Good morning, and welcome to the Essential California newsletter. It’s Sunday, April 14. I’m your host, Andrew J. Campa. Here’s what you need to know to start your weekend:

California readies for Arizonans after ruling on Civil War-era abortion law

Abortion procedures increased in California in the immediate aftermath of the Supreme Court’s historic overturning of Roe vs. Wade in June 2022. Some providers speculated that suddenly access-stripped out-of-staters sought care after new restrictions were installed.

Those same providers are now readying for a second wave. They believe California may become a “hot spot” for Arizonans after a decision Tuesday by that state’s Supreme Court that bans abortions except when the woman’s life is at risk. The ruling makes no exceptions for rape or incest.

In a “Twilight Zone” twist, Arizona will be readopting an 1864 law… inspired by California’s rules at the time.

Reporter Mackenzie Mays detailed preparations being made by several groups, including Planned Parenthood.

“It’s too soon for us to know exactly what this ruling will mean for us,” said Darrah DiGiorgio Johnson, president and chief executive of Planned Parenthood of the Pacific Southwest, regarding the Arizona decision. She said, however, staffers are taking “necessary steps” to ensure they’re ready to support a potential influx.

What do the numbers say?

Planned Parenthood operates regional clinics in Imperial and Riverside counties, which border Arizona, along with adjacent San Diego County. About 10% of those patients hail from outside California.

Arizonans wanting an abortion were already traveling to California because of their state’s previous abortion ban at 15 weeks, according to DiGiorgio Johnson. She said they are now in “an even more precarious position.”

Abortion data can be tricky due to undercounting because of patient privacy concerns. However, the available data show the current upswing in California.

In May 2022, right before Roe was overturned, the state reported 13,680 abortions that month, according to data from the Society for Family Planning.

Exactly one year later, the numbers jumped nearly 14% to 15,550 for May 2023.

The numbers of abortions have ebbed and flowed since, with March 2023 representing the peak at just over 16,000.

Planned Parenthood Affiliates of California reported that medication abortions by their clinics increased by 18% statewide from June 2022-23.

The Guttmacher Institute is a nonprofit research organization that supports abortion access. It estimated more than 5,000 in-state abortions were provided to visitors in 2023.

“It’s our job as healthcare providers to be prepared for the worst-case scenario,” said Sue Dunlap, president and CEO of Planned Parenthood Los Angeles. “That’s what’s going to make us ensure that we in California are able to take care of the potential surges.”

To read more, please check out the article here.

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Column One

Column One is The Times’ home for narrative and longform journalism. Here’s a great piece from this week:

(Genaro Molina/Los Angeles Times)

We all know our fortunes can turn without much warning, especially as we age and the odds stack against us, raising the threat of our bodies gradually failing and our minds fading. But in just a couple of weeks, Robin Clough and Dr. Gene Dorio had gone from cruising through life to confronting death. With her type of cancer, life expectancy is often measured in months rather than years. “It was so hard to process, and I think my mind stopped me from processing it because it’s just too overwhelming,” Clough said.

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For your weekend

(Illustration by Lindsey Made This / For The Times; Photo courtesy of Tia Mowry)

Going out

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L.A. Affairs

Get wrapped up in tantalizing stories about dating, relationships and marriage.

(Jennifer Luxton / For The Times)

My husband, Brad, and I, both divorced and not in the market for anyone who didn’t ooze quality, had engaged in a keyboard courtship. He was avid, while I was reluctant at best. I refused to meet him for months, having been single for six years and not the least bit interested in sharing anything with anyone ever again. But he said he was willing to wait however long it took for me to muster up the courage, and he would even manage to overlook the fact that my diploma was from USC because he (unfortunately) was a devoted Bruin.

Have a great weekend, from the Essential California team

Andrew J. Campa, reporter
Carlos Lozano, news editor

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