Yes on abortion rights, no on Democrats? In Montana, it may be happening

While voters are consistently backing abortion rights in referendums, they aren't always choosing the Democrats who support them. In Montana, one of 10 states voting on abortion access this year, advocates are pretty optimistic that an initiative to protect abortion rights in the state's constitution will pass. There's high stakes: Montana's abortion providers are already the only ones for miles in many directions.

At the same time, Montana's Democratic senator, Jon Tester, is falling behind anti-abortion Republican candidate Tim Sheehy in the polls. The Democratic candidate for governor is also badly lagging incumbent Republican Greg Gianforte. The Senate race could establish which party takes the majority back in Washington next year, and how they'll work with any president on reproductive rights.

I spent three days on the ground in Montana, talking with abortion rights advocates, physicians, candidates, and protestors. The trip took me from shadowing a Bozeman canvasser to visiting abortion clinics and a 'beers with Tester' rally in Butte. Here's what I learned.

access to care

Amid politicized attacks, few hospitals share LGBTQ information

Only about a quarter of adult hospitals share resources for LGBTQ+ people such as tips, articles, or links to national organizations. That number increases (to 59%) among pediatric hospitals, according to a new study covered by STAT's Theresa Gaffney.

The research was modeled after a paper published last year in the Annals of Internal Medicine that analyzed the information about abortion available on hospital sites. As with reproductive care, the availability of gender-affirming care and other LGBTQ+ health services varies widely depending on what state a patient lives in.

It's unclear how often hospitals receive explicit threats in connection with gender-affirming care programs, but political attacks have sharpened as the election nears. Former president Donald Trump has called gender-affirming care "child abuse," and pledged to cease all federal programs that promote transgender health if he is re-elected this year. More from Theresa.

2024 watch

Harris' doctor reports she's in 'excellent health'

Vice President Kamala Harris is in "excellent health" and "possesses the physical and mental resiliency" required to serve as president, her doctor said in a letter this weekend.

Harris' campaign quickly used the two-page letter to underscore lingering questions about former President Trump's own health, and his limited discussion of it. Former White House doctor Ronny Jackson last shared an update on Trump in July that focused on his recovery from a gunshot wound to the ear.

FDA policy

FDA reverses course on weight loss drug

The FDA said on Friday it would reconsider its decision to remove Eli Lilly's tirzepatide, sold as Mounjaro for diabetes and Zepbound for obesity, from its shortage list. It also, for the time being, will not pursue regulatory action against certain compounding pharmacies making copies of the drugs.

The decision, disclosed in a court filing, marked a stark reversal, Katie Palmer notes. Just last week the agency said the years-long shortage of the blockbuster drug had come to an end. Under agency guidelines, the FDA warned at the time, compounding pharmacies would no longer be permitted to manufacture and dispense copies of the drugs.

Patients have been caught in the crossfire as compounding pharmacies and the telehealth companies that provide access to prescriptions have responded to the FDA's restrictions. Some telehealth providers have stopped writing prescriptions for compounded tirzepatide, clinicians told STAT, while access and affordability of Lilly's drugs remain limited. More from Katie.

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