Welcome to Gavel Drop, our roundup of legal news, headlines, and head-shaking moments in the courts.

So here’s something. Donald Trump’s sister is a judge on the federal Third Circuit Court of Appeals. Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX) thinks she’s a “pro-abortion extremist” because she voted down a New Jersey law that could have banned practically all abortions. Can you even imagine the family dinners?

Irin Carmon asks the question many of us are thinking: What if the Supreme Court punts on abortion?

Take it from two lawyers: If you want to read more musings about what the Supreme Court is going to do in Whole Woman’s Health v. Hellerstedt, give this interview with Gretchen Borchelt, vice president for reproductive rights and health at the National Women’s Law Center, a read.

A federal court ruled recently that the right to privacy does not include the right to engage in consensual BDSM sex.

It turns out it takes a lot of work to put together and file one of those “friend of the court” briefs with the Supreme Court.

Maybe we shouldn’t have so many amicus briefs filed to start with?

A transgender man explains why he is speaking out in favor of abortion rights.

The more we learn about opioid use and dependence, the clearer it becomes that criminalization is the worst possible response to the emerging epidemic.

Bioethicists weigh in on the manufactured controversy surrounding Planned Parenthood and fetal tissue research.

The conservative Eighth Circuit Court of Appeals has refused, at least for now, to review a lower court ruling granting class action status to a lawsuit challenging Arkansas’ attempts to cut off Medicaid funding to Planned Parenthood.

Meanwhile, you can listen here to Utah’s solicitor general arguing to the Tenth Circuit Court of Appeals that governors should have the authority to decide on their own whether or not to fund Planned Parenthood.

These law professors want Republican senators to know their refusal to hold confirmation hearings for President Obama’s next Supreme Court nominee is not just childish; it’s completely unconstitutional.