The Slatest for Dec. 13: The Supreme Court Is Going to Consider the Legality of the Abortion Pill

The Supreme Court has agreed to hear a case about the legality of medication abortion this term—setting the stage for “the most important dispute over reproductive rights since Roe v. Wade’s reversal in June of 2022,” Dahlia Lithwick and Mark Joseph Stern write. They explain why it has the potential to deliver “an election-year valentine for Donald Trump.”

Plus: Lithwick examines how Kate Cox being denied access to a medically recommended abortion in Texas exposes the lie at the heart of overturning Roe.

A New York court may have just determined who controls the House in 2024. Alexander Sammon and Mark Joseph Stern unpack the decision and its implications.

Thanks to Republicans, Congress is on track to head into the holiday break without coming to an agreement on Ukraine funding. Fred Kaplan examines what this signals to the rest of the world.

Continuing with our Time, Online series examining how technology is changing what it means to be in prison, Aaron M. Kinzer writes about how, after 13 years in prison, he thought an ankle monitor would feel like freedom. Instead, it reminded him of the weight of his new world.

Plus:

• Phillip Vance Smith II and his girlfriend used to rely on letters to communicate. Then texting came to his prison. He explains how it’s changed his relationship.

• Kunlyna Tauch had never owned a computer. Now, after 17 years in prison, he finally has one of his own—and it’s helping him see a future he’d never before imagined.

The word “genocide” is just 80 years old. Its meaning has always been hotly contested. David Faris reflects on how the Israel-Hamas war has cast the limitations of the term in a new light.

Plus, ICYMI: Palestinian author and editor Atef Abu Saif shares what he saw when he fled northern Gaza for the south.

And What Next speaks to a man whose son is thought to still be held hostage by Hamas.

Google’s unchecked dominance is in danger—thanks to a Fortnite scandal. Nitish Pahwa explains what the Epic v. Google ruling could mean.

A 78-year-old has America’s biggest song. Chris Molanphy explains how she pulled it off.

On this week’s Culture Gabfest, the panel dissects Poor Things, director Yorgos Lanthimos’ horny, Frankenstein-ish tale starring Emma Stone as Bella Baxter.

… much like Selena Gomez has been of late! Nadira Goffe explains the latest drama.

Thanks so much for reading! We’ll see you back here tomorrow.