Good morning. In today’s edition:

• 💊 Abortion pill debate
• ✈️ Spirit shuts down
• 🫠 Mexico City is sinking

…and much more.

Ready, Set, Go: Today’s news should be a ~3.79-minute read (1,009 words).

Did someone forward you this email? Subscribe here for free.

"Take the attitude of a student. Never be too big to ask questions. Never know too much to learn something new."

–Augustine "Og" Mandino (1923-1996)

On Friday, a US appeals court temporarily blocked doctors nationwide from mailing the abortion pill mifepristone to patients, instead requiring the drug to be dispensed in person.

A unanimous panel of Republican appointees said the state of Louisiana, which brought the suit, is likely to succeed in its claim that the FDA’s approval of mifepristone being sent via mail was based on flawed data, and that it also undermines that state’s ban on medical abortions.

Quick background: Mifepristone, alongside the drug misoprostol, is typically taken during the first 10 weeks of pregnancy to induce an abortion or manage an early miscarriage. Over 5 million women have used mifepristone since it was first approved by the FDA in 2000.

• The drug’s popularity accelerated in 2016, when the FDA repealed a series of laws that required three doctors’ visits to obtain mifepristone, banned mailing pills to patients, and limited the drug’s use to the earliest weeks of pregnancy.
• By 2023, medication abortions accounted for 63% of all US abortions, with the vast majority using the mifepristone/misoprostol combination.

In 2024, the Supreme Court unanimously dismissed on procedural grounds a case seeking to roll back the FDA’s initial approval of mifepristone.

The arguments

Supporters of banning mifepristone by mail say the ruling restores earlier safety protocols and strengthens medical oversight of abortion pills by requiring patients to obtain them in person.

• They argue the FDA loosened requirements too aggressively in recent years, and that the government’s mifepristone studies are flawed because they don't track serious, nonfatal side effects.
• More broadly, supporters say federal policy shouldn’t be able to override state abortion laws, with the current system allowing some doctors to mail mifepristone to women in states where abortion is banned.

On the flip side: Opponents of the ruling cite a wide range of studies that show mifepristone is a highly safe and effective drug, with complication rates lower than many other widely-used medications like Tylenol, Viagra, and penicillin.

They also argue the changes would make it significantly harder for patients across the country to access abortion and miscarriage care, and create “unnecessary” barriers for access to mifepristone in states where abortion is legal.

Looking ahead…Last week’s mifepristone decision has been appealed to the Supreme Court, alongside a request for emergency relief that would allow doctors to continue mailing pills while the process plays out.

📊 Flash poll: In your opinion, should doctors be allowed to mail mifepristone to patients across the US seeking an abortion?

• Yes
• No
• Unsure/other

Many routines layer products that end up covering the same ground, without doing more for your skin. The U Beauty Duo is designed to streamline that overlap with 2 high-performance essentials for dewy, glass-like skin without the extra steps.

The Resurfacing Compound combines the benefits of up to 8 steps to visibly smooth texture, brighten skin, + improve fine lines. Powered by SIREN Capsule Technology™, it targets areas of oxidative stress , sending ingredients where skin needs them most. The SUPER Hydrator delivers up to 48 hours of hydration for visibly plump, dewy skin.

BUSINESS & MARKETS

• ✈️ Spirit Airlines officially liquidates and ceases operations after 34 years in business; it comes after a potential $500 million US gov’t rescue plan failed to materialize.
• 🛢️ US crude oil exports rose to a record 5.2 million barrels/day last month amid Iran’s blockade of the Strait of Hormuz, per commodities data firm Kpler.
• 💰🏢 Berkshire Hathaway holds first annual shareholder meeting—aka “Woodstock for Capitalists”—under new CEO Greg Abel, who succeeded 95-year-old Warren Buffett at the start of this year. | GameStop CEO Ryan Cohen says he’s making a $56 billion unsolicited offer to buy eBay; GameStop is currently valued at ~$12 billion, with Cohen’s offer including heavy debt financing.

SPORTS, MEDIA & ENTERTAINMENT

• 🐎 Golden Tempo comes back from last-place to win 152nd Kentucky Derby on Saturday (closing odds: 23-1); trainer Cherie DeVaux becomes first-ever female trainer to win the Derby.
• 🎥 The Devil Wears Prada 2 takes top spot at the North American box office in its debut weekend, earning $77 million domestically and $233.6 million globally.
• 🖼️ 2026 Met Gala takes place tonight in New York City; this year’s theme is “Costume Art,” celebrating the intersection of fashion and fine art.

Trying to navigate a hospital in another language is hard enough. Figuring out the bill after? Even worse.

Absolute Travel Protection covers medical emergencies, hospital stays, cancellations, and lost baggage. Plus, optional “Cancel for Any Reason” gives you more control if plans shift. You’ll also have competitive pricing and real customer support from a company serving travelers since 1971.

SCIENCE, SPACE & EMERGING TECH

• 🏙️ Mexico City, the country’s capital, is sinking by nearly 10 inches/year, in a shift so dramatic it's visible from space, according to NASA.
• 🤖 Pentagon signs deals with seven top US AI firms to use their systems for classified work, including OpenAI, Google, Nvidia, Microsoft, and Amazon.
• 🪲 ER visits for tick bites are at their highest rate since 2017 across all regions in America except the South Central US, per CDC data.

US, WORLD & POLITICS

• 💥 Iran’s government on Sunday said it received a US response to Tehran’s newly proposed 14-point peace plan; President Trump over the weekend indicated he would probably reject Iran’s latest peace proposal, which seeks to delay nuclear talks until the war is over. | Trump says US will start guiding commercial ships out of the Strait of Hormuz that have been trapped there by the war, though exact details are unclear.
• 🏛️ Pentagon to pull 5,000 troops from Germany in the next 6-12 months; move comes amid feud between President Trump and German Chancellor Friedrich Merz over recent comments critical of America’s war in Iran, as well as a lack of European support for the war.
• ⚖️ Federal prosecutors unveil new evidence on recent attack at White House Correspondents’ dinner targeting President Trump; it includes ballistics evidence showing the alleged shooter shot a Secret Service agent as he attempted to storm the Washington Hilton ballroom.

👆The “Flower Moon,” the first of two full moons this month (and a nod to May’s peak bloom season), appeared in skies across the world Friday night. It’ll be followed by a rare Blue Moon on May 31, a once-every-few-year calendar quirk where two full moons occur in a single month.

🤔 Did you know? Pepper X holds the title for the world's hottest chili pepper, with its 2.69 million Scoville heat units breaking the previous record set by the Carolina Reaper (1.64 million SHU). For comparison, Jalapeño peppers typically measure between 2,500-8,000 SHU.

📰 Worth a read: Why you’re more likely to buy something for $4.99 than $5.00

🖱️ What we’re clicking:

• How to declutter your junk drawer
• Scientists want to make hummus on the Moon
• The secretive origins of the Illuminati

Support your next Mother’s Day chapter… Ritual’s Women’s Multivitamin 18+ supports bone strength, blood health, and brain function in one clean, traceable formula. Bundle 2+ this Mother’s Day and save 35%. Create your bundle today.

On Friday, we covered how California voters will soon decide whether to impose a one-time 5% wealth tax on all billionaires in the state, after a new initiative reportedly received enough signatures to appear on the November ballot.

❓ Our question to you: Do you support or oppose California’s new proposal to impose a one-time 5% wealth tax on billionaires?

• Support: 45%
• Oppose: 39%
• Unsure/other: 16%

Click here to read some of the most thoughtful longform responses.

+Note on sample size: We received 772 votes and 89 longform responses.

Monday: Lord of the Flies, a new four-part adaptation, debuts on Netflix; NBA Conference semifinals tip off

Tuesday: Indiana and Ohio hold midterm primaries

Wednesday: Job Openings and Labor Turnover Survey (JOLTS) report for March; Uber, Disney report earnings

Thursday: Weekly unemployment claims; McDonald's, Shell report earnings

Friday: April jobs report; Mortal Kombat II hits theaters

Guess the definitions of the following Greek/Latin root words:

1. Cine
2. Fant
3. Lumin
4. Nov
5. Plumb

🦎 A 10-year-old UK girl recently rescued a rare Mexican axolotl under a bridge in South Wales. Experts say it’s the first documented discovery of an axolotl in the wild in the UK, with only 50-1,000 individuals left globally among the critically endangered species.

1. Cine = Motion (e.g., cinema)
2. Fant = Show (fantasy)
3. Lumin = Light (illuminate)
4. Nov = New (novel, innovation)
5. Plumb = Lead – the metal version (plumber)

Advertise with us: Want to reach other smart and inquisitive readers like you? Become a DONUT partner here.