In the states…
These stories keep on coming. A 25 year-old woman in Texas was denied an abortion even after her fetus was diagnosed with multiple fetal abnormalities that doctors said would be fatal. The woman’s family told a local TV station that her health is also in danger, with high blood pressure, and her liver enzymes more than double the normal number.
Her mother says when they asked doctors just how sick she needed to be to have an abortion, “We were told basically a liver failure. Basically, a stroke. Basically, a 911 call.”
Also in Texas, activists gathered in Austin to hold a vigil for International Safe Abortion Day. The photos broke my heart.
A new Ohio poll shows that abortion rights is a top issue for voters, and that 60% oppose Roe being overturned. (A reminder that multiple raped children have had to travel out of state to get abortion care.)
Arizona Attorney General Mark Brnovich is fighting Planned Parenthood’s claim that the state’s abortion ban will harm women. Just a reminder that the law he’s defending is from 1864. Also in the state, The New York Times profiles Democratic gubernatorial candidate Katie Hobbs and her focus on abortion rights.
Michigan Rep. Elissa Slotkin tore into Republicans today during a debate over abortion access for veterans:
More from Michigan: Republicans running for office there are still trying to hide their true extremism on abortion.
The same thing is happening in New Mexico, where Republican gubernatorial candidate Mark Ronchetti (blessedly behind Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham) has put out a new ad with language that sounds downright feminist: “No politician should make this decision for you.” They will try anything.
Fifteen faith leaders in Idaho have written an op-ed opposing the state’s abortion ban, arguing that, “women must be able to make their own moral decisions based on conscience and faith.”
In Indiana, where the state abortion ban is currently blocked, clinics continue to see patients from in and out of the state—but note that the legal back and forth has taken a toll. From a representative of Women’s Med: “I think women are very confused by the on again off again situation, where states are opening and then closing and then opening again…It's very hard to keep track.”
In Pennsylvania, Republicans’ ballot question to limit abortion may have a big problem—because of one little word. A new poll in the state also shows that abortion is a top issue for voters, with 20 percent saying they’ll choose candidates based on their abortion position.
A Republican group in Nevada is trying to convince voters that they don’t need to worry about abortion rights. “Stronger Nevada” released an ad telling viewers that abortion access in the state is completely safe and that Democrats are just trying to scare voters:
EMILY’s List President Laphonza Butler went to North Carolina this week to drum up support for pro-choice candidates: “I have seen in states across this country abortion under attack…That’s why here in North Carolina, we know that these legislative races, are all difference makers in protecting abortion rights and protecting essential health care options for all women in this great state.”
Public radio in Northern California is doing a series on Proposition 1, ballot measure that would enshrine abortion rights in the state constitution—here’s their first episode. Also in California, CNBC reports on how their new legislation protecting the digital privacy of abortion-seekers could be a model for other states; and the Associated Press looks at how Gov. Gavin Newsom’s new abortion laws could clash with other states.
A Tennessee woman who was denied an abortion reflects on her experience—and how her mother was forced to end a pregnancy in China; and in Massachusetts, Harvard University Democrats are pressuring the administration to increase students’ access to abortion.
In the nation…
The House Oversight Committee held a hearing today on the harm caused by abortion bans, and what damage a national ban could do. I’m going through it and will flag anything noteworthy tomorrow, but you can watch it in the meantime below:
Bloomberg reports that despite Google’s promises to accurately label crisis pregnancy centers in searches and ads, many are sneaking through the cracks:
In 250 searches in all 50 states in late August, CCDH found that for searches on terms about abortion providers like “Planned Parenthood,” “Hey Jane Pill,” “NAF hotline,” “Carafem,” and “Plan C pill,” ads for crisis pregnancy centers that were included in the results did not carry disclaimers. In total, CCDH found 132 ads for crisis pregnancy centers that weren’t labeled; 40% of its searches yielded such an ad.
Every single day I do this, I learn something new about how surveillance and abortion rights are connected. Take the time to read this article about automated license plate readers and how they could be weaponized against women seeking abortions.
Vanity Fair reports on how abortion bans could impact IVF. Dr. Natalie Crawford, a Texas fertility doctor, told the magazine, “A lot of people I see are very anxious about just getting pregnant in this timeline.”
GQ Magazine has launched what they’re calling The Roe Project—a collection of perspectives from men who support abortion. Lots of great voices in there, including friend-of-the-newsletter, Josh Gondelman!
Here’s some more info on the Democrats’ plan to give troops time off and funds if they need to travel out-of-state to get an abortion; Buzzfeed looks at key states for abortion rights in the midterms; and Reuters outlines where abortion will be on the ballot.
Oh, and remind me not to watch the new Marilyn Monroe movie.
You love to see it…
SELF Magazine has a piece on what transmasculine people should know about their birth control options; pro-choice showrunners took out a full-page ad in Variety to demand that studios turn their “thought into action” when it comes to protecting employees working in anti-abortion states; young activists continue to have my heart. From Niharika Rao at Barnard College, Class of 2023:
"We’re working to pass a bill in the NYS legislature that requires public universities to provide medication abortion on campus clinics. As New York becomes a destination state for abortion post-Roe, our clinics will experience immense demand, on top of the existing protests and invasions by anti-abortion groups. Providing medication abortion on campus can reduce wait times and funding pressures, as well as reduce barriers to access for students—like travel time and insurance coverage. Further, this is a service that already should be provided on campuses — it is completely in line with other services offered in primary care settings and is considered medically safer than Tylenol. Anti-abortion extremists have been very successful in fear-mongering, despite on-campus provision being supported by a large number of doctors. Now is the moment we start demanding more and pushing back against the politicization of basic healthcare in all our spaces."
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