After Roe, this could be the next basic right we lose
Even in the words of the decision that ended Roe, we saw glimpses of further decisions to come that would roll back other rights — contraceptives and same-sex marriage among them. It seems like an essential fight in our future may be the right to interstate travel. Because as more people than ever are forced to leave their home states to get abortions after the activation of trigger bans, Republicans are increasingly going after their freedom to travel for that care. A bill on the docket in Missouri would place massive financial penalties on family, friends, and healthcare providers thought to have helped another Missouri resident leave the state for an abortion. As the right becomes more emboldened by the fall of Roe and the galling lack of pushback from Democrats, the idea of interstate travel — whether you’re an abortion patient, a patient’s family member, or someone suspected of either of these roles — becoming penalized or criminalized is major cause for concern.
In other news, a massive heat wave has rocked the U.S., revealing how poorly prepared our infrastructure is for the climate crisis. From subway flooding and a sinkhole in New York City to temperatures soaring above 100 degrees in the Pacific Northwest, we’re being locked out of transit and forced into homes that aren’t designed or equipped to keep us safe and cool. Adding insult to grave injury, the above Twitter clip shows how the increasing death and destruction brought on by untenable heat waves doesn’t fit into the sanitized narratives that mainstream media prefers on this issue — and how desperately that mainstream is clinging to the message that there’s no cause for alarm, even though it’s becoming obvious that the opposite is true.
We’ve got a great show for you this week, with a surprise guest joining us for our usual conversation that will be released Friday to paid subscribers and Saturday for free on Pandora, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and more. Thanks for tuning in.