Supreme Court Temporarily Blocks Ruling Requiring In-Person Doctor Visits for Abortion Pill

The Supreme Court has temporarily blocked a federal appeals court’s ruling that women seeking abortions must visit a doctor in person before receiving the abortion pill mifepristone. The decision issued on May 14, 2026, came three days after the court extended its own timeline for considering the matter.

It preserves current access to mail-order mifepristone during the ongoing legal proceedings. The justices ruled 7-2, with Samuel Alito and Clarence Thomas dissenting. ” The temporary order is not a final resolution of the case, which has involved multiple twists and turns over federal regulation of the drug.

A federal appeals court had ruled against the FDA’s changes, prompting the Supreme Court’s intervention. The underlying lawsuit is expected to continue with further briefing and arguments.

The outbreak has produced 246 suspected cases and 65 reported deaths. Early testing indicates it is caused by an Ebola species other than the Zaire strain. The Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention said only vaccines for the Zaire strain are licensed, though experimental vaccines exist for other species.

Sequencing to identify the exact strain is continuing. The agency cited urban spread, population movement for work, regional conflict, and infection control challenges as reasons for concern. The outbreak is occurring near the borders with Uganda and South Sudan.

The Africa CDC convened a meeting on May 15, 2026, with global health authorities, vaccine developers, and humanitarian organizations. Ituri province was also affected during the 2018-2020 Ebola outbreak, the second largest on record.

Study Links Reduced U.S.

The study reported a 6.5 percent greater probability of conflict in areas that had received the most aid compared with those that received none. That increase included roughly a 10 percent rise in riots and battle-related fatalities. The findings come after the Trump administration ended USAID’s operations shortly after taking office in January 2025.

Much of the agency’s work had focused on health-related international aid.

Department Questions Admissions at Two Medical Schools

A similar letter was sent to the University of California, Los Angeles medical school the previous week. Both actions cite differences in average test scores and GPAs across racial groups in recent admissions cycles. The moves follow a 2023 Supreme Court decision that barred the use of affirmative action in college admissions.

The Department of Justice has accused medical schools of continuing practices that amount to discrimination despite that ruling.

In a video statement posted on May 14, 2026, Kornbluth also reported a persistent drop in graduate student admissions. The university faces a $300 million deficit that has led to library closures and reduced undergraduate admissions. Kornbluth attributed the challenges to federal funding reductions, higher taxes on university endowments, and changes in immigration policy that have affected international applications.

The developments reflect broader policy shifts under the current administration.