Daily Skimm: Abortion Laws, May Day, and Google

Safe Haven

The Story

Connecticut is taking a stance on abortion rights.

What do you mean?

On Friday, the state Senate passed a bill that would make CT a safe haven for abortion. The legislation — which Gov. Ned Lamont (D) has promised to sign — shields abortion providers and patients from out-of-state laws. Think: Prevents the state from cooperating in another state's investigations or prosecutions. It also bans medical records from being disclosed. And allows people facing anti-abortion lawsuits to countersue for damages.

Why now?

Across the US abortion rights are being challenged. Since January, dozens of states have followed in Texas’s footsteps and intro’d abortion restrictions banning the procedure after six weeks. Some states have also passed bills incentivizing private citizens to enforce it. But now, Connecticut is joining California and working to become a refuge for abortion. Other states — like Colorado and New Jersey — passed laws that protect the legal right to get an abortion. And timing is key…

Because of Roe v Wade?

Yup. As soon as next month, SCOTUS could decide whether to uphold Mississippi's law banning most abortions after 15 weeks. The court's justices are signaling they’re ready to roll back (or completely overturn) decades of legal precedent. That would leave the fate of abortion policies up to states — including ones with trigger laws that would automatically outlaw abortion. Already, laws in Texas and Oklahoma have gone into effect making thousands of residents flee to nearby states for medical care.

theSkimm

So far this year, more than 530 abortion restrictions have been intro’d in 41 states. Now states on both sides are rushing to cement their positions on abortion — ahead of a landmark decision that could be made within weeks.

PS: We’re tracking abortion-related updates in the lead-up to SCOTUS’s decision on Roe v Wade, expected by June or July. Read here for more on the context.

And Also...This

What’s got workers saying 'hear me roar'…

May Day. Yesterday, tens of thousands of people rallied around the world to honor workers. Since the 1800s, many have used May Day (Aka International Workers’ Day) to demand everything from better working conditions to higher salaries. This weekend was no different. In France, thousands condemned newly re-elected French President Emmanuel Macron's plans to raise the retirement age and called for his resignation. The protests were mostly peaceful. But demonstrators — who had smashed store windows — clashed with police, who responded with tear gas.

• Other parts of the world: In Turkey, more than 150 people were reportedly arrested while protesting the impacts of inflation. In Italy, there were reported rallies and protests in cities across the country. And in Sri Lanka — where people are suffering from the country's worst-ever economic crisis — protestors called for the president to resign.

Where there are updates…

Ukraine. Yesterday, about 100 Ukrainian civilians were safely evacuated from a steel plant in Mariupol. Approximately 1,000 civilians have been sheltering there for weeks as the war in Ukraine rages on. The Soviet-era steel plant is the remaining part of Mariupol that hasn't been occupied by Russia. But Russian forces are days behind their military goals. And the window of opportunity could continue today. It comes as House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) traveled to Kyiv to meet with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and promised the US would continue to support Ukraine “until the fight is done.”

Why DC was feeling extra fancy this weekend…

The White House Correspondents’ Dinner. On Saturday, more than 2,000 journalists and politicians rubbed shoulders with Kim Kardashian and Pete Davidson for some reason. President Biden was there — the first time the president attended it in six years. As Biden put it, “we had a horrible plague followed by two years of COVID-19.” And the evening’s host, comedian Trevor Noah, called out the elephant in the room: that journalists and politicians who’d decried COVID-19 throughout the pandemic were sitting unmasked in a large gathering during a rise in cases. He didn't hesitate to remind people to be careful when leaving since “the administration doesn’t handle evacuations well.” And applauded democracy while calling out media companies like CNN, MSNBC, Axios, and CBS. But the quips didn't end there.

…Oh and tonight is fashion’s version of the Super Bowl. Hi, Met Gala.

What’s trying to be more considerate...

Google.