So we're talking on Thursday, October 28th at 11.10 a.m.

So what are we talking about today?

Well, let's start with an update in the Texas abortion case.

Oh, yeah, absolutely.

Remember that in May, SB8 was signed into law, and the law is like a lot of other restrictive abortion laws because it bans nearly every abortion, but this one had a novel twist because usually the state is responsible for

enforcing abortion laws but with SB8 the law is written so that private

individuals not the state of Texas, enforce the law.

So that means that ordinary people get to sue, and they get to sue not just people who provide

abortions, but anybody who helps the pregnant woman obtain one.

Now that presents a huge challenge.

Usually when you have a law like this you can bring a lawsuit even before

enforcement by suing the government official who's responsible for enforcing the law.

Not so here.

So what's happened is that a group of abortion providers in Texas tried a different approach.

They sued judges and court clerks in the state, as well as a private person who's threatened

to bring a lawsuit under SBA.

That's an unusual tactic, but it's an unusual law.

And the federal government has also stepped in and sued Texas.

We want to go now to Attorney General, Merrick-

Last week after the Supreme Court allowed Texas Senate Bill 8 to take effect.

I said that the Justice Department was evaluating all options to protect the constitutional rights of women and other persons.

Today, after a careful assessment of the facts and the law,

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