On this edition of Your Call's Media Roundtable, we're discussing what’s at stake for abortion rights in the midterm elections. Abortion is on the ballot in in Missouri, Idaho, Virginia, and Nevada.
In Truthout, Lauren Rankin writes that while the fate of the Senate and the House both hang in the balance, the Trump administration can still wreak havoc on abortion rights with or without congressional approval, including a backdoor ban on medication abortion. That’s why state-level measures on abortion in the 2026 midterms elections will be so consequential in the fight for reproductive rights. Why isn't abortion getting more media attention?
We'll also discuss coverage of the disturbing ad released by the Republican candidate Vivek Ramaswamy, featuring the estranged mother of his opponent Dr. Amy Acton, who survived childhood sexual abuse. What does this ad tell us about the normalization of violence against women and children by the GOP?
Guests:
Lauren Rankin, writer and author of Bodies on the Line: At the Front Lines of the Fight to Protect Abortion in America
Amanda Becker, reporter for The 19th and author of You Must Stand Up: The Fight for Abortion Rights in Post-Dobbs America
Resources:
Truthout: Abortion Rights Are on the Ballot in 4 States in the 2026 Midterms
The 19th: We’ve been going through this for 10 years’: Why the ad targeting Amy Acton feels so unsettling
NPR: State ballots let voters decide on abortion, taxes, transgender restrictions
