The historic Roe vs. Wade decision gave people nationwide the legal right to choose abortion, but the backlash reshaped the country’s politics. On Friday, the Supreme Court announced its decision to overturn the historic abortion case, which will not only affect millions of Americans but also free states to outlaw abortion. Here’s everything you need to know.
WASHINGTON — In a historic reversal, the Supreme Court on Friday overturned the landmark 1973 Roe vs. Wade decision and ruled that states may again outlaw abortion. The court’s conservative majority said the Constitution does not protect the right to abortion, instead leaving the decision in the …
ATLANTA — The impact was immediate: The moment the Supreme Court struck down Roe vs. Wade, Robin Marty, operations director of the West Alabama Women’s Center in Tuscaloosa, told nurses, desk staff and a doctor that they could no longer provide abortions. “I can’t believe they [expletive] did it,” …
WASHINGTON — The early American laws prohibiting abortion were adopted in the 19th century in an era when women could not vote or hold elective office. Many of them made abortion a crime, except when it was done for the purpose of saving the mother’s life. Those strict bans came under attack in the …
WASHINGTON — The sudden death of Justice Antonin Scalia in February 2016 initially seemed to end hopes conservatives had for overturning Roe vs. Wade. He had been the court’s most outspoken opponent of the right to abortion and the leader of its conservative wing. Justices Clarence Thomas and Samuel …
WASHINGTON — Roe vs. Wade, the Supreme Court’s best-known decision of the last 50 years, is also its most endangered precedent. It gave women nationwide the legal right to choose abortion, but the backlash reshaped the country’s politics. The landmark ruling may well be overturned by conservative …
As some states have placed severe restrictions on abortions in recent years, California has made it clear it wants to be a safe haven for reproductive rights. “As states across the country attempt to move us backward by restricting fundamental reproductive rights, California continues to protect and …
In the late 1960s, when abortion was still illegal in most of the country, a group of politically engaged young women in Chicago took matters into their own hands and formed an underground network to help people obtain safe and affordable abortions. The solution for anyone in need was to call …
