In a controversial move on Friday, a federal judge in Texas issued an order invalidating the FDA's approval of the abortion pill, mifepristone, effectively restricting abortion access nationwide. The drug will still be available for the short term, as the judge has stayed his order for seven days to allow the FDA to appeal. Shortly after the Texas ruling, a federal judge in Washington state contradicted the Texas verdict in another case involving the same drug. The conflicting orders create a legal standoff likely to escalate to the Supreme Court. The Texas lawsuit against the drug's approval was filed by a coalition of anti-abortion groups and doctors, while the Washington state case was filed against the FDA by a dozen Democratic attorneys general.

Mifepristone, taken with misoprostol, is now used in more than half of all abortions in the U.S, and the lawsuit claims that the FDA did not properly review the scientific evidence or follow proper protocols when it approved mifepristone in 2000, arguing that the medication poses safety risks. Legal experts assert that even if the Texas ruling is ultimately upheld, there are several legal options available that could allow the manufacturers of mifepristone to continue to supply the drug, and providers to continue prescribing it to patients. Nevertheless, the ruling causes concern about abortion access, even in states where it is legal.