Updated: Federal Court Finally Blocks Mail-Order Abortion Drugs Nationwide

Abortion, , , ,

Updated at 10:45 A.M. on Monday, May 4: On Monday, the U.S. Supreme Court issued an administrative stay letting mail-order abortion drugs resume at least until 5:00 P.M. on Monday, May 11.

On May 1, a three-judge panel from the 5th Circuit Court of Appeals blocked mail-order abortion drugs nationwide. The case is already being appealed to the U.S. Supreme Court.

Arkansas law generally prohibits abortion except to save the life of the mother, and it is a crime for an abortionist to mail abortion drugs like RU-486 into the state.

But under President Biden, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration loosened its safety protocols to allow mail-order abortion drugs. Pro-abortion states have also enacted “shield laws” for abortionists who mail abortion drugs into states like Arkansas.

All of that has created a dangerous industry of abortion-by-mail in Arkansas and across America.

In response, the State of Louisiana challenged the U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s mail-order abortion rules. Family Council joined other pro-life organizations in an amicus brief in the lawsuit earlier this year.

On Friday, a panel of judges from the 5th Circuit issued a stay against the FDA effectively blocking the agency’s mail-order abortion rules nationwide. The decision is being appealed to the U.S. Supreme Court, but we are optimistic the Court will uphold the 5th Circuit’s decision.

New evidence shows that abortion drugs are much more dangerous than the FDA previously thought.

A recent study by the experts at the Ethics and Public Policy Center found abortion drugs are at least 22 times more dangerous than the drugs’ labeling indicates. Nearly 11% of women experience serious health complications from abortion pills — including sepsis, infection, and life-threatening hemorrhage.

Abortion drugs hurt women and kill unborn children. These drugs should not be available at all — much less through the mail.

Articles appearing on this website are written with the aid of Family Council’s researchers and writers.

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Arkansas Legislature Approves $3.5M in Grant Funding for Mothers with Unplanned Pregnancies

Abortion, , , , ,

The Arkansas Legislature continues to put its money where its mouth is by approving millions of dollars in grant funding to support women with unplanned pregnancies.

Since 2022, Arkansas law generally has prohibited abortion except to save the life of the mother, and abortion facilities in the state have closed down. But data shows that Arkansans may be traveling out of state for abortions. We also know that abortionists in other parts of the country are shipping abortion drugs into Arkansas illegally.

That’s why Family Council has encouraged Arkansas’ lawmakers to provide grant funding for pregnancy help organizations across the state.

These pro-life charities give women real options besides abortion. That’s why a growing number of states provide these organizations with public funding.

This year, the Arkansas Legislature raised its Pregnancy Help Organization Grant fund from $2 million to $3.5 million.

Lawmakers approved the funding last Wednesday as part of the Department of Finance and Administration’s 2026-2027 budget for its Disbursing Officer, and Governor Sanders signed the budget proposal into law.

The measures makes it clear that “pregnancy help organizations” include nonprofit organizations that promote infant and maternal wellness and reduce infant and maternal mortality by:

  • Providing nutritional information and/or nutritional counseling;
  • Providing prenatal vitamins;
  • Providing a list of prenatal medical care options;
  • Providing social, emotional, and/or material support; or
  • Providing referrals for WIC and community-based nutritional services, including but not limited to food banks, food pantries, and food distribution centers.

Abortionists and their affiliates are not eligible for grant funding.

Family Council is grateful to the General Assembly and Governor Sanders for approving this $3.5 million in grant funding to provide alternatives to abortion. This is money well spent. We look forward to seeing the state award the funds to pregnancy help organizations in the coming months.

Articles appearing on this website are written with the aid of Family Council’s researchers and writers.

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Forecast Calls for 100% Chance of Shady Bets

Gambling,

Last week, media outlets reported that French authorities are investigating unexplained temperature spikes at a Paris weather station following suspicious bets placed on the platform Polymarket.

Federally regulated prediction markets like Polymarket and Kalshi exploit loopholes in state and federal laws to bring casino-style gambling to anyone with a smartphone. Whereas traditional gambling in Arkansas and elsewhere operates under state oversight and state law, prediction market platforms claim protection under federal commodities laws.

The out-of-state companies running these platforms claim it’s not gambling. They just offer “financial products” that let people “invest” in the outcome of sports games or other real-world events — like tomorrow’s weather, foreign policy, and so on.

But calling it an “investment” does not change the reality. It’s wagering on uncertain outcomes in hopes of making money.

A viral security camera video clip making the rounds online claims to show a man using a hairdryer on a thermometer at a French weather station. The video says the man was trying to win a Polymarket bet about the weather in Paris.

Newsweek reports the thermometer spiked four degrees Celsius over the course of about 12 minutes before abruptly dropping again. The incident and the Polymarket wagers placed right before it happened were suspicious enough to prompt investigations.

All of this reminds us about the corrupting influence that gambling has.

Even if the viral video of the man with the hairdryer turned out to be fake, the fact that platforms like Kalshi let users gamble on the weather makes people suspicious when temperatures do something unexpected. Imagine what happens when we have problems from people betting on elections.

We need to close the loopholes and enact clear laws that prohibit prediction market wagering and any activity functioning like it.

Articles appearing on this website are written with the aid of Family Council’s researchers and writers.

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