Supreme Court overturns Roe vs. Wade, ending federal abortion rights

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Roe v Wade has been overturned by the US Supreme Court, prompting protests and condemnations across the nation. Joe Biden will hold an urgent press conference at 12:30pm EST to discuss the end of the landmark ruling that made abortions legal across the country.

The end of Roe came by way of the Supreme Court’s 6-3 decision on Dobbs v Jackson Women’s Health Organisation.

The opinion, which had the backing of all of the court’s conservative justices has been met with widespread outrage, not least since the three conservatives appointed by Donald Trump claimed during their confirmation hearings that they would recognise Roe as precedent rather than overturning it.

While Democrats rush to protect reproductive rights in their states, some Republican senators are instead focusing on the circumstances leak and have called for people who leak Supreme Court decisions before they are publicly released to face up to be 10 years in jail and a fine of $10,000.

Key Points

How the ‘pro-life’ movement killed Roe V Wade
Quarter of abortion clinics will close if Roe v Wade overturned
Democrats urge Google to stop steering abortion patients to ‘fake clinics’ in search results
The woman who helped open of the nation’s first abortion clinics discusses the ‘war’ to save women’s right to choose
Supreme Court adds extra day for opinions as abortion ruling looms
Ted Cruz warns of riots and violence if Roe v Wade is overturned

Justice Department says states cannot ban FDA-approved abortion medication

18:50 , Graig GraziosiThe US Justice Department condemned the Supreme Court’s decision to overturn Roe v Wade on Friday. Attorney General Merrick Garland’s statement is below:

“The Supreme Court has eliminated an established right that has been an essential component of women’s liberty for half a century – a right that has safeguarded women’s ability to participate fully and equally in society. And in renouncing this fundamental right, which it had repeatedly recognized and reaffirmed, the Court has upended the doctrine of stare decisis, a key pillar of the rule of law.

“The Justice Department strongly disagrees with the Court’s decision. This decision deals a devastating blow to reproductive freedom in the United States. It will have an immediate and irreversible impact on the lives of people across the country. And it will be greatly disproportionate in its effect – with the greatest burdens felt by people of color and those of limited financial means.”

He went on to say that regardless of the ruling, states cannot ban the FDA approved abortion medication Mifepristone.

“And we stand ready to work with other arms of the federal government that seek to use their lawful authorities to protect and preserve access to reproductive care. In particular, the FDA has approved the use of the medication Mifepristone. States may not ban Mifepristone based on disagreement with the FDA’s expert judgment about its safety and efficacy.”

Read his statement in full here.

Democratic Congressman Tim Ryan condemns ‘activist’ Supreme Court: ‘It’s got to stop’

18:45 , Graig GraziosiDemocratic Congressman Tim Ryan condemned the Supreme Court’s decision to overturn Roe v Wade while participating in a demonstration outside the court on Friday.

“What you have here is a very activist Supreme Court taking rights away. The government’s involved in too much stuff, they’re in your bedroom and in your doctors’ offices,” he said. “Look very closely at what Justice [Clarence] Thomas wrote. They want to go after birth control next, they want to go after same-sex marriage next, and this is constantly expanding.”

“Now think about a country where you have judges on the highest court in the land, politicians in key offices in key states that are against birth control. This is insanity, it’s got to stop.”

WATCH: Planned Parenthood official says Supreme Court decision will not stop organisation’s mission

18:40 , Graig Graziosi

Planned Parenthood: The organisation leading the fight for abortion access as Roe v Wade is overturned

18:35 , Graig GraziosiPlanned Parenthood has been on the frontlines of the fight for women’s healthcare — including and especially reproductive healthcare — for more than a century.

The organisation said it would continue to fight for women’s right to choose even in the face of the Supreme Court’s decision to strike down Roe v Wade.

Read more about Planned Parenthood and its history in Rachel Sharp’s story below:

Journalist points out hypocrisy of Supreme Court justices who said during confirmation hearings that Roe v Wade was settled

18:30 , Graig GraziosiJournalist Celeste Headlee compiled a Twitter thread of several Supreme Court justices who said during their confirmation hearings that Roe v Wade was the settled law of the land.

The justices were under oath when they made the statements.

Nation’s largest nurses union condemns Supreme Court decision

18:25 , Graig GraziosiNational Nurses United, the nation’s largest nurses union, issued a statement condemning the Supreme Court’s decision to overturn Roe v Wade.

“The Supreme Court’s overturning of the 1973 Roe v. Wade ruling today in Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization is a shameful and dangerous assault on women, other child-bearing people, and families at a sweeping scale. This decision is part of a coordinated rightwing effort to undo hard-won human and civil rights in the United States, and to control working people by removing their power and bodily autonomy,” the group said in a statement. “This decision goes against the beliefs and values of the vast majority of people in the United States and is an attack on democracy itself.”

You can read the full statement here.

Massachusetts Governor Charlie Baker signs executive order protecting abortion rights in the state

18:20 , Graig GraziosiMassachusetts Governor Charlie Baker signed an executive order Friday protecting abortion rights in the state in the wake of the Supreme Court’s decision to overturn Roe v Wade.

“I am deeply disappointed in today’s decision by the Supreme Court which will have major consequences for women across the country who live in states with limited access to reproductive health care services. The Commonwealth has long been a leader in protecting a woman’s right to choose and access to reproductive health services, while other states have criminalized or otherwise restricted access,” he said. “This executive order will further preserve that right and protect reproductive health care providers who serve out of state residents. In light of the Supreme Court’s ruling overturning Roe v Wade, it is especially important to ensure that Massachusetts providers can continue to provide reproductive health care services without concern that the laws of other states may be used to interfere with those services or sanction them for providing services that are lawful in the Commonwealth.”

What is Planned Parenthood v Casey? Landmark abortion ruling overturned alongside Roe v Wade

18:14 , Graig GraziosiRoe v Wade was not the only ruling protecting abortion rights to be overturned by the Supreme Court’s decision today.

Planned Parenthood v Casey has also been nullified by the court’s decision.

What was Planned Parenthood v Casey and how did it uphold abortion rights in the US?

Rachel Sharp has the answers in her story below:

WATCH: Joe Biden says ‘sad day’ for the country as Roe v Wade overturned

18:03 , Graig Graziosi

Biden condemns ‘sad day’ as Roe v Wade overturned by ‘extreme’ Supreme Court

17:54 , Graig GraziosiDuring an address to the nation following the Supreme Court’s ruling to overturn Roe v Wade, Joe Biden said it was a “sad day” for the country and the court. He said the court took the “extreme” action of stripping Americans’ “Constitutional rights” away for the first time in history.

Rachel Sharp and Bevan Hurley have more in their story below:

Biden takes no questions following his address

17:51 , Graig GraziosiJoe Biden did not take questions from the press following his address to the nation regarding the Supreme Court’s decision to overturn Roe v Wade.

Reporters shouted questions at him including “is the Supreme Court broken,” “do you still have confidence in the Supreme Court,” and “do you believe the Supreme Court should have term limits.”

Mr Biden left the room without answering.

Biden calls for ‘peaceful’ protests following Roe v Wade decision

17:49 , Graig GraziosiDuring an address to the nation following the Supreme Court’s ruling to overturn Roe v Wade, Joe Biden called on those who plan to protest the decision to remain “peaceful, peaceful, peaceful.”

He said that “intimidation and violence are not speech” but that he stands with Americans who are furious over the ruling.

Biden calls on public to elect lawmakers who will codify Roe v Wade into law

17:47 , Graig GraziosiDuring an address to the nation following the Supreme Court’s ruling to overturn Roe v Wade, Joe Biden said that the Americna public must elect lawmakers into power who will codify Roe v Wade into law.

“We need to elect lawmakers to enact Roe as the law of the land,” he said.

Biden says Supreme Court decision result of decades of conservative efforts to undermine abortion rights

17:43 , Graig GraziosiDuring an address to the nation following the Supreme Court’s ruling to overturn Roe v Wade, he said that the decision was the culmination of decades of conservative work to undermine Americans’ rights.

“Make no mistake, this is the culmination of a deliberate effort over decades to upset the balance of our law,” Mr Biden said.

He said the court rolled the nation back by 180 years.

Biden says Supreme Court took unprecedented step to ‘take away’ Americans’ rights

17:41 , Graig GraziosiJoe Biden addressed the nation following the Supreme Court’s decision to overturn Roe v Wade, calling it “solemn day” and a “sad day” for the country and the court.

Mr Biden said the Supreme Court took an unprecedented step to strip a “Constitutional right” from Americans.

“[The Supreme Court] expressly took away a Constitutional right from the American people that ways already recognised. They didnt limit it, they simply took it away,” he said. “That’s never been done.”

Congressional Black Caucus chair Joyce Beatty reacts to Supreme Court overturning Roe v Wade

17:35 , Graig GraziosiCongressional Black Caucus chair Representative Joyce Beatty has issued a statement responding to the Supreme Court’s overturning of Roe v Wade. Her statement appears below:

“The hands of time have once again been turned back. The extreme right-wing Supreme Court majority’s decision to overturn Roe v. Wade, the law of the land for 49 years that gave a woman the right to choose, will have far-reaching and painful consequences. Moreover, in the midst of a Black maternal mortality crisis, restricting access to abortion care will disproportionately endanger the lives of Black Americans.”

“Let me be very clear: government-mandated pregnancy is not pro-life, it is pro-policing of women’s bodies. In response to this unacceptable decision, I, along with members of the Congressional Black Caucus, are co-leading a letter to President Biden urging him to swiftly declare this unprecedented attack on abortion rights and access as the public health the national emergency that it is. We have seen what life was like pre-Roe v. Wade, and America cannot afford to go back.”

Joe Biden’s statements on Supreme Court decision to begin shortly

17:34 , Graig GraziosiJoe Biden’s address to the nation following the Supreme Court’s decision to overturn Roe v Wade will begin shortly.

Stay with The Independent for updates from Mr Biden’s address.

Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez joins pro-choice protesters

17:25 , Graig Graziosi

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi delivers impassioned speech in response to Supreme Court ruling

17:20 , Graig Graziosi

America reacts with outrage after Supreme Court scraps Roe and women’s right to abortion

17:15 , Graig GraziosiWhile some conservatives and Evangelical Christians across the nation celebrate the overturning of Roe v Wade, many Americans are furious at the stripping away of their rights.

“Roe being overturned is the worst sort of “I told you so” moment. There was never a real question of why white evangelicals embraced Trump. He did what they wanted,” Christy Stoop, a writer for Religion Dispatches, said.

Read the full story from Andrew Buncombe below:

Democratic Senator Joe Manchin ‘alarmed’ that Trump-nominated Supreme Court justices went back on their words

17:10 , Graig GraziosiSenator Joe Manchin expressed shock that Donald Trump-nominated Supreme Court Justices Niel Gorsuch and Brett Kavanaugh voted to overturn Roe v Wade despite saying they would support it as precedent while under oath during their confirmation hearings.

“I trusted Justice Gorsuch and Justice Kavanaugh when they testified under oath that they also believed Roe v. Wade was settled legal precedent and I am alarmed they chose to reject the stability the ruling has provided for two generations of Americans,” Mr Manchin said, according to CQ Now Chief Correspondent Niels Lesniewski.

Joe Biden to address nation

17:03 , Graig GraziosiJoe Biden will address the nation today at 12:30 EST in response to the Supreme Court’s ruling to overturn Roe v Wade.

Nancy Northrup, president of the Center for Reproductive Rights, responds

17:00 , Graig GraziosiNancy Northrup, president of the Center for Reproductive Rights, has responded to the Supreme Court’s decision to overturn Roe v Wade. The CRR argued Dobbs v Jackson Women’s Health Organisation on behalf of the JWHO.

Her statement appears below:

“The Court’s opinion delivers a wrecking ball to the constitutional right to abortion, destroying the protections of Roe v. Wade, and utterly disregarding the one in four women in America who make the decision to end a pregnancy.While public support for access to abortion is at an all-time high, the Court has hit a new low by taking away – for the first time ever – a constitutionally guaranteed personal liberty. Utter chaos lies ahead, as some states race to the bottom with criminal abortion bans, forcing people to travel across multiple state lines and, for those without means to travel, carry their pregnancies to term — dictating their health, lives, and futures. Today’s decision will ignite a public health emergency. One day, the regressive and cruel Dobbs decision will be reversed for its brazen disregard for the rights of women and the rule of law. Until then, we will use every legal lever to ensure that every person’s right to make decisions about their body and their lives is realized, and that they have access to the full range of reproductive healthcare.”

OPINION: I kept my baby because of ‘pro-lifers’ and raised it in poverty. Then they called me selfish

16:55 , Graig GraziosiJennifer Stavros listened to the people in her life with pro-life views; when she became pregnant, she carried her pregnancy to term and a child, even though she was facing inevitable poverty to do so.

She soon came to believe that “pro-life” actually means “pro-birth,” as the very people who pressured her to have her child abandoned her in her time of need.

“I did give birth to my children, and I don’t regret it — I love them more than anything in the world. But I was pushed down the path of motherhood by Christian conservatives who described themselves as “pro-life”. Pro-life meant convincing me to continue my pregnancy. It did not, as I soon found out, mean supporting me to raise my child when I lived in poverty.”

Read her full essay below:

UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson says Roe v Wade overturn a ‘big step backwards’ for the US

16:52 , Graig Graziosi

Pro life and pro choice groups gather outside the Supreme Court to demonstrate

16:43 , Graig Graziosi

AG James vows New York will remain ‘safe haven’ for abortion as she slams ‘vicious decision’ to overturn Roe

16:37 , Graig GraziosiNew York Attorney General Letitia James promised that the state would remain a ‘safe haven’ for abortion.

“The Supreme Court’s vicious decision to overturn Roe v. Wade is one of the darkest moments in the history of this nation,” she said after the ruling.

Read more in Rachel Sharp’s story below:

Protesters chant ‘lock her up’ at Marjorie Taylor Greene as she celebrates the overturn of Roe v Wade

16:25 , Graig GraziosiRepublican Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene was ushed through a crowd of angry protesters shortly after the Supreme Court announced its decision to overturn Roe v Wade.

As people pressed in on all sides of her and her security team, she was asked for her reaction to the news.

“Oh my gosh I’m so happy!” she said. The people around her chanted “lock her up.”

Ms Greene was then asked if she was happy for rape victims who would be forced to carry a criminal’s child to term. She ignored it and suggested the “radical left” would launch an “insurrection” at the Supreme Court.

OPINION: Even if you’re pregnant by choice and want your baby, Roe being overturned could destroy your life

16:17 , Graig GraziosiMasada Siegel was pregnant, and she was excited. Abortion was the last thing on her mind.

Sadly, she learned that her pregnancy would not be viable and that she would miscarry. Eager to begin the emotion and physically healing process, she sought to end her pregnancy in her home state of Arizona.

She learned that even with Roe v Wade, trying to access an abortion can be a traumatizing experience only due to the physical and emotion strain, but due to the actions of others.

“God help the women of America now, because being forced to carry a pregnancy to term or to carry a nonviable pregnancy until you miscarry without medical intervention is its own kind of hell. Babies who are born after forced pregnancies will no doubt endure the psychological effects for decades,” she writes.

Read her troubling account in the essay below:

Explainer: What is Roe v Wade and why was it overturned?

16:10 , Graig GraziosiMost Americans know there is a connection between the term Roe v Wade and abortion, but they may not understand the actual history behind the decision.

The Supreme Court has struck down the landmark ruling that provided legal access to abortion for nearly 50 years in the US. Look back at the roots of the case to gain an understanding of how we got to Roe, and where we may be headed now that its gone.

The Obamas respond to the overturning of Roe V Wade

16:02 , Graig GraziosiFormer President Barack Obama and former First Lady Michelle Obama released a statement in response to the Supreme Court’s decision to overturn Roe v Wade.

Commenters were quick to point out that Mr Obama promised to codify Roe v Wade into law as his first act as president. In 2009, when pressed on why he did not do so, he said it was “not his highest legislative priority.”

OPINION: Roe has been overturned and women’s bodies are no longer their own in America. Here’s what to do now

16:00 , Graig GraziosiCoco Das, a Texas-based activist and organiser, argues in The Independent that Americans’ next step in the fight for abortion rights must be built on organising, not waiting for politicians to act.

“…With all this at stake, the leaders of the Democratic Party have continually sought compromise with this fascist movement, ceding the moral high ground and barely saying the word “abortion.” They have stated that abortion should be “rare,” run their own anti-abortion candidates, supported the Hyde Amendment, and are loath to call their base into the streets to protest for this fundamental right. Relying on voting alone or the Democratic Party to wage this fight for us is a mistake,” she writes.

Read her full argument below:

Thousands of women condemned to lives of unnecessary poverty by overturning Roe, say experts

15:53 , Graig GraziosiThousands more women each year will be forced into poverty thanks to the Supreme Court’s decision to overturn Roe v Wade.

For some women who seek abortions, the decision to end a pregnancy is a financial one; either they cannot afford a child at all or they already have children and fear they won’t be able to adequately provide for them.

With abortion bans all but guaranteed in nearly half the country, the choice between abortion and poverty will be made for them by the state.

The Independent’s Alex Buncombe explores the connection between abortions and poverty more in his story below:

The Supreme Court overturned Roe v Wade. What happens now?

15:45 , Graig GraziosiWhat does Roe v Wade being overturned actually look like now that it happened?

Alex Woodward explains what will happen now in the wake of the Supreme Court’s ruling against the landmark abortion case.

Conservative Alabama Governor Kay Ivey celebrates overturning of Roe V Wade

15:41 , Graig GraziosiGovernor Kay Ivey of Alabama praised the conservative-majority US Supreme Court for overturning Roe v Wade on Friday.

Planned Parenthood release statement offering women support in light of Supreme Court decision

15:34 , Graig GraziosiPlanned Parenthood, which has provided women with access to abortive and other healthcare services for more than a century, has offered support to women in the wake of the Supreme Court ruling to overturn Roe v Wade.

What the Supreme Court ruling means for abortion rights in the US

15:30 , Graig Graziosi

Abortion likely to become illegal more than half the US

15:26 , Graig GraziosiThirteen US states have trigger laws and another 13 are prepared to move on legislation that would ban abortion now that Roe v Wade has been overturned in the US Supreme Court.

Arkansas, Idaho, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, North Dakota, Oklahoma, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, and Wyoming all have trigger laws in place. The laws in Kentucky, Louisiana and South Dakota go into effect immediately.

Supreme Court votes to overturn Roe v Wade

15:16 , Graig GraziosiThe Supreme Court has voted to overturn Roe v Wade, the landmark ruling that made abortions legal nationwide.

“The Constitution does not confer a right to abortion; Roe and Casey are overruled; and the authority to regulate abortion is returned to the people and their elected representatives,” Justice Samuel Alito wrote in the 6-3 ruling.

Read more about the ruling in Alex Woodward’s story below…

How does the court decide which decisions to share?

15:07 , Graig GraziosiDue to Covid the Supreme Court stopped announcing decisions in person and began posting its decisions to its website.

Decisions drop at 10am EST on days when opinions are being given, and are released in 10-minute intervals. The opinions are prioritised in a reverse rank order, meaning the newest justice’s opinion — in this case Amy Coney Barrett as Ketanji Brown Jackson has not been sworn in yet — would have their opinion released first. Chief Justice John Roberts’ opinion is typically released last.

The court’s term is expected to end in late June or early July, after which it will take a recess during which Ms Brown will be sworn-in.

The court has only nine cases left this term and must share its decision before the term is over.

Roe v Wade could be overturned in the next hour

14:00 , Rachel SharpRoe v Wade could be overturned as soon as today, as the Supreme Court begins issuing opinions on cases from 10am ET.

The nation’s highest court added today as an opinion issuance day earlier this week.

There are nine case rulings left to be released before the court goes on summer recess at the end of June or early July.

Among them is Dobbs v Jackson Women’s Health Organization – the case that will impact access to safe abortions across America.

Police could use personal data to track down women who have abortions

13:15 , Rachel SharpThe end of federal protections for abortion access could trigger laws in more than a dozen states criminalising abortion care, with lengthy prison sentences and heavy fines aimed at providers and others who “aid and abet” an abortion, in some cases.

A looming decision from the US Supreme Court on whether to overturn the 1973 ruling in Roe v Wade could have far-reaching consequences – including how law enforcement agencies use surveillance and sensitive personal data to identify and prosecute criminal anti-abortion cases.

Vice President Kamala Harris said she fears states that want to criminalise abortion care could subpoena patients’ personal data, including menstrual-tracking apps and search engine results for abortion clinics.

Last month, Senator Elizabeth Warren and a group of 13 senators criticised two data brokers for collecting and selling phone-based location data from people who traveled to abortion clinics.

The Independent’s Alex Woodward has the full story:

Overturning Roe could lead to end of same-sex marriage

12:30 , Rachel SharpMany fear that the overturning of Roe could spell the beginning of the end for other rights including same-sex marriage, civil rights and access to birth control.

Roe was based on the 14th Amendment right to privacy – a constitutional right that was used to codify other rights including same-sex marriage and that now appears to have been dismantled in Justice Alito’s draft opinion.

In the leaked draft opinion, the majority said that the ruling had been wrongly decided in the past and that decisions around abortion access should be decided by politicians, not by the courts.

Justice Alito writes that the right to abortion is not “deeply rooted in this Nation’s history and tradition” and was “entirely unknown in American law … until the latter part of the 20th century” – something that also applies to LGBT+ rights which were established in the country even later than abortion rights.

However, he writes that the same reasoning would not apply to other rulings around “intimate sexual relations, contraception and marriage” because abortion rights are “fundamentally different” in that it “destroys” life.

The final ruling could come as soon as today as it is expected by the end of June before the summer recess.

The states where abortion access will be protected if Roe is overturned

11:45 , Rachel SharpFifteen states and Washington DC have put in place laws to protect abortion rights if Roe is overturned, including explicit protections in state constitutions or laws allowing for abortion up to a certain point in pregnancy or throughout a pregnancy.

Twelve states allow an abortion prior to viability, which reflects the time at which a foetus can survive outside the womb, typically within 22 to 24 weeks of pregnancy. The Roe ruling affirmed that the Constitution protects the right to an abortion before viability.

Three states and Washington DC have codified the right to an abortion throughout a pregnancy.while other states are criminalising care, creating a patchwork of reproductive health rights across the US.

The Independent’s Alex Woodward has all the details:

What is Roe v Wade?

11:00 , Rachel SharpThe case centred around Norma McCorvey – known for the purposes of the proceedings as “Jane Roe” – who became pregnant with her third child in Texas in 1969 but was unable to access abortion care after it was banned in her state in all cases but to “save a woman’s life.”

She filed a lawsuit against her local district attorney Henry Wade, alleging that the state’s abortion laws were unconstitutional.

In 1973, the case reached the Supreme Court which ruled 7- in Ms McCorvey’s favour, saying that a woman’s right to access abortion is protected by America’s 14th Amendment “right to privacy”.

The decision also set a legal precedent that affected more than 30 subsequent Supreme Court cases involving restrictions on access to abortion.

Quarter of abortion clinics would shut if Roe overturned

10:15 , Rachel SharpMore than a quarter of abortion clinics would shut down if the Supreme Court strikes down Roe v Wade, a new study has revealed.

According to Advancing New Standards in Reproductive Health (ANSIRH), 202 facilities across states – about 26 per cent of abortion clinics in the US – would shut down if the landmark ruling is overturned.

These closures would “decimate abortion access” for women living in the South and Midwest, where most facilities would be shut, it said.

Prosecutors vow to refuse to enforce criminal anti-abortion laws in their states

09:45 , Rachel SharpProsecutors across the US have vowed to refuse to slap women with criminal charges if they get abortions in states where it will be banned if Roe v Wade is overturned.

The Independent asked the chief prosecutors in more than a dozen counties and parishes where their respective states’ anti-abortion laws are set to take effect to ask how – or if – they will go about prosecuting such cases, including whether they will issue subpoenas for personal digital data to prosecute them.

“Trigger laws” which will go into effect once Roe V Wade is overturned, will effectively ban abortion in nearly half the US.

The Independent’s Alex Woodward has the full story:

What is Planned Parenthood? The organisation fighting for abortion access

09:00 , Rachel SharpFor more than a century, the nonprofit has been on the frontline of America’s war over access to reproductive healthcare, ever since its founder opened the nation’s first birth control clinic in New York City in 1916.

It then fought against anti-abortion campaigners to set up one of the nation’s first abortion clinics three years before the Supreme Court legalised it in 1973.

The organisation further cemented a woman’s right to abortion two decades later, when it took on Pennsylvania’s governor in the landmark Supreme Court case Planned Parenthood v Casey.

But Planned Parenthood is now facing one of its biggest battles to date as the bombshell 2 May leak revealed the Supreme Court’s intentions to overturn a woman’s constitutional right to an abortion and push reproductive rights in America back by 50 years.

The Independent’s Rachel Sharp has the full story about the organisation at the forefront of the fight for abortion:

Democrats urge Google to stop mistakenly sending users to anti-abortion clinics

08:15 , Rachel SharpMembers of Congress have urged Google to block misleading search results and ads on the platform that direct users towards “fake” abortion clinics and so-called “crisis pregnancy centres,” nonmedical facilities intended to dissuade people from seeking an abortion.

A letter from 20 lawmakers to Alphabet and Google CEO Sundar Pichai indicates that 37 per cent of Google Maps results and 11 per cent of search results on the platform for prompts like “abortion clinic near me” in states that have sought to ban abortion direct users towards anti-abortion clinics.

The letter says that 28 per cent of Google ads at the top of those results were for anti-abortion clinics.

The Independent’s Alex Woodward has the full story:

Pink House defenders fight to save Mississippi’s last abortion clinic

07:30 , Rachel SharpSome women will have to travel more than 1,000 miles from Mississippi to New Mexico if the Supreme Court overturns the right to abortion.

“People have no idea how bad it’s going to be. It’s going to override the healthcare systems that are in place now,” Pink House volunteer told The Independent Kim Gibson.

“Illinois will be probably one of the closest points for abortion access – Illinois, New Mexico, possibly North Carolina for a while.”

The Pink House volunteers welcome patients and shepherd them inside, often placing themselves between a woman and an anti-abortion protester denouncing her as a sinner who has ignored God’s words.

Yet, unlike at many if not most abortion clinics in the country, these volunteers also defend the core principles of the Pink House and the services it provides to women as the last remaining clinic of its kind in all of Mississippi.

The Independent’s Andrew Buncombe has the full story:

US woman denied abortion in Malta

06:45 , Rachel SharpAn American woman and her partner will be airlifted to Mallorca, Spain, to end her unviable pregnancy after her request to do so was denied by health authorities in Malta.

Andrea Prudente, 38, and her partner Jay Weeldreyer, 45, will travel to the Spanish island via air ambulance.

Lawyer Lara Dimitrijevic, the head of Women for Choice, confirmed that the couple’s travel insurance has accepted to proceed with the measure as the condition of Ms Prudente is considered “life-threatening”.

They’re expected to leave Malta as soon as Thursday.

Ms Prudente is 16 weeks pregnant and was hospitalised a week ago after her water broke ahead of time, meaning that there’s no amniotic fluid remaining in the womb.

The Independent’s Gustaf Kilander has the full story:

What the Supreme Court could come for after Roe v Wade

05:15 , Rachel SharpLegal experts and civil rights activists fear that after the Supreme Court overturns Roe v Wade it will overturn other landmark rulings protecting rights like gay marriage.

“I’m terrified and people should be terrified,” says Jim Obergefell, whose lawsuit against the state of Ohio led to the Supreme Court ruling that gay marriage was protected by the US Constitution.

The Independent’s Io Dodd has the full story below:

Abortion providers rush to train specialists

04:30 , Rachel SharpAbortion providers in conservative-led states are rushing to train new specialists ahead of the Supreme Court’s ruling.

Experts say medical institutions that provide abortion training will face an uncertain future if, as is widely expected, the Supreme Court ends women’s constitutional rights to the procedure.

Aaron Campbell, an obstetrician and gynecologist at the The Knoxville Center for Reproductive Health in Tennessee, toldThe Washington Post an outright ban would have a chilling effect on the ability of women to have access to reproductive health.

“We can pass as many laws as we want, for or against access, but at the end of the day, if you don’t have trained providers, you don’t have choice,” he told The Post.

Dr Campbell has already trained seven students this year, and said he was trying to work with as many trainees as he can prior to final Roe ruling being released.

The Independent’s Bevan Hurley has the full story:

First Amendment expert casts doubt on GOP claims that protests at justices’ homes are illegal

03:45 , Rachel SharpA First Amendment expert has cast doubt on GOP claims that protests at the homes of Supreme Court justices are illegal.

Kevin Goldberg, First Amendment specialist at the Freedom Forum Institute, told The Independent: “The federal law says that you can’t protest in front of the Supreme Court or a justice’s house if you do it with the intent to influence.

“It would be very hard to prove that a protester was attempting to influence a decision.

“They could say they believe the decision has already been made and that they are protesting the outcome or just protesting in favour of abortion rights… it would be hard to prove what people were thinking when they were protesting.”

He added: “And under the First Amendment, if you don’t know, you can’t punish someone.”

Since the 3 May leak of the Supreme Court draft opinion on Roe v Wade, anti-abortion demonstrators have staged protests outside the homes of the six conservative justices.

Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell – and other Republicans – have claimed the protests outside their homes “may possibly be flat-out illegal”.

Hillary Clinton slams Supreme Court Justice Samuel Alito

03:15 , Rachel SharpHillary Clinton has hit out at Supreme Court Justice Samuel Alito and warned that many rights are “at risk” if Roe is overturned.

The former Secretary of State spoke out about the impending threat to abortion rights in an interview with the Financial Times, as the nation’s highest court is on the cusp of striking down the landmark ruling.

“The level of insidious rulemaking to further oppress women almost knows no end,” she said.

Ms Clinton blasted Justice Alito, who authored the Supreme Court’s leaked draft majority opinion overturning Roe, as “one of those self-righteous types” who has long railed against “lettting women into the eating clubs”.

“I found Alito was the kind of young man who when he was at Princeton railed against coeducation, railed against letting women into the eating clubs, and that was all in the background that I read,” she said.

“He honestly struck me as one of those very self-righteous types seeking to remake society.”

South Dakota’s only abortion clinic closes ahead of ruling

02:15 , Rachel SharpThe only abortion clinic in South Dakota is halting all procedures ahead of the Supreme Court ruling on the future of Roe v Wade.

In an announcement that deeply saddened activists who had fought to defend access to abortion in one of the nation’s battlefields for reproductive rights, Planned Parenthood said procedures at its facility in Sioux Falls were “paused”.

It said its clinics in Wisconsin were not booking appointments after 25 June.Meanwhile, the news was celebrated by South Dakota’s deeply conservative governor, Kristi Noem, 50, who has been at the forefront of efforts to turn her state into one of America’s abortion deserts, and allegedly make use of her position to prepare for a White House run in 2024.

“While knew this was coming, it was still really devastating,” a 36-year-old activist, who asked to be identified as “Katie” (not her real name) tells The Independent.

“It was actually a lot worse than I think any of us thought it was going to be, just the emotional weight of it.”

The Independent’s Andrew Buncombe has the full story:

Biden must protect data privacy, says congresswoman

01:30 , Rachel SharpThe lack of legislation means the federal government has limited options to push back against abortion bans passed in Republican-controlled states

But there are some options such as Medicaid’s “free choice of provider” requirement and expanding the Title X family planning program.

Rep Judy Chu told The Independent that the president must take action to protect data privacy of women seeking abortions so that law enforcement agencies can’t use it to prosecute women.

“The other thing that we want President Biden to do is to make sure that the data privacy of those seeking reproductive healthcare, including abortions, is protected,” she said.

“Because there are those states that want to access this data, want to get the names and the addresses and numbers of those seeking abortions, and then seek to criminalize the abortion patients and providers.”

Supreme Court security under spotlight

Friday 24 June 2022 00:45 , Rachel SharpOn 8 June, a 26-year-old man unhappy allegedly confessed to plotting to murder Justice Brett Kavanaugh because he was angry with the conservative justice’s potential ruling on Roe v Wade.

Nicholas Roske allegedly travelled from his home in California to the conservative justice’s home in Chevy Chase, Maryland, in the early hours of the morning to assassinate the Donald Trump-appointed justice and then kill himself.

He was captured outside Justice Kavanaugh’s home after he called 911 on himself.

The plot thrust the issue around the security of the Supreme Court justices into the national spotlight and sparked debates around both the need for protection for the justices and every American’s First Amendment right to protest at a time when the Supreme Court justices are on the brink of handing down a ruling that could overturn Roe v Wade.

Since the leak of the draft opinion, pro-choice protesters have staged demonstrations outside the homes of the six conservative justices.

The Department of Justice has ramped up security for each of the nine members.

And, lawmakers hurriedly passed a bill to expand round-the-clock security to include the justices’ family members.

The Independent’s Rachel Sharp has the full story:

US braces for possible Roe v Wade ruling on Friday

Friday 24 June 2022 00:00 , Rachel SharpThe US is now bracing for the Supreme Court to possibly strike down Roe v Wade as soon as Friday after the nation’s highest court marked 24 June as an opinion issuance day.

There are nine case rulings left to be released before the court goes on summer recess at the end of June or early July.

The court will start releasing opinions on its website at 10am ET.

What is Roe v Wade?

Thursday 23 June 2022 23:30 , Rachel SharpThe case centred around Norma McCorvey – known for the purposes of the proceedings as “Jane Roe” – who became pregnant with her third child in Texas in 1969 but was unable to access abortion care after it was banned in her state in all cases but to “save a woman’s life.”

She filed a lawsuit against her local district attorney Henry Wade, alleging that the state’s abortion laws were unconstitutional.

The decision also set a legal precedent that affected more than 30 subsequent Supreme Court cases involving restrictions on access to abortion.

13 states could ban abortion immediately

Thursday 23 June 2022 23:00 , Rachel SharpThirteen states could quickly or immediately outlaw abortion under laws designed to take effect if the Supreme Court guts Roe.

Seven states maintain abortion bans that have been on their books for decades, despite the 1973 ruling in the Roe case making them unconstitutional.

More than two dozen states have severely restrictive laws that could be used to end legal care.

When will there be a decision on Roe v Wade?

Thursday 23 June 2022 22:30 , Rachel SharpThe Supreme Court is nearing the end of its term, with some of its highest-profile decisions expected at the end of June or early July.

The widely-anticipated decision involving Mississippi’s abortion law could determine the fate of constitutional abortion rights affirmed by the ruling in 1973’s Roe v Wade.

A leaked draft opinion from the high court indicates that a majority of justices are prepared to overturn the decades-long precedent.

The Independent’s Alex Woodward has the full details:

GOP calls for Supreme Court leakers to face 10 years in prison

Thursday 23 June 2022 22:14 , Rachel SharpPeople who leak Supreme Court decisions before they are publicly released would face up to be 10 years in jail and a fine of $10,000, according to a new proposal from Republican senators.

The leaked draft on abortion rights, published by Politico, reverberated around the world, mainly because of the way it would overturn 50 years of legal access to abortion for women, but also because leaks of such a nature are unprecedented for the court.

At the time Chief Justice John Roberts confirmed the draft was genuine and said an investigation was to be launched into how it had been leaked.

A number of Republicans, such as Mitch McConnell, chose to focus on the leak, rather than the implications for millions of women across America.

The Independent’s Andrew Buncombe has the full story:

Prosecutors vow to refuse to enforce criminal anti-abortion laws in their states

Thursday 23 June 2022 22:00 , Rachel SharpProsecutors across the US have vowed to refuse to slap women with criminal charges if they get abortions in states where it will be banned if Roe v Wade is overturned.

“Trigger laws” which will go into effect once Roe V Wade is overturned, will effectively ban abortion in nearly half the US.

The Independent’s Alex Woodward has the full story:

What is Planned Parenthood? The organisation fighting for abortion access

Thursday 23 June 2022 21:30 , Rachel SharpFor more than a century, the nonprofit has been on the frontline of America’s war over access to reproductive healthcare, ever since its founder opened the nation’s first birth control clinic in New York City in 1916.

It then fought against anti-abortion campaigners to set up one of the nation’s first abortion clinics three years before the Supreme Court legalised it in 1973.

The organisation further cemented a woman’s right to abortion two decades later, when it took on Pennsylvania’s governor in the landmark Supreme Court case Planned Parenthood v Casey.

The Independent’s Rachel Sharp has the full story about the organisation at the forefront of the fight for abortion:

The states where abortion access will be protected if Roe is overturned

Thursday 23 June 2022 21:00 , Rachel SharpFifteen states and Washington DC have put in place laws to protect abortion rights if Roe is overturned, including explicit protections in state constitutions or laws allowing for abortion up to a certain point in pregnancy or throughout a pregnancy.

The Independent’s Alex Woodward has all the details:

Police could use personal data to track down women who have abortions

Thursday 23 June 2022 20:30 , Rachel SharpThe end of federal protections for abortion access could trigger laws in more than a dozen states criminalising abortion care, with lengthy prison sentences and heavy fines aimed at providers and others who “aid and abet” an abortion, in some cases.

Last month, Senator Elizabeth Warren and a group of 13 senators criticised two data brokers for collecting and selling phone-based location data from people who traveled to abortion clinics.

The Independent’s Alex Woodward has the full story:

What to expect on a Supreme Court issuance day

Thursday 23 June 2022 20:00 , Rachel SharpThe Supreme Court’s next opinion issuance day is set for Friday 24 June, with nine case rulings left to be released.

On an opinion issuance day, the court releases one opinion at a time on its website starting at 10am ET.

Opinions are typically released in 10-minute intervals and in reverse-ranking order by the justices, meaning that opinions to be released that day are written by the newest justice on the court first to the longest-ranking.

The court does not reveal what opinions will be released ahead of time or how many will be released that day.

When an “R” number is added to opinions released that day, justices have signalled that they are done releasing their rulings for the day.

How a secret network provided thousands of abortions in pre-Roe v Wade America

Thursday 23 June 2022 19:30 , Rachel SharpBefore Roe v Wade made abortion access a constitutional right, women were forced to find ways to undergo the procedure illegally.

A secret network called Jane helped thousands of women access free and affordable abortions during this time.

The Independent’s Clemence Michallon has the full story:

What is Planned Parenthood v Casey?

Thursday 23 June 2022 18:45 , Rachel SharpTwo decades after Roe v Wade made abortion access a constitutional right in 1973, a second Supreme Court ruling Planned Parenthood v Casey further cemented that right.

In 1992, abortion provider Planned Parenthood sued Pennsylvania Governor Robert Casey after the anti-abortion Democrat introduced new laws restricting a woman’s access to abortion including a requirement that married women would have to notify their husbands before they could get an abortion and minors would have to get parental consent.

Clinics would also be required to implement a 24-hour waiting period before a woman could get an abortion.

In 1992, the Supreme Court ruled Pennsylvania’s laws unconstitutional and upheld the right to an abortion based on the 14th Amendment right to privacy which was codified under Roe v Wade.

However, the ruling did make some changes to the constitutional right laid out in Roe including removing the trimester framework for when an abortion could be restricted, creating instead an “undue burden” standard.

This undue burden standard allows states to restrict abortion access so long as it does not create a “substantial obstacle” to the woman getting an abortion before the fetus is viable.

The change paved the way for some states to implement laws such as the 24-hour waiting periods – laws that pro-choice activists argue disproportionately impact low-income women and those who live far from clinics.

Yet, despite the restrictions, Casey was significant as it upheld the landmark Roe ruling from two decades earlier.

Now, that precedent and the constitutional right of a woman to get an abortion is under attack.

In last month’s bombshell leaked draft, Supreme Court Justice Samuel Alito specifically wrote: “Roe and Casey must be overruled.”

Woman who opened one of first clinics vows to fight for abortion rights

Thursday 23 June 2022 18:13 , Rachel SharpThe woman who helped open one of the first abortion clinics in the US – two years before the right to abortion was codified under Roe v Wade – has vowed to continue to fight if the Supreme Court strikes down abortion access.

Merle Hoffman told The Independent: “I’ll be damned if I’m going down without a fight.”

Ms Hoffman spoke about her work since Roe v Wade and how the fight for women’s reproductive rights has changed over the last 50 years.

The Independent’s Alex Woodward has the full story:

US Representative Judy Chu says Senate’s inaction to codify Roe v Wade is ‘such a crime’

Thursday 23 June 2022 17:44 , Rachel SharpUS Representative Judy Chu has slammed the Senate’s inaction to codify Roe v Wade as “such a crime” ahead of the Supreme Court ruling that could wipe out 50 years of abortion rights.

In September, the House of Representatives passed the Women’s Health Protection Act.

The legislation would codify the right to access an abortion and would also prohibit governments from limiting abortion providers’ ability to prescribe certain drugs.

It would also offer abortion via telemedicine or provide immediate abortion services if providers determine that a delay would risk a patient’s health.

Rep Chu – the bill’s author– speaks toThe Independent’s Eric Garcia:

What is Dobbs v Jackson Women’s Health Organization?

Thursday 23 June 2022 17:00 , Rachel SharpThe Supreme Court is poised to rule on the case of Dobbs v Jackson Women’s Health Organization – the outcome of which will have repercussions for the landmark Roe v Wade ruling and the right to abortion access across America.

Mississippi’s sole abortion provider Jackson Women’s Health Organization sued the state of Mississippi over its ban on abortions after 15 weeks of pregnancy.

The state’s ban does not include exceptions for pregnancies caused by rape or incest.

The Supreme Court will decide whether restrictions on abortion before fetal viability – typically 24 to 28 weeks – is a violation of constitutional rights.

If the court rules in favour of the state law, states will be able to restrict or ban abortions at any stage of pregnancy, effectively overturning the precedent set in Roe v Wade.

US braces for possible Roe v Wade ruling on Friday

Thursday 23 June 2022 16:18 , Rachel SharpThe US is now bracing for the Supreme Court to possibly strike down Roe v Wade as soon as Friday after the nation’s highest court marked 24 June as an opinion issuance day.

There are nine case rulings left to be released before the court goes on summer recess at the end of June or early July.

The court will start releasing opinions on its website at 10am ET.

Supreme Court loosens gun control by overturning New York gun law – amid surge in mass shootings

Thursday 23 June 2022 16:00 , Rachel SharpThe US Supreme Court has loosened gun control at a time when American communities are being torn apart by gun violence and a surge in mass shootings, as it overturned a New York law around concealed carry.

The century-old New York law required handgun owners to show “proper cause” – including self-defense reasons – in order to obtain a license to carry a concealed weapon, rather than simply carry a concealed weapon for the protection of property or other reasonings.

In the case of New York State Rifle & Pistol Association Inc v Bruen, the Supreme Court was asked to consider whether the Second Amendment allows the government to prohibit firearm owners from carrying handguns outside their homes for self-defense – a challenge that could upend precedents on concealed-carry restrictions and rules about how and where Americans can carry guns across the US.

The decision was one of four case opinions released by the Supreme Court on Thursday as the nation waits in anticipation fo the

The Independent’s Alex Woodward has the full story:

No decision on abortion access released today

Thursday 23 June 2022 15:48 , Rachel SharpThe Supreme Court has now finished releasing its opinions on cases for the day and has not released its decision on Dobbs v Jackson Women’s Health – the case where the court is about to rule on abortion access and potentially strike down the landmark Roe v Wade ruling.

Supreme Court releases opinions on various cases

Thursday 23 June 2022 15:31 , Rachel SharpThe US Supreme Court is currently releasing opinions on cases.

It is not known if the decision around the constitutional right to abortion access will be among those released today.

So far, three decisions have been released.

The Supreme Court ruled in Berger v North Carolina State Conference of the NAACP that North Carolina lawmakers can intervene in litigation to defend a state voter-ID law.

In Nance v Ward, the Supreme Court says that an inmate on Georgia’s death row is not limited to the federal habeas laws when challenging the constitutionality of a state’s method of execution.

The third decision – in Vega v Teko – released rules that if a police officer fails to read a suspect their Miranda rights and statements the suspect makes are then used against them in court, the individual cannot sue for a violation of their Fifth Amendment.

Why these prosecutors are refusing to enforce criminal anti-abortion laws in their states

Thursday 23 June 2022 14:15 , Oliver O’ConnellThe Independent asked the chief prosecutors in more than a dozen counties and parishes where their respective states’ anti-abortion laws are set to take effect to ask how – or if – they will go about prosecuting such cases, including whether they will issue subpoenas for personal digital data to prosecute them.

“Trigger laws” which will go into effect once Roe V Wade is overturned, will effectively ban abortion in nearly half the US.

Alex Woodward shares insights from prosecutors in his story below:

What the Supreme Court could come for after Roe v Wade

Thursday 23 June 2022 13:45 , Oliver O’ConnellLegal experts and civil rights activists fear that after the Supreme Court overturns Roe V Wade it will overturn other landmark rulings protecting rights like gay marriage.

Read Io Dodd’s full story below:

What is Planned Parenthood v Casey? Landmark abortion ruling at risk alongside Roe v Wade

Thursday 23 June 2022 13:15 , Oliver O’ConnellWhile Roe v Wade is the most well known case guaranteeing abortion access in the US, a 1992 Supreme Court case was pivotal in upholding those rights.

In 1992, Democratic Governor Robert Casey introduced new laws restricting women’s rights to access abortion. Planned Parenthood sued the governor, and the Supreme Court ruled in its favour.

For more on the landmark ruling, read Rachel Sharp’s story below: