The post-Roe reality

Just over one year ago, the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade, ending the constitutional right to abortion. The decision left abortion access to be determined by individual states, and the ensuing months have been highlighted by legal battles and ever-changing legislation. What have the last few months meant, and where are we headed? These are the questions at the forefront of one of the most divisive topics facing American people today.

👋 Hi there, I'm Nicole Fallert, author of Your Week, a column just for Paste BN subscribers like you. This week, we're chatting with new Paste BN podcast producer and host Dana Taylor about her latest special episode of "5 Things," which features a conversation with national correspondent Chris Kenning (who you may remember from our column earlier this month) about the questions facing the nation one year since Roe's fall.

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Humanizing the front line of the abortion issue

Paste BN's "5 Things" podcast tells you the news of the day and why it matters, seven days a week in a quick 15-minute listen available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or your smart speaker. In her new position at the helm of the program's Sunday deep-dive episodes, Taylor wants to feature complex topics like the momentous post-Roe year.

This weekend's episode "has something for anyone who likes to listen to the news," blending headlines with human perspectives from Kenning's months of interviewing and observing how a blue town close to a red sea of states became an abortion destination for millions of people.

"Chris Kenning did the unexpected with his reporting," Taylor said. "He really managed to humanize the front line of the abortion issue over a year working on this story, even though it's a deeply polarizing issue."

Birth and death: Meet the Mississippi moms who fear for their lives a year after Roe fell

She said that her conversation highlights a key theme throughout this first post-Roe year: Abortion care hasn't gone away just because Roe has. The care is still openly occurring across national networks of medical providers, funds and advocates.

"No one knew what would happen over the course of the year," Taylor said. "We knew in some states there would be care and there wouldn't be, but also (we wondered) how women would safely receive services within the bounds of the law."

Since the high court left abortion decisions to states in the case Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization, most abortions are now banned or unavailable in 14 states. Some states have enacted gestational limits, while others are wrapped up in legal battles over legislation, including the precarious legal future of the abortion pill mifepristone. Meanwhile, lawmakers and voters have expanded abortion rights in blue states.

This week's episode highlights how in this context, abortion clinic leaders are facilitating travel for patients in restrictive states to areas they can safely access care. The podcast also discusses the massive financial, physical and mental challenges patients endure, including being forced to carry an unwanted or dangerous pregnancy when the barriers to care are just too high.

"It really is a tough topic," Kenning told Taylor in the episode.

Taylor has a lot of ideas for future episodes and says this personal tone is the effect she's seeking in these longer episodes to come.

"That isn't something you would get with a one to two-minute story," Taylor said. "We're just getting started with this long-form podcast. We're going to cover a wide range of topics that really speak to American culture and encourage people to listen. If listeners have ideas for stories they want to share … that excites me more than anything. I think it's a partnership with our listeners."

Got a burning idea for a podcast? Chat with Taylor at danataylor@gannett.com.

More from Paste BN on the post-Roe reality:

• Three ways the Supreme Court abortion decision changed the USA.
• Mississippi's anti-abortion pregnancy centers won. Now they're preparing for more babies.
• Abortion rights lawyer in case that overturned Roe v. Wade confirmed as federal judge.
• ''It felt like coming up for air'': Abortion patients defend mifepristone access.

Thank you

I was part of the Paste BN newsroom on June 24, 2022, as the news of Roe's fall broke. It was a historic day to witness, and I am proud to work alongside talented colleagues like Kenning and Taylor then and now to tell the story for our readers. Thank you for your continued support of Paste BN, which makes this kind of coverage possible.

As always, see you next week.

Nicole