Texas Democrats push to blunt impact of state’s abortion ban | First Thing

Blue cities aim to pass bills to protect those who receive and provide abortions: The fight starts locally'. Plus, the myth of Marilyn Monroe

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Good morning.

Across Texas, Democratic-held cities are galvanizing to mitigate the effects of the Republican-run state's near-total abortion ban after the US supreme court voted in June to overturn Roe v Wade, the landmark case that gave Americans a constitutional right to terminate their pregnancies.

Will these cities succeed? Liberal cities face an uphill battle. City council member Teri Castillo, who drafted a resolution, anticipates the Republican party will identify ways to close potential loopholes or protections for those who wish or need to seek access to an abortion.

What else is happening? The number of clinics offering abortion care in 11 US states that have implemented total or six-week bans in the month since the supreme court overturned abortion rights has dropped from 71 to 43, a study shows.

What do those who live locally say? Amy Stelly, an urban designer and co-founder of the Claiborne Avenue Alliance, which is advocating for its removal, told the Guardian: It's the beginning, not the end, of the process."