Latest news with #Democratic
GMA Network
41 minutes ago
- Health
- GMA Network
Baby born to brain-dead US woman kept alive due to abortion law
A brain-dead pregnant Black woman who was kept alive in the southern US state of Georgia due to local abortion restrictions has given birth, officials said -- with the mother then removed from life support. Adriana Smith had captivated attention across a country where access to abortion has changed radically since the Supreme Court overturned the federal right to terminate a pregnancy in June 2022. "On Friday, June 13, 2025, her infant son, named Chance, was born prematurely at approximately 4:41 am via emergency Cesarean section," three Democratic congresswomen said in a statement. "Chance weighs about 1 pound, 13 ounces and is currently in the NICU," the statement said, adding that Smith was removed from life support on Tuesday. Smith, a registered nurse, was suffering serious headaches in February when she was nine weeks pregnant. An initial hospital visit ended with only a prescription for medication. The next morning, when the then 30-year-old was taken to the hospital where she worked, doctors found multiple blood clots in her brain, and she was declared brain dead. Georgia law bans abortion after six weeks of pregnancy -- one of the country's so-called 'heartbeat' laws, referring to the approximate first detection of a fetal heartbeat. As Smith was nine weeks along, doctors were hesitant to do anything that could contravene the law, according to her mother, April Newkirk. "This decision should've been left to us," she told local NBC broadcaster WXIA-TV in mid-May. "I'm not saying that we would have chosen to terminate her pregnancy, what I'm saying is: we should have had a choice," Newkirk said. In June 2022, the conservative-leaning Supreme Court overturned Roe v Wade, the landmark 1973 case that established federal protections for abortion access. Since then, more than 20 out of 50 states including Georgia have imposed strict limits on abortions, or even outright bans. The three congresswomen -- Nikema Williams, Ayanna Pressley and Sara Jacobs -- are pushing for better protections of the rights of pregnant women, "particularly Black women, who are disproportionately impacted by systemic medical neglect and restrictive anti-abortion laws." "The lack of a formal legal opinion or prosecutorial guidance leaves families and doctors in limbo," said the lawmakers, who have presented a congressional resolution on the issue. — Agence France-Presse
Los Angeles Times
an hour ago
- Health
- Los Angeles Times
AGs in California and other states lead campaign to defend reproductive rights
Democratic state attorneys general led by those from California, New York, and Massachusetts are pressuring medical professional groups to defend reproductive rights, including medication abortion, emergency abortions, and travel between states for health care in response to recent increases in the number of abortion bans. The American Medical Association adopted a formal position June 9 recommending that medical certification exams be moved out of states with restrictive abortion policies or made virtual, after 20 attorneys general petitioned to protect physicians who fear legal repercussions because of their work. The petition focused on the American Board of Obstetrics and Gynecology's certification exams in Dallas, and the subsequent AMA recommendation was hailed as a win for Democrats trying to regain ground after the fall of Roe v. Wade. 'It seems incremental, but there are so many things that go into expanding and maintaining access to care,' said Arneta Rogers, executive director of the Center on Reproductive Rights and Justice at the University of California-Berkeley's law school. 'We see AGs banding together, governors banding together, as advocates work on the ground. That feels somewhat more hopeful — that people are thinking about a coordinated strategy.' Since the Supreme Court eliminated the constitutional right to an abortion in 2022, 16 states, including Texas, have implemented laws banning abortion almost entirely, and many of them impose criminal penalties on providers as well as options to sue doctors. More than 25 states restrict access to gender-affirming care for trans people, and six of them make it a felony to provide such care to youth. That's raised concern among some physicians who fear being charged if they go to those states, even if their home state offers protection to provide reproductive and gender-affirming health care. Pointing to the recent fining and indictment of a physician in New York who allegedly provided abortion pills to a woman in Texas and a teen in Louisiana, a coalition of physicians wrote in a letter to the American Board of Obstetrics and Gynecology that 'the limits of shield laws are tenuous' and that 'Texas laws can affect physicians practicing outside of the state as well.' The campaign was launched by several Democratic attorneys general, including Rob Bonta of California, Andrea Joy Campbell of Massachusetts, and Letitia James of New York, who each have established a reproductive rights unit as a bulwark for their state following the Dobbs decision. 'Reproductive health care and gender-affirming care providers should not have to risk their safety or freedom just to advance in their medical careers,' James said in a statement. 'Forcing providers to travel to states that have declared war on reproductive freedom and LGBTQ+ rights is as unnecessary as it is dangerous.' In their petition, the attorneys general included a letter from Joseph Ottolenghi, medical director at Choices Women's Medical Center in New York City, who was denied his request to take the test remotely or outside of Texas. To be certified by the American Board of Obstetrics and Gynecology, physicians need to take the in-person exam at its testing facility in Dallas. The board completed construction of its new testing facility last year. 'As a New York practitioner, I have made every effort not to violate any other state's laws, but the outer contours of these draconian laws have not been tested or clarified by the courts,' Ottolenghi wrote. Rachel Rebouché, the dean of Temple University's law school and a reproductive law scholar, said 'putting the heft' of the attorneys general behind this effort helps build awareness and a 'public reckoning' on behalf of providers. Separately, some doctors have urged medical conferences to boycott states with abortion bans. Anti-abortion groups, however, see the campaign as forcing providers to conform to abortion-rights views. Donna Harrison, an OB-GYN and the director of research at the American Association of Pro-Life Obstetricians and Gynecologists, described the petition as an 'attack not only on pro-life states but also on life-affirming medical professionals.' Harrison said the 'OB-GYN community consists of physicians with values that are as diverse as our nation's state abortion laws,' and that this diversity 'fosters a medical environment of debate and rigorous thought leading to advancements that ultimately serve our patients.' The AMA's new policy urges specialty medical boards to host exams in states without restrictive abortion laws, offer the tests remotely, or provide exemptions for physicians. However, the decision to implement any changes to the administration of these exams is up to those boards. There is no deadline for a decision to be made. The OB-GYN board did not respond to requests for comment, but after the public petition from the attorneys general criticizing it for refusing exam accommodations, the board said that in-person exams conducted at its national center in Dallas 'provide the most equitable, fair, secure, and standardized assessment.' The OB-GYN board emphasized that Texas' laws apply to doctors licensed in Texas and to medical care within Texas, specifically. And it noted that its exam dates are kept under wraps, and that there have been 'no incidents of harm to candidates or examiners across thousands of in-person examinations.' Democratic state prosecutors, however, warned in their petition that the 'web of confusing and punitive state-based restrictions creates a legal minefield for medical providers.' Texas is among the states that have banned doctors from providing gender-affirming care to transgender youth, and it has reportedly made efforts to get records from medical facilities and professionals in other states who may have provided that type of care to Texans. The Texas attorney general's office did not respond to requests for comment. States such as California and New York have laws to block doctors from being extradited under other states' laws and to prevent sharing evidence against them. But instances that require leveraging these laws could still mean lengthy legal proceedings. 'We live in a moment where we've seen actions by executive bodies that don't necessarily square with what we thought the rules provided,' Rebouché said. Sciacca writes for KFF Health News, a national newsroom that produces in-depth journalism about health issues and is one of the core operating programs at KFF — the independent source for health policy research, polling, and journalism.
Express Tribune
an hour ago
- Politics
- Express Tribune
Trump criticizes Juneteenth and other 'non-working holidays,' sparking backlash online
President Donald Trump stirred controversy on Juneteenth after posting on Truth Social criticizing 'non-working holidays' for harming the U.S. economy. 'Too many non-working holidays in America. It is costing our Country $BILLIONS OF DOLLARS to keep all of these businesses closed. The workers don't want it either! Soon we'll end up having a holiday for every once working day of the year,' Trump wrote. 'It must change if we are going to, MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN!' Juneteenth marks the end of slavery in the U.S., honoring June 19, 1865, when Union troops arrived in Galveston, Texas, to free enslaved people. It became a federal holiday in 2021 under President Biden. At Thursday's White House briefing, Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt confirmed Trump would not be issuing a proclamation and added, 'We're working 24/7 right now.' Trump's remarks quickly drew backlash across social media. Civil rights leaders and Democratic lawmakers condemned the post as 'tone-deaf' and 'disrespectful to Black history.' NAACP President Derrick Johnson called it 'a deliberate erasure of a vital part of American history.' Rep. Ayanna Pressley (D-MA) tweeted, 'Juneteenth isn't a burden—it's a reminder of freedom hard-fought. Trump's comments are cruel and calculated.' Meanwhile, Trump supporters defended the post, saying his focus on economic impact was valid. 'We need productivity, not paid time off,' one user replied on X. Why didn't he tweet this on Columbus Day? — Rep. Eric Swalwell (@RepSwalwell) June 19, 2025 Laziest man in the world wants you to work harder. — Shannon Watts (@shannonrwatts) June 19, 2025 You lazy fucks aren't working enough. — Ron Filipkowski (@RonFilipkowski) June 19, 2025 First it was our kids had to many toys, now we have to many holidays. 🤦♂️ — Lev Parnas (@levparnas) June 19, 2025 Trump just said on Truth Social that there are too many 'non-working holidays in America.' Not only is he trying to make you work MORE but also he's taking an apparent dig at Juneteenth. This is coming from the same guy who golfs every weekend. Pathetic. — Harry Sisson (@harryjsisson) June 19, 2025 Trump, who previously claimed he made Juneteenth 'very famous,' has made eliminating DEI programs and slashing federal holidays part of his broader campaign to reshape the federal workforce and culture.
Sky News AU
2 hours ago
- Politics
- Sky News AU
Karoline Leavitt ‘wrecks' Jasmine Crockett for calling Trump supporters ‘sick'
White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt has shut down Representative Jasmine Crockett following her comments about Trump supporters. On Thursday, Leavitt slammed the Democratic Representative's 'incredibly derogatory' comments during a press briefing. Crockett appeared on the 'Next Question with Katie Couric' and claimed supporters of US President Donald Trump are 'sick'. During the interview, Couric asked Crockett about Trump's deployment of the National Guard in Los Angeles and the ongoing ICE raids across the US. 'It is sick, it is really sick, and anybody that supports it is also sick. We've got a mental health crisis in this country because everyone, no matter how you affiliate yourself, should be against Trump. Period,' Crockett said. During the press briefing, Leavitt was asked about Crockett's comments and quickly hit back at the far-left Democrat. 'I think it's incredibly derogatory to accuse nearly 80 million Americans of mental illness. The last time I checked, Jasmine Crockett couldn't dream of winning such a majority of the public as President Trump did,' Leavitt said.
Perth Now
2 hours ago
- Politics
- Perth Now
Judge blocks Trump plan to force immigration crackdown
A federal judge has blocked Donald Trump's administration from forcing 20 Democrat-led states to cooperate with immigration enforcement in order to receive billions of dollars in transport funding. Chief US District Judge John McConnell ruled the Department of Transportation lacked the authority to make the demand, and that the condition violated the US Constitution. McConnell said the administration provided no plausible connection between cooperating with immigration enforcement and the purposes Congress intended for the funding, which is to support highways, bridges and other transportation projects. "Congress did not authorise or grant authority to the Secretary of Transportation to impose immigration enforcement conditions on federal dollars specifically appropriated for transportation purposes," McConnell wrote. The judge, an appointee of Democratic President Barack Obama, issued a preliminary injunction preventing such a condition from being enforced against the 20 states that sued along with their government subdivisions, like cities. The Trump administration did not respond to a request for comment. It has argued the policy was within the department's discretion. The ruling came in a lawsuit filed by a group of Democratic state attorneys general who argued the administration was seeking to unlawfully hold federal funds hostage to coerce them into adhering to the Republican president's hardline immigration agenda. They sued after US Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy notified states in April they could lose transportation funding if they didn't cooperate with the enforcement of federal law, including efforts to enforce immigration law. Since returning to office on January 20, Trump has signed several executive orders that have called for cutting off federal funding to so-called sanctuary jurisdictions that do not cooperate with Immigration and Customs Enforcement, as his administration has moved to conduct mass deportations. Sanctuary jurisdictions generally have laws and policies that limit or prevent local law enforcement from assisting federal officers with civil immigration arrests. California Attorney General Rob Bonta, in a statement, hailed McConnell's ruling, saying Trump had been "treating these funds – funds that go toward improving our roads and keeping our planes in the air – as a bargaining chip."
