Sep 17, 2019

Planned Parenthood and former president settle severance dispute

Rebecca Falconer

Leana Wen. Photo: Logan Cyrus/AFP/Getty Images

Planned Parenthood confirmed Monday that it's finally reached an agreement with Leana Wen, who was voted out as its president in July, over the terms of her departure from the women’s health care and reproductive rights group.

Why it matters: The agreement ends weeks of acrimonious negotiations over Wen's severance package, which came to the fore in a New York Times report over the weekend.

  • Per the Times, Wen claimed in a letter that Planned Parenthood was trying to gag her as she accused the group of hypocrisy and of withholding her health insurance and departure payout as "ransom" to pressure her to sign a confidentiality agreement. Planned Parenthood denied the claims.

What they're saying: Planned Parenthood said in a statement to news outlets including Axios confirming the agreement, "We are glad that both parties have been able to work together and find a resolution, and look forward to continuing the crucial work of protecting and providing sexual and reproductive care for people across the country."

  • Wen tweeted that she was relieved the dispute had been resolved.
"As a former patient, I will always be thankful for the exceptional care that Planned Parenthood provides to millions of people every year."

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Orion Rummler

Planned Parenthood plans massive spending campaign for 2020

A Portland Planned Parenthood in 2015. Photo: Whitney Hayward/Portland Portland Press Herald via Getty Images

Planned Parenthood and its super PAC announced on Wednesday a plan to spend at least $45 million to support Democratic and pro-abortion rights candidates in 2020 state and federal elections, NPR reports.

Why it matters: The organization says that this is its largest electoral effort ever. While Planned Parenthood's 2020 spending is focused on elections and unseating President Trump, the Supreme Court just agreed to hear a case involving one of the most restrictive abortion laws in the country, marking the first time the high court will hear an abortion case with a solidified conservative majority.

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Four health care questions for a better Democratic debate

Photo: Win McNamee/Getty Images

If tonight’s Democratic debate is anything like the earlier ones, it will feature an extended back-and-forth about whether to eliminate private health insurance, and then move on from health care. But there’s a whole lot more that’s also worth asking about.

The big picture: We basically know what the candidates will say about the question of private insurance, because they’ve said it all before. So here are four other questions that might also help illuminate the choice voters face on such a deeply personal, wildly complex topic.

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Ursula Perano

U.S. urges UN to omit reproductive health terms from policies

Alex Azar. Photo: Alex Wong/Getty Images

Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar urged world leaders at the UN General Assembly Monday to exclude mentions of reproductive health in policy documentation because such language could "promote practices, like abortion."

Context: The Trump administration has favored conservative policies on reproductive health, specifically as it pertains to a woman's right to an abortion. During President Trump's tenure, several states have begun to roll back abortion rights, with the underlying hope that Trump's conservative appointments to the Supreme Court could overturn or diminish Roe v. Wade.

Go deeperArrowSep 24, 2019