For @motherjones.com: I take a look at the many anti-abortion Texas-based lawsuits that target abortion pills and why they keep relying on plaintiffs later revealed to be problematic and "abusive."
“These cases range from messy to downright wild,” says law professor @maryrziegler.bsky.social
So incredibly proud of my dear friend @jazmineulloa.bsky.social's ambitious and beautifully woven new book that traces the complex and rich history of El Paso through the lives of five families, elevating the border city to its "rightful position" at the center of our American story. An excerpt here
NEW: TX AG Paxton sues international abortion pill provider Aid Access for allegedly shipping medication to Texans. This comes after a similar suit against a Delaware-based provider.
These suits go up against shield laws + now, international law
Filing
www.texasattorneygeneral.gov/sites/defaul...
New from @marytuma.bsky.social: “There’s an almost shocking lack of evidence around these #abortion care accusations. What you’re seeing is an attorney general grasping at straws and rushing to indict anyone during an election year.”
Lt. Eddie Wilkerson has...suggested that “We should stop giving tax money to illegals.” Wilkerson also laugh-reacted to a comment that suggested “Just shoot them,” referring to undocumented immigrants who commit sexual abuse.
Attorney General Paxton wants to imprison midwife Maria Rojas –– a Latina from Peru who was serving the Spanish-speaking community –– for life based on a "baseless" case. I report that the lead investigator has made several pro-MAGA social media posts that include strong anti-immigrant sentiments:
My latest for @texasobserver.org: Maria Margarita Rojas is the first healthcare provider charged for abortion care under Texas’ strict criminal ban. Her attorneys say the state has no evidence—yet her clinics remain shuttered.
Background:
“We will not halt shipments to Texas. We refuse to comply with cruelty disguised as law,” says Debra Lynch
www.thenation.com/article/soci...
BREAKING: Texas AG Ken Paxton is suing abortion pill provider Debra Lynch, founder of Delaware-based Her Safe Harbor for violating Texas abortion law. I talked to Debra in Sept. and she said she would keep providing care to Texans despite HB 7. Suit:
www.texasattorneygeneral.gov/sites/defaul...
law that empowers ppl to sue out-of-state pill providers for $100K
-> An ongoing lawsuit w/ an NY abortion provider
-> Cease and desist letters to abortion pills providers
-> Directly asking Congress to ban abortion shield laws.
-> SHOULD I GO ON? Because I can, and that's my point.
When I write that Texas right-wing officials are "insatiable" in their crusade to decimate abortion care, it's not hyperbole. This second attempt by TX is in addition to:
->A full criminal ban since 2022 + near-total ban since 2021
->A new bounty-hunter vigilante....
www.reuters.com/legal/govern...
I spoke with two out-of-state abortion pill providers who tell me a new aggressive Texas law, set to take effect Dec. 4, will not deter them from offering care:
“We will not halt shipments to Texas. We refuse to comply with cruelty disguised as law,” says Debra Lynch of @hersafeharbor.bsky.social
On Thurs., Dec. 4 a new Texas anti-abortion law takes effect. HB 7 aims to halt access to medication abortion by empowering people to sue anyone who mails, prescribes, or provides abortion-inducing pills to the state and reap a minimum of $100K in court. Background:
www.thenation.com/article/soci...
"During Walker’s many hospital and prenatal visits, 21 OB-GYNs were among the more than 90 physicians involved in her care. None of them counseled her on the option — or the health benefits — of a termination, according to medical records."
Texans under 18 faced more barriers to accessing abortion care in clinics than any other age group in the months following the 2021 near-total abortion ban, according to a new study in @amjpublichealth.bsky.social
Caveat: this study does not include SMA
ajph.aphapublications.org/doi/10.2105/...
A federal judge in Texas who spent the past three years trying to help conservative groups overturn the FDA's regulation of the abortion drug mifepristone has bowed out of the case.
"We refuse to comply with cruelty disguised as law,” says Debra Lynch, founder of Her Safe Harbor, a Delaware-based abortion telehealth provider. "HB 7 is an intimidation tactic, not a reflection of the reality of people’s needs."
At least two out-of-state abortion pill providers @themap-crhc.bsky.social and @hersafeharbor.bsky.social tell me they are undeterred in the face of a new Texas law that allows citizens to sue them and others.
"We refuse to comply with cruelty disguised as law."
www.thenation.com/article/soci...
For @thenation.com: While Texas officials wage a battle against New York's abortion shield law and welcome a law to block abortion medication access, out-of-state providers that send pills to Texans like @hersafeharbor.bsky.social tell me they will not back down:
www.thenation.com/article/soci...
This new study from @nber.org analyzed the imapct of 2013 Texas abortion laws, finding bans cause “significant economic hardship” and widen income inequality, translating into higher rates of “financially motivated crime, such as theft and burglary.”
www.nber.org/papers/w34245
NEWS from this morning: Letitia James, New York's attorney general, is intervening in a Texas attempt to penalize a New York doctor accused of mailing abortion pills across state lines—escalating one of the most consequential fights in the US abortion wars.
www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025...
BREAKING: The Texas man accused in a Jonathan Mitchell-penned lawsuit of putting abortion pills in his partner's drink without her knowledge—causing her to have a miscarriage—says her story isn't true. He's countersuing for $100 million.
While Texas already bans abortion, with HB 7 Republicans aim to halt the flow of abortion medication from out of state, one of the only remaining avenues for Texans to still access care. The bill now moves to the Gov's desk.
My latest for @texasobserver.org:
www.texasobserver.org/texas-legisl...
New from Special Correspondent @marytuma.bsky.social: House Bill 7 attacks one of the last remaining options for reproductive care in Texas and declares legal war on blue states.
🚨BREAKING (this is a big deal y'all): The Texas Senate has given final approval to HB 7, a bill that empowers citizens to sue anyone who, “manufactures, distributes, mails, transports, delivers, prescribes, or provides” abortion pills to Texans for at least $100K, it now moves to Gov. Abbott's desk.
Now: The Texas House has given approval to HB 7, a bill that seeks to empower citizens to sue those who mail or prescribe abortion pills to Texans, following passionate opposition from Democrats, who testified that the measure will lead to more deaths. HB 7 still needs a vote from the Senate.
A new version of a TX bill that allows private citizens to sue drug manufacturers for mailing abortion pills and reap $100K allows those not related to the person in question to get $10K + donate the rest to charity –– anti-abortion group Texas Right to Life suggest they should be the recipient:
"Failure to comply could result in further legal action, lawsuits seeking injunctive relief, and civil penalties of no less than $100,000 per violation under Texas law."
JUST IN: Attorney General Ken Paxton demands an "immediate halt" to mailing of abortion pills to Texans via cease and desist letters, citing a violation of the Comstock Act and abortion bans, targeting Plan C, Her Safe Harbor, and affiliate of Aid Access:
www.texasattorneygeneral.gov/sites/defaul...
My latest for @texasobserver.org: After a surge of post-SB 8 + Dobbs "rage donations," Texas abortion funds – grassroots groups on the frontlines of connecting Texans with out-of-state care – now see dwindling contributions while facing rising costs and demand:
www.texasobserver.org/abortion-fun...