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A new abortion clinic in the region would be notable enough: Across the Bible Belt, the swath of spiritual states stretching from Texas to North Carolina, the number of abortion clinics has dropped nearly two-thirds over the past three decades, in part due to restrictive laws, constant protests, and sporadic violence. But the activists behind the nonprofit Carafem didn’t just want to quietly open their doors. They embrace an unapologetic brand of women’s health care, which they launched with an in-your-face advertising campaign — in a conservative state where four out of five adults identify as Christian. (Blau, 3/20)

A federal court on Friday permanently blocked Mississippi's law that threatened to close the state's only abortion clinic by setting a hospital-privileges requirement the clinic couldn't fulfill. The ruling comes eight months after the U.S. Supreme Court blocked a similar law in Texas. In a statement, Center for Reproductive Rights President and CEO Nancy Northup called the ruling the latest victory for women's health and rights. (3/17)

As Republicans in Congress move to defund Planned Parenthood, a California state senator is pushing a bill to require student health centers on public university and community college campuses to provide non-surgical abortion services. Sen. Connie Leyva, D-Chino, is expected Friday to introduce Senate Bill 320, which would specifically require student health centers that operate with state funding to provide students with access to medication to abort a pregnancy. (Luna, 3/17)