DOWNFALLS, SURVIVALS

More restrictions on abortion access

At least nine states enacted laws this year that severely hamper access to abortion. Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi and Ohio passed “heartbeat” bills that disallow women from aborting a fetus in the first six to eight weeks of a pregnancy. In Alabama, the Legislature banned abortion altogether except when a woman’s life is at risk. The law, which makes performing an abortion a felony in most cases, was condemned by prominent conservatives, including televangelist Pat Robertson, for being too extreme. A judge in October blocked the law, which was passed in an attempt to test the Supreme Court’s new conservative majority and overturn Roe vs. Wade.

The life and death of Jeffrey Epstein

In late 2018, the Miami Herald published a blockbuster report delving into a lenient plea deal by federal prosecutors for billionaire financier Jeffrey Epstein, who stood accused of trafficking women and having sex with underage girls. The Herald’s report led New York prosecutors to charge Epstein, who was connected to some of the world’s most powerful men, with sex crimes. In August, Epstein died while in jail awaiting trial; his death was ruled a suicide. The two guards who were supposed to have monitored Epstein on the night of his death are being prosecuted on suspicion of lying on their time sheets in an effort to conceal wrongdoing.

Virginia governor survives a blackface controversy

blackface and another in Ku Klux Klan attire on his page. The news attracted national attention and led to one other top Democrat admitting that he had worn blackface in his youth. An investigation ordered by the medical school failed to determine whether the man in blackface was Northam; however, he appeared — for the moment — to have survived the controversy.

Opioid epidemic brings lawsuits and many plaintiffs

Pharmaceutical companies felt the heat of federal inquiries scrutinizing past practices regarding opioid prescriptions to determine whether crimes were committed. More than 30,000 people have been named as plaintiffs in lawsuits against drugstores, pharmaceutical companies and medical associations, seeking financial reprieve for the hardship they’ve faced. In September, the most prominent company associated with opioids, OxyContin maker Purdue Pharma, filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy. The opioid epidemic has brought billions of dollars in profits for pharmaceutical companies and addicted millions, killing more than 400,000.

It was a tumultuous year for the NRA

It was a rocky year for the National Rifle Assn., the gun rights group that has for 20 years successfully lobbied lawmakers to block gun control legislation. The top prosecutor in New York is investigating the organization’s taxexempt status. Retired Marine Lt. Col. Oliver North was ousted from his role as president after alleging financial impropriety by some of his colleagues. The NRA also lost its top lobbyist and suspended its TV channel. Analysts say a financially weak NRA can still wield clout in Washington and with President Trump’s base.