By: Mark Ballard

Nationally, the number of women registering to vote in the Nov. 8 congressional midterm elections has shot up like a rocket — energized, experts say, by the U.S. Supreme Court’s recent abortion decision.

Louisiana doesn’t seem to be following suit, but Kansas, Ohio, Arizona, Idaho and other conservative strongholds are reporting noticeable increases in female voter registration since the June 24 ruling, according to The Wall Street Journal, The New York Times and other national news outlets. Battleground states like Pennsylvania and Michigan are showing increases as well.

By: JC Canicosa

Ten years ago, Jennifer McMorris, a Louisiana resident from Mobile, Alabama, was pressured by her boyfriend at the time to drink until she blacked out.

“I just remember passing out and waking up in the morning and thinking, ‘Why am I naked?’” she said. “Six weeks later, after he had been deployed, I was pregnant and I was, well, screwed.”