Why Lauren Sánchez Bezos Is Storming the Gates of the Met Gala,Supreme Court reinstates access to abortion pills—for now, Court clears path for "Alligator Alcatraz" on sacred tribal land, A new climate democracy is taking on the petrostates, Activists tried to deliver aid to Gaza. They were met with drone attacks and imprisonment. 4MAI26

 

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May 4, 2026 Happy first Monday in May. If that's relevant to your interests in any way, or hell, if you're just as repulsed by today's oligarchy as I am, well, I'd like to invite you into a little exploration of Lauren Sánchez Bezos and Jeff Bezos, both of whom will be at the Met Gala tonight as honorary chairs, in addition to their roles as lead sponsors. The appointment, which prompted a small outcry and calls for a boycott, is something of an apotheosis for the Bezoses, who have spent recent years effectively inviting themselves into some of the most exclusive corners in high fashion.  But the deeper implications of the Bezoses at the Met Gala, what it means for the culture and the ambitions of the superrich, are something to interrogate. So, I reached out to one of my favorite sources, a fabulous art historian at Columbia University, to learn more about the Bezoses storming the gates of the Met Gala. Read what she had to say—and why Sánchez Bezos will "never be elegant"—here. —Inae Oh P.S. Yesterday was World Press Freedom Day, an annual observance to emphasize the importance of a free press and reflect on the dangers that newsrooms and journalists face. A free press is essential to democracy, and at Mother Jones, we’re committed to upholding our First Amendment right. Will you stand with us? Make a donation of any amount to support press freedom.

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Why Lauren Sánchez Bezos Is Storming the Gates of the Met Gala An art historian explains why Sánchez Bezos "will never be elegant." BY INAE OH

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Supreme Court reinstates access to abortion pills—for now BY NINA MARTIN Court clears path for "Alligator Alcatraz" on sacred tribal land BY AMY GREEN The Iran war remains unpopular—unless you’re a weapons contractor BY SOPHIE HURWITZ A new climate democracy is taking on the petrostates BY FIONA HARVEY AND JONATHAN WATTS

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A federal appeals court just upended access to medication abortion. Demand Federal Action on Abortion Rights and Access 2MAI26

THIS call to action from the ACLU is from 2 MAI, today, 4 MAI, scotus has restored access to Mifepristone until 11 MAI while this case is reviewed by the court. Please sign the petition to Congress telling them to pass legislation protecting a woman's right to choose her reproductive healthcare options whenever she needs to make a decision. Share this with as many as you can and please take the time to e mail your representative and senators with the same message. My e mails will be at the end of this post.....

Yesterday, a federal appellate court ruled that health care providers can no longer mail the abortion pill mifepristone to their patients, cutting off access to a safe and effective medication for countless people. Unless the Supreme Court overrides this decision, it will upend how people get abortion and miscarriage care – even in states where abortion is protected. The barriers to care will be greatest for people who live far (sometimes hundreds of miles) from a health center, and for people who live on low incomes, live with disabilities, or who are facing intimate partner violence. Mifepristone is an FDA-approved medication that's been used safely and effectively for abortion and miscarriage care for over 25 years. Yet anti-abortion politicians are obsessed with spreading lies and propaganda to restrict access to this medication in defiance of science, law, and public opinion. With this ruling, anti-abortion politicians are one step closer to their goal of ending all abortion access nationwide – but the fight's not over. This case is now going to the Supreme Court's emergency docket, where the justices will decide whether to overturn this baseless ruling or allow a major rollback in abortion access. However, these attacks won't end until Congress acts to protect our right to abortion once and for all. Tell Congress to protect the right to abortion, including medication abortion, and guarantee meaningful access to abortion for everyone, regardless of who they are or where they live. Take Action Our right to reproductive freedom can't wait. Thanks for fighting with us, J.J. Straight Pronouns: She, her, hers National Campaigns Director for Reproductive Rights, ACLU

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Sign up for ACLU texts  We respect your right to privacy – view our policy. This email was sent by: ACLU 125 Broad St. New York, NY 10004  MY E MAIL TO REP SUBRAMANYAM D-VA 10TH, SEN WARNER D-VA AND SEN KAINE D-VA As your constituent, I ask you to do everything in your power to ensure everyone has meaningful access to abortion care nationwide. Since the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade, America has been facing a reproductive health crisis. Abortion is banned or severely restricted in more than a dozen states, with devastating consequences. Not satisfied with that, anti-abortion politicians have launched a multi-front attack on medication abortion – and a federal court just agreed to make it harder for people everywhere in the country to get that care, even as the Trump administration has been laying the groundwork for new nationwide restrictions through a sham FDA review. We cannot fix this crisis without a federal right to abortion. Even under Roe v. Wade, people faced serious barriers to accessing abortion care due to cost, distance, arbitrary gestational limits, and immigration status. And many of those barriers still exist today in states where abortion remains legal. Any federal solution must not only restore the right to abortion nationwide but go beyond Roe and remove these barriers to access. We need a federal law that not only protects our right to abortion care but also ensures people can get the care they need, regardless of income, immigration status, or where they live. Though the Supreme Court has restored access to Mifepristone this is only until 11 May pending a decision by the court. Women must be guaranteed the right to make their own reproductive decisions, this is what the people want. The vast majority in the U.S. – across party lines, gender, age, race, and religion – support the right to abortion and believe politicians shouldn't interfere in our personal medical decisions. They've said so time and again, voting to protect abortion rights in states like Arizona, Missouri, and Ohio. Enough of these immoral, hypocritical pro birth laws the right wing "religious" social engineers propagandize as pro life being forced on the nation! Opposition to abortion is not pro life, it is pro birth. The morality of pro birthers is deeply lacking as they oppose taxes being spent to provide the funding necessary to provide food, shelter, healthcare and education for children they insist in being born. That’s why Congress must act to ensure everyone has access to abortion nationwide. Please commit to restoring a federal right to abortion and ensuring true access for all. Sincerely,

Supreme Court Temporarily Restores Access to Abortion Pill by Mail 4MAI26

 EVERY restriction on a woman's right to control their reproductive health decisions should have to include guarantees the child will be provided with middle-class nutrition, housing, healthcare, childcare, preschool, and education. Enough of these immoral, hypocritical pro birth laws the right wing "religious" social engineers propagandize as pro life being forced on the nation! This from the New York Times.....

Supreme Court Temporarily Restores Access to Abortion Pill by Mail

A lower-court ruling had reinstated a Food and Drug Administration requirement that patients visit a health care provider in person to obtain mifepristone.

By Ann E. Marimow

Ann E. Marimow covers the Supreme Court.

May 4, 2026Updated 11:30 a.m. ET

The Supreme Court on Monday restored nationwide access to a widely used abortion medication in a temporary order that will, for now, allow women to once again obtain the pill mifepristone by mail.

In a brief order, Justice Samuel A. Alito Jr. paused a lower-court ruling from Friday that had prevented abortion providers from prescribing the pills by telemedicine and shipping them to patients, causing confusion for providers and patients. The one-sentence order imposes a pause until at least May 11. He requested that the parties file briefs by Thursday, and then the full court will determine how to proceed.

The state of Louisiana sued the Food and Drug Administration to restrict access to mifepristone, saying the availability of the medication by mail has allowed abortions to continue in the state despite its near-total ban.

Medication is now the method used in nearly two-thirds of abortions in the United States, and is typically delivered in the form of a two-drug regimen through the first 12 weeks of pregnancy.

Friday’s ruling from the conservative U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit temporarily reinstated an F.D.A. requirement that patients visit medical providers in person to obtain mifepristone while the litigation continues. That rule was first lifted in 2021.

Two manufacturers of mifepristone, Danco Laboratories and GenBioPro, on Saturday asked the Supreme Court to intervene. In court filings, they said the Fifth Circuit ruling would cause chaos for providers and patients — and upend a major avenue for abortion access across the country. About one-fourth of abortions in the United States are now provided through telemedicine.

Justice Alito’s order, known as an administrative stay, was provisional and expected, but an important interim step for women seeking to obtain mifepristone in the next week. The order does not signal how the full court may eventually handle the case.

Justice Alito acted on his own at this stage because he is the justice assigned to handle emergency applications from the region of the country covered by the Fifth Circuit.

The Trump administration has defended the F.D.A. in court, but has not said whether it supports keeping in place the regulations that make it easier for women to obtain the pills. The F.D.A. is conducting a review of mifepristone, and the administration had asked the lower court to put the litigation on hold until that review is complete.

The case over access to the abortion pill puts the Trump administration in an awkward political position in the lead up to the midterm elections because many of President Trump’s allies and supporters oppose abortion. A spokesman for the Department of Health and Human Services, which oversees the F.D.A., declined to comment on Saturday, citing the “ongoing litigation.”

After the Supreme Court’s decision in 2022 to eliminate the nationwide right to abortion, Republican-led states like Louisiana imposed strict bans. In response, many Democratic-led states passed shield laws that protect abortion providers who prescribe pills by telemedicine and send them to patients in states with abortion bans.

Louisiana and abortion opponents have asserted in court that the F.D.A.’s decision to allow abortion pills to be available by mail posed safety risks to women and increased health care costs for states that had banned abortion.

Major medical organizations and supporters of reproductive rights have pointed to more than 100 studies that have found the pills to be safe and effective, with serious side effects rare.

Ann E. Marimow covers the Supreme Court for The Times from Washington.

Our Coverage of the Supreme Court

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• Roundup Weedkiller: The Supreme Court appeared divided during arguments in a dispute that could determine the fate of thousands of lawsuits that claim a widely used weedkiller causes cancer.

• Falun Gong Lawsuit: A majority of justices appeared skeptical of a lawsuit by members of the religious group who claim that a U.S. tech company helped the Chinese government target them for torture.

• Suicide Bombing Injury: The court ruled that a soldier injured in a suicide bombing on a U.S. military base in Afghanistan can sue the contractor who hired the bomber.

• Great Lakes Pipeline: The justices sided with Michigan officials in a dispute over the future of a petroleum pipeline snaking beneath a waterway that connects two of the Great Lakes. In a unanimous decision, the court held that the company that operates the pipeline had missed the deadline to move the lawsuit into federal court.