Phoenix Mercury’s Brittney Griner (42) elbows Chicago Sky’s Stevanie Dolson (31) during the second half in Game 4 of the WNBA Finals, Oct. 17, 2021, in Chicago.
On Friday, the Women’s National Basketball Association’s season opens but star player Brittney Griner can’t compete. That’s because Griner was “wrongfully detained,” in Russia 78 days ago, according to the US State Department. And Spain has one of the most liberal abortion laws in Europe. But abortion rights activists say there are still setbacks, including the increased presence of outlier anti-abortion groups, many with ties to the US. Plus, a major sandstorm in northern and western Iraq this week has sent hundreds of people to the hospital with respiratory issues. We hear from an Iraqi environmentalist about what’s causing the powerful sandstorms.
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