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Liberal groups are seizing on Republican attempts to roll back health coverage and limit access to birth control, as they seek to galvanize women voters ahead of next year’s midterm elections. Organizations such as Planned Parenthood Action Fund and Emily’s List believe the Trump administration handed them a potent political issue Friday when it carved out wide exceptions to the Affordable Care Act’s promise of no-cost contraception. Activists plan to link this action to congressional Republicans’ repeated attempts to undercut the ACA in ways that could have caused millions to lose health insurance, as part of a broader strategy focused on defeating moderate GOP members and buttressing vulnerable Democrats. (Viebeck, 10/11)

The Trump administration's new birth control rule is raising questions among some women's health experts, who say it overlooks known benefits of contraception while selectively citing data that raise doubts about effectiveness and safety. "This rule is listing things that are not scientifically validated, and in some cases things that are wrong, to try to justify a decision that is not in the best interests of women and society," said Dr. Hal Lawrence, CEO of the American Congress of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, which represents women's health specialists. (Alonso-Zaldivar, 10/11)

Pennsylvania Attorney General Josh Shapiro on Wednesday became the latest official to sue the Trump administration over its move to roll back the Affordable Care Act’s birth control coverage mandate. ... On Friday, the Department of Health and Human Services issued a directive that would let many more employers, including colleges, universities, and health insurance companies, deny birth control coverage on moral grounds. (McCullough, 10/11)

Planned Parenthood and the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) of Missouri sued the state of Missouri on Tuesday over new abortion regulations. The groups argue a recently passed law "severely restricts access to safe, legal abortion" by requiring the same physician performing an abortion to be the one giving state-mandated information to a patient 72 hours before the procedure. (Hellmann, 10/11)

Twitter reversed its decision to block a GOP congresswoman from promoting her campaign video on its website. In a video announcing her campaign for the Senate, Rep. Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn.) referenced "baby body parts," which Twitter called a violation of its guidelines. (Hellmann, 10/11)