NEW ORLEANS — A federal appeals court has ordered a severe nationwide restriction on the abortion pill mifepristone, effectively halting mail-order delivery of the medication used in the majority of U.S. abortions.

The ruling, issued Friday by a three-judge panel of the New Orleans-based 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals, requires patients to obtain the drug in person at a health clinic. The decision overrides a 2021 Food and Drug Administration (FDA) policy that had allowed the pills to be prescribed via telehealth and sent through the mail.

“Every abortion facilitated by FDA’s action cancels Louisiana’s ban on medical abortions and undermines its policy that ‘every unborn child is a human being from the moment of conception,’” the court stated in its ruling.

The order stems from a lawsuit brought by the state of Louisiana against the FDA. Louisiana Attorney General Liz Murrill hailed the decision, arguing that the current federal regulations allowed out-of-state prescribers to defy state laws.The court’s conservative panel agreed, stating the FDA failed to justify removing the in-person requirement.

Danco Laboratories, a major manufacturer of mifepristone, swiftly filed an emergency motion Saturday for a one-week pause on the order. The company argued the ruling has already resulted in “immediate chaos” and requested time to seek relief from the U.S. Supreme Court.

Reproductive rights advocates warned the decision would have a devastating impact on patients in rural areas or those living with disabilities. Julia Kaye, a senior staff attorney for the ACLU’s Reproductive Freedom Project, called the ruling a “rubber-stamp” of anti-abortion propaganda that defies clear science.

Mifepristone was originally approved by the FDA in 2000 and is now used in nearly two-thirds of all U.S. abortions.Since the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade in 2022, telehealth prescriptions have become a primary method for maintaining access in states with restrictive bans.

The ruling comes as the FDA, currently under the Trump administration, is conducting a new review of mifepristone’s safety. While judges typically defer to the agency’s scientific expertise, the 5th Circuit noted the FDA “could not say when that review might be complete”.

Why It Matters

This decision marks the most sweeping threat to abortion access since 2022, according to the Guttmacher Institute. By blocking mifepristone mail delivery, the court has upended the delivery model for approximately one in four people in the U.S. who seek an abortion via telemedicine. Even in states where abortion remains legal, patients may now be forced to travel hundreds of miles to a brick-and-mortar clinic just to pick up a pill.

What Happens Next

The order remains in effect while the underlying case continues, though a temporary stay could be granted by May 8.Legal experts expect the case to move quickly to the U.S. Supreme Court. While the high court unanimously preserved access to the pill in 2024, that ruling was based on the plaintiffs’ lack of legal standing and did not address the core safety or mailing regulations now at issue.

New York City parents can officially begin applying for a new free childcare initiative spearheaded by Council Member Zohran Mamdani, marking a major escalation in the Astoria representative’s push to make universal care a reality across the five boroughs.

The application portal went live Friday, offering a concrete look at a plan that has become a central pillar of Mamdani’s political platform. The program aims to provide full-time care for children from six weeks to five years old, regardless of a family’s immigration status or income level.

“For too long, childcare in this city has been treated as a luxury for the few rather than a right for the many,” Mamdani said in a statement accompanying the launch. “Today, we are moving past the theoretical and giving families a direct path to the relief they desperately need.”

The program is designed to fill the gap left by recent budget constraints and the phasing out of pandemic-era subsidies. According to the Council Member’s office, the initiative will prioritize families in “childcare deserts”—neighborhoods where the ratio of children to available licensed spots is most lopsided.

The logistics of the plan are ambitious. To fund the expansion, Mamdani has consistently pointed toward his “Tax the Rich” legislative package, which seeks to redirect revenue from the city’s highest earners to social services.

City Hall has remained skeptical of the price tag. Critics of the plan argue that the city’s current fiscal climate makes universal coverage a “mathematical impossibility” without significant state or federal intervention. Mayor Eric Adams’ administration has previously focused on stabilizing existing 3-K and Pre-K programs, which have faced their own set of enrollment and funding hurdles over the last year.

Why It Matters

The cost of childcare in New York City is among the highest in the nation. Many families currently pay upwards of $20,000 per year for a single child, a figure that often exceeds the cost of in-state college tuition.

For middle-income earners, the situation is particularly dire. These families often earn too much to qualify for traditional vouchers but not enough to comfortably afford private tuition. The “subsidy cliff” has forced thousands of parents—primarily mothers—out of the workforce entirely.

Mamdani’s move to open applications now is seen by many as a strategic maneuver to demonstrate overwhelming public demand. By building a massive waitlist of eligible families, his office hopes to create “unignorable pressure” on the city’s budget negotiators.

What Happens Next

The application window is expected to stay open for the next several weeks. Once the initial pool of applicants is processed, Mamdani’s office is expected to release a detailed report on the geographic and economic breakdown of the demand.

While the portal is now accepting names, the actual rollout of seats will depend on upcoming budget battles in the City Council. Supporters are planning a rally at City Hall later this month to demand that the program receive full funding in the next fiscal cycle.

Parents interested in applying can access the portal through the Council Member’s official website or via community partner offices in Queens and Brooklyn.