US judge blocks enforcement of near-total abortion ban in Texas

A federal judge temporarily blocked on Wednesday a near-total ban on abortion in Texas, the toughest such law in the United States.

A federal judge temporarily blocked on Wednesday a near-total ban on abortion in Texas, the toughest such law in the United States, following a challenge from President Joe Biden's administration after the U.S. Supreme Court let it proceed.

The action by U.S. District Judge Robert Pitman in Austin prevents the state from enforcing the Republican-backed law, which prohibits women from obtaining an abortion after six weeks of pregnancy, while litigation over its legality continues.