Choice News

Supreme Court Watch

President Obama nominated Solicitor General Elena Kagan to the Supreme Court. The Washington Post reports that abortion may be the "sleeper issue" of the confirmation; in 1997, she penned a memo to President Clinton in support of a compromise on the ban on late-term abortion.

The Stranger notes that Solicitor General Kagan does not have much of a paper trail with regard to her position on the right to choose, and quotes NARAL Pro-Choice Washington executive director Lauren Simonds as eager to know more about her stance on reproductive rights.

The New York Times profiles Solicitor General Kagan, noting that she has been careful throughout her life not to reveal too much about herself or her beliefs in order to position herself where she is today.

New York Times columnist Linda Greenhouse urges Solicitor General Kagan to reveal her positions on the issues of the day, as Kagan herself urged judicial nominees to do in an article she wrote in 1995.

Syndicated columnist Ruth Marcus writes that if confirmed, Solicitor General Kagan's ascent to the Supreme Court most likely marks the end of the time when women comprised only one or two seats on the court

The New York Times looks at the differences between Supreme Court nominations made by Republican and Democratic presidents.

Health Care Reform

The Washington Post reports that the federal health care reform legislation may reignite debate over what services medical professionals can refuse to provide.

The New York Times looks at the funding for comprehensive sexual health education programs that is included in the health care reform law.

Other News of Note

New York Times columnist Gail Collins has a piece commemorating the 50th anniversary of the birth control pill.

The Washington Post reports that some women are seeking alternatives to oral contraceptives.

Anti-choice hardliner Rep. Bart Stupak (D-Mich.) has an op-ed in Newsweek about his strained relationship with the anti-choice movement over health care reform negotiations.

Pro-choice Connie Saltonstall has pulled out of the race to replace Rep. Stupak, who is not seeking re-election.

Pre-term births are on the decline in the U.S. for the second year in a row, although the U.S. still has a higher pre-term birth rate than other developed countries.