National

Court Overturns Law Banning Some Abortions

By Richard Gonzales, Melissa Block

Published May 31, 2004 at 9:00 PM PDT

This story was published more than 21 years ago.

A controversial federal ban on a type of abortion procedure has been struck down by a federal judge in San Francisco. The "Partial Birth Abortion Ban Act," signed into law by President Bush last November, was declared to be unconstitutional and an infringement on a woman's right to choose. Hear NPR's Melissa Block and NPR's Richard Gonzales.

National

Richard Gonzales

Richard Gonzales is NPR's National Desk Correspondent based in San Francisco. Along with covering the daily news of region, Gonzales' reporting has included medical marijuana, gay marriage, drive-by shootings, Jerry Brown, Willie Brown, the U.S. Ninth Circuit, the California State Supreme Court and any other legal, political, or social development occurring in Northern California relevant to the rest of the country.

Melissa Block

As special correspondent and guest host of NPR's news programs, Melissa Block brings her signature combination of warmth and incisive reporting. Her work over the decades has earned her journalism's highest honors, and has made her one of NPR's most familiar and beloved voices.