Supreme Court Reinstates Access to Abortion Pills – for Now
Mother Jones, May 4, 2026
The Supreme Court on Monday temporarily reinstated a Food and Drug Administration rule allowing the abortion pill mifepristone to be prescribed via telemedicine and dispensed through the mail. The order, by Justice Samuel Alito Jr., paused a ruling by the federal Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals that sought to block nationwide access to mifepristone by cutting off online providers. The Fifth Circuit ruling, issued Friday, caused providers, advocates, and patients to scramble all weekend to put in place contingency plans to keep abortion medication available. Almost two-thirds of abortions in the United States now occur with pills, and nearly 30 percent take place via telemedicine.
‘Chaos’ Followed Ruling on Abortion Drug Access, and Providers Say More Uncertainty Lies Ahead
CNN, May 6, 2026
Abortion providers have long been preparing for potential restrictions on telehealth abortion, but whiplash from the court ruling that landed late Friday and another that followed Monday morning challenged even some of the best-laid plans. Providers whom CNN talked to describe the time between the court actions as some of the “craziest” and most “chaotic” days they’ve had …. In the first few hours after the temporary stay was issued Monday, abortion providers said, they got a surge of requests from patients seeking advanced provision of mifepristone to have in case they need it – a spike similar to the one providers saw after President Trump was re-elected in 2024.
Louisiana’s Disregard for Pregnant People and Black Voters Must Not Be Ignored
The Nation, May 5, 2026
While the Supreme Court’s order clearing the way for the abortion pill mifepristone to be mailed across the country, eases immediate concerns, the underlying conceit and harm posed by Louisiana’s litigation is devastating and should not be ignored. Its potential harmful reach mirrors that in the Supreme Court’s recent voting rights decision in Louisiana v. Callais, which gutted the Voting Rights Act. Both cases seek to expand Louisiana’s permissive view of discrimination and cramped stand on sex and race equality, justice, and liberty to the entire nation. The Supreme Court has already granted Louisiana its imprimatur on voting rights. Will it do the same on access to mifepristone and telehealth?
Abortions Have Increased Slightly Since Roe v. Wade Overturning, Study Finds
CBS News, May 5, 2026
Nearly four years after the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade, a new study from KFF found the number of abortions nationwide has slightly increased. The news comes during a renewed legal battle over access to the abortion pill mifepristone. Alina Salganicoff, senior vice president and director of the KFF Women’s Health Policy Program, stated that even though there was an initial decrease in abortions in some states after Dobbs, the number of abortions has ultimately increased. Salganicoff says the reason for this is due to the availability of abortion medication through telehealth.
A Dangerous Shift in Maternal Health Policy
TIME, April 30, 2026
More than 85% of maternal deaths in the United States are preventable. Yet last week, Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. testified before the Senate, defending a budget that would eliminate the very programs designed to prevent maternal deaths and keep infants healthy. Earlier this year, the House passed legislation to funnel federal dollars toward unregulated pregnancy centers that largely lack medical licensure and rarely provide actual prenatal care. The Supreme Court also recently ruled that anti-abortion centers can proceed with a legal challenge to a state subpoena of fundraising records. What’s being built is not a pro-family policy. It’s a crisis – one that will fall hardest on Black women and their children.
ICYMI: In Case You Missed It
It’s more clear than ever that we are in desperate need of not only regulatory guardrails that protect women and girls from dangerous use of AI, but comprehensive systems for enforcement to prevent this harassment and hold people accountable.
The Center for Countering Digital Hate announced at the start of the year that Grok has produced and publicly shared at least 1.8 million sexualized images of women, most often without their consent or knowledge. Beginning in December 2025, the chatbot was “inundated” with prompts to take real photos of women and girls and remove their clothes, put them in bikinis or lingerie, and pose them in sexual positions. This has rightfully horrified survivors, advocates and the public.
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Note: The information contained in this publication reflects media coverage of women’s health issues and does not necessarily reflect the views of the National Partnership for Women & Families.
