Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
DOJ May Initiate Or Join Suits Against States Limiting Abortion Access
Attorney General Merrick Garland threatened to sue states that have outlawed or restricted abortion since the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade last month鈥攁nd said the Justice Department would ask a judge to toss out a Texas lawsuit seeking to block federal rules requiring doctors to perform abortions in emergency situations. (Gurman, 7/20)
鈥淚 believe with all my heart that with Roe gone we have the opportunity to become a more perfect union,鈥 Pence said in a speech at the Florence Baptist Temple in Florence, S.C. 鈥淏ut make no mistake about it: As we gather tonight, we must recognize that we have only come to the end of the beginning,鈥 Pence continued. 鈥淪tanding here in the first days of post-Roe America, we must resolve that we will not rest, we will not relent, until the sanctity of life is restored to the center of American law in every state in the nation.鈥 (Samuels, 7/20)
A former leader of the religious right contends that an effort he helped lead to influence conservative Supreme Court justices through prayer sessions, private dinners and other social events contributed to the stridency of the court鈥檚 opinion last month striking down Roe v. Wade. (Gerstein, 7/20)
Data surveillance fuels worry in a post-Roe U.S. 鈥
Democratic senators Elizabeth Warren and Ed Markey asked GoGuardian, Gaggle.Net Inc., Bark Technologies Inc. and Securly Inc. 鈥斅爏tartups that provide tools that monitor students鈥 online activity聽鈥斅爓hether the companies鈥 tools flag search terms such as 鈥渁bortion鈥 or 鈥渃ontraception,鈥澛燼nd who is notified if they do. The companies are set up to communicate certain web activities of students聽with聽administrators, parents, and, at times, law enforcement. (Anand, 7/21)
On the potential global impact of U.S. abortion policy 鈥
The U.S. Supreme Court in June overturned the 1973 Roe v. Wade decision that recognized the right of women nationally to terminate pregnancies. Calling the decision "sobering" domestically, Loyce Pace, Assistant Secretary for Global Affairs at the U.S Department of Health, said it would not affect the country's position as the largest bilateral donor to family planning services globally. (7/20)
