Morning Roundup: Tiller Investigation Continues

Continuing investigation into Dr. Tiller's murder; tests for eclampsia; more women giving birth early; Nebraska tries to prevent the spread of telemedicine; and a few commentaries on MTV's No Easy Decision.

Happy New Year, and welcome back to the morning roundup! Lots of news out there this morning, including a continuing investigation into Dr. Tiller’s murder, tests for eclampsia, more women giving birth early, Nebraska tries to prevent the spread of telemedicine, and a few commentaries on MTV’s No Easy Decision.

  • A federal investigation in Wichita, Kansas, continues as the Justice Department determines whether Scott Roeder, who murdered Dr. George Tiller as he greeted patrons at a Lutheran church, acted alone or if he was part of a larger conspiracy of violence against those who provide abortions. Members of Roeder’s Bible study group have been interviewed in recent weeks.
  • Researchers in Canada believe they have found tests that can predict which women who develop pre-eclampsia, a dangerous pregnancy condition of high blood pressure and protein in the urine, will go on to develop eclampsia, which can cause seizures, coma and death.
  • The number of women who give birth early without medical reason has gone up in the past twenty years, and not without harmful effects on some infants. According to the article, “of all births between 1990 and 2006, the number of babies born at 36 weeks increased by about 30 percent, and babies born at 37 and 38 weeks rose more than 40 percent.”
  • Lawmakers in Nebraska, fearing the spread of telemedicine abortions from Iowa, will introduce legislation that would prevent the distribution and prescription of RU-486 via webcam. Kyle Carlson of Planned Parenthood of the Heartland, which uses the practice in Iowa, said, “To make an argument that telemedicine is unsafe because the physician is not present is not an attack on abortion, it’s an attack on telemedicine.”
  • Did you catch MTV’s special on teens who choose abortion, No Easy Decision? Here are a few select perspectives on the show. Choosing abortion: Moral decision making on MTV, by Frances Kissling; How groundbreaking was MTV’s abortion special? by Melissa Maerz; MTV’s ’16 and Pregnant’ exploits teen moms but addresses abortion with dignity, by Sarah Seltzer and MTV’s Truths Vs. Antichoice Lies by Amanda Marcotte.

Dec 24