Abortion Politics Add More Obstacles To Defense Authorization Bill Path

Roll Call: Democratic Women Set Abortion Access As Key To NDAA Support 
Members of the House Democratic Women’s Caucus warned defense committee leaders Tuesday that including provisions that limit abortion access in the fiscal 2024 defense authorization bill would make it impossible for them to support the bill’s final passage. (Coudriet, 10/17)

The Colorado Sun: Federal Judge Questions Colorado’s Abortion Pill “Reversal” Law
After hundreds of pages of court filings and more than two hours of legal argument Tuesday, U.S. District Court Judge Daniel D. Domenico arrived at the simplest possible way to tame the sprawling debate around Colorado’s new law banning so-called medication abortion “reversal” treatment and to decide whether the first-of-its-kind law should stand — at least for now. The case, he said, wouldn’t be decided by whose science is most correct. It’s about whose standard is. (Ingold, 10/18)

Michigan Radio: Democrats' Abortion-Access Legislation May Still Be Stalled, Despite Dropping Medicaid Coverage
Democrats' efforts to expand abortion access in Michigan may still be in peril, even after lawmakers dropped a piece of the legislation that was getting pushback within their own party. The Reproductive Health Act would remove many of the restrictions still on the books in Michigan, including a mandatory waiting period and online consent form that has to be signed and printed 24-hours before a patient’s appointment. It also would make it easier for people to pay for abortion care, by allowing private insurers and Medicaid to cover abortions. But on Tuesday, lawmakers cut the Medicaid provision, in order to appease holdouts within the Democratic party. (Wells, 10/17)

The Texas Tribune: San Antonio Faces Suit Over “Reproductive Justice Fund” 
The city of San Antonio is facing a lawsuit after budgeting $500,000 to support reproductive health services, including, potentially, transportation and lodging for people seeking abortions outside Texas. A group of anti-abortion organizations filed the lawsuit Tuesday in Bexar County, asking a state district judge to prohibit taxpayer dollars from going to organizations that help Texans travel out of the state for abortion. (Klibanoff, 10/17)

Rolling Stone: Trump Takes Credit For Destruction Of Abortion Rights In New Iowa Ads
Donald Trump — who has fretted privately that Republicans are “getting killed” electorally on abortion — is now running ads touting his pro-life record in Iowa, the first state to vote in the GOP primary. In the ads, paid for by Trump’s campaign and first reported by Kyle Tharp in his newsletter FWIW, Trump declares himself “THE MOST Pro-Life President in history.” (Stuart and McCann Ramirez, 10/16)

In other reproductive health news —

St. Louis Post-Dispatch: St. Louis Region’s Planned Parenthood Doctor Named A Finalist For EU’s Top Humanitarian Prize
Dr. Colleen McNicholas, the chief medical officer for the St. Louis region’s Planned Parenthood, is among three finalists selected from across the world for the European Union’s top human rights prize. McNicholas, Justyna Wydrzyńska, of Poland, and Morena Herrera, of El Salvador, were jointly nominated as “women fighting for free, safe and legal abortion.” (Munz, 10/17)

The Washington Post: Pregnant Alabama Woman Forced To Give Birth In Jail Shower, Lawsuit Says
Ashley Caswell screamed in pain from inside an Alabama jail, pleading to be taken to a hospital, according to a newly filed lawsuit. The pregnant detainee’s water had broken and she was bleeding, but Caswell was allegedly told to “deal with the pain.” After being in labor for 12 hours, Caswell gave birth to her son in a jail shower on Oct. 16, 2021, her attorneys say. Then, staffers took photos with the baby while Caswell was passed out on the floor, according to a federal civil rights lawsuit filed Friday on behalf of Caswell by the advocacy groups Pregnancy Justice and the Southern Poverty Law Center, as well as the New York City law firm Sullivan & Cromwell. (Paul, 10/17)

KFF Health News: Pregnant And Addicted: Homeless Women See Hope In Street Medicine 
Five days after giving birth, Melissa Crespo was already back on the streets, recovering in a damp, litter-strewn water tunnel, when she got the call from the hospital. Her baby, Kyle, who had been born three months prematurely, was in respiratory failure in the neonatal intensive care unit and fighting for his life. The odds had been against Kyle long before he was born last summer. Crespo, who was abused as a child, was addicted to fentanyl and meth — a daily habit she found impossible to kick while living homeless. Crespo got a ride to the hospital and cradled her baby in her arms as he died. (Hart, 10/18)

Military.com: Pregnant Soldiers Across US Get Expanded Access To Free Maternity Uniforms As Part Of Army Pilot Program 
Pregnant soldiers based in the U.S. may have easier access to maternity uniforms after a recent expansion of a program offering to lend out the garments for free, according to the Army. The Maternity Uniform Pilot Program now allows soldiers to coordinate directly with program representatives to obtain the free uniforms and other Army maternity attire such as nursing T-shirts, instead of relying only on maternity-wear availability at base exchange stores, the service said in a recent update. Garments are then returned after use. (Baker, 10/17)

KFF Health News: Listen To The Latest 'KFF Health News Minute' 
This week on the KFF Health News Minute: Some physicians worry we’re about to see rising numbers of teen pregnancies after decades of progress, and some addiction experts say states are wasting opioid settlement money on ineffective drug prevention programs for young people. (10/17)