My Body. My Pod. with Mini Timmaraju

LIVE from the 2026 Activist Summit: Rep. Jamie Raskin, Katie Phang, and Brittany Fonteno | Episode 20

We've got something really special for you this week. For the first time ever, we're bringing you a live recording of My Body. My Pod. from Reproductive Freedom for All's 2026 Activist Summit at the Howard Theatre in Washington, DC, where hundreds of activists from across the country gathered to build community, sharpen their organizing skills, and prepare for the fights ahead. At the heart of this conversation is a simple question: what happens when a generation of young women grows up with fewer rights than their mothers—and in some cases, fewer rights than their grandmothers? Four years after Dobbs, the consequences of abortion bans are no longer theoretical. Women have been denied emergency medical care. Families have endured preventable tragedy. Providers and patients face escalating threats and harassment. And women have died. Yet anti-abortion extremists continue pushing forward—attacking abortion access, threatening IVF, targeting providers, and laying the groundwork for even more restrictions on reproductive freedom. In this special episode, Mini sits down with Congressman Jamie Raskin, journalist Katie Phang, and National Abortion Federation President & CEO Brittany Fonteno for a candid conversation about what's at stake, why abortion remains one of the most salient issues in American politics, and what it will take to turn public support into political power. Together, they explore the connection between reproductive freedom and democracy, the power of storytelling, the importance of organizing, and the role activists can play in shaping the 2026 midterm elections. Because here's the reality: 8 in 10 Americans support legal abortion. That's more popular than either political party. More popular than any candidate on the ballot. The question isn't whether Americans support reproductive freedom. The question is whether we can organize that majority into a force powerful enough to create lasting change. Recorded live before a studio audience of activists, organizers, storytellers, and movement leaders, this episode is a celebration of people power—and a reminder that elections matter because they shape the policies that govern our lives. And when it comes to reproductive freedom, those policies can mean the difference between care and denial, freedom and control, life and death. We are 4.5 million members strong. And we're ready to fight like hell for a future where every person can make their own decisions about their body, their family, and their future. Episode recorded on June 1, 2026. Explore more episode resources: reproforall.org/podEP20 Sign up to get involved with Reproductive Freedom for All at reproforall.org/podlistener/ [https://reproforall.org/podlistener/] or Text POD to 59791. By providing your phone number, you are consenting to receive automated text messages from Reproductive Freedom for All at 59791 and other phone numbers. Donations will be solicited over texts. Message and data rates apply. Frequency varies. Text STOP to end. Text HELP for help. Visit https://reproductivefreedomforall.org/privacy-policy/ [https://reproductivefreedomforall.org/privacy-policy/] for more information. Dig the new show? Help us spread the word! Like and subscribe to My Body. My Pod. on YouTube and wherever you get your podcasts.

Meet the Lawyer Beating Trump in Court: Skye Perryman on Democracy, Abortion Rights, and People Power | Episode 19

In this episode of My Body. My Pod., Mini Timmaraju sits down with Skye Perryman—President and CEO of Democracy Forward and one of TIME’s 100 Most Influential People of 2025—to discuss the legal fights shaping reproductive freedom, voting rights, and democracy itself. From defending access to mifepristone against legally baseless fringe theories peddled by anti-abortion extremists, to challenging attacks on voting rights and government accountability, Skye has become one of the leading voices pushing back against efforts to roll back fundamental freedoms. Mini and Skye discuss: * Why mifepristone remains under attack—and what the latest court battles could mean for abortion access * How anti-abortion extremists are attempting to revive a 150-year-old law as a pathway to a national abortion ban * Why court reform is essential for protecting reproductive freedom and democracy * How attacks on voting rights, reproductive rights, and declining trust in democratic institutions are all deeply connected * What history teaches us about social change—and why people, not institutions alone, drive progress * Why organizing, storytelling, and civic engagement remain some of our most powerful tools Skye reminds us: lasting change has always come from people demanding it. “No institution ever handed down a decision that protected our rights. People pushed those institutions, and the people are responsible for those wins. And we're going to have to find that again and win again.” Episode recorded on May 18, 2026. Explore more episode resources: reproforall.org/podEP19 Sign up to get involved with Reproductive Freedom for All at reproforall.org/podlistener/ [https://reproforall.org/podlistener/] or Text VOTE to 59791. By providing your phone number, you are consenting to receive automated text messages from Reproductive Freedom for All at 59791 and other phone numbers. Donations will be solicited over texts. Message and data rates apply. Frequency varies. Text STOP to end. Text HELP for help.  Visit https://reproductivefreedomforall.org/privacy-policy/ [https://reproductivefreedomforall.org/privacy-policy/] for more information. Dig the new show? Help us spread the word! Like and subscribe to My Body. My Pod. on YouTube and wherever you get your podcasts.

Waiting to Be “Dying Enough” for Pregnancy Care: Georgia Scientist Avery Davis Bell (with AIA) | Episode 18

In collaboration with Abortion in America [https://abortioninamerica.org/], our latest episode of My Body. My Pod. with Mini Timmaraju features Avery Davis Bell, a Georgia mother and genetics researcher who was forced to wait for emergency abortion care until complications were life-threatening. Avery was 18 weeks pregnant when her water broke—a medical emergency that made her pregnancy nonviable and placed her at risk for severe blood loss and sepsis. Even though her doctors knew she needed a D&E (Dilation and Evacuation) procedure, Georgia’s abortion ban created delays while providers determined whether her condition was “serious enough” to legally qualify her for care. Avery had every advantage: early prenatal care, expert medical knowledge, access to a major hospital system, and a strong support network.  Her story raises an urgent question: if someone with those resources struggle to receive timely emergency care, what happens to patients facing greater barriers to access? “It’s like insult to injury in the worst possible way,” Avery says.  Mini and Avery discuss: * How abortion bans interfere with emergency pregnancy care * Why abortion ban “exceptions” are designed to fail in real-world medical emergencies * What it means when doctors are forced to wait until patients become “sick enough” to receive treatment * How Georgia’s maternal health crisis is worsening under abortion bans * Why storytelling, organizing, and state elections matter in the fight for reproductive freedom Episode recorded on March 8, 2026 Thanks for listening! Make sure you hit the subscribe button to get notified when new episodes drop, and share this episode with a friend. Explore more episode resources at reproforall.org/podEP18 Sign up to get involved with Reproductive Freedom for All at reproforall.org/podlistener/ [https://reproforall.org/podlistener/] or Text POD to 59791. *By providing your phone number, you are consenting to receive mobile alerts from Reproductive Freedom for All at 59791 and other phone numbers. Message and data rates apply. Frequency varies. Text STOP to end. Text HELP for help. Dig the new show? Help us spread the word! Like and subscribe to My Body. My Pod. on YouTube and wherever you get your podcasts.

Abortion Provider Renee Chelian on 50 Years of Protecting Patients, Fighting for Access | Episode 17

Abortion clinics have long been targets of coordinated blockades, harassment, and violence.  This reality has never stopped Rene Chelian, an abortion provider and advocate who has spent decades caring for patients and fighting for access. In this episode of My Body. My Pod., Mini Timmaraju sits down with Renee, Founder and CEO of Northland Family Planning Centers, to talk about what it takes to deliver care, protect patients and staff, and defend abortion access in the face of escalating threats.  With nearly 50 years on the front lines, Renee has lived through the full scope of anti-abortion extremism and helped advocate for the federal protections of patients seeking abortion care—the Freedom of Access to Clinic Entrances (FACE) Act.  This episode is about resilience and the ongoing fight to protect abortion rights for everybody. Renee continues that work through Reclaim, an initiative focused on restoring dignity, confidence, and public support for abortion and reproductive rights through advocacy and education. Protecting abortion access requires all of us—providers, advocates, and communities—willing to stay in the fight.  Episode recorded on April 8, 2026.  Explore more episode resources: reproforall.org/podEP17  Sign up to get involved with Reproductive Freedom for All at reproforall.org/podlistener/ [https://reproforall.org/podlistener/] or Text POD to 59791. *By providing your phone number, you are consenting to receive mobile alerts from Reproductive Freedom for All at 59791 and other phone numbers. Message and data rates apply. Frequency varies. Text STOP to end. Text HELP for help. Dig the new show? Help us spread the word! Like and subscribe to My Body. My Pod. on YouTube and wherever you get your podcasts.

She’s Kind of a Big Deal: NY AG Letitia James on Defending Abortion, Taking on Trump | Episode 16

What does it take to fight back—and win? In this episode of My Body. My Pod., Mini Timmaraju sits down with New York Attorney General Leticia James to break down the critical role of attorneys general in protecting reproductive freedom in this moment. From defending abortion providers under attack, to taking on the Trump administration’s overreach, AG James is at the center of the legal fight to protect our rights—and she’s winning. Democratic attorneys general like her are taking on Trump’s unconstitutional executive orders—and they have an 80% win rate. Mini and AG James get into: * How shield laws protect providers and patients across state lines * Why Republicans’ “leave it to the states” argument is a lie—anti-abortion extremists are trying to criminalize abortion care nationwide * What’s really at stake when emergency care is being denied—people are suffering and dying as a result of abortion bans * What abortion access actually means: it’s not just about legal access, but also access to information and actual care * Why attacks on abortion and gender-affirming care are part of the same playbook to take away other freedoms * How Democratic AGs are coordinating across states—meeting weekly—to defend rights, democracy, and reproductive freedom Mini and AG James make one thing clear: the old rules don’t apply anymore. Even in a moment that can feel overwhelming, there are leaders fighting back—and winning. But protecting our freedom will take all of us: organizing, voting, and paying attention to the races that decide whether our rights are protected, or stripped away. Episode recorded in New Orleans on April 10, 2026. Explore more episode resources: reproforall.org/podEP16 Sign up to get involved with Reproductive Freedom for All at reproforall.org/podlistener/ [https://reproforall.org/podlistener/] or Text POD to 59791. *By providing your phone number, you are consenting to receive mobile alerts from Reproductive Freedom for All at 59791 and other phone numbers. Message and data rates apply. Frequency varies. Text STOP to end. Text HELP for help. Dig the new show? Help us spread the word! Like and subscribe to My Body. My Pod. on YouTube and wherever you get your podcasts.