Boom! Lawyered

With the election less than a week away, abortion rights and democracy are both on the line—and that’s no coincidence.Andrea Grimes, journalist and vice president of research at Reproaction, joins Jess and Imani this week to talk about the importance of opposition research into anti-abortion activists, how the anti-abortion and anti-democracy movements work hand-in-hand, and why there’s no shortage of work for the pro-abortion movement. Plus, the trio chats about Grimes’ new media venture—the feminist blog The Flytrap—and why collective media could be the future of journalism.Rewire News Group is a nonprofit media organization, which means that episodes like this one are only made possible with the support of listeners like you! If you can, please join our team by donating here.And sign up for The Fallout, a weekly newsletter written by Jess that’s exclusively dedicated to covering every aspect of this unprecedented moment.

Can pro-natalists go touch some grass? A trio of conservative attorneys general filed a complaint in federal court claiming the availability of mifepristone, one of two drugs used in medication abortions in the United States, creates a “sovereign injury” to the states themselves. They argue that mifepristone lowers teen birth rates in violation of the states’ “population interests.”Jess and Imani get into why this argument is essentially constitutionally-mandated eugenics and how it could expand state police power. We could be entering an entirely new era of constitutional law.Rewire News Group is a nonprofit media organization, which means that episodes like this one are only made possible with the support of listeners like you! If you can, please join our team by donating here.And sign up for The Fallout, a weekly newsletter written by Jess that’s exclusively dedicated to covering every aspect of this unprecedented moment.

This week, we’re talking about EMTALA—yes, again. The Ninth Circuit will hear arguments over Idaho not wanting to abide by the Emergency Medical Treatment and Active Labor Act in December, and the case is sure to make it back to the Supreme Court.This time, though, conservatives have a new weapon: the Spending Clause. Much to Jess’ chagrin, she and Imani get into how Amy Coney Barrett pulled an Alito-esque move to tee anti-choicers up to use the Spending Clause to upend EMTALA for good.Rewire News Group is a nonprofit media organization, which means that episodes like this one are only made possible with the support of listeners like you! If you can, please join our team by donating here.And sign up for The Fallout, a weekly newsletter written by Jess that’s exclusively dedicated to covering every aspect of this unprecedented moment.

Project 2025, the 2024 election’s big bad wolf, is coming for reproductive justice. The Heritage Foundation’s policy prescription for a second Donald Trump administration would turn the Emergency Medical Treatment and Active Labor Act (EMTALA) on its head and explicitly allow anti-LGBTQ+ discrimination.This week, Jess and Imani dive into the Project 2025 policy positions that pose the biggest threat to reproductive health care. From disavowing abortion to its “life agenda,” the parade of horribles would, if implemented, entrench the country further into Christofascism. Mentioned in this episode:National Women’s Law Center Project 2025 reportRewire News Group is a nonprofit media organization, which means that episodes like this one are only made possible with the support of listeners like you! If you can, please join our team by donating here.And sign up for The Fallout, a weekly newsletter written by Jess that’s exclusively dedicated to covering every aspect of this unprecedented moment.