Texas Parents Ashley & Marcus (with Abortion in America): Forced Across State Lines for Care - Episode 23

Texas Parents Ashley & Marcus (with Abortion in America): Forced Across State Lines for Care - Episode 23

When Ashley and Marcus Brandt learned they were expecting twins, they imagined their family finally feeling complete. Just weeks later, everything changed. During a routine ultrasound, one of the twins was diagnosed with a fatal condition. Because of Texas' abortion ban, their doctors couldn't provide the medical care they needed. The family traveled to Colorado for a procedure that protected Ashley from life-threatening complications and saved their surviving twin. In this special collaboration with Abortion in America, Mini Timmaraju sits down with Ashley and Marcus to hear their story. Together, they discuss how abortion bans delay critical medical care, and undermine the ability of patients and doctors to make the best decisions together. “I felt like a reproductive refugee,” says Ashley. “My daughter has less rights now than her grandmother did. It’s unacceptable." They discuss: * What happened after a routine ultrasound revealed a fatal fetal condition * How Texas' abortion ban forced Ashley and Marcus to leave the state for life-saving care * How abortion bans interfere with pregnancy care and force families into impossible situations * The emotional toll of navigating pregnancy under abortion restrictions * Why sharing stories like these is essential to protecting reproductive freedom This episode is a powerful reminder that abortion is health care—and that politicians should never stand between families and the medical care they need. 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/podEP23 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.

Rep. Diana DeGette Gets It Done: The Plan to Restore Abortion Rights Nationwide | Episode 22

"If you want to get something done in Congress, people say you go to Diana DeGette." In this episode of My Body. My Pod., Mini Timmaraju sits down with Rep. Diana DeGette, co-chair of the Congressional Reproductive Freedom Caucus and one of the most effective reproductive freedom champions in Congress, to discuss the plan to restore abortion rights nationwide. From passing Colorado's landmark clinic protection law as a young state legislator to helping secure House passage of the Women's Health Protection Act after Dobbs, DeGette has spent decades building the relationships, experience, and political power needed to move legislation forward. Now, she's looking ahead. DeGette shares what Democrats hope to accomplish when they regain control of Congress, including restoring abortion rights nationwide, repealing Hyde restrictions, protecting access to reproductive health care, and pushing back against attacks on birth control and bodily autonomy. Along the way, she reflects on the evolution of the Democratic Party on abortion rights, why reproductive freedom is inseparable from economic security, and what gives her hope in this moment. Their conversation focuses on a central truth: progress depends not just on ideas, but on the ability to turn them into law. As DeGette puts it: "If you don't have the votes, you don't pass the bill." In this episode: • The plan to restore abortion rights nationwide • Why repealing the Hyde Amendment remains a top priority • How Colorado became a model for reproductive freedom policy • The behind-the-scenes effort to pass the Women's Health Protection Act • Why reproductive freedom is also an affordability issue • Court reform, Supreme Court ethics, and protecting fundamental rights • Why Congress, the courts, and the citizens all have a role to play Despite the onslaught of attacks on our fundamental freedoms, DeGette remains optimistic, pointing to the power of people already taking action—protesting, voting, and holding elected officials accountable: "Abortion is our health care right. We will get to where we need to be." Episode recorded on June 10, 2026. Explore more episode resources: reproforall.org/podEP22 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.

Dobbs Anniversary Bonus Episode: Choosing Hope, Building Power, & Launching My Body. My Ballot. | Episode 21

Four years after the Supreme Court decision that overturned Roe v. Wade, Rep. Ayanna Pressley joins Mini Timmaraju to reflect on power, policy, and why the fight for reproductive freedom demands both urgency and hope. In this special episode we’re joined by reproductive freedom champion Rep. Pressley, co-chair of the Congressional Reproductive Freedom Caucus to reflect on where the movement stands four years into a post-Roe America—and what comes next. Together, they discuss the long-running anti-abortion campaign that led to Dobbs, the ongoing attacks on abortion access, contraception, IVF, and maternal health care, and why reproductive freedom remains deeply connected to democracy, economic security, and gender equality. Rep. Pressley also shares the moment she learned Roe had fallen, why "the people closest to the pain should be the closest to the power," and how organizers can continue building momentum in the face of relentless attacks on our freedoms. At a time when it’s easy to feel defeated or helpless, Pressley offers a different path forward: choosing hope over cynicism, organizing over despair, and refusing to give up on a more just future. “Because who wins determines the policies—and the policies determine who lives, who dies, who survives, and who thrives.” But this conversation isn't just about reflection—it's about action. At the end of the episode, Mini announces Reproductive Freedom for All's largest-ever electoral program, My Body. My Ballot., a nationwide effort to harness the power of the organization's 4.5 million members and the 8 in 10 Americans who support legal abortion. Four years after Dobbs, anti-abortion extremists have made clear they were never going to leave abortion "to the states." They continue targeting medication abortion, IVF, and contraception while advancing an agenda designed to move the country closer to a national abortion ban. Election after election, voters have rejected that agenda. The challenge now isn't convincing Americans that reproductive freedom matters. It's turning overwhelming public support into political power. Through My Body. My Ballot., Reproductive Freedom for All will hold anti-abortion politicians accountable at the ballot box and elect reproductive freedom champions in key races across the country—transforming public support into organizing power, political action, and electoral victories. IN THIS EPISODE: * Four years after Dobbs: where the fight stands today * Why reproductive freedom is about more than abortion access * Black maternal health and the broader struggle for gender equity * Why reproductive freedom remains a winning issue with voters * Mini announces Reproductive Freedom for All's largest-ever electoral program, My Body. My Ballot., and the strategy to turn support for legal abortion into political power * How Reproductive Freedom for All plans to mobilize its 4.5 million members and the 8 in 10 Americans who support legal abortion to hold anti-abortion politicians accountable and elect reproductive freedom champions * The power of organizing, coalition-building, and community * Choosing the discipline of hope over the ease of cynicism Episode recorded on June 10, 2026. Explore more episode resources: reproforall.org/podEP21 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.

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.