Another Costly Delay - 10/9/26

The FDA says its Mifepristone safety report is expected by March 2027, and that's drawing some pro-life backlash. Pro-life groups had urged the Trump administration to restore in-person dispensing requirements before the review concludes in March 2027, criticizing the timeline as another delay that could cost tens of thousands of unborn children their lives. In a court-ordered status report, the agency said it expects to receive the study results by mid-December and complete the study results by March 2027. ...complete its evaluation and final report by March 2027.

The FDA added that it won't impose any new restrictions on the pill before then. Susan B. Anthony Pro-Life America President Marjorie Denenfelser criticized the update as alarming and urged the Trump administration to act before the review concludes. The administration must correct course, Denenfelser said, and most importantly, it must not wait for the study to conclude before acting. Peer review evidence shows that the Biden administration relied on insufficient evidence. and flawed assumptions when it removed the in-person dispensing requirement. In other news, Augustine Institute co-founder Jonathan Reyes returns to focus as its new CEO.

Today is also the feast of St. John Henry Newman, the 19th century's most important English-speaking Catholic theologian. The Oxford scholar and poet was canonized in 2019 and became a doctor of the church in 2025. I'm Josh Mercer, editor of The Loop, taking you behind the headlines. Go to zeal.com. for the rest of today's loop, and while you're at it, subscribe to get the loop in your inbox every morning. Again, that's zeal.co.