Post Reports

The bold new strategy in the fight against abortion rights

For years, antiabortion advocates have tried to chip away at Roe v. Wade incrementally. They pushed legislatures to impose waiting periods and mandate hallway widths in clinics and generally make it more onerous for abortion clinics to operate and for women to access the procedure.

Now, the pretense is being thrown out as states such as Georgia and Missouri impose much more restrictive bans. In Alabama, a law passed that outlawed the procedure almost entirely, without exceptions for rape or incest.

Aaron Blake is a senior political reporter for The Fix. He explains the thinking behind their strategy — and how it could backfire.

More on this topic:

• In Alabama, the GOP goes big on overturning Roe v. Wade. It could regret it.
• States racing to overturn Roe v. Wade look to a Supreme Court that prefers gradual change
• Governor signs Alabama abortion ban that has galvanized support on both sides, setting up a lengthy fight

The new Howard Stern says the old Howard Stern makes him ‘cringe’

Howard Stern, the self-proclaimed “King of All Media,” was mostly known for mocking everyone and objectifying women on his TV and radio shows. But, he told The Post’s Geoff Edgers, that’s all behind him now.

“I tried to watch some of my old Letterman [appearances],” Stern said during an interview at his SiriusXM radio studio. “I couldn’t get through two minutes of it. It’s just not me. I don’t know who that guy is.”

In a new book, “Howard Stern Comes Again,” Stern hopes marks his evolution from an impatient and often nasty blabbermouth to a master conversationalist.

More on this topic:

• Meet the new Howard Stern. He’d like to make amends for the old Howard Stern.

The art world is out of touch

A rabbit sculpture by Jeff Koons just sold for $91.1 million — a record breaking figure. When an artwork fetches that kind of price at auction, the first question everyone silently asks is: “Could it really be worth that?”

“The first and best answer, obviously, is no,” says Post art critic Sebastian Smee. He sees the sale as evidence that the art world is increasingly untethered from reality.

More on this topic:

• A bunny sculpture by Jeff Koons just sold for $91.1 million — another sign that the art world is untethered from reality

Is having so many candidates bad for Democrats?

So many Democrats are running for president that some will not qualify for the first debate — even though it allows for 20 candidates.

Michael Scherer covers campaigns for The Post. He says some Democratic leaders are worried the party will struggle to coalesce around one candidate in time to mount the strongest possible campaign against a president they urgently want to defeat.

More on this topic:

• As presidential field swells to unheard-of size, Democrats may struggle to choose a nominee and message

How university officials left their students in the dark about a viral outbreak

In late 2018, University of Maryland student Olivia Paregol was stricken with a mysterious illness. For more than two weeks, university officials remained silent about the reason — a viral outbreak.

Amy Brittain and Jenn Abelson are investigative reporters for The Post. They explored the consequences of the university’s decision through the story of this 18-year-old student.

More on this topic:

• Adenovirus at the University of Maryland: Officials waited 18 days to inform students of the threat

Trash at the bottom of the ocean

Trash is everywhere — even in places where no human has set foot before.

More on this topic:

• He went where no human had gone before. Our trash had already beaten him there.

How Trump’s presidency is hurting the Trump brand

Trump’s prized Doral golf resort in Miami is crucial to his overall finances, says David Fahrenthold, who covers the Trump Organization for The Post.

But, according to company documents and exclusive video obtained by The Post, the Doral resort is in steep decline.

“They are severely underperforming,” tax consultant Jessica Vachiratevanurak told a Miami-Dade County official in a bid to lower the property’s tax bill. The reason, she said: “There is some negative connotation that is associated with the brand.”

“He’s entwined his business more than any modern president with his presidency,” Fahrenthold says. “And it’s not going well.”

More on this topic:

• Trump’s prized Doral resort is in steep decline, according to company documents, showing his business problems are mounting

Tensions mounting with Iran

Tension between the United States and Iran has been rising steadily. Tehran has indicated it may curtail its full cooperation with the 2015 landmark nuclear agreement, and the Trump administration spoke of “planned or contemplated attacks” by Iran against U.S. forces and friends in the Middle East.

“Things have escalated very quickly in terms of our mind-set, our posture about Iran,” says national security reporter John Hudson, “but there’s a lot of confusion about exactly what the U.S. is responding to.

Hudson explains the responses the White House is considering — including deploying troops — even as lawmakers from both parties complained that the White House has not fully briefed them on the escalating tensions.

More on this topic:

• Trump administration considers responses to potential Iranian attacks, including troop increase
• Iranian threats led to White House’s deployment announcement, U.S. officials say
• Pompeo crashes Brussels meeting of E.U. diplomats but changes few minds on Iran

Politicians who run for office and run marathons

All successful politicians are competitive — that’s how they got elected, right? But some find that relentless drive not just on the campaign trail but also in the weight room, in a road race or on the basketball court.

Graphics reporter Bonnie Berkowitz lists the most impressive athletic feats by lawmakers.

More on this topic:

• They never stop running: For some lawmakers, over-the-top competition isn’t limited to elections. Our panel rated the athletic feats of 20 politicians.