List of All Articles with Tag 'rl'

A high-stakes lawsuit over the future of a widely used abortion drug is likely heading to the US Supreme Court, set to determine the fate of abortion rights access across the country for a second time within two years. Three Republican-appointed judges on a federal appeals court have determined that the federal government did not follow proper procedures when it amended regulations for a commonly used medication abortion drug in 2016. But the restrictions will not immediately take effect. The panel partially upheld a ruling from a Donald Trump-appointed federal judge in Texas, whose sweeping decision earlier this year threatened to strip access to the drug altogether. Nothing in the ruling from a three-judge panel on 16 August will go into effect until the nation’s highest court weighs in. Wednesday’s ruling argues that the US Food and Drug Administration unlawfully expanded access to mifepristone, which was first approved by the federal government more than 20 years ago. Mifepristone was first approved by the FDA in 2000 and is approved for use up to 10 weeks of pregnancy. A vast majority of abortions occur within the first nine weeks of pregnancy. From 2019 through 2020, nearly 93 per cent of all abortions were performed before the 13th week, according to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The drug – part of a two-drug protocol for medication abortions, the most common form of abortion care in the US – is the subject of a lawsuit from a group of anti-abortion activists represented by right-wing Christian legal group Alliance Defending Freedom, which joined efforts to overturn Roe v Wade at the Supreme Court last year. In April, US District Judge Matthew Kacsmaryk – a former right-wing activist lawyer who was appointed to the federal judiciary by Mr Trump – issued a ruling to suspend the FDA’s approval, which was immediately challenged by abortion rights advocates, providers, major medical groups, drug manufacturers and President Joe Biden’s administration. An initial ruling at the US Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit blocked part of that decision but struck down policies for mail-in prescriptions and rules that expanded the drug’s approval for pregnancies up to 10 weeks. On 21 April, the Supreme Court blocked the lower courts’ rulings from taking effect while the case plays out, retaining the status quo while the legal case plays out. Following the Supreme Court’s conservative supermajority decision to revoke a constitutional right to abortion care in Dobbs v Jackson Women’s Health Organization, at least 15 states – mostly across the US South – have effectively banned most abortions and imposed criminal penalties against providers. Abortion rights advocates and providers have warned that eliminating or restricting access to mifepristone could drastically impact an already-fragile landscape for abortion care. A ruling that undermines the FDA’s drug approval process could also open the door for other activist-driven legal battles over other drugs wrapped up in political debates, potentially inviting other destabilising lawsuits to Covid-19 vaccines, contraception, HIV medication, gender-affirming care, and other life-saving drugs. Read More What is mifepristone? The widely used pill in the abortion rights battle at the Supreme Court Abortion rights advocates win major victory in Ohio as voters reject GOP plan to thwart ballot measure Texas women detailed agonising pregnancies after being denied abortions. The state blames doctors Some abortion drug restrictions upheld by in a case bound for Supreme Court Akram criticizes Pakistan Cricket Board for leaving Imran Khan out of Independence Day video Netanyahu voices support for Israel's military after his allies and son lambaste security officials

Argentina’s leading presidential candidate Javier Milei pledged to close the nation’s central bank while saying he would make

A US appeals court on Wednesday ruled access to the abortion pill should be preserved with some limits,

Florida Governor Ron DeSantis’s campaign is bracing for a battle royale in next week’s Republican presidential debate as

A special prosecutor will likely be appointed to investigate one of 30 unnamed and “unindicted co-conspirators” inside a sweeping racketeering indictment in Georgia targeting Donald Trump and 18 of his allies. The state’s current Republican Lt Governor Burt Jones, who was a sitting state senator at the time of the alleged crimes, was one of 16 “alternate” electors who falsely swore that Mr Trump won the state in the 2020 presidential election. He also pushed for a special legislative session to overturn Joe Biden’s victory. But he was not among the 19 defendants in the grand jury case from Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis, who was barred by a judge from indicting him. Last year, Superior Court Judge Robert McBurney determined that Ms Willis had a conflict of interest in prosecuting Mr Jones after she hosted a fundraiser for his Democratic rival in the 2022 election for lieutenant governor. The Prosecuting Attorneys’ Council of Georgia is expected to appoint a special prosecutor to separately investigate whether Mr Jones should face criminal charges, according to the agency’s executive director Pete Skandalakis. Following the indictment, the council will “begin the process of finding a conflict prosecutor to review the case and, if necessary, perform additional investigations,” according to a statement from Mr Skandalakis shared with The Independent. “After discussing the matter with [Ms Willis], we felt it best that I file a petition with Judge McBurney requesting the release of the report to me to assist the conflict prosecutor in how they handle this matter,” he added. Mr Skandalakis said there is no timetable for that process, adding that because of the unprecedented scope of the case, “finding a special prosecutor with the resources to handle such a case will not be easy.” Mr Jones is likely the eighth unnamed and unindicted co-conspirator in the indictment unsealed on 14 August. Typically, prosecutors include “unindicted co-conspirators” who are believed to have conspired with the named defendants to commit a crime or multiple crimes, as indicated in the sprawling RICO case against the former president and his allies. But prosecutors have either provided them some immunity from prosecution in exchange for their testimony or have reached another arrangement. The indictment quotes a post from his Twitter account on 7 December, 2020, in which he calls on supporters to “sign the petition” for a special legislative session to review the outcome of the 2020 election. That same co-conspirator also was involved with correspondence about the fake elector plot with other co-defendants in the case, according to the indictment. The Independent has requested comment from Mr Jones’s office. Read More Trump claims mystery press conference report clears him of Georgia election charges – live updates Who are the 30 ‘unindicted co-conspirators’ in Georgia’s massive criminal case against Trump? Arrest, mugshot, cameras in court? What’s next for Donald Trump after his Georgia indictment

Students at a Florida university were warned to shelter-in-place after shots were fired at the nearby Gulf Coast Town Center shopping mall on Wednesday morning. Florida Gulf Coast University sent an alert to students after shots were reported at a construction site at the mall 15 miles (24kms) south of downtown Fort Myers at around 11.15am. Lee County Sheriff’s Office deputies responded to the shooting, and later confirmed that no shoppers had been hurt. They are searching for the occupants of two cars who fled the scene. The Florida Gulf Coast University police department posted an update at around 1.30pm to say there was no active threat and there had been no danger to students on its main campus. The university said on social media that an alert about an active shooter on campus was sent out in error. Lee County Sheriff Carmine Marceno said in a social media post that the shooting appeared to have been an isolated altercation between two vehicles that had since fled. He said no businesses had been affected, but to expect an increased law enforcement presence in the area. Florida Gulf Coast University had an enrollment of 16,000 students in 2022. Read More Rising political threats take US into uncharted territory as 2024 election looms Attacks at US medical centers show why health care is one of the nation's most violent fields Maui police chief pleads for patience, recalls pain of victim IDs after deadly Vegas mass shooting

The ranking Democrat on the U.S. House Committee on Oversight and Reform is asking the Republican chair in charge to refer former Washington Commanders owner Dan Snyder to the Department of Justice for lying under oath. Maryland Rep. Jamie Raskin wrote a letter earlier this week to Kentucky Rep. James Comer urging him to send the case to the DOJ to determine if Snyder should be prosecuted for making false statements in his deposition and obstructing a congressional investigation. Raskin pointed to the results of the NFL’s independent review by former U.S. Attorney Mary Jo White that contradicted Snyder’s testimony, specifically about sexually harassing a former employee and deliberately underreporting revenue to avoid sharing it with other owners. The league fined Snyder $60 million for sexual harassment and financial improprieties last month as part of the completion of his sale of the team to a group led by Josh Harris for a North American professional sports record $6.05 billion. “Making false statements to Congress and obstructing congressional investigations are serious crimes,” Raskin wrote in the letter dated Wednesday. “This Committee cannot conduct effective oversight if witnesses misrepresent and obscure the truth.” A message sent by The Associated Press to Comer's office for a response was not immediately returned. A representative for Raskin said his office had nothing to add beyond the letter. ___ AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/nfl Read More Ukraine war’s heaviest fight rages in east - follow live Charity boss speaks out over ‘traumatic’ encounter with royal aide

Here are key takeaways from minutes of the Federal Reserve's July 25-26 meeting, released Wednesday: For Bloomberg's TOPLive

Dan Och said the deal for Rithm Capital Corp. to buy Sculptor Capital Management “substantially undervalues” the hedge

A California judge accused of fatally shooting his wife during an argument while he was drunk has claimed her killing was an accident. Orange County Superior Court Judge Jeffrey Ferguson is free on a $1m bail and must wear an electronic tracking bracelet in the state’s Los Angeles, Orange and Riverside counties after pleading not guilty in court. The 72-year-old judge was arrested on 3 August in the affluent Anaheim Hills neighbourhood 45 miles southeast of Los Angeles after his adult son called the police. When officers arrived at the home they found his wife, Sheryl Ferguson, dead from at least one gunshot wound. Prosecutors say that the couple began arguing at a restaurant and that the fight between them continued when they got back to their home, reported CBS News. Court papers state that the judge made a threatening hand gesture towards his wife “indicative of pointing a gun at” her. Investigators say that hIs wife replied something along the lines of “Why don’t you point a real gun at me?” And the judge allegedly pulled out a Glock 0.40 pistol from an ankle holster and shot her in the chest. Court filings say that their son and Judge Ferguson called 911, and the judge also texted his court clerk and bailiff admitting he had shot his wife. “I just lost it. I just shot my wife. I won’t be in tomorrow. I will be in custody. I’m so sorry,” the filing states he texted. Following his arrest he was arraigned in Los Angeles after state officials were asked to decide if there was a conflict of interest in him being dealt with by courts in Orange County, His next court hearing is scheduled for 30 October. The suspect has been a judge since 2015 after beginning his career in the Orange County district attorney’s office in 1983. He and his wife were married in 1996 and have two adult sons, according to CBS Los Angeles. Read More California judge charged in wife's murder expected to appear in Los Angeles court Former 'Family Feud' contestant Timothy Bliefnick gets life for wife's murder Testimony set to start in trial of 2 white Mississippi men charged in shooting at Black FedEx driver

Hawaii’s biggest utility has lost half its market value in the wake of deadly wildfires on Maui that

A former fundraiser for US Representative George Santos was charged in a federal case with wire fraud and