The Supreme Court on Thursday ensured that the abortion pill can continue to be prescribed through telemedicine and dispensed by mail, as the justices restored for now a 2023 federal rule challenged by Republican-governed Louisiana that had made access to the medication easier. The justices granted requests by two manufacturers of the abortion pill, called mifepristone, to lift a lower court’s block on the rule that was issued by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration during Democrat former President Joe Biden’s administration, while Louisiana’s legal challenge plays out. The brief order was unsigned and offered no reasoning, as is common with emergency actions by the Supreme Court. Conservative Justices Samuel Alito and Clarence Thomas dissented from the decision.  The 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals on May 1 had ordered the imposition of a previous federal rule that required an in-person clinician visit in order to receive mifepristone.  Drugmakers Danco Laboratories and GenBioPro appealed the 5th Circuit action restricting access to mifepristone, a drug that was given FDA regulatory approval in 2000. The two companies welcomed the court’s action on Thursday. The case had put the contentious issue of abortion back in front of the justices, with the November congressional elections looming and President Donald Trump’s fellow Republicans fighting to retain control of Congress. In his dissent on Thursday, Alito said that the delivery of abortion pills by mail from out-of-state providers has thwarted efforts by states like Louisiana that have sought to make abortion illegal in the wake of the Dobbs ruling. “Louisiana’s efforts have been thwarted by certain medical providers, private organizations and states that abhor laws like Louisiana’s and seek to undermine their enforcement,” Alito added.  In a separate dissent, Thomas said the federal Comstock Act prohibits the mailing of drugs intended for abortion.  The drugmakers, Thomas said, “are not entitled to a stay of an adverse court order based on lost profits from their criminal enterprise. They cannot, in any legally relevant sense, be irreparably harmed by a court order that makes it more difficult for them to commit crimes.” President Donald Trump’s administration opposed Louisiana’s legal challenge, citing an ongoing FDA review of safety regulations concerning mifepristone. The administration also argued that Louisiana does not have legal standing to pursue its case.  Abortion rights advocates have called the legal challenges to mifepristone the biggest threat to abortion access in the United States since the court’s Dobbs decision. They have also called the Trump administration’s review politically motivated and unnecessary, given decades of studies showing the safety of mifepristone, and said it could lead to tighter restrictions on the medication. The Supreme Court in 2024 unanimously rejected an initial bid by pro-life groups and doctors to roll back FDA regulations that had eased access to the drug, ruling that these plaintiffs lacked the necessary legal standing to pursue the challenge. The brand-name version of mifepristone, Mifeprex, is Danco’s only product, and GenBioPro derives most of its revenue from the ​generic version, the companies said in court filings.  Carol Tobias, president of the pro-life group National Right to Life, called Thursday’s decision deeply troubling. “Women facing unexpected pregnancies deserve real medical care and support, not a one-size-fits-all mail-order abortion system that minimizes risks and leaves women isolated during medical emergencies,” Tobias said. Sen. Bill Cassidy, R-La., said in a post on X that the decision “doesn’t change the fact that mail-order chemical abortion drugs are a danger to women and babies in Louisiana and across the country.” “Despite this outcome, FDA can and must immediately reinstate the in-person dispensing requirement to protect mothers from abuse and coercion,” Cassidy said. “We are deeply disappointed the Supreme Court will not respond to the harm occurring nationwide with mercy and stop the dangerous mail-order abortion drug regime. Today’s decision does not touch the merits of the case as it returns to the 5th Circuit,” said SBA Pro-Life America President Marjorie Dannenfelser. Reuters contributed to this report.

With Ohio facing scrutiny over Medicaid fraud, Gov. Mike DeWine on Wednesday announced a series of new prevention measures from Ohio Department of Medicaid—but critics question if it’s enough. The announcement from the governor’s office noted the initiatives are meant “to strengthen and build-upon long-standing efforts to fight fraud, waste, and abuse in the Ohio Medicaid system.” The governor also touted the state’s efforts thus far and thanked the Trump administration for its cooperation. Great to see these steps taken. They are a good start. My office has highlighted issues within Ohio's Medicaid program during my time as Auditor and it’s good to see the Department starting to address these issues. The new Medicaid director appears to take these issues seriously. https://t.co/vKB4m8Mnx6— Ohio Auditor Keith Faber (@OhioAuditor) May 14, 2026 DeWine has instructed the Ohio Department of Medicaid (ODM) to place a moratorium on new home-health care and hospice businesses seeking to be Medicaid providers, and to immediately suspend payments to “high-risk” providers whose billing practices are suspected of fraud. The department also will implement emergency rules requiring frequent revalidation of providers identified as being at higher risk of committing fraud. Finally, ODM will require GPS for all providers using Electronic Visit Verification (EVV) and will begin a rulemaking process for having live-in caregivers use the verification technology while working, as a prerequisite to receive payments. “The Ohio Department of Medicaid fully supports and appreciates Governor DeWine’s commitment to strengthening program integrity and defending Medicaid members and taxpayers,” Stephanie O’Grady, ODM’s chief communications officer, told The Daily Signal. O’Grady said the department has been “actively expanding its program integrity capabilities, including upgraded data analytics, enhanced provider screening, and new safeguards for high-risk services.” She also pointed to how the initiatives build on current efforts involving prior authorization, expanded analytics, and collaborations. “ODM will continue to act decisively whenever concerns arise and will not hesitate to remove, suspend, or refer any provider who attempts to exploit the Medicaid program,” O’Grady added. DeWine shared his announcement on X, which then drew strong reactions on the platform, including from Republican state Rep. Mike Dovilla. The only thing that has been “long in development” is persistently ignoring and denying these and similar instances of fraud, waste, and abuse and allowing cabinet officers to do the same.The executive’s duty under Article III, Section 6 of the Ohio Constitution is to “see that… https://t.co/JIRbAroS9q— Rep. Mike Dovilla (@mikedovilla) May 13, 2026 According to a report by the Columbus Dispatch, Senate President Rob McColley, Vivek Ramaswamy’s pick for lieutenant governor, also questioned the seemingly late timing of the fraud response. “We’ve received tremendous resistance from the Department of Medicaid when the Legislature’s tried to step in and tried to offer its own oversight,” McColley is quoted as saying. Other lawmakers, including Republican House Speaker Matt Huffman, noted the governor’s past vetoes of fraud legislation. Dan Tierney, spokesperson for DeWine’s office, addressed those criticisms in a statement to The Daily Signal. “Regarding the veto of the additional audit, Ohio Auditor of State Keith Faber had conducted numerous audits of Ohio Medicaid since that provision was vetoed as duplicative. A second category of vetoes involved access to information that our legal team determined was prohibited by federal law,” Tierney said. “Lastly, I am familiar with the veto of the prohibition of implementing universal GPS for EVV. Absent that veto, we would have been statutorily prohibited from seeking that change during yesterday’s announcement.” Faber has been vocal about his efforts to tackle fraud and applauded Dovilla for his efforts. Though Faber’s term as auditor is ending, he is running for attorney general. Tierney referred to Faber as “very effective in auditing state agencies, including Ohio Medicaid,” and added, “we appreciate his collaborative approach in state agency audits.” Allegations of fraud have state and national implications. As of this month, U.S. Rep. Brandon Gill, R-Texas, will be heading up a new task force to stamp out fraud. This follows President Donald Trump’s decision in March to create an anti-fraud task force headed by Vice President JD Vance. Mehek Cooke, a legal and national security analyst with The Daily Signal, also has been speaking out about Ohio Medicaid fraud, which she also addressed in a recent appearance on Fox News.

Walk through a community center in rural Ohio, a village clinic in Uganda, or a maternity ward in Honduras, and you’ll see the same quiet truth. A healthy child was usually carried by a mother who was nourished and supported. A girl who finishes school was encouraged at a kitchen table long before she was encouraged in a classroom. Long before a ministry of health writes a policy, the family has already been shaping one. That’s why, on May 15, the world recognizes the International Day of Families. It is also a reminder that women’s health cannot be separated from the strength of the family itself. A woman is always a daughter, often a sister, frequently a mother, and eventually—God willing—a grandmother. Her health is tied to the health of the people she loves most. Families do what no other institution can. They raise the next generation. They pass down language, faith, values, and the basic moral framework of a society. They are the first hospital, the first classroom, the first safe place. Culture is not mainly created in legislatures. It’s formed around family tables and then reinforced, improved, or lost over generations. Research consistently shows that children in stable families are healthier and perform better in school, women in connected families live longer, and communities with strong families recover faster after crisis. The family is the original public health system. That’s part of why the Geneva Consensus Declaration (GCD) matters. The GCD, now signed by 41 nations, is one of the only major international agreements where sovereign countries publicly affirm that the family is the natural and fundamental unit of society and deserves protection from both society and the state. At a time when the family is often treated as secondary to ideological agendas, GCD nations are willing to say otherwise. That belief also has advocates here at home. Vice President JD Vance has argued that family formation is not just a private lifestyle choice but a public good. A nation that makes it harder to marry, have children, and raise them well is a nation choosing decline. His public life reflects that belief. Family is not separate from leadership but a foundational part of it. If families are foundational, governments should treat them that way in practice, not just in speeches. First, governments should adopt a Family Impact Assessment across agencies. Every major policy and budget decision should answer one simple question: Does this make it easier or harder to form, support, and strengthen healthy families? Environmental impact studies changed the way governments approach infrastructure. Family impact assessments could do the same for public policy. Second, international aid agreements should be reviewed carefully for conditions that undermine parental authority or push ideological content into schools under the banner of development. Third, parents should be treated as partners, not obstacles. Schools and clinics should involve parents in decisions concerning their minor children, except in narrow cases involving abuse. The default should not be to work around families, but through them. Government should act like a runway for families rather than a roadblock. A runway does not fly the plane or choose the destination. It simply makes flight possible and keeps the path clear. The state did not create the family, and it cannot replace it. But it can either strengthen families or make life harder for them. A serious government should at least ask which one it is doing. This week is an opportunity to celebrate families everywhere. The grandmother in Burundi raising her grandchildren after losing her daughter. The father in Guatemala walking his daughters to school every morning. The young couple in Michigan who decided, against cultural pressure, to have one more child. These people are not statistics. They are civilization in its most practical form. A society that stops protecting families eventually weakens itself. And a government that ignores the importance of strong families is ignoring one of the greatest predictors of human flourishing. We publish a variety of perspectives. Nothing written here is to be construed as representing the views of The Daily Signal.

Increasingly crabby over pro-Republican redistricting efforts throughout the South, Maryland Democrat Gov. Wes Moore says he has not given up on gerrymandering the state’s sole Republican out of office, despite having had difficulty convincing his legislature to follow through. “We don’t have a choice but to act, particularly when we’re watching the greatest assault on black voter representation around the country that we have seen in generations,” Moore told Politico when asked about the possibility of pro-Democrat redistricting in Maryland ahead of the 2026 midterms. Since the Callais v. Louisiana Supreme Court ruling freed states from having to maintain majority-minority congressional districts to comply with the Voting Rights Act, a slew of Republican-controlled legislatures have moved to redistrict. Maryland Gov. Wes Moore says the state needs to move on redistricting.“We don’t have a choice but to act, particularly when we’re watching the greatest assault on Black voter representation … that we have seen in generations," he tells our @jmart. https://t.co/TQEj2WVWmI pic.twitter.com/HhEFnZK8mf— POLITICO (@politico) May 14, 2026 So far, Tennessee has redistricted so as to disadvantage its sole Democrat representative, Louisiana’s legislature has advanced pro-Republican redistricting, and South Carolina could redraw its only Democrat district pending action from its governor and legislature. Similarly, Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp on Wednesday called for a special session of the Georgia General Assembly in June to address redistricting in the Peach State. The Southern scramble, coming on the heels of Virginia’s Supreme Court overruling pro-Democrat redistricting and Florida Republicans already redistricting in a special session, will likely disadvantage Democrats in the midterms and beyond. Maryland, a heavily Democrat state with just one Republican, Rep. Andy Harris, in Congress, would seem a natural place for Democrats to begin to retaliate. Harris, as chairman of the House Freedom Caucus, leads an important hardline conservative faction in Washington. However, the state’s constitution requires that redistricting be carried out by the legislature and that districts “consist of adjoining territory, be compact in form, and of substantially equal population.” Harris’ district covers the whole of Maryland Eastern Shore, a politically conservative section of the state. Democrats’ attempts to boot Harris out of Congress have met court challenges in the past. After House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries' visit to Annapolis to lobby for redistricting, Senate President Bill Ferguson responds to push for floor vote."For the umpteenth time, in the Senate, we generally do not bring things to the floor that don't have the votes to pass." pic.twitter.com/FU6qpRJHq6— Mikenzie Frost (@MikenzieFrost) February 20, 2026 In 2021, the Maryland General Assembly passed a redistricting bill that would likely have removed Harris from Congress. It was challenged by Republicans, ultimately going to the Supreme Court of Maryland, which ruled the map was overly partisan and violated the state’s constitution. Maryland Senate president Bill Ferguson, a Democrat, has refused to yield to pressure from Moore and House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., arguing such an effort would be doomed to fail and could backfire if a judge required that Maryland draw more Republican-friendly districts. Maryland’s 2026 legislative session ended in April. Harris told The Daily Signal in a statement that a Democrat attempt to flip his district via gerrymandering would likely backfire. “Attempting to gerrymander the sole Maryland congressional Republican out of the seat remains a bad idea—an idea that would immediately bring a legal challenge that will result in Maryland Republicans gaining, not losing, a seat,” Harris told The Daily Signal. NEW: @ReedReports with @RepAndyHarrisMD on Governor Moore's efforts to redistrict the state. "We'll see them in court and we will gain a second seat," says Maryland's lone congressional Republican on what will happen if redistricting moves forward.@WMAR2News pic.twitter.com/yWgGqtZ299— Jeff Morgan (@JeffMorganTV) January 21, 2026 Harris continued, “I understand Governor Moore’s presidential ambitions and Hakeem Jeffries’ hope for ascendancy are driving this renewed interest in a new attempt at partisan gerrymandering, but more pragmatic heads should prevail. Most Marylanders, like most Americans, do not believe politicians should pick their constituents.” The Daily Signal spoke to Republican Maryland House Delegate Kathy Szeliga, the lead plaintiff in the case Democrats lost in 2021, who argued Moore’s window to redistrict before November has closed. “It is too late for Wes Moore to redistrict for 2026,” she said. “He should know, because sample ballots have already hit people’s mailboxes and his name is on [them.]” Moore has snubbed Ferguson by leaving him out of his list of endorsements for reelection. Ferguson is facing a primary challenge from Bobby LaPin, the owner of a charter boat company in Baltimore who has gained a large social media following and presents himself as an anti-establishment candidate. Asked point-blank by Politico if he was withholding an endorsement due to Ferguson’s stance on redistricting, More said, “I think he really knows how much I need for the Senate to take seriously this moment.” Carter Elliott, a Senior Communications Adviser for Moore, asked by The Daily Signal about the snub, emphasized their points of agreement in a statement, saying, “Governor Moore and Senate President Ferguson continue to communicate consistently, and work alongside one another to accomplish big things in Maryland.” He added, “The governor is proud of the work that they have accomplished together, and he will continue to work with him and his team to lower costs, continue record drops in crime, and make our schools even stronger.” Szeliga said Ferguson’s primary will be a major event in the Maryland redistricting saga. “The primaries are five weeks away, so in five short weeks, we’ll know if the national Democrats’ pressure on Bill Ferguson was effective or not,” she told The Daily Signal. Related PostsVirginia Supreme Court Strikes Down Dem Redistricting MeasureThe Virginia Supreme Court has ruled against the Democrats’ effort to redraw the state’s maps. In April, Virginians voted to pass a new map that would have likely taken away four seats from Republicans in the U.S. House of Representatives. Now the state Supreme Court has ruled 4-3 that the Democrat-backed referendum is “null and…South Carolina Republicans Reject RedistrictingDespite being newly empowered by the Callais v. Louisiana Supreme Court ruling, South Carolina’s Republican-controlled Senate rejected moving ahead with a redistricting plan that would have likely unseated the state’s sole Democrat in Congress, Rep. Jim Clyburn. On Tuesday, the state Senate voted by a 29-17 margin to allow for the General Assembly to work on…Republican Redistricting War Heats Up in MississippiAfter the Supreme Court struck down congressional redistricting done solely on the basis of race last week, Republican officials in Mississippi are split over whether to redraw the state’s congressional map ahead of the midterm elections. “It’s time for Mississippi to redraw the lines and eliminate the racially gerrymandered district that exists solely to protect…

British Prime Minister Keir Starmer is barely keeping his head above water amid electoral defeats for his Labour Party, a scandal involving an affiliated nonprofit, and the resignation of a key Cabinet official. “Keir Starmer is governing like a man who knows his mandate is evaporating,” Paul McCarthy, senior research fellow in European affairs at The Heritage Foundation, told The Daily Signal on Thursday. Troubles have mounted for Starmer, whose Labour Party lost 1,496 seats in regional elections last week—an election somewhat similar to the U.S. midterm elections. The traditional opposition, the Conservative Party, also lost 563 seats, while the new populist conservative party, Reform UK, picked up 1,451 seats. Nigel Farage, a leading force behind Britain’s exit from the European Union and the leader of Reform UK, has aligned his party with U.S. President Donald Trump. Labour Member of Parliament Catherine West told Starmer’s Cabinet to challenge the prime minister, threatening to do so herself. Health Secretary Wes Streeting also resigned Thursday, setting up a potential battle for leadership in the party. Other Starmer Scandals These latest defeats come after Starmer fired key diplomatic official Olly Robbins in April for insufficiently vetting Lord Peter Mandelson, who was fired after his ties to disgraced financier and sex criminal Jeffrey Epstein became public. Also that month, Starmer finally pulled the proposal to sell the Chagos Islands Archipelago to Mauritius, a deal that critics warned would undermine the security of the joint U.S.-U.K. military base Diego Garcia. Meanwhile, the think tank that helped secure Starmer’s 2024 election victory will overhaul its operations and change its name amid scandal. Labour Together, which had endorsed Starmer, had paid lobbying firm APCO Worldwide to conduct secret research into journalists investigating undisclosed donations to the group. APCO’s report reportedly scrutinized one journalist’s religious background and suggested journalists were part of a “pro-Kremlin network.” The group will not endorse any candidate if Starmer faces a challenge. Starmer’s Response When reached for comment, the prime minister’s office referred The Daily Signal to Starmer’s comments in the House of Commons Wednesday following King Charles III’s speech. Starmer responded to Minister Kemi Badenoch, the leader of the Conservative Party, who remains the official opposition leader despite the election results. “We do have one thing in common: both our parties had tough results in the local elections last week,” he said. “The difference is that she has not noticed. There is another difference: we are in government, and they are no longer even the Opposition.” This dig at the Conservative Party suggests that Reform UK will be replacing the traditional conservatives as the second major party. Doubling Down? McCarthy condemned Starmer for doubling down on failed leftist policies, rather than learning from the elections and from his scandals. “After these local election losses, he’s not adjusting course—he’s digging in, centralizing power, and clinging to office in a way that looks less like democratic leadership and more like political survival at any cost,” the Heritage expert said. “The local elections confirm what voters across Britain are already signaling: the Labour project under Starmer is running out of road.” “Keir Starmer looks increasingly like a dictator desperately clinging to power—ignoring voter backlash and tied directly to the Labour Together scandal, which raises serious concerns about political targeting of critics,” he added. “This isn’t just a midterm setback—it’s a warning shot,” McCarthy argued. When it comes to Labour Together, he noted that Starmer was the “principal political beneficiary” of the group, and now it is stepping back from political activity. “That raises a serious question: was this always a vehicle for consolidating his power—and is it now being shuttered to avoid scrutiny?” he asked. McCarthy warned the scandal reveals that “Starmer’s Labour will use every lever available—public, private, or quasi-independent—to maintain control.” “That should alarm everyone who values a free press,” he warned. Ultimately, Starmer’s losses represent gains for the upstart Reform UK. “The real story of these elections isn’t just Labour’s losses—it’s the rise of Reform UK as a credible governing alternative,” McCarthy argued. “Reform is tapping into a deep voter demand for sovereignty, accountability, and common sense.” “Britain is realigning, and the surge of Reform UK shows voters are ready to replace Labour with a government rooted in sovereignty, accountability, and free speech,” he said. “Reform is no longer a protest movement—it’s a government-in-waiting.”