To Mobilize Voters, Harris Turns The Conversation Back To Abortion Rights

Politico: Abortion Faded From The Spotlight. Harris Is Trying To Bring It Back
Democrats for the last month have been too busy fighting over whether President Joe Biden should lead the ticket to keep voters’ attention on abortion. Vice President Kamala Harris is trying to bring the focus back. On Monday, Harris told campaign staff in Wilmington, Delaware, that she would prevent Republicans from enacting a national ban because “the government should not be telling a woman what to do with her body.” On Tuesday, she concluded a rally in a Milwaukee suburb by promising to sign legislation that would “restore reproductive freedoms.” And on Wednesday, the Harris campaign said it plans to counter former President Donald Trump’s rally in Charlotte with an abortion-focused event in North Carolina featuring Hadley Duvall, a Kentucky woman who was raped by her stepfather when she was 12. (Messerly and Ollstein, 7/24)

NBC News: Iowa's Ban On Abortions After 6 Weeks Will Go Into Effect Next Week
An Iowa law banning most abortions in the state will take effect Monday, roughly one year after Gov. Kim Reynolds signed it. The law prohibits physicians from administering an abortion after a fetal heartbeat is detected — around six weeks into pregnancy, before most women even know they’re pregnant. It briefly took effect in July 2023, but a lower court temporarily blocked the ban just days later in response to a legal challenge brought by abortion providers and the American Civil Liberties Union. (Bendix, 7/23)

KFF Health News: Louisiana Reclassifies Drugs Used In Abortions As Controlled Dangerous Substances
Louisiana lawmakers have added two drugs commonly used in pregnancy and reproductive health care to the state’s list of controlled dangerous substances, a move that has alarmed doctors in the state. Mifepristone and misoprostol have many clinical uses, and one use approved by the FDA is to take the pills to induce an abortion at up to 10 weeks of gestation. The bill that moved through the Louisiana Legislature this spring lists both medications as Schedule IV drugs under the state’s Uniform Controlled Dangerous Substances Law, creating penalties of up to 10 years in prison for anyone caught with the drugs without a valid prescription. (Westwood, 7/24)

Slate: There's Something Funny Going On With The Florida Abortion Initiative Fight
In one of the most important nonpresidential decisions voters will face this November, Floridians will consider an abortion access ballot initiative. ... The launch of Florida Voters Against Extremism, a political action committee constituted for the sole purpose of opposing the amendment, is seemingly part of an emerging pattern of nationally tied anti-abortion players cosplaying as grassroots campaigns. (Demirhan, 7/24)

In other reproductive health news —

Axios: Big Declines In Teen Births, CDC Data Shows
Teen birth rates in the United States have continued to decline significantly across the board since 2000, but racial and ethnic disparities still exist, federal data released Wednesday shows. Decreasing teen births can positively affect adolescents' physical and mental health, lifetime income and education attainment, according to research organization Child Trends. (Goldman, 7/24)

CBS News: Massachusetts Leads The Country In Women's Health, Report Says
When it comes to women's health, Massachusetts is leading the country. Women's health in the U.S. has been under threat in recent years, with deaths from preventable causes on the rise and new limits - or in some cases, outright bans - placed on reproductive health around the country. A private foundation called the Commonwealth Fund has developed a state scorecard to track trends in women's health, looking at healthcare quality and prevention, coverage, access, and affordability. (Marshall, 7/22)

CBS News: Boston Mayor Michelle Wu Not Planning To Take Maternity Leave After Birth Of Third Child In January
A day after announcing that she is pregnant with her third child, Boston Mayor Michelle Wu said she still plans to run for re-election and she doesn't plan to take maternity leave. ... The mayor said she did not plan to take maternity leave after she and her husband welcome their third child - a girl - in January. Wu has two boys, ages 7 and 9, and said that she's confident that she'll be able to juggle the needs of the city and the needs of a growing family. (7/23)

The Wall Street Journal: Higher Prices On Tampons, Pads Prompt Hard Choices For Americans
More women across America are making a difficult monthly choice: Should they buy menstrual products and spend less on other supermarket items, or try to make do with fewer period supplies?Prices of sanitary pads and tampons have climbed faster in recent years than the price of food. And with few low-price alternatives available in the feminine-product aisle, sales of period products are falling as many women and girls find their monthly budgets can’t cover all of their essentials. (Khan, 7/22)

KFF Health News: Listen To The Latest 'KFF Health News Minute'
“Health Minute” brings original health care and health policy reporting from the KFF Health News newsroom to the airwaves each week. (7/23)