Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Publisher Retracts Studies On Abortion Pill As Supreme Court Case Looms
The Daily Wire: ‘Completely Unjustified’: Medical Journal Retracts Major Studies Critical Of Abortion Pill Ahead Of Supreme Court Clash
Major scientific studies on the potential harm of abortion pills were retracted on Monday by their publisher, just weeks before the Supreme Court is set to hear arguments on the availability of such drugs. Three studies, including two on the potential harms of the abortion pill just, were retracted on Monday by Sage Publishing, an independent academic publishing company. The retraction notice states that an independent review of the studies was conducted due to a single reader’s complaint that the studies included misleading data and that the authors were affiliated with a pro-life organization, the Charlotte Lozier Institute, presenting a conflict of interest. (Le Mahieu, 2/5)
Read the details —
In other abortion news —
The Hill: Florida Supreme Court To Hear Pivotal Battle Over Abortion
Florida abortion rights groups are heading to the state Supreme Court this week as part of their effort to put abortion protections on the ballot in November. The court will hear arguments Wednesday about whether the ballot measure language meets state rules, the final hurdle to clear before the question can be put to voters. It needs to issue a ruling by April 1. (Weixel, 2/6)
AP: South Carolina Woman Seeks Clarity On Abortion Ban In Lawsuit Backed By Planned Parenthood
A South Carolina woman who traveled elsewhere for an abortion just days after reaching six weeks of pregnancy wants a court to affirm that the state’s ban on the procedure — when a “fetal heartbeat” can be detected — should not take effect until later in a pregnancy. In a lawsuit filed in state circuit court Monday, Taylor Shelton and Planned Parenthood South Atlantic’s chief medical officer Dr. Katherine Farris argued that the Republican-led state Legislature provided two different definitions of “fetal heartbeat” in its law restricting abortions. They said the correct interpretation is that the ban begins around nine weeks, and not six weeks as currently practiced. (Pollard, 2/5)
Axios: Why Abortion Won't Be On The Texas Ballot In 2024
A series of wins for abortion rights supporters have energized Democrats around the country — but abortion access itself won't be on the Texas ballot in November. Why it matters: Texas remains a deeply red state, and even as Democratic activists and politicians see abortion rights as a winning issue, they won't be able to put the sort of potentially galvanizing referendum on the ballot in November that could drive voters — especially swing suburban voters — their way. (Price, 2/5)
Roll Call: Bradley Opens Up About His Experience With Abortion
Bill Bradley, a former three-term New Jersey senator and presidential candidate, has opened up about his personal experience with abortion, both in a new documentary about his life and while speaking to Political Theater Friday. In his new film “Rolling Along,” Bradley, who sought the presidential nomination in 2000, describes how, in the 1960s while playing for the New York Knicks, a woman he was dating became pregnant unintentionally. The woman, he said, opted to have an abortion – which was illegal and difficult to find at the time. (Raman, 2/5)
PolitiFact: Fact Check: 1 In 3 Women Of Reproductive Age Live Under Abortion Bans?
The claim: ..."This is, in fact, a health care crisis and there is nothing about this that is hypothetical," Harris told the crowd. "Today in America, 1 in 3 women of reproductive age live in a state with an abortion ban." PolitiFact ruling: True. About 21.5 million women of reproductive age — 15 to 49 — live in states that ban abortions after six weeks of pregnancy. That’s about 29% of U.S. women in this age group. (Putterman, 2/5)
