Coming Soon: A Podcast on the Looming End of Roe v. Wade
I went away for awhile. I'm back.
Well. It’s been a minute.
The last time I updated you, the pandemic was new. Texans could still get abortions in their state (if intermittently). And Ruth Bader Ginsburg still sat on the U.S. Supreme Court.
I was there when she heard her last major abortion case — the one from Louisiana, the one that birthed the idea for this newsletter. That case ended with Roe intact. Now, Amy Coney Barrett holds that seat, and anti-abortion conservatives rule the court 6-3.
A lot has changed.
Like many of you, the pandemic upended much for me. So did getting a new job as the public health reporter for Louisiana public radio stations. So did becoming a new mum.
Amid all that, The Roe Report took a long hiatus. But like the impossible-to-eradicate banana trees that swarm the lawns of New Orleans, it’s back.
Its form will shift and adapt as needed, but right now I want to let you in on some big news.
This spring, I’m hosting a new podcast all about the Mississippi U.S. Supreme Court case that could end Roe v. Wade. It’s the biggest abortion case in decades. I know you’ve heard about it, but here is some of my reporting.
If Roe falls, nearly all abortions could be banned across roughly half of US states.
This project tells the story of how we got to this moment through the people on the ground in Mississippi and the Deep South.
The reason I’m writing to you now? It’s the anniversary of Roe tomorrow — January 22nd.
Activists for and against abortion rights are using the date to try and galvanize the public. For some, to warn that constitutional abortion rights could end as soon as this summer. For others, to celebrate that fact.
There will be March for Life events across the country, as there are each year. But this year will be different. This year is Roe’s 49th anniversary, and it could be its last.
I’ll be keeping you updated on the podcast here, and on Twitter.
In the meantime, thank you for subscribing to this newsletter, and stay tuned. If Roe v. Wade is overturned, reporting on abortion and pregnancy will only become more urgent.
But you already know that.
Rosemary
P.S. I used to feature a picture in these, to break up the news with a bit of (I hoped) beauty. Since it’s winter and cold, even here, and a Friday, especially here, I give you a bit of darkness. Snow at the beach as the sun rises.
Till next time.