Trump’s new press secretary ousted after 5 days

October 17, 2026:

Trump’s new press secretary ousted after 5 days

Katie Zacharia held strong anti-abortion views. Plus, Texas woman sues anti-abortion group under law it helped to pass, and OB-GYNs advised to start HRT sooner for patients in menopause.

Photograph of protesters outside of the U.S. Supreme Court. One sign reads "Abortion is a personal, not a legal debate."

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.

Anti-abortion activist Zacharia out as press secretary

Katie Zacharia has been fired as White House press secretary, the New York Times reported on Oct. 16. Zacharia, whose first day was Oct. 12, faced scrutiny over her legal credentials and interactions with news media. During her five-day tenure, reproductive rights groups also criticized her strong anti-abortion views: Zacharia has said the issue is “near and dear” to her heart 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.”

Texas lawsuit uses abortion ‘bounty hunter’ law against anti-choice activists

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.”

Abortion Watch:
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Leading OB-GYN group calls for prompt menopause treatment

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.

This news roundup is adapted from our newsletter, Rewire Weekly. It was updated at 3 p.m. on Oct. 16, 2026, to reflect breaking news from the White House. 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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