Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
US Halts Funding To Foreign Groups That Provide Abortion Services
The New York Times: Trump Reinstates Longstanding Republican Anti-Abortion Policy
President Trump on Friday reinstated a longstanding Republican anti-abortion policy known as the “Mexico City Rule,” which bars federal funding from going to any overseas nongovernmental organization that performs or promotes abortions. The move came after he addressed thousands of abortion opponents in Washington on Friday to mark the 52nd anniversary of the Supreme Court’s 1973 decision in Roe v. Wade, which created a national right to abortion and which the court overturned in 2022. (Gay Stolberg, 1/24)
Newsweek: What Is The Mexico City Policy? Trump's Abortion Policy Change Explained
President Donald Trump signed an executive order on Friday reinstating and significantly expanding the "Mexico City Policy." The policy cuts off U.S. aid to any foreign organization that provides abortion services, counseling, or advocacy, marking the most extensive version of these restrictions since its creation in 1984. Newsweek contacted a Trump spokesperson via email on Saturday for comment. (Adeosun, 1/25)
The Washington Post: Justice Dept. To Cut Back Prosecution Of Abortion Clinic Protest Cases
The Justice Department said Friday it will scale back Biden-era efforts to prosecute demonstrators who interfere with patient access to reproductive health clinics. ... In a memo, the department’s new chief of staff, Chad Mizelle, said cases brought under the Freedom of Access to Clinic Entrances Act, or FACE Act, would now only be allowed under “extraordinary circumstances” or in cases involving “significant aggravating factors” such as “death, serious bodily harm, or serious property damage.” (Roebuck and Stein, 1/24)
The Hill: Johnson Touts ‘New Era’ Of Abortion Opposition Under Trump
House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) said Friday abortion opponents are “entering a new era” with President Trump and Vice President Vance in the White House. Speaking at the March for Life, Johnson praised the new administration for anti-abortion actions taken in the first week, including pardoning nearly two dozen anti-abortion activists. (Weixel, 1/24)
AP: As Hegseth Takes Charge At The Pentagon, Here’s What Changes Could Be In Store
When Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth starts his first official day on Monday morning, he will face a daunting array of issues to tackle — from global conflicts and border security to transgender and reproductive care in the military. (Baldor and Copp, 1/26)
In other abortion news —
AP: North Dakota’s Overturned Abortion Ban Won’t Be In Effect During Appeal, Court Rules
North Dakota’s abortion ban will not be enforced while the state appeals an earlier decision that found it unconstitutional, the state’s highest court ruled Friday. That appeal has yet to fully play out in the state Supreme Court after a judge struck down the law in September. North Dakota has had no abortion providers since the only one moved from Fargo to neighboring Moorhead, Minnesota, in 2022. The only scenarios in which North Dakotans can currently obtain an abortion in the state would be for life- or health-preserving reasons at a hospital. (Dura, 1/25)
San Francisco Chronicle: Thousands March In SF Against Abortion, Pin Hopes On Trump
Thousands of abortion opponents, inspired by the reelection of President Donald Trump and recent court actions restricting the procedure, united Saturday in San Francisco for the 21st annual Walk for Life West Coast. The peaceful gathering, which has attracted thousands of women, men and children annually since 2005, began with an afternoon rally at Civic Center Plaza, followed by a march down Market Street to the Embarcadero. (Ellis, 1/25)
The 19th: Facebook And Instagram Suppressed Abortion Content. It's Not The First Time.
Reproductive health advocates say they have dealt with suppression on social media for years. In a survey of organizers fielded in 2022, the reproductive justice nonprofit Reproaction found that 38 percent of respondents had posts taken down because Meta “bans the sale or use of unsafe substances.” As part of the Repro Uncensored coalition, Reproaction has helped identify content removal, account suspensions and advertising restrictions as the main struggles these types of groups face online. (Mithani, 1/24)
