Abortion was common in America in the middle of the nineteenth century…. [It was] estimat[ed] that at least 20 percent of pregnancies were ending in induced abortion at the time….

A Boston physician, Horatio Robinson Storer [chairman of the American Medical Association, pictured]… carried out extensive research… [and] [f]rom 1860 to 1880 nearly every state and territory passed stringent anti-abortion legislation….

On this, the 40th anniversary of Roe v. Wade, Time magazine’s perspective is that legalized abortion is on a losing path. And I haven’t found anyone on the other side who disagrees. Quick example, NARAL’s email heading this morning:

What makes abortion proponents think this gloom and doom, despite their hard-fought presidential victory?

In a nutshell: federalism, the growing pile of state anti-abortion laws….

Ah, January in Washington D.C. Bare trees, icy sidewalks, inauguration plans underway — and terrorists dressed up like sweet little grandmothers bussing to the nation’s capital, ready for their annual celebration of restricting women’s access to health care. That’s right, it’s time for Fetuspalooza 2013! Ever since the Supreme Court held in 1973 that yes, […]

On January 16 Americans United for Life released its 8th annual list of state rankings…

AUL compiles its list according to “existing state laws on abortion, legal protection and recognition of the unborn, bioethics and biotechnologies, the end of life, and healthcare freedom of conscience,” according to its website.

To be clear, my goal, and the goal of many of those joining me here today, is to make abortion, at any stage, a thing of the past. ~ Texas governor Rick Perry throwing his support behind legislation that would ban abortion after twenty weeks gestation, via Cinema Blend, December 11

Huffington Post is reporting today that two Ohio pro-life groups that have been bitterly divided about a pro-life bill may be working together on a compromise.

This is fabulous news, if true, and it appears it is.

I called Janet Porter, who leads Faith2Action, the group behind what is known as the “Heartbeat Bill,” legislation that would protect Ohio babies from abortion after a heartbeat can be detected – as early as six weeks of pregnancy.

I asked Janet whether it was true she is now working with Ohio Right to Life on a compromise bill.

“We’re talking to everybody who will protect babies with beating hearts,” she responded. “There is talk of a compromise bill, but nothing is final yet.”

To me, that was a yes. A blurb on the F2A’s website, right, also indicates something is in the air.

Expect more news next week. Here’s the germane excerpt from HuffPo:

Now is the time to reopen the conversation about Hyde and abortion access: the public and the administration have been clear in their support of reproductive rights and affordable access to health care. We have a long way to go and a hard history to overcome, but we cannot back down. We must ensure that all services, including abortion, are affordable in order to secure people’s reproductive rights and ability to make decisions.

There is indeed a gender divide on the abortion debate in Britain…. [O]f the 37% of Britons who favoured a lowering of the 24 week limit (34% supported the status quo) the majority were women. In total, twice as many women as men (49% as opposed to 24%) wanted to see a lower limit. There […]