• California/Texas: A man from Texas named Jerry Rodriguez is suing Remy Coeytaux, a doctor from California, for allegedly violating state and federal law by providing his girlfriend with abortion medication. The lawsuit, which was filed in the federal court for the Southern District of Texas, accuses Coeytaux of mailing abortion medication to "murder" Rodriguez's "unborn child." The lawsuit also accuses Coeytaux of violating the Comstock Act, an 1873 law that prohibits "obscene" materials from being mailed. However, the Comstock Act has not been enforced in over 100 years. According to The Hill, the lawsuit is similar to one filed by Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton (R) last year, which accused Margaret Daley Carpenter, a New York doctor, of prescribing and mailing abortion medication to a 20-year-old woman in Collin County, Texas. A Texas judge ruled against Carpenter, ordering her to pay over $100,000 in penalties, but neither Carpenter nor her lawyer have responded to the lawsuit. Although officials in Texas have tried to force New York courts to recognize the ruling, a New York county clerk has rejected the attempts, citing the state's shield law. (O'Connell-Domenech, The Hill, 7/24)
• District of Columbia: Earlier this month, the International Dairy Foods Association (IDFA) announced that dozens of U.S. ice cream manufacturers have pledged to remove artificial food dyes from their products by the end of 2027. Currently, there is an ongoing effort from HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy and the federal government to remove artificial dyes from U.S. food products. According to IDFA, around 40 makers of ice cream and frozen dairy desserts that produce over 90% of the ice cream sold in the United States are part of the pledge. "[This] announcement represents a commitment by dozens of individual ice cream companies," said Andy Jacobs, chair of the IDFA Ice Cream Board and CEO of Turkey Hill Dairy. "From small independent companies to family-owned businesses going back generations, to large multi-national companies—we have all come together in a true industry-wide effort to make these changes." Aside from ice cream manufacturers, major companies like Kraft Heinz and Nestle have also pledged to remove artificial dyes from their products. (Stockburger, The Hill, 7/14)
• Georgia: According to new CDC data, the U.S. fertility rate dropped to an all-time low of 1.6 children per woman in 2024. For the last few decades, the U.S. fertility rate has slowly declined in part because people are waiting longer to get married and have children. Fertility rates declined for people ages 15 to 34 and those ages 35 to 39, but increased for people ages 40 to 44. However, while the overall fertility rate has declined, the overall number of U.S. births increased in 2024 compared to 2023. In 2024, there were 3,628,934 births, a 1% increase compared to the year before. To combat the country's declining fertility rate, the Trump administration is allegedly considering different policies, including lowering the cost of in vitro fertilization and offering $5,000 "baby bonuses." (O'Connell-Domenech, The Hill, 7/24)

Assess your obstetrics and gynecology (ob/gyn) service line's position across program benchmarks and identify opportunities to advance your program to the next level.