ATLANTA — A federal judge in Texas delivered a major blow to reproductive rights advocates Friday, ordering a hold on the Food and Drug Administration approval of mifepristone, an abortion medication used in the United States since 2000.
The ruling, which does not go into effect for seven days and is being appealed by the Biden administration, could effectively prohibit use of the medication nationwide, including in states where abortion is legal.
But soon after the Texas ruling, a federal judge in Washington state issued a contradictory ruling — ordering the FDA not to make any changes to the availability of the abortion pill.
