evening, there s breaking news and a big victory for the biden administration, the fda and the maker but widely used abortion medication that s been taken by millions of women from more than two decades. mifepristone about an hour ago, we learned that a majority of justices on the supreme court decided in effect that the pill will remain legal no restrictions on its usage while an appeal of a lower lower court ruling moves forward that ruling by a federal judge in texas, known as an opponent of abortion, put a hold on the federal approval of the pill by the fda in 2000. and raised questions about the scientific evidence provided by the fda supporting its safety. the fifth circuit court of appeals, then froze parts of that texas judge s ruling but still left significant restrictions on this distribution prohibited pills sent by mail narrowed the window of its availability and blocked healthcare providers who are not doctors from prescribing the pills. this new ruling by the su
questions about the scientific evidence provided by the fda supporting its safety. the fifth circuit court of appeals, then froze parts of that texas judge s ruling but still left significant restrictions on this distribution. it prohibited pills sent by mail narrowed the window of its availability and blocked healthcare providers who are not doctors from prescribing the pills. this new ruling by the supreme court, requested by the vitamin ist rations removes all restrictions while the continues. cnn justice correspondent jessica schneider joins us now with more so the justices had until midnight. the ruling didn t come down until well into the evening. do we know why well, we ve been waiting for this a week. anderson after that initial kind of extension on wednesday as well, and it s likely that justice alito, who is the one who wrote he needed time to maybe write this four page dissent, and it s possible even that during their conference this morning, maybe the justices wer
order makes clear that it will remain status quo from kristen beyond the fifth circuit s ruling until maybe this works its way back up to the supreme court and whether they can decide whether or not to take the case as well. anderson all right, jessica schneider, thanks for joining by cnn senior supreme court analyst joan biskupic, author of the new book, nine black robes. inside the supreme court s drive to the right and its historic consequences. so of all the options of the court that they had. was this always the most likely, you know, anderson. i really think it was, but it s hard to predict the court on reproductive rights these days, given what they did last june and reversing roe v. wade but this was the sort of the most sensible approach given the kind of case that the justice department made on behalf of the fda explain the chaos that would come if suddenly there were new regulations. out there on this abortion pill that has been available since the year 2000 and the other th
women wouldn t be able to fully access the drug. sting that justice alito, saying in his dissent there really wouldn t be harmed here. so is it clear when the fifth circuit court of appeals will hear the case on its merits? fast tracking this, so the first briefs are due? actually next week, then briefs will roll in over the next few weeks, and in less than a month from now on may 17th the fifth circuit will be hearing arguments on this and then presumably in the weeks or maybe even months after that. the fifth circuit will come up with decision. but this supreme court order makes clear that it will remain status quo from kristen beyond the fifth circuit s ruling until maybe this works its way back up to the supreme court and whether they can decide whether or not to take the case as well. anderson all right, jessica schneider, thanks for joining by cnn senior supreme court analyst joan biskupic, author of the new book, nine black robes. inside the supreme court s drive to the right an