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Dobbs

Protester holding up sign saying "decriminalize abortion" | Vuk Valcic/ZUMAPRESS/Newscom

Abortion

Abortion Rates Keep Rising After Dobbs

Strict abortion bans do not seem to be seriously stopping abortions.

Elizabeth Nolan Brown | 6.23.2025 12:34 PM

featureabortion | Illustration: Joanna Andreasson Source images: iStock

Abortion

These Pro-Lifers Don't Love Abortion Bans

Reason talked with pro-life Americans who are uncomfortable with the post–Roe v. Wade abortion policy landscape.

Elizabeth Nolan Brown | 9.22.2024 6:00 AM

Donald Trump debates Joe Biden on January 28, 2024 | Chine Nouvelle/SIPA/Newscom

Politics

Biden's Race-Ending Debate Performance Was So Bad That It Eclipsed Trump's Flagrant Falsehoods

Voters should not dismiss the former president's utter disregard for the truth as a personal quirk or standard political practice.

Jacob Sullum | 7.22.2024 4:40 PM

Screenshot of Donald Trump and Joe Biden on the CNN debate | Artem Priakhin/ZUMAPRESS/Newscom

Abortion

Biden Fumbled the Ball on Abortion

Abortion should have been an easy win for Biden, but his incoherent answer during Thursday's debate allowed Trump to come out on top.

Emma Camp | 6.28.2024 3:47 PM

Justice Samuel Alito is seen in front of a depiction of a recording | Illustration: Lex Villena; Eric Lee / Pool via CNP / SplashNews/Newscom; alexdndz

Supreme Court

The 'Bombshell' Secret Alito Recording Was Not a Bombshell

The justice's benign comments set off a lengthy news cycle and have been treated as a scandal by some in the media. Why?

Billy Binion | 6.14.2024 2:57 PM

Donald Trump delivers recorded remarks at a Danbury Institute conference | Danbury Institute

Donald Trump

Trump's Abortion Dilemma

The "most pro-life president in American history" cannot please hardline activists without alienating voters.

Jacob Sullum | 6.12.2024 12:01 AM

Gavin Newsom | Hector Amezcua/TNS/Newscom

Gavin Newsom

Gavin Newsom Is 'Pro-Choice' on Abortion and Nothing Else

A new California law amends the state's ban on out-of-state doctors practicing medicine to allow doctors from Arizona to perform abortions for patients who are also from Arizona.

Christian Britschgi | 5.24.2024 4:20 PM

Supreme Court

Dobbs and the Originalists

Why originalist criticisms of Dobbs often misfire, and why criticisms *of* Dobbs's originalism often misfire too.

Stephen E. Sachs |The Volokh Conspiracy | 5.15.2024 4:07 PM

Speaker of the House Mike Johnson on his phone inside the Capitol building | Tom Williams/CQ Roll Call/Newscom

Congress

Congress Does Not Come Back With a Warrant

Plus: A listener asks the editors for examples of tasks the government does well (yikes).

Matt Welch, Katherine Mangu-Ward, Nick Gillespie, and Peter Suderman | 4.15.2024 5:00 PM

Arizona Supreme Court Justice John Lopez IV | Arizona Judicial Branch

Abortion

Critics of the Arizona Supreme Court's Abortion Ruling Seem Confused About What Judges Are Supposed To Do

The case hinged on statutory interpretation, not the merits of the state's 1864 ban.

Jacob Sullum | 4.11.2024 3:15 PM

Donald Trump in Massapequa, Long Island | Theodore Parisienne/TNS/Newscom

Abortion

Trump's Abortion Stance Is Convenient, but That Does Not Mean He's Wrong

His embrace of federalism is one of those rare instances when political expedience coincides with constitutional principles.

Jacob Sullum | 4.10.2024 12:01 AM

Donald Trump addresses abortion in a Truth Social video | Truth Social

Abortion

Embracing a Federalist Approach to Abortion, Trump Condemns Democrats As 'Radical'

The former and would-be president is keen to avoid alienating voters who reject both kinds of extremism on the issue.

Jacob Sullum | 4.8.2024 4:40 PM

Pro-life and pro-choice protesters yelling at a protest | Alex Wong/Getty

Abortion

Dobbs Is Reshaping American Politics

A wave of ballot measures reminds us most Americans are moderate on abortion.

Elizabeth Nolan Brown | 11.5.2023 6:00 AM

Donald Trump speaking and pointing | Rod Lamkey/CNP/Mega/RSSIL/Newscom

Election 2024

Trump's Abortion Triangulation Makes Political Sense but Belies His 'Pro-Life' Pose

The former president is right to worry that supporting restrictions on abortion could hurt him in the general election.

Jacob Sullum | 9.22.2023 1:10 PM

Pro-choice protesters march with a sign that says "Bans Off My Body" | New data shows almost 50,000 more abortions in the first six months of 2023 than during the same period in 2020.

Abortion

Over a Year After Dobbs, Abortions Have Increased Nationwide

Despite state-level bans, new data show around 46,000 more abortions were performed during the first six months of 2023 than during the same period in 2020.

Emma Camp | 9.7.2023 3:19 PM

March for Life protestors | Christian Britschgi

Abortion

Study Finds Texas' 6-Week Abortion Ban Resulted in 10,000 Additional Babies

A study from researchers at Johns Hopkins is the first to look at the effects of Texas' 2021 "Heartbeat Act" on live births.

Christian Britschgi | 6.30.2023 1:45 PM

doctor taking blood pressure | Yelena Afonina/ZUMA Press/Newscom

Abortion

Doctors Detail Dangerous Pregnancy Care in States With Abortion Restrictions

Plus: APA says social media not inherently harmful for kids, senators propose Artificial Intelligence Regulatory Agency, and more...

Elizabeth Nolan Brown | 5.17.2023 9:39 AM

Pro-life protesters in front of the U.S. Supreme Court building | Stephen Shaver/ZUMAPRESS/Newscom

Abortion

Pro-Lifers Pushed Too Far and Doomed 2 Abortion Bans

Americans’ opinions are more nuanced than headlines suggest, leaving little room for total bans.

J.D. Tuccille | 5.1.2023 7:00 AM

reason-profile | Christian Britschgi

Abortion

At the First Post-Roe March for Life, Pro-Lifers Try To Figure Out What Comes Next

The Supreme Court's Dobbs decision gives states the ability to prohibit abortion. For a lot of pro-lifers, this highlights how much persuading they still have to do.

Christian Britschgi | 1.20.2023 8:20 PM

ministhejanes | <em>The Janes</em>/HBO

Documentary

Review: Post-Roe America Is Unlikely To Resemble the One Seen in The Janes

An underground network in Chicago helped women terminate thousands of pregnancies amid abortion prohibition.

Jacob Sullum | 1.13.2023 6:30 AM

topicslaw | Illustration: Pavlo Stavnichuk/iStock

Law & Government

Republicans Will Have To Rely on New Deal–Era Court Precedents If They Want a Federal Abortion Ban

The Supreme Court said in 1942 that local activity, not just interstate activity, was subject to congressional regulation.

Damon Root | 12.8.2022 6:30 AM

Pills being shaken out of the bottle into someone's hand | Science Photo Library/Newscom

Abortion

Kansas Judge Blocks Law Banning Telemedicine Prescriptions for Medication Abortions

Last week, a Kansas judge halted the enforcement of a law requiring a doctor to be in the same room as a patient taking abortion pills—a move hailed by abortion advocates as an important step to increase medication abortion access in the state.

Emma Camp | 11.30.2022 3:56 PM

Reproductive rights post-Dobbs | Illustration: Lex Villena

Reproductive Freedom

It's All About the Jimmy Hats

Rethinking the constitutional defense of reproductive rights after Dobbs via the Ninth Amendment

Paul R. Abramson | 11.11.2022 12:30 PM

Out-of-state and self-managed abortions pose daunting challenges to pro-life legislators. | Allison Bailey/Zuma Press/Newscom

Abortion

New Research Highlights the Limits of Abortion Bans

Out-of-state and self-managed abortions pose daunting challenges for pro-life legislators.

Jacob Sullum | 11.2.2022 12:01 AM

Abortion-rights supporters demonstrate outside the U.S. Supreme Court on June 30, 2022. | Bonnie Cash/UPI/Newscom

Abortion

Estimated Drop in Clinic Abortions Does Not Take Into Account Seasonal Variation or Self-Managed Abortions

The report highlights the power and limits of state bans as well as the difficulty of measuring their impact.

Jacob Sullum | 10.31.2022 3:45 PM

topicslaw | Illustration: Joanna Andreasson

Law & Government

No, State Legislators Can't Ban Interstate Abortion Travel

The Constitution's commerce clause guarantees a domestic free trade zone. A state law that bars a resident from traveling to take advantage of another state’s economic activity would be unconstitutional.

Damon Root | 10.10.2022 6:00 AM

topicsfuture | Illustration: Dusan Stankovic/iStock

Abortion

The New Abortion Prohibition Era

We already know what happens when governments try to impose prohibitions: messy, deadly black markets.

Katherine Mangu-Ward | 9.1.2022 6:00 AM

lady justice statue | Photo by <a href="https://unsplash.com/@tingeyinjurylawfirm?utm_source=unsplash&utm_medium=referral&utm_content=creditCopyText">Tingey Injury Law Firm</a> on <a href="https://unsplash.com/s/photos/justice?utm_source=unsplash&utm_medium=referral&utm_content=creditCopyText">Unsplash</a>

Reason Roundup

Federal Courts Greenlight State Abortion Bans While State Courts Halt Enforcement

Plus: Video game play time doesn't affect well-being, crypto groups applaud the Virtual Currency Tax Fairness Act, and more...

Elizabeth Nolan Brown | 7.27.2022 9:30 AM

IUDs and the FDA | Illustration: Lex Villena; Alena Menshikova | Dreamstime.com

FDA

Why Do So Few American Women Use IUDs?

The FDA, and the Dalkon Shield scandal, deserve some of the blame.

Liz Wolfe | 7.14.2022 2:30 PM

President Biden talks abortion | CNP/AdMedia/SIPA/Newscom

Reason Roundup

Fetuses in HOV Lanes, Abortions at Sea, and More Post-Dobbs Weirdness

Plus: Banned books, a bookstore revival, and more...

Elizabeth Nolan Brown | 7.11.2022 9:30 AM

Abortion

The Next Abortion Battlegrounds

The Supreme Court may have overturned Roe v. Wade, but it has not ended legal battles over abortion.

Jonathan H. Adler |The Volokh Conspiracy | 6.27.2022 10:11 AM

gayatri-malhotra-IZzscXe2esY-unsplash | Photo by <a href="https://unsplash.com/@gmalhotra?utm_source=unsplash&utm_medium=referral&utm_content=creditCopyText">Gayatri Malhotra</a> on <a href="https://unsplash.com/?utm_source=unsplash&utm_medium=referral&utm_content=creditCopyText">Unsplash</a>

Reason Roundup

Some States Restrict Abortion After Dobbs, Others Rush To Protect Access

Plus: What overturning Roe means for Republicans' future, court halts ban of Juul products, and more...

Elizabeth Nolan Brown | 6.27.2022 9:35 AM

Sex police in a post-Roe world | Illustration: Lex Villena; Christopher Nuzzaco, Tom Dowd

Abortion

Get Ready for the Post-Roe Sex Police!

If life begins at conception, there are virtually no limits on government surveillance of women in a post-Roe world.

Nick Gillespie | 6.24.2022 5:55 PM

Abortion

Why Other Fundamental Rights Are Safe (At Least for Now)

The conservative majority's commitments on contraception, sexual intimacy, and same-sex marriage

Dale Carpenter |The Volokh Conspiracy | 6.24.2022 3:56 PM

Abortion

White House Consults with Law Professors in Anticipation of Dobbs Ruling (Updated)

The Biden Administration is apparently considering a range of responses should te Supreme Court overturn Roe v. Wade.

Jonathan H. Adler |The Volokh Conspiracy | 6.16.2022 11:45 AM

Supreme Court

A Few Orders, But Where Are the Opinions?

With thirty-three opinions in argued cases yet to issue, the Supreme Court is well behind the usual pace.

Jonathan H. Adler |The Volokh Conspiracy | 5.31.2022 11:07 PM

Abortion

Sherif Girgis on the Draft Dobbs Opinion and Its Critics

An assessment of claims that Justice Alito's draft opinion rests on historical error, provides no meaningful basis for distinguishing abortion from other unenumerated rights, and forecloses constitutional protection of the mother's life.

Jonathan H. Adler |The Volokh Conspiracy | 5.26.2022 1:49 PM

Supreme Court

Justice Kennedy: Draft Opinion Leak Was "Cowardly, Corrupt, Contemptuous Act."

The former Associate Justice joins those condemning the leak of a draft opinion.

Jonathan H. Adler |The Volokh Conspiracy | 5.23.2022 9:59 AM

Abortion

Akhil Amar on the Draft Dobbs Opinion

A prominent progressive law professor challenges some of the prevailing orthodoxy on Roe, Dobbs, and Supreme Court precedent.

Jonathan H. Adler |The Volokh Conspiracy | 5.16.2022 7:43 AM

Abortion

Further Thoughts on the Dobbs Leak

There is much, much less in the leaked draft than meets the eye

David Post |The Volokh Conspiracy | 5.7.2022 11:20 AM

Abortion

Whodunit?

And why that is, at this point, an important question - maybe the only important question - emerging from the recent Dobbs leak

David Post |The Volokh Conspiracy | 5.5.2022 5:53 PM

Originalism

Originalism and the Result in Dobbs

Would the outcome in Dobbs put originalism in doubt?

Stephen E. Sachs |The Volokh Conspiracy | 11.14.2021 10:47 PM

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