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The <keyword id="79070" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="80" keywordseo="Maharashtra-State-AIDS-Control-Society">Maharashtra State Aids Control Society</keyword> (MSAC) has expressed fear of possible spreading of <keyword id="63552" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="80" keywordseo="HIV/AIDS">HIV/AIDS</keyword> in the run-up to the Kumbh Mela because of shortage of condoms. 
 

	The project managers said if the condoms did not reach the sex workers, the efforts taken during the past decade to reduce infections and spread of HIV would go in vain.
 

	Yogesh Pardeshi, the district programme officer, MSAC, told TOI that some hospitals have run out of stock and condoms were being brought in from rural hospitals and primary health centres. "A meeting was held on Friday and a request for more condoms has been made to the head office," he added.
 
 

	Another official from MSAC said the district now has a stock of about 50,000 condoms for the female sex workers and the men-having-sex-with-men (MSM). "The stock will get over before Kumbh," he said.
 
 MSAC officials said the <keyword id="86950" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="100" keywordseo="National-AIDS-Control-Organisation">National Aids Control Organisation</keyword> (NACO) has stopped the supply of condoms, leaving the AIDS control society with a stock that can last only for a week. Kumbh Mela is beginning on July 14 and nearly a crore people, including lakhs of sadhus, are expected to visit <keyword id="42738" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="100" keywordseo="Nashik">Nashik</keyword> to participate in the mega religious congregation. 

	The city has an estimated 2,000 female sex workers, 560 MSMs and 70 transgenders, while there are one lakh migrants in the district that has a monthly requirement of 1.5-2 lakh condoms. Given the current situation, the officials fear that the current stock of condoms might not be enough to cater to the huge number of people visiting the city.
 

	The average annual requirement of condoms estimated for 2015 is 24 lakh, including those received through social marketing. Stating that an equal number of condoms was expected to cater to Nashik's requirement during Kumbh Mela, the officials attributed the crisis to the Centre's order of curtailing funds for NACO. "This, in turn, compelled NACO to curtail its funds for the MSAC and other NGOs," an official said.
 

	Kuldeep Pawar, the project manager of the Female Sex Workers Targeted Intervention at Pravara Medical Institute, told TOI that the requirement of condoms and medicines to treat sexually transmitted infections would double during the Kumbh Mela. He said, "As there is virtually no stock left for free distribution from the government, the customers may refrain from buying condoms. This might increase chances of infection. It is also not possible for all sex workers to buy contraceptives for safe sex because of their meager income."
 
 

	Pawar said the proportion of infection among the general population was more compared to the female sex workers. "But with no protection to provide, the chances are that the sex workers may get affected as well. The problem is that the government has stopped the support three months before the Kumbh. As of on July 3, we have a stock of about 22,000 condoms and this will hardly last for a week. The monthly requirement is 1.5-1.8 lakh condoms. Considering the requirement, the government should provide additional contraceptives," he said.

	 
	 
	(image credits: kumbhmela-nashik)

Shortage of condoms raises fears of spread of HIV/AIDS before Kumbh Mela

<keyword id="6354915" type="General" weightage="100" keywordseo="assam" source="Orion">Assam</keyword> has an estimated 25,073 People Living with HIV (PLHIV), according to Assam State AIDS Control Society (ASACS). Of the 25,073 PLHIV, 45 per cent are female and three per cent are children, it said. The HIV prevalence rate in Assam is 0.09 per cent, lower than the national prevalence rate of 0.21 per cent, the ASACS said in a release, quoting the NACO HIV Estimation Report 2021, on the occasion of <keyword id="34644" type="General" weightage="50" keywordseo="world-aids-day" source="Orion">World AIDS Day</keyword> on Thursday. The total number of people alive by taking AntiRetroviral therapy (<keyword id="1105" type="General" weightage="50" keywordseo="art" source="Orion">ART</keyword>) is 10,765 in the state. <keyword id="6403345" type="General" weightage="50" keywordseo="kamrup" source="Orion">Kamrup</keyword> (Metropolitan) district has the highest number of cases at 7,610, followed by Cachar with 5,200, Nagaon 16,02 and Dibrugarh 1,402. Regarding the route of transmission in Assam, 81.63 per cent is through sex between heterosexuals, 5.54 per cent is through HIV-infected syringe and needles, parent to child is 4.76 per cent, homosexual route is 4.61 per cent, 0.85 per cent through blood transfusions and 2.61 is not specified, it said. ASACS has undertaken various activities to create awareness by disseminating HIV messages in mass media (print and electronic), outdoor media (hoardings, bus and train panelling), folk media, social media (facebook, twitter, instagram), activities during festivals, events and HIV awareness in colleges through <keyword id="1182088" type="General" weightage="50" keywordseo="red-ribbon-clubs" source="Orion">Red Ribbon Clubs</keyword> and schools through Adolescence Education Programme, the release stated. On the occasion of World AIDS Day, the state Health department will organise a central function at the Gauhati Medical College Hospital (GMCH) where Minister for Health and Family Welfare Keshab Mahanta will launch ten Opioid Substitution Therapy (OPD-OST) Dispensing Centres for district hospitals across Assam. A rally was also flagged off at GMCH auditorium complex by renowned swimmer Elvis Ali Hazarika with students from colleges and various institutions, NGOs and other stakeholders participating. World AIDS Day is being observed in all districts across Assam with rallies, public meetings and various other activities.

25,703 people living with HIV in Assam: ASACS

<ul class="summary-list"><li>Referring to Trump and his followers' crusade against <keyword id="9418" type="PERSON" weightage="60" keywordseo="masks">masks</keyword> as a "culture war" misunderstands what it actually was – an authoritarian's attempt to bend reality.</li><li>Unlike a culture war, the fight over masks was not a question of values, but of facts. It wasn't an attempt to win consensus either. An insurmountable majority of Americans disagreed with Trump on this.</li><li>By eschewing masks, Trump was trying to use his power to impose his fantasy that the <keyword id="1754604" type="PERSON" weightage="60" keywordseo="coronavirus">coronavirus</keyword> is innocuous on the American people.</li><li>But he lost that fight. In our society, the coronavirus is too violent a reality for Trump to bend.</li><li>This is an <keyword id="6356002" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="opinion">opinion</keyword> column. The thoughts expressed are those of the author.</li></ul>The <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/good-people-finally-wearing-masks-pandemic-coronavirus-fight-was-dumb-2020-7">debate over wearing masks</a> was never part of a culture war, and when we refer to it as such we miss the depth and danger of its significance. The debate was, instead, another marker flashing red on the march toward <keyword id="1126795" type="PERSON" weightage="60" keywordseo="authoritarianism">authoritarianism</keyword> in the days of <keyword id="6354484" type="PERSON" weightage="60" keywordseo="Donald-Trump">Donald Trump</keyword>.Mercifully, when <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/republicans-with-exception-of-trump-now-push-mask-wearing-2020-6">Trump reversed his stance</a> and <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/trump-says-covid-19-serious-problem-but-not-his-fault-2020-7">recommended mask wearing</a> at a press conference last Tuesday, he lost. It was a significant setback for him. But what he lost has nothing to do with culture. It had to do with his power over America's reality.<h2>What is, and is not, a culture war.</h2>Words mean things, and in these confusing times it's critical that we use our words precisely. We should take special care with words that have to do with two most urgent matters in our country — the coronavirus, and Donald Trump's presidency. Culture wars are not just any fight between Donald Trump and his followers and the rest of they country, they are arguments over values. A culture war is won once a critical mass of the population has reached a consensus on one side of a debate or another, then that value is generally accepted. Most Americans move on after that, some never do. This is not what is happened in the mask debate. In fact, it's imprecise to even call what happened a debate. It was an attempted imposition of reality.To begin, public health is not a value judgement, it is scientific. It has nothing to do with what is right or wrong. It has to do with what is dangerous and what is not dangerous for the human body. Unlike most battles in America's culture wars, it is concerned not with one's perception based on religious affiliation or political party, but only with objective fact.It is Trump's treatment of public health facts — his desire to bend them to his will — that makes his stance on masks not another attempt to start a culture war, but rather an attempt at petty despotism.In a perfect totalitarian regime there is no objective fact, there is only reality imposed by the leader and the regime. Trump was recalcitrant about wearing masks even as the consensus among <a href="https://thehill.com/homenews/news/504688-nearly-90-percent-of-americans-say-they-are-wearing-masks-in-public-as">an overwhelming number of Americans </a>was that masks help slow the spread of coronavirus, and that <a href="https://apnews.com/9126a38ef22c244f9ca18f9584061f8d">we should wear them in public</a>.A consensus like the one we see in this case would settle any culture war, but this was not a culture war. It was a battle between reality and an autocrat, Donald Trump. This has nothing to do with reaching consensus.<h2>An autocratic attempt on reality</h2>Trump has a myriad of reasons for wanting to impose a reality in which coronavirus is not a danger to Americans. For one thing, in his invented reality, he isn't responsible for this mess. In his reality <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/president-trump-threatens-to-cut-off-school-funding-2020-7">kids can go back to school</a>, the economy is fine, and out of work Americans can just go out and <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/us-jobless-claims-unemployment-insurance-filings-labor-market-coronavirus-recession-2020-7">get a job if they want one</a>.Instead of doing the actual work to make the country safe for people to move around in, Trump and his allies at the highest levels of government, like <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/national/why-georgia-gov-brian-kemp-stands-alone-on-masks/2020/07/20/2365b294-caba-11ea-bc6a-6841b28d9093_story.html">Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp</a> — who is trying to <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/georgia-gov-brian-kemp-bans-localities-from-making-mask-mandates-2020-7">outlaw mask mandates in his state</a> — are using their power to enforce a fantasy. This obtrusive game of pretend comes directly from the dictator's handbook. It's how Russia's Joseph Stalin <a href="https://www.theatlantic.com/international/archive/2017/10/red-famine-anne-applebaum-ukraine-soviet-union/542610/">hid an empire-wide famine</a> from 1932-1933, for example.Of course, this isn't Russia, this is America — a place where we are very uncomfortable with our long flirtation with facsism. We collectively cringe when the words associated with totalitarianism are applied to our <keyword id="6358883" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="politics">politics</keyword>, so we tend to ignore its influence.Historically, we do not like to accept that the <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/it-is-not-enough-to-not-be-racist-in-america-you-must-be-anti-racist-2020-6">Confederacy was a fascist nation</a> born within our democracy, or that the Ku Klux Klan, <a href="https://slate.com/news-and-politics/2017/03/why-the-second-ku-klux-klan-failed-to-win-pervasive-american-support.html">a fascist organization</a>, wielded immense <a href="https://www.theindychannel.com/longform/the-ku-klux-klan-ran-indiana-once-could-it-happen-again">political power</a> in large swaths of the country within the last century. This autocratic undercurrent is not included in the song of America we teach our children. We almost never call it by its right name. This denial makes us vulnerable as Masha Gessen, author of the book "Surviving Autocracy" pointed out in an interview with <a href="https://www.salon.com/2020/06/12/masha-gessen-on-trumps-autocratic-attempt--his-attack-on-reality-meaning-and-democracy/">Slate</a>."I think one of the weaknesses that Trumpism taps into is American exceptionalism and is what some scholars have called the American civil religion, this religious belief in the Constitution, in the perfection of the structure and this republic," Gessen said. "And this structure is deeply imperfect, and I would also argue that it hasn't been very well tended to in the last few decades. It has become more imperfect, more rickety."When we reduce Trump's stance on masks to a simple "culture war" it is in part because of our blindness to the imperfection of the American experiment.While politicians wax superficially about whether or not the founders intended us to cover our faces, Trump thinks only of how he can use his power to bend reality for his benefit, and how he can impose that on us. That is what fascists do. But instead of acknowledging that — and what it says about what's happening to us — we ignore it and try to call Trump's reality-bending something more familiar, more palatable for our democratic society, like a culture war.<h2>The old names are dead, long live the old names</h2>This mask debate also has nothing to do with identities like Republican or Democrat. They are irrelevant if we are to take those words to mean what they've meant for the last few decades.In the past, a disagreement between those two parties would mean a disagreement between two democratic (little d) parties. That's not what this is. That old distinction was rendered meaningless when Republicans abandoned reality, the rule of law and consensus. Instead Republicans must accept reality as it's handed down by Donald Trump, and their <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/republican-congressman-with-coronavirus-refused-to-wear-mask-in-capitol-2020-6">caterwauling over masks</a> is simply another example of that. It has <a href="https://www.goerie.com/news/20200722/pa-fight-against-wearing-masks-involves-some-key-republicans-and-liberty">nothing to do with "liberty."</a>America is in the throes of what Hungarian sociologist Bálint Magyar calls an "<a href="https://www.bostonglobe.com/2020/07/10/arts/masha-gessen-contends-with-trump-era-surviving-autocracy/?camp=bg:brief:rss:feedly&amp;rss_id=feedly_rss_briefrief">autocratic attempt.</a>" It is the first stage on the way to totalitarianism. In his framework the autocrat tries to bend rules and norms until they break. The attempt is followed by an "autocratic breakthrough" and then "autocratic consolidation." The transition is not a "slide," which implies that it moves at a steady, predictable clip. It is a tug of war.That is to say these sort of autocratic attempts don't come without some pushback from within the institutions that are being broken . At times we see the <keyword id="107893" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="60" keywordseo="GOP">GOP</keyword> struggling with its transition from its old democratic self. And that struggle is especially difficult during the coronavirus because it is such lethal force of reality.Last week, Trump was was pressing Republicans to subvert reality in his favor by <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/trump-administration-seeks-to-cut-tests-funding-from-coronavirus-bill-2020-7">leaving funding for more testing out</a> of the upcoming <keyword id="9071641" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="coronavirus-aid-bill">coronavirus aid bill</keyword>. Thankfully that attempt failed. That failure was the moment when Trump lost his crusade against masks. It was because of a lack of raw political power, not because he has any respect for public health or society's consensus. If he senses his power returning, do not be shocked if he reverses course on masks again.Trump firmly believes he is entitled to control reality, to assert himself and his followers above all else. His politics are not the politics of seeking accord, because <keyword id="6563127" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="fascism">fascism</keyword> is not about accord, it's about domination. It is not a debate. It is a demand. But we do not have to accede.

The debate over masks is not a 'culture war,' stop calling it that

Bamako, Apr 11 (AFP) Malian President Ibrahim Boubacar Keita has announced a coronavirus aid package for poor people and hard-hit firms, as cases continue to rise in the war-torn West African state.The president warned on Friday that the country's already war-battered economy was facing a shock, and declared a package worth some 500 billion CFA francs (USD 832 million)."The government of Mali... is willing to make the greatest sacrifice to lessen the negative impact of the pandemic on our economy and society," Keita said in a televised address.Mali is one of the poorest countries in the world and has been struggling since 2012 to quell a jihadist insurgency that has killed thousands of soldiers and civilians.The conflict -- which has left swathes of the country outside state control -- has aggravated fears that Mali is ill prepared to tackle a large coronavirus outbreak.Authorities have recorded 87 cases in the country so far, with seven fatalities. The government had previously declared a nationwide night-time curfew and closed land borders.Warning of the steep economic costs associated with the pandemic, Keita said Friday that the government would shoulder water and electricity bills for the poorest people in April and May, among other measures.The government would also distribute 56,000 tonnes of grain in food aid and 16,000 tonnes of animal feed, he added, and allow tax rebates for firms hit hard by the virus.Despite underlining the need for social distancing, Keita said the second round of a parliamentary election scheduled for April 19 will go ahead.The president added that the government is also considering isolating the capital Bamako, where most of the country's infections have been detected, with a decision due soon. (AFP) MRJ

Mali announces coronavirus aid package, maintains election date

It seems that India’s slowing <keyword id="35050" type="CITY" weightage="20" keywordseo="gdp">GDP</keyword> growth in 2017-18, in the wake of demonetisation, an overhaul of the tax regime and a decline in manufacturing and investment, has had an adverse impact on the financial strength of its states. According to <a href="http://www.careratings.com/upload/NewsFiles/SplAnalysis/Study%20of%20State%20Budgets%20for%20FY19.pdf">a report by CARE Ratings</a>, a credit ratings agency, 14 out of 24 states recorded a decline in their net financial position, as per latest estimates, in the year ended March 2018. Of the 14 states that recorded a revenue surplus, which occurs when revenue receipts are higher than revenue expenditure, eight saw a lower surplus than the year before, including <keyword id="6357713" type="COMPANY" weightage="20" keywordseo="Uttar-Pradesh">Uttar Pradesh</keyword> (₹185.2 billion), Bihar (₹14.5 billion) and Odisha (₹88.7 billion). However, a revenue surplus isn’t an obvious indicator of financial strength. Many states which record surpluses like Uttar Pradesh, which has the highest surplus, <a href="http://www.prsindia.org/uploads/media/State%20Budget%202018-19/Uttar%20Pradesh%20Budget%20Analysis%202018-19.pdf">spend less than their budget estimates </a>on agriculture and education, resulting in lower expenditure. Meanwhile, 10 states recorded a revenue deficit, out of which 6 experienced a higher deficit than the previous year. These include Rajasthan (₹201.7 billion), Tamil Nadu (₹183.7 billion) and <keyword id="13126" type="COMPANY" weightage="20" keywordseo="Maharashtra">Maharashtra</keyword> (₹148.4 billion). Assam recorded the highest deficit at ₹233.5 billion, compared to a mere deficit of ₹1.4 billion the previous year, as it significantly <a href="http://www.prsindia.org/administrator/uploads/general/1521201654~~Assam%20Budget%20Analysis%2018-19.pdf">overshot its budgeted expenditure</a> on agriculture, police resources, education and health. Spending beyond their means Another cause for concern is that more states are spending beyond their means. The number of states with a <keyword id="6365485" type="DEFINITION" weightage="20" keywordseo="Fiscal-Deficit">fiscal deficit</keyword>, the difference between total revenue (excluding borrowings) and total expenditure, that is larger than 3% of GDSP (a state’s gross domestic product) has increased from 10 in 2016-17 to 14 in 2017-18. The 14th Finance Commission recommends a maximum limit of 3% on state fiscal deficits. In fact, 5 states actually had a deficit ratio higher than 3.5%. Bihar stood out as the state with the worst ratio, at 7.5%, partly owing to <a href="http://www.prsindia.org/administrator/uploads/general/1519878666_State%20Budget%20Analysis%20-%20Bihar%202018.pdf">higher spending on pensions, education and rural development. </a> India’s states are increasing the amount they spend on asset creation, in lieu of future growth and development. Around 14 out of 24 states reported a higher capital outlay, or the money spent on infrastructure creation and fixed assets, as a percentage of total expenditure. Goa had the highest allocation, at 27% of total expenditure, followed by Jammu &amp; Kashmir and Bihar. It bears mentioning that Uttar Pradesh, Maharashtra and Punjab all extended generous loan waivers last year. However, as shown below, it seems that only Maharashtra can afford the waivers. Maharashtra and Uttar Pradesh have the highest <keyword id="44647" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="20" keywordseo="debt">debt</keyword> levels Maharashtra, India’s richest state, had the highest level of outstanding debt with ₹4.07 trillion, closely followed by Uttar Pradesh, one of India’s poorest states, with a debt burden of ₹4.06 trillion. This is roughly equivalent to the cost of 306,000 Lamborghini Gallardos. However, given its high GDSP, Maharashtra has a debt-to-GDSP ratio of only 16.3%, well below the Finance Commission’s maximum permissible limit of 25%, while Uttar Pradesh has a debt ratio of 29.5%. The reports show that 8 out of 19 states had a debt-to-GDSP ratio over 25%. Punjab and Jammu &amp; Kashmir had worryingly high debt ratios, at 41% and 46.4% respectively. Along with West Bengal and Haryana, Punjab spends more than 20% of its revenue receipts on interest payments alone, which results in lower development spending. Only four states - Karnataka, Telangana, Odisha and Chattisgarh - proved to be efficient at managing their debt obligations. In addition to having a debt-to-GDSP ratio of less than 25%, these states also allocated less than 10% of their revenue receipts to interest payments. An improvement in 2019? In light of their declining financial strength, India’s states will focus on fiscal consolidation and cost control in the current fiscal year. Only 7 states are budgeted to have a revenue deficit in 2018-19, out of which 4 expect to reduce their revenue deficit. West Bengal, Assam and Andhra Pradesh, all of which recorded a revenue deficit last year, expect to record a surplus or a neutral balance in 2018-19. Meanwhile, all the 14 states that recorded a revenue surplus last year, expect to do so in 2018-19 as well, with 9, including Gujarat, Uttar Pradesh, Chhattisgarh and Bihar, planning to increase their surplus. These states will continue to count on the generosity of the central government for grants-in-aid and tax revenues. According to PRS Legislative Research, a think tank, <a href="http://www.prsindia.org/uploads/media/Analytical%20Report/State%20of%20State%20Finances%202018.pdf">states derive 46% of their revenue</a> from the central government’s coffers. Grants account for 20% of state funding while the states’ share of central taxes account for 26%. Given their dependence on the central government, it isn’t hard to see why so many voters in state elections favour the party that is in power at the centre.

Here’s what the fiscal health of Indian states looks like post-demonetisation and GST

<ul class="summary-list"><li>The US Supreme Court appears poised to overturn the abortion-rights ruling under <keyword id="12004409" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="roe-v-wade" source="Orion">Roe v Wade</keyword>.</li><li>Companies like Netflix, Citi, <keyword id="11894021" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="apple" source="Orion">Apple</keyword>, Yelp, and <keyword id="11893181" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="amazon" source="Orion">Amazon</keyword> are expanding support for workers seeking <keyword id="11901426" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="abortion" source="Orion">abortion</keyword>.</li></ul>In a surprise leak, a Supreme Court majority decision appears poised to overturn decades of settled law in <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/leaked-draft-opinion-appears-scotus-could-overturn-roe-v-wade-2022-5">reversing the constitutional right to abortion</a> under Roe v Wade.On Tuesday, Chief Justice John Roberts <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/supreme-court-confirms-authenticity-draft-opinion-gutting-roe-v-wade-2022-5">confirmed that the draft document was real</a>, but said the court has not yet reached a final ruling.Though the leak itself was unexpected, it follows a concerted effort that has long been underway in many Republican-controlled states to severely limit access to abortion.Several large companies with employees located in places like Texas and Oklahoma have announced their own initiatives to preserve access to medical treatments that are in the process of being criminalized by state lawmakers. 26 states are "certain or likely" to ban abortion if Roe is struck down, according to <a href="https://www.guttmacher.org/abortion-rights-supreme-court">analysis by the Guttmacher Institute</a>. Employers like Citi, Apple, Yelp, and Amazon are specifically including abortion in their expansion of existing benefits programs, which reimburse employees for travel costs related to seeking medical care that is not available near the employee's home.Others like Uber and Lyft have pledged support for transportation for people seeking abortions, as well as legally defending drivers against abortion related lawsuits.Below is a list of major companies and how they are responding to rollbacks of reproductive rights.<h2>Netflix</h2>The streaming company told Insider it will reimburse expenses for US employees and their dependents who need to travel for cancer treatment, transplants, gender-affirming care, or abortions through its health plans. It is a $10,000 lifetime allowance per employee and/or their dependents per service.<h2>Starbucks</h2>The coffee company, which employs 240,000 workers across the US, announced an expansion of its employee benefits package that will soon include reimbursement for travel to access abortion or gender-affirming care that is not available locally. The benefit also applies to employees' dependents enrolled in the company's programs."Like many of you, I'm deeply concerned by the draft Supreme Court opinion related to the constitutional right to abortion that was first established by Roe v. Wade," Starbucks executive vice president Sara Kelly said in a <a href="https://stories.starbucks.com/press/2022/letter-to-starbucks-partners-ensuring-access-to-healthcare/">letter to staff</a>. "Regardless of what the Supreme Court ends up deciding, we will always ensure our partners have access to quality healthcare."<h2>Tesla</h2>The electric carmaker, which officially relocated its headquarters to Texas in December, announced in a report on May 6 that it has offered "travel and lodging support for those who may need to seek healthcare services that are unavailable in their home state" since 2021 under its Safety Net and health insurance program.<h2>Apple</h2><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/tim-cook-addresses-apple-staff-concerns-only-answers-two-questions-2021-9">Apple CEO Tim Cook addressed concerns</a> about Texas' fetal heartbeat bill during a town hall meeting in September. The company soon followed up with a memo that called the bill "<a href="https://techcrunch.com/2021/09/16/in-internal-memo-apple-says-it-is-monitoring-legal-challenges-to-texas-abortion-law/">uniquely restrictive</a>," and said the employee health plan covers participants who "travel out-of-state for medical care if it is unavailable in their home state."<h2>Citigroup</h2>Citi, which has roughly 8,500 employees in Texas, notified investors in a March filing that "In response to changes in reproductive healthcare laws in certain states in the U.S., beginning in 2022 we provide travel benefits to facilitate <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/citi-to-cover-costs-of-staff-leaving-states-for-abortions-2022-3">access to adequate resources</a>."<h2>Amazon</h2>On May 2, just hours before <keyword id="11893589" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="news" source="Orion">news</keyword> of the Supreme Court draft decision broke, Amazon told employees it would cover <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/amazon-to-cover-us-employees-annual-medical-travel-expenses-2022-5">up to $4,000 per year in travel costs</a> related to non-life threatening medical treatments, including elective abortion. The policy covers both corporate and warehouse workers and their dependents who are enrolled in the company's Premera or Aetna health plans.<h2>Salesforce</h2>Shortly after the Texas bill passed in September, Salesforce told employees via its internal messaging system: "If you have concerns about access to reproductive healthcare in your state, <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/salesforce-will-help-relocate-employees-from-texas-after-abortion-law-2021-9">Salesforce will help relocate you</a> and members of your immediate family."<h2>Yelp</h2>"Overturning Roe v. Wade will jeopardize the human rights of millions of women who stand to lose the liberty to make decisions over their own bodies," Yelp said in a statement on Tuesday. "Turning back the clock on the progress women have made over the past 50 years will have a seismic impact on our society and economy."In explaining Yelp's decision cover travel costs for employees seeking abortion in a different state from the one where they live, <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/yelp-exec-abortion-travel-expenses-benefit-miriam-warren-2022-4">chief diversity officer Miriam Warren previously told Insider</a>, "This is not a new issue for Yelp; this is a new benefit.""Our company and our CEO have long been invested in promoting gender equity," she continued, "the possibility of which is diminished when women don't have control over their own reproductive health."<h2>Lyft</h2>In response to the "heartbeat" abortion bans recently passed in Oklahoma and Texas, Lyft announced it would <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/uber-lyft-legal-fees-of-drivers-texas-abortion-ban-2021-9">cover the legal fees</a> of drivers sued in either state for transporting passengers to abortion providers. The ride-share company <a href="https://www.lyft.com/blog/posts/supporting-drivers-riders-and-womens-access-to-healthcare">said</a> it is also working with healthcare partners to cover transportation costs to airports and clinics for women in Oklahoma and Texas seeking out-of-state abortion care. Lyft's US medical benefits include coverage for elective abortions. On April 29, the company said it will cover the transportation costs for employees seeking abortions outside of Texas and Oklahoma. <h2>Uber</h2>Uber announced it would also <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/uber-lyft-legal-fees-of-drivers-texas-abortion-ban-2021-9'">cover drivers' legal fees</a> soon after Lyft. "Drivers shouldn't be put at risk for getting people where they want to go," Uber CEO Dara Khosrowshahi said on Twitter, referring to a provision that allows private citizens to sue individuals "aiding and abetting" an illegal abortion and creates a $10,000 "reward" for successful lawsuits.<h2>Match</h2>Match Group CEO Shar Dubey created <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/match-group-ceo-starts-healthcare-fund-texas-regressive-abortion-law-2021-9">a fund for Texas-based employees</a> seeking healthcare services outside of the state following the "heartbeat" abortion ban. "I'm not speaking about this as the CEO of a company," Dubey said. "I'm speaking about this personally, as a mother and a woman who has fervently cared about women's rights, including the very fundamental right of choice over her body."<h2>Bumble</h2>Bumble <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/bumble-creates-relief-funds-texas-women-seeking-abortions-heartbeat-bill-2021-9">created a relief fund</a> for organizations supporting Texans' reproductive rights. The <a href="https://markets.businessinsider.com/stocks/bmbl-stock">$6.6 billion company</a> founded by Whitney Wolfe Herd in 2014 <a href="https://twitter.com/bumble/status/1433195884435681287">tweeted</a> that it was "women-founded and women-led," and would "keep fighting against regressive laws like SB8." Bumble and Match were some of <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/texas-abortion-ban-big-tech-silent-female-ceos-speak-out-2021-9">the first Texas-based tech companies to speak out against the ban</a>. "We are dismayed by the rumors of the Supreme Court decision that was leaked last night," a Bumble spokesperson said Tuesday. "At Bumble, we believe strongly in women's right to choose and exercise complete control over their bodies. The safety, privacy and freedom of family planning are critical to equality for all ... The health and safety of our team is our utmost priority and that includes covering access to abortion care. We will continue to partner with organizations that work to provide reproductive access to all." <h2>Dell</h2>In response to TX SB8, Dell Technologies CEO Michael Dell sent an <a href="https://dell-chairman-communications.newsweaver.com/kiwlwpqelp/1hsea5u21591erliwfezax?lang=en&amp;a=6&amp;p=1971827&amp;t=274099">email</a><a href="https://dell-chairman-communications.newsweaver.com/kiwlwpqelp/1hsea5u21591erliwfezax?email=true&amp;lang=en&amp;a=6&amp;p=1971827&amp;t=274099"> to all Texas employees</a> on Wednesday, September 8 that said: "Our leadership team is carefully reviewing the implications of recent legislation on our business and on you, our team members." While the internal message did not mention SB8 by name, Dell wrote that "there's much we still don't know about how all of these laws will ultimately play out" and the company's "goal is for you to have more (health) coverage, not less."A Dell spokesperson declined to comment on the Supreme Court draft opinion leaked Monday, adding that the company's focus "is on our team members and supporting them with the benefits and support they need."<h2>Levi's</h2>Levi's employees, including part-time <keyword id="11893588" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="retail" source="Orion">retail</keyword> workers, can seek reimbursement for travel expenses related to seeking an abortion in another state."Protecting access to the full range of reproductive health care, including abortion, is a critical business issue. Efforts to further restrict or criminalize that access would have far-reaching consequences for the American workforce, the US economy and our nation's pursuit of gender and racial equity.It would jeopardize workplace gains women have made over the past 50 years, disproportionately impact women of color and force companies to implement different health policies for different locations. Given what is at stake, business leaders need to make their voices heard and act to protect the health and well-being of our employees. That means protecting reproductive rights," Levi Strauss &amp; Co said Tuesday in a statement shared with Insider. <h2>Lush</h2>Lush Handmade Cosmetics said in January that <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/companies-investors-abortion-roe-v-wade-debate-2022-1">it's reviewing healthcare coverage </a>to ensure all US staff can access abortion services. "We are fraught with concern for the state of women's rights in this country. Not only because Lush employs over 80% of women but because we know access to safe reproductive care, including abortion is an essential part of a healthy workforce and community. For seven months we've been campaigning for the right to access to abortion for all in TX, FL, OH, MO, AK and OK.The leaked draft of the Supreme Court opinion confirms our worst fears and we are currently exploring ways to support impacted staff with inclusive and equitable care. But this 'fix' can only be temporary from the business community, we need legislation like the Women's Health Protection Act, passed to reflect the will of the majority of the country and ensure that women's rights are affirmed as what they are — human rights," Brandi Halls, Chief Ethics Officer for Lush Cosmetics North America, said in a statement shared with Insider on Tuesday.

Netflix joins Tesla, Amazon, Apple, and others in covering travel costs for employees seeking abortions in different states. Here's how companies are pushing back against increasing restrictions.

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