Abortion Pill Hearing Tees Up Showdown on Access, FDA Authority

Abortion pill approval by the federal government will dominate courtroom arguments Wednesday between the Food and Drug Administration and physician groups in a case that will ultimately steer the course of reproductive rights in the US.

A three-judge panel from the US Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit will hear arguments over whether a lower court made the right call in overturning the FDA’s decades-long approval of the abortion medication mifepristone. Issued in April, the decision has spurred legal activity in several courtrooms, including the US Supreme Court, which has guaranteed access to the drug while the fight over ...