EVENING. "THE RACHEL MADDOW SHOW" STARTS
RIGHT NOW.
RIGHT NOW. GOOD EVENING RACHEL.
>> GOOD EVENING, CHRIS.
>>> THANKS FOR JOINING US THIS
HOUR.
HOUR. YOU MAY BE HEARING THE BREAKING
NEWS AT THIS HOUR THAT RUTH
BADER GINSBURG HAS BEEN
HOSPITALIZED TODAY.
HOSPITALIZED TODAY. THE NEWS FROM THE ASSOCIATED
PRESS BEGAN HAS A ONE-SENTENCE
STORY THAT SAID IN TOTAL, QUOTE,
SUPREME COURT SAYS JUSTICE RUTH
BADEN GINSBURG HOSPITALIZED WITH
INFECTION.
INFECTION. JUSTICE GINSBURG IS 87 YEARS
OLD.
OLD. SHE HAS FOUGHT OFF CANCER OF THE
PANCREAS AND CANCER OF THE LUNG.
AS OF JANUARY OF THIS YEAR SHE
DECLARED HERSELF TO BE
CANCER-FREE.
CANCER-FREE. BUT TONIGHT SHE IS BACK IN THE
HOSPITAL, AND IT IS APPARENTLY
BECAUSE OF HER GALLBLADDER.
THE U.S. SUPREME COURT HAS NOW
RELEASED A STATEMENT ABOUT IT.
IT SAYS, QUOTE, JUSTICE RUTH
BADER GINSBURG UNDERWENT
NON-SURGICAL TREATMENT FOR ACUTE
CHOLOE CYSTITIS, A BENIGN
GALLBLADDER CONDITION IN
BALTIMORE, MARYLAND.
BALTIMORE, MARYLAND. FOLLOWING ORAL ARGUMENTS ON
MONDAY, JUSTICE GINSBURG
UNDERWENT OUTPATIENT TESTS IN
WASHINGTON, D.C.
WASHINGTON, D.C. THOSE TESTS CONFIRMED SHE WAS
SUFFERING FROM A GALLSTONE THAT
MIGRATED TO HER CYSTIC DUCT,
BLOCKING IT AND CAUSING
INFECTION.
INFECTION. THE JUSTICE IS RESTING
COMFORTABLY AND PLANS TO
PARTICIPATE IN THE ORAL ARGUMENT
TELECONFERENCE TOMORROW MORNING
REMOTELY FROM THE HOSPITAL.
SHE EXPECTS TO STAY IN THE
HOSPITAL A DAY OR TWO.
JOINING ME NOW IS PETE WILLIAMS,
JUSTICE CORRESPONDENT, FOR THE
LATEST ON THIS NEWS.
PETE, THANKS SO MUCH FOR MAKING
TIME TO JOIN US TONIGHT.
I APPRECIATE IT.
>> SURE THINK ABOUT HOW TOUGH
GINSBURG IS AT 87.
SHE TAKES PART ON THE FIRST ORAL
ARGUMENT IN THE PANDEMIC ON
MONDAY.
MONDAY. THEN SHE GOES TO A HOSPITAL HERE
IN WASHINGTON WHERE THEY
DIAGNOSE THIS CONDITION.
SHE TAKES PART TODAY IN THE
TELEPHONE CONFERENCE THIS
MORNING.
MORNING. THEN SHE GOES UP TO BALTIMORE.
THEN SHE HAS THE TREATMENT FOR
THE COAL YO CYSTITIS.
SHE’LL BE BACK ON THE PHONE
TOMORROW MORNING.
TOMORROW MORNING. SHE WON’T MISS ANY ORAL
ARGUMENT.
ARGUMENT. HER HEALTH HAS BEEN THE SUBJECT
OF THE INTENSE INTEREST.
SHE HAD SURGERY FOR CANCER.
I SUSPECT ONE REASON SHE WANTS
TO BE ON THE PHONE TOMORROW IS
THAT IT’S THE SUBJECT IMPORTANT
TO HER.
TO HER. THE COURT WILL HEAR ARGUMENTS IN
THE CASE ABOUT WHETHER THE TRUMP
ADMINISTRATION CAN GO AHEAD WITH
ITS PLAN TO GIVE MORE EXCEPTIONS
TO EMPLOYERS WHO WANT TO CITE A
RELIGIOUS OR MORAL EXEMPTIONS OR
MORAL REASONS FOR NOT PROVIDING
CONTRACEPTIVE COVERAGE TO THEIR
EMPLOYEES.
EMPLOYEES. >> YEAH.
>> YEAH. AN ISSUE QUITE NEAR AND DEAR TO
HER.
HER. PETE, NEITHER YOU NOR I IS A
DOCTOR.
DOCTOR. SO, TELL ME IF I’M ASKING
SOMETHING HERE THAT IS BEYOND
OUR KIN.
OUR KIN. I AM FOCUSED ON TWO WORDS FROM
THIS STATEMENT FROM THE SUPREME
COURT TONIGHT.
COURT TONIGHT. ONE, THIS WAS A NON-SURGICAL
TREATMENT.
TREATMENT. ANY TIME ANYONE AGED 87 IS
HAVING SURGERY, THAT ITSELF
OBVIOUSLY BECOMES SOMETHING YOU
WORRY ABOUT JUST IN TERMS OF THE
STRAIN ON THE BODY.
ALSO THAT THIS IS DESCRIBED AS A
BENIGN GALLBLADDER CONDITION,
MEANING IT’S NOT ASSOCIATED WITH
CANCER.
CANCER. IT’S AN INFECTION RELATED TO A
GALLSTONE.
GALLSTONE. THIS ISN’T SOMETHING THAT’S
LIKELY TO CAUSE CONTINUAL OR
CHRONIC HEALTH PROBLEMS.
DOES THAT SEEM LIKE A FAIR
READING OF WHAT THE COURT IS
TELLING US TONIGHT?
>> IT DOES.
I’M NOT A DOCTOR EITHER, BUT I
LIVE WITH ONE WHO’S BEEN
EXPLAINING TO ME THAT THE CYSTIC
DUCT WHICH IS WHAT WAS BLOCKED
HERE IS WHAT CONNECTS THE
GALLBLADDER TO THE PLUMBING THAT
IN TURN GOES INTO THE INTESTINE
TO HELP WITH DIGESTION.
SO, SOMEBODY GETS A GALLSTONE
LIKE THIS IS COMMONLY TREATED
WITH ULTRASOUND TO BREAK UP THE
GALLSTONE.
GALLSTONE. SURGERY WOULDN’T BE THE NORMAL
THING FOR TREATMENT OF A
GALLSTONE.
GALLSTONE. AND THEN USUALLY ANTIBIOTICS ARE
ADMINISTERED TO TAKE CARE OF THE
INFECTION WHICH IS WHAT THE
CHOLOECYSTITIS.
CHOLOECYSTITIS. >> DO YOU THINK THERE WILL BE
ANY CHANGES THAT WILL HAVE TO GO
INTO EFFECT TO HAVE THE JUSTICE
ON THE TELECONFERENCE TOMORROW
FOR THE ARGUMENTS FROM THE
HOSPITAL AS OPPOSED TO FROM HER
OFFICE OR HOME OR WHERE SHE
WOULD OTHERWISE BE PARTICIPATED?
>> I CAN’T IMAGINE.
I’M SURE SHE WOULD JUST TELL
EVERYBODY IN THE ROOM TO SHUT UP
SO SHE CAN DO IT BY PHONE.
THIS IS ONE OF THE ADVANTAGES TO
DOING IT ON PHONE.
SHE TAKES PRIDE IN NOT MISSING
ARGUMENTS.
ARGUMENTS. SHE MISSED A FEW EARLY THIS
YEAR.
YEAR. SHE HAD WHAT THE CHIEF JUSTICE
DESCRIBED
DESCRIBED DESCRIBED AS A STOMACH BUG,
COPING WITH THE FLU HAS MANY
PEOPLE WERE IN WASHINGTON.
SHE WON’T HAVE TO MISS THIS ONE.
SHE CAN DO IT RIGHT FROM HER
HOSPITAL ROOM.
HOSPITAL ROOM. >> PETE WILLIAMS, THANKS FOR
TAKING TIME TO HELP US
UNDERSTAND IT, PETE.
I APPRECIATE IT.
>> MY PLEASURE.
>> WE ARE GOING TO KEEP AN EYE
ON THIS STORY.
WE’LL BRING YOU UPDATES AS WE
GET THEM.
GET THEM. BOTTOM LINE IS THAT THE SUPREME
COURT HAS ANNOUNCED THAT JUSTICE
GINSBURG, 87 YEARS OLD AND ALL
OF ABOUT THREE POUNDS, UNDERWENT
NON-SURGICAL TREATMENT FOR
ESSENTIALLY A GALLSTONE
SITUATION AT JOHNS HOPKINS
HOSPITAL IN BALTIMORE.
SHE WAS IN TELECONFERENCE ORAL
ARGUMENTS YESTERDAY BEFORE
UNDERGOING TESTS THAT REVEALED
THE CONDITION THAT NEEDED TO BE
TREATED.
TREATED. SHE WAS TREATED TODAY.
SHE EXPECTS TO BE BACK IN THE
TELECONFERENCE FOR ORAL
ARGUMENTS TOMORROW MORNING.