Frustrated by Washington inaction, Democrats eye power of state offices to defend abortion rights

The throngs of demonstrators amassed outside the US Supreme Court, enraged over a report that a draft majority opinion would strike down abortion rights protected by Roe v. Wade, chanted a crisp, clipped demand to Democratic officials: "Do something!"

The cry echoed across social media and news outlets early Tuesday, a visceral appeal that -- not for the first time during the Biden administration -- underscored Democratic voters' frustration with intraparty gridlock in Washington. But as a new era in the long fight for abortion rights appears near, it has also become clear that the Democrats...