Mifepristone, Boeing Shake-Up, and a Worm Moon

SCOTUS Weighs Abortion Pill

The US Supreme Court will hear arguments today on whether to restrict access to abortion medication mifepristone, a technique used for roughly 60% of abortions in the US last year. A 2023 lower court ruling to ban pandemic-era mail deliveries and telemedicine prescriptions of the drug, as well as limit its use to seven weeks, was put on hold in April. A high court decision is expected in June.

Mifepristone is an oral pill taken within 10 weeks of conception that blocks production of progesterone, an essential hormone in early pregnancy. Four pills of a second drug, misoprostol, are taken 24 to 48 hours later to empty the uterus. Plaintiffs argue the Food and Drug Administration failed to adequately study the drug's safety before approving it in 2000. The FDA reports five deaths for every 1 million users, a rate lower than the commonly used antibiotic penicillin.

Since the Supreme Court removed federal protections for the procedure in 2022, abortions have increased nationwide, even as 14 states have passed total bans.

UN Approves Gaza Cease-Fire

Israel canceled a diplomatic visit by its senior advisers to Washington, DC, yesterday after the UN Security Council passed a resolution calling for an immediate cease-fire in Gaza and the unconditional release of all hostages. The approval comes after four previous attempts failed.

The US, one of 15 council members, abstained from voting, while the rest of the council (see overview) voted in favor of the legally binding resolution. The resolution calls for a halt in fighting for the remainder of Ramadan, the Islamic holy month of fasting, which ends in roughly two weeks. The US said it abstained because the resolution didn't condemn Hamas. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu criticized the US for not vetoing the resolution, saying the language used didn't explicitly tie the cease-fire to the release of the hostages.

An Israeli delegation was previously set to meet the Biden administration today for talks on Israel's imminent ground operation in Rafah, where an estimated 1 million Palestinians are sheltering. The Biden administration still plans to raise its concerns with Israel's defense minister, who is in Washington this week on a separate trip.

See updates on the war here.

Boeing Executive Shake-Up

Boeing CEO David Calhoun announced yesterday he would depart his position at the end of the year, a decision that followed a series of safety issues at the plane manufacturer. The head of the company's commercial airplane unit, Stan Deal, will resign immediately, while the board chairman, Lawrence Kellner, won't run for reelection in May. 

The company has faced intense scrutiny from both the public and federal officials following the blowout of an improperly installed door plug with missing bolts on a January flight. No deaths resulted (see previous write-up), though Boeing failed almost three dozen checks during a subsequent federal safety audit and now faces a criminal inquiry from the Justice Department. 

Calhoun himself was brought in as CEO four years ago amid a major crisis, after a pair of fatal crashes involving a separate issue with Boeing's 737 Max 8 models led to the deaths of 346 passengers and crew. 

Investors Are Noticing This EV Startup

Eli Electric Vehicles must be doing something right. This seed-stage startup is poised to dominate the $470B micro-EV industry, having already sold hundreds of their compact, energy-efficient EVs in Europe. Eli is clearly making waves—this year, they are launching in the fast-growing US market, boasting a manufacturing capacity of 4,000+ vehicles annually.

Specifically designed for short city trips, Eli’s flagship micro-EV, the Eli ZERO, is the iPad of cars, if conventional cars were laptops. It fills the massive gap between bikes and cars, offering a convenient, cost-effective, and sustainable solution for daily travel. There is more—they’re pioneering new products and technologies to offer an array of micro-EVs for multiple applications. This is your chance to be part of something with huge potential.

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