Judge rips opposition to Plan B order

NEW YORK — A federal judge in New York City has accused the government of playing politics with his order giving teenage girls broader access to morning-after birth control.

At a hearing Tuesday, U.S. District Court Judge Edward Korman suggested that an FDA decision last week to allow over-the-counter sales of Plan B One Step pills to those 15 and older was timed to undermine his ruling.

Korman’s order last month cleared the way for women of any age to buy both Plan B and cheaper generic alternatives beginning Friday. The government has asked him to freeze his order while it pursues an appeal. Reproductive rights advocates say that process could take months or even years.