A recent Supreme Court ruling temporarily allowed the purchase and use of the abortion pill mifepristone in the US, preventing a lower court's ruling that would have essentially banned the pill. The FDA approval of mifepristone was under threat after a judge in Texas suspended its 20-year-old approval. Although the majority of the court granted the Biden administration's emergency request to protect the approval while litigation is ongoing, they did not explain why. Two justices, Clarence Thomas and Samuel Alito, dissented, with the latter calling three female justices by name in an apparent act of judiciary "theater," according to constitutional law expert Scott Lemieux. The case was considered under the court's "shadow docket," which does not involve a thorough review of the case and is known for its lack of explanation. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer and other Democrats voiced cautious optimism about the ruling, while some Republicans cited the supposed "real risks" of the drug. The case will continue in appeals court next month.