Alex Zielinski at ThinkProgress writes—Idaho Tells Pregnant Women To Get Ultrasounds At Anti-Abortion ‘Clinics’:
Idaho’s health agency is now legally obliged to post a list of places where women can receive free ultrasounds. While seemingly harmless — if not beneficial — the new requirement is actually deeply rooted in the state’s fiercely anti-abortion legislature.
The list, posted on the state’s health department website, is geared toward women seeking abortions. However, every single facility listed is a anti-abortion advocacy center. Often called “crisis pregnancy centers” or CPCs, these centers often lack medically-trained staff and are tied to religious organizations. CPCs are known for attracting women seeking an abortion with their promise of a free ultrasound, but then attempt to convince women out of an abortion by using nonscientific “data” and thinly-veiled guilt-tripping.
Now, Idaho will help CPCs continue to their one-sided mission.
Anti-abortion state lawmakers appeared to applaud the bill specifically for its ability to control women’s decision-making. “This informs the mother that the ‘piece of tissue’ inside her has hands, feet, eyes, looks like a baby and has a heartbeat,” said state Rep. Heather Scott.
Idaho’s health agency has not inspected or certified any of the centers on the list. Republican members of the GOP-led legislature ignored demands by its Democratic members to confirm the listed providers offered medically accurate information. However, state law does require women receive an ultrasound prior to obtaining an abortion. At the very bottom of the list, an italicized note reminds readers: “This information is not intended to constitute medical advice or the provision of medical services.”
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At Daily Kos on this date in 2003—Afghanistan slipping back to warlordism:
Afghanistan is slipping back into the hands of warlords because the US refused to extend international control outside Kabul, keeps two brigades there when 10 are needed and have underfunded reconstruction across the country. We expected an Afghan national army to solve our problems when that is years away from being anything close to reality.
Afghanistan is a place were we could easily wake up one morning, find the President assassinated, the Army in revolt and US troops stuck in the Kindu Kush fighting tribesmen from both sides of the border. Things are so desperate that the 25ID, trained to fight in the Pacific and Korea, will send the next brigades to Afghanistan.
Our ob[s]ession with Iraq, trapping whole divisions there, leaves Afghanistan exposed and ripe for an election year failure.
On today’s Kagro in the Morning show: Greg Dworkin & Joan McCarter join us to watch The Donald heap nuclear fuel atop his raging dumpster fire. GOP defections mount; intra-party back-stabbings, too. Kansas GOP cleans house: Toto, I don’t think we’re in Congress any more! Ross puts NC-Senate race into play.
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