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Good afternoon,
"If you're going through hell... quit while you're still in second" is perhaps another thing Ron DeSantis believes Winston Churchill said. After coming up short in his presidential bid, Florida's governor is the latest Republican to drop out of the race. Former U.N. Ambassador Nikki Haley is now the lone remaining candidate facing off with former president Donald Trump in today's New Hampshire primary.
Unlike in Iowa, the weather is not forecast to stop anyone from fulfilling their civic duty. New Hampshire voters are some of the most engaged in the country, boasting a history of high turnout in presidential election cycles – and today, voter turnout is expected to set a record. While Trump is likely to bag another win in the Granite State, heading in with a double-digit lead, Haley is hoping that Independents – who are able to vote in either the Democrat or Republican primary – will give her a boost before she heads home to hope for a win in South Carolina.
We'll be keeping our eyes on the polls and give you a readout next week. Until then, here's what else is happening...
WOMEN'S HEALTH IN CRISIS
- Today, on Maternal Health Awareness Day, maternal health across the country is in crisis. In the U.S., nearly 7 million women live in communities with little to no maternity care access, and 2.2 million women live in maternity care deserts where no obstetric care is available. Rural residents are disproportionately affected: rural counties comprise two in three maternity care deserts.
- Financial difficulties and staffing challenges have pushed more than 30 percent of our nation's rural hospitals to the brink of closure. The overturn of Roe v. Wade, which would have celebrated its fifty-first anniversary yesterday, exacerbated barriers to maternal care. In states with abortion bans, 87% of OB/GYNs reported fears about legal constraints that restricted their clinical practice and 11% of physicians have left.
- States with the most restrictive abortion bans already had the highest rates of pregnancy-related mortality prior to the Dobbs decision that brought down Roe. Losing clinicians could contribute to maternity ward closures, further widening maternal health deserts and worsening health outcomes in rural regions.
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Each week, this newsletter highlights what's going on in rural states, counties, communities, and what One Country Project is up to around the country. If you value this content, please consider donating to One Country Project. Your contribution supports our efforts to connect with rural voters and to promote greater opportunities for rural communities.
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SNOW SHOVES FY2024 FUNDING BILLS TO COME AGAIN ANOTHER DAY
- Residents in the D.C. area are all too familiar with the region's poor snow infrastructure. A few inches are enough to cause chaos. Republicans in Congress prefer chaos of their own making, rather than weather-related events. On Thursday, seeking to get out of town before the second snowstorm of the week scrambled travel, the 118th Congress passed their third continuing resolution to avoid a government shutdown.
- This CR extends Agriculture, Energy-Water, Military Construction-VA, and Transportation-HUD funding until March 1 and the rest of the appropriations bills until March 8.
- The vicious cycle of brinkmanship is inhibiting this Congress' ability to pass legislation that affects meaningful change. Rural Americans need tangible solutions amidst an ongoing health care crisis and an updated Farm Bill that secures the future of farming, expands paid family leave, and enables economic growth in rural regions.
Be sure to follow the One Country Project on Twitter and Facebook, and check out The Hot Dish podcast.
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