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Roe v Wade overturned - live: Abortion protests across US as Biden gives urgent address on Supreme Court ruling

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

Roe v Wade: Rita Moreno recalls being sent to botched abortion by Marlon Brando

23:15 , Josh Marcus

Rita Moreno has recalled the moment Marlon Brando sent her to have an abortion when she became pregnant while the two were dating.

Some readers may find details in this article upsetting

The 90-year-old West Side Story actor was in a tumultuous eight-year relationship with the late Godfather actor after meeting in 1954 on the set of the Napoleon biopic Désirée.

Speaking in Variety on Friday (24 June) – shortly after the US Supreme Court overturned the 1973 landmark Roe v Wade decision – Moreno revealed details of her botched abortion.

“Marlon found a doctor through some friends,” she said.

Inga Parkel has the details.

Rita Moreno recalls being sent to botched abortion by Marlon Brando

Donald Trump Jr suggests overturning Roe is direct result of Obama humiliating his father at 2011 dinner

22:55 , Josh Marcus

Donald Trump Jr claimed that the origins of the Supreme Court’s decision to overturn Roe v Wade can be traced to President Barack Obama’s infamous roast of his father at the White House Correspondents’ Dinner in 2011.

Don Jr posted a crude meme to Instagram in which he suggested Donald Trump’s embarrassment at the black tie event 11 years ago created a domino effect that resulted in Friday’s ruling.

“F*** around and find out,” Don Jr, who also posted the meme on Truth Social, wrote.

Donald Trump’s appointment of three conservative justices during his one term in office fundamentally altered the balance of the court, ensuring a 6-3 conservative supermajority for years to come.

Bevan Hurley has the full story.

Don Jr suggests overturning Roe is a result of Obama humiliating his father in 2011

Protester climbs Frederick Douglass Bridge in Washington DC to demonstrate against Supreme Court ruling

22:20 , Graig Graziosi

A protester has reportedly climbed the Frederick Douglass Bridge in Washington DC to demonstrate against the Supreme Court’s decision to overturn Roe v Wade.

Other protesters have gathered outside the Supreme Court as DC Metropolitan police have reportedly gone on “high alert.”

Arizona Planned Parenthood halts abortion services after Supreme Court decision

22:10 , Graig Graziosi

Planned Parenthood facilities in Arizona have halted abortion services to review the Supreme Court’s decision that struck down Roe v Wade.

Fox10 Phoenix reported the developments.

DC Police on ‘high alert’ as protest outside Supreme Court grows

22:00 , Graig Graziosi

DC Metropolitan police and other regional law enforcement agencies are reportedly on “high alert” in response to a growing protest outside the Supreme Court.

Shomari Stone of CNBC reported the development.

WATCH: Enormous crowd of protesters gathers outside the Supreme Court

21:45 , Graig Graziosi

A protest is growing in size outside the Supreme Court in response to its decision to strike down Roe v Wade.

Social media users on scene have captured footage of the crowd demonstrating against the court’s decision that paves the way for the stripping of abortion rights from the American public.

Bernie Sanders calls for end of filibuster and codification of Roe v Wade

21:40 , Graig Graziosi

Senator Bernie Sanders decried the Supreme Court’s decision to overturn Roe v Wade and called for an end to the filibuster so Congress can codify the ruling into law.

‘Reform the filibuster’ and codify abortion rights, Tim Ryan urges Senate after Roe struck down

21:35 , Graig Graziosi

Democratic Congressman Tim Ryan has urged the Senate to “reform the filibuster” so that Roe v Wade can be codified into law following the Supreme Court’s decision to strike down the landmark case.

He warned that the court would seek to strip more rights from the American public.

“Look very closely at what Justice [Clarence] Thomas wrote,” Mr Ryan said. “They wanna go after birth control next, they wanna go after same-sex marriage next.”

John Bowden has more in the story below:

‘Reform the filibuster’ and codify abortion, Tim Ryan urges Senate after Roe falls

Virginia governor moves to implement 15-week abortion ban in wake of Supreme Court decision

21:30 , Graig Graziosi

Virginia Governor Glenn Youngkin said he planned to introduce a 15-week abortion ban to the state’s legislature after the Supreme Court struck down Roe v Wade.

“The truth is, Virginians want fewer abortions, not more abortions. We can build a bipartisan consensus on protecting the life of unborn children, especially when they begin to feel pain in the womb, and importantly supporting mothers and families who choose life,” he said in a statement on Friday.

He told the Washington Post that he wanted the cutoff to be 15 weeks, but said he was open to a comrpromise position of 20 weeks.

‘F*** the Supreme Court’: Phoebe Bridgers condemns ‘irrelevant old motherf***ers’ over Roe vs Wade decision

21:20 , Graig Graziosi

Musician Phoebe Bridgers led chants of “f*** the Supreme Court” during her Glastonbury set, in response to today’s (24 June) decision to overturn constitutional rights to abortion in the US.

Bridgers, who recently shared that she had an abortion last year, stopped her performance on the John Peel Stage to say: “It’s super surreal, but I’m having the s****iest time.”

Tom Murray has the full story below:

Phoebe Bridgers says ‘f*** the Supreme Court’ over Roe vs Wade decision

Labour leaders speak out against abortion ruling

21:10 , Graig Graziosi

Prominent labour union leaders have condemned the Supreme Court’s decision to overturn Roe v Wade, the New York Times reports.

Mary Kay Henry, International President SEIU, said in a statement: “This reckless decision is yet another example of the nation’s highest court jettisoning its own precedent to cater to powerful right-wing and corporate interests while rolling back the rights of working people.”

Liz Shuler, the AFL-CIO president, said the decision was “the latest in a harmful string of attacks on our fundamental rights, including the right to vote and to collectively bargain in the workplace, and points to an alarming trend that other well-settled rights like marriage equality may be taken away.”

Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer files motion to protect abortion rights in Michigan

21:05 , Graig Graziosi

Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer annocuned she has filed a motion to protect abortion rights in Michigan.

“Today, I filed a motion urging the court to immediately take up my lawsuit to protect abortion in Michigan. We need to clarify that under Michigan law, access to abortion is not only legal, but constitutionally protected. The urgency of the moment is clear—the Michigan court must act now,” Ms Whitmer said. “With today’s U.S. Supreme Court decision, Michigan’s extreme 1931 law banning abortion without exceptions for rape or incest and criminalizing doctors and nurses who provide reproductive care is poised to take effect. If the 1931 law goes into effect, it will punish women and strip away their right to make decisions about their own bodies. That is why I filed a lawsuit in April and used my executive authority to urge the Michigan Supreme Court to immediately resolve whether Michigan’s state constitution protects the right to abortion. I will fight like hell to protect the rights of Michigan women.”

Vice President Kamala Harris calls on Americans to vote for lawmakers who will support abortion rights

21:00 , Graig Graziosi

Vice President Kamala Harris called on Americans to vote for lawmakers who will support abortion rights in the wake of the Supreme Court’s decision to overturn Roe v Wade.

“You have the power to elect leaders who will defend and protect your rights ... With your vote, you can act. And you have the final word. So this is not over,” Ms Harris said.

Democrats currently control both the House and the Senate as well as the executive branch.

AOC says Americans will ‘never stop’ until abortion rights are restored

20:55 , Graig Graziosi

Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez said Americans would ‘never stop’ fighting to restore abortion rights in a tweet on Friday.

Her statement came on the heels of the Supreme Court decision to overturn Roe v Wade.

Right-wing Texas attorney general says he’ll celebrate Supreme Court decision as an ‘annual holiday'

20:50 , Graig Graziosi

Right-wing Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton said he planned to celebrate the overturning of Roe v Wade as an “annual holiday.”

“Today I’m closing my office — and making it an annual holiday — as a memorial to the 70 million lives lost bc of abortion,” he said.

WATCH: Congressman Tim Ryan says Republicans will go after ‘birth control’ and ‘gay rights’ next

20:40 , Graig Graziosi

Pence leads Republicans calling for national abortion ban post Roe v Wade ruling: ‘We must not rest’

20:35 , Graig Graziosi

Former Vice President Mike Pence has called for Republicans to pursue a federal abortion ban in the wake of the Supreme Court decision to overturn Roe v Wade.

“Now that Roe v. Wade has been consigned to the ash heap of history, a new arena in the cause of life has emerged and it is incumbent on all who cherish the sanctity of life to resolve that we will take the defense of the unborn... and support for women in crisis pregnancies to every state Capitol in America,” he wrote, before adding: “Having been given this second chance for Life, we must not rest and must not relent until the sanctity of life is restored to the center of American law in every state in the land.”

Abe Asher has more in the story below:

Pence leads Republicans calling for a national abortion ban after Roe v Wade ruling

Taylor Swift condemns the end of US abortion rights: ‘I’m absolutely terrified’

20:30 , Graig Graziosi

Musician Taylor Swift said she is ‘absolutely terrified’ now that the Supreme Court has overturned Roe v Wade.

“I’m absolutely terrified that this is where we are – that after so many decades of people fighting for women’s rights to their own bodies, today’s decision has stripped us of that,” Swift wrote on Twitter.

Amanda Whiting has the full story below:

Taylor Swift condemns the end of US abortion rights: ‘I’m absolutely terrified’

California governor announces ‘West Coast offensive’ to defend abortion rights

20:20 , Graig Graziosi

Governor Gavin Newsom of California announced that his state, Oregon and Washington were forming a “West Coast offensive” to defend abortion rights for their reisdents.

Police in riot gear descend on the Supreme Court as protests grow in size

20:15 , Graig Graziosi

NowThis News reports that police in riot gear have descended on the Supreme Court as a crowd of protesters grows in the wake of the court’s decision to overturn Roe v Wade.

Watch the video below:

Florida Governor Ron DeSantis praises Supreme Court decision

20:10 , Graig Graziosi

Florida Governor Ron DeSantis praised the Supreme Court’s decision to overturn Roe v Wade in a statement on Friday. His statement is below:

"The prayers of millions have been answered. For nearly fifty years, the US Supreme Court has prohibited virtually any meaningful pro-life protection, but this was not grounded in the text, history or structure of the Constitution. By properly interpreting the Constitution, the Dobbs majority has restroyed the people's role in our republic and a sense of hope that every life counts."

"Florida will continue to defend its recently-enacted pro-life reforms against state court challenges, will work to expand pro-life protections, and will stand for life by promoting adoption, foster care and child welfare."

US Attorney General says states cannot ban FDA-approved abortion drug

20:00 , Graig Graziosi

US Attorney General Merrick Garland said that the Supreme Court’s decision to overturn Roe v Wade will not impact the legality of abortion drugs, which are approved by the US Food and Drug Administration.

The Independent’s Alex Woodward has more on why states cannot ban the abortion drug in his story below:

US Attorney General says states cannot ban FDA-approved abortion drug

Trump takes credit for Supreme Court overturning Roe v Wade

19:59 , Graig Graziosi

Former President Donald Trump issued a statement taking credit for the Supreme Court’s decision to overturn Roe v Wade.

His statement is below:

“Today’s decision, which is the biggest WIN for LIFE in a generation, along with other decisions that have been announced recently, were only made possible because I delivered everything as promised, including nominating and getting three highly respected and strong Constitutionalists confirmed to the United States Supreme Court. It was my great honor to do so!”

“I did not cave to the Radical Left Democrats, their partners in the Fake News Media, or the RINOs who are likewise the true, but silent, enemy of the people. These major Victories prove that even though the Radical Left is doing everything in their power to destroy our Country, your Rights are being protected, the Country is being defended, and there is still hope and time to Save America! I will never stop fighting for the Great People of our Nation!”

Louisiana Governor John Bel Edwards addresses Supreme Court decision and state’s ‘trigger laws'

19:50 , Graig Graziosi

Louisiana Governor John Bel Edwards addressed the Supreme Court decision to overturn Roe v Wade and the state’s ‘trigger laws' on Friday.

"I am and have always been unabashedly pro-life and opposed to abortion. However, I understand that people on both sides of this complex issue hold deeply personal beliefs, and I respect that not everyone, including many in my own party, agrees with my position," he said. "While we are still reviewing the decision issued by the Court this morning, Louisiana has had a trigger law in place since 2006 that would outlaw abortion, without exception for rape and incest, should the United States Supreme Court overturn Roe v Wade."

He went on to say that all forms of contraception, including emergency contraception, will remain fully legal in Louisiana, and that being pro-life means "providing the necessary resources and implementing policies that provide real options and not just lip service to the children, women, and families we are blessed to serve."

Assaults against abortion clinics rose 128 per cent in 2021

19:40 , Graig Graziosi

Assaults against abortion clinics rose 128 per cent in 2021, according to data from the National Abortion Federation.

The assaults were aimed at abortion centre staff and patients.

Melissa Fowler, NAF Chief Program Officer, told reporters that restrictive state abortion bans and right-wing media coverage emboldened individuals “who want to harass and terrorize abortion providers.”

WATCH: Biden condemns ‘extreme ideology’ of Supreme Court after Roe v Wade decision

19:30 , Graig Graziosi

Former Vice President Mike Pence calls for federal abortion ban

19:25 , Graig Graziosi

Former Vice President Mike Pence applauded the Supreme Court’s decision to strike down Roe v Wade, and went on to call for a total ban on abortions at the federal level.

“Having been given this second chance for Life, we must not rest and must not relent until the sanctity of life is restored to the center of American law in every state in the land,” he said.

Planned Parenthood halts abortions in Texas

19:15 , Graig Graziosi

Planned Parenthood has reportedly halted providing abortions in Texas in order to review the Supreme Court’s overturning of Roe v Wade.

Madlin Mekelburg of the Austin Statesman reports:

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

19:05 , Graig Graziosi

While conservatives and Evangelical Christians celebrate the Supreme Court’s decision to overturn Roe v Wade, million of Americans are express fury and sadness over the ruling.

The Independent’s Andrew Buncombe has collected the varying accounts of anguish and anger from across the country.

Read more in his story below:

America reacts with outrage after Supreme Court scraps Roe after 50 years

House Democrats called ‘f***ing useless’ for singing ‘God Bless America’ by Capitol after Roe ruling

18:55 , Graig Graziosi

Social media users slammed House Democrats today after they got together to sing “God Bless America” at the Capitol following the Suprme Court’s decision to overturn Roe v Wade.

“It is almost comical how absolutely f***ing useless Democrats are at doing anything to stop the extremists bent on destroying people’s rights,” Noel Berry tweeted.

Some progressives and liberals have been vocal about their frustration with the Democratic Party, which controls both the House and the Senate as well as the Executiv Branch but still could not stop the stripping away of Americans’ rights to end a pregnancy.

Gustaf Kilander has more on the outrage in his story below:

Democrats called ‘f***ing useless’ for singing ‘God Bless America’ after Roe ruling

Justice Department says states cannot ban FDA-approved abortion medication

18:50 , Graig Graziosi

The 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 Graziosi

Democratic 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 Graziosi

Planned 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:

What is Planned Parenthood? The organisation leading the fight for abortion access

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

18:30 , Graig Graziosi

Journalist 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 Graziosi

National 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 Graziosi

Massachusetts 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 Graziosi

Roe 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:

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

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 Graziosi

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

Biden takes no questions following his address

17:51 , Graig Graziosi

Joe 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 Graziosi

During 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 Graziosi

During 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 Graziosi

During 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 Graziosi

Joe 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 Graziosi

Congressional 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 Graziosi

Joe 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 Graziosi

While 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:

America reacts with outrage after Supreme Court scraps Roe after 50 years

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

17:10 , Graig Graziosi

Senator 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 Graziosi

Joe 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 Graziosi

Nancy 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 Graziosi

Jennifer 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:

I kept my baby because of ‘pro-lifers’. Then they called me selfish

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 Graziosi

New 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:

AG James vows New York will remain ‘safe haven’ for women seeking abortion

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

16:25 , Graig Graziosi

Republican 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.

Marjorie Greene heckled by protesters as she celebrates Roe v Wade decision

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

16:17 , Graig Graziosi

Masada 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:

Even if you want your baby, Roe being overturned could destroy your life

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

16:10 , Graig Graziosi

Most 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.

What is Roe v Wade and why was it overturned?

The Obamas respond to the overturning of Roe V Wade

16:02 , Graig Graziosi

Former 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 Graziosi

Coco 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:

Roe has been overturned and women’s bodies are no longer their own. Here’s what to do

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

15:53 , Graig Graziosi

Thousands 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:

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

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

15:45 , Graig Graziosi

What 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.

Read more at his story below:

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

Conservative Alabama Governor Kay Ivey celebrates overturning of Roe V Wade

15:41 , Graig Graziosi

Governor 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 Graziosi

Planned 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 Graziosi

Thirteen 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 Graziosi

The 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...

Supreme Court overturns Roe v Wade, striking down abortion rights across US

How does the court decide which decisions to share?

15:07 , Graig Graziosi

Due 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 Sharp

Roe 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 Sharp

The 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:

How your menstrual app data could be used against you in post Roe v Wade America

Overturning Roe could lead to end of same-sex marriage

12:30 , Rachel Sharp

Many 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 Sharp

Fifteen 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:

These US states will protect abortion rights if Roe v Wade is overturned

What is Roe v Wade?

11:00 , Rachel Sharp

The 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 Sharp

More 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 Sharp

Prosecutors 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:

Why these prosecutors refuse to enforce anti-abortion laws in their states

What is Planned Parenthood? The organisation fighting for abortion access

09:00 , Rachel Sharp

For 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:

What is Planned Parenthood? The organisation leading the fight for abortion access

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

08:15 , Rachel Sharp

Members 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:

Democrats urge Google to block misleading results for abortion clinics

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

07:30 , Rachel Sharp

Some 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:

‘Pink House Defenders’ fight to save Mississippi’s last abortion clinic

US woman denied abortion in Malta

06:45 , Rachel Sharp

An 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:

US woman to be airlifted to Mallorca after Malta denies termination of pregnancy

What the Supreme Court could come for after Roe v Wade

05:15 , Rachel Sharp

Legal 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:

‘People should be terrified’: What US Supreme Court could come for after Roe v Wade

Abortion providers rush to train specialists

04:30 , Rachel Sharp

Abortion 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:

Abortion providers work to train specialists as Supreme Court’s Roe ruling looms

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

03:45 , Rachel Sharp

A 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 Sharp

Hillary 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 Sharp

The 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:

Only abortion clinic in South Dakota halts procedures as Roe looks doomed

Biden must protect data privacy, says congresswoman

01:30 , Rachel Sharp

The 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 Sharp

On 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:

How Supreme Court security became political in wake of Roe v Wade leak

US braces for possible Roe v Wade ruling on Friday

Friday 24 June 2022 00:00 , Rachel Sharp

The 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 Sharp

The 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.

13 states could ban abortion immediately

Thursday 23 June 2022 23:00 , Rachel Sharp

Thirteen 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 Sharp

The 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:

When will there be a Roe v Wade decision?

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

Thursday 23 June 2022 22:14 , Rachel Sharp

People 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:

Republicans say SCOTUS leakers should face 10 years in jail after Roe revelation

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

Thursday 23 June 2022 22:00 , Rachel Sharp

Prosecutors 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:

Why these prosecutors refuse to enforce anti-abortion laws in their states

What is Planned Parenthood? The organisation fighting for abortion access

Thursday 23 June 2022 21:30 , Rachel Sharp

For 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:

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

Thursday 23 June 2022 21:00 , Rachel Sharp

Fifteen 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:

These US states will protect abortion rights if Roe v Wade is overturned

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

Thursday 23 June 2022 20:30 , Rachel Sharp

The 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:

What to expect on a Supreme Court issuance day

Thursday 23 June 2022 20:00 , Rachel Sharp

The 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 Sharp

Before 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:

The Janes: The secret network that provided thousands of abortions before Roe v Wade

What is Planned Parenthood v Casey?

Thursday 23 June 2022 18:45 , Rachel Sharp

Two 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.”

Click here to read the full blog on The Independent's website