Fetal Personhood at DOJ and Planned Parenthood Updates: July 14 News Roundup
Plus, what you missed on Autonomy News last week.
Welcome to the latest edition of our weekly roundup. Every Monday, we’ll send you a summary of the biggest stories about bodily autonomy. We’ll also include links to pieces that Garnet or Susan have published.
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Let’s dive in.
On Autonomy News
Guest writers T.S. Mendola and Dr. Jessica Army break down why The Pitt’s medication abortion plotline was unrealistic—but should actually serve as inspiration for hospitals to expand access to abortion in their emergency departments. (Share this story on Bluesky.)
Jessica Army, MD
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Federal news
Last week, we reported that Planned Parenthood had sued the federal government in an attempt to block the GOP megabill provision that would “defund” large abortion providers. A federal judge quickly granted Planned Parenthood a temporary restraining order blocking enforcement of the provision, and a preliminary injunction hearing is scheduled for this Friday, July 18, at 9 a.m Eastern time.
While the legal challenge proceeds, different Planned Parenthood affiliates are communicating very different things to patients. Some affiliates continue to accept Medicaid, and others are already turning patients with Medicaid away—and one appeared to offer them discounts for cash payments.
Interestingly, Planned Parenthood’s lawsuit seems to be crafted in a way that could let its affiliates pursue the waiver system Autonomy News exclusively reported on, which would allow regional organizations to apply to halt abortion care. Planned Parenthood is asking the court to declare the “defund” provision unconstitutional on a whole host of grounds or, failing that, to preserve Medicaid funding for Planned Parenthood clinics that don’t provide abortions.
And finally, if you wondered what those weird groups of anti-abortion doctors were doing—the ones who sued the Food and Drug Administration in an attempt to get mifepristone pulled from the market—they recently sent a letter to the Department of Health and Human Services and the FDA asking them to reinstate pre-2016 restrictions on mifepristone. This would limit the drug’s approved use to just seven weeks of pregnancy, down from 10, and require in-person dispensing and follow up. The groups’ letter once again cited a pseudoscientific report from the Leonard Leo-backed Ethics and Public Policy Center, which claimed medication abortion is more dangerous than current federal guidelines acknowledge.
State news
Texas Gov. Greg Abbott has called a special session to consider multiple legislative areas including abortion. Abbott faced pressure from dozens of lawmakers and anti-abortion groups to reconsider Senate Bill 2880, a wide-ranging crackdown on abortion pills. His proclamation doesn’t name a specific bill, but says the body should consider “legislation further protecting unborn children and their mothers from the harm of abortion.”
Also in Texas, state officials are reportedly overhauling a program that funds anti-abortion crisis pregnancy centers after a ProPublica and CBS News investigation last year found that there was little oversight regarding how tens of millions of dollars were being spent. Starting September 1, groups in the program will have to provide a detailed accounting of their expenses—can’t believe that wasn’t required before!
Organizers in Idaho have started collecting signatures to put an abortion rights amendment on the ballot in November 2026; they need at least 70,725 qualifying signatures from registered voters. The state bans abortion even if a pregnant person’s health is in danger and advocates with Idahoans United for Women and Families say their proposal will “end the ban.” But it’s important to note that the amendment would allow the state to ban abortions after fetal viability.
A Colorado OBGYN is challenging a state law requiring minors to notify their parents that they’re having an abortion at least 48 hours in advance of the procedure. Dr. Rebecca Cohen argues that the parental notification law violates constitutional protections voters passed in November and discriminates based on sex. According to KFF, 36 states require parental notification or consent before a young person can access abortion. Cohen is represented by The Lawyering Project, which is challenging parental involvement laws in Idaho, Missouri, and Tennessee.
Dork ass: “If we're talking in football terms, I think it's a touchdown, but the game's not over,” said South Carolina Republican state Rep. Jordan Pace of the 63 percent drop in abortions in the state since its six-week ban went into effect in 2023. But Vicki Ringer, director of public affairs for Planned Parenthood South Atlantic, said South Carolinians are still having abortions, just in other ban states, including North Carolina.
Personhood watch
Earlier this month, President Trump appointed Federalist Society member and anti-abortion movement darling Josh Craddock to an influential post in the Department of Justice Office of Legal Counsel. The OLC helps the White House interpret the Constitution and provides legal advice. Craddock was one of the authors of Americans United for Life’s roadmap for how the U.S. president could enshrine fetal personhood in federal law and therefore ban abortion nationwide via executive order. He also supports weaponizing the Comstock Act of 1873 to ban abortion pills.
Assaults on queer people
Of all the government agencies to take aim at gender-affirming care, you might not have expected this one: Last week, the Federal Trade Commission held an all-day workshop on the “dangers” of gender-affirming care. FTC Chairman Andrew Ferguson claimed that such healthcare is “deceptive” and requires more scrutiny by the commission. The same day, Attorney General Pam Bondi announced that the DOJ sent subpoenas to 20 providers of gender-affirming care as part of an investigation into “healthcare fraud, false statements, and more.” The DOJ did not name any of these doctors or clinics in its announcement.
Extremism
In a surprise court filing last week, the Internal Revenue Service reversed decades of tradition and gave churches the go-ahead to engage in political speech, including endorsing candidates—something the agency compared to “family discussion.” During Trump’s first term, he repeatedly vowed to “destroy” the Johnson Amendment, a policy that has barred churches and other nonprofits from engaging in political campaigning since 1954. While the filing didn’t go quite that far, it carved out what appears to be a very significant exception for churches.
And speaking of Leonard Leo, NOTUS reports that in the two years following the Dobbs decision, the Concord Fund, a dark money group backed by the ultra-conservative billionaire, gave more than $37.3 million to anti-abortion groups—“more than twice what the fund gave groups in the preceding 10 years.”
Quick hits
- A Fifth Circuit hearing in a case we warned about that could bankrupt Planned Parenthood has been scheduled for Thursday, September 25.
- The Flytrap, a fellow worker-owned publication, explained how abortion access in Washington, D.C. could be threatened if Congress repeals the district’s “home rule.”
- A new study from Advancing New Standards in Reproductive Health found that, in the first two years post-Dobbs, people in states that banned abortion were more than twice as likely to have their abortions later in pregnancy. In a survey of 855 people from 14 ban states, researchers also found that: “second-trimester abortions increased from 8% to 17%; travel time went from 2.8 hours to 11.3 hours; overnight stays increased from 5% to 58%; and travel costs went up from $179 to $372.”
- A group of former staffers from Boulder Abortion Clinic, which closed in April after 50 years of operation, are opening their own clinic. Their projected opening is in Fall 2025, and they are raising funds via GoFundMe.
- Mother Jones takes a look at the “minefield” that is pregnancy for disabled people.
- The Trump administration moved to exclude undocumented immigrants from the federally funded preschool program Headstart as well as addiction programs for non-citizens. Once again, they love eugenics.
Actual good news
An Ohio judge granted a preliminary injunction against one of the state’s remaining abortion restrictions, blocking a law that restricts medication abortion provision to physicians only. Advanced practice clinicians such as nurse midwives, nurse practitioners, and physician associates will be able to provide medication abortion care while the litigation continues. The judge ruled that the restriction is likely unconstitutional under Ohio’s 2023 Reproductive Freedom Amendment.
And, in New York City, a fourth city-run sexual health clinic will begin offering free and low-cost medication abortion as of today.
Palate cleanser(s)
This goat is a boundaries queen.
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Just call him JD Prance.
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