The Department of Justice filed a brief on Monday asking the 5th Circuit Court of Appeals to pause Texas' strict abortion ban while the law is being appealed.
The law went into effect last month, and prohibits abortions once cardiac activity is detected; this usually happens about six weeks into a pregnancy. The Justice Department filed a suit to block the law, and last Wednesday, U.S. District Judge Robert Pitman approved a temporary injunction. Just two days later, the 5th Circuit granted Texas' request that it put an administrative hold on Pitman's order, allowing the law to stay in place as the court considers the appeal.
The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
-
Sloth fever shows no signs of slowing downThe explainer The vector-borne illness is expanding its range
-
'With every technological advance, there are risks'Instant Opinion Opinion, comment and editorials of the day
-
5 of the best platonic TV friendshipsthe week recommends Maintaining boundaries has proven tricky for all but the most committed of buddies on the small screen
-
SpaceX breaks Starship losing streak in 10th testspeed read The Starship rocket's test flight was largely successful, deploying eight dummy satellites during its hour in space
-
Rabbits with 'horns' sighted across Coloradospeed read These creatures are infected with the 'mostly harmless' Shope papilloma virus
-
Lithium shows promise in Alzheimer's studySpeed Read Potential new treatments could use small amounts of the common metal
-
Scientists discover cause of massive sea star die-offSpeed Read A bacteria related to cholera has been found responsible for the deaths of more than 5 billion sea stars
-
'Thriving' ecosystem found 30,000 feet underseaSpeed Read Researchers discovered communities of creatures living in frigid, pitch-black waters under high pressure
-
Bacteria can turn plastic waste into a painkillerUnder the radar The process could be a solution to plastic pollution
-
Scientists want to regrow human limbs. Salamanders could lead the way.Under the radar Humans may already have the genetic mechanism necessary
-
New York plans first nuclear plant in 36 yearsSpeed Read The plant, to be constructed somewhere in upstate New York, will produce enough energy to power a million homes
