Forum from the Archives: California at the Center of New Legal Battles Over Abortion

KQED's Forum

KQED

News, Politics, News Commentary

4.2 • 726 Ratings

🗓️ 4 September 2025

⏱️ 55 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

Since the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade in 2022, California has aspired to be a national haven for abortion rights. But the reality is more complicated. Catholic hospitals in the state are refusing emergency care for miscarriages, major retailers have refused to stock abortion medications and federal lawsuits are targeting California doctors and pharmacies. We listen back to our conversation about the cases reshaping reproductive healthcare and their potential impacts on both Californians and the nation. Guests: Mary Ziegler, professor, UC Davis School of Law Shefali Luthra, reproductive health reporter, The 19th Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Transcript

Click on a timestamp to play from that location

0:00.0	Support for Kiki Weedy Podcasts comes from San Francisco Opera, a company sister Helen Prejean on a life-altering journey where her faith is put to the test.
0:08.4	This fall celebrate the homecoming of one of America's most important operas, Dead Man Walking, September 14th through the 28th.
0:15.6	Introducing the five-year price guarantee from Xfinity.
0:19.0	No matter how your life or your taste and music changes in five years,
0:22.8	your internet price will stay exactly the same.
0:25.8	Restrictions apply, new residential customers only,
0:28.2	taxes and fees extra, and subject to change.
0:31.4	From KQED.
0:36.6	Music From KQBD in San Francisco, this is Forum.
0:51.3	I'm Mina Kim.
0:52.7	A Texas man has sued a California doctor for prescribing abortion
0:56.0	medication to his girlfriend in a case that could have broad implications for access to Mitha-Pristone.
1:01.5	Meantime, retailers like Costco, under pressure from conservative groups, have declined to stock abortion medication.
1:07.4	As California tries to shield those seeking and providing abortion care, it's proving complicated.
1:13.4	Five Planned Parenthood clinics have closed since the passage of Trump's spending bill,
1:17.2	as Catholic hospitals face lawsuits from refusing emergency care for miscarriages.
1:22.2	An encore of my conversation last month about how reproductive care is being reshaped in California.
1:27.3	Join us.
1:29.3	Welcome to Forum. I'm Mina Kim.
1:35.3	An emboldened anti-abortion movement and other states' restrictive laws are being felt here in California,
1:42.3	even though Governor Newsom declared it a safe haven for abortion care access since the overturning of Roe v. Wade.
1:48.3	Costco has decided it will not carry medication used for abortion after pressure from conservative groups.
	...

Please login to see the full transcript.

Previous episode | Next episode

Disclaimer: The podcast and artwork embedded on this page are from KQED, and are the property of its owner and not affiliated with or endorsed by Tapesearch.

Generated transcripts are the property of KQED and are distributed freely under the Fair Use doctrine. Transcripts generated by Tapesearch are not guaranteed to be accurate.