Daily Briefing: Five Texas women sue over abortion ban

Nicole Fallert, USA TODAY
·6 min read
3

A Texas lawsuit is the first time individual women are suing a state over abortion restrictions since Roe v. Wade fell last summer. Also in the news: Fed Chair Jerome Powell told a Senate committee interest rates may yet still rise and why Republicans and Democrats are vying over a D.C. criminal code reform.

🙋🏼‍♀️ I'm Nicole Fallert, Daily Briefing author. ⭐ Happy International Women's Day. ⭐

Now, here we go with Wednesday's news.

Texas women say state ban put their lives at risk

Five women are suing Texas over its near-total abortion ban, saying they were denied abortion care despite having complications that put their lives and fetuses at risk. The lawsuit is seeking clarity on when doctors can act — and not fear prosecution.

Four of the plaintiffs spoke at the Texas Capitol on Tuesday about their experiences with being denied abortions and left suffering life-threatening complications.

  • Amanda Zurawski's story: After being diagnosed with cervical insufficiency and preterm pre-labor rupture of membranes, doctors told plaintiff Zurawski and her husband the loss of their baby was inevitable and her life was in danger, but doctors were unable to provide an abortion due to the state’s restrictions.

  • Anna Zargarian, another plaintiff, was 19 weeks pregnant when she had to rush to the emergency room after her water broke prematurely.  Due to Texas’ abortion laws, the doctors said they wouldn't be able to offer her the recommended care, termination. In Texas, her choice was to wait to deliver her baby naturally or develop a life-threatening condition. She decided to fly to Colorado to receive an abortion.

  • 'Defend and enforce the laws': In response to the lawsuit, supporters of the state’s abortion bans argued the laws do allow for interventions to save the life of the mother.

👉 Keep reading coverage from the USA TODAY Network on the Texas lawsuit and the latest on Walgreens' decision to no longer sell the abortion pill in red states.

Anna Zargarian, one of five plaintiffs in Zurawski v. State of Texas, speaks in front of the Texas State Capitol in Austin, March 7, 2023 as the Center for Reproductive Rights and the plaintiffs announced their lawsuit, which asks for clarity in Texas law as to when abortions can be provided under the "medical emergency" exception in S.B. 8.
Anna Zargarian, one of five plaintiffs in Zurawski v. State of Texas, speaks in front of the Texas State Capitol in Austin, March 7, 2023 as the Center for Reproductive Rights and the plaintiffs announced their lawsuit, which asks for clarity in Texas law as to when abortions can be provided under the "medical emergency" exception in S.B. 8.

Two kidnapped Americans found dead in Mexico

The two surviving Americans in a group of four violently abducted last week in Mexico returned to the U.S. Tuesday, one of them with a non-life-threatening wound. Mexican authorities said the two other members of the group traveling for cosmetic surgery were killed Friday after getting caught in a drug cartel shootout in the border city of Matamoros in Tamaulipas state, just south of Brownsville, Texas. Tamaulipas Gov. Americo Villarreal said the Americans, traveling in a white minivan, had crossed the border only 2 1/2 hours before the shooting occurred. A 33-year-old woman not linked to the group was killed by a stray bullet, he said. Read more

Mexican army soldiers search for four U.S. citizens kidnapped by gunmen at Matamoros, Mexico, Monday, March 6, 2023.
Mexican army soldiers search for four U.S. citizens kidnapped by gunmen at Matamoros, Mexico, Monday, March 6, 2023.

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'You ain't seen nothing yet': DeSantis opens Florida's 2023 legislative session

In the weeks leading up to Tuesday’s legislative opening, Republican leaders in Florida have been dutifully teeing up much of the legislation Gov. Ron DeSantis has sought, including new limits on civil lawsuits and outright bans on socially conscious investing by governments, and diversity programs at colleges and universities. And DeSantis' State of the State address Tuesday to a packed crowd of lawmakers was structured to echo far beyond the state Capitol, in advance of his expected bid for the Republican presidential nomination. “I can promise you this, you ain’t seen nothing yet,” the governor concluded. Read more

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis answers questions from the media in the Florida Cabinet following his State of the State address during a joint session of the Senate and House of Representatives Tuesday, March 7, 2023, at the Capitol in Tallahassee, Florida.
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis answers questions from the media in the Florida Cabinet following his State of the State address during a joint session of the Senate and House of Representatives Tuesday, March 7, 2023, at the Capitol in Tallahassee, Florida.

Fed chair testifies before Senate on inflation, speeding up rate hikes

Citing a recent surge in job growth and inflation, Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell told Congress Tuesday the central bank will likely raise its key interest rate higher than anticipated and could resume larger hikes after slowing the pace in recent months. "If the totality of the data were to indicate that faster tightening is warranted, we would be prepared to increase the pace of rate hikes," Powell told lawmakers. Although Powell has acknowledged the strategy could trigger a recession, he has said a bigger risk is inflation that becomes entrenched because households and businesses expect it to persist. Read more

Fed Chair Jerome Powell testifies before the Senate Banking Committee Tuesday, March 7, 2023.
Fed Chair Jerome Powell testifies before the Senate Banking Committee Tuesday, March 7, 2023.

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Why Congress is fighting about a D.C. criminal code

A rare Senate vote Wednesday to block Washington, D.C., criminal code reform is a political fight dressed up as a policy debate. Democrats and Republicans alike are using the moment to appear tough on crime or defend the autonomy of city residents and renew a progressive push for statehood in the nation's capital. D.C.'s revision is the first in a century and lowers or eliminates some penalties. It lowers the maximum jail time for carjacking and robberies. It eliminates most mandatory minimum sentences and expands jury trials for misdemeanors. Read more

Washington Mayor Muriel Bowser listens as President Joe Biden speaks during a meeting on reducing gun violence, in the Roosevelt Room of the White House, July 12, 2021, in Washington.
Washington Mayor Muriel Bowser listens as President Joe Biden speaks during a meeting on reducing gun violence, in the Roosevelt Room of the White House, July 12, 2021, in Washington.

One more thing

📷 Photo of the day: Hindu festival of Holi 📷

Holi marks the advent of springtime in India, Nepal and communities around the world, and it’s also a time to gather with family and loved ones. Read more about Wednesday's celebrations and click here for more photos from the holiday.

Children put colors on each other as they celebrate Holi, the Hindu festival of colors, in Jammu, India, Tuesday, March 7, 2023.
Children put colors on each other as they celebrate Holi, the Hindu festival of colors, in Jammu, India, Tuesday, March 7, 2023.

Nicole Fallert is a newsletter writer at USA TODAY, sign up for the email here. Want to send Nicole a note? Shoot her an email at NFallert@usatoday.com or follow along with her musings on Twitter. Support journalism like this – subscribe to USA TODAY here.

Associated Press contributed reporting.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Texas abortion lawsuit, Mexico kidnapping, DeSantis, Fed interest rate hike, D.C. criminal code: Daily Briefing