Supreme Court temporarily extends full access to abortion pill while it mulls legal challenge

BREAKING NEWSmay. 11, 2026, 7:54 PM UTCAbortion RightsAbortion RightsSupreme Court temporarily extends full access to abortion pill while it mulls legal challengeThe justices are still considering what next steps to take in a case that could block availability of the abortion pill mifepristone by mail.Listen to this article with a free account00:0000:00A box of Mifepristone, an abortion pill.Shuran Huang / The Washington Post via Getty ImagesShareAdd NBC News to GoogleBy Lawrence HurleyWASHINGTON — The Supreme Court on Monday maintained full access to the abortion pill mifepristone while it continues to mull how to rule in a case that would limit availability of the drug.Subscribe to read this story ad-free Get unlimited access to ad-free articles and exclusive content.The court on May 4, via an order issued by Justice Samuel Alito, had provisionally blocked a lower court decision that would have prevented the pill from being administered by mail.Alito on Monday extended the pause until 5 p.m. on Thursday, giving the court another four days to consider its next steps.The nationwide availability of mifepristone was cast into jeopardy when the New Orleans-based 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals granted Louisiana’s request to void Biden administration rules that allowed the drug to be administered without an in-person meeting, meaning it can in theory be mailed anywhere in the country, even in states with strict abortion bans.This is a developing story. Please check back for updates.ShareAdd NBC News to GoogleLawrence HurleyLawrence Hurley is a senior Supreme Court reporter for NBC News.