Biden administration prepares for legal battle without running into court
The Biden administration has sought to reassure abortion rights activists without inciting the courts, and has promised to wage a bitter legal battle to maintain access to commonly used abortion drugs.
Biden officials have held numerous phone calls with abortion rights groups since a federal judge blocked approval of mifepristone on Friday, three people familiar with the calls said, asking not to be named. Told the conditions. Federal health officials, meanwhile, have been developing contingency plans for months, according to former Food and Drug Administration employees who have been in contact with agency officials.
Still, some liberal lawmakers are urging the administration to effectively ignore the U.S. district judge’s ruling. Matthew J. Kaksmalik. The White House says it won’t do it.
All of this highlights potential tensions between President Biden’s pledge to protect abortion rights and his promise to respect America’s institutions and legal system. He was praised by some prominent abortion rights advocates for his administration’s rhetoric after Friday’s ruling, but some Democrats and legal scholars believe that if Kaksmalik’s ruling is valid, the FDA to exercise broad discretion over enforcement policy.
One of the main themes of the conference call with abortion rights groups was the administration’s opposition to the ruling, according to one person. This is an important message for those working in the field. It also reflects the message the administration is publicly leaning towards.
Federal health officials have long worried about the possibility of such a ruling from Kacsmaryk. But another Washington judge ordered the FDA to leave the current mifepristone regime in 17 states and Washington, DC, further complicating the road ahead.
“I am shocked to see [the ruling]But they knew this could happen. He added that there are several options that can be considered in order to do so.
One possibility: Danco Laboratories, Manufacturers of brand-name versions of mifepristone can submit new applications to approve the drug under the standard process.
If not put on hold by the High Court, the drug moratorium will take effect by Saturday, and the administration could face a legal and political crisis within days. In that case, drug companies and abortion providers say they are likely to seek information from the FDA.
- “If all refuse to stay and Judge Kaksmalik’s injunction becomes effective, I think we need to talk with the FDA about some of the tough issues Danko has to deal with and what happens next. ” Jessica Ellsworth A lawyer for Danco told reporters on Monday.
- The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists said it plans to seek federal guidance from the FDA. What mifepristone formulations are already in stock and how mifepristone should be handled in the supply chain if Kaksmalik’s decision is valid? Rachel Tetrow Federation Secretary General of the Association.
The White House has urged some more liberal FDA to declare that it will refuse to pursue violations against the drug companies and distributors that offer mifepristone, despite a judge’s ruling. Denying requests by legislators.
Administrative claims: Such a move paves the way for the governments of both parties to ignore judicial decisions they dislike.
However, not all legal experts agree with some that government agencies have broad powers. “FDA has a lot more flexibility than people give it credit for,” he said. Nathan Cortez professor of law Southern Methodist University. Signing an Amicus brief upholding the agency’s position that the pill was properly approved in 2000, Cortez said the agency exercised to make a vaccine quickly available to the public during the coronavirus pandemic. I pointed out the permissions.
Read the full story from Meryl, Laurie, and myself.
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Anti-abortion groups seeking to block approval of mifepristone asked a federal appeals court late yesterday to allow a lower court’s ruling to take the drug off the market. Brian Peach report.
Delay will ‘perpetuate grave harm to the public,’ says anti-abortion group Hippocratic Medical Union, Leading medical groups and federal health officials have vehemently opposed the claims, and over two decades of accumulating evidence suggests the drug is safe and effective. It shows that there is
white house prescription
Biden administration declares fentanyl-xylazine mixture a ‘new threat’
New AM: Today’s Biden administration is calling fentanyl mixed with a powerful animal sedative called xylazine a “new threat.” The new designation is intended to prioritize federal resources to expedite testing and treatment, and to deter the illicit supply of tranquilizers. David O’Vare report.
The new designation marks the latest effort by the Biden administration to crack down on xylazine, known on the streets as “tranq.” Officials are also investigating how xylazine is involved in opioid overdose deaths, noting a spike in tranquilizer-related deaths.
This comes about two months after the FDA announced it would give federal agencies the power to stop shipments of finished drugs and their ingredients to curb the importation of tranquilizers.white house drug lord Rahul Gupta told reporters yesterday that officials are still investigating how much of the supply of xylazine is diverted from U.S. veterinary stocks or comes from abroad.
Analysis reveals thousands fewer abortions performed each month since Roe ended
In the months after the Supreme Court decision was overturned Law vs Wade last june, The number of legal abortions performed in the United States has decreased by about 32,260, according to reports released yesterday by Family Planning Society.
By numbers: Average from July to December 2022 5,377 Nationwide, fewer pregnancies are legally aborted each month compared to the month before the sentencing.
- Number of abortions offered in 13 states that were almost completely banned during that period decreased to less than 10 per month over the next 6 months Dobbs.
- In states where abortion is legal, the average number of abortions increased slightly. States with the highest growth rates include Illinois, Florida, and North Carolina.
- Although the number of abortions has declined overall, there has been a steady increase in the number of abortions provided virtually through telemedicine. In December, a virtual clinic will 8,500 The number of telemedicine abortions allowed procedures has more than doubled compared to last April.
In other abortion news…
- Today’s on-tap: nebraska state legislature discuss legislation Prohibits abortions after fetal heart activity has been detected at about six weeks’ gestation. It must go through three rounds in the House of Representatives before being voted out. Jim Pyren (R), Aaron Thunderford and Paul Hummel reports of nebraska examiner.
- New York Governor Kathy Hochul (Democrat) announced yesterday The state will stockpile a five-year supply of misoprostol to meet the expected demand for misoprostol. It is often used in combination with mifepristone in a two-step abortion regimen, but it can also terminate pregnancies on its own.
As long as I am governor, New Yorkers will have access to the care they need, when they need it.
I will not allow a radical judge to turn back the clock on abortion rights. pic.twitter.com/SYfyiSvUUo
— Governor Kathy Hochul (@GovKathyHochul) April 11, 2023
China’s fight over lab safety poses another pandemic danger
In recent years, China has poured billions of dollars into building laboratories and cutting-edge research into dangerous viruses in its bid to become a global biomedical superpower.However, research by our colleagues Joby Warwick and David Wilman It turns out that national security practices have not caught up.
Western officials, experts and lawmakers are now sounding alarm bells about what they describe as China’s vulnerability to serious laboratory accidents. They warn that the problems that allowed deadly pathogens to escape in the past could escape again, leading to another pandemic.
detail: China’s interviews reinforced that continued equipment problems and inadequate safety training lead to the illegal sale of laboratory animals after they have been used in experiments, and the contaminated lab waste to be dumped into sewers. According to a government report. Experts say these issues are the result of a secretive, top-down bureaucracy that discourages the reflexive cover-up of accidents and public acknowledgment of shortcomings while setting tough targets. Aggravated by mechanism, write Joby and David.
Around the time of the coronavirus epidemic, China adopted laws to improve biosafety. However, the lack of transparency makes it difficult to assess how these new standards are being implemented. Beijing has rejected criticism of China’s record on transparency and laboratory safety as hypocritical.
Overall picture: It remains unclear whether laboratory safety was a factor in the outbreak of covid-19. US intelligence agencies point to a possible accident at a Chinese laboratory as one of two ways the pandemic may have started. However, Chinese officials have denied the labourique hypothesis, hampering an independent investigation into the origins of the pandemic.
- Justice Department plans to ask federal appeals court to stay federal judge’s verdict Void Obamacare’s mandate for insurance companies to cover certain preventive services for free until an appeal is decided. Department of Justice Advocate.
- Rep. Jennifer Wexton, D-Va., announced yesterday: she has Parkinson’s diseaseThe 54-year-old said she would continue her work in Congress. John Wagner and Megan Flynn report.
- Syphilis incidence to reach highest level in more than 70 years in 2021 according to new data from Centers for Disease Control and Prevention This highlights the alarming rise in sexually transmitted infections across the country.
Judge Denies Elizabeth Holmes Release Request (By Rachel Lerman | The Washington Post)
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