Good morning. A year ago tomorrow, the US supreme court overturned Roe v Wade, and reproductive rights in America were thrown into turmoil. The landmark 1973 ruling had guaranteed a constitutional right to an abortion for almost 50 years. With its removal, the ability of tens of millions of women to make decisions about their own bodies was abruptly stripped away.
Twelve months on, the picture for many is grim.
In 14 states, including Texas, Alabama and West Virginia, abortion is banned from conception, with very few exceptions. There are severe restrictions in five further states, while in seven others, including Ohio and South Carolina, proposed bans have been blocked by the courts.
For today’s newsletter, Guardian US’s Poppy Noor has spoken to one woman from Arizona who was forced to carry her pregnancy to term after the supreme court vote, despite having been told her baby had an unsurvivable medical condition. She watched her baby die in distress after two days.
Her story is after the headlines.
Five big stories
Titanic sub | The US Navy has said it detected an “anomaly” that was likely the Titan’s fatal implosion, soon after the submersible went missing on its voyage to the wreck of the Titanic. Film director James Cameron has also claimed his sources in the deep-sea exploration industry detected a “loud bang”.
Mortgages | The government’s pledge to ease the cost of living crisis is in tatters after the unexpected leap in interest rates to 5%, a “shock and awe” move by the Bank of England which some fear will push the UK into recession.
London | Ministers have been accused of criminalising the flying of the European union flag on government buildings in England after London’s City Hall was told it could be prosecuted for displaying it on the anniversary of the Brexit referendum.
Covid | England’s chief medical officer, Sir Chris Whitty, said the UK “did not give sufficient thought” to stopping Covid in its tracks as he listed multiple problems with preparedness in his first cross-examination at the pandemic public inquiry. He added that the government’s “big weakness” was a lack of “radicalism” in thinking before the crisis took hold.
Diabetes | The number of adults living with diabetes worldwide will more than double by 2050, according to research that blames rapidly rising obesity levels and widening health inequalities. New estimates predict the number will rise from 529 million in 2021 to more than 1.3 billion in 2050.
In depth: ‘To watch her die slowly over two days was so horrible’
It’s hard to convey the disruption America has faced in the year since Roe v Wade was overturned, and some 22 million women of reproductive age lost easy access to abortion in one of the richest countries in the world. Turmoil, deepening class and race divisions, and heart-breaking choices have ensued.
On the anniversary, I spoke to a young woman who lived through this monumental change, to understand the lingering impacts one year on. Chloe Partridge, 22, was unable to get an abortion in Arizona in 2022 – this is her story. Poppy Noor
***
‘My doctor called me, he was almost crying’
You found out you were pregnant in January last year. What was that like?
I was barely four weeks. I was scared because I was not expecting to have two babies under two. But I was also really excited because I’ve always loved being a mom.
And then what?
I had a very typical pregnancy – the morning sickness, all of that. I went into my 21-week scan thinking everything was fine. My baby’s head was measuring two weeks behind, but I thought maybe she just had a small head.
About a week before Roe was overturned, I saw the high risk doctor. I remember there being a box of tissues, and I was like, “that’s weird – hopefully I don’t need these!”
The doctor told me my daughter has Alobar holoprosencephaly, which basically means her brain didn’t split like it was supposed to, and it causes facial deformities. Her cleft palate was so bad they couldn’t even tell if she had a nose. They told me she wasn’t going to live, and I needed a termination – which, at that point, they told me I could get.
And then Roe was overturned, and a 15-week ban sprung into action in Arizona, because it was no longer unconstitutional.
My doctor called me, he was almost crying. He told me “you can’t terminate”. He didn’t want to risk losing his licence, because nobody knew what was going on. It was such a crazy time.
So what did you do?
I was given a paper with two abortion clinics on it. I made the appointment out of state. And they quoted me something like $17,500 for the procedure.
The clinic was in Colorado, which is 550 miles away – roughly a 12-hour drive. I’d need to stay a little under a week for the treatment. So for travel and room and board we needed another $2,500.
So you went to Gofundme …
People donated $20,806. It was like a weight lifted off my shoulders. I have never been shown so much kindness.
But I ended up not being able to go, which disgusts me to this day because the clinic was getting threats. I kept $500 for my daughter’s cremation, and donated the rest to other women who were in need of an abortion.
***
‘I had to wait 14 more weeks to deliver – it was absolute hell’
What options were you left with?
I had to wait 14 more weeks to deliver. It was absolute hell. I would go out and have people ask, “are you having a boy or girl?” I can’t just randomly say to a stranger, “I’m having a girl but she’s not gonna live.” So that was really hard.
I’m still not OK. I have an older daughter so I was just trying to be active with her. But I noticed myself mentally detaching. I got a job – I hadn’t been working before because I was too sick most of my pregnancy. I worked all the way up until I was induced at 37 weeks.
How did you deal with having to deliver?
To have to go full-term and watch her die slowly over two days was so horrible. I was forced to do that. That might be somebody else’s choice, but it wasn’t my choice.
Were you given any support after the birth?
None. I had to contact a foundation out of state in order to help with the cost of the cremation because they didn’t offer me anything here. I got my breast milk in, I had to get rid of it myself. And I didn’t get any help with my therapy costs, either.
How do you feel towards legislators who brought these bans?
As long as the baby is born, that’s all they care about. I shared my story with Good Morning America, and people commented, “at least you got to meet your baby”. But they weren’t there. My baby struggled to breathe. They weren’t watching her scream because she could not eat. It’s easy for them to say those things.
I actually had an abortion when I was 18. I had a full scholarship to play volleyball and I did not want to mess that up. I was in college, I didn’t have a job. So I knew it was not the right time. I know people have to make their own choices, regardless of if it’s a medically needed termination, or if it’s because they feel they can’t support a child.
Do people around you in Arizona have the same views?
Definitely not. I come from a very religious household, they are like: “Every baby is a blessing from God.” But what if somebody’s not financially stable? What if somebody’s baby has a condition like my daughter did? You shouldn’t have to have money in order to receive proper medical care.
Nobody should be able to choose what I do with my body.
Do you see any signs of hope?
With the politicians we have now, I don’t see anything changing. But this is bullshit. So something has to change. People are becoming more aware of [situations like mine] and realise this is a disgusting way to treat women.
***
A tidal wave is swelling
Since Chloe was denied her abortion, America has been almost divided in two on abortion policy. By the end of 2022, a further 50 abortion restrictions were signed into law, varying in nature – from new six-week bans to laws requiring doctors to give people unfounded medical advice about the harms and facts of abortion.
But 77 protections for abortions were also passed, ranging from expanded insurance coverage, to so-called shield laws that prevent people who travel for abortions and the clinicians who provide them from being prosecuted.
A tidal wave has also been swelling through the country – of revolt and backlash at the ballot box over abortion bans. In the six states where people have had a direct vote on abortion, they have voted to protect it each time – yet more evidence that Americans overwhelmingly don’t want abortion restrictions. From Republican states like Kansas, to Democratic ones like Vermont, opposition to these restrictions unites the country.
What else we’ve been reading
More and more e-bikes are spontaneously combusting in New York, and the impact has been deadly. Wilfred Chan’s report unpacks why safer alternatives are not being rolled out. Nimo
Why have orcas off the coast of Spain been ramming sailing boats – and occasionally sinking them? And is the behaviour spreading – this week to Shetland? The New Scientist has a helpful explainer. Esther
After a fan threw his mobile phone at Bebe Rexha, leaving her eye badly bruised, Alaina Demopoulos examines why more people are launching projectiles on to performing artists during gigs. Nimo
A mile off the coast of Cornwall is an island so unspoilt that when a trespasser lands wearing strongly smelling deodorant, its many avian and two human residents – the wildlife sanctuary’s caretakers – can tell. Read Frankie Adkins’s fascinating story about Looe Island here. Esther
For years, West Indian musicians who came to the UK in the 40s, 50s and 60s introduced new audiences to everything from ska to soca and enriched British music in a way that is still felt today. Garth Cartwright spoke to some of the remaining artists, many of whom are still playing music today. Nimo
Sport
Football | Southampton have appointed Russell Martin as their new manager, after the club’s relegation to the Championship. Martin, 37, left Swansea to take up his new position, having managed in south Wales since August 2021, putting an end to the dispute between the two clubs over compensation.
Olympics | The International Olympic Committee (IOC) has voted to expel the International Boxing Association from the Olympic movement. The decision, which was backed by 69 members – with one vote against and 10 abstentions – is the first time the IOC has kicked out a governing body in its 129-year history.
Football | Manchester City have reportedly decided to bid for Declan Rice (pictured above) and will rival Arsenal in pushing to sign the midfielder from West Ham. Arsenal are planning a third offer for Rice after a second bid, which fell short of the minimum £100m asking price, was rejected on Tuesday.
The front pages
The Guardian leads with “Recession fears as inflation forces Bank to raise rates to 15-year high”. The Financial Times reports “Bank of England takes interest rates to 5% in effort to put lid on inflation”. The Times characterises it as “Mortgage misery for millions”, while the i says “Sunak rules out tax cuts after interest rate hits 5%”.
The news that the crew of the Titan sub have died is prominent across other front pages. The Mirror leads with “Lost to the deep”. The Mail says “The Titanic claims five more lives”. The Sun’s headline reads “They had no chance”.
Finally, the Telegraph reports on defence secretary, Ben Wallace, reportedly missing out on the job of Nato secretary general, under the headline “US accused of turning against UK over Nato”.
Something for the weekend
Our critics’ roundup of the best things to watch, read and listen to right now
TV
And Just Like That (Sky Comedy)
The second season of HBO’s controversial, heavily criticised Sex and the City revival manages to do the unthinkable: it is even more lavish and unreservedly ridiculous than its first go-around. It would seem that, having seen all the memes about its (often unintentionally) hilarious first season, showrunner Michael Patrick King has decided to plunge head-first into unfettered bonkersness. And the show is all the better for it. Shaad D’Souza
Music
Kim Petras – Feed The Beast
Previously a marginal figure in the world of pop, Petras was catapulted into mainstream consciousness when she appeared on Sam Smith’s global chart-topper Unholy, becoming the first openly transgender artist to have a US No 1. If only the music on her major label debut album was as interesting and innovative as its author is. She deserves better than this, and so does everyone else. Alexis Petridis
Film
Asteroid City
To say that he’s done it again is going to mean something different to fans and non-fans. The first category is the only place to be for what is a terrifically entertaining new comedy from Wes Anderson, in his signature rectilinear, deadpan style. Regulars including Jason Schwartzman and Tilda Swinton are now joined by Scarlett Johansson and Tom Hanks, who have been welcomed into the droll Anderson fold. Peter Bradshaw
Podcast
Shiny Bob: The Devil’s Advocate
BBC Sounds, all episodes out now
Myles Bonnar’s podcast about Robert Henderson QC and his accusations of a “magic circle” of gay judges and lawyers who posed a threat to the Scottish justice system is a powerful listen. What emerges in later episodes is utterly horrific, leaving listeners in no doubt that Henderson’s homophobic behaviour was a distraction for his own evil deeds. Hannah Verdier
Today in Focus
How the Windrush generation shaped British culture
The hundreds of people who arrived on British shores on the HMS Empire Windrush were part of a generation who transformed British society. It’s a rich legacy that is still playing out – especially in the culture created by their children and grandchildren.
For the author Colin Grant, his heritage came to life in the storytelling of his mother and in his entertaining Caribbean neighbours. The writer Patrice Lawrence says she never believed she could be a writer – but storytelling came naturally under the tutelage of family members such as her Aunty Baby. The publisher Sharmaine Lovegrove founded Dialogue Books, which focuses on unheard voices.
The three talk to Nosheen Iqbal about how the experiences of the Windrush generation have transformed their own writing – but also British culture. And what the anniversary of their arrival means to them.
Cartoon of the day | Ben Jennings
The Upside
A bit of good news to remind you that the world’s not all bad
Food4Education was started in 2012 by the Kenyan nutritionist Wawira Njiru. Her organisation originally began as a makeshift kitchen that employed one cook and produced lunch for 25 children. Her goal initially was to feed just 100 children but it was such a success that her ambitions grew – she knew she could help so many more schoolchildren. The reason that Nijru focused so much on hunger was simple: malnutrition was not only bad for the health of Kenya’s youth, it was also harming their educational outcomes. Njiru is now partnering with the Kenyan government to launch a $8.6m initiative – it is the largest school meals programme in Africa and is set to begin August, in a drive to “eliminate the shame of hunger in [Kenya]”.
Ten new kitchens will provide 400,000 daily lunches for children in 225 primary schools and Early Childhood Development centres in Nairobi. The kitchens will also employ 3,500 people and will be powered by green energy using steam gas technology. The government funding has allowed Food4Education to more than double the number of children they can reach.
Sign up here for a weekly roundup of The Upside, sent to you every Sunday
Bored at work?
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