Grand Jury Clears Planned Parenthood, Indicts Anti-Abortion Activists

05:41

January 26, 2016

A sign at a Planned Parenthood Clinic is pictured in Oklahoma City, July 24, 2015. The furor on Capitol Hill over Planned Parenthood has stoked a debate about the use of tissue from aborted fetuses in medical research, but U.S. scientists have been using such cells for decades to develop vaccines and seek treatments for a host of ailments, from vision loss and neurological disorders to cancer and AIDS. (Sue Ogrocki/AP)

In Texas yesterday, a grand jury that was investigating possible misconduct by Planned Parenthood cleared the organization, and instead indicted two anti-abortion activists, David Daleiden and Sandra Merritt.

The grand jury was called after undercover videos released last summer purportedly showed Planned Parenthood officials talking about selling fetal tissue.

Meanwhile in Florida, lawmakers advanced legislation yesterday that would essentially make abortion illegal in the state.

Here & Now's Jeremy Hobson gets details on both stories from Dahlia Lithwick, who covers courts and the law for Slate.

Guest

Dahlia Lithwick, writes about the courts and the law for Slate. She tweets @Dahlialithwick.

This segment aired on January 26, 2016.