Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Trump Admin Wants Mifepristone Case Delayed While It Weighs Future Access
Politico: Trump Asks Federal Court To Hit Pause On Abortion Pill Case, Citing Ongoing Study
The Trump administration on Tuesday asked a federal court to put on hold a lawsuit from Louisiana seeking sweeping national restrictions on abortion pills while the Food and Drug Administration reviews the safety of the drug and decides whether or not to roll back access. The court filing stresses that the Trump administration is actively considering whether to keep current federal rules in place that allow access to the abortion pill mifepristone via telemedicine, mail delivery, and retail pharmacies. Allowing Louisiana’s lawsuit to move forward before that process is complete, the Justice Department argued, would “threaten to short circuit” sensitive regulatory and scientific work. (Ollstein, 1/27)
More reproductive health news from Louisiana, Texas, and Delaware —
The 19th: A Pregnant Mother In ICE Detention Says She’s Bleeding — And Hasn’t Seen A Doctor In Weeks
A pregnant woman with two American-born children — including a breastfeeding infant — is awaiting deportation in a Louisiana immigration detention facility. She has been separated from her family for more than three weeks. ... Elvir-Quinonez, who found out she was pregnant in government custody, said she has experienced heavy bleeding and cramps while detained, and once had to go to the emergency room. (Luthra, 1/27)
The Texas Tribune: Texas Sues Alleged Delaware Abortion Pill Provider
Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton has accused a Delaware nurse practitioner of prescribing abortion-inducing drugs to Texas residents in what is now the second lawsuit the state has filed against an out-of-state provider over such medications. (Johnstone, 1/27)
News from Missouri about abortion and transgender restrictions —
Missouri Independent: Missouri’s Abortion Rights Trial Concludes, But A Decision Is Still Months Away
After 10 days of often emotion-filled testimony, a trial dissecting Missouri’s abortion regulations under the new constitutional right to reproductive health care concluded Monday. In closing arguments, attorneys from both the Missouri Attorney General’s Office and Planned Parenthood brought the focus back to the crux of the case: Are Missouri’s abortion regulations necessary safeguards for women or discriminatory road blocks for patients? (Hardy and Spoerre, 1/27)
St. Louis Public Radio: Missouri House Bills To Extend Trans Restrictions Move Forward
Members of the Missouri House’s Emerging Issues Committee voted to send two bills to the full chamber that would indefinitely extend the state’s restrictions on transgender people. Nine representatives, all Republicans, voted in favor of the bills. Four Democrats were opposed. (Halloran, 1/27)
Also —
CIDRAP: US Maternal Syphilis Rate Rises 28% In 2 Years, Marking Continued Surge In National Epidemic
The maternal syphilis rate in the United States rose 28% from 2022 to 2024, according to a new analysis from the National Center for Health Statistics (NCHS). The rising rate underscores the scope of a worsening public health crisis that has seen maternal syphilis rates climb more than 200% over the past decade. (Bergeson, 1/27)
Stat: Endometriosis Research And The Race For Better Diagnostic Tests
María Teresa Pérez Zaballos spent five years visiting doctors before she got her diagnosis. She saw a gynecologist and a neuropathic pain specialist, had her digestive system checked, and took “a ton” of urinary tests. Eventually, she carried a packet of documents to each appointment, to show doctors all the conditions the others had already decided she didn’t have. (Gaffney, 1/26)
NPR: 3 Generations Of Women Show How Choices On Having Kids Changed
American women today are having fewer children than their mothers and grandmothers did. They also have more opportunities and life choices. "I don't really feel like I got strong messages about what my life should look like beyond college graduation," said Caroline Brown, 33, of Charlotte, N.C.. "I was very much under the impression that the world was kind of my oyster." Like a growing number of younger women, she's unsure if she wants children. And she's not unusual; the U.S. birthrate now is about half of what it was in the 1960s. (McCammon and Keatley, 1/28)
