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Tennessee sued over law banning adults from helping minors get abortions without parental consent

Tennessee sued over law banning adults from helping minors get abortions without parental consent

A legal challenge was filed Monday in an attempt to stop a Tennessee law that would ban adults from helping minors receive an abortion without parental approval. The complaint, filed in federal court by a state Democratic lawmaker and abortion access activist, claims the law is unconstitutional, according to The Associated Press. The ban goes into effect July 1 and will make Tennessee the second state in the country to enact such a statute. The challenge came on the second anniversary of the June 24, 2022, Supreme Court decision that overturned Roe v. Wade and gave states the right to make individual laws on abortion access. The lawsuit was filed on behalf of Democratic state Rep. Aftyn Behn and Nashville attorney Rachel Welty, who is also a longtime advocate for abortion access. PRO-LIFE LAWYER WHO WORKED ON CASE THAT OVERTURNED ROE REFLECTS ON DOBBS DECISION AHEAD OF ITS 2ND ANNIVERSARY “Two years ago today, I vowed to aid and abet abortion always, to not give up despite the overturn of Roe v. Wade, and to fight,” Welty said in a statement. “I need to stand up for other advocates around the state who should not have to live in fear of civil or criminal penalties for disseminating information about routine healthcare.” Tennessee’s Republican-controlled legislature passed a measure earlier this year that made it illegal for an adult to intentionally recruit, harbor or transport a pregnant minor within the state to have an abortion without permission from the girl’s parents. Anyone convicted of breaking the law would be charged with a Class A misdemeanor, which requires nearly one year in jail. The law does not include exemptions for minors who may have been raped by their parents, but a biological father who raped his daughter and caused her pregnancy cannot pursue civil action. The Tennessee statute is similar to the “abortion trafficking” law enacted in Idaho last year. A federal judge has since temporarily blocked Idaho’s law after abortion access activists sued. JUDGE RULES FEDERAL AGENCY CANNOT FORCE LOUISIANA, MISSISSIPPI TO OFFER ACCOMMODATIONS FOR ABORTIONS The lawsuit challenging Tennessee’s statute names 11 district attorneys who work in middle Tennessee as the defendants, accusing them of ignoring Welty’s previous requests to define what behavior would be considered illegal under the law. Welty and Behn argue in the lawsuit that the statute is “unconstitutionally vague,” noting that the word “recruits” is not defined. The lawsuit also alleges that the law criminalizes certain speech protected by the First Amendment. “The law was intended to scare Tennesseans from helping each other when they need it the most,” Behn and Welty said in a joint statement. “It’s not working. We’ll still be here supporting each other, loving folks who’ve had abortions, and providing people with key information about their options.” When state lawmakers were debating the legislation on the House floor, the bill’s sponsor, GOP Rep. Jason Zachary, referenced a social media post Behn previously made promising to help any young person travel out of state for an abortion. “Unfortunately, there’s even a member of this body that recently tweeted out, ‘I welcome the opportunity to take a young person out of state who wants to have an abortion, even if it lands me in jail,’” Zachary said in April, adding “that is what recruitment looks like.” Tennessee bans abortions at all stages of pregnancy, with exemptions for molar pregnancies, ectopic pregnancies, to remove a miscarriage or to save the life of the mother. Doctors must use “reasonable” medical judgment when determining whether performing the abortion can save the life of the pregnant woman or prevent major injury, but critics argue that this language lacks clarity for doctors. A group of women is suing to clarify the state’s abortion ban, and a court decision is expected soon on whether the lawsuit can move forward or if the law can be placed on hold as the legal battle plays out. The Associated Press contributed to this report.

GOP lines up culture war-heavy spending bills targeting military abortions, drag shows

GOP lines up culture war-heavy spending bills targeting military abortions, drag shows

House Republicans are using three key government funding bills to pass conservative priorities on abortion, diversity and drag performances.  The House is expected to consider appropriations bills this week funding the Department of Defense (DOD), Department of Homeland Security (DHS), and the State Department and foreign operations for fiscal year 2025. It’s part of an ambitious schedule House GOP leaders have laid out to have their 12 individual appropriations bills passed by August recess. But in addition to funding the government by the end of the fiscal year on Sept. 30, Republicans are also eyeing the spending race as an opportunity to get at least some conservative social policies over the line before the November election, when they risk losing the House majority.  ILLINOIS ELECTION RESULTS: DEMOCRAT SORENSEN WINS TOSS-UP HOUSE RACE FOR OPEN SEAT That includes pushing for former President Trump’s border wall – there is $600 million in the DHS appropriations bill for funding its construction, along with a policy provision to force Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas to erect physical barriers along the U.S.-Mexico border as quickly as possible. Both the DHS and defense bills also block their respective funds from being used for abortion services.  The defense bill stops use of “paid leave and travel or related expenses of a servicemember or their dependents to obtain an abortion or abortion-related services,” according to the House Appropriations Committee’s defense subcommittee. The former prohibits federal dollars from being used to perform abortions for noncitizen detainees of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). Likewise, that bill also stops funding from going toward transgender health care-related measures for ICE detainees. The defense spending bill also bans funding from being used for programs like drag queen story hour, and prevents hiring of drag performers as military recruiters. The subcommittee’s bill summary argues such programs “bring discredit upon the military.” DRAG PERFORMER SPEAKS OUT AGAINST ALLOWING KIDS TO ATTEND DRAG SHOWS: ‘THIS IS AN ADULT VENUE’  All three bills expected for consideration this week block federal dollars from going toward diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) programs. It’s a priority House Republicans also pushed for in the last spending fight, which resulted in the shutdown of the House Office of Diversity and Inclusion. Similarly, the defense and DHS bills place restrictions on those departments enacting critical race theory (CRT) programs. While defense and DHS spending are set to get modest bumps in fiscal year 2025, Republicans are aiming to slash spending at the State Department. House Republicans are working toward a topline of roughly $1.6 trillion in discretionary government funding. GOP leaders are guided by last year’s Fiscal Responsibility Act, a deal struck between then-Speaker Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., and President Biden to raise the debt ceiling and limit federal spending. AOC DEMANDS BIDEN ‘REVERSE COURSE’ ON BORDER WALL CONSTRUCTION AMID MIGRANT SURGE: ‘CRUEL POLICY’ But unlike last year, when the final numbers were inflated by McCarthy and Biden’s side deals, House Appropriations Chair Tom Cole, R-Okla., and Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., pledged to forge ahead on the topline number alone. The defense bill and DHS bill are seeing roughly $9 billion and $3 billion increases from 2024, respectively, while the State Department bill is an 11% cut from last year. All three are being considered by the House Rules Committee on Tuesday, the last stop before a bill faces a chamber-wide vote. Democrats have already come out in opposition to the House GOP’s plans, however. Biden threatened to veto all three spending bills in a statement of administration policy on Monday. “Rather than respecting their agreement and taking the opportunity to engage in a productive, bipartisan appropriations process to build on last year’s bills, House Republicans are again wasting time with partisan bills that would result in deep cuts to law enforcement, education, housing, health care, consumer safety, energy programs that lower utility bills and combat climate change, and essential nutrition services,” the White House said. “The draft bills also include numerous, partisan policy provisions with devastating consequences, including harming access to reproductive health care, threatening the health and safety of… (LGBTQI+) Americans, endangering marriage equality, hindering critical climate change initiatives, and preventing the Administration from promoting diversity, equity, and inclusion.”

Squad member faces ouster from Congress as New York, Colorado and Utah hold primaries on Tuesday

Squad member faces ouster from Congress as New York, Colorado and Utah hold primaries on Tuesday

MOUNT VERNON, N.Y. — An increasingly contentious Democratic Party battle between a member of the far-left “Squad” in Congress and his more moderate challenger that spotlights the party’s deep divisions over the war between Israel and Hamas in Gaza is taking center stage on Tuesday as New York, Colorado and Utah hold primaries. And the race between two-term Rep. Jamaal Bowman and Westchester County executive George Latimer in New York’s 16th Congressional District, which covers southern Westchester County [in suburban New York City] and a small portion of The Bronx, is already in the record books as the most expensive congressional primary in the nation’s history. But the contest could make more history as Bowman, a former middle school principal who four years ago ousted 16-term Rep. Eliot Engel in the Democrat primaries, now faces becoming the first member of the Squad, a progressive group of diverse House Democrats, to be ousted from Congress, and the first House member of either party to be defeated by a primary challenger this cycle. Bowman, who’s been outspoken about his support for Palestinians amid the war in Gaza and has charged that Israel has committed genocide, has been targeted by roughly $14 million in spending by the American Israel Public Affairs Committee, the deep-pocketed pro-Israel group that is supporting Latimer. WATCH: THIS HOUSE PRIMARY IS THE MOST EXPENSIVE IN CONGRESSIONAL HISTORY Progressive rock stars Sen. Bernie Sanders of Vermont and Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez of New York are supporting Bowman and teamed up with the besieged lawmaker at a rally Saturday in the Bronx. The event was anything but a PG-rated spectacle as Bowman repeatedly used profanities. “We are going to show f—ing AIPAC the power of the motherf—ing South Bronx!” Bowman said at the rally, which was held outside the congressional district’s boundaries. HEAD HERE FOR LATEST FOX NEWS REPORTING FROM THE PRIMARY CAMPAIGN TRAIL Speaking with reporters on Monday, Latimer called Bowman’s language “inappropriate.” And Latimer emphasized that “during this campaign I’ve been called a lot of unkind things. I’ve opened up a weekly newspaper in this county and seen myself referred to as genocide George. I’ve had all sorts of claims lobbed at me.” “I think there’s been a lot of criticism lobbed at me by my opponent that’s unfair and inaccurate,” Latimer argued, “But I don’t think I get it right to use my temper. I don’t think I get the right to curse in public and carry on in a certain way.” While the Israel-Hamas war is a top issue in the primary, it’s not the only one at play. Bowman, who’s grabbed plenty of attention during his four years in Congress for his verbal warfare with Republicans and for pulling a fire alarm in a House office building last year during a vote over government funding, is also getting hit for voting against President Biden’s bipartisan infrastructure bill and against raising the debt limit. While knocking off an incumbent is extremely difficult – and has yet to be accomplished by a challenger so far this cycle – Latimer, who is a former state senator, is well known in the district. He’s been endorsed by local mayors and council members, multiple Westchester County legislators, and by former Secretary of State and former Sen. Hillary Clinton. The 2016 Democratic presidential nominee lives close to the district in northern Westchester County. He spoke with reporters on Monday at an event where he was endorsed by more than a half dozen diverse clergy leaders from the congressional district. The ads on behalf of Latimer are also a factor. A record $25 million has been spent by outside groups and the two campaigns to run ads in the district, which is located in New York’s pricey media market, according to Adimpact, a well-known national ad tracking firm. While the Democrat primary between Bowman and Latimer will grab the most attention in Tuesday’s primaries, it’s far from the only contest worth watching. John Avlon, a former Fox News analyst and one of the founders of the No Labels political organization who later went on to work as an anchor for CNN, is running against former Stony Brook University chemistry professor Nancy Goroff in the Democrat primary in New York’s 1st Congressional District on the eastern end of Long Island, which was won by President Biden in 2020. The winner will face off in November with Republican Rep. Nick LaLota. In Colorado, seven Republicans are running in the state’s competitive 3rd Congressional District in the race to succeed GOP Rep. Lauren Boebert, who decided to run this year in the more Republican-friendly 4th Congressional District after nearly losing in 2022.  Boebert is favored to win the seat in the fourth district, which was left vacant after GOP Rep. Ken Buck retired from Congress. In Utah, the battle to succeed retiring Republican Sen. Mitt Romney is taking center stage. CLICK HERE TO GET FOX NEWS APP Romney, a former Massachusetts governor and the GOP’s 2012 presidential nominee, is a vocal Republican critic of former President Trump, the party’s 2024 presumptive nominee. Trump is backing Riverton, Utah, Mayor Trent Staggs, who also has the backing of the Utah GOP after winning the most votes in April’s state party convention. But Rep. John Curtis, a former Democrat and environmental activist who voted to accept Biden’s victory in the 2020 election, enjoys a solid fundraising lead over Staggs. Republican Gov. Spencer Cox of Utah, another major GOP Trump critic, is facing a primary challenge from Phil Lyman, another 2020 election denier who easily won the state party convention. But Trump to date has remained neutral and hasn’t endorsed Lyman. Get the latest updates from the 2024 campaign trail, exclusive interviews and more at our Fox News Digital election hub.

US v Trump: Defense to claim due process violations made in FBI’s Mar-a-Lago raid

US v Trump: Defense to claim due process violations made in FBI’s Mar-a-Lago raid

During a hearing on Wednesday in the matter of the government’s classified documents case against former President Trump, his defense team will argue that Trump’s due process rights were violated when FBI agents raided his Mar-a-Lago property and attorney-client privilege was breached.  The 11 a.m. hearing will be sealed, meaning no press or members of the public will be able to attend. The private hearing is being conducted in such a fashion to protect materials that can be either included under grand jury secrecy or that Trump’s team claims attorney-client privilege or work product protection applies. Afterward, there will be another hearing at 1 p.m., which will be open to the public. CNN PRESIDENTIAL DEBATE: ILLEGAL IMMIGRATION LOOMS AS TOP ISSUE AMID OUTRAGE OVER 12-YEAR-OLD GIRL’S MURDER Mar-a-Lago in Palm Beach, Florida, was raided by FBI agents in August 2022 and the Department of Justice reportedly recovered 15 boxes of classified materials from the estate. Trump’s defense will make the case that evidence obtained during the search should be thrown out due to unconstitutionality, because the warrant “lacked particularity required by the Fourth Amendment.”  PROSECUTORS WANT ANOTHER GAG ORDER ON TRUMP IN CLASSIFIED DOCUMENTS CASE Further, the defense for the former president has claimed in a filing that Special Counsel Jack Smith’s office does not have standing to invoke the good-faith exception to preserve evidence from the search, giving examples of the agents’ “bad faith” in conducting it.  Lawyers for Trump will explain on Tuesday its argument that the government misled a judge in order to obtain the search warrant in the first place.  ‘THE VIEW’ CO-HOSTS DEFEND CNN HOST CUTTING OFF INTERVIEW WITH TRUMP CAMPAIGN SPOKESWOMAN: ‘SO GOOD!’ The argument of Trump’s defense is also expected to rely on its claims that attorney-client privilege was breached by the FBI during the search. The initial filing from Trump’s lawyers requesting relief relating to the raid claimed the special counsel acted in an “extraordinary and unlawful” way to get access to legal communications between Trump and his lawyer, which are protected by attorney-client privilege. The lawyers claimed it was erroneous for a court to apply the crime-fraud exception, which removes certain protections for Trump lawyer M. Evan Corcoran under attorney-client privilege.  According to Trump’s legal team, the elements of the crime-fraud exception were not met by the prosecution, particularly because they claim the communications between Trump and Corcoran were not furthering any crimes.  The request from Trump’s defense, initially made in May, is that evidence seized during the raid and obtained in alleged violation of attorney-client privilege should be suppressed and that the superseding indictment from the special counsel’s office should be dismissed. 

Emergency: 50 years later, a reflection

Emergency: 50 years later, a reflection

Speaking to the media, he highlighted that June 25 marked the 50th anniversary of the Emergency, considered by and large as a “dark chapter” in the history of Indian democracy.