High-risk pregnancy doctors publish new standards for care under state abortion bans

NATIONAL
Senators query FDA nominee on abortion pill views during confirmation hearing: Dr. Heidi Overton, President Donald Trump’s nominee to lead the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, did not directly answer questions about abortion medication during her Senate confirmation hearing last week. Overton said mifepristone is approved by the FDA and met the safety and efficacy standard, though in 2023 she co-wrote a policy brief that said the drug needs greater scrutiny and called abortion “corrosive.” She also declined to answer a question from Democratic U.S. Sen. Patty Murray of Washington state about whether an IUD is an abortifacient. — D.C. Bureau

TENNESSEE
Federal court upholds block on Tennessee law making it a crime to aid minors seeking out-of-state abortions: A federal appeals court affirmed a lower court ruling Thursday that blocked a Tennessee law preventing people from giving information to minors about how to get abortions out of state. The three-judge panel ruled that the law violated the First Amendment. The 2024 law also makes it illegal to recruit, harbor or transport a minor out of Tennessee for an abortion without parental consent. — Tennessee Lookout

MISSOURI
Anti-abortion divide could complicate Missouri Amendment 3 campaign: There’s a growing fissure among abortion opponents over a Missouri anti-abortion ballot measure. Some “abortion abolitionists” said the proposed amendment doesn’t go far enough because it would allow abortion for medical emergencies, fetal anomalies and pregnant victims of rape and incest up to 12 weeks. Others disagree. “There are those who believe that their moral beliefs should be completely reflected in the law. And I understand that. And wouldn’t that be great if that were true?” said Sam Lee, an anti-abortion lobbyist who considers himself a pragmatist. “But the reality is that rarely, if ever, is that the case.” — Missouri Independent

KENTUCKY
After Medicaid ban, Kentucky Planned Parenthood says it’s ‘not going anywhere’: Planned Parenthood Kentucky leaders said clinics in the state saw an increase in self-pay and a small drop in patients after the federal government banned the provider from receiving Medicaid funds last year. The ban ended in July, but Planned Parenthood is still worried about threats to funding, contingent on the outcome of the midterms. The lobbying arm of the state affiliate is planning to push bills next year that would make Medicaid pay for sexually transmitted infections testing and increase access to perimenopause and menopause treatments. — Kentucky Lantern

OHIO
Ohio’s work to lower infant mortality rate shows progress, but communities of color still struggle: The latest infant mortality rate in Ohio was 6.6 deaths for every 1,000 live births, the lowest the state has seen in a decade. But racial disparities remain: The rate for Black infants was 12.6, while the rate for Hispanic babies was 6.7 and 5.1 for white babies. Experts said expectant mothers of color in the state often feel dismissed and disrespected by healthcare providers. — Ohio Capital Journal

ALASKA
Alaska childcare advocates press for major state investment, policy changes to fill growing gaps: Childcare centers in Alaska have closed rapidly in recent years due to rising costs and worker shortages. Advocates are calling on lawmakers to make childcare a priority in the upcoming election. Earlier this year, Alaska Republican Gov. Mike Dunleavy vetoed a bill that would have set aside $6.4 million to increase pay for childcare workers; a spokesperson for the governor said the industry has “substantial” state funding. — Alaska Beacon

NEW MEXICO
Study on forced sterilization practices in New Mexico moves forward: Nearly three dozen experts will meet next month to study the history of New Mexico’s forced sterilization of Indigenous women and other women of color. Investigations in the 1970s found that between 25% and 50% of Indigenous women of childbearing age in the state had been sterilized, with the highest concentrations in Albuquerque and the southwest. The legislature directed the working group to identify all cases or suspected cases of forced sterilization, gather survivor testimonies, assess the current accessibility of reproductive health services and recommend related policy initiatives by the end of 2027. — Source New Mexico

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