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Judge James Ho of the U.S. 5th Circuit Court of Appeals wrote an opinion last week that attracted a lot of attention. A three-judge panel that included Ho ruled in favor of further restrictions on access to mifepristone, the abortion pill, which will remain widely available under a Supreme Court order while litigation continues. (Rhonda Garelick, 8/22)

The Food and Drug Administration recently approved Opill, the first over-the-counter access birth control pill, in a monumental and long overdue win for reproductive and public health care. This FDA ruling will significantly expand access to high-quality contraception for folks across the country. However, true access will require affordability, too. (Dana Singiser, 8/23)

The devastating, drug overdose epidemic in the U.S. killed over 105,000 people last year, most from the synthetic opioid fentanyl. But while fentanyl has dominated the headlines, talk in public health circles has shifted to a new illicit drug on the street: xylazine. (Edward Sisco, 8/22)

The Supreme Court recently announced that it will review Purdue Pharma’s bankruptcy settlement, which would release the company’s owners, the Sackler family, from future civil liability for the harms they imposed on millions of opioid victims. Some see this as an opportunity to vindicate victims and prevent abusive bankruptcy settlements. That is wrong. (Anthony Casey and Edward Morrison, 8/21)