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Abortion Pill Challenge Goes Before Judge in Texas
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Abortion Pill Challenge Goes Before Judge in Texas

AMARILLO, Texas (AP) — A federal judge will hear arguments Wednesday in a high-stakes court case that could threaten access to medication abortion and blunt the authority of U.S. drug regulators.Judge Matthew Kacsmaryk of Texas is weighing a lawsuit from Christian conservatives aimed at overturning the Food and Drug Administration’s more than 2-decade-old approval of the abortion pill mifepristone. The drug, when used with a second pill, has become the most common method of abortion in the U.S.There is essentially no precedent for a lone judge overruling the scientific decisions of the FDA. And legal experts have warned of far-reaching consequences if judges begin second-guessing FDA decisions on drug safety and effectiveness.Wednesday's hearing is the first in the case, which is being ...
Prosecutor ousted by DeSantis over abortion law will file appeal to get his job back
Politics

Prosecutor ousted by DeSantis over abortion law will file appeal to get his job back

The elected state prosecutor suspended by Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis is filing an appeal in his federal lawsuit against the governor in a renewed bid to get his job back.Andrew Warren, a twice-elected Democratic state attorney in Hillsborough County, filed a notice of appeal in the case Tuesday, seeking to bring it to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 11th Circuit in Atlanta. DeSantis suspended Warren last year because the prosecutor signed statements saying he would not pursue criminal charges against seekers or providers of abortion or gender transition treatments, as well as policies about not charging people with some minor crimes. Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis suspends state attorney over stanc...
Republican lawmakers shy away from changing Montana’s constitutional right to abortion
Politics

Republican lawmakers shy away from changing Montana’s constitutional right to abortion

Republican lawmakers in Montana wield a supermajority that gives them the power to ask voters to approve a constitutional amendment that would break the link between abortion rights and the right to privacy in the state's constitution.But so far, they haven't sought to ask voters to make the change, a rewrite that would allow lawmakers to ban or further restrict abortion after the U.S. Supreme Court gave that power back to the states last year.While 14 states have near-total bans on abortion since Roe v. Wade was overturned last year, Montana is one example of how, in some Republican-controlled states, the abortion policy battle will likely play out for a while. "This takes time," said Montana House Speaker Matt Regier, a Republican. "It took ...
SC Governor Renews Push for Abortion Ban in State of State
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SC Governor Renews Push for Abortion Ban in State of State

COLUMBIA, S.C. (AP) — South Carolina Gov. Henry McMaster vowed Wednesday to press forward with efforts to further restrict abortion in the state.The Republican governor announced he would file a petition next week for a rehearing in his State of the State speech delivered less than three weeks after the South Carolina Supreme Court struck down the state's ban as a violation of privacy.“I remain optimistic that we will prevail in our historic fight to protect and defend the right to, and the sanctity of, life,” McMaster said.McMaster also used the address to endorse an overhaul to the state's system of selecting judges that would give him more control over the process. South Carolina is one of two states where the Legislature selects members of the judiciary — all the way up to Supreme C...
Harris rallies against GOP push to roll back abortion rights
Politics

Harris rallies against GOP push to roll back abortion rights

Vice President Kamala Harris railed against efforts in Washington and in Republican-led states to restrict abortion on what would have been the 50th anniversary of Roe v. Wade, invoking fundamental American values such as freedom to make the case for protecting abortion access despite the Supreme Court's decision to eliminate constitutional protections for it. Leading the administration's response on commemorating Roe on Sunday, Harris methodically detailed fights throughout history for certain liberties, such as civil rights and the right to vote for women, and tied that to access for abortion, which Harris called the "fundamental, constitutional, right of a woman to make decisions about her own body." "Can we truly be free if families cannot make intimate decisions about the c...
Birth Control Ruling to See Fresh Scrutiny at Texas Capitol
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Birth Control Ruling to See Fresh Scrutiny at Texas Capitol

AUSTIN, Texas (AP) — Samantha Sorsby-Jones watched friends at her Texas high school go to great lengths to get birth control: Secretly arranging rides to clinics that didn’t require parental consent and hiding phones in bushes in case parents were tracking them.Starting Tuesday, access to reproductive healthcare is likely to command fresh scrutiny before the Republican-controlled Texas Capitol, where new restrictions are on the table in the first session since a stringent statewide abortion ban took effect.Texas' abortion ban is one of the nation's strictest, allowing no exceptions in cases of rape or incest, and Republican leaders have been non-committal about adding carveouts over the next five months. Naitonwide, reproductive rights is poised to remain a dominant issue in other U.S. ...
FDA expands availability of abortion pills
Politics

FDA expands availability of abortion pills

Washington — The Food and Drug Administration on Tuesday finalized a rule change that broadens availability of abortion pills to many more pharmacies, including large chains and mail-order companies.The Biden administration partially implemented the change last year, announcing it would no longer enforce a long-standing requirement that women pick up the medicine in person. Tuesday's action formally updates the drug's labeling to allow many more retail pharmacies to dispense the pills, so long as they complete a certification process. The change could expand access at both brick-and-mortar stores and online pharmacies. Women can get a prescription via telehealth consultation with a health professional, and then receive the pills through the mail, where permitted by law. ...
Report: Maternal Mortality Rates Higher in States With Abortion Bans | Best States
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Report: Maternal Mortality Rates Higher in States With Abortion Bans | Best States

Women who live in states with abortion bans or restrictions are significantly more likely to die during pregnancy or after giving birth than women in states with abortion access, according to a new analysis.In 2020, the maternal death rate was 62% higher in the 26 states that have banned or seriously restricted abortion access than in the 24 states with abortion access, according to the report released by the Commonwealth Fund, a nonprofit that seeks to promote more equitable health care access.“Making abortion illegal makes pregnancy and childbirth more dangerous and threatens the health and lives of all women of reproductive age,” report coauthor Dr. Laurie Zephyrin, a senior vice president at the Commonwealth Fund, said in a press release.In the months since Roe v. Wade was overturne...
Warnock, Walker make final pleas to voters ahead of Georgia Senate runoff
Politics

Warnock, Walker make final pleas to voters ahead of Georgia Senate runoff

Warnock, Walker make final pleas to voters ahead of Georgia Senate runoff - CBS News Watch CBS News Democratic Sen. Raphael Warnock, and Republican challenger Herschel Walker, are making their final pitches to voters this weekend as they near voting day for Georgia’s Senate runoff election. Nikole Killion has more. Be the first to know Get browser notifications for breaking news, live events, and exclusive reporting. Not Now Turn On Source link
5 states vote on abortion access
Politics

5 states vote on abortion access

The legislative referendum before Montana voters asked them to adopt the Born Alive Infant Protection Act, which declares infants born alive, including after an abortion, are legal persons. The bill also imposes criminal penalties on health care providers who do not take "medically appropriate and reasonable actions" to preserve the lives of these infants. The measure states a born-alive infant is one "who breathes, has a beating heart, or has definite movement of voluntary muscles, after the complete expulsion or extraction from the mother." The proposal also establishes that a "born-alive infant is entitled to medically appropriate care and treatment."If voters approve, the law would take effect Jan. 1. Medical providers found guilty of violating the measure would fac...