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CNN
3 days ago
- General
- CNN
Abortions canceled again in Missouri after ruling from state Supreme Court
Planned Parenthood halted abortions in Missouri on Tuesday after the state's top court ordered new rulings in the tumultuous legal saga over a ban that voters struck down last November. The state's top court ruled that a district judge applied the wrong standard in rulings in December and February that allowed abortions to resume in the state. Nearly all abortions were halted under a ban that took effect after the US Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade in 2022. In Tuesday's two-page ruling, the court ordered Judge Jerri Zhang to vacate her earlier orders and reevaluate the case using the standards the court laid out. Zhang ruled that she was allowing abortions to resume largely because advocates were likely to prevail in the case eventually. The Supreme Court said it should first consider whether there would be harms from allowing abortions to resume. The state emphasized in their petition filed to the state Supreme Court in March that Planned Parenthood didn't sufficiently prove women were harmed without the temporary blocks on the broad swath of laws and regulations on abortion services and providers. On the contrary, the state said Zhang's decisions left abortion facilities 'functionally unregulated' and women with 'no guarantee of health and safety.' Among the regulations that had been placed on hold were ones setting cleanliness standards for abortion facilities and requiring physicians who perform abortions to have admitting privileges at certain types of hospitals located within 30 miles (48 kilometers) or 15 minutes of where an abortion is provided. Missouri Attorney General Andrew Bailey said in a statement that 'today's decision from the Missouri Supreme Court is a win for women and children and sends a clear message — abortion providers must comply with state law regarding basic safety and sanitation requirements.' Planned Parenthood maintains that those restrictions were specifically targeted to make it harder to access abortion. Still, the organization — which has the state's only abortion clinics — immediately started calling patients to cancel abortion appointments at Missouri clinics in Columbia and Kansas City, according to Emily Wales, president and CEO of Planned Parenthood Great Plains. Wales said it's a familiar but disappointing position for the organization. 'We have had to call patients in Missouri previously and say you were scheduled for care, your appointment is now canceled because of political interference, new restrictions, licensure overreach by the state,' she said. 'To be in that position again, after the people of Missouri voted to ensure abortion access, is frustrating.' Wales said Planned Parenthood hopes to be back in court soon. Sam Lee, director of Campaign Life Missouri, said he was 'extremely excited' by the Supreme Court order. 'This means that our pro-life laws, which include many health and safety protections for women, will remain in place,' Lee said. 'How long they will remain we will have to see.' Missouri is the only state where voters have used a ballot measure to overturn a ban on abortion at all stages of pregnancy. The Republican-controlled state government pushed back in court against allowing abortions to resume — something that didn't happen until more than three months after the amendment was adopted. Since then, lawmakers have approved another ballot measure for an amendment that would reimpose a ban — but with exceptions for pregnancies caused by rape or incest. It could be on the ballot in 2026 or sooner. Before Tuesday's ruling, 12 states were enforcing bans on abortion at all stages of pregnancy and four more had bans that kicked in at around six weeks — before women often know they're pregnant.
Associated Press
3 days ago
- General
- Associated Press
Missouri Supreme Court has opened the door to abortions being halted again
JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (AP) — The Missouri Supreme Court opened the door Tuesday to abortions being halted again in a tumultuous legal saga after voters struck down the state's abortion ban last November. The state's top court ruled that a district judge applied the wrong standard in rulings in December and February that allowed abortions to resume in the state for the first time since they were nearly completely halted under a ban that took effect after the U.S. Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade in 2022. In Tuesday's two-page ruling, the court ordered Judge Jerry Zhang to vacate her earlier orders and re-evaluate the case using the standards the court laid out.
Daily Mirror
5 days ago
- Politics
- Daily Mirror
'I'm terrified for women's future amid new police guidance on pregnancy loss'
Feminist speaker and activist Eliza Hatch shares her fears over the UK police's "invasive" guidance, which allows them to search women's phones in the case of suspected illegal abortion In news that sounds like it's come straight out of The Handmaid's Tale, the police have released new guidance that allows them to search your phone for period tracker apps in event of an unexpected pregnancy loss suspected to be abortion. Feminist speaker Eliza Hatch says she's now 'terrified' over what this means for women and people of marginalised genders. Eliza is an award-winning feminist photographer, speaker and educator. In 2017, she founded Cheer Up Luv, an internationally recognised photo and interview series which retells accounts of street harassment. Then in 2019, she co-founded the Hysteria Collective, which promotes arts and activism by people of marginalised genders. Speaking to The Mirror, Eliza says: 'I'm terrified for the future of women and people of marginalised genders rights in this country generally, and more specifically our bodily autonomy, healthcare and access to safe, legal and free abortions.' The guidance, released by the National Police Chiefs' Council (NPCC) in January, states that women who experience a sudden unexpected pregnancy loss, such as stillbirth or miscarriage, can have their homes searched and their phones seized if under investigation for a suspected illegal abortion. The NPCC said that investigators looking into the causes of stillbirth and miscarriage should look at digital devices to 'establish a woman's knowledge and intention in relation to the pregnancy' – which includes searching fertility and period tracking apps. In 1967, the Abortion Act was introduced to the UK, and allowed women to legally terminate a pregnancy up to 28 weeks with the certification of two doctors. In 1990, the limit was changed to 24 weeks. Eliza adds: 'This new police guidance is not only terrifying, it follows an incredibly invasive pattern of policing and criminalising of women's bodies, fuelled by influential anti-abortion groups funded by powerful religious organisations in the US. If we don't act now, we will follow in the US's footsteps of the far-right political overturn of our hard won rights.' The US has seen a sharp swing to far right politics over recent years. In June 2022, the Roe v Wade was overturned by the Supreme Court, which gave US women the constitutional right to abortion. Since then, 12 states have enacted near-total abortion bans, while four states have banned abortion past around six weeks of pregnancy. One of the most shocking outcomes of this has been the case of Adriana Smith, a braindead woman who is being forced to carry a baby to life due to Georgia's abortion laws, which bans termination after six weeks. As dystopian as the situation sounds, Eliza warns that, in many respects, UK abortion rights can be more constrictive. She says: 'We do not have the luxury of being complacent, of saying, 'oh well at least it's not as bad as the US'.' Providing an abortion in the UK carries a life sentence, due to what Eliza describes as a 'cruel, outdated Victorian law'. This is because it falls under the 1861 Offences Against the Person Act, which carries a maximum life sentence. Eliza urges people to put pressure on the government, write to MPs and to 'lobby for our hard earned bodily autonomy as vocally and aggressively as anti-abortion groups who campaign against our hard won rights.' Otherwise, she fears that 'we are in serious danger of going in the same direction as a post Roe v Wade overturned America.'
Graziadaily
22-05-2025
- Politics
- Graziadaily
We Should Be Horrified By How Fragile Reproductive Rights Have Become In The UK
The Handmaid's Tale may be a work of fiction, but with increasing attacks on women's reproductive rights, the message it sends about fighting for these rights – before it's too late – is timely. It seems incredible, but police have been issued guidance on how to check a woman's phone after an unexpected pregnancy loss to establish her 'knowledge and intention in relation to the pregnancy'. This includes checking for menstrual cycle tracking apps, internet search history and messages. They've also been advised on how to search her home for 'drugs that can terminate pregnancy', in cases involving stillbirths. There's been an explosion in investigation and prosecutions of women and girls for having abortions in England in recent years. That's because abortion isn't actually legal in England and Wales – you are only exempt from prosecution if you have an abortion under certain conditions. In the US, where abortion rights have rolled back since the overturning of Roe v Wade, VP JD Vance has criticised buffer zones outside abortion clinics, designed to allow women to attend them without harassment. Here in the UK, Nigel Farage has begun talking about these issues, likely sensing a chance to repeat the success of US politicians in using abortion to gain votes. Whether he's arguing there should be more 'debate' around reducing the time limit for terminations or supporting those who say it's free speech to protest outside clinics, his interest in these tactics should worry anyone who recognises that bodily autonomy is the foundation of equality. American groups have been running training events for anti-abortion activists in the UK, and money and activists from these networks are flooding into the country. Anyone who thinks we can be complacent about abortion freedom in this country isn't paying attention to the threats we now face. That's why it's time to put the right to choose into law. To do this, we need to look to Northern Ireland, where abortion is a human right. In the coming weeks we will be arguing to introduce the same laws in England and Wales, which would mean every woman would have a right to abortion regardless of who is in power. Crucially, we are also seeking protections to prevent ministers overturning this law without democratic consent. If any future Prime Minister wanted to remove a woman's right to abortion, under our proposals they would have to get the agreement of every MP, meaning every one of us could ask our local representative to intervene. Every MP can choose to support this plan if they co-sign the Creasy amendment to the forthcoming Policing Bill. Ask your MP to do this, to ensure abortion access is healthcare, not a criminal matter. It's time to create a human rights framework to guarantee no woman has to live 'under his eye', or in fear of what harm the ballot box might bring when it comes to her basic human rights.
TimesLIVE
22-05-2025
- Health
- TimesLIVE
Family powerless as brain-dead pregnant woman kept alive in US
Shortly afterward, Adriana was declared brain-dead. Despite her condition, Georgia's 'heartbeat' abortion law requires that she remain on life support to carry the foetus, now around 22 weeks, to term. The law which was signed by governor Brian Kemp in 2019, bans abortion after a heartbeat is detected, typically around six weeks and well before many women even realise they are pregnant. While the law includes limited exceptions for rape, incest and medical emergencies, it does not explicitly address scenarios where the mother is already legally brain-dead. 'It's torture for me. I come here and I see my daughter breathing on the ventilator. She's not there, and I'm touching her,' said Newkirk. Newkirk said she continues to bring Adriana's young son to visit her. She voiced concern about the baby's future health, as doctors warn that the foetus may suffer severe complications due to Adriana's condition and the lack of oxygen during the trauma. 'She's pregnant with my grandson, but my grandson may be blind, may not be able to walk, may be wheelchair bound. We don't know if he'll live once she has him,' she said. For Newkirk, the most heartbreaking part is not just her daughter's condition but the loss of agency over Adriana's care. 'It should have been left up to the family. I'm in my 50s. Her dad is in his 50s. We're going to have the responsibility with her partner to raise her sons,' she said. 'I'm not saying that we would have chosen to terminate her pregnancy. What I'm saying is we should have had a choice,' she said. Georgia is one of several states that enacted restrictive abortion bans after the US Supreme Court's 2022 decision to overturn Roe v Wade. The state has at least 11 abortion providers, according to the National Abortion Federation. Similar 'heartbeat bills' have been passed in Mississippi, Kentucky, and Ohio. This case has ignited renewed debate over abortion rights, patient autonomy and how states interpret medical decisions in cases involving brain death and pregnancy. Advocates warn that laws like Georgia's fail to account for the complexities of real-life medical crises.
