Good morning, I'm Taylor Wilson, and this is five things you need to know Thursday the 17th of August, 2023.

Today at Appeals Court backs limits on a major abortion pill,

plus a closer look at the controversy around buoys in the Rio Grande,

and how the Maui fire compares to some of the deadliest in U.S. history.

A federal appeals court yesterday said it would limit access to the abortion pill, Miffy Pristone.

The court ruled that the FDA had overstepped its authority with a series of actions that made it easier for Americans to obtain the drug,

like allowing prescriptions to be filed by mail.

The ruling was unlikely to have an immediate impact on access to the drug,

because of an earlier Supreme Court decision that paused any changes to the status quo.

But the Appeals Court ruling does set up another showdown at the Supreme Court over access to the drug, and along with it, abortion.

The fight over the drug has taken on a greater significance as conservative states banned abortion in response to the Supreme Court's decision last year.

The Justice Department said in a statement that it would appeal yesterday's ruling to the Supreme Court,

and vowed to defend the FDA's scientific judgment, as well as access to reproductive care.

Medical associations and health experts have pointed to the drug's decades-long safety record,

and studies showing it to be safer than common drugs like Tylenol and Viagra.

Anti-abortion groups challenging the drug have questioned those studies,

and say the FDA did not follow its own protocols and ignored contrary data while expediting the drug's approval.

Student loan borrowers, who are worried they won't be able to afford to restart payments in October,

could take a look at a new, affordable option called Save, or the Saving on a Valuable Education Plan.

Save won't bail out everyone's budget, but it might work for millions buried in debt,

like high-cost credit cards, or those struggling to pay the rent.

And the interest on federal student loans won't build up and trap you if you consistently make the required payments under the Save program.

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