Factbox-US abortion pill access under fire: Lawsuits and regulatory battles to watch in 2026

By Daniel Wiessner

Jan 5 (Reuters) - Since the U.S. Supreme Court rolled back the constitutional right to abortion in 2022, nearly half of U.S. states have banned or severely restricted the procedure, driving a surge in medication abortion - now used in more than 60% of abortions nationwide.

That has fueled a new wave of legal battles, with Republican-led states and ​conservative groups pressing to curb access to the abortion drug mifepristone, while providers and Democratic-led states push to expand it. Here's a look at the key lawsuits and regulatory fights whose ‌outcomes could impact access to the drug in the year ahead:

LAWSUITS SEEKING TO RESTRICT ACCESS

Six Republican-led U.S. states in three separate pending lawsuits are seeking to curb access to mifepristone, the first of two pills used for medication abortion in the first 10 ‌weeks of pregnancy. Louisiana sued in October, challenging a 2023 regulation allowing for the drug to be prescribed remotely and dispensed through the mail. In December, Texas and Florida filed a broader legal challenge targeting the U.S. Food and Drug Administration's initial approval of mifepristone in 2000 and several subsequent approvals and regulations that eased access. The three states had sought to join a separate case by Missouri, Kansas and Idaho, but a judge in Texas in September said that request was moot when he transferred the lawsuit to St. Louis federal court. The Missouri lawsuit was first filed in 2022 by anti-abortion groups and doctors, but the U.S. Supreme Court ⁠in 2024 found they did not have the necessary legal standing to ‌challenge the FDA's regulation of mifepristone. The states, which had intervened in the case, are pressing forward with arguments that the FDA acted improperly when it eased restrictions on mifepristone in 2023.

STATES SEEKING TO EXPAND ACCESS

Meanwhile, physicians and medical groups are challenging FDA rules also adopted in 2023 requiring providers and pharmacies to be ‍certified to prescribe and dispense mifepristone and to obtain a signed authorization from patients. They claim the restrictions are unwarranted because mifepristone is safe and effective. A group of Democratic-led states had sued over those rules but a judge in Washington state dismissed the case in July and the states did not appeal.

In a case brought by abortion providers, a federal judge in Hawaii ruled in October that the FDA had failed to explain why the dispensing requirements were ​necessary and directed the agency to reconsider them, but said the rules would remain in place in the meantime. A judge in Virginia is expected to rule soon in a similar case. Four ‌Democratic-led states have filed a petition urging the FDA to remove the restrictions.

Separately, at least three lawsuits are pending that challenge state laws limiting access to mifepristone despite its approval on the federal level. A Virginia-based federal appeals court in July rejected a challenge to West Virginia's abortion ban by drugmaker GenBioPro, and is now considering how that ruling will impact a case involving a North Carolina law placing various restrictions on medication abortion. A challenge to a Louisiana law designating mifepristone as a dangerous controlled substance is moving forward after a state judge in June denied the state's motion to dismiss the case.

SHIELD LAWS

More states could move to limit access to mifepristone by prosecuting out-of-state doctors who prescribe it within their borders. In an unprecedented interstate conflict, the Texas Attorney General's office in July asked a New York state court to ⁠order a New York county to enforce a $100,000 judgment against a doctor for sending abortion pills to Texas. The ​case will test New York's so-called shield law precluding the enforcement of other states' abortion bans against New Yorkers. About 20 ​other states have similar laws.

Texas and Louisiana also passed laws in 2025 allowing private citizens to sue anyone who mails or distributes abortion medication to or from the state.

REGULATORY ACTION

President Donald Trump's administration has sent mixed signals on its stance on mifepristone, launching a safety review of the drug earlier in 2025 while also approving a ‍new generic version in October, which it was required to ⁠do by federal law. The administration has also pushed forward with the defense of the 2023 rules allowing prescriptions through the mail. And the FDA in December delayed the safety review until after the November 2026 midterm elections, according to a report by Bloomberg. The agency in response said it was taking the time needed to conduct a comprehensive scientific review.

The review delay ⁠and approval of the new generic have angered many conservatives and anti-abortion groups. Missouri, Kansas and Idaho are challenging the approval as part of their broader lawsuit, and some Republican lawmakers have called on the FDA to complete the review.

The Center for ‌Reproductive Rights and the ACLU have filed separate lawsuits seeking to force the release of documents related to the scope of the safety review and the sources of information ‌the FDA is considering.

(Reporting by Daniel Wiessner in Albany, New York, Editing by Alexia Garamfalvi and Bill Berkrot)

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Factbox-US abortion pill access under fire: Lawsuits and regulatory battles to watch in 2026

By Daniel Wiessner Jan 5 (Reuters) - Since the U.S. Supreme Court rolled back the constitutional right to aborti...

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LA fires showed how much neighborliness matters for wildfire safety – schools can do much more to teach it

On Jan. 7, 2025, people across the Los Angeles area watched in horror as powerful winds began spreading wildfires through neighborhood after neighborhood. Over three weeks, the firesdestroyed more than 16,000 homesand businesses. At least31 peopledied, and studies suggest the smoke and stress likely contributed tohundreds more deaths.

For many of us who lived through the fires, it was a traumatic experience that also brought neighborhoods closer together. Neighbors scrambled tohelp each otheras burning embers started spot fires that threatened homes. They helpedelderly and disabled residents evacuate.

As the LA region rebuilds a year later, many people are calling for improvements tozoning regulations,building codes,insuranceandemergency communications systems. Conversations are underway about whether rebuilding in some locationsmakes sense at all.

But managing fire risk is about more than construction practices, regulations and rules. It is also about people and neighborliness – the ethos and practice of caring for those in your community, including making choices and taking steps on your own property to help keep the people around you safe.

As LA-area residents andhistorianswhowitnessedthe fires' destruction and have been following the recovery closely, we believe building a safer future for fire-risk communities includes increasing neighborliness and building shared knowledge of the past. Much of that starts in the schools.

Neighborliness matters in community fire safety

Being neighborly means recognizing the connectedness of life and addressing the common good, beyond just the individual and family network.

It includescommunity-wide fire mitigation strategiesthat can help prevent fires from spreading.

During the Southern California fires, houses, fences, sheds, roofs and dry vegetation served as the fuel for wind-blown fires racing through neighborhoods miles away from forested land. Being neighborly means taking steps to reduce risks on your own property that could put your neighbors at risk. Following fire officials' recommendations can meanclearing defensible spacearound homes, replacing fire-prone plants and limiting or removing burnable material, such as wood fencing and sheds.

Neighborliness also recognizes the varyingmental health impactsof significant wildfire events on the people who experience them. Being neighborly means listening to survivors and reaching out, particularly to neighbors who may be struggling or need help with recovery, and building community bonds.

Neighbors are often the first people who can help in an emergency before local, state and federal responders arrive. A fast neighborhood response, whether helping put out spot fires on a lawn or ensuring elderly residents or those without vehicles are able to evacuate,can save lives and propertyin natural disasters.

Fire awareness, neighborliness start in school

Community-based K-12 schools are the perfect places for learning and practicing neighborliness and providing transformative fire education.

Learning about thelocal history of wildfires, from the ecological impact of beneficial fire to fire disasters and how communities responded, can transform how children and their families think about fires and fire readiness.

However, in our view, fire history and safety is not currently taught nearly enough, even in fire-prone California.

California's Department of Education Framework and Content Standards for K-12 education offer several opportunities to engage students with innovative lessons about wildfire causes, preparedness and resilience. For example,fourth grade history and social sciencestandards include understanding "how physical environments (e.g., water, landforms, vegetation, climate) affect human activity." Middle school science standards includemapping the history of natural hazards, though they only mention forest fires when discussing technology.

Schools could, and we believe should, include more fire history, ecological knowledge and understanding of the interconnectedness of neighborhoods and neighbors when it comes to fire safety in those and other classes.

Elementary schools in many states bring in firefighters to talk about fire safety, often through programs run by groups like theCalifornia Fire Prevention Organization. These efforts could spend more time looking beyond house fires to discuss how and where wildfires start, how they spread and how to make your own home and neighborhood much safer.

Models such as the U.S. Fire Administration's collaboration with Sesame Workshop on theSesame Street Fire Safety Programfor preschool kids offer examples, blending catchy phrases with safety and science lessons.

Including knowledgefrom Indigenous tribal elders, fire management professionals and other community members can provide more robust fire education and understanding of the roles people play in fire risk and risk reduction. Introducing students tofuture career pathwaysin fire safety and response can also help students see their roles in fire safety.

As LA recovers from the 2025 fires, fire-prone states can prepare for future fires by expanding education about fire and neighborliness, and helping students take that knowledge home to their families.

Remembering, because it will happen again

Neighborliness also demands a pivot from thereflexive amnesiaregarding natural and unnatural disasters to knowing that it will happen here again.

There's a dangerous, stubborn forgetfulness in the vaunted Land of Sunshine. It is all part ofthe myththat helped make Southern California such a juggernaut of growth from the late 19th century forward.

The region was,boosters and public officials insisted, special: a civilization growing in the benign embrace of the environment. Anything grew here, the endless Los Angeles Basin could absorb everyone, and if therewasn't enough waterto slake the thirst of metropolitan ambitions, engineers and taxpayers would see to it that water from far away – even very far away – would be brought here.

The Southland is beautiful, but a place can be both beautiful and precarious, particularly in the grip of climate change. These are lessons we believe should be taught in K-12 classrooms as an important step toward lowering disaster risk. Living with fire means remembering and understanding the past. That knowledge, and developing more neighborly behavior, can save your life and the lives of your neighbors.

Elizabeth A. Logan, Associate Director of the Huntington-USC Institute on California and The West, USC Dornsife College of Letters, Arts and Sciences

William Deverell, Professor of History, USC Dornsife College of Letters, Arts and Sciences

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LA fires showed how much neighborliness matters for wildfire safety – schools can do much more to teach it

On Jan. 7, 2025, people across the Los Angeles area watched in horror as powerful winds began spreading wildfires through neighborhood afte...

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Cuba says 32 Cuban officers were killed in US operation in Venezuela

HAVANA (AP) — AnAmerican military operation in Venezuelakilled 32 Cuban officers over the weekend, the Cuban government said Sunday in the first official death count provided of the American strikes in the South American nation.

The Cuban military and police officers were on a mission the Caribbean country's military was carrying out at the request of Venezuela's government, according to a statement read on Cuban state TV on Sunday night.

What the Cubans were working on in the South American nation was unclear, but Cuba is a close ally of Venezuela's government and has sent military and police forces to assist in operations for years. Rumors of the deaths circulated on the island over the weekend.

"You know, a lot of Cubans were killed yesterday," U.S. President Donald Trump told reporters aboard Air Force One as he flew Sunday night from Florida back to Washington. "There was a lot of death on the other side. No death on our side."

The U.S. operation Saturdayseized Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro and his wife to face prosecution on an indictment accusing them of participating in a narco-terrorism conspiracy.

While Venezuela's governmenthas acknowledged that a number of people died in the American blasts, they did not confirm how many were killed to The Associated Press.

Cuba's government announced two days of mourning for the Cuban officers who were killed, and former president and revolutionary leader Raúl Castro and President Miguel Díaz-Canel sent condolences to their families. The names of the dead and the positions they held were not immediately disclosed by Cuban authorities.

"Faithful to their responsibilities for security and defense, our compatriots fulfilled their duty with dignity and heroism and fell after fierce resistance in direct combat against the attackers or as a result of the bombings of the facilities," the official statement said.

U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio, the son of Cuban immigrants, also pointed to Cuban involvement in Venezuela over the weekend, saying that Maduro's internal security apparatuswas headed by Cubansand that they were "propping up Maduro."

"All the guards that help protect Maduro — this is well known — their whole spy agency, all that were full of Cubans," Rubio said.

Associated Press reporters Megan Janetsky in Mexico City and Darlene Superville aboard Air Force One contributed to this report.

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Cuba says 32 Cuban officers were killed in US operation in Venezuela

HAVANA (AP) — AnAmerican military operation in Venezuelakilled 32 Cuban officers over the weekend, the Cuban government s...

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Titans QB Cam Ward closes out rookie season with shoulder injury vs. Jags

Tennessee Titans rookie quarterback Cam Ward made an early exit from Sunday's 41-7 loss at Jacksonville due to a right shoulder injury which The Athletic later reported was a Grade 3 sprain to the AC joint.

Ward sustained the injury while being tackled on a 7-yard touchdown run and landing on his throwing shoulder in capping off the Titans' opening drive.

After being examined on the sideline, Ward walked to the locker room with members of the training staff for further examination. He was ruled out for the rest of the game.

Ward did not speak to reporters after the game, which concluded the Titans' season at 3-14. Interim coach Mike McCoy said that Ward will undergo testing on Monday in Nashville.

"We'll do more testing," McCoy said of Ward's injury. "Until they do more testing ... I'll give you a better answer down the road."

Brandon Allen took the field to begin Tennessee's second series, marking the first missed snap of Ward's rookie season after he was selected with the No. 1 overall pick the 2025 draft.

Ward, 23, went 3-for-3 on Sunday for 52 yards and two carries for 11 yards and the score -- his second of the season. He completed 59.8% of his passes (323 of 540) for 3,169 yards and 15 touchdowns with seven interceptions in 17 games.

Allen, 33, was selected by the Jaguars in the sixth round in 2016 NFL Draft. His last action came in 2024 with the San Francisco 49ers. He was 17 of 30 on Sunday for 72 yards and one interception that was returned for a touchdown.

--Field Level Media

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Titans QB Cam Ward closes out rookie season with shoulder injury vs. Jags

Tennessee Titans rookie quarterback Cam Ward made an early exit from Sunday's 41-7 loss at Jacksonville due to a r...

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‘This is why he’s here’: Steelers' upset of Ravens validates their acquisition of Aaron Rodgers. Now how far can they go?

PITTSBURGH — When the Pittsburgh Steelers regained possession, down 24-20, 2:20 remained in the game. Perhaps, fans in Acrisure Stadium wondered, 2:20 remained in the Steelers' season and even in Aaron Rodgers' career.

So the 42-year-old, four-time-MVP quarterback gathered his offense for a huddle. With three quick passes, they marched down to the 26-yard line before Rodgers missed on two straight throws.

Third-and-10 now threatened, with 1 minute to play. Rodgers began preparing receiver Calvin Austin for a backside hitch-and-go route.

On the sidelines, his teammates realized they were not worried.

"It was a weird, no-panic feeling," edge rusher T.J. Watt said. "Just calm. It was just confident. We've seen him work a two-minute drill so many times. We've seen those ball-at-the-2-yard-line, seven-shot type plays so many times. Just complete confidence in him and the offense.

"He's here for a reason. This is why he's here. This is the best dude in the NFL for this moment."

Rodgers validated that belief as he hit Austin for a go-ahead, 26-yard touchdown with 55 seconds to play. A 44-yard missed field goal by the Ravenshelped buoy the Steelers to the 26-24 win. But even before then, at a series of intervals throughout the game, Pittsburgh believed their quarterback would help carry them to victory.

"When I broke down [the huddle], I saw it was man to man, I had a good hope that the ball was going to come my way if I ran the route and executed," Austin told Yahoo Sports from the postgame locker room.  "Know it's cover zero, ball going to be up and down quick, so just get open and win.

"We're just so blessed — to be able to continue to play and continue to give 8 [Rodgers] a season."

The go-ahead touchdown to Austin was the last of Rodgers' magic on a 31-of-47, 294-yard night featuring one passing touchdown and another 20 yards rushing.

Every ounce of it was needed to ward off a Lamar Jackson vintage performance to the tune of 171 yards and two touchdowns in the fourth quarter alone.

Aaron Rodgers on Lamar Jackson: "Lamar was making some wild plays tonight, which you expect because he is such a talented player. He's going to be a gold jacket when it's all said and done."pic.twitter.com/HqyMSn9sEF

— Jori Epstein (@JoriEpstein)January 5, 2026

But as the Steelers triumphed, delaying questions about the futures of Rodgers and head coach Mike Tomlin for at least eight more days, excitement was not their only reaction tohosting the Houston Texans in a Monday night wild-card game. Much of the team was also surprisingly even-keeled — resolute to work and prepare avidly, but managing their energy in the way their quarterback modeled through the night.

"Sometimes in those intense moments, everyone can get pretty intense and loud and energetic," receiver Adam Thielen told Yahoo Sports. "But he really has a calmness and a softness of how he calls the plays and just keeps everybody calm."

Finding a quarterback of that demeanor for the Steelers is no accident. It was by design when Pittsburgh recruited Rodgers all last spring until he officially joined in June, and it's by design that he'll lead them into the playoffs.

"This was the vision in the spring when we pursued him," Tomlin said. "That's why you do business with a 41-, 42-year-old guy. Been-there, done-that guy with a résumé like his. He's not only capable; he thrives in it.

"I think he put that on display tonight."

Rodgers led second-half rebound to edge Steelers past Ravens

Rodgers' resilience shined most strongly in the second half.

The first half seemed shaky as Rodgers led an offense down top receiver DK Metcalf to suspension and big-bodied tight end Darnell Washington to a broken arm suffered a week prior.

Most of Rodgers' completions were quick gains and screen passes that couldn't pace Ravens running back Derrick Henry's early explosions and 112-yard first half. And at times, glimmers of doubt surfaced about Rodgers' future: When an early second-quarter pass to Jonnu Smith sailed high above the wide-open tight end, was Rodgers' accuracy and timing slipping? A play later, Rodgers' escaped the pocket to his right and tried to scramble. But his 42-year-old legs did not advance past the line of scrimmage before he was downed for a sack.

The Steelers entered halftime trailing 10-3, a Watt interception-gifted short field not enough to convert in the red zone. But after halftime, Pittsburgh found a rhythm. Take the second-and-8 rope that Rodgers threaded to veteran receiver Thielen for 28 yards three minutes into the second half.

Earning Aaron Rodgers' trust is a valuable skill. Adam Thielen did that immediately after arriving late in season, and it shows as Rodgers trusts him with this 28-yarder.pic.twitter.com/SH1DFL935X

— Jori Epstein (@JoriEpstein)January 5, 2026

Thielen tried to move at the top of his route to counter tight coverage. The gain continued what would be a game-tying drive for the Steelers — and it also earned Thielen a reassuring gesture from Rodgers.

"Usually it's a little look and a little point knowing that I made him proud," Thielen told Yahoo Sports. "So I like those moments. I like when I see that face rather than the disappointed face."

Rodgers would warrant his own affirmation throughout a second half featuring six lead changes. The Steelers scored on a literal brotherly shove as Cam Heyward added to his defensive tackle responsibilities to help push his brother, Connor, into the end zone. Kenneth Gainwell scored around the right end of an immaculately blocked 2-yard score after Rodgers hit tight end Pat Freiermuth for 31 yards on third-and-8 up the middle. Rodgers had recommended Freiermuth fake his defender that he was breaking out before going down the middle, taking his time along the way. The tight end executed so in line with his quarterback's high standards that Rodgers laughed.

There are moments when Aaron Rodgers' age and health seem to show glimpses. And then there are ropes like this and what he threw to Adam Thielen…that make you wonder whether he'll keep playing next year.pic.twitter.com/ekwhv1bd3h

— Jori Epstein (@JoriEpstein)January 5, 2026

"I'm literally throwing it kind of laughing to myself because I'm like, 'This is it. See, I've been talking about it forever,'" Rodgers said. "Just little things that you talk about in Latrobe and you hope show up… I'm just really proud of him.

"I can't say enough good things about Pat."

Nor could Steelers teammates say enough good things about Rodgers after he helped them turn their end-of-year luck after a 10-7 season. The record was identical. But last year, the Steelers lost their final five games, including a wild-card exit.

Against the same Ravens team that dealt two of those five losses last year, including the playoff elimination, Pittsburgh secured a different result, including a sweep of Baltimore.

"Last year, the playoffs, going to Baltimore, we were really hurt by that," Cam Heyward said. "I remember me and T.J. just sitting in the training room, just kind of scratching our heads.

"To get out here and play the same team, had some success in difference ways…

"This is what we've all been waiting for."

Texans are up next as Steelers players 'want to be able to have some hardware'

Amid a postgame locker room cocktail of blaring music, cheers for top performers and pungent celebratory cigars, a group of Steelers players FaceTimed Metcalf.

The receiver wasn't in the locker room receiving his "Been There, Won That" AFC North champion shirt. He wasn't on the field when the Steelers' offense could have used him against the Ravens on Sunday night, nor was he on the field when the Steelers' offense could have used him in their Week 17 loss to the Cleveland Browns that blew their first chance to clinch the division.

Metcalf had texted receivers Sunday morning, multiple players said, telling them they had the manpower they needed to win without him but he was nonetheless emotional he could not join as heserved a two-game suspension from an in-game altercation with a Detroit Lions fan.

Rodgers wasn't the only player this group longed to ensure saw another game this season in a Steelers uniform.

"We were playing so we could get DK back and we did," Austin told Yahoo Sports. "He's our leader. He's our energy. He's the guy."

The Steelers have many "guys," from Metcalf, who they will get back, to Watt whose interception was just one element of his several-pronged impact against the Ravens.

They had a guy in a headset on their sideline coaching, too. Supporters emphasized that Tomlin's 19 seasons at the Steelers helm do not include even one losing season. Critics will be intimately aware next week that nine years have elapsed since Pittsburgh last won a playoff game.

Steelers HC Mike Tomlin: "We are AFC North champions, and that sounds good and it feels good. But we didn't come here for that. We came here for what lies ahead, and so excited about that."Thankful."pic.twitter.com/42YJAR56QJ

— Jori Epstein (@JoriEpstein)January 5, 2026

The Texans opened as 3-point favorites at Pittsburgh, per BetMGM.

There is a restlessness to change the history among players who have lived it.

Fifteen years into his Steelers tenure, Heyward did not put on his AFC North champions hat as his teammates did.

"I want a different hat," he said. "Hopefully I have a chance to win a championship… I want to be able to have some hardware one day."

Steelers division champion shirts say "been there, WON that" 🔥pic.twitter.com/dl72CowUYp

— Jori Epstein (@JoriEpstein)January 5, 2026

Heyward spoke of the doubt he believes the NFL world has in the Steelers' chances. He spoke also of why the Steelers believe in their 42-year-old quarterback more than they think most would.

"To have a guy that has seen every type of defense allows you to go into a lot of gunfights and feel like you have a chance," Heyward said. "He's able to steer the ship."

Can Rodgers do it again next week? The Steelers know they were one 44-yard field goal attempt away from the frustration and devastation that Jackson instead described. They may have been a cornerback keeping his footing away from not scoring their final touchdown, and a concussion to star Ravens safety Kyle Hamilton away from the offensive uptick they experienced.

For now, they won't question it.

"If my aunt has male parts, she would be my uncle," Tomlin quipped in dismissing the value of hypotheticals.

The Texans are riding a nine-game winning streak. Rodgers brought up that his lone Lombardi Trophy followed a 10-6 season that included a one-score divisional win in the regular-season finale. He's not afraid of the odds against him, and his calm appears to be permeating the franchise.

"We were underdogs at home tonight against our division rival," Rodgers said. "It's going to give us some belief.

"The belief level in the locker room after a win like this is exponentially greater."

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‘This is why he’s here’: Steelers' upset of Ravens validates their acquisition of Aaron Rodgers. Now how far can they go?

PITTSBURGH — When the Pittsburgh Steelers regained possession, down 24-20, 2:20 remained in the game. Perhaps, fans in Ac...

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Bayern's 17-year-old prodigy Lennart Karl calls Real Madrid his 'dream club'

MUNICH (AP) — Bayern Munich's latest young sensation is already thinking about a future elsewhere.

Lennart Karl, the 17-year-old midfielder who became Bayern'syoungest Champions League scorerin October, prompted laughs, criticism and confusion Sunday with an admission he dreams of moving to Real Madrid.

During a question-and-answer session at a small-town fan gathering Sunday, the sort of visit that's a new year's tradition for the club's players, Karl was asked if he had a "dream club" other than Bayern.

"Bayern's a very, very big club in any case, and it's a dream to play there, but some day I'd definitely like to go to Real Madrid. That's my dream club, but that stays between us," Karl said, to laughter from the Bayern fans in the audience, in comments broadcast by Sky Sport in Germany.

"But obviously Bayern is something very, very special and it's lots and lots of fun at the club."

While the fans in the audience seemed to take Karl's comments with good humor, the young midfielder faced criticism from Bayern supporters online questioning his loyalty to the club.

Karl came through Bayern's youth academy and made his first-team debut in a 10-0 thrashing of Auckland City at the Club World Cup in June before becoming a regular this season, with six goals in 22 games.

AP soccer:https://apnews.com/hub/soccer

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Bayern's 17-year-old prodigy Lennart Karl calls Real Madrid his 'dream club'

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Bluefin tuna sells for record $3.2 million at year-opening auction at Tokyo fish market

TOKYO (AP) — A massive 243-kilogram (535-pound) bluefin tuna sold for a record 510 million yen ($3.2 million) at the first auction of 2026 at Tokyo's Toyosu fish market.

The top bidder for the prized tuna at the predawn auction on Monday was Kiyomura Corp., whose owner Kiyoshi Kimura runs the popular Sushi Zanmai chain. Kimura, who has won the annual action many times in the past, broke the previous record of 334 million yen ($2.1 million) he set in 2019.

Kimura later told reporters he was hoping to pay a bit less for it, but "the price shot up before you knew it."

The auction started when the bell rang, and the floor was filled with torpedo-shaped fish with their tails cut off so bidders could examine meat details such as color, texture and fattiness while walking around the rows of tuna.

The pricey fish was caught off the coast of Oma in northern Japan, a region widely regarded for producing some of the country's finest tuna, and costs 2.1 million yen ($13,360) per kilogram ($6,060 per pound).

"It's in part for good luck," Kimura said. "But when I see a good looking tuna, I cannot resist ... I haven't sampled it yet, but it's got to be delicious."

Hundreds of tuna are sold daily at the early morning auction, but prices are significantly higher than usual for the Oma tuna, especially at the celebratory New Year auction.

Due to the popularity of tuna for sushi and sashimi, Pacific bluefin tuna was previously a threatened species due to climate change and overfishing, but its stock is recovering following conservation efforts.

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Bluefin tuna sells for record $3.2 million at year-opening auction at Tokyo fish market

TOKYO (AP) — A massive 243-kilogram (535-pound) bluefin tuna sold for a record 510 million yen ($3.2 million) at the firs...

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