Daily Briefing: The legal uncertainty of the abortion pill
Competing rulings by federal judges in Texas and Washington have plunged the future of mifepristone, a key abortion drug, into uncertainty. Also in the news: Nashville leadership are poised to reinstate one of two Democratic lawmakers expelled from the State legislature. Jon Rahm of Spain has won a green jacket in the 87th Masters.
🙋🏼♀️ I'm Nicole Fallert, Daily Briefing author. What just happened on "Succession"?
Now, here we go with Monday's news.
Dueling federal rulings plunge future of abortion pill into legal uncertainty
A ruling by U.S. District Judge Matthew Kacsmaryk in Texas, a Trump appointee, put a halt on government approval of the drug, potentially decimating access to medication abortion nationwide.
But just minutes later, a federal judge in Washington, Obama appointee U.S. District Judge Thomas O. Rice, ordered the Food and Drug Administration not to make any changes that would restrict access to the drug in 17 states and D.C. that sued to expand access to mifepristone.
The consequences of the rulings, at least in the short term, will be that access to mifepristone remains unchanged, because Kacsmaryk gave seven days for the federal government to appeal, which the Justice Department has committed to do.
The legal battle seems destined for argument before the nation's Supreme Court justices, an upcoming challenge that is worrying abortion rights advocates about access to a drug long hailed as safe by federal regulators.
The abortion drug has been used in the United States since 2000 and there is essentially no precedent for a lone judge overruling the medical decisions of the Food and Drug Administration.
Keep reading: AOC says Biden White House should ignore abortion pill ruling.
Ukraine challenges authenticity of leaked Pentagon documents
Ukraine officials on Sunday shrugged off leaked Pentagon documents from the war effort that revealed data on military activities, including U.S. drone spy planes in the region and use of ammunition by Ukrainian forces. Andriy Yusov, a spokesman for Ukraine's military intelligence directorate, said on Ukrainian TV that a preliminary analysis of the materials revealed "false, distorted figures on losses on both sides." The leaks, first reported by The New York Times, provide information about plans by the United States and NATO to strengthen the Ukrainian military ahead of an expected spring counteroffensive, including intelligence on weapons deliveries. Read more
Russia formally charged Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich with espionage.
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China flew fighter jets near Taiwan after leader's US stop.
Unemployment fell to 3.5% under Biden. For how much longer?
Bill Barr says the DOJ could have 'very good evidence' for obstruction in Trump's classified documents case.
New Hampshire Gov. Sununu is going for old-school politics in 2024.
On today's 5 Things podcast, USA TODAY White House Correspondent Joey Garrison previews President Joe Biden’s trip to Ireland. Listen on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or your smart speaker.
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Nashville council to vote on restoring ousted state lawmaker
Nashville officials are poised to vote to reinstate one of the two Black Democratic lawmakers expelled by Republican colleagues over their gun control protest on the House floor after a deadly school shooting. A metro council vote Monday would send Rep. Justin Jones back after essentially a long weekend. Many councilmembers have said they want to send Jones back to the statehouse. Expelled Memphis Rep. Justin Pearson, meanwhile, is awaiting word from the Shelby County Commission about plans to address his vacancy. Read more
First-ever April tropical storm could spin up in the Gulf of Mexico this week
Meteorologists will be watching closely this week for history to be made in the Gulf of Mexico – the first tropical storm ever recorded there in April. Timing is everything, and a list of factors would have to line up correctly for a tropical system to develop, AccuWeather says. The initial step in the formation of a tropical system may occur as a dip in the jet stream, high in the atmosphere, plunges toward the Gulf of Mexico this week. And tropical storm or not, a wide span of moisture will develop from Florida to the upper Gulf Coast. Read more
Landfills catch fire, briefly, all over America. Why did one in Alabama burn for months?
Before and after photos show California reservoirs replenished after historic rains https://t.co/9l3L6FFqx4 via @usatoday
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Jon Rahm defeats Brooks Koepka to win at Augusta National
Jon Rahm, who entered the final round trailing Brooks Koepka by two strokes, shot a 3-under 69 in the final round to finish 12-under for the tournament and claim his green jacket. It is the Spaniard's first Masters win and second major tournament victory, the first coming at the 2021 U.S. Open. Koepka, who left the PGA Tour for the Saudi-backed LIV tour, began the day as the leader but after shaky play on the front nine, Rahm overtook him. Read more
Opinion: Why Jon Rahm is best golfer in the world right now with Masters win.
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The WNBA holds its 27th draft on Monday. Here are the key players to watch.
Photo of the day: Royal family's Easter church service
The royal family showed a united front as they attended Easter service at St. George's Chapel in Windsor Castle on Sunday. The Prince and Princess of Wales coordinated with their children Prince George, 9, Princess Charlotte, 7, and Prince Louis, 4, in blue outfits for the Easter church service. The event marked the first time Louis was in public attendance for the holiday. Read more
Nicole Fallert is a newsletter writer at USA TODAY, sign up for the email here. Want to send Nicole a note? Shoot her an email at NFallert@usatoday.com or follow along with her musings on Twitter. Support journalism like this – subscribe to USA TODAY here.
Associated Press contributed reporting.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Abortion pill, Pentagon leak, ousted Tennessee lawmakers, Masters: Daily Briefing
