Videos Discuss TRAP Laws, Violence Against Women Act, War on Women

February 22, 2013 — Our video roundup includes a unique assortment of Web videos hand-picked by our editors. This week, we feature segments on state abortion regulations, efforts to renew the Violence Against Women Act and claims about the war on women.

MSNBC's Rachel Maddow offers an update on conservative efforts to "regulate abortion out of existence" in Alabama, Mississippi, North Dakota and elsewhere. The measures -- known as TRAP laws, for targeted regulation of abortion providers -- impose strict building standards and other requirements that can be nearly impossible for clinics to meet. The strategy aims to force clinics to close and thereby prevent them from offering abortion services without explicitly banning the practice (Maddow, "The Rachel Maddow Show," MSNBC, 2/20).



Kim Gandy of the National Network to End Domestic Violence and MSNBC's Andrea Mitchell discuss obstacles to the reauthorization of the Violence Against Women Act and whether pressure from within the GOP will convince House Speaker John Boehner (R-Ohio) to move on the legislation (Mitchell, "Andrea Mitchell Reports," MSNBC, 2/15).



MSNBC's Al Sharpton refutes conservatives' claims that the war on women is a liberal creation with no basis in the GOP's actions. He points to legislation and debates at the state and federal levels to show ongoing attacks on women's rights nationwide (Sharpton, "Politics Nation," MSNBC, 2/20).