List of All Articles with Tag 'us politics'

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

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken spoke by phone on Wednesday with wrongfully detained American Paul Whelan, who is being held in a remote prison camp in Russia, a source familiar told CNN.

A campaign fundraiser for indicted US Rep. George Santos has been charged for allegedly impersonating a high-ranking congressional aide to solicit contributions for the New York Republican's campaign in 2021, according to court documents.

Fani Willis' audacious strategy will be tested against an aggressive defense put on by lawyers for Trump and by counsel representing the other more, well-heeled defendants.

Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis has asked a judge to set a trial date of March 4, 2024, for former President Donald Trump and his 18 co-defendants.

A federal appeals court on Wednesday wiped away a lower court's ruling that would've taken the medication abortion drug mifepristone off the market, but upheld aspects of the ruling that could cut back access to the pills.

Rudy Giuliani is staring down hundreds of thousands of dollars in legal bills and sanctions amid numerous lawsuits in addition to the new criminal charges -- related to his work for Donald Trump after the 2020 election.

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

The family members of two Americans who were released into house arrest in Iran last week as part of a deal aimed at bringing them back home to the United States hit back at criticisms about the prospective agreement.

Lawyers for former President Donald Trump are in "ongoing negotiations" with the Fulton County District attorney's office regarding details of his surrender, two sources familiar with the talks tell CNN.

President Joe Biden and first lady Dr. Jill Biden will travel to Hawaii on Monday, the White House announced, as search, rescue and recovery efforts continue following the devastating wildfires there.

Craig Robertson, the Utah man who FBI special agents shot and killed last week while attempting to arrest him for allegedly making threats against President Joe Biden, confronted Provo police in 2018 with an AR-15, according to a report by The Salt Lake Tribune.