If they want one. And that right cant be infringed even if politicians and individual states feel different. After that ruling in 1973, the very first Abortion Clinic to open its doors in the great State Of Texas was a clinic in the city of mcallen. Mcallen is a small city on the very southern tip of texas, right on the border with mexico. The first Abortion Clinic in texas opened there in 1973, and it served women in the valley, in that part of texas for decades. Even as anti abortion republicans started to cement their control of the government in texas, and year after year they devised ever more creative and draconian ways to make abortion as hard and thats dangerous to get as possible in texas, that clinic in mcallen kept going. And republicans really did keep passing more and more restrictive laws making it more impossible for clinics to stay open, making it more impossible for doctors to keep providing that service in recent years. Texas republicans passed new Abortion Restrictions regularly, at least every two years with every new session of the republican dominated state legislature. And as a result of those restrictions, every couple of years, more clinics in texas would close. By The End of 2013, so 40 years after row, that one clinic in Mcallen Texas was the last and only Abortion Clinic serving the entire Rio Grande Valley in texas. And i single out 2013 because, thanks to the round of new restrictions that were enacted by texas republican that year in 2013, that Mcallen Clinic finally after withstanding 40 years of restrictions, that Mcallen Clinic was no longer able to perform abortions. And so, thanks to that 2013 law passed by Texas Republicans, the Rio Grande Valley, an area the size of connecticut with 1 Million americans in it have no Abortion Providers at all, that 2013 anti Abortion Law in texas was one that prompted, a political effort that got a lot of national attention at the time, it was an 11hour Standing Filibuster from Texas Democratic State Senator wendy davis, without one Woman Filibuster she managed to block that 2013 anti Abortion Bill for a short time but ultimately, Texas Republicans passed it, it was the most sweeping Restriction Access on Abortion Clinics. After that happened, seeing what effect that was having on clinics all over the beleaguered State Of Texas we sent a producer down to mcallen, that to the clinic, the last clinic serving that whole vast area of texas, after it was blocked from performing abortions. What youve seen with this cumulative restriction, is in 2011 there were 44 facilities in texas providing abortions, in October Of 2013 there were 34, so they signed the bill, there was a reduction. In november in 2013, when it was in effect it went down to 22, right . Which is where were at right now. Were also seeing more and more women take matters into their own hands, and this has been very well publicized people go over the border, they take medication to self induced abortion. And so, itll come to us after us for an ultrasound to see if there is still pregnant. Sometimes theyll be actively bleeding and so we will refer them somewhere where they can get a dnc. So we saw an increase of selfinduction in 2012, at The End of 2012. And then weve seen an even greater increase right now. Its very much like prerow. This is the conundrum that actual is just maddening right now, the law didnt do anything to prevent the need to abortion, right . So we didnt change the amount of women who are going to need the service, we just blocked their access to getting it safely, right . So it is obvious were going to have a public Health Problem on our hands, right . The law did not do anything to prevent the need for abortion, we didnt change the amount of women who are going to need the service, we just blocked their access to getting it safely. That was a situation that was seven years ago, march 2014, that clinic and Mcallen Texas, that had stood for 40 years. The founder of hold Womens Health, but she was telling us, is that that Clinic She Ran, The One that had been operating for decades, the very first clinic to open after roe v. Wade, it was shutting down, because of those restrictions passed in 2013 by the texas republican dominated legislature, she was being forced to close the door of that clinic. When we spoke to her in 2014, as she said, as of 2011 there have been 44 facilities in texas providing abortion, by 2014 it wasnt 44 anymore it was half that, there were 22 clinics still operating in texas. She told us that she was in the Process Of Closing Two of the via Clinic She Ran including that one in mcallen. By The End of the year, by The End 2014, in the great State Of Texas, a state of 30 Million people, by The End of 2014 there were only eight clinics left in all of texas providing abortions. Cant say you didnt see this coming. Right . Texas has been at the forefront of this for a long time. Wherever the anti Abortion Movement is going in this country, you can be sure that texas will get their first, passing you and inventive ways to block women from accessing abortion. The feeling of the court, seeing what could pass, tweaking the laws, try and again, and that has been a two decade long, longer than that, a rollercoaster of Health Care providers in texas at that point. Clinics getting Shut Down for weeks or months and then a Court Stepson in blocks whatever new texas republican law had led to that Shut Down, and then thanks to that Court Ruling locking that new laws and they can reopen, but with the uncertainty that when is it going to happen again, when people to come up with some new way to shut us down . In texas, providers are handed scripts that they have to read, Scripts Written By republican legislatures that they are required by law to read to patients even if the doctor disagrees with them and thinks theyre giving the patient inaccurate information. Patients are forced to undergo a sonic round whether they want to or not, whether its medically necessary or not, they must do it. A simple and safe procedure is turned bylaw into a two or three day or more than that odyssey for both providers and patients, with new arcane deliberate expensive Procedures Mandate by the state governor. And sometimes, those burdens of requirement or struck down by the courts and providers and women who want the service get some relief, sometimes that happens. In fact, that is what happens that 2013 Texas Law, that brought texas from 44 clinics down to eight, that law that Shut Down all of these texas clinic, that draconian restrictions when they pass in 2013, it got struck down, united say supreme court struck down, it took three years. But those restrictions were ultimately blocked by the highest court in the land. She has talked to us many time about the heartbreak of having to turn people away. Well today, at the united states of Cream Court she definitively won her case. Thank you very much for being with us tonight, congratulations for being with us tonight. Thank you, i have been looking for the day that i would be able to talk to you about this for many years. Tell me what this means for your organization, what does your future look like . This is fantastic. On so many levels its a win. It shows that when you stand up to bully politicians that you can win that you can stand up to a government as powerful as the State Of Texas and we have illustrated the harm and the burden that this law put forward and we got relief not only for women in texas before many states across the country. That was june 2016, three years after that draconian Texas Law had gone into effect The One that was filibustered by wendy davis, The One that shuts that clinic in mcallen and shuttered so many other clinics in the state. The one that left texas with only eight clinics for a state of 30 Million people, it passed along 2013, three years later in 2016, the supreme court struck down most of that law was a five three decision in the supreme court. They ruled that the premise of that law, that it would protect Womens Health by denying Them Access To Abortion The Supreme Court ruled that premise was a sham. Justice Stephen Breyer broke the majority opinion, he said in part in that opinion, quote, we have found nothing in texas S Record of evidence that shows that the new law advanced texas legitimate interest in protecting Womens Health. Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg wrote a short concurrence of her own in which she said quote, laws like hp to, the Lawn Texas at the time, laws like this that do little or nothing for health but rathers true impediments to abortion, cannot survive judicial inspection. Thanks to the united states supreme Court Ruling in 2016, a bunch of texas Abortion Clinics were able to stay open or even reopen after been shut, i can tell you that the hold Womens Health clinic in Mcallens Clinic has reopen, and it is Offering Services right now, today. Even in that day, 2016, when we talk to miss Amy Hagstrom Miller, and you could hear the elation with that win for her, even on that day when the supreme court issued that definitive ruling which was such a victory for reproductive rights advocates and for the women who want that service in texas, and for the providers who are willing to provided to them, even that day there were ominous signs looming i mentioned that there was a five three decision, five plus threes eight, arent there are nine justices in the supreme court . In this case, there were eight because justice scalia had died just a few months before. And there was nobody on the court yet filling his seat, because republicans in the united States Senate were at that point months into their unprecedented blockade of president incidents obama merrick garland. Republicans decided that they would keep that supreme Court Seat vacant in the hopes that a republican president would win the president ial election in 2016, some republicans said if a republican didnt win the election 2016 they might just keep that seat on the court vacant another few years anyway, however many years it took to get a republican in the White House without a republican Appointed Judge would hold that seat, because they would do anything, they would break any rule or nor or precedent to get a conservative republican appointed justice in that vacancy it. And honestly, to get an anti Abortion Justice into that vacant seat. And of course, they didnt have to hold that Seat Open for more than a year, Donald Trump won the election in 2016 and they let him fill that seat that he had held open for a year as to deny president obama the right to fill it. Gorsuch got his seat, and trump replace anthony kennedy. Then in the final months of trumps presidency, he replaced another one of those five justices, filling the seat of the late Ruth Bader Ginsburg, The One who had written that laws like The One in texas cannot survive judicial inspection. And i dont Want Trump receded to fill the supreme court with extremely conservative antiAbortion Justices, after he had explicitly promise that he would only appoint justices who would overturn roe v. Wade, Abortion Providers and activists and even just concerned observers could see what was happening, people who are raising the alarm that roe v. Wade was in eminent danger. The right to legal abortion in this country was coming under threat, some people didnt believe it or said that they didnt believe it. Republican senators like Susan Collins and Lisa Murkowski said that they were short, they were convinced, that all these Trump Nominees to the supreme court certainly recognized roe v. Wade a, settled precedent, they would never mess with that, lets not beat mellow dramatically, collaboration is safest in this country in a permanent way. Here we are. If youve ever wondered where youd be and what youd be doing, and what it would be like for you when roe v. Wade came to an end in america, and abortion started to be banned in america, well, wherever you were today, and whatever you are doing today, and whatever it was like for you today, that is your answer. Id like to take a moment to share with you with the final hours of legal Abortion Care looks like in texas Last Night. Oh whole Womans Health had Staff And Physician providing abortions in texas until 11 56, is the time we stop our last abortion in fourth work Last Night are, Waiting Rooms were filled with patients and their Loved Ones in all four of our clinics yesterday. We had a physician who had worked with us for decades in tears as he tried to complete the abortions for all the folks who were waiting in the Fort Worth Waiting Room. Marvelous adler who is a plaintiff in this case and our director of clinical services in texas was onside, also in forth worth. , working with our physicians to see every single patient, she called me a 10 pm with 27 patients left in the Waiting Room and both she and dr. Were crying and just asking me what can we do, how can we be sure that we can see all these folks, keep in mind the antiabortion protesters were outside this entire time, from the moment we opened that eight until we closed at midnight, and once it got dark they got giant shining lights and shine the lights on the parking lots. We were under surveillance. This is not abstract. This is real for our team. Amy Hagstrom Miller of whole Womens Health describing which she says is the last hour of legal abortion in texas. They provide services to patients until 11 56 pm, when the law went into effect in midnight. As of midnight, Last Night, roe v. Wade is now a dead letter, its in operable in the State Of Texas at least, hold Womens Health is along the Texas Reproductive Health advocates who pleaded to issue an injunction Last Night to stop this new law from taking effect, this new Texas Law that makes abortion effectively illegal, but the supreme court just didnt respond, they did nothing. They sat silent and let the ban go into effect and in so doing, as of right now, theyve essentially led the protection of roe v. Wade come to an end. The law in effect in texas right now bans abortion after about six weeks, most women dont know if they are pregnant, something like 85 of abortions take place after six weeks, so this of abortions. There is no exception for rape or in says, youve probably seen that today in reading or seen the news, with that means is a stark thing. It means a woman, who is forcibly impregnated by a rapist, that woman will be forced to bear the Rapists Child against her will. Because conservatives like small government and freedom. The thing that really sets islam apart. The thing that is actually designed to make it difficult to challenge in court, is this sort of dystopian innovation, that may be only the State Of Texas could come up with. Since theyve been working for 20 years to find unconstitutional work around to make abortion expensive unnecessarily dangerous and unnecessarily hard to get. They created this weird vigilante system. Where anybody in the Country Anybody anywhere has standing automatically to sue anybody in texas who abets a woman getting an abortion. They can use texas courts to sue, not only a doctor who does an Abortion But Anybody who works in any capacity at a clinic where an abortion is provided. Anybody who drives you to a clinic, including a Taxi Driver or an uber driver. A Rape Counselor who advises you on your options. Religious advisor. Priest. Somebody in your faith who talks with you about your decision. Anybody who loaned you money for the procedure. Somebody who gives you a place to sleep in town. In the time where your appointment is. If the clinic is far away far away from your home and you have to travel for. The way the law is written, a random person anywhere in the country, with no connection to your abortion, and having shown no injury from you having had an abortion, that person, can sue anybody, who not only assisted, abetted, youre getting the abortion, they can even sue somebody for intending to help someone get an abortion. Intent is enough. So it is that mean . If you think good thoughts about a Womans Chance of getting an abortion, youre in the bullseye, because you intend to maybe help or even if you dont . Thats the way this lies enforced. Its civil enforcement. They designed it this way to evade the federal court system. Which would otherwise find that this is obviously unconstitutional under the protections of roe v. Wade. It doesnt just encourage people to hunt down ensue everybody around them, it also pays them to do it. If a person again, any random person anywhere in the country, brings one of these lawsuits, and they win one of these lawsuits, again it could be against the rubber driver, the court in texas, will hit the person who is sued, with a 10,000 dollar penalty. That they have to pay to the random person who sued them. Plus that persons legal fees that they have to pay. It turns every antiabortion zealots into a bounty hunter. For them its a risk free, get rich quick scheme. For hunting women, in texas. And anybody who dares help them. And if a Doctor Or Clinic employees the person who gets stewed, the state gets to use that is all the pretext they need to immediately shut that clinic down. Shining Bright Lights into their clinic Last Night, describing her staff as being under surveillance. Thats because, as of midnight last, Night Antiabortion protesters no longer have to settle to just protesting intimidating people. They are empowered by the State Of Texas, now to seek out lawbreakers, and take them to court, and get paid ten grand for if they succeed. And not have to pay anything if they dont. Today the Editorial Board of the Austin American statements, warned that texans should be freaked out by this law, regardless of their views on abortion. The american statements writing quote, the intimidation is the point. Facing the prospect of costly an endless litigation, Abortion Providers and others to help women with this difficult decision, will likely stand down. Making abortion inaccessible, for about 85 of the women seeking care. Well Abortion Foes may be just fine with that outcome, we should all worry about the legal blueprint that gets us here. Unable to outlaw a procedure that the courts have said is constitutionally protected, Texas Lawmakers have instead block laws to that procedure, by encouraging people to sue Each Other into oblivion. The latest beyond his private citizens an extraordinary power to accomplish through extortion. The shuddering of abortion services, the lawmakers could not under the constitution Shut Down themselves. Such a corruption of the law, should an nerve every texan. Indeed, most texans are not even in favor of the kind of drift against Abortion Laws that theyve been experiencing over the past couple of decades. Let alone the current essentially total ban that is now in effect. University of texas poll, of texas residents from just the spring, said that something like a third, less than a third of texas residents wanted their martialized to be more strict. It doesnt matter though. Theyve done it anyway. And the u. S. Supreme courts continued silence on this law in texas, is unnerving for texans right now, but its unnerving for everybody. Americans have been bracing for the trump fide conservative supreme court, to take up and presumably overturn roe v. Wade, but what we were expecting was a big case right. A big national debate. We thought it would be that mississippi case, they agreed to hear this fall this likely. That would mean oral arguments, and reporters, and a ruling, and dissents, in an explanation. Instead they just said nothing. And let texas have their way. With Texas Women. As if constitutional rights here, just are not implicated. Is this really how it ends . Texas effectively outlaws abortion, and the supreme court just says, nothing. Let this stand. Joining us now is amy extra miller, the Founder And Ceo of an independent Membership Or Fighter with clinics in five states, including texas. Miss miller i know you have not slept, i know this is an incredibly intense time, thank you for being with us tonight. Thank you so much for your thorough coverage. I really appreciate it. Let me ask, i know that youve said today that your clinics, are all in compliance, with the law. What does that mean. What can you still do for your patience . So today has been a rough day. All four of our texas clinics are open, we can provide abortions only until the points of embryonic cardiac, which is about six weeks. We are providing ultrasounds for folks, and providing counsel, the vast majority of people that come into our clinics today, have had to be denied. Abortion care services. As you covered, the vast majority of people dont know when theyre pregnant before six weeks, and dont Access Abortion in the State Of Texas with all the abortion with all the restrictions you described, there arent even able to get to the clinics before six weeks of pregnancy, we did have folks come, in we were providing ultrasounds and support. We had 55 patients on the schedule in Fort Worth and only five patients were able to be seen under the new restrictions in texas. What do you think is going to happen in the short term, i think about the 50 of those 55 patients you just mentioned that had appointments in Fort Worth . For those who are able or those who may not be personally able but maybe helps, will their effectively become some sort of pipeline that tries to move Texas Women into other states where their rights are protected since in texas they Cant Access the service . So, rachel, unfortunately, this is not the first time we have Experience And Abortion ban in the State Of Texas. As you describe what happened to hb2 in 2013 2014. And last year, Governor Abbott issued an Executive Order that banned abortion for more than three weeks. What we see is the vast majority of people being forced to carry a pregnancy against their will. Most People Cant Travel outside of texas. Our patients are primarily patients parents, excuse me already. Almost 70 of our patients are parenting, they have multiple jobs, theyre juggling schools, theyre juggling childcare, especially in the context of this pandemic, making a decision to travel out of state has multiple risks. So what weve seen in the past is most people try to figure out how to make it work, wondering if they will be able to knock the lock down, if will reopen, asking to keep them on a call list, people will call immediately if we get an injunction. Its nuts, right . And then some people able to travel out of state and there are some incredible organizing happening all across the State Of Texas, all across the country, trying to raise money for Abortion Funds to support people, practical Support Networks to support people who are able to travel out of state for care. And then, another group of our patients are likely to try to self manage our abortion, to take matters into their own hands and to try to care for themselves as pregnant people have done for centuries, prior to the legalization of abortion in this country. Honestly, you know what option has the state left people . These are the kinds of things that we are talking to patients about, that we are hearing from our patients, another thing i just want to point out is that our staff are being forced to be agents of the state here. Our staff in the folks who are put in the position of informing the public of this law and enforcing this law, and they are looking right into the eyes of these women, and these pregnant folks as they do this, and seeing their anguish and their pain, and this is a staff that is there because they want to help people. They are highly trained medical professionals who are at the ready to provide this service, and today, they are not allowed to. Yet, they have to deliver this news and sit with people as they reckon with being denied abortion and try to figure out what the next steps are going to be. Amy Hagstrom Miller is the Founder And Ceo of whole Womens Health which is an independent Abortion Provider in the State Of Texas. Amy, we dont know when were gonna hear from the supreme court or what we will hear from them, we dont know what is going to be the short term, and medium Term Dispensation of this law, when things as things develop, we would like to have you back to keep us informed of what is going on in the ground. We would love to have you back in the coming days. Thank you so much, rachel. I appreciate. It all right, as mix Amy Hagstrom Miller mentioned there, she describes some incredible organizing happening in texas and around the country. Raising money for Abortion Funds and for practical support for women who may have to now leave the gigantic State Of Texas if they are able to get Abortion Care. There is a lot more to that side of the story. Work to try to get over under and around this ban and all the others like it that are sure to follow and very quick succession, from people running underground Abortion Access pipelines, to the folks arranging transportation and practical support for women trying to get across State Lines if needs be. The Activists Side of this, theyve been preparing for this for a long time, some of what they have been preparing to do is now, as of today, in effect. That part of the story is going to blow your mind, and we have more on that ahead. Stay with us. Stay with us and you need it here. And here. And here. Which is why the scientific expertise that helps Operating Rooms stay clean is now helping the places you go every day too. Seek a commitment to clean. Look for the Ecolab Science certified seal. Introducing Aleve X. Its fast, powerful longlasting relief with a revolutionary, rollerball design. Because with the right pain reliever. Life opens up. Aleve it, and see whats possible. Every single day, were all getting a little bit better. Were better cooks. Better neighbors. Hi. Ive got this until you get back. Better parents. And better friends. No no thats why comcast works around the clock constantly improving americas largest gigspeed broadband network. And just doubled the capacity here. How do things look on your end . Perfect even before today, a big chunk because were building a better network every single day. Of texas would essentially a desert when it came to being able to safely access legal abortion services. Particularly for west texans, people in the panhandle, up north of the nearest Abortion Clinic could be 250 miles from where you live, that means of four or five Hour Drive if you have a car. Maybe a Bus Ticket maybe a Plane Ticket taking off work renting a hotel room, childcare. Texas republicans in their infinite wisdoms also made sure Procedures Cant just happen in one day, they have to be a multi day affair. So they have to be a multiple cause to come for that as well. Theres an organization in texas that was founded specifically to overcome that deliberately hurdle, put in the face, in the way of women trying to Access Abortions. Its called fund texas choice. One of their employees, described it in 2016 interview is saying, im an abortion travel agent. They dont pay for abortions themselves, theyre paying for women to get where they need to to get, in order to access the service. She talked about wiring women gas money, wiring it because even though theres lots of no electronic payment. You talk about booking flights, booking Bus Tickets, hotel rooms, regularly studying Greyhound Bus routes and book marking airline schedules. For years now, Fun Texas choices done that kind of very granular personal logistical work, to help Texas Women get to where they need to go. Actually get to the few places in that state where they can still exercise their constitutional right to get an abortion if they needed one. Up until now, only about 30 of the clients, have Fun Texas choice, needed to leave the State Of Texas in order to get an abortion. As of today, with the United States Supreme Corps allowing texas to effectively ban the procedure in the, state the number is likely to go way way up. And of course, people who work for organizations like, this people who help women who are seeking the service, they are in the absolute, bullseye in terms of who this new law targets, essentially offers a 10,000dollar bounty to anybody in the country, who wants to try to sue somebody who helps a woman Access Abortion services, in the State Of Texas. If they end up getting an abortion passed six weeks of gestation. In other words, the hurdles the organizations like this have to overcome, just got 1000 times higher overnight, while they are 1000 times more needed than ever. Joining us now is a pro Executive Director of fund texas choice, i really appreciate you being here tonight, i know this is a difficult time. Hello. What do you think will happen . With this new law going into Effect Today . What will that affect in terms of your organizations work . We are here. Were not leaving. The message is clear. Were going to continue fighting and were going to continue doing the work. But to be fair, the impact of this law, israel. And weve already felt it today. We had a Client Cry with our program coordinator, because yesterday she went in for her sign a, graham there was no cardiac fetal activity, and today there was. And she had to wait 24 hours, because of these restrictive laws in texas, and so today she was told she cant get her abortion. And now she needs time to process that. Were going to be, here were supporting her getting to her Clinic Appointment yesterday, getting there today, and we will support her wherever she needs to, go when she decides, that she needs to get an abortion, and works with the clinic to do so. The way this law is structured, weve all sort of become fast many experts on the way that Texas Republicans devised this, so as to avoid, whats happened all the other abortion bans theyve tried to pass. And other republican states have passed. Trying to avoid federal court scrutiny. And that seems to have worked, at least in the short run. So the supreme court allowed this to go into effect. Understanding, now it legally worked. In order to evade Core Scrutiny and avoid the protections of row. The other side, about the practical side of, it is people who work to facilitate Texas Women, getting to their, appointments getting to the clinic, getting to a place where they can Access Abortion services, the way this law is structured, it puts a bullseye on you guys, and on everybody who helps in anyway. It makes you the targets of civil suits, which will effectively be the way that this lies imposed. How do you contend with that . Weve done a lot of thinking every since it was passed, and weve talked to lawyers, we have regular selves, and our understanding is, if You Aiden about someone getting an abortion in texas, that is where you are implicated. So we intend to comply with the law. It doesnt mean Someone Cant sue us, if we help someone get across State Lines, no, but we do believe that we are going to win this fight long term. And we do believe that the work needs to be done. Here, it may be that we get sued, but we will continue fighting. We will continue being there for our clients, and making sure that they know that texans can get access, even if it means they have to leave texas. And even though there is a possibility of lawsuits against us. Because the reality is, they want to intimidate us, and we are here to say that we will not be intimidated, and we will continue to fight so long as we can. A big picture here. People looking at this across the country right now, i think the assumption is, if this works in texas, its worked for day one, that other republican states will very quickly pass other laws like, this and it may be neighboring states to texas as well. Is what youre expecting to happen as long as this holds. That essentially its going to become, maybe a nationally funded effort, To Spirit Women Out of states in which abortion is illegal. Effectively illegal, like in texas, to have private donors around the country, fund women leaving, and going to states where their rights are still protected . It sounds like that. I feel like, i have imagined the movie about this. I never imagined it would be my lifetime. Just speaking from today, weve seen an increase in private donations, an anonymous donations, and i think thats going to happen, i think folks are going to see this is a problem, and theyre going to work to make sure, that pregnant folks can leave the state. So they can get access. I dont think that thats not a reality. I think the reality is, and can i see it happening across the entire south yes. And thats whats scary right. We could see this effectively ending abortion all across the south. Luckily theres organizations, in texas that are doing the work, the grassroots work on the ground. But theres also organizations like us that exist all across the nation. That are here to support pregnant folks, regardless of where they live. And regardless of what they make. Just to make sure that they can access the care they need. And that its safe and equitable. The coExecutive Director of fund texas choice. Which find itself and remarkable crosshairs tonight. Thank you for helping us understand. And please stay in touch with us in the days ahead. This will be a wild ride. Thank you. Thank you. We have more ahead tonight. Stay with us. Ore ahead tonight. Stay with us so im like, screw it. Lets talk manifesting. Lets talk chakras. Lets Talk Self healing my way through the 12th house. woman in van set your intentions. Man Sitting crystals up. woman full moon bath ritual. Cleanse and find your magic. Let it go huh, huh Let It Go word, word, 88 Let It Go Let It Go [narrator] this is steve. He used to have Gum Problems. Now, he uses therabreath healthy gums oral rinse with clinicallyproven ingredients and his Gum Problems have vanished. Crowd Applauding therabreath, its a better mouthwash. At walmart, target and other fine stores. What makes new Salonpas Arthritis Gel so good for Arthritis Pain . Salonpas contains the most prescribed topical pain relief ingredient. Its clinically proven, reduces inflammation and comes in original prescription strength. Salonpas. Its good medicine. [relaxed summer themed music playing] summer is a state of mind, you can visit anytime. Savor your summer with lincoln. The two biggest cities in louisiana, Baton Rouge and new orleans, directly between them lies saintjean the Baptist Parish. The largest city in that parishes the city of la paz. Population 29,000. And you can see on this map here, you can see how how were talking about here is squeezed between Lake Pontchartrain in the mississippi river, but this isnt out at The Ends of the worth. Its not far flung america, its roughly 15 miles from the international airport in new orleans, its only about a 40minute Drive from tulane university. But look plus, and the entirety of saint john the baptist pair fish, have been describing Laplace Laplace as a town destroyed by ida. Roughly 800 people have been rescued so far, that accounts for 80 of all the Rescue Statewide and louisiana. Theyre under ten feet of water in some places, in st. John. And you may have heard that roughly 11,000 homes and businesses got their power restored today in new orleans. Thats true, thats good, but nearly 1 Million homes and businesses still dont have power. Including the entirety of that perished. The president said today that it could be over a month until the electricity comes back on. The majority of the parish, remains without running water, theres a Boil Rod or revise worry if you can get water. The parish remains under a curfew from 7 pm to 8 am, the situation in laplace him saintjean the Baptist Parish really is just dire, and it doesnt look like its getting better, soon. Its not just Power And Water and Cell Phone Service thats a, problem its also emergency services, heres the headline from nbc quote, Trapped Residents in laplace louisiana, plead for aid, please help me. People are being told they cant be rescued for several hours. The sheriff of st. John parish did not mix words, when he addressed the people who might be considering trying to take advantage of the situation. For the criminal element, if you decide to come to st. John parish, my jail is empty. And youre gonna be in there by yourself. Were not having it. Let me say this again 911 connections are very scarce, and very hard to come by. Most of the Residents Cannot call us. Which means theyre probably gonna take matters into their own hands. You may be The One needing 911. My jail is empty. You come here, two is basically what hes saying, you may be The One meeting 911. He went on to caution local residents have been contractor fraud. In addition to caution the criminal element of not coming to st. John Parish Right now. Again, the damage across the whole State Of Louisiana is bad. But saintjean the Baptist Parish remains largely under a significant amount of water even right. Now the president of the parishes going to join us live here next. S live here next. Five blades and a Pivoting Flexball designed to get virtually every hair on the first stroke. So youre ready for the day with a fresh face for a fresh start. For a limited time get a 5th Cartridge free. We are the next. The next generation of visionaries. Rule breakers. Game changers. And world beaters. We were built to perform on the biggest stages. But we certainly arent here to do whats been done before. And neither are we. At Palo Alto networks, we are ready to secure our digital future. As companies innovate to transform, we innovate to outpace cyberthreats. So you can embrace technology with confidence and make the next day safer than The One before. 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Thats according to Paris President , who sounded the alarm at that Press Conference yesterday, how are things in the Parish Tonight . Joining us now is jacqueline, she is the president of saintjean the Baptist Parish. President , i really appreciate you making time is such a difficult difficult time for your parish. Thanks for being here tonight. Thank you rachel for having me. Can you give us an update on this situation, in your parish, and with your residents right now . Yes. As you mentioned, it is a dire situation for our entire parish. Right now we do have a little bit of good news, that our Utilities Department has been able to slowly restore water, in some parts of the parish. We are under a Water Advisory however, id like to let residents know that you will see the Pressure Build a little bits. And then you may lose a little bit. While we get all of our infrastructure up and running. We have set up a point of distribution sites, on both sides of a river, where we have been distributing ice, and memories and water to our residents. Over 1300 groupings, of those items. We also have fema that is going to begin going into our neighborhoods, because we have been seriously challenged with communication. So individuals are not able to register for assistance. The American Red Cross is mobilizing 60 feeding sites, in the various neighborhoods. That have been affected. And so we are really seeing things ramp up very quickly, and its only bent about 72 hours since the category four storm, made landfall, and state over st. John parish for almost eight hours. So were really hopeful, and were moving along. How habited is the Parish Right now . How many people do you expect, evacuated . Either before or god forbid trying to get out during the storm. How many people are in communities right now . Is there concern that people may still need 72 hours, later may still need rescuing . From anywhere inside the parish . Weve had our sheriffs office, or fire department, and the national guard, in all of our neighborhood, rescuing people that needed to be rescued. And even some people, once the conditions became so uncomfortable, there is no electricity, and no water, and obviously its very hot and soft louisiana, residents continue to as to be rescued at that point. Even though it was just rescuing from that uncomfortable situation. I dont have a good feel and how many individuals or residents we still have in the parish, because we are still continuing to do Damage Assessments. There were so many down, trees, and power lines. The full Damage Assessments have been a little difficult. But we do have some residents, ive seen already, gutting out their homes, putting tarps on their roofs, so theyre looking forward to getting back, and building back, and that is very reassuring. Last night around this time, we spoke with the, Jefferson Parish Director emergency management, and he told us a lot of the same things. That you are describing right now, but he said in pretty stark, terms as far as he is concerned, jefferson parish, much of it is uninhabitable right now. And that while people want to get back, the devastation is so considerable, that its going to take a long time. And a lot of resources, before anybody can start thinking about restoration, and rebuilding. I just have to put that to you in those same terms, do you feel like in saintjean the baptist Parish Right, now you are essentially in those same circumstances . Or do you feel like you might be any better along . No, were in those same circumstances. The biggest issue is electricity. And ive met with our energy representatives, all of our substations, in st. John parish, have been damaged. And so, before we can even begin to see electricity brought to homes, every substation has to be prepared. That is going to take huge, effort and that is going to take a large amount of time, and so without electricity, you cannot fully rebuild. I would agree with that assessment, this is a long road ahead of us, before we can get to some areas being habitable again. Jacqueline, president of saintjean the Baptist Parish in louisiana. In just a beautiful and beloved part of that state. Undergoing such Trial And Tribulation right, now good luck to you, and your team. Please stay in touch with us. Let us know what we need to be letting the country know about this. Good luck to you. Thank you so much rachel. Okay, well be right back. Stay with us. Okay, well be right back stay with us stay with us with a revolutionary, rollerball design. Because with the right pain reliever. Life opens up. Aleve it, and see whats possible. man ive made progress with my Mental Health. So when i started having unintentional Body Movements called tardive dyskinesia. I ignored them. 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Were never gonna have one. Its never gonna happen again. I think we did once, i dont know. I feel like that, i feel like ten years ago at the beginning of the show there would be afternoons where we were wondering, okay, we know at the first two stories are but what are we going to do what else is there