The Trump administration announced Friday that an Obama-era requirement that employers cover birth control in their health insurance plans is being rolled back, effective immediately, The Hill reports. Employers, including universities and colleges, that have "sincerely held religious beliefs" or "moral convictions" against birth control will be exempt from covering contraceptives.
More than 55 million women had access to birth control without co-payments under former President Barack Obama's mandate. "The Trump administration acknowledges that this is a reversal of ... Obama's conclusion that the mandate was needed because the government had a compelling interest in protecting women's health," The New York Times writes. The Trump administration wrote that "application of the mandate to entities with sincerely held religious objections to it does not serve a compelling governmental interest."
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.
Create an account with the same email registered to your subscription to unlock access.
-
Slovakia's growing bear problemUnder The Radar Government officials back plan to cull animals after latest death
-
Greenland: Sending in the advance guardFeature The Vice President's 3-day trip to Greenland was cut short after facing backlash from local officials and residents
-
Free speech: The case of Rumeysa OzturkFeature The Turkish student was confronted by masked federal agents and transported in an unmarked vehicle
-
Markets notch worst quarter in years as new tariffs loomSpeed Read The S&P 500 is on track for its worst month since 2022 as investors brace for Trump's tariffs
-
Tesla Cybertrucks recalled over dislodging panelsSpeed Read Almost every Cybertruck in the US has been recalled over a stainless steel panel that could fall off
-
Crafting emporium Joann is going out of businessSpeed Read The 82-year-old fabric and crafts store will be closing all 800 of its stores
-
Trump's China tariffs start after Canada, Mexico pausesSpeed Read The president paused his tariffs on America's closest neighbors after speaking to their leaders, but his import tax on Chinese goods has taken effect
-
Chinese AI chatbot's rise slams US tech stocksSpeed Read The sudden popularity of a new AI chatbot from Chinese startup DeepSeek has sent U.S. tech stocks tumbling
-
US port strike averted with tentative labor dealSpeed Read The strike could have shut down major ports from Texas to Maine
-
Biden expected to block Japanese bid for US SteelSpeed Read The president is blocking the $14 billion acquisition of U.S. Steel by Japan's Nippon Steel, citing national security concerns
-
Judges block $25B Kroger-Albertsons mergerSpeed Read The proposed merger between the supermarket giants was stalled when judges overseeing two separate cases blocked the deal
