A pregnant Texas woman asked a court for permission to get an abortion, despite a ban. What’s next?

By PAUL J. WEBER
Associated Press

AUSTIN, Texas (AP) — The Texas Supreme Court has put on hold a judge’s ruling that approved an abortion for a pregnant woman whose fetus has a fatal diagnosis. The order Friday throws into limbo an unprecedented challenge to one of the most restrictive bans in the U.S. The order by the all-Republican court came more than 30 hours after Kate Cox, a 31-year-old mother of two from the Dallas area, received a temporary restraining order from a lower court judge. Her lawsuit is believed to be the first time since Roe v. Wade was overturned last year that a woman has gone to court in the U.S. to ask for an abortion. A pregnant Kentucky woman has since filed a similar challenge. The Texas Supreme Court has not said when it will ultimately rule on Cox’s lawsuit.