Georgia prepares to pass six-week abortion ban 

Georgia lawmakers on Friday approved a bill that would ban abortions six weeks after conception, down from the state's current standard of 20 weeks. The bill is the latest in a string of such ‘heartbeat’ bills across the country, named as such because six weeks is the earliest that a heartbeat can be detected in an embryo. Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp is expected to sign the bill into law. Other states with such laws on the books, including Iowa and Kentucky, have faced fierce opposition as opponents say that a woman often doesn’t know she is pregnant at six weeks. Kentucky’s ban was blocked by a federal judge last month after the ACLU challenged it. The organization has also said that it would challenge Georgia’s ban if it is signed into law.