Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Abortion-Rights Advocates Terrified Of Trump: Nobody 'Has Any Earthly Idea Of What He Is Going To Do'
Amy Hagstrom Miller of Whole Women's Health had been having a banner year. Her organization, based in Charlottesville, Va., operates several abortion clinics around the country and brought a legal challenge that led the Supreme Court to issue a landmark ruling this past summer. The court struck down abortion restrictions in Texas, setting a precedent that abortion rights groups believe could help turn back a wave of restrictions passed by legislatures across the country in recent years. But now that Donald Trump is the president-elect? "I'm devastated," Miller says. "I feel stunned. I'm numb." (Ludden, 11/10)
Women fearful that the Trump administration will limit reproductive rights are showing the first signs of channeling their frustration into action. Planned Parenthood confirmed to STAT that it saw an increase in donations, emails, and phone calls on Wednesday. And the advocacy group NARAL Pro-Choice America received so many unsolicited donations 鈥 many designated in honor of Hillary Clinton or sardonically honoring Donald Trump 鈥 that a spokesperson called it 鈥渏ust unlike anything we鈥檝e ever seen.鈥 (Robbins, 11/10)
Planned Parenthood hasn鈥檛 yet tallied up the amount of donations聽it received after Trump's victory,聽but the outcome of the election looks likely to聽become a sizable source of contributions. In Atlanta, to cite just one example, Elizabeth Hartman, 33, raised $1,900 for her local affiliate through Facebook. The group聽has seen this kind of politically motivated rush to donate before. In 2012, after 19 states passed an unprecedented number of abortion restrictions, such as mandatory waiting periods or ultrasounds, individual supporters gave聽$98 million鈥$25 million more than they had the year before. (Suddath, 11/10)