International
The Supreme Court is inclined not to restrict the use of the abortion pill in the United States
The Supreme Court (TS) of the United States held a hearing on Tuesday on mifepristone, a substance used in abortion pills, and the judges mostly inclined not to restrict its use, in the most important abortion case that the highest court has had since it overthrewed the ‘Roe vs Wade’ ruling in 2022.
Despite the fact that the TS has a conservative majority and was the body that eliminated the constitutional protection of abortion almost two years ago, today it showed its reluctance to believe that the anti-abortion medical association Alliance for Hippocratic Medicine has shown that it suffered the type of damage that it entitles it to sue.
During the almost two hours that the oral arguments lasted, the Government and the pharmaceutical company GenBioPro emphasized their safety and thus rejected the arguments of Erin Hawley, a lawyer for the Alliance for Hippocratic Medicine, that the substance is dangerous.
A view rejected by multiple studies that have shown that the substance, used in most abortions in the United States, is safe.
The judges – whose decision will be known at the end of June or the beginning of July – are examining whether the regulatory changes carried out in 2016 and 2021 by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) that made the drug available by mail and was prescribed by a health provider who does not have to be a doctor were legal.
Judge Samuel Alito, who was precisely the one who drafted the 2022 decision that annulled ‘Roe vs Wade’, was one of those who today showed his dissatisfaction with the Joe Biden administration’s argument that doctors do not have the legal right or “legitimacity” to sue.
“Is there anyone who can sue and obtain a court ruling about whether what the FDA did was legal? Maybe what they did was perfectly legal. But shouldn’t someone be able to challenge that in the courts?” the conservative asked.
But there were more who expressed doubts. The also conservative Neil M. Gorsuch described this case as “an excellent example of how to convert what could be a small demand into a legislative assembly” into a case “at the national level about the approval of the FDA.”
It has been almost two years since the Supreme Court eliminated the ‘Roe vs Wade’ doctrine that had protected abortion nationally for decades. Since then, two dozen states have restricted or banned abortion and that is why ‘teleabortion’ has been the solution for millions of women in the country.
A judicial decision restricting mifepristone would affect service providers in all states, including those where abortion is still legal. It would also make the aforementioned procedure difficult, by which women receive abortion pills by mail and are treated by doctors electronically.
And it could call into question the ability of the FDA to approve and distribute other medicines.
This case began in November 2022, after a group of doctors and anti-abortion medical organizations sued the FDA.
The coalition filed the challenge in Amarillo (Texas) and Judge Matthew J. Kacsmaryk, appointed by Trump and openly opposed to abortion, issued a preliminary ruling invalidating the approval of the drug and withdrawing the pill from the market.
In August 2023, three judges of the Court of Appeals of the Fifth Circuit of the United States, one of the most conservative appeals courts in the country, determined that mifepristone should remain legal, but imposed important access restrictions, which are now in the air, pending the decision of the Supreme Court.
Mifepristone is one of the two medications used in a drug abortion and is combined with misoprostol to terminate a pregnancy.
It blocks progesterone, a hormone necessary for the pregnancy to continue, while misoprostol causes uterine contractions, which causes the body to expel the fetus.
Numerous studies indicate that the combination of these pills causes a complete abortion in more than 99% of patients.
The Planned Parenthood organization recalled on Tuesday in a statement that mifepristone is “safe and effective, with or without a visit to a health center” and that it has been used by more than five million people in the United States for more than 23 years.
In the opinion of Alexis McGill Johnson, president and general director of the organization, this case is a sign that “those who oppose abortion remain committed” to controlling women’s bodies “prohibiting abortion throughout the country.”
International
China calls for dialogue amid rising Iran-Israel conflict
The Chinese government emphasized on Monday the importance of “creating the conditions to return to the proper path of dialogue” between Iran and Israel, which have exchanged attacks in recent days resulting in more than 20 Israeli and over 220 Iranian deaths.
Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Guo Jiakun expressed deep concern at a press conference over the Israeli attacks on Iran and the “sudden escalation” of the military conflict.
Guo called on all parties to “take immediate measures to ease tensions and prevent the region from descending into further turmoil,” stating that “force cannot bring lasting peace.”
“If the conflict between Israel and Iran continues to intensify or even expand, the countries of the Middle East will be the first to suffer the consequences,” he added, while noting that China “will continue to maintain communication with the relevant parties, promoting peace and dialogue.”
Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi spoke last Saturday with his Iranian and Israeli counterparts to condemn the Israeli airstrike on Iranian territory, which he described as a “violation of international law” with the potential to trigger “disastrous” consequences.
In both calls, Wang reiterated China’s rejection of the use of force, defended diplomacy as the only solution to the Iranian nuclear dispute, and offered China’s mediation to prevent further destabilization in the Middle East.
International
Suspect arrested in killing of Minnesota legislator and husband, governor Says
Minnesota Governor Tim Walz announced on Sunday the arrest of Vance Luther Boelter, 57, the main suspect in the killing of Democratic legislator Melissa Hortman and her husband in a Brooklyn Park suburb on Friday night.
Boelter, who also reportedly shot State Senator John Hoffman and his wife early Saturday morning, was apprehended in Sibley County following an intensive manhunt involving hundreds of law enforcement officers.
In a public statement, Governor Walz condemned Boelter’s “unthinkable actions,” which resulted in the death of a woman who “shaped the core of who we are as a state.”
“We cannot become numb to this. We are a deeply divided nation,” Walz said in a statement posted on his X account.
“We move forward not with hatred or violence, but with humility, grace, and civility,” he added.
Expressing solidarity with the victims’ families, Walz said the entire state of Minnesota is in mourning. He also thanked law enforcement for their bravery and professionalism: “They have saved lives,” he emphasized.
“As we heal, we will not let fear win,” Walz concluded. “We must honor Melissa by moving forward with understanding, service, and above all, humanity.”
Throughout Sunday, police and sheriff units searched a rural area in Minnesota for Vance Luther Boelter, a security company director and preacher who, according to Governor Walz, acted out of politically motivated violence.
International
40,000 tourists stranded in Israel amid airspace shutdown over Iran conflict
Approximately 40,000 tourists are stranded in Israel following the closure of the country’s airspace amid escalating hostilities with Iran, the Israeli Ministry of Tourism reported on Monday.
The ministry has set up a virtual office to provide information via email (virtual@goisrael.gov.il) and phone (+972-53-583-5808), as well as a Facebook page called Israel Virtual Tourist Office.
Israeli Tourism Minister Haim Katz is in contact with hotels and accommodations across the country to offer support to tourists in need, the ministry added.
Many stranded travelers are considering crossing overland into Jordan or Egypt to seek flights from those countries. The Israel Airports Authority reminded the public that land border crossings remain open.
Three German tourists stranded in Jerusalem told EFE today that they have not received any assistance from their country’s embassy in Israel, and their primary option currently is to cross into Jordan to catch a flight from there.
Since early Friday morning, Israel launched operations against Iran, targeting military personnel and infrastructure, including energy and nuclear facilities, as well as numerous residential areas in Tehran.
In response, Iran has fired hundreds of ballistic missiles at Israel, some of which have struck various locations across the country, leaving at least 24 dead so far, according to Israeli authorities.
Iranian health officials report at least 224 deaths, mostly civilians, including at least 17 senior military officials—nine from the Revolutionary Guard—and more than a dozen nuclear scientists.
The Israeli military has warned that many more “targets” remain, while Iran’s Revolutionary Guard declared on Monday that it will continue missile attacks against Israel until its “destruction.”
China calls for dialogue amid rising Iran-Israel conflict
Suspect arrested in killing of Minnesota legislator and husband, governor Says
40,000 tourists stranded in Israel amid airspace shutdown over Iran conflict
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