Mock Trial Podcast: Should SCOTUS Restrict Access To The Abortion Pill?

On May 9, 1960–64 years ago today — the FDA approved the world’s first commercially produced birth-control pill. Timed to that anniversary, the nonpartisan public radio show Open to Debate is releasing a mock trial on the question “Should Courts Restrict Access to the Abortion Pill?”

The Open To Debate podcast plays a critical role in our society today. The mission of Open to Debate is to restore critical thinking, facts, reason, and civility to America’s public square. Open to Debate is a platform for intellectually curious and open-minded people to engage with others holding opposing views on complex issues.

The full episode was released on May 9th (look for it here, on NPR stations, or via the Open to Debate podcast). Below are three clips on YouTube:

• Watch: Conscience vs. Complications in Medication Abortion

• Watch: Legal Remedies for Medication Abortion Policies

• Watch: Personal Perspectives on Abortion Rights

In a post-Roe v. Wade world, mifepristone, a medication that 63% of women undergoing an abortion use, is under consideration by the Supreme Court. Mifepristone was approved as a two-drug regimen for use up to seven weeks of pregnancy and initially required in-person clinical visits, but changes by the FDA were made in 2016 and 2021 to expand accessibility via telehealth and the length of its administration. FDA v. Alliance for Hippocratic Medicine…