Topic: Abortion Pill

A federal appeals court partially blocked a Texas judge's ruling that would have completely restricted access to the abortion pill Mifepristone. While the drug remains available for now, the court reinstated restrictions from 2016, limiting its use to the first seven weeks of pregnancy and pausing distribution by mail. The case is widely expected to be appealed to the U.S. Supreme Court as states begin stockpiling the medication.

In a trivia-style segment, it is revealed that one of the supplies cut off during the early invasion of Ukraine was abortion pills. NPR reports that these pills were requested specifically for women raped by Russian soldiers, a narrative the hosts view with skepticism.

An NPR affiliate, KCRW, aired a segment explaining how women in states with abortion bans can obtain medication through European telehealth services like Aid Access. The report notes that doctors in the Netherlands cannot be prosecuted by U.S. states and that the "tiny" pills can be easily mailed. The hosts contrast the ease of obtaining abortion pills with the heavy restrictions placed on Ivermectin.