9th Circuit rules abortion funding changes can proceed

The 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals on Thursday upheld its June 20 decision allowing the Trump administration to enforce new rules blocking Title X family planning funds from going to abortion facilities. The 7-4 vote rejected an emergency stay request from Planned Parenthood, 20 U.S. states, the District of Columbia, and other pro-abortion groups. The appeals court said it would move quickly to review the case against the new regulations, but Thursday’s ruling allows the funding change take effect in the meantime.

Federal judges had blocked enforcement of the rules after the Department of Health and Human Services introduced them in February. Planned Parenthood receives about $60 million a year from Title X and has said it would leave the program if the new rules are implemented.