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Gabe Whisnant is a Breaking News Editor at Newsweek based in North Carolina. Prior to joining Newsweek in 2023, he directed daily publications in North and South Carolina. As an executive editor, Gabe led award-winning coverage of Charleston church shooter Dylan Roof's capture in 2015, along with coverage of the Alex Murdaugh double murder trial. He is a graduate of the University of North Carolina-Wilmington. You can get in touch with Gabe by emailing [email protected]. Find him on Twitter @GabeWhisnant.

Breaking News Editor

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A divided U.S. Supreme Court ruled Thursday that states can block Medicaid funding to Planned Parenthood, delivering a victory to Republicans seeking to defund the nation's largest abortion provider. The 6–3 decision, with the court's three liberal justices dissenting, centers on a South Carolina case involving non-abortion services such as contraception, cancer screenings, and pregnancy testing—but could have sweeping implications for Medicaid patients nationwide.

Although federal law prohibits public health funds from being used for abortions, many low-income patients rely on Planned Parenthood for other essential health services, particularly in areas where it's difficult to find providers who accept Medicaid. South Carolina Governor Henry McMaster, a Republican, moved to cut off the organization's funding in 2018, arguing that no taxpayer dollars should go to Planned Parenthood. That action was initially blocked by a lawsuit from Julie Edwards, a patient who relies on the clinic for birth control due to a high-risk medical condition.

U.S. Associate Supreme Court Justices Samuel Alito, Jr., Clarence Thomas and Brett Kavanaugh and U.S. Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts look on during inauguration ceremonies in the Rotunda of the U.S. Capitol on January... Associated Press

The case also tested whether Medicaid patients have the legal right to sue over the choice of providers. While public health groups such as the American Cancer Society argued in court that lawsuits are often the only tool Medicaid recipients have to enforce their rights, South Carolina contended that patients should not be allowed to file such suits. The court's decision siding with the state could restrict patients' ability to challenge funding decisions, particularly in rural areas with limited access to care.

Though Planned Parenthood receives only $90,000 annually in Medicaid funds from South Carolina—a small fraction of the state's total Medicaid budget—the ruling arrives as Congress considers a Trump-backed federal budget that would eliminate Medicaid funding to the group entirely. According to the organization, such cuts could force the closure of roughly 200 clinics, many in states where abortion remains legal. South Carolina currently bans abortion at around six weeks of pregnancy, following the Supreme Court's 2022 decision overturning Roe v. Wade.

This is a breaking news story. Updates to follow.