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With the nomination of Brett Kavanaugh to the Supreme Court, Democrats and abortion rights groups have warned of a threat to Roe v. Wade, the landmark 1973 ruling that made abortion legal nationwide. Already, American women face increasingly different paths to getting an abortion, depending on their state. “It doesn’t make a difference if it’s legal if it’s inaccessible,” said Diane Derzis, owner of Jackson Women’s Health Organization, the only remaining abortion clinic in Mississippi. “And it’s definitely inaccessible to many people.” (Carlsen, Ngu and Simon, 7/20)

More than 400 bills aimed at improving reproductive health have been introduced across 44 states in 2018, according to a new report. The National Institute for Reproductive Health (NIRH) on Monday released a report that found fewer state-level initiatives related to reproductive rights were introduced this year than in 2017, but that overall legislation has continued to skyrocket under President Trump's administration. (Birnbaum, 7/18)

Democrat Gavin Newsom called Republican rival John Cox one of the “most extreme” gubernatorial candidates in decades on the issue of abortion rights as Newsom accepted the endorsement of two pro-choice groups Thursday. Pro-choice advocates are trying to make abortion rights an issue in the November election as the Senate prepares to consider President Trump’s nomination of appeals Judge Brett Kavanaugh to the Supreme Court. (Garofoli, 7/19)

Attorneys suing University Hospitals in Cleveland over the destruction of thousands of eggs and embryos on Thursday called for an independent monitor for the fertility clinic and accused the medical center of undermining the investigation by asking a judge to issue a gag order in the case. Joseph Peiffer, who represents 75 families of the 1,000 families that were impacted by the freezer malfunction in March, said information about the case must continue to be shared freely for the sake of the clients of the clinic. (Cha, 7/19)