Trump nominates Heidi Overton to head the FDA – news round-up

Trump expected to pick conservative policy wonk Heidi Overton to lead FDA In terms of her policy positions, The New York Times highlights that Overton has written articles calling abortion “corrosive” to women and calling abortion pills “far more dangerous to women,” despite extensive data suggesting that abortion pills are extremely safe. Read more at … Read more

Trump’s new attorney general poses a huge threat to abortion rights | opinion

In a call facilitated by the White House faith office just days before he was confirmed, Blanche reportedly told Christian conservative leaders that as attorney general, he would move more aggressively than his predecessor Pam Bondi to outlaw the mailing of mifepristone across state lines, and target the Democratic-controlled states that have protected abortion most … Read more

AI’s abortion misinformation problem

In July, Open Democracy’s team of international investigative journalists found that AI chatbots were “nudging” pregnant women to anti-abortion resources. In 2025, a team of healthcare providers and researchers concluded that only 65% of ChatGPT-3.5’s responses to abortion questions were “acceptable.” A separate 2024 study found that ChatGPT was actively spreading misinformation about self-managed medication … Read more

There’s a birth control backlash online. Can it explain the rise in abortions?

Harper thinks it’s an intriguing hypothesis. To test if out, you’d have to do a study to survey people accessing abortion, she says, “and ask if it was the restricted access to contraception that was the reason for the pregnancy that they’re seeking abortion care for.” and “In 2024, 82% of sexually active reproductive age … Read more

Todd Blanche hints that new abortion restrictions are in the offing (news round-up)

Trump’s attorney general pick hints at making national abortion restrictions a priority In a call last week, Blanche, who is serving as both acting attorney general and deputy attorney general and has previously served as Trump’s personal lawyer, suggested that under his leadership, the department would prioritize restrictions on medication abortion. Read more at 19th … Read more

Republican Senators Are Turning Todd Blanche’s Confirmation Fight Into an Anti-Abortion Free-For-All

It’s no surprise that several of the asks of Blanche are about restricting access to medication abortion specifically. Conservatives are furious that abortions have increased, not decreased, since the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade, in large part due to the availability of abortion pills via telehealth in all 50 states. Project 2025 outlined several … Read more

Blanche assures anti-abortion supporters that Dobbs will be ‘permanent in every single state’

On a recording of the call posted online Thursday by the religious group Intercessors for America and hosted by the White House Faith Office, Blanche lamented that the Trump administration’s efforts to restrict abortion are “taking longer than we want” but said the Justice Department was “working hand in hand” with federal health agencies and … Read more