M-S-S-W media.

In the last two weeks, in the last two weeks, Alabama, Missouri, and Georgia passed laws that would effectively take away a woman's

right to choose to obtain an abortion.

For example, Alabama will criminalize the performance of an abortion by a doctor with penalties up to 99 years in prison without any exceptions for rape or incest.

Now that the composition of the Supreme Court has changed,

how will women's reproductive rights be undermined or curtailed?

How will the legal battle play out and what can be done to counteract

this trend? Let's get on topic. Welcome to On Topic, a weekly in-depth look at a topic that helps us understand the week's news.

My name is Renato Mariati.

I'm a former federal prosecutor, a practicing lawyer, and a CNN legal analyst.

And I'm joined by my friend Patty Vasquez, a WGN radio host who will join us regularly on this

podcast.

Well, Patty, I have to say I didn't I didn't

realize this week was going to be such a major week for reproductive rights and

there's just an absolute assault on

reproductive rights this week from multiple states and I didn't see it coming.

Well that's I think part of the problem is that a lot of people were saying oh they're never going to overturn

Roe v. Wade and they told a lot of people like me oh just relax you're overreacting for

years when states like Texas were including restrictions when it came to how wide

the doors could be or your visitation

rights as a doctor at a hospital you had to have certain sort of requirements.

They have been in states across the country peeling back access to abortion.

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