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Supreme Court Overturns Roe, Leaving States Free To Ban Abortion; Biden Signs Historic Bipartisan Gun Reform Bill; Half Of U.S. States Could Ban Abortion As Roe V. Wade Is Overturned; Abortion Ruling Likely To Disproportionately Affect Women Of Color. Aired 12-1p ET

Aired June 25, 2022 - 12:00   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

[12:00:02]

FREDRICKA WHITFIELD, CNN HOST (on camera): Hello again, everyone. Thank you so much for joining me from New York. I'm Fredricka Whitfield.

WHITFIELD (voice-over): All right, right now, protesters are gathering once again outside the U.S. Supreme Court in Washington, D.C., following Friday's historic ruling overturning Roe v. Wade.

The decision stating the constitutional right to abortion is no more. Leaving it up to states to decide whether abortion should be legal within their borders. At least 26 states are either poised to or have already banned abortion.

The ruling cheered by anti-abortion supporters after 50 years of fighting. But a broad majority of Americans disagree with the ruling. In a CNN poll conducted just weeks ago, 66 percent of Americans said they did not want the Supreme Court to completely overturn Roe v. Wade.

WHITFIELD (on camera): CNN has reporters on the ground covering this seismic decision. Let's go first to CNN's Nadia Romero. She is outside Mississippi's only abortion clinic.

Nadia, what is the mood there? What is happening?

NADIA ROMERO, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Oh, Fredricka, it has been very busy since the wee hours of the morning. And they started letting in patients inside of Mississippi's last abortion clinic long before it opened.

Now, they are actively doing abortions. And we were able to speak with the abortion provider inside. He says he's been doing this work for 30 years because he believes in it so strongly that this is the right to health care for women. And he came specifically to Mississippi because there was such a need.

He is concerned now after the next 10 days, because it doesn't go into effect right away in Mississippi. There is a 10-day period where there's a certification that needs to happen. And he's concerned after that time period, and what will happen to the women of Mississippi. And if you look on a map, you'll see this state is surrounded by other states that have trigger laws. So, you'll have to either drive for several hours or get on a plane to get to another state to have access to an abortion.

ROMERO (voice-over): Along with those concerns. And the procedures that are happening inside this building that many of the locals here call the Pink House.

ROMERO (on camera): We have protesters that have been out in front of this building and wrapping around the building since about 4:00 in the morning.

And what we've seen from those protesters are that they are excited, they are happy, they are proud that Mississippi was the state that brought this law all the way up to the Supreme Court. But they're still trying to convince women not to get an abortion over these next 10 days.

I want you to hear from the abortion provider. He did not share his name. He did not want to go on camera because he says his life is constantly being threatened. He is followed home, he is harassed everywhere he goes, but he shared his thoughts on what this means for him.

Take a listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: One is I'm a baby killer, and what we're doing is killing babies. Yes, we're not killing babies. We're terminating previable fetuses. That somebody has made a difficult decision that she does not want to carry this pregnancy. So, this nonsense about killing babies and murdering. It's just -- you know, isn't -- is not right.

So, that's the first thing, and then, you know, it was part of that just I can get along with them being able to protest.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ROMERO: And you heard him say that he believes that people have the right to protest, but he doesn't believe that the protesters who come to this clinic day in and day out should be doing it the way that they are.

They are threatening and intimidating patients. And some of them when we heard outright lying to patients, telling them that it was illegal that they were going to go to jail if they came into the facility today. That is not true.

After the 10-day process, after the certification, then it will be illegal in the state of Mississippi. A $100,000 fine, up to 10 years in prison. But he said adamantly to me, Fredricka, he is not a baby killer. He's performing abortions before those fetuses are viable outside of the womb, and he will continue that care in another state. Fred?

WHITFIELD: All right, Nadia, thank you so much.

Alexandra Field is in Missouri. Alexandra, Missouri announced it would be the first state to ban abortions following the Supreme Court's ruling. How are people reacting there?

ALEXANDRA FIELD, CNN CORRESPONDENT (on camera): Yes, it had just one single abortion clinic, and today, it has none. One of 10 states that have outlawed abortion in the aftermath of this decision.

We heard from the providers at the clinic that was providing abortions up until yesterday. They call this the end of the line for abortion care services in Missouri. They reiterated the fact that they have warned that this day would or could come for years.

Certainly, they had seen signs that if not on the federal level, very much on the state level where women in Missouri have seen Republican leaders of the state making attempts to curtail access to abortion for years to come. That's how the state ended up with just one abortion provider.

Activists and advocates who argue for access to abortion called the decision and the subsequent ban on abortions in Missouri, a stain in history.

[12:05:02]

FIELD: They were calling on people to consider this day to keep it with them and to consider how they can do better going forward. Not the feeling shared across the entire state, though, of course, the Republican attorney general, calling this a momentous day for the sanctity of life. Fredricka.

WHITFIELD: Alexandra, thanks so much. Also joining us, CNN legal analyst and Supreme Court biographer Joan Biskupic.

So, Joan, I mean, Justice Thomas, invited challenges to other landmark cases involving things like same-sex marriage and contraception. And I mean, Joan, not only is it unusual, but is this unethical that he is essentially inviting legal challenges of which he is signposting he's already made a decision about?

JOAN BISKUPIC, CNN LEGAL ANALYST (on camera): No, it's not unethical, but it is pretty bold of him to say exactly what's on his mind right here. He essentially hung out a welcome sign to have others who think that the privacy rights of Roe that have now been eliminated should also mean the end of privacy rights for contraception, dating back to 1965 case.

To also overturn possibly the 2015 same-sex marriage case, he cited three -- he cited three key rulings, as I said, the 1965 Griswold v. Connecticut that allowed couples to obtain contraceptives. The ruling from 2003 that had criminal law -- that had struck down state statutes that criminalize same-sex intimate relations. And then, finally, the Obergefell v. Hodges ruling from 2015. Those are three rulings, Fredricka that he would like to see gone. Now, he wrote alone in that concurrence. And Justice Alito, who wrote the majority opinion stressed that the decision on behalf of the full court was not as broad as where Justice Thomas wanted to go.

But as dissenters warned Fredricka, this court is not done yet. This court is flexing its muscle in terms of rolling back privacy rights broadly, and obviously, specifically, major reproductive rights that have been in place for nearly a half century.

WHITFIELD: And you say it's not done yet. And perhaps the scope of the court is cemented, or it seems the majority of cemented for a very long time, especially with three new justices all appointed by the former President Trump.

And you say that to leaves a rather lasting impression, or it at least -- it at least says that the fight that they have already exhibited is going to be ongoing for quite some time.

BISKUPIC: You know, that's right. Just think of how young President Trump's three appointees are, Fredricka. They're all in their 50s Amy Coney Barrett is just 50. Neil Gorsuch and Brett Kavanaugh are a little bit older, but they're still in their 50s. They will be with us, Fredricka, for at least another generation.

WHITFIELD: You also wrote the biography or a biography on the Chief Justice Roberts. And is -- in his opinion on this case, he said he would take a more measured approach. So, what does this ruling mean for his legacy?

BISKUPIC: You know, it's interesting, you point out his concurrence. It's rare that the chief has to be alone on this nine-member court. He had tried to come up with a compromise that would split the difference in some ways, say, yes, the court should uphold this Mississippi ban on abortions after 15 weeks of pregnancy. He wanted to go that far. He wanted to roll back part of Roe in terms of the limit on when government can interfere with woman's choice.

But he did not want to eliminate a woman's choice to end up -- end the pregnancy completely. He didn't think the Court needed to confront the 1973 rent landmark.

And as you say, he wrote, I would take a measured approach, he invoked a judicial maxim that says, we should only decide what is necessary, and it is necessary then not to decide more.

But he had no takers for that middle ground position. And I would say even though he obviously has really lost control of the court in this area of the law, he is still driving the conservative agenda in many other ways, on race, on religion, on campaign finance, on voting rights, and on guns.

The day before this ruling, Fredricka, he was with the conservative supermajority to expand the Second Amendment.

WHITFIELD: All right. Joan, Alexandra, Nadia, thanks to all of you ladies. Appreciate it.

BISKUPIC: Thank you.

All right. For more on all of this, I want to bring in now Dr. Charmaine Yoest. She served as assistant secretary of Health and Human Services for public affairs under President Trump, and is the former president and CEO of Americans United for Life. Dr. Yoest, good to see you. Thank you so much.

[12:10:03]

DR. CHARMAINE YOEST, FORMER ASSISTANT SECRETARY FOR PUBLIC AFFAIRS, HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES: Thanks for having me.

WHITFIELD: So, this is a historic ruling for so many reasons. You have been on the front lines for the fight against abortions for decades now. Your reaction to the Supreme Court decision?

YOEST: Well, I want to pick up on something that Joan was saying that I think is really important, which is that the courts said, they're returning this to the American people. And that's what's really exciting about this, is that this is the best of what America is supposed to be that issues like this that have deeply held opinions on both sides are going to be decided by people, with their closest representatives in a conversation in their own community.

And so, people are waking up this morning, and discovering that they finally have an opportunity to legislate on this issue in a way that reflects their own values. And that's what we've been working for in the pro-life community for decades now.

WHITFIELD: Except this ruling is contrary to what polled American opinion is on Roe v. Wade, that nearly 60 percent of Americans polled say they do want women to have a choice.

YOEST: You know, I'm really glad you bring that up.

(CROSSTALK)

WHITFIELD: 66 percent of that --

YOEST: So, I'm hearing this a lot that this reflects people supporting Roe. But actually when you dig into it, people don't support Roe, when they know what Roe actually meant.

When you look at polling data that ask people if they support common sense regulations on abortion, you get 80 percent support for things like informed consent, parental consent, other kinds of things that protect women's health.

Frankly, women deserve better than abortion. And the other part about data on abortion is that people think of this as being a women's issue, which of course it is.

But they also think of women as being the standard bearers for abortion rights, when in actual fact, women are more pro-life than men are. The pro-life movement has been led by women for decades. And so, I think you're going to see a really invigorated conversation about women and women's place in society. And we welcome that, because I think that's a really good conversation for us to be having.

WHITFIELD: Yes, except the interpretation of many women is that Roe v. Wade allowed for a choice. And taking that away, and now eliminates the choice.

YOEST: You know, I'm so glad you say that, because one of the things that has motivated a lot of us in this movement is this movement has been refreshed by women who came out of having an abortion and saying that they felt abused, that they felt backed into it, that they had no choice. And they tell pollsters that time and time again, that abortion wasn't this thing that they wanted.

It wasn't the baby that was the problem. It was their financial circumstances, their relational circumstances, their professional circumstances. And I would argue to you Fredricka that as women, we deserve better than that. We deserve better than feeling like abortion. That's the lowest common denominator. That's the bottom of the barrel in terms of what we can offer to women in 2022 America. We can do better than that.

WHITFIELD: So, what do you say to women who say they feel they have fewer rights now as a result of this decision, and they deserve to be able to have equal rights?

YOEST: Well, one of the things I don't think people are talking about enough is we're hearing a lot about how, you know, some states are restricting abortion rights.

But Fredricka, actually, as you know, other states are flinging open the door. So, we are going to have a very vibrant conversation moving forward about what common sense abortion regulations looks like.

Yes, that was interesting last nights, we were hearing from our European friends, some of them, you know, saying that this was a bad thing, when in actual fact, when you compare us to many of the NATO states, we actually now are moving in their direction. They still have more restrictive laws than we do.

So, I -- we are finally coming into having a more humane conversation about abortion, when in actual fact, we've been in a situation for decades, where you couldn't legislate any kind of common sense regulations that people do support.

WHITFIELD: What do you see happening in the next few days?

YOEST: I think in the next few days, you know, we are seeing people out there demonstrating, and I am glad that we're hearing some people really emphasizing that this needs to be peaceful protests, because we were really, really concerned.

Since the leaked document, we had dozens and dozens of threats and violence against pro-life organizations like pregnancy care centers that are there to help American women. But you know, having a vibrant conversation that includes demonstrations, that's what we do in America. And so, to the extent that it's peaceful, I think that's a good thing. And we'll see where it goes.

I will say that as we, a lot of people are talking about the midterms coming up. I think that if you see demonstrations that become violent, that go over the top, that's going to backfire. That's not good for the American people and it's not good for that movement.

And I think we'll have very definitely see that backfire in the midterms.

[12:15:01]

WHITFIELD: And how do you see this decision improving American women's lives?

YOEST: Oh, very definitely because we believe that the American women deserve so much better than abortion. And so, coming to a place where we're talking about what does better look like and how can we have better scenario for women where they don't feel backed into a worst case decision? That's a very definite improvement for women.

WHITFIELD: Dr. Charmaine Yoest, thanks so much for being with us.

YOEST: Thank you, Fredricka.

WHITFIELD: All right, the U.S. Supreme Court's decision overturning Roe v. Wade is expected to have major impacts on women's health, and the medical community is strongly reacting to this decision. Countless major institutions issuing statements of concern over patients access to safe medical care.

Here is CNN's Sanjay Gupta.

DR. SANJAY GUPTA, CNN CHIEF MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT (on camera): Well, it's fair to say that they -- public health organizations, medical organizations in this country are pretty much in lockstep regarding their concerns about Roe v. Wade being overturned.

One of the biggest concerns and this is coming from, you know, more than 1,000 deans of public health schools, head of the American Medical Association, head of the American College of Obstetrics and Gynecology, lots of organizations like that. Their biggest concern is just how much of an impact this will have on access to safe care for women.

Now, one of the things that's worth pointing out, and a lot of people don't realize this is that if you look at maternal mortality statistics in the United States now, just as things stand now, one of the wealthiest countries in the world, how do we stack up as compared to other wealthy countries? Take a look.

GUPTA (voice-over): I mean, these are maternal mortality statistics United States is all the way on the right, in orange, it's the highest in terms of overall maternal mortality. This is defined as women who die in and around childbirth.

GUPTA (on camera): So, it's already very significant. And as you might expect, it's disproportionately affects women of color, and women in poverty.

So, one of the reasons these public health organizations are so concerned is because if you look at the models as to what happens if there is an abortion ban, what you find is that those terrible numbers that you just saw go up even further. So, they're going to be up seven percent, they project within the first year, and 21 percent in subsequent years.

Again, on top of already very high, both maternal mortality and morbidity, women having significant illness harm, during and around the time of childbirth. So, that's one of the issues.

Another issue that they raise, in these letters that they've been now circulating for some time, in the anticipation that this might happen, is looking around the world, and seeing that restricting access to legal abortion -- this is from The New England Journal of Medicine.

"Restricting access to legal abortion did not substantially reduce the number of procedures, but did dramatically reduce the number of safe procedures, which then again, increased in the morbidity and mortality around childbirth.

So, this is what we're hearing from the public health community from the medical community. There is still a lot that we don't know in terms of what's going to be allowed. We do know that medical science has advanced a lot, obviously over the last 50 years.

But what that all means going forward in this nation and in particular states. That's the subject of a lot of these letters that are going around now in the public health community.

WHITFIELD: All right. Dr. Sanjay Gupta, thank you so much for that.

All right. Still ahead, after a significant bipartisan breakthrough, President Joe Biden signing into law the first major federal gun safety legislation in decades. That's straight ahead.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[12:22:46]

WHITFIELD: All right. Welcome back. Earlier today, before departing for the G7 summit, President Biden signed the newly passed bipartisan gun bill into law. It marks the first major federal gun safety legislation in decades. It includes $750 million for crisis intervention programs and modest new gun safety measures.

For more, let's bring in CNN's M.J. Lee, who is in Austria, awaiting Biden's arrival at the G7. So, M.J., what more can you tell us about what's in this new bill? And what the president is saying about it?

M.J. LEE, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT (on camera): Yes, you know, this was a significant and meaningful bill for President Biden to sign into law, as you alluded to, getting anything bipartisan and meaningful done on gun control has been so elusive in Washington for such a long time.

And for this president, in particular, he is very familiar with those dynamics. Keep in mind that when he was vice president, he was sort of the point person to get something done on gun control after the Newtown school shooting in 2012. And he remembers very well still to this day, feeling incredibly disappointed when he ended up being empty handed after that exercise.

So, today, in his speech, the president saying this bill will hopefully save a lot of lives. And to be very clear, this is not everything that the president or Democrats or gun control advocates had wanted, in particular, things like an assault weapons ban, or a ban on high capacity magazines or raising the purchase age. Those things were not included.

But in his speech today, the president being celebratory of the things that this bill does accomplish.

Take a listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JOE BIDEN, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: Well, this bill doesn't do everything I want. It does include actions I've long call for that are going to save lives.

It funds crisis intervention, including red flag laws. It keeps guns out of the hands of people who are a danger to themselves and to others, and finally closes what is known as the boyfriend loophole.

So, if you assault your boyfriend or girlfriend, you can't buy a gun or own a gun.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

[12:24:59]

LEE: And Fred, keep in mind, the Uvalde school shooting that killed 19 children and two adults, the president found out about that as he was flying back from his last foreign trip. He was on his way back from Tokyo. And now, today, we saw him leaving for this trip to Europe to attend the G7 and NATO Summit, knowing that Washington had finally taken some action on this issue. Fred.

WHITFIELD: All right, M.J. Lee traveling with the president when the president arrives there in Austria. Thank you so much. And we'll be right back.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WHITFIELD: All right, welcome back. Right now, protesters are gathering once again outside the U.S. Supreme Court following Friday's historic ruling overturning Roe v. Wade. [12:30:05]

WHITFIELD: CNN's Joe Johns is outside the U.S. Supreme Court following Friday's historic ruling, overturning Roe versus Wade, CNN's Joe Johns is outside the Supreme Court. So Joe, what are you seeing?

JOE JOHNS, CNN SENIOR WASHINGTON CORRESPONDENT: Well, Fred, you can see over my shoulder here, and I'll just sort of step out of the way. This is a crowd in front of the Supreme Court right now, as you can see a lot of people but I would say probably much fewer than we saw last night, it was a little bit of confrontational activity to this afternoon.

Frankly, there was a small group, I would say, a pro abortion protesters right down in the middle of this much larger group, I should say, pro-abortion protesters and anti-abortion protesters sort of going at it yelling and screaming at each other and such. But it has been peaceful. That's the other thing that we have to point out. We have not seen any signs of physical confrontation, just verbal confrontation.

Authorities, of course, very ready for this law enforcement understood that we were going to see a decision of one sort or the other from the Supreme Court on abortion. And therefore, they came prepared. They have lots and lots of US Capitol police here as well as the fencing that goes all the way around the Supreme Court to try to keep things safe. That's a story from Washington, D.C., Fred. I'll keep you informed if anything changes.

WHITFIELD: All right, please do. Thanks so much, Joe Johns. Appreciate that.

All right, a CNN poll taken before the Supreme Court's ruling shows only 17 percent of Americans said they'd be happy to see Roe v. Wade overturned. Despite broad public support, 26 states have laws indicating that they intend to ban abortion. In Texas, some patients are going across the border to get the morning after pill.

For more perspective on this, I want to bring in Amy Hagstrom Miller, she is the founder and CEO of Whole Woman's Health. And she's joining me live right now. So Amy, good to see you. How does this ruling impact services that you and your staff generally provide?

AMY HAGSTROM MILLER, FOUNDER & CEO, WHOLE WOMAN'S HEALTH: You know, impacts the services greatly. We have clinics in Texas, and we also have clinics in Minnesota, Virginia, Maryland, and Indiana. And so we're really navigating what feels like two different Americas today, where we've had to cease operations in our four clinics in Texas. And we're preparing for an influx of patients in Minnesota, Maryland, Virginia, and for the time being Indiana.

And it's absolutely nuts. Yesterday, we had all of our clinics in Texas open and we had to stop services, right when this decision came out. And, you know, my staff are there with women looking them in the eyes and having to deny them the care that they need and the care we are willing and able and highly trained to provide. WHITFIELD: And so while this is agonizing them for a lot of your, you know, employees who are having to tell women who've showed up thinking that we're going to get a service and then tell them no, it's not going to happen after all. In addition to that, are your employees feeling scared? Are they feeling intimidated? Do they feel safe?

MILLER: Sure, you know, I was watching this segment before and thinking, you know, wouldn't it be amazing if clinics that provide abortion services had the kind of security protection that they have right now around the Supreme Court. Unfortunately, we have spent decades dealing with protesters and targeting, whether it's in person targeting or whether it's through regulation and intimidation that comes with the power of the government.

Our staff on the ground in Texas are some of the most dedicated, compassionate folks that I've ever met in my life. They are the same people as our patients. They go to the same schools. They shop at the same grocery stores. And they know that banning abortion is not going to stop. Abortions, it's also not going to prevent unplanned pregnancy. And so for months now, because of SB eight in Texas, we have been helping people through our Wayfinder program at Whole Women's Health helping people find their way from Texas when they're denied care to our clinics in other states where we're able to help them travel, help them get the care that they need.

And you know, this is working parents who are navigating childcare, navigating jobs, navigating everything we're all navigating during the pandemic, who are now forced to travel thousands of miles to get a safe and legal abortion in this country.

WHITFIELD: And in addition to this overturning of Roe v. Wade, I wonder how concerned you are about the implications for other reproductive health measures, like contraception or even in vitro fertilization. I believe we did hear, you know, in his concurrence, Justice Thomas, talk about future cases, we should reconsider all the courts substantive due process precedents involving a case that delved into specifically contraception.

[12:35:11]

MILLER: Sure, it's never been only about abortion. This is about freedom. This is about power, autonomy, equality for women. It's about human rights writ large. And so they're going to hone in on all of the areas where we've got freedoms. They're honing in on gay marriage, they're homing in on contraception. And this is all the peace and we have to fight for the freedom and liberty of everybody. No matter where you live, we can't stand for in the United States of America, where we are looked to as a beacon of human rights internationally.

We can't stand for rolling back rights, and over half the states. People are supposed to be able to count on safe legal abortion, access to health care, be able to marry people who they love. This is what our country stands for. And I think some people who haven't necessarily been paying attention to what's been happening over the last couple of decades are shocked. And some of us have been watching this happen. But nonetheless, I

think we need to ban together, these folks who are elected, and the folks who appointed the judges in the Supreme Court, they don't represent the majority of people in this country.

Millions of people have benefited from access to safe abortion in our communities, men, women, families. Our communities are safer because of access to safe abortion. And we need to help people for the interim, get access to safe abortion and travel and migrate to the places where they can get the care. While at the same time we need to show up and fight for what we deserve and what our rights should be in this country.

WHITFIELD: All right, we'll leave it there for now, Amy Hagstrom Miller, good to see you. Thank you so much.

MILLER: Thank you so much Fredricka.

WHITFIELD: All right, coming up, will the Supreme Court decision to overturn Roe v. Wade disproportionately affect communities of color, we'll discuss with the president of the NAACP right after this.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[12:41:41]

WHITFIELD: All right welcome back. More than a dozen states were ready to ban abortion if and when the U.S. Supreme Court reversed Roe v. Wade. And in some of those states, it has already happened. And as more states move to ban abortions, it's likely to disproportionately affect communities of color. Black and Hispanic women make up roughly 59 percent of the people who reported legal abortions in the United States in 2019, according to the Kaiser Family Foundation.

And a report from the CDC found that black women are three times more likely than white women to die from a pregnancy related cause. Derrick Johnson is the president of the NAACP. And he's joining us right now. So good to see you. So what do you see as the immediate effect that will be felt on communities of color?

DERRICK JOHNSON, PRESIDENT, NAACP: Well, the overall erosion of -- in the confidence of the Supreme Court, that is the most immediate effect. And for African Americans, we have to double down with the notion that elections have consequences. This is an outgrowth of the 2016 election. And as we approach this midterm cycle, we have to increase turnout.

Now, unfortunately, we've seen this before, after the Dred Scott decision where you had state split, that led to a civil war. And I'm not suggesting that this will lead to a civil war but we have to be cautious in how we view what the Supreme Court has done and the impact it would have on individuals who will be negatively affected, such as African American women, but women in general.

And then finally, the talk about the erosion of other rights, you know, Justice Thomas talked about, you know, different cases. But is he really wanted to go down that slippery slope, because you have the Virginia versus Loving decision that allowed him to marry his wife, that was about interracial marriage. That's a part of this whole constellation, of strengthening of rights of individuals activities.

WHITFIELD: Except that was one case that he didn't mention. I mean, he admitted that, but he did talk about the Griswold, Lawrence and Obergefell cases, which talk about same sex marriage, same sex relations and contraception. But you're right, that's notable that, if it means looking at all of these cases, precedent, into, you know, the legality of interracial marriages would directly impact him and so many others.

So at a minimum, this Roe v. Wade decision, I mean, this is a health care issue for women. And access to good health care is also at the forefront. And already, major issues for all women, but especially women of color in many states.

So what resources when you hear people who have been advocating against the right to choose, they have talked about there will be so many more resources available to women, if the ability to have an abortion is taken away, and that's what we have right now. What kind of resources do you believe they're talking about? What will be needed?

JOHNSON: Well, I can speak for anyone who's talking about resources and I completely understand the immediate and emotional reaction to this unprecedented decision, because people are concerned. And as we limit access to health care for women and their ability to make choices, we're going to have to really double down on those resources to move someone from a state, the state of Alabama or the state of Mississippi, and get them to a state that respect the rights of women.

[12:45:15]

That's resource intensive. And so I don't know how sustainable that will be. I do know that the elections will have an impact on our ability to select future Supreme Court justices. And we must accelerate individual's political knowledge that this is the long game. The short term reaction is unfortunate. But the long game we must play is embedded in our ability to put policymakers in place to select individuals who are going to serve a life on a Supreme Court.

They've played the long game to undermine this decision. Now, we have to play the long game to ensure that majority of American citizens are represented on a Supreme Court and not a few white men.

WHITFIELD: I would like to shift gears if you allow me to do so. I mean, I think Brittney Griner almost every day and worry about her just like so many Americans every day. And I know she is at the forefront of your consciousness as well. And the NAACP along with dozens of other organizations have signed a letter asking President Biden to make some sort of deal with Russia for the return of this WNBA star in Brittney Griner. She has been detained there since February.

I mean, and it seems like Russia keeps putting up new, you know, moving the goalposts, you know, is making one more delay after another. Have you received any sort of reaction from the White House or State Department about its position on what it can do to win her release?

JOHNSON: We have not received a response. And we also understand the geopolitical landscape is tenuous at this moment. And so how does administration navigate to get her home we are in full support. Now also recognizing that the impact things can happen if the wrong statement is our -- those statements are made. And we draw the wrong conclusions. One thing will relate to the next we are in a domino effect. We want to see her brought home. She has her spouse here who's looking for to come home, she has her fans, her friends, her family.

And this administration, I think should step up their efforts. However, I also understand the geopolitical context in which all of these things are being balanced against.

WHITFIELD: Yes, it's heartbreaking. I think all of us are just so worried about her. I don't know her personally, but my goodness, it's just, you know, it just tugs at the heartstrings of what she and her family are going through. And seemingly unnecessarily, right, totally unnecessary. All right, Derrick Johnson, thank you so much. Appreciate it. And we'll be right back.

[12:47:57]

JOHNSON: Thank you.

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LEBRON JAMES, 4-TIME NBA CHAMPION: Let's use this moment as a call to action for all professional athletes to educate ourselves, explore these issues, speak up, use our influence, and renounce all violence.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE (voice-over): For generations, athletes have used their voices to call for social change. Muhammad Ali, Billie Jean King, and Arthur Ashe are just a few of the sports superstars who became known just as much for their activism as their athletic prowess. LeBron James is one of the many athletes now trying to carry the torch.

JAMES: In the past when we've seen progress, we've let our foot off the gas a little bit. We can do that. You know, we want to continue to keep our foot on the gas, continue to push forward, you know, continue to spread love throughout America.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE (voice-over): After the murder of George Floyd in 2020 a number of NBA players joined Black Lives Matter marches around the country.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: When do we want it?

CROWD: Now. UNIDENTIFIED MALE (voice-over): And when a police officer shot Jacob Blake in Kenosha, Wisconsin, the Milwaukee Bucks refused to take the court in protest. WNBA meanwhile, dedicated its 2020 season to Breonna Taylor and to Say Her Name movement. Four-time Grand Slam champion Naomi Osaka honor the victims of police and racial violence during her 2020 U.S. Open run.

NAOMI OSAKA, 4-TIME GRAND SLAM CHAMPION: I just felt like it was important to hopefully use my platform for something good.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE (voice-over): Osaka also using her platform to speak up for those who deal with mental health issues, letting it be known. It's OK to not be OK. Even stepping away from the French Open in 2021 to take time off. The tennis great also pleaded for change after the mass shooting in Uvalde, Texas, along with Coco Gauff who wrote on the camera at the French Open after a match, peace in the gun violence.

STEVE KERR, GOLDEN STATE WARRIORS HEAD COACH: When are we going to do something?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE (voice-over): Golden State Warriors Coach Steve Kerr, who lost his dad to gun violence gave a passionate speech after the Uvalde shooting directly challenging the Senate to pass H.R. 8, which would expand background checks on all commercial gun sales.

KERR: They won't vote on it because they want to hold on to their own power. It's pathetic. I've had enough.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE (voice-over): Over the past decade arguably no athlete has taken a bigger stand than Colin Kaepernick. The former 49ers quarterback started a movement kneeling during the national anthem to protest racial injustice and police brutality.

COLIN KAEPERNICK, FORMER SAN FRANCISCO 49ERS QUARTERBACK: I'm seeing things happen to people that don't have a voice. People that don't have a platform to do talk and have their voices heard and affect change so I'm in a position where I can do that and I'm going to do that for people that can't.

[12:55:08]

UNIDENTIFIED MALE (voice-over): Sports stars in 2022 are followed by millions of fans across social media. Their reach has never been greater. Neither has the criticism. But from LeBron to Osaka to Kaepernick, they continue to use their platforms to fight for social change.

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WHITFIELD: Oh, and another athlete who use the power of his racket and voice Citizen Ashe, Arthur Ashe. It's a new CNN film, Citizen Ashe when it premieres tomorrow at 9:00 p.m. on CNN, you need to be watching.

And for more than 15 years, CNN Heroes has been honoring everyday people changing the world. But this Saturday we'll take a look at some not so everyday people making a real difference. Erin Burnett sat down with Ukrainian-born actress Mila Kunis, who created a wildly popular GoFundMe campaign that has raised millions to support Ukrainians fleeing the war.

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ERIN BURNETT, CNN ANCHOR (voice-over): The effort caught the attention of Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, who reached out to Kunis and Kutcher for a video call.

MILA KUNIS, AMERICAN ACTRESS: It was very, very smart. There was no chitchat. It was literally get down to business, like who do you know that can assist with this? Who do you know that can help with this? Can you call this person? Can you get this person?

Can you connect this to these people? And I was super fortunate where I feel like our Rolodex is really fat. And that is probably one of our greatest superpowers is we can get a lot of people on the phone.

BURNETT (voice-over): The couple met Zelenskyy and his wife a few years earlier in Kyiv and left that meeting believers in Ukraine's new leader.

KUNIS: Sometimes you meet a magical unicorn and you go I hope that you succeed because your normal nice human being who has the best intent.

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WHITFIELD: All right, find out more about Mila's efforts along with the efforts of Sean Penn, Glenn Close, Chef Jose Andres, and more tonight when CNN Heroes salutes premieres at 10:00 p.m. Eastern Time.

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