Breaking News from SCOTUS: Roe vs. Wade 🧑‍⚖️

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Season 2: Special Report

Special report: 🧑‍⚖️ We're back in the Ten News studio with breaking news from the Supreme Court of the United States and their ruling to overturn Roe vs. Wade. 🤔 But, what exactly is Roe vs. Wade and why is all of this happening? 🎙️ Ten'er, Leilani, is on the Ten News Hotline with some important questions, and show creator Tracy Leeds Kaplan is here with the answers. 📝 You're probably hearing a lot of terms used in the news right now to describe the Supreme Court and its power, so let's break them down. 🗣️ And, Ten'ers, always remember that your voices make a difference. 🎧 For more information about standing up for issues that matter to you tune in to today's episode and check out our show notes!

Sources

US supreme court overturns abortion rights, upending Roe v Wade | Abortion | The Guardian

Supreme Court Strikes Down New York Law Limiting Guns in Public - The New York Times (nytimes.com)

How Does the Supreme Court Work? (americanbar.org)

How Trump’s judge appointments compare with other presidents | Pew Research Center

US Supreme Court Packing - Pros & Cons - ProCon.org

U.S. Supreme Court abortion move sparks calls for ending Senate's filibuster | Reuters

We Won't Go Back | Events Map (bansoffourbodies-map.vercel.app)

Six reasons why protest is so important for democracy | openDemocracy

Talking to Our Kids About the News

• How to discuss the overturning of Roe v. Wade with our kids (onlysky.media)

• United States Supreme Court - Kids | Britannica Kids | Homework Help

• Roe v. Wade - Academic Kids

• Talking About the Supreme Court’s Roe v. Wade Decision with Kids (techsavvymama.com)

• Roe v. Wade Facts for Kids | KidzSearch.com

• How to talk to your kids about the Supreme Court's decision to overturn Roe v. Wade (msn.com)

Links

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TRANSCRIPT:

Ryan Willard  0:03  

Snozzberries, taste like snozzberries. Tracy Kaplan, what are you doing here? Am I dreaming?

Tracy Leeds Kaplan  0:14  

Ryan? Why are you sleeping in the studio?

Ryan Willard  0:17  

I got locked in when everyone left. I've just been gaming and eating snacks.

Tracy Leeds Kaplan  0:21  

I'm reopening the Ten News studio for some breaking news from the Supreme Court.

Ryan Willard  0:25  

Oh my gosh, I gotta get caught up.

Tracy Leeds Kaplan  0:27  

Yeah, you do. The Ten'ers need to know what's going on. So put down that PS5 controller and please brush your teeth. It's go-time.

Ryan Willard  0:36  

Copy that boss. That's Tracy Leeds Kaplan. I'm Ryan Willard. It's Thursday, June 30th. And this is a Ten News Special Report.

Various Voices  0:46  

10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1.

Ryan Willard  0:53  

It's been a monumental week in the United States.

Tracy Leeds Kaplan  0:56  

That's right, Ryan. Last week, the Supreme Court of the United States issued rulings to overturn two laws that will have a major impact on the lives of all Americans.

Ryan Willard  1:06  

Wow, I really need to catch up. One sec, Ten News hotline, How can I help you? Oh, great, perfect timing, Leilani. Tracy, I've got one of our Ten’ers on the line and she's got a bunch of questions. Want to take this one? 

Tracy Leeds Kaplan  1:24  

Absolutely.

Leilani  1:31  

Hi Tracy, I decided to call up the Ten News team and see if they could help me get some answers.

Tracy Leeds Kaplan  1:37  

Hey, Leilani. I'm so glad you called me. There has been a lot going on this week. Tell me what's on your mind.

Leilani  1:42  

Can you explain to me what Roe versus Wade is? And what does it mean for the Supreme Court to strike something down?

Tracy Kaplan  1:50  

Well, Roe v. Wade was a court case from 1973, before I was even born, that determined that because of a woman's right to privacy in the 14th Amendment. Women had the right to choose to have an abortion or anti-pregnancy if they needed to for whatever reason, an easier way to explain it is that when Roe v. Wade was decided, the Supreme Court said that privacy is a protected, right. So therefore what a woman chooses to do with her body is her own private decision. And saying that something has been struck down means that it has been reversed or canceled. The Supreme Court called the highest court in the land strikes down decisions from time to time from the lower courts. In this case, it's a big deal, because they changed the ruling that has been around for almost 50 years, and has taken away a right that is very personal and private. I don't understand why this happened. You know, a lot of grownups feel the same way and are wondering why this happened. Usually, when the Supreme Court is looking at a new case, they look at past cases called Settled Precedent to make a ruling on the new case. And their decisions are also influenced by the makeup of the judges. So, this means their overall opinions and their interpretations of the Constitution. One thing to understand is that over the past few years, the court has gotten more conservative. What that means is, is that the judges who joined the Court recently have had a stricter interpretation of the Constitution than liberal judges. They look at what was originally written by the founding fathers and don't leave a lot of room for changing their interpretation. And as we've talked about before, on the Ten News, the world has changed a lot since the Constitution was first drafted, women and people of color didn't even have the right to own property or vote when it was written.

Leilani  3:35  

Why did they decide to change? And why now? 

Tracy Kaplan  3:38  

Great questions, as I said, the court has gotten more conservative, and now they have a conservative majority. In previous years, the court was more balanced in the number of liberal judges and conservative judges. Now there are six judges who are voting for conservative opinions versus three liberal judges. That split will stay the same. Even when Justice Breyer, a liberal judge retires, and is replaced by Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson later this year.

Leilani  4:04  

It seems like everyone is pretty angry and upset about this. Why is it such a big deal? What can we do?

Tracy Kaplan  4:10  

Well, sadly Leilani this change is going to hurt a lot of people. Now a bunch of states is going to make it illegal for women to have an abortion. And there are many reasons that a woman might need or choose to have an abortion. Without this choice, their lives could be in danger, or they might not have the means to continue with a pregnancy and have a baby. What is also upsetting to many is that the three most recent conservative Supreme Court appointees had said during their confirmation hearings, that they would not take this action to overturn Roe vs. Wade. And another big issue is that this sets up a very scary precedent. If the court ruling of Roe vs. Wade, which protected a woman's right to choose what to do with her body can be overturned after 50 years. There's a risk that other rulings like same-sex marriage could also be at risk. So, what can we do? The biggest thing is to keep talking with the grownups in your life about what is happening and let them know what questions you have. There are also great organizations out there that are pushing for legislation to protect a person's right to choose what is best for their body. Congress can pass a federal law that would restore this right for all women not just wanting to live in a pro-choice state, like California or New York, and something that everyone can do is pay attention to where their money goes, companies and individuals give money to political candidates. And then those candidates have a lot of power when they are elected. So, check on how you're spending your money. And if you're buying from a company that gives to a political party that you don't agree with. And since the people in Congress are the ones that can take action, encourage everyone, you know, to vote in this November's election. I hope that was helpful to you, Leilani, and all of our Ten'ers out there.

Tracy Leeds Kaplan  4:12  

Thank you, Tracy and Leilani. This is a big change that affects a lot of people in our country. I feel caught up on Roe v. Wade. But, didn't you say there was another ruling?

Tracy Kaplan  5:59  

Yes, there was another ruling last week where the Supreme Court overturned a New York gun law that had strict limits on people carrying guns outside their homes. This change will force some states to rewrite their gun laws, including New York, California, Hawaii, Maryland, Massachusetts, and New Jersey. This is really hard to understand, given the conversations we've had around gun violence in America, the judges again went back to a conservative interpretation of the Second Amendment, which gun rights groups say it gives them the right to carry guns openly and freely. There is one bright moment here on Saturday, President Biden signed a new gun bill into law that will require more background checks for people who want to buy a gun and committed federal dollars to fund safety and mental health programs across the country. 

Ryan Willard  6:47  

Okay, this has been a lot to process and we are here for you, Ten'ers. Let us know how you're feeling and what conversations you're having at home. All right. Now that we're caught up, you might be wondering, what can we do to fight back if we don't agree with the Supreme Court's decisions?

Tracy Kaplan  7:09  

Let's break down the terms we're hearing about the Supreme Court, its power, and the changes that could affect its power. First, let's talk about how the court works.

Ryan Willard  7:21  

The Supreme Court's job is to ensure that the American people have equal justice under the law. And they do that by looking back to the Constitution. If a state passes a law that violates Americans’ rights under the Constitution, or if a decision in a lower court affects people's rights, the Supreme Court can overturn those decisions. Their job as judges is to interpret the law justly. But the judges are people with their own opinions and ideas.

Tracy Kaplan  7:47  

Judges join the Supreme Court when the president nominates them, and then Congress confirms them. This is a tool that is supposed to maintain a balance of power. But, former President Trump appointed three conservative judges during his term. And now there is an imbalance.

Ryan Willard  8:03  

That's right. Now, the judges who are more inclined to limit rights for women, LGBTQ+ people, disabled people and people of color have a majority in the Supreme Court. The Court even struck down in New York State law limiting access to guns after the deadly shootings in Buffalo, and Uvalde.

Tracy Leeds Kaplan  8:21  

People who are angry about these new rulings from the court have suggested some ways to make the court less powerful. One option is called packing the court, which is just expanding the court. This would add more seats to the Supreme Court to balance the conservative and liberal judges.

Ryan Willard  8:37  

In the past, the Supreme Court has had 5,6,7,8 and even 10 justices. We have nine justices right now, but Congress could change that by passing a law to increase the size of the court. However, this option could create an even larger imbalance on the court sometime in the future.

Tracy Kaplan  8:54  

Yikes. And people are looking to Congress for help. But, even though the voters in the United States elected a majority Democratic Congress and a Democratic president, the Democrats can't pass the laws they promised, mostly because of the Senate filibuster. 

Ryan Willard  9:10  

Right! The filibuster is a rule that says 60 out of 100 votes are needed for most laws to pass in the Senate rather than a simple majority of 51 out of 100. The filibuster means that laws which passed in the House of Representatives don't always pass in the Senate, even though both have a Democratic majority.

Tracy Kaplan  9:27  

If the filibuster and Democrats will be able to use their majority to pass laws that guarantee equal rights for people of color, women, disabled folks, and LGBTQ+ people.

Ryan Willard  9:40  

Now, let's talk about the other ways that people are standing up and saying no to the Supreme Court decision.

Tracy Kaplan  9:46  

You probably heard about or maybe even attended protests this past weekend. All across the country in more than 35 states, from Maine to California, from North Dakota to Texas. People hit the streets for equal rights.

Ryan Willard  10:00  

Protests help people know they're not alone, and Americans’ right to protest is protected by law.

Tracy Kaplan  10:06  

Another way to make change is by voting. Midterms are coming up in November, and some primaries are already underway. We know Ten'ers can't vote just yet, but you can talk to the grownups in your life about the issues that matter to you. Kids can make a difference by encouraging adults to vote in every election. Your voice does make a difference for tenors who want to learn more so they can talk about this with their grown-ups. Check out the resources in our show notes.

Ryan Willard  10:43  

That's our special report. But before we go, here's a quick note for the grownups. Thank you for listening to the Ten News. Look out for our new episodes on Tuesdays, Thursdays, and extras on Saturdays. The Ten News is a coproduction of Small But Mighty Media and Next Chapter Podcasts and is distributed by iHeartRadio. The Ten News creative team is fighting for what they believe in and includes Tracey Crooks, Pete Musto, Ryan Willard, and Tessa Flannery. Our production director is Jeremiah Tittle and our executive producers are Donald Albright and show creator Tracy Leeds Kaplan. I'm Ryan Willard.

Tracy Kaplan  11:15  

And I'm Tracy Leeds Kaplan, and thanks for listening to the Ten News.

Ryan Willard  11:18  

Have a great summer, Ten'ers, and remember to fight for what you believe in.