Roe Reckonings: This Week in the Never-Ending Abortion Fever Dream

Welcome back to Roe Reckonings, where we sift through the relentless barrage of lies, legal manoeuvres and moral panics infecting the fight for reproductive rights. This week? It’s a full-on nightmare carousel. Let’s get into it.

The Bad Data Behind Josh Hawley’s Attack on Abortion Pills

Republican Senator Josh Hawley is once again leading the anti-abortion brigade, this time wielding a new study that supposedly supports tighter restrictions on mifepristone, the abortion pill. The catch? The study is riddled with vague and dubious definitions of “complications”. Experts warn that the data is cherry-picked and misleading—but that hasn’t stopped Hawley from pushing it as gospel. Science be damned if it feeds the narrative.

Missouri Republicans: Democracy Optional

Fresh off the heels of Missouri voters enshrining abortion rights through a popular vote, the state’s Republicans have gone full scorched earth. Legislators are exploring every possible loophole and legislative trick to undo the will of the people. If successful, Missouri could become the national blueprint for how to invalidate ballot-box victories on reproductive freedom. It’s democracy, but only if we win seems to be the new motto of th anti-abortion movement.

RFK Jr.’s Anti-Vax Crusade Hits a New Low

RFK Jr., the tinfoil-hat-wearing presidential hopeful and conspiracy megaphone, has teamed up with the US Department of Health and Human Services (yes, you read that right) to falsely claim that MMR vaccines contain “aborted fetus debris.” The kicker? The department says it’s going to change testing methods and build new “surveillance systems” based on this pseudoscience. Vaccine experts are horrified. Public health is now being shaped by basement-level conspiracy thinking.

From Fringe to Force: The Abortion ‘Abolitionist’ Surge

Beyond the familiar faces of anti-choice politics, a new, even more extreme faction is gaining steam: abortion “abolitionists.” Unlike traditional opponents of abortion, these activists reject incremental restrictions and compromises. They demand total bans, often rooted in radical religious doctrine, and seek to criminalise not just providers but also patients. Their influence is growing in local and state politics, making space for ever more cruel and draconian policies.

The Bottom Line

Every week brings a new wave of misinformation, legal scheming and outright deception. They can’t stop lying—because the truth doesn’t serve their agenda. From bogus science weaponised in Congress, state-level plots to erase voter decisions and the rise of militant abortion abolitionists, the assault on reproductive autonomy and public health is relentless.

Stay vigilant. Stay loud. We’ll be back next week with more reckoning.

Roe Reckonings is your no-spin zone for tracking the bad-faith battles over abortion rights and bodily autonomy. Subscribe to never miss a beat.