"Supreme Court's Interest in 19th Century Comstock Act Raises Fears of National Abortion Ban"

The Supreme Court heard arguments in a case that could reinstate restrictions on the abortion pill mifepristone, with conservative justices invoking the Comstock Act, a 1873 law that made it illegal to send obscene materials through mail, including drugs that induce abortions and contraception. The law's scope has been narrowed over the years, but it has resurfaced in attempts to restrict mailed reproductive drugs. The case questions whether federal regulators overstepped their authority by loosening mifepristone restrictions, and a decision is expected later this summer, potentially impacting the 2024 presidential election.