Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Missouri Abortion Restrictions Face Trial in High-Profile Case
St. Louis Public Radio: Trial To Decide Abortion Access In Missouri Begins Today
More than a year after Planned Parenthood sued to overturn Missouri’s abortion ban, the issue finally heads to trial this week in Kansas City. Circuit Judge Jerri Zhang will preside over the case in Jackson County. The outcome could shape access to abortion services and any restrictions on the procedure that remain. (Fentem, 1/12)
Courthouse News Service: Ohio Appeals Court Quashes Overly Broad Ruling Used To Strike Down Abortion Law
An Ohio court will have to reconsider the viability of several provisions in the state’s “heartbeat” abortion law after an appeals panel overturned parts of an injunction granted to abortion providers. Preterm-Cleveland and several others won their legal battle against Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost in October 2024, nearly a year after voters enshrined the right to an abortion in the state Constitution by passing Issue 1 in 2023. (Koeninger, 1/7)
KFF Health News: ‘Abortion As Homicide’ Debate In South Carolina Exposes GOP Rift As States Weigh New Restrictions
When a trio of Republican state lawmakers introduced a bill last year that would subject women who obtain abortions to decades in prison, some reproductive rights advocates feared South Carolina might pass the “most extreme” abortion ban in the United States. Now, though, it seems unlikely to become state law. In November, a vote to advance the bill beyond a legislative subcommittee failed. Four out of six Republicans on the Senate Medical Affairs Committee subpanel refused to vote on the measure. (Sausser and Sable-Smith, 1/12)
The Texas Tribune: San Antonio Ends Its Abortion Travel Fund
The fund's demise comes after a new law banning government-supported funds that help people travel out of state for an abortion. (Langford, 1/9)
On IVF and menopause —
NPR: More Single Women In Their 40s Are Using IVF To Have Children
Laura Terry dreamed of having kids — a family she could call her own. But there was one challenge: She wasn't interested in dating, marriage, or partnering up. So, she came up with an idea for an unusual present to give herself. "For my 39th birthday, I bought a vial of donor sperm," says Terry, who lives in Nashville, Tenn., and works at a top management consulting firm. (Gogoi and Lee, 1/12)
AP: How To Make The Most Of Your Workouts After Menopause
Medical experts say strength training keeps bones and muscles healthy after menopause when estrogen loss speeds up a reduction in bone density and contributes to the gradual loss of muscle mass. This type of exercise — which involves working against resistance — also helps women maintain a healthy weight and stay on track with New Year’s resolutions about fitness. (Ungar, 1/10)
In other health news from across the U.S. —
Axios: "Pink Cocaine" Is Spreading In U.S. — And Users Don't Know What's In It
A drug marketed as "pink cocaine" is turning up more often in U.S. nightclubs and busts, alarming health officials because it's usually not cocaine at all. And no two batches are the same. (Contreras, 1/10)
The New York Times: Death Toll From California Wild Mushroom Poisoning Rises To 3
Three people in California have died and more than two dozen others have been poisoned by wild mushrooms, prompting state health officials to discourage foragers from consuming them. A resident of Sonoma County, north of San Francisco, died last weekend after consuming wild mushrooms, the county’s Department of Health Services said on Thursday. It was the latest death in an unusually active season for mushroom poisonings in Northern California. (Ziegler, 1/10)
