FEDERAL NEWS
This page last updated 5-2-26
Dated News Articles are generally available for about 2 months.
Appeals Court Blocks Mailing
of Abortion Pill Mifepristone in U.S.
Cbsnews.com / May 1, 2026 / 7:24 PM EDT / CBS/AP
A federal appeals court on Friday restricted access to one of the most common means of abortion in the U.S. by blocking mailing of prescriptions of mifepristone.
A panel of the New Orleans-based 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals is requiring that the abortion pill be distributed only in person at clinics.
"Every abortion facilitated by FDA's action cancels Louisiana's ban on medical abortions and undermines its policy that 'every unborn child is human being from the moment of conception and is, therefore, a legal person,'" the ruling states.
In their ruling, the judges stated that the current regulation "creates an effective way for an out-of-state prescriber to place the drug in the hands of Louisianans in defiance of Louisiana law." CLICK HERE TO READ MORE OF THIS NEWS.
SCOTUS GRANTS
PREGNANCY CENTERS RIGHT
TO CHALLENGE NEW JERSEY
PROBE INTO DONORS
By Hannah Hiester on 4-28-26 for Zeale.co/news
The Supreme Court of the United States (SCOTUS) unanimously ruled April 29 that a New Jersey coalition of pregnancy resource centers may proceed with a First Amendment lawsuit against state officials who demanded private information about the centers’ donors.
SCOTUS held that former New Jersey Attorney General Matt Platkin’s actions against First Choice Women’s Resource Centers violated the centers’ First Amendment right to freedom of association. As Zeale News previously reported, Platkin subpoenaed First Choice in 2023 and demanded up to 10 years of private records, including donor information, internal documents, and communications.
According to the Ethics and Religious Liberty Commission (ERLC), New Jersey also argued that First Choice could lead donors to believe that facilities offer abortions, citing the fact that their donor portal features pictures of people holding babies.
State courts did not overturn the subpoena and instead sought to redraw its scope. When First Choice brought a case to federal courts, those courts decided the suit could only be heard at the state level since the centers had not yet been forced to comply with Platkin’s subpoena, ruling that no actual violation of the First Amendment had yet occurred.
However, the new SCOTUS ruling holds that the subpoena did harm First Choice by burdening the centers’ constitutional right of association. The ruling allows the centers to argue their case before federal courts instead of waiting for the subpoena to be enforced, the ERLC explained. CLICK HERE TO READ THE REST OF THIS NEW ARTICLE.
Senator Asks FTC to Investigate
Abortion Drug Manufacturers
LifeNews.com | Pedro Rodriguez | Apr. 20, 2026 | Washington, DC
Indiana Sen. Jim Banks urged the Federal Trade Commission on Monday to investigate abortion drug manufacturers and distributors for potentially false or misleading medical and safety claims.
In a letter to the FTC, Banks called on the commission to uphold federal prohibitions against deceptive trade practices by holding abortion drug companies to the same standards as other companies.
“Mifepristone manufacturers and dispensers continue to mislead pregnant women into thinking that abortion drugs are much safer than they really are, and that even if something bad does happen, they can receive appropriate treatment without disclosing their abortion,” the letter stated.
“Companies that profit from abortion drugs should be honest about their risks,” the letter added. “The FTC has the tools in its toolbox to hold abortion drug companies to their obligations under consumer protection law.”
CLICK HERE TO READ MORE
Trump Admin Announces Planned Parenthood Grants Will End This Year
LifeNews.com | Steven Ertelt | Mar. 31, 2026 | Washington, DC
The Trump administration has announced that this is the last year the Planned Parenthood abortion business will receive Title X grants. A Trump official confirmed today that it is legally required to issue the fifth and final year of Biden-era Title X family planning grants to America’s biggest abortion business Planned Parenthood, but has pledged to realign the program with a pro-life agenda afterward.
That decision next year will be ending taxpayer support for the abortion giant through this particiular funding stream.
White House spokesman Kush Desai said the administration was forced to extend the grants due to legal challenges.
CLICK HERE to read the full article, including comments from pro-life organizations.
HHS INVESTIGATES 13 STATES ALLEGEDLY COERCING HEALTH CARE INSURANCE GROUPS TO PAY FOR ABORTIONS
By McKenna Snow for Zeale
published online 3-20-26
Thirteen states are under investigation following allegations that they are forcing healthcare entities to pay for abortions despite conscience objections, potentially in violation of a federal healthcare conscience law, according to a March 19 press release from the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS).
The HHS’ Office for Civil Rights is investigating the states for policies potentially in violation of the Weldon Amendment, which prohibits federal, state, or local government discrimination against healthcare entities that refuse to pay for or cover abortions, according to the release.
CLICK HERE to see a list of the states involved and to read the full article.