The U.S. Supreme Court has, for a second time, declined to intervene in a lawsuit challenging a Texas abortion ban. In a 6–3 ruling on Thursday (pdf), the court declined abortion providers’ request to intervene in the case challenging the state’s abortion ban, known as the Texas Heartbeat Act or Senate Bill 8 (S.B. 8). The law went into effect in September 2021, banning abortions after a heartbeat is detected—usually at around six weeks gestation—unless a medical emergency exists. There is no exception for a pregnancy due to incest or rape. On Sept. 1, 2021, when the law went into effect, the Supreme Court on the same day denied an effort to block the measure, in a 5–4 ruling. Whole Woman’s Health, which operates four Texas abortion clinics as well as other clinics in five other states, had sued to overturn the law. The abortion provider argued the law violates the 1973 …