Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Viewpoints: What A Neonatologist Wants Roe Challengers To Know; States Must Ensure Abortion Rights
NBC News: Roe Opponents Should Know More About Babies Born At The Limits Of Viability
The word “viable” means capable of living. Capable sounds definitive. But as a neonatologist dedicated to caring for premature babies born near the limit of viability, I can assure you it is not. Under the 1973 Roe v. Wade Supreme Court decision, the concept of viability has served as the dividing line as to when abortion restrictions can be imposed on pregnant women. But the leaked draft of a pending Supreme Court decision suggests Roe will soon be struck down. That means determining viability, and how science has advanced the possibility of viability since Roe, could become a central consideration as legislatures across the country weigh new laws governing abortion access. (Dr. Rachel Fleishman, 5/7)
The New York Times: Taking The Fight For Safe, Legal Abortion To The States
As I read the U.S. Supreme Court’s draft opinion overturning Roe v. Wade, I was devastated. It was shocking to see, laid out in cold legalese, the blatant ideological reasoning gutting the constitutional right to abortion. I understand the frustration that many are feeling. I feel it too. Roe has been the law of the land for 49 years, nearly my entire lifetime. But it may not be the law of the land for my daughters. Many of us feared this day would come, which is why last month, I filed a lawsuit and, drawing on authority granted to me as governor, asked the Michigan Supreme Court to immediately resolve whether our state constitution includes the right to access abortion. (Gretchen Whitmer , Governor of Michigan, 5/9)
New York Times: Will Those Who Control Abortion's Past Control Its Future?
In its 1973 decision in Roe v. Wade, the Supreme Court found a constitutional right to abortion grounded in a "right to privacy" provided in the 14th Amendment. That legal argument was bolstered by a historical narrative. State laws prohibiting abortion at all stages of pregnancy, Justice Harry Blackmun wrote in the opinion, were not of ancient or even common-law origin, but dated mostly to the late 19th century. Before that, he wrote, citing various scholars, abortion early in pregnancy had been legal in most states. (Jennifer Schuessler, 5/7)
Chicago Tribune: Illinois Should Prep For Influx Of Out-Of-State Abortion Seekers
A leaked draft opinion suggests that the U.S. Supreme Court will roll back access to abortion in Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health, which will be handed down in the next month. Illinois should brace for the effect. Overnight, this state will become a destination for abortion. Every state that touches our borders — from Wisconsin in the north, to Missouri and Kentucky in the south, and Indiana and Iowa in between — has tightly limited abortion access or introduced a steady drumbeat of anti-abortion bills. (Robin Fretwell Wilson And Jason Mazzone, 5/9)
The Colorado Sun: Colorado Voters Dropped The Ball On Abortion In 2014. We Can’t Drop It Again
As the Supreme Court appears poised to overturn Roe v. Wade, the 2022 midterms now have a laser focus on abortion. This time, we’ve got to get the conversation right. But first, let’s remember what happens when we don’t. In what now feels like ancient history, the 2014 U.S. Senate race was easily one of our state’s biggest blunders. Of course, we all know that former Republican Sen. Cory Gardner defeated the Democratic incumbent Sen. Mark Udall before voters promptly returned Gardner to Yuma in 2020. But in the interim, the miserable one-term wonder cost us six years of policy that was wholly out of line with the majority — including on abortion. (Trish Zornio, 5/9)
Also —
Bloomberg: Obesity Is Stalking Poor Countries, Where Hunger Once Reigned
You might not notice it from the way that inflation, conflict and pandemic have driven up the cost of food in recent years, but the specter of hunger that has haunted humanity for millennia is moving closer to being vanquished. In middle-income countries, the number of people undernourished fell by roughly a quarter, or 162 million, between 2006 and 2020. That’s more than enough to offset the 43 million increase in low-income nations, which are mostly in sub-Saharan Africa. (David Fickling, 5/8)
The Baltimore Sun: ‘We Hear You Baltimore’ Expands Access To Hearing Care For Older Adults
As we age, our hearing declines and, for many, it can decline significantly. Almost all of us will experience hearing loss to some degree as we age. But while hearing care is widely available, millions of older adults in this country go without it because it is not easily accessible, and numerous barriers exist. (Darius Graham, Jim Macgill, Carrie Nieman and Erin Stauder, 5/6)
