for humanity that needs to be cured urgently. In another tweet from September 2, 2020, Gascn, who is from Spain, posted a photo of a Muslim family, including a woman wearing a burka, in a restaurant, mocking the role of women in Islam. In the tweet, she sarcastically decried the wearing of burkhas and what she perceives as the lack of respect for women in Islam, capping it off with a phrase that translates to the deepest revulsion of humanity.In other posts, she points out the rising number of Muslims in Spain, lamenting that schools will start to teach Arabic instead of English. She blames Islam for several terrorist attacks. There are also multiple tweets where she a European slur referring to Muslims or people with dark skin.Users then began circulating a startling now-deleted thread she apparently posted on June 8, 2020, about Floyd, whose death by a police officer ignited worldwide Black Lives Matter protests. In the first post, a user with Gascns name says, Let me see if I understand, a guy tried to pass off a counterfeit bill after taking meth, an idiot cop arrives, and goes too far in arresting him and kills him, ruining the lives of his family and friends, and then then guy with the bill turns into a heroic marytr. In another statement in the thread, the user refers to Floyd as a drug addict and a hustler. The X account also exposed other unsavory comments, like a joke about China and Covid-19, and casual use of hateful language. A post about the 2021 Oscars ceremonies, read, More and more the #Oscars are looking like a ceremony for independent and protest films. I didnt know if I was watching an Afro-Korean festival, a Black Lives Matter demonstration or the 8M [feminist strike], referring to an International Womens Day march, which takes place on March 8. Users also found a bizarre post where she refers to paparazzi photos of Miley Cyrus cozying up with a woman as lesbian perversion. This post might be seen as particularly baffling, as Gascn is herself a trans woman who is married to another woman. Gascns X account has since been deleted, although screenshots of her comments still abound online. On Friday, she also gave a terse apology to Variety: I want to acknowledge the conversation around my past social media posts that have caused hurt. As someone in a marginalized community, I know this suffering all too well, and I am deeply sorry to those I have caused pain. All my life, I have fought for a better world. I believe light will always triumph over darkness.She had previously sent a more defiant exclusive statement to the Hollywood Reporter, explaining why she deleted her account. In that statement, she called the backlash a campaign of hate and misinformation, while implying that the opinions she stated have changed: As part of this society, I have expressed my disagreement or agreement with all the related issues that have touched me and of which I have had an opinion, often erroneous, which has changed throughout my own experience. I have always used my social media as a diary, reflections or notes, to later create stories or characters, not as something that would be scrutinized down to the last of its 140 characters, since sometimes I, myself, am not even aware of having written something negative.Oscars campaigns are usually messy, but not this messyFor decades, the sabotaged Oscars campaign has been a fascinating and typically amusing phenomenon of awards season. Outside of Gascns antics, this year alone has seen several other controversies threaten the chances of certain Oscar hopefuls. Last week, the editor of 10-time Oscar nominee The Brutalist, Dvid Jancs, revealed that he utilized AI to perfect Adrien Brodys Hungarian speech in a brief part of the film. This led to questions about whether Brodys performance, which has already earned him a Golden Globe, should be re-evaluated. Meanwhile, in the midst of Gascns controversy, social media users found an article that her rival Torres had written slamming Amber Heard during her 2023 defamation trial against her ex-husband Johnny Depp, as well as a resurfaced video of Torres appearing in blackface in comedy sketch on a Brazilian TV show, for which she apologized earlier this week. Other times, these flubbed campaigns have often emerged from aggressive PR measures, from the Bette Davis infamous write-in campaign to the supposed overkill of Diana Rosss Best Actress campaign ads for Lady Sings the Blues to Melissa Leos self-funded Consider plea although she ultimately went on to receive her Oscar. This sort of zealous campaign was famously codified by former film producer Harvey Weinstein. Before Gascns scandal, the mantle for the most controversial recent Best Actress nominee belonged to Andrea Riseborough, who caused a huge kerfuffle when she received a surprising nod in 2023 for the small Sundance film To Leslie, due to sudden endorsements by celebrities and a dubious email sent to voters. The last-minute but shockingly efficient campaign ultimately didnt go against the Academys lobbying rules, but it did put a mark on the actress leading up to the awards show. Emilia Prez cast Adriana Paz, Selena Gomez, Zoe Saldana and Karla Sofa Gascn at the the 82nd Annual Golden Globe Awards on January 5, 2025. Robyn Beck/AFP via Getty ImagesIn general, though, its much more rare that a contenders Oscars chances have been tainted if not completely shattered due to hate speech the most recent example being Lars von Triers antisemitic comments during a press conference for his 2011 film Melancholia. Still, Gascns controversy presents a more complex and head-scratching case, given that Gascn is the first openly trans acting nominee. Despite how groundbreaking her nomination is on paper, her hateful comments on social media blot out any perception that her nomination is a win for progress.Her controversial comments also present a legitimate conundrum for the ceremony. Folks are already wondering how shell be included in the Best Actress presentation. The Academy recently announced that it would be bringing back the Fab 5 format, where previous acting winners give a heartfelt introduction to each of the nominees. Theres also always the possibility for more vocal backlash and even boycotts from the groups she targeted. Overall, Gascns remarks have only continued to illuminate the shallowness of Emilia Prez as a project and a progressive pick for the Academy. Following her scandal, folks have openly questioned why a European woman was cast in the role of a Mexican character, and recirculated comments about Audiard professing his own ignorance about Mexico. Theyve also affected any remaining amount of goodwill that the movie had going for it, including a powerful statement Gascn made at the Golden Globes earlier in January, when the film won Best Picture Musical or Comedy. The light always wins over darkness, she said. You can put us in jail, you can beat us up, but you can never take away our soul or our resistance or our identity. I want to say to you, raise your voice and say that I won, I am who I am, not who you want [me to be]. Who knew that, a few weeks later, itd be recycled for an apology? Youve read 1 article in the last monthHere at Vox, we're unwavering in our commitment to covering the issues that matter most to you threats to democracy, immigration, reproductive rights, the environment, and the rising polarization across this country.Our mission is to provide clear, accessible journalism that empowers you to stay informed and engaged in shaping our world. By becoming a Vox Member, you directly strengthen our ability to deliver in-depth, independent reporting that drives meaningful change.We rely on readers like you join us.Swati SharmaVox Editor-in-ChiefSee More:

Fearless journalism needs your support now more than ever. Become a Vox Member today.On Friday afternoon, a federal judge in Rhode Island temporarily blocked President Donald Trumps attempt to halt a simply enormous amount of domestic federal spending. Chief Judge John McConnell Jr., who issued the order, is the second federal judge to do so.McConnells order is significant not only because it puts a second court order between the Trump White House and its proposed spending cuts, but because of who McConnell cites to justify his decision: Justice Brett Kavanaugh, a Republican appointed to the Supreme Court by Trump in his first term. That citation suggests Trumps effort may be on its way to being declared unconstitutional before the Supreme Court, once this legal challenge reaches the justices.Shortly after taking office this month, Trump issued a series of executive orders seeking to reduce or end spending on a variety of issues, from foreign aid, to diversity programs, to what Trump calls gender ideology extremism. On Tuesday, the White House Office of Management and Budget (OMB) issued a memo purporting to implement these executive orders, which seemed to call for an absolutely sweeping pause on government funding. According to the OMB memo, which was rescinded on Wednesday following a bipartisan political backlash, federal agencies were required to pause all activities related to obligation or disbursement of all Federal financial assistance, and other relevant agency activities that may be implicated by the executive orders. Though this memo is no longer in effect, the executive orders it sought to enforce still are.The theory that the president can simply cut off federal spending that has been appropriated by Congress is known as impoundment, and has long been considered unconstitutional by judges and legal scholars across the political spectrum. Still, the current Supreme Court has a 6-3 Republican supermajority. And all six of those Republicans ruled over the summer that Trump has broad immunity from prosecution for crimes he commits using the powers of the presidency. So its not entirely clear whether these Republican justices will follow the consensus view.McConnells order, however, quotes from a 2013 opinion by then-federal appellate Judge Kavanaugh, which rejects the idea of impoundment and even cites a 1969 Department of Justice memo written by future Chief Justice William Rehnquist that reads: It is in our view extremely difficult to formulate a constitutional theory to justify a refusal by the President to comply with a congressional directive to spend.According to Kavanaughs opinion, even the President does not have unilateral authority to refuse to spend funds appropriated by Congress. Meanwhile, another member of the Supreme Courts Republican majority, Chief Justice John Roberts, expressed similar views when he was a lawyer working in the Reagan White House. In a 1985 memo, Roberts wrote that it is clear that the president cannot impound funds in normal situations. Roberts added that no area seems more clearly the province of Congress than the power of the purse.It is, of course, possible that Roberts or Kavanaugh have changed their views on this topic. It is also possible that they will ignore their own beliefs about the law because they want to help out a Republican president. But, assuming that both justices hew to their past views, it suggests that there are at least five votes on the Supreme Court against Trumps impoundment efforts should this case reach the highest court: Roberts, Kavanaugh, and the three Democratic justices.And, with five Supreme Court votes, Trumps impoundment plans would be declared unconstitutional.RelatedYouve read 1 article in the last monthHere at Vox, we're unwavering in our commitment to covering the issues that matter most to you threats to democracy, immigration, reproductive rights, the environment, and the rising polarization across this country.Our mission is to provide clear, accessible journalism that empowers you to stay informed and engaged in shaping our world. By becoming a Vox Member, you directly strengthen our ability to deliver in-depth, independent reporting that drives meaningful change.We rely on readers like you join us.Swati SharmaVox Editor-in-ChiefSee More:

Being in Wicked was a life-long dream come true for Ariana Grande, who plays Glinda in the feature adaptation of the hit Broadway musical. Getting to be part of the world has been huge for her, so it makes sense that she kept some souvenirs from the set to remember the experience including a key prop that helped transform Cynthia Erivo into Elphaba. For anyone on the internet who has been holding space for the friendship between Grande and Erivo, the duo has talked about their matching for good and poppy tattoos as part of all the ways they have expressed their love for one another like the real life Glinda and Elphie they are. Recently a new addition to their bestie lore has been revealed: Grande does actually have in her possession Erivos prosthetic ears from the shoot. In Grandes recent interview with BBC Radio 1, the Oscar nominee confirmed it, and revealed where exactly she keeps her odd keepsake of a piece of Elphabas body. So right now theyre just next to the printer, like with like pens and printer and then like Cynthias ears. (The props were made to cover the piercings on Erivos her real ears.) But sometimes if Im having guests over, if I put out a tray of whatever, Ill just kind of leave them nearby to see if anyone gets a little confused. Grande quickly interjected, Im just kidding, Ive never done that, but I will. No, yeah, theyre next to the printer for now. Framing them is weird. It makes us wonder what Erivo might have kept of Glindas from the film, and if its as much of a choice as Grandes trinkets. Friends honor each other in so many unique ways and the way the duo gush over each other is a tribute to their love of their Wickedcharacters.The interview with Grande goes on to discuss one of her favorite moments during the shoot: when Erivo winked at Grande during the films pivotal Defying Gravity performance to help anchor the actress in Glindas strength. It nearly broke Grande out of character, but she held it togetherIts a very emotional moment, Grande said of that powerful and affirming gestureand director Jon M. Chu kept it in the final cut. I think its very hard to say goodbye to someone that you love. And I think in that moment, were both breaking. And I think the wink was so generous and warm because I think she knows how hard it is for Glinda to open up and cry and to become emotional like that, Grande said. Thats why Im trying so hard not to, and Im crying throughIm smiling through theand Im trying not Im holding back and shes just like, Ive got you, its okay.'Grande continued, And I think thats what is so beautiful about Defying Gravity is that its the true example of unconditional love. It is saying to someone, I recognize that we can no longer grow together. We have to grow apart and I want that for you because I know its right and best for you but it just isnt right and best for me. Weve got this. And the wink is such aits such a loud way of saying that. Watch the rest of the interview below: Wicked is out now in theaters and on digital.Wicked: For Goodopens this Thanksgiving. Want more io9 news? Check out when to expect the latest Marvel, Star Wars, and Star Trek releases, whats next for the DC Universe on film and TV, and everything you need to know about the future of Doctor Who.

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Its customary to wish people a Happy New Year on January 1. But after the confetti clears and the noisemakers are thrown away, it is becoming increasingly common for people to celebrate Divorce Day. The first Monday of January has traditionally seen a spike in people either consulting lawyers or looking up web information for a way to end their marriages. In fact, some lawyers label all of January as Divorce Month.Many New Year's resolutions entail self-improvement, including fitness, weight loss and sometimes getting out of a marriage," Lawyer Rebecca Palmer wrote in a commentary on Law.com.A Question of TimingThe timing for these decisions of dissolution is no accident, according to Palmer. That post-holiday period represents both a chance for change and the end of the rope for some partners patience."The stress of holidays and associated perhaps long-simmering family squabbles have been shown to boil over in the new year, Palmer continued. Financial pressures associated with holiday celebrations and various family obligations can also take their toll particularly when one of the married partners doesn't really understand the realities of how much it costs to provide the family with a spirited and memorable holiday season."Read More: Do Relationships Affect Our Physical Health?Divorce DataThe January spike in the divorce curious is backed up by more than just lawyers anecdotes, though. In the state of Washington, divorce filings from 2001 to 2015 increased in January as opposed to December, according to a 2016 University of Washington study.Julie Brines, a sociologist at the University of Washington agrees with Palmer that the confluence of holiday stress and New Years resolutions create a perfect storm for initiating divorce. People tend to face the holidays with rising expectations, despite what disappointments they might have had in years past, Brines said in a press release. They represent periods in the year when theres the anticipation or the opportunity for a new beginning, a new start, something different, a transition into a new period of life. Its like an optimism cycle, in a sense.Web data also bears out this trend. In January 2019, Relate, a U.K. relationship support organization, reported a significant increase in the number of people visiting its website over the holiday season. During the first three working days of the year, the site tallied 84 percent more visits to its website in comparison to the year before.If you start thinking about ending your marriage in January, you're not alone: divorce is in the air.Article SourcesOur writers at Discovermagazine.com use peer-reviewed studies and high-quality sources for our articles, and our editors review for scientific accuracy and editorial standards. Review the sources used below for this article:University of Washington. Sociologist Julie BrinesBefore joining Discover Magazine, Paul Smaglik spent over 20 years as a science journalist, specializing in U.S. life science policy and global scientific career issues. He began his career in newspapers, but switched to scientific magazines. His work has appeared in publications including Science News, Science, Nature, and Scientific American.

They wiggle, though they dont do much else. Thats what weve long thought about the auricular muscles the useless ear muscles that once helped our ancient ancestors hear. But recent research in Frontiers in Neuroscience reveals that these muscles are still trying hard to help us, activating during difficult listening situations.There are three large muscles [that] connect the auricle [the outer ear] to the skull and scalp, said Andreas Schrer, a study author and a neuroscientist at Saarland University in Germany, in a press release. These muscles, particularly the superior auricular muscle, exhibit increased activity during effortful listening tasks.Made For More Than WigglingIn modern humans, auricular muscles arent all that useful. We use them to wiggle our ears (or, some of us do), and thats about all. (Wiggling, as it turns out, isnt a universal skill.) But millions of years ago, our distant ancestors employed these muscles to move their ears around, twisting and turning them towards sound.The exact reason these became vestigial is difficult to tell, as our ancestors lost this ability about 25 million years ago, Schrer said in the release. One possible explanation could be that the evolutionary pressure to move the ears ceased because we became much more proficient with our visual and vocal systems. While we cant contort our ears in the same way today, some of us sure can wiggle them, suggesting that these muscles are still active. Testing their abilities in 2020, Schrer and a team of researchers demonstrated that these muscles activated during listening tasks that featured sounds from different directions. But what about during difficult listening, when several sounds occur at once? To determine whether the activity of these muscles depends on the difficulty of the task, Schrer and a team turned to electromyography, a method that uses electrodes to monitor the electrical activity in muscle tissues. Their results revealed that the more difficult the task, the more active the muscles, at least for the superior auricular muscles.This suggests that these muscles are engaged not merely as a reflex but potentially as part of an attentional effort mechanism, Schrer said in the release, especially in challenging auditory environments.Read More: How Similar Are Humans and Monkeys? When Hearing Is HardTo arrive at their results, the researchers enlisted the help of 20 hearing participants. Applying electrodes to their auricular muscles, the team measured their muscle activity as they listened to an audiobook and a podcast at the same time. The audio played from separate speakers, placed in front of the participants or behind, and each participant listened to 12 trials, separated into three different levels of difficulty. The audiobook was a lot louder than the podcast in the easy trials, and the speakers voices were distinct. But in the moderate and difficult trials, the audiobook was only a little louder than the podcast, and the speakers voices were similar.As the difficulty level of the task increased, so, too did the activity of the superior auricular muscles. Though they remained relatively inactive during the easy and medium trials, the difficult trials saw a surge in their activity. According to the researchers, their activation also correlated with the participants self-assessments and comprehension scores. When the participants were asked to assess the amount of listening effort that they expended in the trials, they reported their effort increased with trial difficulty. And when they were asked to take tests on the audiobooks content, their scores declined in step with the incline in the difficulty of the task.Effort in ListeningFurther research is required to confirm the teams results, and to conclude whether the activity is tied to any actual improvements in listening (though Schrer says that it probably isnt). The ear movements that could be generated by the signals we have recorded are so minuscule that there is probably no perceivable benefit, said Schrer in the press release. Our auriculomotor system probably tries its best after being vestigial for 25 million years, but does not achieve much. Though it isnt likely that this activity helps hearing, it could help hearing research, as the superior auricular muscles could serve, the team says, as an indicator for increased levels of effort in listening.Investigating the possible effects of muscle strain itself or the ears miniscule movements on the transmission of sound is something we want to do in the future, Schrer said in the release. The effect of these factors in people with hearing impairments would also be interesting to investigate.Read More: How Did Humans Evolve?Article SourcesOur writers at Discovermagazine.com use peer-reviewed studies and high-quality sources for our articles, and our editors review for scientific accuracy and editorial standards. Review the sources used below for this article:Frontiers in Neuroscience. Electromyographic Correlates of Effortful Listening in the Vestigial Auriculomotor SystemSam Walters is a journalist covering archaeology, paleontology, ecology, and evolution for Discover, along with an assortment of other topics. Before joining the Discover team as an assistant editor in 2022, Sam studied journalism at Northwestern University in Evanston, Illinois.

Neurotechnology raises many high-stakes ethical questions. Setting ground rules could help protect workers and ensure that tasks are adapted to the person, rather than the other way around.

The new study reinforces warnings from doctors about abortion laws with limited or no exceptions.