Supreme Court appears likely to roll back abortion rights

The Supreme Court on Wednesday seemed likely to weaken abortion rights and perhaps to let states ban the procedure altogether.

The intrigue: The court seemed likely to throw out the framework established in Roe v. Wade, but it wasn't clear whether a majority of the justices were inclined to overturn the court's precedents entirely.

The big picture: The court heard oral arguments this morning in Dobbs v. Jackson Women's Health Organization, a case challenging a Mississippi law that bans abortions after 15 weeks. Mississippi seemed likely to win, one way or another.

The court's main abortion precedents, Roe v. Wade and Planned Parenthood v. Casey, say that women have a right to an abortion until about the 24th week of pregnancy, when a fetus is considered viable.

Chief Justice John Roberts and his conservative colleagues all questioned whether the "viability line" makes sense, indicating that they're inclined to do away with that standard.