Abortion restriction passed
The week's news at a glance.
Washington, D.C.
The Senate last week approved the first federal restrictions on abortion since 1973, when the Supreme Court made abortion legal. The bill outlaws so-called partial-birth abortion, a rare late-term procedure. The House is expected to pass the ban next month, and President Bush promised to sign it to help build “a culture of life in America.” The procedure is usually done in the fifth or sixth month of pregnancy, often when a doctor determines that the woman’s health is at risk. It involves partially extracting the fetus from the womb, crushing its skull, and siphoning out the brain. Abortion-rights groups vowed to challenge the restriction in court. “It directly inserts the government between a woman and her physician,” one activist said.
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
-
5 hilariously sparse cartoons about further DOGE cuts
Cartoons Artists take on free audits, report cards, and more
By The Week US Published
-
Following the Tea Horse Road in China
The Week Recommends This network of roads and trails served as vital trading routes
By The Week UK Published
-
Crossword: March 30, 2025
The Week's daily crossword
By The Week Staff Published