Federal Appeals Court Upholds Access to Abortion Pill in Controversial Ruling.

A federal appeals court has ruled that mifepristone can remain on the market but only under strict conditions that could drastically limit access. The decision cuts off many of the pathways patients have used to obtain the pill in the last few years, including telemedicine prescriptions and mail delivery, and moves the cutoff for prescriptions from the current 10 weeks of pregnancy to seven. The 5th Circuit’s decision means that starting Saturday, mifepristone will remain legal at the federal level but access will be much more restricted. The Justice Department will seek emergency relief from the Supreme Court to defend the FDA’s scientific judgment and protect Americans’ access to safe and effective reproductive care.