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Federal appeals court blocks mailing of abortion pills in ruling with nationwide effect
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A federal appeals court on Friday blocked the mailing of the abortion pill mifepristone under current Food and Drug Administration (FDA) rules, a move the court acknowledged would «as a practical matter, have a nationwide effect,» and one that sets up a likely Supreme Court battle over abortion access.
The 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals ruling could restrict abortion pill access across the country, restoring rules supporters say protect patient safety and state authority, while critics warn it will make access harder even in states where abortion remains legal.
The decision means women will now have to see a medical professional in order to obtain a mifepristone prescription, restoring a requirement that had been lifted during the COVID-19 pandemic under former President Joe Biden.
Mifepristone is one of two drugs commonly used in medication abortions and accounts for a majority of abortions in the U.S., according to research from the Guttmacher Institute.
ABORTION PILL MIFEPRISTONE STAYS AVAILABLE BY MAIL FOR NOW AS FDA FACES 6-MONTH REVIEW DEADLINE
A packet of Misoprostol abortion pills. (Sergei Gapon/AFP)
The court’s order blocks mail-order distribution of the drug and effectively halts pharmacy-based dispensing allowed under recent FDA rule changes, requiring it to be dispensed in person under earlier safety protocols.
«It is true, as the district court noted, that a § 705 stay ‘would, as a practical matter, have a nationwide effect.’» the court wrote, putting in plain terms the sweeping implications of the decision.
Judges sharply criticized the FDA’s handling of the drug’s safety data, saying the agency had «previously eliminated the requirement to report mifepristone’s adverse events,» and calling it «unreasonable» to remove reporting requirements and then rely on the resulting lack of data to justify expanded access.
The ruling also sided with arguments from pro-life states, including Louisiana, which said federal policy undermined their abortion laws.
«Every abortion facilitated by FDA’s action cancels Louisiana’s ban,» the court wrote, adding that the state’s policy recognizes «every unborn child is [a] human being… from the moment of conception.»
REPUBLICAN SENATORS BLAST FDA FOR EXPANDING ABORTION PILL ACCESS
Pro-life demonstrators march to the Supreme Court for the annual March for Life in Washington, D.C. in 2025. (Bryan Dozier/Middle East Images/AFP via Getty Images, File)
«Once lost, that sovereign prerogative of protecting unborn life cannot be regained,» the court added.
The ruling marks a major escalation in the legal fight over abortion drugs, pitting federal regulators against states seeking to enforce stricter abortion laws in the wake of the Supreme Court’s 2022 decision overturning Roe v. Wade.
Pro-life groups quickly praised the decision.
«This is a win we’ve been waiting for, and we pray it holds,» Students for Life President Kristan Hawkins said.
«We can’t remain the United States of America if abortion loving states allow criminal enterprises to be set up, breaking the laws of their pro-life neighbors,» she added.
NEW YORK DOCTOR INDICTED FOR ALLEGEDLY PRESCRIBING ABORTION PILL TO PATIENT VIA TELEMEDICINE IN LOUISIANA
Boxes of mifepristone used for medical abortions. (Evelyn Hockstein/Reuters, File)
Family Research Council President Tony Perkins called the ruling «great news for the unborn,» adding that the issue «should be before the U.S. Supreme Court soon.»
Pro-choice advocates sharply criticized the decision.
New York Attorney General Letitia James said mifepristone is «safe, effective, and essential,» calling the ruling «yet another cruel attack on abortion access.»
«Restrictions on abortion care are restrictions on life-saving health care,» she added.
As Fox News Digital previously reported, a federal judge had allowed mifepristone to remain available by mail on a temporary basis last month while legal challenges and federal review efforts continued.
PRO-LIFE MOVEMENT CONFRONTS HIGH ABORTION RATES THREE YEARS AFTER DOBBS
Pro-life supporters hold signs outside the Supreme Court in Washington, D.C. (Olivier Douliery/AFP via Getty Images, File)
Judge David C. Joseph previously cautioned against «government by lawsuit,» emphasizing that the FDA’s ongoing safety review, not litigation, should determine long-term policy.
That review remains underway, with the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and the FDA tasked with examining safety data, adverse events and the regulatory framework on mifepristone.
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Louisiana Attorney General Liz Murrill had argued the policy caused «irreparable harm every day» it remained in place, warning expanded access was designed to «reach into jurisdictions like Louisiana» despite state-level abortion restrictions.
Friday’s ruling now sets up a likely appeal to the Supreme Court, where a new challenge to federal authority over abortion drug regulation could take center stage.
The Associated Press contributed to this reporting.
federal courts, abortion, appeals, federal judges, reproductive health, politics, supreme court
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The Senate advanced a massive, Trump-backed housing package that proponents say will prevent the U.S. from becoming a «nation of renters.»
The upper chamber sent the 21st Century Road to Housing Act to the House on Monday after months of delay. After the heads of the House Financial Services Committee and Senate Banking Committee reached a deal last week, the package is on a glide path to President Donald Trump’s desk.
It’s the first major push by Congress to address housing regulations in decades, and one Trump has been calling on lawmakers to complete as the midterm elections near.
TRUMP-BACKED AFFORDABLE HOUSING OVERHAUL CLEARS SENATE, WHILE HOUSE GOP RAISES RED FLAGS
The Senate advanced a massive, Trump-backed housing package geared toward lowering the costs of homes and supercharging the housing supply. Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., pitched it as legislation to prevent America from becoming a «nation of renters.» (Jemal Countess/Getty Images for Protect Borrowers; Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images)
Loaded with nearly 60 different provisions, the package broadly tackles rolling back some permitting regulations, launches several pilot grant programs to build, repair and push affordable housing construction, and blocks investors from buying up housing stock — a key provision pushed by Trump.
Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., one of the architects of the package, said the legislation was «not the federal government big footing local government,» but instead the federal government laying out tweaks to current programs and policies that «over time will make housing more affordable.»
«This is a housing package that will help increase supply and bring down costs,» Warren said. «One way is by beating back private equity, so they won’t invade your neighborhood, buy up all the houses, and turn America into a nation of renters.»
Warren said that among several things, the package increases access to manufactured housing by changing the federal definition to open up for more units to be constructed, pre-approved plan books for local governments to quickly approve new construction, and the waiving of some environmental review regulations for the construction of new homes.
BIPARTISAN HOUSING PUSH ADVANCES, BUT TRUMP-BACKED INVESTOR BAN FACES RESISTANCE
«It’s not just one piece that’s gonna solve a problem,» Warren said. »It’s a whole lot of smaller pieces that push in the same direction that’s important.»
The package also tries to turbocharge housing stock by tying federal grants and incentives sought by local governments to housing construction. And there are tweaks to mortgages, with a push for small-dollar mortgages at $100,000 and updates to lending standards for manufactured homes.
Sen. Bernie Moreno, R-Ohio, whose provision to establish pre-approved housing designs to speed up home construction made it into the package, said the legislation «sends a signal to state and local communities, to say, ‘Hey, guys, you really have to drive down the cost of housing, and you do that by not torturing homebuilders.’»
TRUMP CAN SOLVE THE HOUSING CRISIS, BUT HE NEEDS TO GET TOUGH WITH STATES
Sen. Bernie Moreno speaks as President Donald Trump hosts Republican lawmakers and auto executives in the Oval Office to announce changes to fuel economy standards on Dec. 3, 2025, in Washington, D.C. (Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)
While there are several moving parts to the 21st Century Road to Housing Act, it does not tackle every facet of housing costs.
For instance, it does not allocate fresh federal funding for the issue, as Senate Banking Committee Chair Tim Scott, R-S.C., has lauded the package as being deficit neutral. Nor does it directly address rising costs of homeownership, given that much of the thrust is focused on building new homes and lowering the barrier of entry for Americans to get into a home.
And for some, it does not go far enough to address permitting issues.
Sen. Alan Armstrong, R-Okla., argued that the «legislation as drafted fails to meaningfully address» the issues of housing costs.
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«Instead, this legislation makes a half-hearted attempt to waive minor environmental laws while failing to address the need for permitting reform at large,» Armstrong said.
«Our permitting process deserves its own committed effort, and attaching weak slivers of those reforms to unrelated legislation undermines the work currently being done to pass comprehensive, meaningful permitting reform,» he said.
politics, congress, housing, legislation, senate elections, democrats senate
INTERNACIONAL
Ola de calor en Europa: dos nenes fueron hallados muertos en un auto en Francia y las temperaturas llegaron a los 43°C
El calor asfixiante que golpea el oeste de Europa se intensificó este lunes, especialmente en Francia, donde dos niños fueron hallados muertos dentro de un auto.
Se trata de la segunda ola de calor para millones de europeos en menos de un mes. Según el consenso científico, el cambio climático provocado por la actividad humana hace más intensos los fenómenos meteorológicos extremos.
El nuevo episodio, más extenso que el de mayo y que podría prolongarse hasta el fin de semana, recuerda la ola de calor de agosto de 2003 en Europa. Ese fenómeno provocó más de 70.000 muertos durante sus dos semanas de duración.
Niños y mayores fallecidos
Francia fue el epicentro este lunes, con temperaturas previstas entre 36 y 43ºC.
El servicio meteorológico Météo France decretó la alerta roja, la máxima posible, en la mitad del país, donde viven más de 35 millones de habitantes. El mercurio no debería bajar antes de finales de semana.
Altas temperaturas sofocan a los franceses (Foto: REUTERS/Abdul Saboor)
Dos hermanos de 2 y 4 años fueron hallados muertos este lunes dentro del auto de su familia en Carpentras, en el sureste de Francia, y la principal hipótesis del fallecimiento es “la ola de calor”, indicó la fiscal, Hélène Mourges.
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El domingo, tres personas mayores fallecieron en sus domicilios en el suroeste de Francia debido a las altas temperaturas, según las autoridades. Y otras trece se ahogaron durante el fin de semana en distintas partes del país.
La ministra de Sanidad, Stéphanie Rist, alertó sobre el enorme aumento de llamadas a los servicios de emergencia, aunque el sistema sanitario no estaría “particularmente bajo tensión” por el momento.
Aulas sofocantes
Más de 1300 de las 60.000 escuelas del país permanecieron cerradas este lunes, mientras que otros 4000 ajustaron su horario lectivo o sus instalaciones, según el ministerio de Educación.
Desde la semana pasada, otros centros educativos sugirieron a los padres que mantengan a sus hijos en casa o que los recojan a la hora del almuerzo para sacarlos de unas sofocantes aulas.
“Son las 10:00 y hace 38°C dentro del aula, así que los niños están fuera, no pueden quedarse”, dijo Sylvain Gigon, director de una escuela primaria en Tours, ciudad del centro de Francia, que batió su récord local de noche más calurosa con 24,8ºC de temperatura mínima. Un cartel luminoso ante una farmacia marca 37 grados Celsius (98,6 grados Fahrenheit) en París, el domingo 21 de junio de 2026. (AP Foto/Michel Euler)
Trenes anulados
La región de París anuló un tren de cada diez de manera preventiva. La víspera, la compañía SNCF recomendó a las personas “vulnerables” evitar tomar el tren.
En la estación de trenes Saint Charles de Marsella, en el sureste de Francia, las autoridades repartieron botellas de agua, abanicos y sombreros a los pasajeros antes de acceder al tren.
Más al norte, en Bélgica, esta semana podría ser “la más calurosa jamás registrada”, con una temperatura media superior a 27°C, según David Dehenauw, del instituto meteorológico IRM.
Leé también: Dos semanas después del balotaje, sigue la incertidumbre en Perú: la derechista Keiko Fujimori amplía la ventaja
Algunos trenes en horas punta fueron cancelados el lunes y el martes en el país, donde este tipo de transporte es muy utilizado, indicó la SNCB, la compañía nacional de ferrocarriles.
Retransmisión del Mundial cancelada
La ola de calor también golpea al resto de Europa occidental.
España enfrentó su segunda jornada de ola de calor con valores de “entre 5 y 10 grados superiores a los propios de esta época en general”, según Rubén del Campo, portavoz de la agencia española de meteorología Aemet.
Las altas temperaturas ya obligaron a cancelar el domingo eventos como la transmisión en pantalla gigante del partido de fútbol España-Arabia Saudita en el centro de Madrid.
En Portugal, se decretó la alerta naranja el martes en zonas del interior, mientras que Países Bajos se encuentra en “código amarillo” con temperaturas de hasta 37ºC de aquí a finales de semana.
Reino Unido decretó la muy poco común alerta roja por “calor extremo” miércoles y jueves en el sur del país.
(Con información de AFP)
ola de calor, Francia
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Latvian intelligence is warning that Russia is preparing possible military provocations against the Baltic states or Poland, including drones, missiles or other hybrid attacks, in an effort to pressure NATO countries to stop supporting Ukraine.
«We see indications that Russia is preparing military provocations against the Baltic countries or Poland — not a conventional war, because Russia is not capable of that right now, but hybrid attacks, such as missiles, drones or other actions designed to send a signal: stop supporting Ukraine, or you will have your own problems,» Latvian intelligence told Fox News Digital.
The most immediate concern, according to Latvian intelligence, is not that Moscow is ready for a full-scale war with NATO, but that Russian President Vladimir Putin could miscalculate because the surrounding institutions are feeding him the version of reality he wants to hear.
The Baltic states and Poland are NATO allies, meaning a Russian provocation there could quickly test America’s treaty commitments and risk a broader confrontation. It also comes as Washington and its allies weigh how far to go in supporting Ukraine and tightening sanctions on Moscow.
RUSSIAN DRONES TEST NATO’S ARTICLE 5 DEFENSE GUARANTEE AHEAD OF FRIDAY SANCTIONS DEADLINE
Latvian intelligence argues that Putin is not only looking for ways to pressure NATO countries to back off Ukraine, but may also be receiving distorted assessments from inside his own system — raising the risk that Russia could misjudge Western resolve.
Latvian intelligence is warning that Russia is preparing possible military provocations against the Baltic states or Poland, including drones, missiles or other hybrid attacks. (Efrat Lachter)
«The biggest concern is miscalculation. Russian institutions are telling Putin what he wants to hear, and that creates a dangerous cycle that can lead to foolish and senseless decisions,» Latvian intelligence said.
«We see more and more signs that Putin wants to receive only positive news. He is isolated, and that makes decision-making even more problematic as decisions are not based on the real situation,» Latvian intelligence added.
The Latvian warning tracks with concerns raised by Polish officials during Fox News Digital reporting in June in Poland, where officials described Russia’s hybrid war against NATO’s eastern flank as already underway. Polish Deputy Foreign Minister Marcin Bosacki pointed to assassinations, drone activity, cyberattacks and attacks on critical infrastructure on NATO territory, including what he described as a Russian-instigated cyberattack on Polish energy infrastructure intended «to black out part of Poland.»
Amb. Krzysztof Olendzki also described the Belarus border as part of a Russian and Belarusian campaign to weaponize illegal migration against NATO countries.
Latvian intelligence also assessed that Western sanctions are having a real impact inside Russia, despite Moscow’s public claims that it has absorbed the pressure.
«Russia says publicly that sanctions do not matter, but its own internal assessments show that sanctions are biting,» Latvian intelligence told Fox News Digital. «They may not change Putin’s mindset, but they limit Russia’s financial resources and thus opportunities and force to make difficult choices regarding recruitment, military spending, and pressure on businesses. Its war economy is a crumbling ‘house of cards.’»
NATO’S EASTERN FLANK RACES TO REARM AS TRUMP PRESSURE EXPOSES WESTERN EUROPE’S DEFENSE GAP
Latvian intelligence also assessed that Western sanctions are having a real impact inside Russia, despite Moscow’s public claims that it has absorbed the pressure. (Sasha Mordovets/Getty)
The assessment comes as Latvia’s Constitution Protection Bureau, known as SAB, released a public report detailing how Russia is intensifying «lawfare» against the West — using courts, legal claims and international institutions to pressure Western governments, weaken support for Ukraine and create possible justification for more aggressive actions.
The report outlines Russian efforts to study Iran’s experience challenging Western sanctions through international legal mechanisms.
Russian experts have analyzed Iran’s 2016 case against the United States at the International Court of Justice and are looking for ways to adapt similar tactics against Western countries, according to the Constitution Protection Bureau.
«If you want to push Russia toward a peace deal that is acceptable to Ukraine and the West, sanctions are the right mechanism,» Latvian intelligence said. «We need more international pressure on Russia through sanctions.»
US ALLIES ACCUSE RUSSIA OF ‘ESCALATING HYBRID ACTIVITIES’ AGAINST NATO, EU NATIONS AFTER DATA CABLES SEVERED
The assessment comes as Latvia’s Constitution Protection Bureau, known as SAB, released a public report detailing how Russia is intensifying «lawfare» against the West. (Capt. H. Howey/U.S. Army)
The Constitution Protection Bureau also warns that Russia has prepared a complaint against the Baltic States at the U.N.’s International Court of Justice, formally accusing them of discrimination against Russians and Russian speakers. Latvian intelligence believes the legal campaign is not only about the courtroom, but about building a narrative Moscow could later use as a pretext for action.
«Russia believes the Baltic States are governed by pro-American elites who are disconnected from their own people. They made a similar mistake about Ukraine before the invasion, which is why this perception worries us,» Latvian intelligence said.
The Constitution Protection Bureau report argues that Russia is trying to turn propaganda into legal and political action. It describes Moscow’s planned complaint as relying on a «highly manipulative approach» to international law, including selective interpretations of international norms and what the report calls «imagined evidence» of alleged discrimination.
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«Currently, there are no military threats to Latvia,» its intelligence said. (Burak Akbulut/Anadolu via Getty Images)
The concern is that Russia could use those claims to justify pressure, intimidation or hybrid operations — the same broad logic Moscow used when it claimed it was acting to protect Donbas residents before invading Ukraine.
«Currently, there are no military threats to Latvia,» its intelligence said. «We are not concerned about a full-scale invasion right now. Russia would need three to five years, even if the war in Ukraine ended today, to rebuild sufficient capabilities. What worries us now are provocations — drones, missiles and other hybrid attacks.»
The Russian government did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment.
vladimir putin, nato, ukraine, sanctions, russia
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