Dear John,

The Trump administration dealt a devastating one-two punch to women’s health this week. As contributing editor Carrie Baker reported for Ms., the administration rescinded a guidance issued by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services under President Biden following the overturn of Roe, that clarified in order to comply with the Emergency Medical Treatment and Labor Act (EMTALA), hospitals must provide “health-saving and lifesaving emergency abortion care to patients experiencing medical crises, even when state law bans abortion.” Under EMTALA, hospitals receiving Medicare funding are required to provide stabilizing medical care to any person presenting at an emergency room who is experiencing a medical crisis; nor can the hospital turn them away. States like Idaho with strict abortion bans had challenged the requirement to provide abortion as part of emergency medical care when necessary, for example, when a woman is experiencing a miscarriage.

Here’s the second punch: that very same day, the administration also took steps towards nationwide restrictions on medication abortion. FDA Commissioner Marty Makary pledged to “review” the agency’s regulation of mifepristone—the medication that in recent years has been used in nearly two-thirds of abortions in the U.S. The move came in response to a letter from Sen. Josh Hawley (R-MO) that cited junk science and recommended disallowing clinicians from prescribing the medication at telehealth appointments. And the fear, of course, is that the FDA will go further on the excuse of the “junk science” to rescind the agency’s approval of the drug for early abortion. 

Even as the administration’s actions threatening mifepristone were being announced, the medical and scientific world and feminists everywhere were remembering and celebrating the remarkable and history-changing life of Dr. Étienne-Émile Baulieu—the pill’s inventor—who died last week. Baulieu didn’t just invent RU-486, now known as mifepristone—he went to bat for it again and again, despite opposition to its approval around the world from religious forces and the far right. Since the FDA’s approval of the drug in 2000, over 7.5 million women in the U.S., and millions more worldwide, have safely used the medication to end pregnancies on their own terms. The drug also has a wide variety of applications beyond abortion, from treating fibroids and endometriosis, to Cushing syndrome and some brain tumors and breast cancers. Baulieu even predicted that it could be used as a contraceptive, and clinical trials are currently underway in Europe. 

As Baker writes, “Baulieu was clear about his purpose: to save women’s lives. In 1989, he said bluntly in the journal Science, ‘Women die in botched abortions. Two hundred thousand every year. RU-486 can save them.’”

The stark contrast between Baulieu’s noble vision of science’s possibilities and the Trump administration’s actions that endanger women’s lives is not lost on us—and neither is the determination of Baulieu to do whatever it took to save women’s lives. In his memory, and in honor of the millions of women whose lives have been saved, we vow to fight on. 

For equality, 

Kathy Spillar

Executive Editor

P.S. — I’m so excited to be in New York City next week to celebrate the premier of Dear Ms.: A Revolution in Print at Tribeca. The powerful documentary celebrates not only the magazine’s remarkable history, but the ongoing impact of Ms. and the Ms. community. It’s a thrilling and timely reminder: Ms. has always named the problem—and we still do. Learn more about the film and our history in the piece below!

Tune in for a new episode of Ms. magazine's podcast, On the Issues with Michele Goodwin on

Apple Podcasts + Spotify.

In this emergency episode, we’re ringing the alarm bells: We just learned that in the state of Georgia, a woman named Adriana Smith, who was declared brain-dead in February, is being forcibly kept on a ventilator due to the state’s strict abortion ban, against her family’s wishes. Dr. Michele Goodwin breaks down Adriana Smith’s case, and the cases of other women who, like Smith, have been disrespected and desecrated in death thanks to abortion bans and pregnancy exclusion laws.

We hope you'll listen, subscribe, rate and review today!

U.S. democracy is at a dangerous inflection point—from the demise of abortion rights, to a lack of pay equity and parental leave, to skyrocketing maternal mortality, and attacks on trans health. Left unchecked, these crises will lead to wider gaps in political participation and representation. For over 50 years, Ms. has been forging feminist journalism—reporting, rebelling and truth-telling from the front-lines, championing the Equal Rights Amendment, and centering the stories of those most impacted. With all that’s at stake for equality, we are redoubling our commitment for the next 50 years. In turn, we need your help, Support Ms. today with a donation—any amount that is meaningful to you. We are grateful for your loyalty and ferocity.

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