What is happening: Debt-ceiling negotiators appear likely to agree on spending cuts that would disproportionately harm Democratic voters by increasing the spread of sexually transmitted diseases, according to Politico.
• The report suggests that clawing back unspent funds allocated for the COVID-19 pandemic is "one of the few seeming areas of agreement between House Republicans and the White House" as the two sides attempt to forge a deal to raise the debt ceiling and cut spending.
• Some public health officials have warned that clawing back these funds would "undermine work to slow the spread of syphilis, chlamydia, gonorrhea, HIV, and hepatitis."
Why it matters: Democratic voters are statistically more likely to be harmed by an increase in STDs.
• Studies show that STDs are far more common in non-married individuals, who are more likely to be Democrats, than married individuals, who are more likely to vote Republican.
• Gay men, a solidly Democratic voting bloc, are at greater risk of STD infection compared with the rest of the population, according to the Centers for Disease Control.
Bottom line: Keep calm and condom on.