U.S. presidential hopeful Harris to unveil plan to protect abortion rights

The U.S. senator from California says that if elected president, she will force states with a history of hostility toward Roe v. Wade - the landmark 1973 Supreme Court decision that established a woman's right to an abortion - to first obtain approval from the U.S. Justice Department before a law restricting abortion could take effect. Harris will announce her plan on Tuesday night to an audience at a live town hall in Spartanburg, South Carolina, aired on MSNBC, her campaign said in a statement. The proposal comes amid an intensifying national debate on abortion rights, as 23 Democrats seek to become the candidate to take on Republican President Donald Trump in next year’s election.