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In the daily din of scandal and turmoil that has dominated President Trump’s first year in office, it can be easily overlooked how transformative he has been in using his executive powers to curtail abortion rights. As thousands of anti-abortion marchers gathered on the National Mall in Washington in the annual March for Life on Friday, Mr. Trump ordered his administration to make it easier for states to cut off money for Planned Parenthood clinics that offer health care to low-income women. (Peters, 1/19)

In an address broadcast from the White House Rose Garden, Trump said he's committed to building "a society where life is celebrated, protected and cherished. "The moment marked the president personally stepping to the forefront of the anti-abortion movement in the United States as the anniversary of his inauguration approaches. Last year, Vice President Mike Pence addressed the crowd in Trump's absence. In the year since, Trump has delivered on rules and policies he had promised in an effort to help curb abortion rights legalized 45 years ago. Chief among them is the confirmation of conservative Justice Neil Gorsuch. (1/19)

The president also touted his efforts to expand a policy to prevent federal funds from going to foreign organizations that perform or advise on abortions, spurring praise from antiabortion groups and criticism that the move would restrict women’s access to health care. Senior administration officials said last year that the ban now would apply to $8.8 billion in global health-assistance funds, expanding by almost 15 times the financial reach of an antiabortion policy first implemented by the Reagan administration in 1984. Coinciding with the march, officials at the Department of Health and Human Services said they are rescinding a federal Medicaid policy requiring states to pay for all non-abortion services performed at Planned Parenthood clinics. The move paves the way for states to exclude abortion providers from their Medicaid networks, significantly restricting the amount of money those clinics can receive. (Ballhaus and Hackman, 1/19)

The remarks, delivered in the White House Rose Garden, were shown on screens set up on the Mall. Trump is the first sitting president to address the 45-year-old march by live video. Previous Republican presidents have spoken to march participants by phone. Vice President Mike Pence spoke at last year’s event, which took place a week after Trump took the oath of office. (Epstein, 1/19)

U.S. health officials said on Friday they were revoking legal guidance issued by the Obama administration that had sought to discourage states from trying to defund organizations that provide abortion services, such as Planned Parenthood. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) officials also said the department was issuing a new regulation aimed at protecting healthcare workers' civil rights based on religious and conscience objections. (Humer and Abutaleb, 1/19)

The House passed a bill by 241-183 Friday that would place additional precautions on late-term abortions, including the ability to prosecute health care professionals with fines and imprisonment for violations. The legislation is likely to face challenges in the Senate. The bill (HR 4712) by Rep. Marsha Blackburn, R-Tenn., would protect an infant who is born alive after an attempted abortion. A doctor would be required to administer the same level of care to such an infant as they would to any other child born at that stage. (Raman, 1/19)

A big, steel-bar fence around the Planned Parenthood-Denver Stapleton Health Center on Saturday divided two sides of a polarizing issue: abortion. Colorado Right to Life held a March for Abolition across the street from the health center with a goal to abolish abortion in the state and the nation. Approximately 120 people turned out to the rally, most standing near huge signs, propped against cars, reading “Turn back we’re here to help you,” and “No peace with child sacrifice,” others depicted fetuses. (Hoffman, 1/20)