Another abortion challenge for John Roberts and the Supreme Court
CNN
This is a crucial time for the reconstituted Supreme Court under Chief Justice John Roberts, a bench still finding its bearings, seeing public approval drop and facing new scrutiny over its operations and lack of transparency.
The Department of Justice on Monday asked the court to halt a near-total ban on abortion in Texas. The justices' prior action in a related case permitted the prohibition to take effect seven weeks ago in the country's second more populous state.
The future of Roe v. Wade, the 1973 decision that made abortion legal nationwide, hangs in the balance. And the institutional stakes are equally significant. The conflict at this stage of the Texas litigation hinges on the role of the federal judiciary -- including the high court nine -- to vindicate constitutional rights.