States Battle Over Stillborn Babies

Not even 'conservative issue' for older generation: Goodman

(NEWSER) - Abortion has become “the purity test for remaining in the GOP’s inner circle,” writes Ellen Goodman in the Boston Globe: The Republican Party is shedding and shunning abortion-rights supporters it once called its own. But it wasn’t always that way—even “Mr. Conservative” Barry Goldwater supported a woman’s right to choose, saying it wasn’t “a conservative issue.” More»

What's a mother to do? It's up to her, says Salon

(NEWSER) - Surrogate moms-to-be who have learned they've been stiffed by out-of-cash firms that arranged their pregnancies face a major decision. The only way for these women to quit "working" is to obtain abortions, notes William Saletan in Slate. He fervently hopes the women will see their pregnancies through. So what's a woman to do? It's still up to her, no matter how convoluted the surrogate situation is, writes Tracy Clark-Flory in Salon. More»

(NEWSER) - Michael Steele has again stirred up some trouble with his Republican constituency, this time by making an intricate but obtuse argument about his stance on abortion, the Washington Post reports. In an interview with GQ, the RNC chair was asked if he supported a woman’s right to choose. “I think that's an individual choice,” he said, before quickly clarifying. “The states should make that choice.” More»

Protesters on both sides will mark today's anniversary

(NEWSER) - Protesters on both sides of the abortion debate today mark the 35th anniversary of the Supreme Court ruling that frames the debate. The anniversary of Roe v. Wade arrives with surveys showing US views on abortion largely unchanged over the past 15 years and with abortions at their lowest level since the ruling, CNN reports. More»

More women using the Pill; both sides of debate claim victory

(NEWSER) - About 1.2 million abortions were performed in the US in 2005, a 25% drop from the practice’s 1990 heyday, new data show. About 1 in 5 pregnancies ended in abortion in '05—the most recent year with data available—compared to 1 in 3 in the 1980s, the Los Angeles Times reports. “That’s a significant drop, and it’s encouraging,” one antiabortion activist said. More»