The News Not Noise Letter: Will the Court Roll Back Abortion Access Again?
The abortion pill goes to the Supreme Court. Plus: Why would ISIS-K attack Russia and a new push for a iPhone-less childhood.
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On Tuesday, the Supreme Court will hear the latest legal challenge to abortion in the US: the case against the abortion pill, mifepristone. In this newsletter we provide the information you need to understand the role mifepristone plays in women’s health care; the legal arguments for and against the challenge; and the surprising implications if this challenge is upheld. This is a newsletter to save/bookmark and share as these issues will be relevant well beyond this election cycle. First, we break down today’s headlines. And because so many of you took our poll on Friday (love it!), we added another one today. I want to note up front: some of today’s newsletter is behind a paywall. While most of our content is free, the work of journalism isn’t. I thank you for your grace and support.
Here are your headlines:
Israel/Gaza Updates:
Ceasefire Resolution: After four failed attempts, for the first time today the UN Security Council adopted a resolution calling for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza. This time there were no vetoes. The resolution, which the UN has no real means of enforcing, demands the ceasefire last through Ramadan which ends April 9. It also calls for the release of the hostages, but it does not make their release a condition for the ceasefire. It passed 14-0. The US abstained from voting because the resolution did not contain “a condemnation of Hamas.” The US previously vetoed three other Gaza ceasefire resolutions; its own resolution linking a ceasefire with hostage release was vetoed last week by Russia and China.
Canceled: In response, Israel canceled a visit to Washington by top advisers to PM Netanyahu. A White House spokesperson said they are “very disappointed” Israel canceled the visit, which would have involved key Netanyahu aides discussing alternatives to an invasion of Rafah with US officials.
Hostage Deal: Israel separately agreed to a US proposal that would exchange 700 Palestinian prisoners for 40 hostages including some Americans. Hamas has yet to respond to the proposal.
Consequences: Over the weekend, ABC’s Rachel Scott asked VP Harris if there would be “consequences from the United States” if Israel invades Rafah. Harris said, “I’m not ruling anything out.” This is the sharpest public warning from the US yet about Israel’s planned Rafah offensive.
Trump Updates: Donald Trump’s criminal hush money trial (the one that involves Stormy Daniels) will begin April 15, a judge ruled today. A visibly annoyed judge upheld the start date despite Trump’s attempts to delay the case or have the charges dismissed altogether. This will be Trump’s first criminal case to go to trial. Also today, an appeals panel said Trump can have 10 more days to present his bond to appeal the NY civil fraud case and reduced the amount from $464 million to $175 million. (Win some, lose some?)
ISIS-K and the Moscow Attack: ISIS-K released footage verified by news organizations showing they were responsible for the Moscow attack that killed at least 137 people. ISIS-K is a super-radical offshoot of ISIS emerging from Afghanistan, Pakistan, and Iran. (The K stands for Khorasan, a historical region comprising territory now part of Afghanistan and Iran.) They frequently spar with the Taliban, because they say the Taliban isn’t radical enough. ISIS-K has previously attacked the US (killing 13 US servicemembers at the Kabul airport as the US exited Afghanistan) and Iran (killing nearly 100 people at memorials for Qassem Soleimani). Many of you have asked why ISIS-K would attack Russia. Among the reasons: punishing Russia for waging war against Muslim populations; and they’re flexing their muscle on the world stage by targeting some of the biggest global powers. Though they’re not always in the news, Islamist extremist groups around the world are still active and powerful.
Russia’s Response: Though Putin acknowledges “radical Islamists” were behind the Moscow attack, he continues to make unsubstantiated claims that Ukraine was somehow involved in the attack as well. Putin is using these claims as justification to intensify attacks on Ukraine.
Shutdown Averted: President Biden signed a government spending package that averted a government shutdown in the nick of time. Stuffed inside the massive bill was a provision banning US embassies from flying LGBTQ+ pride flags. Now the White House says it will “work with members of Congress to find an opportunity to repeal” the provision.
Teens & the Internet: Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis signed a law banning teens under 14 from social media. DeSantis and those who support the measure say it will “give parents a greater ability to protect their children” from social media, while critics argue it restricts First Amendment freedoms. The measure also requires parental consent for teens under 16 to create social media accounts. And porn fans take note: it also requires adult sites to verify that users are over 18 (read: you’ll have to upload an ID to view porn in Florida). This law will almost certainly be challenged in court, and similar measures have been blocked in other states.
The Anxious Generation: NYU social psychologist Jonathan Haidt, author of The Anxious Generation, wants to “end the phone-based childhood.” He says there’s significant evidence that social media harms teens’ mental health – we cited his work in our newsletter on the same topic here. He advocates for a framework of common sense norms around social media and recommends not giving your kid a smartphone until high school.
In light of this, what are your thoughts on teens & social media?
A Guide to the Mifepristone Case and Its Far-Reaching Ramifications:
First, the big picture: Mifepristone is used in 63% of US abortions. A new study shows a drastic increase in the use of the abortion pill in the US for self-managed abortions after the Dobbs ruling in 2022.
Why do pregnant people use mifepristone instead of an in-clinic abortion?
74% because it’s more affordable.
50% they can take it privately (which means safely).
40% because abortion clinics are too far away.
Mifepristone is also frequently prescribed to women having miscarriages to help speed the process, making it safer and less painful.
If the Court rules for the plaintiffs, mifepristone will no longer be available via telemedicine. That means it will no longer be legally available in states that ban abortion. And it will be more difficult to access in states where abortion is legal, because many women depend on telehealth and mailed prescriptions to manage their abortions for cost, privacy, and distance reasons. We’ll get into the other, far-reaching consequences later. But first:
Who brought the case?
An anti-abortion rights organization, the Alliance for Hippocratic Medicine (AHM), is suing the FDA saying that it was wrong to expand access to mifepristone in 2016 and 2021. They want to turn back the clock to make it much harder – even impossible – for many pregnant people to access the meds.