AUSTIN, Texas — In late September, the Texas Maternal Mortality and Morbidity Committee requested information on the number of abortion-related deaths in the state. The data has been kept from the group for more than a decade.

“We can’t make comments about what caused an increase in maternal death in our state if we’re not really reviewing all of them,” said Dr. Carla Ortique, chair of the committee.

The request follows the panel’s latest report, which shows that in 2020 the maternal mortality rate was 27.7 deaths per 100,000 live births—compared to 17.2 in 2019. The data predates the state’s near total abortion ban, which is expected to increase maternal mortality. 

“Each maternal death, each life that is lost, has value,” said Ortique. 

Health care providers say the context from the number of abortion-related deaths could save lives. 

“Get down to the root of some of our problems and to really figure out how can we make a positive change,” said Dr. Todd Ivey, a Houston OB-GYN and district chair of the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists 

Legislators would need to change state law to allow the committee to view the data. There isn’t expected to be pushback, but Austin-area Democratic state Rep. Donna Howard thinks abortion-related terms should be redefined in state law to better understand the mortality and morbidity patterns. 

Current state law does not consider the removal of an ectopic pregnancy as an abortion, but medically, it is. 

“So part of what we should be doing is being consistent with medical science and what medical definitions are, and not playing games politically,” said Howard. 

Anti-abortion advocates support the committee’s request for the data, but say that definitions don’t need to change. 

“Because when we gather this data, we want to understand the true deaths in the state of Texas that are occurring because of abortion,” said Amy O’Donnell with Texas Alliance for Life.

Ivey says more education is needed for policymakers to understand why an abortion is necessary to treat ectopic pregnancy. He added that clarity to the state’s law that only allows for abortions in the case of an emergency would help address mortality and morbidity rates. 

“People are very confused and people are very frightened exactly what they can and cannot do,” said Ivey.

The Texas Medical Board recently adopted new rules that protect doctors who perform abortions for ectopic pregnancies, but many doctors want more clarity. 

Westlake High School in Austin, Texas, faces Akins High School on Thursday, Oct. 3 at 7:30 p.m. CT (8:30 p.m. ET) in Austin, Texas. Here’s how you can watch the game on NFHS Network.

Watch: Westlake VS. Akins LIVE STREAM

How can I watch Westlake vs. Akins? Fans can subscribe to NFHS Sports Network, a nationwide streaming platform for more than 9,000 high school sports. You can find the list of available schools here.

How much does an NFHS subscription cost? Is there a free trial to NFHS Network? An annual subscription costs $79.99, or you can pay monthly for $11.99 per month.

Can you watch NFHS on your phone or TV? NFHS Network is available on smart TVs like Apple TV, Roku, Amazon Fire and Google Chromecast, as well as on iOS and Android smartphones.

Top 25 high school football rankings (MaxPreps)

1. Mater Dei (Santa Ana, California)

2. St. John Bosco (Bellflower, California)

3. Milton (Milton, Georgia)

4. Duncanville (Duncanville, Texas)

5. Bishop Gorman (Las Vegas, Nevada)

6. IMG Academy (Bradenton, Florida)

7. Carrollton (Carrollton, Georgia)

8. North Shore (Houston, Texas)

9. St. Thomas Aquinas (Fort Lauderdale, Florida)

10. Mission Viejo (Mission Viejo, California)

11. North Crowley (Fort Worth, Texas)

12. Archbishop Spalding (Severn, Maryland)

13. Buford (Buford, Georgia)

14. Boyle County (Danville, Kentucky)

15. Central (Phenix City, Alabama)

16. Orange Lutheran (Orange, California)

17. Lakeland (Lakeland, Florida)

18. JSerra Catholic (San Juan Capistrano, California)

19. Venice (Venice, Florida)

20. DeSoto (DeSoto, Texas)

21. Corner Canyon (Draper, Utah)

22. Bergen Catholic (Oradell, New Jersey)

23. De La Salle (Concord, California)

24. Atascocita (Humble, Texas)

25. Centennial (Corona, California)

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Organizers of the United States Grand Prix at the Circuit of the Americas in Austin have revealed the plan for the upcoming race weekend, with Eminem’s concert on Saturday and a football match between popular college football teams Texas Longhorns and the Georgia Bulldogs. The event, followed by the increase in the sport’s competitiveness, is expected to attract a huge audience for the race weekend.

Race promoter Bobby Epstein has revealed that ticket sales shot up significantly after Max Verstappen stopped winning races this season. The end of his winning streak marked the conclusion of Red Bull’s dominance in the ground effect era that began in 2022. His last win was towards the end of June in Spain. Epstein told the media:

“I think it would have been our weakest year in four, since the pandemic.

“Our ticket sales really took off when Max stopped winning and it got more competitive. So, I give a lot of credit to our fan base and the audience, they’re paying attention and I think it’s exciting to see the season shape up the way it is.

“We’re expecting another big crowd, probably somewhere around where it’s been the last couple years. I would think whatever the record is for a Saturday sprint race, we should shatter that record, because Eminem has outsold Taylor Swift [who performed at the 2016 edition], and we’ve increased the size of the infield lawn to get to near 100,000 for the concert. So, I think 130,000 to 150,000 people will be there for the Saturday sprint race.”

The addition of a Saturday night showdown between the Texas Longhorns and Georgia Bulldogs, two top-ranked college football teams is expected to attract another 100,000 fans to DKR Texas Memorial Stadium, which presents a unique opportunity for COTA. As a result, Epstein has introduced a Friday-Sunday combo ticket tailored for football fans attending the game. He added:

“We have wound up on the same weekend as college football games before, which makes for a fun downtown late night, but I don’t think we’ve had it where the Longhorns have been ranked as high,” Epstein said. “There are going to be a lot of people in town for that.

“I think it’s a chance, two-fold. One for the college football fan who likes sports and likes big events. If that’s your vernacular, then you’re going to like to make your weekend even bigger by adding on F1 on Sunday.

“It’s a great opportunity for those fans, and then also for our fans who come for F1. I know the Europeans are particularly fond of college football, and in particular the halftime show. It’s surprising, but we have groups from Europe that come when there is a college football game, because it adds to their weekend and just elevates the experience overall.

“The football package is just something fun. We came up with it a couple weeks ago because Saturday was selling out, largely because of Eminem, and we still have capacity on Sunday and Friday. So, we just said, let’s throw it out there for people that just [attend the football game]. I think most of the hotels are three or four night minimums, so if you’re a Georgia fan coming in for it and you say : ‘What else am I gonna do the rest of the weekend?’ Well, you can buy Friday and Sunday and come out to the track.”

He also shared an adventurous plan from some fans who were aiming to attend both the game and the concert, even though the game’s timing has yet to be announced. Epstein said:

“If the game time kick-off is in the evening, then you can go to Eminem for an hour and something and then make the second half of the football game, which we know some people are planning on doing.

“The shuttle stop for our downtown bus route is very near the stadium, so I know there’s plenty of people planning to go to the concert and go to the second half of the football game.”