Justice Department again presses to halt Texas abortion law

By PAUL J. WEBER
Associated Press

AUSTIN, Texas (AP) — The Biden administration is again urging courts to step in and suspend a new Texas law that has banned most abortions in the state since early September. The latest request came Monday night from the Justice Department as clinics in Oklahoma, Louisiana and other states remain busy with Texas patients making journeys hundreds of miles away to get care. The law known as Senate Bill 8 amounts to the toughest abortion restrictions in the U.S. It bans abortions once cardiac activity is detected, which is usually around six weeks and before some women know they are pregnant. The 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals gave the Texas attorney’s general office until Thursday to respond to the Justice Department’s latest arguments.