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Laura Bassett
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Blog Entries by Laura Bassett

Oklahoma Senate Votes To Defund Planned Parenthood Two Days After Tornado

(1090) Comments | Posted May 22, 2013 | 5:37 PM

In the wake of one of the most destructive tornadoes in history, Oklahoma state senators passed a bill on Wednesday that would effectively defund Planned Parenthood.

Senate Bill 900, which re-allocates family planning funds to public providers and hospitals instead of private providers like Planned Parenthood, passed by...

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Michael McClendon, West Point Sergeant, Accused Of Filming Female Cadets In The Shower

(444) Comments | Posted May 22, 2013 | 3:14 PM

A sergeant in charge of the health and welfare of 125 cadets at the United States Military Academy at West Point is accused of secretly filming female cadets in the shower and elsewhere, The New York Times reported on Wednesday.

Sgt. First Class Michael McClendon, whom the...

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Trent Franks Uses Kermit Gosnell Case To Push 20-Week Abortion Bill

(1587) Comments | Posted May 22, 2013 | 12:16 PM

WASHINGTON -- Rep. Trent Franks (R-Ariz.) told reporters on Wednesday that there is a "good chance" House leadership will bring his nationwide 20-week abortion ban to the floor this year for a full vote in light of the Kermit Gosnell trial.

While Franks' bill, which only applied to...

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Mark Obenshain, Virginia Attorney General Candidate, Explains Controversial Miscarriage Bill

(1454) Comments | Posted May 20, 2013 | 2:21 PM

As soon as Virginia state Sen. Mark Obenshain (R) won the Republican nomination for attorney general this weekend, Think Progress dug up a bill he introduced in 2009 that would have required a woman to report her miscarriage to the police within 24 hours of it...

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Trent Franks Expands His DC Abortion Ban Nationwide

(926) Comments | Posted May 17, 2013 | 5:16 PM

Emboldened by the murder conviction of former abortion provider Kermit Gosnell, Rep. Trent Franks (R-Ariz.) announced on Friday that he intends to expand his proposed ban on abortions after 20 weeks of gestation in the District of Columbia to apply to every state.

The bill, currently titled the D.C. Pain-Capable...

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North Carolina Birth Control Bill Protested By Women In 'Mad Men' Garb

(264) Comments | Posted May 15, 2013 | 2:07 PM

Donning vintage outfits from the 1960s, a group of North Carolina women sent the message to state lawmakers on Wednesday that while they enjoy watching AMC's "Mad Men," they don't want to live in an episode of it.

The costumed protest, organized by Planned Parenthood of Central North Carolina,...

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Planned Parenthood Launches Ads Against Ken Cuccinelli, Virginia Gubernatorial Candidate

(804) Comments | Posted May 15, 2013 | 10:33 AM

Planned Parenthood Action Fund, the political arm of the national family planning provider, launched a series of web ads on Wednesday that aim to keep Virginia Attorney General Ken Cuccinelli out of the governor's office.

The ads highlight Cuccinelli's record on women's health issues as part of

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Harry Reid: Kermit Gosnell Case Resulted From Attacks On Abortion

(131) Comments | Posted May 14, 2013 | 4:49 PM

While abortion opponents have been energized by the murder trial of rogue Philadelphia abortion doctor Kermit Gosnell, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) said the gruesome details of Gosnell's practice only make the case for fewer restrictions on abortion.

When asked about the Gosnell trial at a press conference on...

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Kermit Gosnell Guilty: Verdict Announced In Abortion Doctor Trial

(5625) Comments | Posted May 13, 2013 | 3:56 PM

After 10 days of deliberations, a Philadelphia, Pa., jury convicted abortion doctor Kermit Gosnell on Monday of three counts of first-degree murder in the deaths of three infants born alive at his medical clinic. He was also pronounced guilty of involuntary manslaughter in the death of...

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Obama Administration's Plan B Appeal Denied By Federal Judge

(6773) Comments | Posted May 10, 2013 | 12:18 PM

A federal judge on Friday denied the Obama administration's request to delay his order that the Plan B morning-after pill be made available over the counter without age limits. The judge sharply rebuked the administration for appealing his decision, calling the move politically motivated, “frivolous," and "something out of an...

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North Carolina Bill Requires Notarized Parental Consent For STD Testing And Treatment

(716) Comments | Posted May 7, 2013 | 5:29 PM

A Republican-controlled committee in the North Carolina General Assembly approved a bill on Tuesday that would require teenagers to present a notarized parental consent form in order to access sexually transmitted disease testing and treatment, mental health counseling, pregnancy care or substance abuse treatment. Teenagers without a parent or guardian...

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Women Replace Men As Leaders Of Progressive Think Tanks

(61) Comments | Posted May 3, 2013 | 3:39 PM

As conservatives consider new ways for the GOP to reach out to women voters, progressives have taken a different approach: tapping women to run their think thanks.

When Anne-Marie Slaughter was chosen to succeed Steve Coll as president of the New America Foundation in April, she became the latest in...

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EMILY's List Madam President Campaign Eyes Potential Women Presidential Candidates

(3132) Comments | Posted May 2, 2013 | 11:39 AM

The progressive women's advocacy group EMILY's List launched a new campaign on Thursday called "Madam President," which aims to put women on the Democratic ticket for president and ultimately elect the first woman to the White House.

While former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton appears to be the...

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FDA Lowers Age Restriction On Plan B Morning-After Pill

(4116) Comments | Posted April 30, 2013 | 5:37 PM

The Food and Drug Administration announced on Tuesday that it will make a brand of emergency contraception known as Plan B One-Step available over the counter for women ages 15 and older, and with a prescription for younger teens. The pill is currently available over the counter to women ages...

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GOP Uses 'Mommy Blogs' For New Ad Campaign

(92) Comments | Posted April 30, 2013 | 3:48 PM

The National Republican Congressional Committee launched an online ad campaign on Tuesday that uses local "mommy blogs" to target female voters in 20 Democratic-held districts.

The ads, which the NRCC says will be geo-targeted on over 100 popular "mommy blog" sites across the country, including MarthaStewart.com, RachelRay.com, and Recipelink.com,...

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NARAL Rejects Charge That It Was Silent On Kermit Gosnell Case

(678) Comments | Posted April 26, 2013 | 5:30 PM

Rep. Sean Duffy (R-Wis.), in Friday afternoon comments on the House floor, accused NARAL Pro-Choice America and other women's rights advocates of staying silent about Kermit Gosnell, the notorious abortion doctor on trial for murder in Pennsylvania. NARAL fired back on Friday, noting that president Ilyse Hogue

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Sarah Palin Ties Planned Parenthood To Kermit Gosnell Case

(6329) Comments | Posted April 26, 2013 | 2:56 PM

Hours after President Barack Obama vowed to defend Planned Parenthood at the organization's national conference on Friday, Sarah Palin wrote a lengthy missive on Facebook, tying the family planning organization to Dr. Kermit Gosnell, a provider of illegal abortions who is on trial for murder.

...
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Obama: 'Planned Parenthood Is Not Going Anywhere'

(17714) Comments | Posted April 26, 2013 | 12:46 PM

President Barack Obama became the first sitting president Friday to address Planned Parenthood's national conference, where he reassured the organization and its supporters that he will continue to fight on their behalf.

"When politicians try to turn Planned Parenthood into a punching bag, they're not just talking about you,"...

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Steve Kush, New Mexico GOP Official, Calls 19-Year-Old Labor Advocate 'A Radical B*tch'

(4122) Comments | Posted April 24, 2013 | 2:41 PM

Steve Kush, the executive director of the Bernalillo County Republican Party in New Mexico, called a 19-year-old Working America volunteer a "radical bitch" on Twitter Tuesday night after she testified before the county commission in favor of raising the minimum wage.

"Nice hat Working America chick but damn...

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Brian Sims, Pennsylvania Democrat, On Abortion: We Did Not 'Swear To Uphold The Bible' (VIDEO)

(5895) Comments | Posted April 23, 2013 | 6:06 PM

Republican-controlled legislatures in several states have passed or introduced bills that would prohibit state-run health insurance exchanges from covering abortion in any of their plans. But Pennsylvania state Rep. Brian Sims (D) attempted to halt such a bill in his state on Tuesday with a scathing speech about...

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