Too Monday to headline
Today…
is Monday. I checked.
we may be getting Supreme Court decisions at 10am ET, so you know where I’ll be.
is the birthday of Coretta Scott King (1927-2006). I remember her memorial services, as I worked in the building just next door to the church where they were held. My colleagues and I watched nose-to-glass as people arrived. It was amazing, and huuuuge.
is National Prime Rib Day. Makes me wistful for Prime Rib Dinner Man at Harris Teeter.
It’s a good day for a bowl of soup. And sharing newsletters.
Abortion
These states have attempted to ban abortion amid the coronavirus pandemic
Kate Smith | CBS News
A series of lawsuits have unfolded, moving at such a dizzying speed that abortion can be available one day and gone the next. While courts have mostly blocked states from restricting access to the procedure, some have carved out specific exceptions. Here's a breakdown of where abortion access stands across the country.
'I Had An Abortion In California During The COVID-19 Pandemic'
Nik Zaleski | Newsweek
Back in March, I made a difficult decision: whether to go outside—or not—to get an abortion. The COVID-19 pandemic has drastically changed life for us all, but for me and people across the U.S. who need abortions, we have yet another decision to make; should we go outside and potentially expose ourselves to the virus or stay home with a pregnancy we don't want to continue? My abortion was essential, so I went.
FDA Should Lift Abortion Pill Restrictions, Says Former Agency Head
Marie Solis | VICE
For two decades, the FDA has maintained restrictions on the abortion drug mifepristone that require patients to receive it from a licensed provider at a hospital or clinic, despite overwhelming evidence that shows the drug is safe and effective to take outside of immediate medical supervision. But Jane Henney, a former FDA commissioner and physician said that during a pandemic, the restrictions create unnecessary risks for those seeking abortion care.
Illinois
Guns, abortion and COVID-19 opportunism: what Gov. Pritzker got right
Steve Chapman | Chicago Tribune
Illinois, I’m glad to say, is respecting both [gun and abortion] rights. Democratic Gov. J.B. Pritzker has upheld women’s reproductive freedom, signing a measure that would permit abortion even if the Supreme Court overturns its 1973 Roe v. Wade decision. During the pandemic, abortion clinics have remained open.
Kentucky
Kentucky's Democratic governor vetoes abortion legislation
Bruce Schreiner | AP
Kentucky’s Democratic governor vetoed legislation Friday that would have given the state’s anti-abortion attorney general new authority to regulate abortion clinics. The measure cleared the GOP-dominated legislature in the waning hours of this year’s legislative session. As a result, lawmakers won’t have an opportunity to override Gov. Andy Beshear’s veto.
North Carolina
Why Teenagers Seeking Abortion Care Are Texting 'Abby'
Jo Yurcaba | Rewire.News
Advocates in North Carolina have introduced a new way to help minors maneuver through reproductive health care restrictions. The Carolina Abortion Fund partnered with the state’s ACLU to create a text line that helps minors maneuver this confusing web of medically unnecessary restrictions and get the legal and financial assistance they need—even amid the chaos of a pandemic.
Tennessee
Appeals court: Tennessee must continue allowing abortions
Associated Press
A federal appeals court has ruled that Tennessee must continue allowing abortions amid a temporary ban on nonessential medical procedures during the COVID-19 outbreak. The ruling follows a U.S. District judge’s order last week that abortions could proceed during the pandemic. The 6th Circuit, based in Cincinnati, issued its opinion Friday. The justices wrote that courts must give governments flexibility to respond to a crisis.
New York
What It’s Like to Be a Planned Parenthood Doctor Performing Abortions Right Now
Nina Bahadur | SELF Magazine
As health clinics are essential businesses, Planned Parenthood centers in New York State currently remain open. Here, Dr. Meera Shah, chief medical officer at Planned Parenthood Hudson Peconic, explains how they are treating patients while keeping their staff and clients as safe as possible, along with what she thinks of some politicians’ attempts to block abortion access during the pandemic. (This interview has been edited and condensed for clarity.)
LGBTQ
FDA 'commencing a study' that could lead to the removal of a once-lifetime ban on gay men donating blood as COVID-19 survivor says he was turned away
Tony Morrison | ABC News
An FDA statement said, “the FDA is committed to considering alternatives to the time-based deferral for men who have sex with men by generating the scientific evidence that will support an effective individual risk assessment-based blood donor questionnaire.” It goes on to they are “working to commence a pilot study that will enroll about 2000 men who have sex with men and who would be willing to donate blood.”
The Advocate: Gay Man Turned Away From Blood Center, Despite Passing Screenings
The New Civil Rights Movement: Coronavirus Could Finally Kill the Ban on Gay and Bi Blood Donations
Trump team moves to scrap protections for LGBTQ patients
Dan Diamond | Politico
The Trump administration is moving to scrap an Obama-era policy that protected LGBTQ patients from discrimination, alarming health experts who warn that the regulatory rollback could harm vulnerable people during a pandemic. The health department is close to finalizing its long-developing rewrite of Obamacare’s Section 1557 provision, which barred health care discrimination based on sex and gender identity.
The Advocate: Trump Admin Ready to Dump Ban on Anti-Trans Bias in Health Care
Georgia Voice: HHS Moves Forward with Rule Scrapping Health Care Protections for Transgender Individuals
LGBTQ Nation: Trump administration moves to allow doctors to refuse trans patients as COVID rages
Vox: The Trump administration could soon allow doctors to discriminate against LGBTQ people
Some LGBTQ Youth Find Hard Times At Home
Patti Neighmond | NPR
As most Americans shelter in place, many young people find themselves back at home with families who are not supportive of their values, politics or sexuality.
Class-action complaint demands release of transgender immigrants from detention
Tina Vasquez | Prism
The Transgender Law Center, Ballard Spahr LLP, and the Rapid Defense Network filed a class-action complaint Thursday against the Department of Homeland Security and the Department of Justice seeking the supervised release of all trans people in Immigration and Customs Enforcement custody.
Andy Cohen says he couldn't donate plasma because he is gay
Alexander Kacala | NBC News
Andy Cohen is speaking out about what he says is a discriminatory practice happening at the federal level when it comes to LGBTQ people being able to donate blood and convalescent plasma. The 51-year-old talk show host tested positive for the coronavirus in March and recovered from COVID-19 by the end of that month. Since then, he said he's been trying help those still suffering from the disease, but due to laws against men who have sex with men, he can't.
Reproductive Health & Justice
President Trump isn’t the first one to suggest disinfectant in the body. Women were told to douche with Lysol for decades.
Heidi Stevens | Chicago Tribune
President Donald Trump’s disinfectant idea isn’t the first time someone has suggested placing cleaning products inside the body. For decades, Lysol pushed women to use its product as douche, maintaining it was the only surefire way to keep the female parts clean and the husband happy.
Forbes: Lysol Shouldn’t Be Ingested To Combat Coronavirus, But It Was Once Advertised As Birth Control
Native Americans being left out of US coronavirus data and labelled as 'other'
Rebecca Nagle | The Guardian
Native Americans are being left out of demographic data on the impact of the coronavirus across the US, raising fears of hidden health emergencies in one of the country’s most vulnerable populations.
Michigan
Planned Parenthood offers telehealth services for birth control, UTIs
Allison Donahue | Michigan Advance
Like many health care providers during the COVID-19 crisis, Planned Parenthood of Michigan is now offering telehealth services, including access to birth control and urinary tract infection treatment. “We know that sexual and reproductive health care can’t wait.”
Missouri
Beyond COVID-19 Data: What Can St. Louis Do To Bring About Health Care Equity?
Andrea Henderson | KWMU-FM (St. Louis, MO)
St. Louis Public Radio spoke with St. Louis University’s Institute for Healing Justice and Equity co-founder Ruqaiijah Yearby to learn what how the reality of health care disparities should be addressed across the region and how years of disenfranchisement in black communities has led to chronic illnesses.
Work & Money
Women academics seem to be submitting fewer papers during coronavirus. ‘Never seen anything like it,’ says one editor.
Caroline Kitchener | The Lily
Six weeks into widespread self-quarantine, editors of academic journals have started noticing a trend: Women — who inevitably shoulder a greater share of family responsibilities — seem to be submitting fewer papers.