Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Trump Reveals Abortion Stance After Months Of Dodging Issue
The Washington Post: Trump Says Abortion Should Be Left To States, Declines To Endorse National Limit
Former president Donald Trump, who has wavered between highlighting and downplaying his role in curtailing abortion rights, suggested Monday that the politically volatile issue should be left to states, after months of mixed signals about his position. In a video posted on social media, Trump took credit for the overturning of Roe v. Wade but rebuffed pressure to campaign on a national limit. It is “now up to the states to do the right thing,” he said. “My view is now that we have abortion where everybody wanted it from a legal standpoint, the states will determine by vote or legislation or perhaps both, and whatever they decide must be the law of the land. In this case, the law of the state,” Trump said in the video. (Knowles and LeVine, 4/8)
The Washington Post: Wisconsin Senate Candidate Shifts Abortion Position Amid GOP Struggles On Issue
Republican Senate candidate Eric Hovde, who is looking to unseat Sen. Tammy Baldwin (D-Wis.), told reporters Thursday that women should have a “right to make a choice” early in pregnancy — a departure from a previous, more hard line position on abortion. (Alfaro, 4/5)
Fox News: Abortion Advocates In MI Lobby For Ending Parental Consent For Minors, Say Law Has ‘No Benefit’ To The Child
Pro-choice advocacy groups in Michigan want to repeal parental consent to obtain an abortion via a new report. Since 1993, Michigan law stipulates that citizens under 18 years old must have parental consent for an abortion. ... "This law is actually of no benefit to the vast majority of young people who do involve their parent in the decision. And for the small number who can't, it can be deeply, deeply harmful," Jo Becker, who serves as advocacy director for the children's rights division at Human Rights Watch, told the Detroit Free Press. (Nelson, 4/7)
Politico: Abortion Might Be A Winning Issue — Even In Florida
Abortion rights supporters have been on a hot winning streak in state ballot initiatives since the Supreme Court struck down Roe v. Wade. Now here comes Florida. The Florida Supreme Court issued a pair of decisions earlier this week that upheld a strict abortion ban in the state and also cleared the way for Amendment 4, a November referendum on whether to enshrine the right to abortion in the Florida Constitution. (Lizza, 4/6)
NBC News: How A Network Of Abortion Pill Providers Works Together In The Wake Of New Threats
When the U.S. Supreme Court heard oral arguments in March about restricting access to the abortion drug mifepristone, Elisa Wells, co-founder and co-director of Plan C, was ready. Plan C, an information resource that connects women to abortion pill providers, almost immediately saw a spike in searches for the medication. With Florida’s Supreme Court paving the way for the state’s six-week abortion ban, Wells says she’s expecting even more search activity and more creative thinking from providers. (Brooks and Burns, 4/7)
San Francisco Chronicle: Bay Area Web Startup Helps Women Find Abortion Care And Information
A little more than 10 years ago, Rebecca Nall chose to have an abortion. Not long out of college and living in her native Texas, she found herself pregnant when she didn’t want to be. She reached out to her local Planned Parenthood, but the location didn’t offer the service. That set off a confusing, stressful, and seemingly endless series of Google searches and calls to try and find a nearby, affordable care provider. The experience was taxing even with the support of a partner and friends. (DiFeliciantonio, 4/7)
