Federal judge issues order blocking Texas' 6-week abortion ban

A federal judge in Texas issued an order Wednesday blocking the state's six-week abortion ban.

"From the moment S.B. 8 went into effect, women have been unlawfully prevented from exercising control over their lives in ways that are protected by the Constitution," US District Judge Robert Pitman said in the decision, granting a request from the Justice Department, which brought the lawsuit.

"That other courts may find a way to avoid this conclusion is theirs to decide; this Court will not sanction one more day of this offensive deprivation of such an important...