Thousands of pro-life activists gathered at the National Mall in Washington, DC, for the ‘March For Life,’ marking the first time the event was held in the post-Roe v. Wade era.
The March For Life is held annually on the anniversary of the Supreme Court 1973 Roe v. Wade ruling that had legalized abortion in all states, but the highest court overturned the decision in July, giving marchers a different purpose this year.
"This year, as it’s the first March after the reversal of Roe v. Wade, we’re coming together not only to celebrate that huge victory and answer to prayers but, also, to send a sign to the states,” a Liberty University student named Michelle told Cheddar. “It’s time for the states to step up on the state-level and make pro-life laws there.”
Another pro-life advocate also felt this March was different from years past.
“I think marching now post-Roe is really just about raising awareness,” Linda told Cheddar. “I think it’s important for the world to know that pro-life is pro-mom and pro-child.”
Organizers said the purpose of the March is to “not only change laws at the state and federal level, but to change the culture to ultimately make abortion unthinkable.”
While multiple states have passed numerous restrictions on the procedure, some are held up with legal challenges, while still other states faced pushback as Kansas and Kentucky voters rejected constitutional amendments that would have banned abortion.
Participants marched from the National Mall, where they listened to speakers including Republican House Majority Leader Steve Scalise, down to Congress.
House Speaker Kevin McCarthy responded to the March by highlighting the abortion-related votes that passed last week in the House.
“You now have a Congress that is standing up for life,” McCarthy tweeted.
But with a Democratic-led Senate, it is unlikely any anti-abortion measures will be passed.
A legislative package to end the government shutdown appears on track. A handful of Senate Democrats joined with Republicans to advance the bill after what's become a deepening disruption of federal programs and services. But hurdles remain. Senators are hopeful they can pass the package as soon as Monday and send it to the House. What’s in and out of the bipartisan deal has drawn criticism and leaves few senators fully satisfied. The legislation includes funding for SNAP food aid and other programs while ensuring backpay for furloughed federal workers. But it fails to fund expiring health care subsidies Democrats have been fighting for, pushing that debate off for a vote next month.
Sabrina Siddiqui, National Politics Reporter at The Wall Street Journal, joins to break down the SNAP funding delays and the human cost of the ongoing shutdown.
Arguments at the Supreme Court have concluded for the day as the justices consider President Donald Trump's sweeping unilateral tariffs in a trillion-dollar test of executive power.
President Donald Trump said he has decided to lower his combined tariff rates on imports of Chinese goods to 47% after talks with Chinese leader Xi Jinping on curbing fentanyl trafficking.
The Federal Reserve cut its key interest rate Wednesday for a second time this year as it seeks to shore up economic growth and hiring even as inflation stays elevated. The move comes amid a fraught time for the central bank, with hiring sluggish and yet inflation stuck above the Fed’s 2% target. Compounding its challenges, the central bank is navigating without much of the economic data it typically relies on from the government. The Fed has signaled it may reduce its key rate again in December but the data drought raises the uncertainty around its next moves. Fed Chair Jerome Powell told reporters that there were “strongly differing views” at the central bank's policy meeting about to proceed going forward.
