Colossal Biosciences — the Dallas-based company that's attempting to bring back the woolly mammoth and the dodo — is now trying to revive the bluebuck.

Why it matters: The bluebuck, a type of antelope once found in modern-day South Africa, was hunted to extinction more than two centuries ago.

Zoom in: Colossal generated global buzz in 2025 when it showed off multiple dire wolves, which had been extinct for more than 12,500 years.

• The bluebuck is the sixth member of the company's "de-extinction portfolio."

State of play: Colossal has obtained bluebuck DNA, mapped it and compared it to the animal's closest living relatives. It's now in the final, and most difficult, phase of genomic editing, CEO Ben Lamm tells Axios.

• He says the company is aiming for a birth in "2028-ish," which will come after a nine-month gestation period via a surrogate.
• The eventual goal is to engage in re-wilding efforts, which the company said is supported by South African conservation groups.

The big picture: Lamm believes Colossal's de-extinction pursuits will generate new technologies, biodiversity efforts and environmental sustainability initiatives.

Friction point: Some experts have sought to downplay the significance of Colossal's work, saying the company's dire wolves are not actual dire wolves, but rather grey wolves genetically engineered to have dire wolf-like characteristics. Other critics say de-extinction efforts could surface ecological risks.

• "Even if reviving extinct species is practical, it's an awful idea," writes Paul and Anne Ehrlich of the Yale School of Environment's Center for Conservation Biology.

What they're saying: Lamm says Colossal is responsibly partnering with governments, scientists, ecologists and indigenous people in a deliberative and thoughtful manner.

• "For all of the projects that we're working on, we want to put the animals back into some form of a native habitat where they can survive, they can be accretive to the ecosystem," he says.

The Supreme Court yesterday temporarily restored mail-order access to the abortion pill mifepristone — including for patients in Texas.

Why it matters: Justice Samuel Alito's order doesn't settle an underlying legal challenge to rules for dispensing the drug that could make abortion access a top-tier issue heading into the midterms.

• But it's likely to reduce confusion among pharmacies, telehealth firms and providers over what's allowed, even in states where abortion is legal.

Driving the news: The order was in response to requests from drugmakers Danco Laboratories and GenBioPro to restore access to mifepristone via teleprescribing and mail.

Catch up quick: A federal appeals court on Friday blocked a 2023 federal rule that allowed doctors to prescribe mifepristone remotely and send it by mail — a pathway often used by Texans seeking abortion pills from providers in states where the procedure is legal.

• The 5th Circuit ruling sided with Louisiana in a case challenging Biden administration rules that expanded access to mifepristone.
• Louisiana argued the federal rules undermined its laws protecting unborn human life and caused it to spend Medicaid funds on emergency care for women harmed by mifepristone.

Zoom in: The ruling had halted the estimated thousands of telehealth prescriptions each month in states that ban abortion.

Between the lines: Texas' House Bill 7, which Gov. Greg Abbott signed last year, allows lawsuits of up to $100,000 against doctors and distributors of abortion pills like mifepristone.

• But 22 states have "shield laws" protecting providers who help patients in states with bans, per the Texas Tribune.

👋 Hi! Tasha here.

I'm back from sabbatical, which took me to Kenya.

Why it matters: Kenya is a "cradle of humankind" with fossils millions of years old.

• The country also remains one of the few places in the world where giant animals can roam free.

Zoom out: I took a few days during my weeks overseas to visit the Maasai Mara National Reserve.

• We got to see lions and their cubs, zebras, antelope, giraffes, hyenas, a lone cheetah on a hunt and elephants.

The bottom line: It was a once-in-a-lifetime experience, and I'm grateful to Naheed for keeping the newsletter going while I was away.

🎮 Grapevine-based GameStop is offering to buy eBay for $55.5 billion, an unprompted offer that's almost five times higher than the value of the video game retailer. (CNN)

🏀 The Dallas Mavericks have hired Masai Ujiri as team president. Ujiri was the architect of the Toronto Raptors' 2018-19 championship. (ESPN)

🎓 Tarleton State University has released plans for an 80-acre campus along Chisholm Trail Parkway in southwest Fort Worth. (Star-Telegram)

The baked goods at this Trinity Groves pastry shop were so sought after that the bakery sold out within 90 minutes of opening on its first day.

• The brioche and crullers are still popular enough to keep the doughnut shop packed most days almost two years later.

What to expect: Walk in and let your stomach be your guide. Point to your pastries, gaze into the kitchen and order one of the many delicious coffee drinks.

• There's outdoor seating and a few small tables inside.

What to order: You haven't gone to La Rue until you've tried a vanilla cruller.

• We also ordered a pistachio cruller and a strawberry brioche doughnut alongside some savory items (see below).

Where: La Rue Doughnuts, 3011 Gulden Lane, #117

Cost: $2 for a vanilla cruller, $4.50 for strawberry poppy brioche.

Pro tip: Go early. Popular items will sell out.

Six word review: You'll wanna have what we're having.

😋Have a rec for a future Tasty Tuesday? Hit reply and let us know.