October 16, 2026:

Plus, OB-GYNs advised to start HRT sooner for patients in menopause, and the new White House press secretary holds strong anti-abortion views.

Each week, Rewire News Group editors scour headlines nationwide—from lawsuits over abortion access to LGBTQ+ rights—to bring you the most urgent news in reproductive justice. Here’s what you need to know from this week’s biggest stories.
A Texas mom sued anti-abortion group Students for Life this week, alleging it broke a state law against procuring abortion drugs—a law the group championed. The suit stems from a video in which staff claimed to be ordering abortion pills “undercover” outside a science museum. The unnamed plaintiff claims that violates HB 7, aka Texas’ “bounty hunter law,” which allows Texans to sue law-breakers for damages. She said she carried two unwanted pregnancies under the ban, is suing for $459,782—the “average cost of raising two children.”
The nation’s leading professional group for OB-GYNs published new guidance yesterday on how to manage menopause symptoms like hot flashes and sleep changes. The American College of Obstetricians & Gynecologists now recommends starting hormone therapy before age 60. ACOG also encourages shared decision-making between doctor and patient, including about non-hormonal options, and emphasizes the importance of individualized treatment and of factoring in the health inequities patients may face when seeking care.
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The new White House press secretary is an anti-abortion activist. Katie Zacharia has said the issue is “near and dear” to her because her biological mother got pregnant at 19 and considered termination before ultimately choosing adoption. On a 2025 podcast, she claimed she was “20, 30 minutes away from being aborted.” Zacharia’s on the board of the White Rose Resistance, a Christian group devoted to exposing “the evil of abortion.” Her extreme views are drawing scrutiny, as is Trump’s so-far unverified claim that she’s an attorney.
This news roundup is adapted from our newsletter, Rewire Weekly. Sign up here to get the latest reproductive rights news, expert analysis, and a peek into the RNG newsroom—fresh to your inbox.
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