On the day the Supreme Court overturned Roe, I went to photograph the impromptu protest that happened in Reno, Nevada later on that same day and continued through the night. Some images included in this post are from that historic day.

Below is an article I wrote to discuss where the United States stands on today’s two-year anniversary living in a post Roe reality and how the composition of the Supreme Court influences what happens in the United States for generations to come.

Supreme Court composition

On June 24, 2022, a landmark decision by the Supreme Court transformed the landscape of reproductive rights in the United States.

The decision in Dobbs v. Jackson Women's Health Organization (2022) overturned a nearly fifty-year precedent set by Roe v. Wade (1973), which had federally protected a woman's right to choose an abortion.

The decision came from a divided court along partisan lines depending on which President appointed which Justice.

Justices Clarence Thomas, Neil Gorsuch, Brett Kavanaugh, and Amy Coney Barrett supported the majority opinion, authored by Justice Samuel Alito. President George W. Bush appointed Alito and President George H.W. Bush appointed Thomas, while President Trump appointed Gorsuch and Kavanaugh.

These justices appointed by a Republican President held an opinion that the Constitution does not guarantee a right to abortion, returning the power to regulate abortion to the individual states.

In dissent, Justices Stephen Breyer, Sonia Sotomayor, and Elena Kagan expressed their opposition to the majority’s ruling. President Clinton appointed Breyer and President Obama appointed Sotomayor and Kagan.

These justices appointed by a Democratic President underscored the significant implications for women's rights and healthcare access, emphasizing the departure from a long-standing legal precedent.

“After today, young women will come of age with fewer rights than their mothers and grandmothers had.”

Dobbs v. Jackson Women's Health Organization, 597 U.S. 215, 411 (2022) (Breyer, Sotomayor, and Kagan, JJ., dissenting).1

The Dobbs ruling not only removed federal protections for abortion but also started major state-level legislative changes, ranging from restrictive bans to laws affirming abortion rights.

The composition of the Court and the presidents who appointed these justices show the lasting influence of judicial appointments.

Abortion access since the Dobbs decision

Twenty-one states have banned abortion or restricted the procedure earlier in pregnancy than the standard originally set by Roe v. Wade.

Public opinion remains in favor of maintaining access to abortion. Since the end of Roe v. Wade (1973), several states have changed their laws via voting and through legislative means.

Initiatives are in motion to place constitutional amendments related to abortion on the November 2024 ballot in up to 13 states, including Arizona, Arkansas, Colorado, Florida, Iowa, Maine, Maryland, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, Pennsylvania, and South Dakota.

California, Kansas, Kentucky, Michigan, Vermont, and Ohio have held votes on constitutional amendments concerning abortion. In each instance, the outcome favored maintaining or increasing access to abortion.

In the states where abortion is currently entirely illegal, citizens don't have the option to propose constitutional amendments for the ballot. In these states, the legislative body controls the process.

In Idaho, the state's Supreme Court ruled in 2023 that there is no constitutional right to an abortion, resulting in the almost complete prohibition of abortion. The U.S. Supreme Court will determine whether this ban conflicts with a federal law that mandates emergency care for all patients, including pregnant women facing life-threatening situations who need abortions. The U.S. Supreme Court may release its decision this week or soon after.

In Florida, a six-week abortion ban passed in their legislature in April 2023. This law replaces a 15-week ban that's been in effect since July 2022, shortly following the fall of Roe. Florida residents will vote in November on a proposal to enshrine abortion rights into the state constitution, and it’s not the first state to do so.

Kansas voters overwhelmingly rejected a state constitutional amendment that would have allowed lawmakers to impose further abortion restrictions. This August 2022 vote was a clear indication that even in traditionally conservative states, there is firm support for maintaining reproductive rights.

IVF and contraception could be next

The end of Roe is now affecting not only abortion access but also contraception and in vitro fertilization (IVF). New state laws in some of the complete abortion ban states have raised concerns about the legality of certain contraceptives and IVF practices.

There are states where new laws define life at fertilization, and there is now ambiguity regarding the use of emergency contraceptives and intrauterine devices (IUDs). These contraceptives, which can prevent implantation of a fertilized egg, might be interpreted as abortifacients under the new definitions.

On June 5, 2024 Senate Republicans blocked legislation designed to protect women’s access to contraception.

Similarly, IVF treatments are facing new challenges in the post Roe landscape. The definitions of when life begins in certain states could affect how embryos are handled in fertility clinics.

In early March 2024, Alabama lawmakers enacted a shield law following the State Supreme Court's decision that allowed frozen embryos to be legally recognized as children that temporarily halted all IVF procedures in the state.

On June 13, 2024 Senate Republicans blocked legislation from moving forward to protect access to IVF rights.

The upcoming November 2024 presidential election

Moving forward to the presidential election this November, the major question for former President Donald Trump has been whether he will seek a nationwide abortion ban if elected.

The most recent information from Trump occurred during an interview with TIME’s Eric Cortallessa. In an analysis by TIME after the interview, they stated, “The current patchwork system in which every state’s abortion policy is different is exactly how things should remain in Trump’s mind.”

“It was three justices named by one President — Donald Trump — who were the core of today’s decision to upend the scales of justice and eliminate a fundamental right for women in this country.”

Remarks by President Biden on the Supreme Court Decision to Overturn Roe v. Wade (June 24, 2022)2

President Joe Biden made reproductive rights a central theme to his State of the Union address earlier this year. His speech included, “There are state laws banning the right to choose, criminalizing doctors, and forcing survivors of rape and incest to leave their states as well to get the care they need.”

He continued in the speech about the ‘electoral or political power’ of women in America to show up at the polls regarding reproductive rights.

He finished with a promise to restore Roe v. Wade if given a majority in congress saying, “If Americans send me a Congress that supports the right to choose, I promise you, I will restore Roe v. Wade as the law of the land again!”

Clearly, both major party candidates have markedly different plans if elected for another four-year term. With the first debate scheduled for Thursday, June 27 of this week, reproductive rights will surely be an issue that is discussed at length.

“Most threatening of all, no language in today’s decision stops the Federal Government from prohibiting abortions nationwide, once again from the moment of conception and without exceptions for rape or incest. If that happens, ‘the views of [an individual State’s] citizens’ will not matter.”

Dobbs v. Jackson Women's Health Organization, 597 U.S. 215, 361 (2022) (Breyer, Sotomayor, and Kagan, JJ., dissenting).3

Dual Firefighting Efforts

In a jarring start to the wildfire season, Washoe County experienced its first wildfire (over 100 acres) of the year, shortly followed by its second later in the same day on Tuesday, June 11, 2024.

The Trail Fire was first reported at 3 p.m. on Tuesday near Red Rock Road just west of Highway 395. Heat and steady winds propelled the fire upwards on Peavine Mountain in an area that is no stranger to wildfires during the summer months.

While firefighters were still battling the Trail Fire, another blaze erupted six and a half hours later in a more urban area. The Sullivan Fire was first reported just north of Hug High School, next to the Wildcreek Golf Course at 9:30 p.m.

Since this new wildfire started at night in a prominent location visible from Reno and Sparks below it, many onlookers raced towards it to check it out. This caused reports of several vehicle crashes as onlookers drove distracted near the emergency area.

Area firefighting resources faced a test as they responded to both wildfires concurrently.

Firefighters appeared to tame the fires at both sites quickly, however, they issued evacuation warnings to nearby neighborhoods at both wildfires as a precaution.

There were no structures lost in either of these wildfires.

Firefighters fully contained the Trail Fire within 48 hours and mapped it at 195 acres, while they fully contained the Sullivan Fire 12 hours after the first report and mapped it at just under 140 acres.

Above Average Temperatures for Early June

Following last week's record-breaking heat, Reno was once again in the midst of another heat series when these wildfires occurred, with temperatures sitting at 98 degrees Fahrenheit at the onset of the Trail Fire.

The initial data logged during the Trail Fire data shows Reno experiencing a relative humidity reading of 15%, as well as wind speeds maxing out at 23 mph gusts.

These numbers can get worse when fire season starts in earnest, with Reno often experiencing sub 15% relative humidity numbers and wind gusts over 30 mph in the summer months.

High winds and low relative humidity create perfect conditions for wildfires to spread rapidly.

Forest agencies and the National Weather Service use relative humidity, wind speed, high temperatures, potential lightning, and 7-day fuel dryness levels to determine when to conduct prescribed burns safely and when to communicate red flag warnings to the public.

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Comparing 2023 vs 2024 at the Start of the Season

California and Nevada benefited from a wet winter before the start of the 2023 wildfire season, which contributed to a shorter and less intense fire season overall.

Total acres burned in 2023 were dramatically lower than the five-year average as seen in the graph above.1

Entering 2024, both states are once again coming out of an above average snowpack season, however the snowpack difference from April 1, 2023 compared to April 1, 2024 is extensive.

Snowpack can reduce the possibility of large fires growing early in the season, providing more moisture in the vegetation for longer periods of time and preventing extreme fire behavior until mid to late fire season.

Snowpack on April 1, 2023: 232 percent of normal

Snowpack on April 1, 2024: 108 percent of normal

The outcome of this year's wildfires remains uncertain, but the abundant vegetation resulting from an above average snowpack in combination with a reduced number of prior year fires may serve as a significant fuel source.

Alternatively, the outcome could be a repeat of 2023, which would keep the number of acres burned by wildfires low.

How significant is the 2024 reduced snowpack, which is still above average, impact wildfire behavior compared to 2023’s deep snowpack?

Time will tell.

Resources to Use for Tracking Wildfires

• Watch Duty App: This is an app that’s run by volunteers contributing real-time information from official sources and radio communications during wildfires.

• Nevada Wildfire Information Dashboard: Nevada wildfire mapping and informational tool.

• Nevada Fire Info: Real-time updates for wildfires in Nevada and general fire prevention information. Includes links, fire cams.

• AirNow: Interactive map of air quality.

  Field Reportage by Trevor Bexon is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.

My initial encounter with the aurora in Nevada was on Nov. 4, 2021.

In 2023, Nevada witnessed the aurora on Feb. 27, March 23, April 23, and Nov. 5, marking the busiest year for auroras in the state in two decades.1

Now, in 2024, Nevada experienced its most powerful aurora displays yet on May 10 and 11 in this current cycle.

The ongoing trend of aurora sightings in low latitudes, such as in Nevada, will hopefully continue as solar cycle 25 climbs for its peak next year.

May 9, 2024

On the morning of Thursday, May 9, as I scrolled through Twitter/X, I noticed a buzz in the weather/space community I follow.

The sunspot AR3664, which is about 15 times wider than Earth, had emitted a series of strong flares followed by strong Coronal Mass Ejections (CMEs) that were Earth directed, raising the possibility of low latitude aurora viewing.

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) describes CMEs as ‘a billion tons of plasma ejected from the sun, traveling at a million miles per hour.’

AR3664 is a giant sunspot that was recently compared to the size of the sunspot that caused the 1859 “Carrington Event.”

Realizing these were among the strongest CMEs since 2003, I began preparing for a weekend under the stars.

I adjusted my schedule, notified my fellow stargazing photographers, and prepared for a trip to the dark skies of Northern Nevada.

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May 10, 2024

By Friday morning, May 10, the space/weather community could not contain their excitement about what was to arrive later that day. Even the normally conservative forecasts were signaling a powerful storm approaching. There was a lot of anticipation.

I departed Reno at 5:30 p.m. on Friday afternoon, with a few other friends tagging along for the experience.

We arrived at the Black Rock Desert right before sunset, driving across the expansive playa that hosts Burning Man in late summer and remains wonderfully remote and empty the rest of the year.

When planning a trip to the Black Rock Desert, the weather should always be a top priority.

Any wind or intense gusts will cause blowing playa dust, making it an unpleasant experience and decrease visibility to the stars above. Clouds are another factor to consider for visibility. Any rain that occurs turns the playa into a muddy and sticky mess, rendering driving impossible.

This evening had everything weather related aligned perfectly; 2 m.p.h. winds, pleasant temperatures, and 5% cloud cover.

We spent an hour admiring the soft hues of the setting sun and the gradual appearance of the first stars before a peculiar glow captured our attention on the northern horizon.

Initially, we mistook the persistent glow for the last remnants of sunset, only to realize it was the aurora, visible to the naked eye.

I quickly grabbed my camera, already mounted on the tripod, and aimed it at the glowing sight. The results of the colors emanating from the night sky on the back of my camera’s LCD screen blew me away.

I exclaimed, “It’s here already!”

We had previously estimated that the aurora would arrive around midnight while we were still watching the sunset, so for the aurora to be visible as soon as astronomical twilight dwindled and night began, it was a surprise to us all.

From that moment, I was shaking with excitement, yelling into the night sky, and sharing exuberant interactions with my fellow observers, as one does when confronted with the intensity of an aurora display.

With each passing minute into complete darkness, the glow became brighter and even more colors appeared.

I had been to the dark skies of the Black Rock Desert countless times, but this evening under the stars was an entirely new and surreal experience.

The aurora continued all night, and as time passed, the light emanating from the sky would move eastward and then back westward, always holding a steady lock on the north, but traveling back and forth as if it were dancing.

The glowing light would rise and fall toward the zenith (point of the celestial sphere that is vertically above the observer) in the night sky before receding down and shooting back to the zenith again, over and over, until sunrise arrived.

As the pillars of light rose and fell, the colors among them would change effortlessly, as if we were watching a personalized concert of light spreading out over the entire night sky.

To the naked eye, the aurora can be described as different shapes of light within the night sky, mostly of grey and white hues, and sometimes the colors penetrate through to be seen faintly without a camera.

The cameras, however, pick up on extreme colors, most of which aren’t visible to the naked eye.

At one point, the joke amongst the group was whether we needed to be wearing sunscreen or if the plasma radiation would be harmful to us, since it was so intense. The answer is no; it is not harmful and sunscreen is unnecessary.

The overall faint colors painted a purple and pink hue over the desert, creating a truly immersive experience that surrounded our entire visual awareness.

It reminded me of my recent trip to Sphere in Las Vegas to see Phish. The aurora’s shapes mirrored the video displays I saw there. Phish actually used images of the aurora frequently—proving once again that ‘you always end up where you start.’

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May 11, 2024

On Saturday, May 11, aurora images from the previous night flooded the internet.

The previous night's storm achieved G5 levels, a level of intensity not witnessed since Oct. 2003.

According to forecasts, Saturday night had the potential to bring the aurora back down to low latitude areas.

News about this spread everywhere, from news stations to social media accounts.

Before heading out again that night, I charged my batteries, napped, and informed interested friends about joining for night two. We chose forests and lakes for the evening’s travels to create a contrast with the desert playas from the previous night.

Upon arrival at Eagle Rock, which overlooks almost the entirety of Lake Tahoe, we noticed it was busier than usual, especially for this time of night. We began the hike up the trail with headlights in tow, prepared for the impending darkness.

At the summit, there were already a few groups set up. Some had serious game time looks on their faces with tripods readied, while others were in a jovial mode celebrating the solar storm watch party.

At approximately 9:25 p.m. the aurora appeared in the northern sky, overlooking the town of Incline Village, Tahoe City, and Kings Beach.

By 9:45 p.m. the sky was dark enough for the aurora to be so pronounced that pillars above the aurora base structure were visible to the naked eye.

At 10:00 p.m. the aurora had mostly faded away, and we weren’t able to spot it again for the rest of the evening.

Following the disappearance of the aurora at the Eagle Rock viewpoint, we hiked down and to try another darker spot 20 minutes north of the lake.

As we traveled along the dark roads at 11:00 p.m. it was apparent that the amount of cars on the roads was significantly more than usual.

Our suspicions about busier highways were confirmed upon reaching Stampede Reservoir. Traffic backed up all along the main road to get into the reservoir and, once there, cars lined up, parked alongside each side road.

Each car with the same idea to get a glimpse of the Northern Lights.

It was unlucky for most who arrived at a dark sky area after 10:00 p.m. as the aurora never showed itself again.

As I’ve learned from my dozens of aurora chases over the past three years, the disappointment of not seeing anything is the most common emotion when trying to find the aurora at this low latitude.

Rarely does it happen, and even rarer does it happen with such intensity as it had the previous night.

Recap and What’s Next

Overall, the weekend’s aurora display was more than I ever expected to experience in Nevada.

The night of May 10 was the strongest solar storm the Earth has encountered since March 1989!

Since I began seeking celestial and cosmic events, the naked eye aurora has always been at the top of my list. Witnessing it without leaving my state makes it even more special.

The images I made over the course of the weekend are currently still being edited. They are also allowing me to study the different structures and colors as I discover them again throughout the editing process. This is carving out a new lane of learning that has been illuminating.

It's possible that I'll revisit certain images from the weekend of May 10 and 11 on this Substack down the line. I'm currently in discussions with a researcher about observing unique aurora structures on the evening of May 10.

Once verified, these topics will be fascinating subjects to discuss…

Chris Wicklund, who is an aurora chaser and all around solid resource, collected the images folks were sending him and created a map plotting out the visibility of such a historic weekend.

The good news for folks who missed this event is that Solar Cycle 25 is expected to reach its peak next year. Assuming the overall trends persist and solar activity remains high, it’s possible to have more frequent aurora sightings at lower latitudes within this time period, so stay tuned.

Also, sunspot AR3664, the culprit for the May 10 and 11 storms, has rotated away from Earth for now, but will return after its 25 day rotation away from Earth. The question will be if the sunspot remains active or has quieted down since we last faced it.

I rely on the NOAA Space Weather Prediction Center website, as well as Twitter/X, for aurora forecasts.

Here are a handful of Twitter/X accounts to follow that communicate aurora forecasting:

• NOAA Space Weather Prediction Center

• ESA Space Weather

• Chris Wicklund Auroras

• Space Weather Live

• Halo CME

• Dr. Tamitha Skov

• Aurora Notify

• Space Weather Watch

Happy aurora viewing!

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• Republican Party 2024 Presidential Preference Primary Election Day: Tuesday, Feb. 6, 2024

  • Early vote period: Saturday, Jan. 27 through Friday, Feb. 2, 2024

• Republican Party 2023 Presidential Caucus: Thursday, Feb. 8, 2024 from 5 p.m. to 7:30 p.m.

  

Multiple Republican contests cause confusion

In 2024, Nevada Republicans will have the chance to cast their votes in both a primary and a caucus to determine their party's nominee for President of the United States, while the Democrats will only have the option of participating in a primary.

AB126, drafted and passed by a bipartisan group of lawmakers in the Nevada Legislature in 2021 and approved by then Gov. Steve Sisolak, mandated the state to hold a presidential preference primary on the first Tuesday in February during a presidential election year.

That bill replaces the old caucus system which had been under the spotlight since 2008, when Nevada became an early nominating state in both the GOP and Democratic party’s nominating calendar.

The confusion for such a move has been intense as some Republicans have resisted the change and have fought since the bill passed to keep their nominating process in the caucus format for 2024.

When researching the Nevada nominating process since 2008, both political parties have undergone a shift in their perspective on the matter.

In a 2015 article, Micheal McDonald, the Nevada GOP Chairman and current advocate for Nevada to remain a caucus state, voiced his support for the Nevada GOP to switch to a primary system instead of a caucus. He described the 2012 nominating process as a, ‘complete disaster and embarrassment to the state.’ He talked about the benefits of a primary as, ‘getting more people involved.’

During the 78th (2015) Session of the Nevada Legislature, the Republican party held the majority in both the Assembly and Senate. The Assembly and Senate both considered bills that prepared to transition Nevada from a caucus system to a primary system, and even Republican Gov. Brian Sandoval was open to the change.

The bills introduced in 2015 prompted Nevada Democrats to voice their worries about the switch from a caucus to a primary, fearing it would compromise the state's status as an early state in the nomination calendar.

Those bills did not move forward.

Ultimately, a group of lawmakers from both parties successfully passed AB126 as law in the 81st Session of the Nevada Legislature in 2021, marking a notable shift in the stance of Democrats and Republicans since 2015. Nevada is now required by law to conduct a state run primary for both parties.

The confusion comes into play because of the Nevada GOP’s insistence to keep the caucus format. Legally, the Republican Party may nominate their candidate in any format they choose to allocate delegates, but Nevada law still requires the state to hold a primary in conjunction with the caucus.

Consequently, Republican voters in Nevada will have two opportunities to vote for their preferred presidential candidate. However, only the caucus will allocate delegates representing voters as they move forward in the nomination process, culminating at the Republican National Convention in July.

Besides the challenge of dealing with multiple elections within a short time frame, the Republican presidential candidates had to choose between participating in either the primary or the caucus and could not appear on both ballots. This has led to some candidates choosing to appear on the caucus ballot and some appearing on the primary ballot.

Registered Republican voters are allowed to vote in both the Republican primary and caucus. 

Only one contest for Democrats

The only voting option for Nevada Democrats to support their preferred presidential candidate is the new presidential preference primary system.

There will be 13 candidates appearing on the ballot in the Democratic presidential preference primary, including the incumbent President Joe Biden.

How to vote?

Republican Caucus:

The Republican caucus will be held on Thursday, Feb. 8, 2024 from 5 p.m. to 7:30 p.m.

Registered Republican voters were required to register as a Republican 30 days prior to the caucus, but that deadline has already passed.

In order to take part in the caucus, registered Republican voters must show a government issued ID before the caucus begins. Votes will be cast in secret using paper ballots with observation by all voters as the votes are tabulated. Voters can cast their ballot and leave, or stay to observe the votes being tallied.

This link provides the caucus locations by precinct. 

Here is where registered Republicans can find their precinct information based on their address.

Donald Trump and Ryan Binkley will appear on the caucus ballot as of the writing of this article.

Republican and Democratic Presidential Preference Primary:

The 2024 Presidential Preference Primary Election will be held on Tuesday, Feb. 6, 2024. 

Early voting begins on Saturday, Jan. 27 and runs through Friday, Feb. 2, 2024.

The primary will be familiar to voters as it is the normal process for the state’s elections using mail-in ballots or casting a ballot at a voting booth.

Nevada primary ballots will also have an option called "none of these candidates" for voters who don't want to support any specific candidate but still wish to participate.

Here is the list of the polling locations for the primaries.

Voters need to register as Democratic or Republican to participate in their party's primary. Voters can register to vote online here, or may use the same-day voter registration process at the time of check in at a polling location.

If a voter has a mail-in ballot that was sent to them, those voters may use the mail-in ballot system to cast their ballot. 

Voters who choose to send their ballot by mail must have it postmarked on or before Election Day (Feb. 6) and also must be received by the Election Department on or before 5 p.m. on the fourth day after Election Day (Feb. 10).

Voters can drop off their mail-in ballot at a mail ballot drop box using the locations of those drop boxes listed on the mail-in ballot.

For all mail-in ballots either mailed or using a drop box, the ballot must be sealed inside the postage-paid return envelope provided specifically for the voter, showing the voter’s name and address, and the voter must also sign the outside of that envelope before mailing or placing it in the drop box. Do not put a mail ballot in another voter’s return envelope.

Here is the posted list of candidates who have filed for the Presidential Preference Primary.

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