Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
The 'Jane Does' Keep Her Going: Meet Lawyer On Front Line Of Fight Over Young Immigrants Getting Abortions
Stat: A New York Attorney Becomes The Face Of A Crucial Abortion Rights Case
Brigitte Amiri, an attorney with the American Civil Liberties Union, was spending the weekend on Long Island with her family in late September when she got the call about Jane Doe. She wasn’t Jane Doe just yet. She was a pregnant 17-year-old immigrant from Central America being held in federal custody after entering the U.S. illegally. She’d obtained a judge’s permission to get an abortion. But the Office of Refugee Resettlement — a branch of the Trump administration responsible for unaccompanied immigrant minors — wouldn’t allow it. (Thielking, 4/11)
In other women's health and abortion news —
The Hill: Trump Appointee At Center Of Fight Over Religious Freedom
Roger Severino is implementing strict rules at the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) meant to protect religious rights — in part because of discrimination he says he has experienced firsthand. The son of South American immigrants, Severino, the director of the HHS Office for Civil Rights (OCR), grew up in Los Angeles, where he says “people attempted to close doors in front of me, and I’ve had to fight to pry them open.” (Hellmann, 4/10)
The Hill: Planned Parenthood Targets Judicial Nominee Over Abortion Comments
Wendy Vitter, President Trump's judicial nominee for the eastern Louisiana U.S. District Court, is being targeted by Planned Parenthood as an anti-abortion extremist who should not be confirmed. In a five-figure digital ad campaign running nationally on Facebook and Twitter, Planned Parenthood is urging supporters to tell their senators to vote against her confirmation. (Hellmann, 4/10)
Politico Pro: Abortion Foes Press For Tighter Curbs, Anticipating More Trump Supreme Court Picks
Abortion foes emboldened by the odds of President Donald Trump shaping the Supreme Court are pushing some of the strictest restrictions ever, including a federal ban as early as six weeks of pregnancy and total bans on the procedure in Ohio and South Carolina. (Haberkorn, 4/10)
And in Arizona —
Arizona Republic: Arizona House Passes Bill To Make Abortion Doctors Ask More Questions
Women who receive an abortion in Arizona could soon face a more detailed line of questioning about why they want to end their pregnancy. The Arizona House of Representatives voted Monday to amend a controversial abortion bill that would require doctors to ask their patients for a specific reason for having the procedure. (Gardiner, 4/10)
