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A federal judge on Tuesday temporarily blocked Georgia’s restrictive new abortion law from taking effect, following the lead of other judges who have blocked similar measures in other states. The law signed in May by Republican Gov. Brian Kemp bans abortions once a “detectable human heartbeat” is present, with some limited exceptions. Cardiac activity can be detected by ultrasound as early as six weeks into a pregnancy, before many women realize they’re expecting, according to a legal challenge. (Brumback, 10/1)

After a legal challenge from abortion rights advocates, Judge Steve Jones of the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Georgia issued a preliminary injunction blocking the law while it is argued in court. Jones wrote the plaintiffs met their burden of showing the ban would cause “irreparable harm” and violate a woman’s constitutional right to privacy. He also stated that the U.S. Supreme Court has “repeatedly and unequivocally” held that a state cannot ban abortion before viability. (Schmidt, 10/1)

The Georgia law, signed by Gov. Brian Kemp in May, would have gone into effect in January. It would prohibit most abortions once doctors can detect a fetal heartbeat, which occurs around six weeks of pregnancy. Current Georgia law restricts abortions after 20 weeks of pregnancy. (Zaveri, 10/1)

The heartbeat bill's exceptions include cases that involve rape or incest when the woman files a police report. It allows for abortions when a fetus is determined not to be viable or the mother's health is in jeopardy. The current Georgia law allows abortions up to the 20th week of pregnancy. (Terry Ellis, 10/1)

The ACLU, Center for Reproductive Rights and Planned Parenthood sued the state after Republican Gov. Brian Kemp signed the ban into law in May, arguing that it violates Roe v. Wade's prohibition on banning abortion before a fetus is viable, which occurs at about 24 weeks of pregnancy. A fetal heartbeat usually can be detected around six weeks of pregnancy. The law would impose criminal penalties including jail time for abortion providers and was set to take effect in January. (Ollstein, 10/1)

“This case has always been about one thing: letting her decide. Everyone is entitled to their own opinion, but every woman is entitled to her own decision,” Sean J. Young, legal director of the ACLU of Georgia, said in a statement Tuesday. (Axelrod, 10/1)

The number of abortions performed in Ohio dropped last year by 2% from the year before and hit an all-time low since the Ohio Department of Health first kept statistics on pregnancy terminations in 1976, according to an Ohio Department of Health report released Monday. A total of 20,425 induced pregnancy terminations were reported in Ohio for 2018. Ninety-four percent were obtained by state residents. (Hancock, 10/1)

The latest count marks a 53% drop in abortions since a peak of more than 45,000 in 1982, closely tracking the national trend. The decline has done little to quell the debate over abortion rights, which is as heated as it’s been since Roe v. Wade, the U.S. Supreme Court’s landmark ruling in 1973 legalizing abortion up to viability, roughly 22 weeks of pregnancy. Abortion is still legal, but in Ohio and elsewhere, opponents have been successful in chipping away at women’s access to the procedure. (Candisky, 10/1)

Kansas conservatives are trying to overturn a state Supreme Court decision that protects abortion rights and threatens years’ worth of Republican-enacted restrictions, guaranteeing an election-year fight over amending the state constitution. A legislative study committee opened two days of hearings Tuesday on a ruling in April by the state’s highest court that access to abortion is a fundamental right under the Kansas Constitution. The Republican-led committee is expected to urge the full, GOP-controlled Legislature to put a proposed constitutional change on the ballot next year for voters to consider. (Hanna, 10/1)

A federal judge in Virginia has upheld the state’s law requiring women to have an ultrasound at least 24 hours before obtaining an abortion and a separate measure requiring physicians to perform the procedure. Abortion rights activists and providers had challenged Virginia laws they said unnecessarily restrict access, particularly for poor women, and make it difficult and expensive for clinics to operate. After an eight-day trial in federal court in Richmond, the question for the judge was whether regulations affecting health-care providers, facilities and patients present a substantial, unconstitutional obstacle for women seeking abortions. (Marimow, 10/1)

Such restrictions aren’t just about limiting when and under what circumstances women can get abortions — these laws can also affect how much the procedure costs, research suggests. And those who are denied the procedure fare worse economically, some studies have shown. (Jagannathan, 10/2)

Former Baltimore health commissioner and city resident Dr. Leana Wen was removed in July as head of Planned Parenthood, but she quickly returned to a teaching position at George Washington University. The trained emergency physician plans to remain an advocate for public health, and with all of her experiences, she now has a few more things to say about it. (Cohn, 10/1)

Planned Parenthood Affiliates of California today named Jodi Hicks, a longtime Sacramento health care lobbyist, as its new CEO and president.Hicks has been serving as acting CEO since June, after Crystal Strait, who had been at the helm for two years, stepped down in May for personal reasons. Hicks assumed the role on a permanent basis effective immediately. (Colliver, 10/1)