They can’t ban abortion everywhere, so they tried to ban telling you where it’s legal.
Indiana moved to punish Planned Parenthood for telling minors which states allow abortion. Separately, HHS killed 53 teen pregnancy prevention programs that worked and ordered abstinence-only lessons in their place. Federal courts blocked both, with an appeals court ruling that Indiana cannot outlaw truthful answers about other states’ laws.
For fifty years the movement said abortion belongs to the states. It won that battle for now and is trying to stop Americans from finding out what the other states chose. Judges keep saying no.
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Former Fauci adviser Dr. David Morens pleads guilty to conspiring to conceal federal records about COVID origins research using his private email.
Today’s GovBrief News
Trump declares economic warfare on Iran and threatens any country offering a lifeline, a day after saying no talks are underway or scheduled.
Source: CBS News
August 19, 2026
Judge blocks HHS from converting the Teen Pregnancy Prevention program to abstinence-only teaching after it canceled 53 evidence-based grants worth $67 million.
Source: The Hill
August 19, 2026
Trump nominates Heidi Overton, a 37-year-old White House aide who urged the FDA to restrict abortion medication, to lead the agency.
Source: The Independent
August 19, 2026
Missouri judge rules citizens cannot force a referendum on the state's gerrymandered congressional map, rejecting a petition signed by over 300,000 voters.
Source: KOMU Jefferson City
August 19, 2026
Gross national debt tops $40 trillion, growing $2T in 10 months, as debt held by the public nears the World War II record share of GDP.
Source: The Wall Street Journal [gift link]
August 19, 2026
Appeals court bars DHS immigration enforcement at 1,400 houses of worship after finding the policy already cut attendance at Quaker, Sikh, and Baptist congregations.
Source: Government Executive
August 19, 2026
Idaho probation officers compile a list of foreign-born people for ICE using intake forms alone, emailing agents when targets arrive for required check-ins.
Source: East Idaho News
August 19, 2026
Volunteer flight tracker documents the 5,000th shackled detainee flown from Minneapolis since November, with records more accurate than any public government count.
Source: The Minnesota Reformer
August 19, 2026
Trump signs the granite of his new $5 million helipad, paid by Marine One maker Sikorsky, saying guests could have cocktails there before ballroom events.
Source: USA Today
August 19, 2026
Stars and Stripes publisher retires after 19 years citing fundamental differences with Hegseth's Pentagon, months after it fired the paper's editorial independence ombudsman.
Source: The Associated Press
August 19, 2026
Kennedy Center board votes to restore Trump's name in September and close for renovations, telling the judge who ordered both undone in court filings.
Source: UPI
August 19, 2026
Farmers Branch, Texas, turns code enforcement into assistance, matching residents facing violations with volunteers for repairs and yard work.
Source: Farmers Branch, Texas
August 19, 2026
Appeals court rules Indiana cannot punish Planned Parenthood for telling minors where abortion is legal, calling referrals protected First Amendment speech.
Source: The Indiana Capital Chronicle
August 19, 2026