
PBS News Hour - Full Show Settle In with Irin Carmon
Dec 9, 2025
Irin Carmon, a journalist and author passionate about women's health and reproductive rights, shares her insights after the Supreme Court's reversal of Roe v. Wade, while eight months pregnant herself. She discusses her poignant book, "Unbearable," which chronicles the stories of pregnant women in New York and Alabama, highlighting systemic healthcare disparities. Irin reflects on the historical context of childbirth, the impact of medical paternalism, and how socioeconomic factors shape pregnancy experiences. Her personal journey amplifies her mission to advocate for maternal health.
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Pregnancy's Universality And Legal Silos
- Pregnancy is a profound physical and psychological event that reshapes values, relationships, and autonomy.
- American law and medicine treat different pregnancy outcomes in siloed ways that compound harm across situations.
Reporting While Eight Months Pregnant
- Irin Carmon was eight months pregnant when the Dobbs draft leaked and felt the decision viscerally.
- Her personal pregnancy made the stakes and erasure in the opinion feel immediate and bodily.
Sobbing Over A Postpartum Arrest Story
- Carmon discovered Shaley Burns was arrested six days postpartum after a positive drug test and jailed for months.
- Reading about Burns while breastfeeding at night moved Carmon to travel to Etowah County and report her story in person.






