Iowa's Controversial Abortion Ban Temporarily Halted by Judge

A judge in Polk County, Iowa has temporarily blocked the state's "fetal heartbeat" law, which bans nearly all abortions after doctors detect cardiac activity in the embryo, while a court challenge is ongoing. The law, signed by Governor Kim Reynolds, took effect immediately but has faced legal opposition from abortion providers and the American Civil Liberties Union of Iowa. The judge's ruling allows the Iowa Board of Medicine to proceed with writing administrative rules for the law's implementation. Governor Reynolds has vowed to fight the ruling and take the case to the Iowa Supreme Court.