Magnificent News: Helping you make sense of the end of Roe

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(Eric Lee; Matt McClain/The Washington Post; iStock; Washington Post illustration)

Making sense of the Supreme Court's abortion ruling

Intro by Lena Felton

Infuriated. Ecstatic. Thankful. Disgusted. Numb.

Those are just some of the words thousands of Washington Post readers used to describe how they felt on Friday — after the Supreme Court ruled in Dobbs v. Jackson Women's Health Organization to overturn the fundamental right to abortion established in Roe v. Wade nearly 50 years ago.

It's a stunning, historic decision that has already started shaping the contours of American life. Abortion was banned immediately in eight states, with many more poised to ban or restrict abortion in the months to come. Antiabortion lawmakers are celebrating the victory — and have pledged that this is just the beginning.

Women of color and low-income women stand to be the most impacted by such abortion restrictions, experts say. Racial justice and women's rights organizations have promised to fight back.

The ruling has also stoked new fears. Justice Clarence Thomas called on the Supreme Court to reexamine other landmark cases, including those that protected the right to contraception as well as those that legalized same-sex marriage and relationships.

A message from McKinsey & Company

Reclaiming mental health in Asian communities. It is so important to destigmatize mental-health conversations and promote self-advocacy among the Asian diaspora, according to clinical psychologist Dr. Jenny Wang. Tune into a new interview and hear what Dr. Wang has to say about the rise in anti-Asian sentiment during the pandemic, cultural experiences with racism, and intergenerational trauma.

The Gender & Identity team has been working hard to bring you this coverage in the immediate aftermath of the decision. Many of you wrote to us with questions: how this happened, who's impacted, what's next. We answered some of those questions here.

But we want to make sure you know: We will continue to bring you the most essential stories on the impacts of this ruling in the days, weeks and months to come.

Be sure to read these stories from The Post:

+ 'We're done': Chaos and tears as an abortion clinic abruptly shuts down

+ For these young Americans, abortion is personal — and complicated

+ A women's clinic run by two generations of women braces for the post-Roe era

ICYMI

Three need-to-know stories

(Demetrius Freeman/The Washington Post; Washington Post illustration)

01.

On Thursday, the Biden administration announced a proposal on the 50th anniversary of Title IX that would expand the law's protections to transgender students. The proposal would require federally funded colleges, universities and schools to allow transgender students to use bathrooms and be addressed by pronouns that align with their gender identity.

02.

On Saturday, President Biden signed the bipartisan gun-control bill into law — the most significant legislation of its kind in the last three decades. The law expands criminal background checks for some gun buyers, bars a larger group of domestic-violence offenders from purchasing firearms and provides funding for mental health services, among other measures.

03.

Demonstrations celebrating and protesting the Supreme Court's abortion ruling continued over the weekend. The protests brought damage and temporary road closures in cities across the country, though they were largely peaceful.

Regram

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Until next time

Before we part, here's someone to know

(Nick Kirkpatrick)

Nick Kirkpatrick

Visual reporter

You helped create an interactive story that explores how people are feeling about the Supreme Court ruling. What kinds of reactions are you seeing?
We've seen a ton! A lot of people are feeling sad — that was one of the most highlighted words in our form. And others are happy that states can make their own decisions. What was really striking to me was that some of the responses were more analytical, while others were more personal.

Why is this type of visualization so important?
I think we're creating a space for people to express themselves in the moment, while also providing a bird's-eye view of how our readers responded as a collective.

How do you unplug after busy times like these?
I like to spend time exploring the world through my new son's eyes. This past weekend, I intentionally stepped away from my devices to join my family and walk in our local Pride parade.