Federal judge in Texas suspends marketing authorization of abortion pill mifepristone. Government asks appeals court to block ruling pending substantive examination of case.
Big pharmaceutical companies slam decision as "ignoring decades of scientific evidence" Several Democratic states have taken the lead by stockpiling abortion pills, including 15,000 doses in Washington State and 2,000 in California. The pill, taken in connection with misoprostol, now represents 53% of abortions in the U.S., according to the Center for Reproductive Rights.