Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Report Says Google Profits From Hosting Fake Abortion Clinic Ads
The Hill: Google Hosts, Profits From Fake Abortion Clinic Ads: Report
Google is profiting from ads placed by anti-abortion groups for so-called crisis pregnancy centers that pose as reproductive healthcare clinics but aim to dissuade pregnant people from accessing abortion care, according to a report released Thursday. The report from the Center for Countering Digital Hate’s (CCDH), a non-profit that aims to counter online misinformation, found that Google earned an estimated $10.2 million from ads for the fake abortion clinics in the last two years. (Klar, 6/15)
Axios: Ban On Selling Cellphone Location-Based Data Pushed In Massachusetts By Pro-Abortion Rights Advocates
There's a new effort afoot to restrict cellphone data-sharing, in order to protect the privacy of patients seeking abortions and gender-affirming care in the state. A coalition of advocacy groups, led by the American Civil Liberties Union of Massachusetts, launched a campaign today to push for a state law banning the sale and trade of cellphone-based location data. (Solis, 6/14)
In other abortion updates —
The Washington Post: Documents Show How Conservative Doctors Influenced Abortion, Trans Rights
A small group of conservative doctors has sought to shape the nation’s most contentious policies on abortion and transgender rights by promoting views rejected by the medical establishment as scientific fact, according to documents reviewed by The Washington Post that describe the group’s internal strategies. (Weber, Gilbert and Lorenz, 6/15)
WGLT: Illinois Continues To Enact Abortion Protections A Year After Roe V. Wade Reversal
Reproductive rights advocates look to Illinois as a Midwestern safe haven for abortion access, while opponents of abortion say the state has gone to extreme lengths to make it the “abortion capital” of the country. Since the U.S. Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade last year, the abortion battle in Illinois rages on — despite the state previously enacting some of the strongest abortion protections in the country. Since June 2022, Democratic state lawmakers have passed a slew of bills ramping up protections for out-of-state patients and expanding overall access. But a small coalition of GOP legislators has been working to undo many of the abortion-rights bills introduced by their colleagues across the aisle — without much luck. (Iqbal, 6/14)
Los Angeles Times: Camp Pendleton Marine And Accomplice Charged With Firebombing Costa Mesa Planned Parenthood
FBI agents and naval investigators arrested an active duty U.S. Marine and his alleged accomplice Wednesday on federal charges of firebombing a Costa Mesa Planned Parenthood clinic last year. (Winton, 6/14)
Politico: Tuberville Rejects GOP Attempts To End Military Promotions Blockade
Sen. Tommy Tuberville is rejecting off-ramps and advice from more senior Republicans to end his hold on military promotions, even as Pentagon officials step up their warnings that the maneuver is compromising America’s security. ... Tuberville first imposed the blocks in protest of the Defense Department’s new policy to pay travel costs for service members seeking abortion or other reproductive care. He claims that decision from late last year cuts against the Supreme Court’s reversal of Roe v. Wade, and vows to maintain the holds until Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin changes course or the senator gets a straightforward vote on the issue. (Ward, Gould and O'Brien, 6/14)
NPR: Nearly A Year Later, Most Americans Oppose Supreme Court's Decision Overturning Roe
The data, released days before the one-year anniversary of the U.S. Supreme Court decision in Dobbs v. Jackson Women's Health Organization decision that overturned decades of precedent, suggests continued growth in public support for abortion rights. It comes at a time when many states are implementing new restrictions, which often include only limited exceptions for medical emergencies. A year after Dobbs, 61% of respondents said overturning Roe was a "bad thing," while 38% said it was a "good thing." (McCammon, 6/14)
In other reproductive health news —
The Texas Tribune: Austin Employee’s Stillbirth Prompts Calls To Change Parental Leave Policy
When Elena Andres held her stillborn daughter in her arms, she thought there was no way she could feel more devastated than she did at that moment. The 15-hour labor wrecked her body, and she was drowning in grief. Rather than enjoying the early hours of her daughter’s life, she was filling out a mountain of paperwork and figuring out funeral home logistics. When Andres notified her employer, Austin Public Health, that she’d be starting her planned maternity leave a little early, the response added insult to all that injury. She no longer qualified for the city’s eight-week paid parental leave, human resources told her. “I felt so small, like they were saying my pregnancy didn’t count,” Andres said. “Like my daughter didn’t count.” (Klibanoff, 6/15)
CNN: Scientists Report Creation Of First Human Synthetic Model Embryos
A team of researchers in the United States and United Kingdom say they have created the world’s first synthetic human embryo-like structures from stem cells, bypassing the need for eggs and sperm. These embryo-like structures are at the very earliest stages of human development: They don’t have a beating heart or a brain, for example. But scientists say they could one day help advance the understanding of genetic diseases or the causes of miscarriages. (Goodman, 6/14)
The Washington Post: Endometriosis May Be Caused By Bacteria Commonly Found In The Gut, Mouth
Emerging research points to a possible link between endometriosis, a chronic disease that causes debilitating pain, and bacteria commonly found in the mouth and gastrointestinal tract. Endometriosis has baffled physicians for years. The condition affects roughly 10 percent of women worldwide and more than 11 percent in the United States. Scientists have theorized about possible triggers, but for now the root cause is largely unknown, which means treatment options are limited. (Malhi, 6/14)
