Supreme Court takes up blockbuster case over Mississippi's 15-week abortion ban

Washington — The Supreme Court on Monday agreed to take up a blockbuster dispute over a Mississippi ban on abortions after 15 weeks of pregnancy, setting up a high-stakes showdown over the future of Roe v. Wade.

The battle will be the first test of limits on abortion access to go before the Supreme Court's expanded 6-3 conservative majority and could pave the way for more restrictions, as the dispute takes aim at the landmark 1973 ruling in Roe, which established a woman's right to an abortion. Arguments will be heard in the fall, during the high court's next term. The justices will specifically weigh whether all pre-viability prohibitions on elective abortions are unconstitutional, according to an order issued Monday.