Supreme Decision: Oklahoma's constitution guarantees right to abortion
It's the 2nd red state to rule right to life-saving abortions is constitutional. Plus: Trump remains free but Rand Paul wants to jail the D.A. And: Tucker Carlson's obsession with Pelosi beach photos
Thanks for rising up this Wednesday, March 22, 2023. Ramadan starts tonight. Today… is also the 92nd…. birthday… of William… Shatner, the oldest man to boldly go… to spaaaaace.
The U.S. Senate passed the Equal Rights Amendment on this day in 1972, and sent it to the states to be ratified. Hawaii and 29 other states came through, but because the amendment wound-up nine states short, the ERA — an effort originally started in 1923 — has remain stalled all this time.
On this day in 1933, President Franklin Delano Roosevelt signed into law the Beer and Wine Revenue Act, which nine months later was followed by the end of Prohibition. Cheers! Sláinte! Salud! L’chaim!
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Here Now the News:
TRUMP INDICTMENT WATCH: The NYPD is mobilized and ready, with every officer of every rank ordered to be in uniform as the world awaits a potential indictment of former President Donald Trump by a grand jury empaneled by Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg. —WNBC
SEN. RAND PAUL: D.A. SHOULD “BE PUT IN JAIL” —USA Today
XI AND PUTIN PLAY PEACEMAKERS IN MOSCOW MEETING: CNN
ANOTHER REASON CHINA IS ANGRY AT AMERICA: U.S. News & World Report
US FAST-TRACKING PEACEMAKER MISSILES TO UKRAINE: CNN
DEADLY EARTHQUAKE ROCKS PAKISTAN AND AFGHANISTAN: CBS News
OUTRAGE AS ISRAELI MINISTER DECLARES THERE IS “NO SUCH THING AS A PALESTINIAN PEOPLE:” CNN
U.S. IS “ALREADY PAST THE POINT OF NO RETURN” EN ROUTE TO RECESSION: Fortune
TIKTOK CEO APPEALS TO AMERICAN USERS BEFORE TESTIFYING ON CAPITOL HILL TOMORROW: CNBC
LOS ANGELES PUBLIC SCHOOL TEACHERS ARE ON STRIKE: The New York Times
BIDEN SETS ASIDE HALF A MILLION ACRES IN NEVADA AND TEXAS AS NATIONAL MONUMENTS, BLOCKING DEVELOPMENT: NYT
RIP WILLIS REED, NEW YORK KNICKS LEGEND: ESPN
Civil Rights Watch
OKLAHOMA SUPREME COURT FINDS “LIMITED RIGHT” TO ABORTION EXISTS IN STATE CONSTITUTION: Yesterday’s ruling, which overturned Oklahoma’s near-total ban on abortion, states definitively that Oklahomans have a right to life-saving abortions, whether there’s an emergency or not. But the court declined to weigh in on whether the state constitution broadly protects the right in other circumstances.
The four justices appointed by Democrats were joined by a Republican appointee, James R. Winchester, who crossed over to create a 5–4 majority. They argued that Oklahomans have a right to life, and that forcing them to wait for their life-saving abortions until there is a medical emergency further endangers their lives.
“Requiring one to wait until there is a medical emergency would further endanger the life of the pregnant woman and does not serve a compelling state interest,” the majority opinion states.
The dissenting justices, all of them GOP appointees, argued that Oklahoma’s constitution doesn’t guarantee the right to an abortion at any time, and that the Legislature acted appropriately when it limited abortions to imminent medical emergencies. The courts must consider “the interest of the unborn,” they stated. In the majority opinion, fetuses “have no voice, say, or consideration,” they complained.
But the majority held that “We know of no other law that requires one to wait until there is an actual emergency in order to receive treatment.”
However, the high court upheld a statute that predates Roe v. Wade, which still outlaws abortion unless it is “necessary to preserve… life.” Reproductive rights activists called the split ruling disappointing.
“Oklahomans are still being denied the right to make decisions about their own bodies, families and futures,” said Nancy Northup, President and CEO of the Center for Reproductive Rights. “The right recognized today is so limited that most people who need abortion will not be able to access it,” said Emily Wales, president and CEO of Planned Parenthood Great Plains.
"I wholeheartedly disagree with this activist majority’s opinion creating a right to an abortion in Oklahoma. Alarmingly, this activist majority acted out of hand by making a policy decision that belongs to the people,” said Gov. Kevin Stitt (R-Okla.)
The Oklahoma Supreme Court is now the second Republican-controlled state this month to find a right to life-saving abortions under its state constitution, following on the heels of the North Dakota Supreme Court last week. Both decisions give lie to the claim, often made by anti-abortion advocates, that post-Roe bans do not imperil patients’ lives. —KFOR, KOSU, Slate and Reuters via Yahoo News
VICTORY FOR PUBLIC SCHOOL STUDENTS WITH DISABILITIES AT U.S. SUPREME COURT: National Public Radio
NAACP AND LABOR GROUPS DEMAND INVESTIGATION OF CALL CENTER FEDERAL CONTRACTOR FOR SYSTEMIC RACISM: Washington Post
GLAAD RELEASES “WHERE WE ARE ON TV” REPORT: While racial diversity is up overall on both cable and streaming platforms, GLAAD found that the overall number of LGBTQ characters on scripted primetime broadcast, scripted primetime cable, and scripted series on the eight major streaming platforms dropped from 637 to 596 characters in last year’s report.
Trans World
TRANS CYCLIST TIFFANY THOMAS WINS NYC RACE AND TRANSPHOBES ARE MAD: KOMO
WYOMING GOV. LETS “DRACONIAN” TRANS SPORTS BAN BECOME LAW: NBC News
VERMONT CHRISTIAN SCHOOL THAT OPPOSES TRANS INCLUSION IN SCHOOL SPORTS APPEALS BAN: WCAX
CHARLAMAGNE THA GOD DEFENDS TRANSPHOBIC SCHOOL: Fox News
U.S. CATHOLIC BISHOPS FORMALLY OPPOSE TRANS HEALTHCARE: NCR
NEBRASKA’S GENDER AFFIRMING CARE DEBATE GETS COMBATIVE: A.P.
MARYLAND ADVANCES MANDATE THAT MEDICAID COVER GENDER AFFIRMING HEALTHCARE: Journalist Erin Reed has the story in her excellent Substack, Erin In The Morning. You should definitely subscribe!
THAT J.K. ROWLING PODCAST AT LONG LAST INVITES TRANS PEOPLE: YouTube’s Natalie Wynn, AKA ContraPoints, and a 17-year-old trans boy, push back against the Harry Potter author’s claims about trans people. Will Rowling herself respond? Stay tuned, as they say. —The Daily Beast
Politicukoos
PHOTOS OF NANCY PELOSI IN A PLUNGING NECKLINE BATHING SUIT: THIS IS HOW TUCKER CARLSON’S STAFF DECORATED THEIR OFFICE
That’s according to a producer who filed a discrimination lawsuit against the network where she works, accusing Fox, Carlson and executives of persistent misogyny. Her name is Abby Grossberg, and Fox tried to silence her Monday with a restraining order. Guess that didn’t work out so well? —Business Insider
TUCKER CARLSON NOW: “I LOVE TRUMP,” WHICH IS DIFFERENT FROM TUCKER CARLSON ON JAN. 6: “I HATE HIM PASSIONATELY” —The popular Fox News host told WABC Radio he was “enraged” his private text messages were released in the ongoing Dominion lawsuit against his employer, and sought to clarify his relationship with the former president. —The Hill
FLA. GOVERNOR WANTS TO BAN SOMETHING THAT DOESN’T EXIST: The “digital dollar” is likely years from becoming something we use as currency, but since Joe Biden is for it, potential 2024 GOP presidential candidate Gov. Ron DeSantis (R-Fla.) came out against it on Monday. —SpectrumNews 13
UNDERCOVER INVESTIGATORS FIND NO CRIMES COMMITTED AT FLA. DRAG SHOW: Holy Bullies & Headless Monsters
CYBER SECURITY CONFERENCE FOR WOMEN CRITICIZED FOR SCHEDULING EVENT IN TENNESSEE IN 2024 FOLLOWING ANTI-LGBTQ AND ANTI-TRANS LEGISLATION: Axios
DRAG BAN BE DAMNED: NASHVILLE BUSINESS OWNER VOWS TO DEFY TENNESSEE LAW: Marcie Van Mol is the owner of Nashville’s AB, a music venue and event space in Hillsboro Village, Tenn., known for hosting LGBTQ+ friendly programming. “We will not stand idly by as the state attempts to silence and stifle the voices of the LGBTQ+ community,” Van Mol told RiseUP.
News from Spaaaace
WHOA! BUILDING BLOCKS OF LIFE FOUND ON ASTEROID: CNN
WAIT, WHAT?! SCIENTISTS HAVE FIGURED OUT HOW TO CREATE “WORMHOLES” FOR TRANSPORTATION THROUGH SPACE: Jalopnik
Star Trek Corner
RIP, RO LAREN: Unless you’ve been living in the Gamma Quadrant, then you know that Star Trek Picard brought back Bajoran Ro Laren last week in Part Five, Imposters. And after a few minutes of just absolutely incredible drama, showrunner Terry Matalas sent Ro to her death. The Mary Sue pays tribute to the character Michelle Forbes created in TNG, and brought back, ever so briefly, in a truly heroic arc for this final season of Picard. —The Mary Sue
HOW TO VIEW THE ENTIRE SEASON AND PAST STAR TREK EPISODES: Click here to subscribe to Paramount+
That’s all for today. I’ll be back tomorrow morning with another look at the news you need to rise up and start your day. Until then… May your news be good news!
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