March 27, 2024
Public Policy
March 25, 2024
SCOTUS Abortion Pill Case Could Reverse Unexpected Rise in Abortions
(Axios) – Eliminating the federal right to abortion surprisingly hasn’t reversed a yearslong rise in the number of legal abortions in the U.S. — but a case the Supreme Court hears on Tuesday just might. Why it matters: The justices will … Read More
March 25, 2024
What’s at Stake in the Supreme Court Mifepristone Case
(NPR) – On Tuesday, the same justices who undid constitutional protection for abortion will hear arguments in the next frontier of abortion restriction: tightening access across the country for a medication that’s used in nearly two-thirds of all abortions nationally. … Read More
March 25, 2024
New Articles from BMC Medical Ethics Are Now Available
March 22, 2024
Alabama Fertility Clinic at the Center of IVF Ruling Is Resuming Some Procedures
(NBC News) – An Alabama clinic at the center of a legal battle that sparked fears nationwide about the future of in vitro fertilization is quietly rescheduling embryo transfers. It had paused IVF procedures in the wake of a state … Read More
March 18, 2024
Group Urges Illinois Lawmakers to Reject Assisted Suicide Legislation
(Center Square via MSN) – A group called Stop Assisted Suicide Illinois is taking a stand against the proposed legislation, and Wednesday during a news conference urged lawmakers to reject the measure. “I believe that the role of a physician … Read More
March 18, 2024
A New Edition of Hastings Center Report Is Now Available
March 15, 2024
The Real Lessons of the Alabama IVF Ruling
(The Atlantic) – The court had heard a complicated civil case touching on questions about the rights of families undergoing in vitro fertilization and the responsibilities of the fertility industry—questions that have long been neglected, to the great detriment of … Read More
March 14, 2024
House Passes Bill to Ban TikTok or Force Sale of the Chinese Video App
(Wall Street Journal) – The House voted overwhelmingly to approve a bill on Wednesday that would ban TikTok from operating in the U.S. or force a sale, setting the stage for a final showdown in the Senate, where lawmakers signaled … Read More
March 14, 2024
Delta-8, an Unregulated Form of THC, Is Popular Among High School Students
(NPR) – A national survey of more than 2,000 high school seniors across the country found that more than 11% used a drug called delta-8 THC in the past year. The psychoactive compound is derived from hemp, and often called … Read More
March 13, 2024
World’s First Major Act to Regulate AI Passed by European Lawmakers
(CNBC) – The European Union’s parliament on Wednesday approved the world’s first major set of regulatory ground rules to govern the mediatized artificial intelligence at the forefront of tech investment. The EU brokered provisional political consensus in early December, and … Read More
March 13, 2024
Father Asks Court to Stop 27-Year-Old Daughter’s MAID Death, Review Doctor’s Sign-Off
(CBC) – The father of a 27-year-old woman who has been approved for Medical Assistance in Dying (MAID) has asked a Calgary judge to dig into the circumstances that led to two of three doctors approving his daughter’s application. A … Read More
March 13, 2024
A New Edition of Hastings Center Report Is Now Available
March 12, 2024
France’s Macron Announces Legislation Allowing ‘Aid in Dying’ Under Strict Conditions
(Associated Press) – French president Emmanuel Macron has announced new legislation to legalize “aid in dying” that will allow adults facing end-of-life illness to take lethal medication, a first in the country. The move follows last year’s report indicating that … Read More
March 8, 2024
Editorial: ‘Right to Die’ Debate Comes to Illinois. Both Sides Have Merit, But We Would Vote No.
(Chicago Tribune) – For that reason, and others, we believe that Illinois should not pass this legislation and join the 11 jurisdictions (California, Colorado, District of Columbia, Hawaii, Montana, Maine, New Jersey, New Mexico, Oregon, Vermont and Washington) that have … Read More
March 8, 2024
A New Edition of Theoretical Medicine and Bioethics Is Now Available
March 7, 2024
Alabama IVF Clinics Plan to Restart Operations
(Axios) – Two Alabama IVF clinics say they are reopening after Gov. Kay Ivey late Wednesday signed legislation to insulate providers from legal claims in the wake of a court ruling on the status of frozen embryos. Why it matters: … Read More
March 6, 2024
America’s First IVF Baby Is Fighting for the Treatment That Gave Her Life
(Wall Street Journal) – Elizabeth Carr has always been a living symbol of fertility technology’s possibilities. Now she is the face of its challenges. Carr, 42 years old, is the first baby born by in vitro fertilization in the U.S. … Read More
March 6, 2024
Alabama Bill to Protect I.V.F. Will Reopen Clinics But Curb Patient Rights
(New York Times) – Legal experts said the bill, which Governor Kay Ivey has signaled she will sign, would be the first in the country to create a legal moat around embryos, blocking lawsuits or prosecutions if they are damaged … Read More
March 4, 2024
‘It’s Certainly Over’: Aid-in-Dying Bill Falters in Md. Senate for This Year
(Maryland The Daily Record) – Lawmakers have tabled a fiercely debated bill that would have granted terminally ill Maryland residents the right to end their lives, a setback to supporters who hoped it would finally pass this year. Senate President … Read More
March 4, 2024
France Makes History by Enshrining Abortion Rights in Its Constitution
(NPR) – France’s lawmakers have approved a bill to enshrine the right to an abortion in the country’s constitution, a historic move that came in response to concerns over the rollback of abortion laws in the United States. Members of … Read More
March 4, 2024
Alabama IVF Bills Are a “Band-Aid” to Explosive Court Ruling
(Axios) – Families considering starting IVF treatments in Alabama still face a host of unknown legal risks despite new protections Gov. Kay Ivey plans to sign into law, experts warn. Why it matters: Courts could ultimately consider new legislation, designed … Read More
March 4, 2024
A New Edition of American Journal of Law & Medicine Is Now Available
February 29, 2024
Alabama Senate and House Pass Bills to Protect IVF After Court Ruling
(NBC News) – Both chambers of the Alabama Legislature passed Republican-proposed bills intended to protect in vitro fertilization on Thursday after the state Supreme Court ruled that embryos are considered children. The Alabama state House and Senate still need to … Read More
February 29, 2024
How Fertility Coverage Mandates Could Clash with IVF Restrictions
(CBS News) – Proposed “personhood” laws getting a closer look after Alabama’s IVF ruling could vastly complicate reproductive care in some states that require insurance coverage of fertility treatments and drugs, by setting up potentially clashing mandates on what to … Read More
