Among the excellent remembrances of Sen. Ted Kennedy, Nina Totenberg's on NPR was one of the most thoughtful and substantive. Totenberg reminded listeners that Kennedy played a leading role in sinking Robert Bork's Supreme Court nomination when the nomination was widely considered impossible to defeat and that Kennedy, as early as 1965, as chairman of the Immigration Subcommittee, re-wrote immigration laws to remove the bias in favor of European immigrants.
Miami Appeals Court Hears Arguments on Anti-Gay Adoption Laws
A Miami appeals court will rule on the constitutionality of the ban on gay adoption in Florida, the Miami Herald reports. Lawyers for the state's Department of Children and Families are defending the ban, arguing that the state has a legitimate interest in protecting children from homosexuality. The Herald explains, "DCF is appealing a November ruling by Miami-Dade Circuit Judge Cindy Lederman that declared the 1977 statute unconstitutional. Lederman's ruling allowed foster parent Martin Gill of North Miami, who is openly gay, to adopt two half-brothers the agency placed in his care in 2004." Lawyers for a gay foster parent who seeks to adopt his foster children argue that the ban is rooted in anti-gay bias.
Will Health Care Reform Include Coverage for Birth Control and Fertility Treatments?
The Cleveland Plain Dealer examines whether contraception and fertility treatments will be covered post-health care reform. While the Department of Health and Human Services will ultimately decide which specific procedures are and aren't covered, the Plain Dealer reports, "Health care experts say a revamped system is more likely to pay for birth control than high-tech fertility treatments like in-vitro fertilization because it's more common for insurance plans to cover birth control." The Plain Dealer cites a Guttmacher Institute study that found that 90 percent of employer-based group health insurance plans cover a full range of contraceptive options: "Private insurance coverage for contraception will continue after health care reforms pass, predicts Adam Sonfield, a co-author of the Guttmacher study, who has analyzed the health care reform bills before Congress." Infertility treatments, however, are less likely to be covered: "Infertility treatments are less commonly covered by insurance, although some plans cover surgery to clear blocked Fallopian tubes and prescription drugs to induce ovulation as part of their regular surgical and prescription drug coverage."
Other News to Note
August 26: HuffPo: Anti-Abortion Activist Randall Terry Thrown Out Of Health Care Town Hall (VIDEO)
August 26: Seattle Times: Wash. man accused of abortion clinic threat
August 26: WSJ: Does Health Care Cover Abortion?
August 26: KETV 7: Bellevue Prepares For Abortion Protests
August 27: Denver Post: Wash. man indicted for threats to hurt Boulder doctor's family
August 26: American Prospect: Will Health Reform Mean Easier Access to Abortion?
August 27: Herald Sun: Vatican paper slams pro-choice Kennedy
August 26: Maryland Gazette: 'Roe' in abortion case kicks off campaign in Severn
August 26: LifeNews: Pro-Life, Pro-Abortion Groups Take Divergent Stand on Ted Kennedy's Legacy
August 26: Foreign Policy: Clinton opposes sex-selective abortions
August 27: Foreign Dreams: Pro-Choice Leaders Pay Tribute to Sen. Kennedy's Legacy of Support for Women's Equality and Privacy
August 26: NYTimes: Terminating an Adoption
August 26: Courthouse News Service: Abortion Protesters Can't Block Handicapped Ramp
August 25: Choices Campus Blog: It's Her Decision
August 26: Socialist Worker: Defending clinics in Kentucky
August 25: Newsweek: Plan B’s Complicated History
August 26: Fox 4 KC: Kansas abortion battle now playing out at Nebraska clinic
August 25: Feminists For Choice Blog: Protect Abortion Rights in Nebraska
August 26: LA Times: Abortion foes turn on each other over the Operation Rescue name
