An Ohio law could affect women who have miscarriages.

Reading Between the Lines

The Story

An Ohio law could affect women who have miscarriages.

Explain.

Police charged Brittany Watts with abuse of a corpse after she miscarried her fetus at home and allegedly attempted to flush it down the toilet. As Ohio voters debated whether or not to enshrine abortion rights, Watts went to the hospital with vaginal bleeding and her water had broken prematurely at 21 weeks and five days. Watts’s lawyer said doctors debated for eight hours about whether or not to give her an abortion since Ohio bans the procedure after 22 weeks. She eventually went home where she miscarried. Watts later returned to the hospital for treatment where doctors alerted the police about her miscarriage and the “the need to locate the fetus.” Cue the criminal charge and a grand jury.

How’s that going?

Watts has pleaded not guilty. As the jury deliberates, Watts’s lawyer questions whether a fetus can be defined as a corpse if it “never took a breath.” Law professors reportedly said the prosecution’s biggest challenge is the 1996 law’s vagueness in language. Still, Watts could face up to a year in prison. More than 4,000 healthcare workers and community leaders have signed a letter urging authorities to drop “the unwarranted” charge.

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It’s been almost two years since the Supreme Court overruled Roe v. Wade, spurring more than a dozen states to criminalize getting an abortion. Now Watts’s case is putting a spotlight on how laws can put pregnant people’s lives at risk by discouraging them from seeking care.

What people have been reading…

Jeffrey Epstein documents. Yesterday, a court unsealed hundreds of court documents connected to the sex offender. The documents are part of the 2017 settlement for Epstein's associate Ghislaine Maxwell. Social media has been speculating about what or who could be named. Still, there doesn't seem to be any bombshell revelations. Instead, the docs provide more insight into Epstein’s relationship with former presidents Bill Clinton and Donald Trump as well as Prince Andrew and others. They are not accused of any wrongdoing in the documents. The identities of some Epstein accusers were also revealed, but many of these names were already known from previous media reporting. The court could release more in the future.

…Oh and speaking of the documents, ESPN analyst Pat McAfee apologized for the comments quarterback Aaron Rodgers made on his show amid his tensions with comedian Jimmy Kimmel.

What’s opening up…

Border checkpoints. Today, the US will open four official crossings along the US-Mexico border. These checkpoints were closed last month to help Customs and Border Protection (CBP) mitigate the influx of migrants crossing into the US. Still, it’s not clear if it helped considering CBP agents encountered around 300,000 migrants at the southern border in December — believed to be a record high. The update comes as House Republicans threatened to shut the government later this month if border security measures aren’t part of the funding bill. Meanwhile, a Republican-led House committee is holding its first impeachment hearing next week in the hopes of giving Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas the boot, accusing him of mismanaging the border. The Homeland Security Dept said Republicans are “pursuing a baseless political exercise.”

Where tensions are escalating…

Iran. Yesterday, two explosions killed at least 84 people at a memorial for commander Qassem Soleimani, killed by a US drone strike in 2020. No one has claimed responsibility. In the meantime, analysts are speculating whether Israel or extremist groups could have carried it out. The US State Department said it has “no reason” to believe Israel was involved. Iranian officials are blaming unspecified terrorists. Analysts also say it doesn't fall in line with how Israel has typically struck Iran in the past — often going after specific individuals and not mass casualty bombings. Iran’s supreme leader said “this tragedy will have a strong response.”

Who faces new allegations…

Rapper TI and his wife Tiny. Earlier this week, a woman filed a lawsuit accusing the couple of sexual assault. She alleges that she met TI and Tiny at a Los Angeles club in 2005, where they drugged her and then later raped her. Officials investigated the woman’s claims in 2021, but prosecutors didn’t file charges because it was past the statute of limitations. Since then, California has passed a new law extending the statute of limitations for sexual assault cases. TI and Tiny deny the claims and said they “look forward to our day in court.”

Who Ciara is related to…

Derek Jeter, apparently.

Who's not coming back to music...

Britney Spears.

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