Doctor who sued Idaho says chaos reigns as abortion bans go into effect
Over the past week, the landscape around abortion in Idaho dramatically changed — and the rest of the country is watching, particularly in Washington, now receiving many abortion patients from its eastern neighbor. Idaho’s Legislature already had passed laws restricting, then almost totally banning, abortion. Due to an Idaho Supreme Court ruling on Aug. 12, medical professionals who provide an abortion after a fetal heartbeat is detected, typically about six weeks into a pregnancy, now can be sued for a minimum of $20,000. At the same time, an Idaho law known as the “Total Abortion Ban” is scheduled to go into effect Aug. 25 unless a federal court grants a preliminary injunction. The state Supreme Court declined to do so. Continue reading at The Seattle Times. (Planned Parenthood)

Federal study: New climate law to slice carbon pollution 40%
Clean energy incentives in the new spending package signed this week by President Joe Biden will trim America’s emissions of heat-trapping gases by about 1.1 billion tons (1 billion metric tons) by 2030, a new Department of Energy analysis shows. The first official federal calculations, shared with The Associated Press before its release Thursday, say that between the bill just signed and last year’s infrastructure spending law, the U.S. by the end of the decade will be producing about 1.26 billion tons (1.15 billion metric tons) less carbon pollution than it would have without the laws. That saving is equivalent to about the annual greenhouse gas emissions of every home in the United States. Continue reading at The Associated Press. (Eugene Garcia)

Biden Bill to Help Millions Escape Higher Health Care Costs
Millions of people in the United States will be spared from big increases in health care costs next year after President Joe Biden signed legislation extending generous subsidies for those who buy plans through federal and state marketplaces. The sweeping climate, tax and health care bill sets aside $70 billion over the next three years to keep out-of-pocket premium costs low for roughly 13 million people, just before the reduced prices were set to expire in a year beset by record-high inflation. The bill will extend subsidies temporarily offered last year when Congress and Biden signed off on a $1.9 trillion coronavirus relief bill that significantly lowered premiums and out-of-pocket costs for customers purchasing plans through the Affordable Care Act’s marketplace. It also continues reduced costs for more individuals and families who live well above the poverty line. Continue reading at The Associated Press. (Alex Brandon)