A federal appeals court upheld restrictions on the abortion pill mifepristone, the most widely used method of abortion in the U.S. The 5th Circuit Court sided with the right-wing Texas judge and plaintiffs, who argued the FDA improperly relaxed regulations on the pill to make it more accessible, and that it should only be used up to seven weeks into a pregnancy and only issued in person. But due to a previous stay issued by the Supreme Court, mifepristone will remain available for now under current regulations while the case proceeds; the Justice Department is expected to appeal the ruling to the Supreme Court.
In other abortion news, Indiana blocked a doctor who provided an abortion to a 10-year-old rape survivor from receiving a prestigious award. Dr. Caitlin Bernard performed the abortion for the Ohio patient last year and spoke out about it to highlight the cruelty and real-world impact of banning abortion. She was reprimanded and fined $3,000.