Major drug stores start selling abortion pill some say is ‘dangerous’ for women ahead of landmark SCOTUS case
The two largest pharmaceutical chains in the U.S. will begin selling the abortion pill mifepristone this month, just weeks before the Supreme Court will hear arguments on the drug’s approval, which the Biden administration defends. CVS and Walgreens completed the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) certification process to dispense mifepristone, the companies separately confirmed to Fox News Digital. The pill will not be sent through the mail, and the companies will follow the FDA’s guidelines issued last year — the same guidelines that will be challenged in the high court on March 26. Walgreens on Friday told Fox News Digital that it “expects to begin dispensing within a week” across select pharmacies in New York, Pennsylvania, Massachusetts, California and Illinois. CVS told Fox News Digital that it will begin filling prescriptions for the pill in Massachusetts and Rhode Island “in the weeks ahead” and will expand to more states “where allowed by law, on a rolling basis.” SUPREME COURT AGREES TO DECIDE ON ABORTION PILL ACCESS, APPROVAL PROCESS Pro-life organization Susan B. Anthony Pro-Life America (SBA) called the rollout “shameful” in a statement to Fox News Digital. “As two of the world’s largest, most trusted ‘health’ brands, the decision by CVS and Walgreens to sell dangerous abortion drugs is shameful, and the harm to unborn babies and their mothers incalculable,” SBA state policy director Katie Daniel said. “Even when used under the strongest safeguards, abortion drugs send roughly one in 25 women to the emergency room, according to the FDA’s own label,” Daniel said. “Yet under Democrat presidents, the FDA has illegally rolled back basic safety standards, like in-person doctor visits, even allowing these deadly drugs to be sent through the mail.” In a few weeks, Daniel said, the Supreme Court will hear a case “brought by doctors who routinely witness the fallout for women and girls who turn up in ERs with severe pain, heavy bleeding, infections and other serious complications.” President Biden called the announcement an “important milestone” on Friday. “With major retail pharmacy chains newly certified to dispense medication abortion, many women will soon have the option to pick up their prescription at a local, certified pharmacy — just as they would for any other medication. I encourage all pharmacies that want to pursue this option to seek certification,” Biden said in the statement to the media. KEY STUDY IN FDA ABORTION PILL CASE AT SUPREME COURT RETRACTED IN ‘PARTISAN ASSAULT,’ AUTHORS SAY In overturning Roe v. Wade in June 2022, the Supreme Court ruled in Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization that the U.S. Constitution does not guarantee the right to an abortion and that the matter should be decided by the states. In the aftermath, 14 states have banned abortion at all stages of pregnancy, with some exceptions, and two others have banned abortion once a fetal heartbeat is detected, which is around six weeks of gestation. CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP The Biden administration and the maker of the drug mifepristone are asking the high court to reverse an appellate ruling that would cut off access to the drug through the mail and impose other restrictions, even in states where abortion remains legal. The restrictions include shortening from the current 10 weeks to seven weeks the time during which mifepristone can be used in pregnancy. The nine justices rejected a separate appeal from abortion opponents who challenged the FDA’s initial approval of mifepristone as safe and effective in 2000. Mifepristone, made by New York-based Danco Laboratories, is one of two drugs used in medication abortions, which account for more than half of all abortions in the U.S. More than 5 million people have used it since 2000, according to The Associated Press. The second is misoprostol, which some health care providers say is less effective in ending pregnancies. Fox News’ Danielle Wallace contributed to this report.
Elise Stefanik eyes crackdown on colleges’ federal dollars amid campus antisemitism probe
EXCLUSIVE: House Republican Conference Chair Elise Stefanik is looking at ways to leverage U.S. taxpayer dollars going to colleges and universities to ensure they crack down on antisemitic incidents on campus. “You have to deliver accountability,” Stefanik, R-N.Y., told Fox News Digital. “Legislatively, there’s a number of avenues that I’m looking at.” Stefanik was among a group of lawmakers who heard from Jewish college students at a Thursday roundtable, led by House Education and Workforce Committee Chair Virginia Foxx, R-N.C., where the young adults recalled instances of feeling threatened and being confronted with profanity just because of their Jewish identity. It is part of the committee’s ongoing investigation into antisemitism on campus, which has already precipitated the departures of presidents at two major Ivy League schools — Harvard University and the University of Pennsylvania. ‘PURE HATE’: JEWISH STUDENTS DISCUSS LIFE IN WAKE OF ISRAEL WAR The New York Republican suggested she’s looking at possibly introducing legislation that would help improve the safety of Jewish students on campus as well, specifically targeting federal funds, foreign funding and offices of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI). “Number one, U.S. taxpayer funding for these institutions — U.S. taxpayers do not want to prop up this moral rot of antisemitism, and we have to make sure that that is not the case,” Stefanik said. “Foreign funding as well, there is not full transparency in terms of foreign funding and strings that are attached to that foreign funding. This is a major issue on these college campuses.” She also listed “the elimination of the offices of DEI,” calling DEI “inherently antisemitic.” AS UNIVERSITIES GRAPPLE WITH ACTIVISM AND ANTISEMITISM, YALE PROFESSOR INSISTS COLLEGES MUST REMAIN NEUTRAL “We heard from numerous students today that when Jewish students reach out to offices of DEI, they don’t even get a response when it comes to harassment and violence,” Stefanik said. “So there’s so much work to do, but this is a reckoning. It’s an earthquake, and it’s long overdue.” Foxx would not go into detail about her committee’s next steps, but said lawmakers had an abundance of information to digest before moving forward, having sent numerous requests for colleges to shed light on how they are protecting Jewish students on campus. “We have a lot of work to do with combing through the material that we’re getting in from the campuses, and we’ll see what happens school by school,” Foxx told Fox News Digital. “The most important thing from this roundtable was to make sure that the American people heard what [the students] had to say. Their testimony is compelling, they are in fear on their campuses. And that should not be happening to any student on a college campus in this country. And it is up to the heads of those campuses to make sure that these students are not in fear of their life or their safety.” For roughly two hours, bipartisan lawmakers heard from students from around the country who said their schools are not doing enough to combat antisemitism on campus. Harvard University student Shabbos Kestenbaum said Congress was his “last hope” because “Harvard has refused to take any responsibility, any accountability, and to help Jewish students.” “If antisemitism is a disease, then certainly Harvard University is the Wuhan wet market,” he said. HARVARD BOARD STANDS BY EMBATTLED PRESIDENT CLAUDINE GAY, ADMITS ‘INADEQUATE CITATION’ IN SOME WRITINGS CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP Rutgers University student Joe Gindi said a program coordinator at the New Jersey state school once “screamed” at Jewish students, “F— you. F— you, colonizer. F— you, Zionist.” Instances of antisemitism and Islamophobia have both risen in the wake of Hamas’ Oct. 7 attack on Israel, when militants entered the southern part of the country and slaughtered more than 1,200 people during a music festival. Israel has responded with heavy shelling and a ground invasion of Gaza. The Hamas-run Gaza Health Ministry, which does not delineate between fighters and civilians, has said that more than 30,000 Palestinians have been killed so far.
Migrant initially accused in gang attack on NYPD officers has charges dropped after being ‘exonerated’: DA
A migrant initially accused of participating in the beating of a pair of New York City police officers and then brazenly giving the middle finger to reporters after being released without bail had his charges dropped, prosecutors said Friday. The Manhattan District Attorney’s Office dismissed the criminal complaint against Jhoan Boada, 22, saying he had been “exonerated as a participant in this assault” following a “thorough and diligent investigation.” “Our investigation has revealed that Marcelino Estee, not Jhoan Boada, is the individual described in this complaint, wearing the black & white jacket with pink shoes, committing this assault,” a statement from DA Alvin Bragg’s office said. ICE OFFICIAL RIPS NYC POLICIES SHIELDING POLICE-BEATING MIGRANTS FROM DEPORTATION “Marcelino Estee has been charged for his participation. We are therefore moving to dismiss this complaint against Jhoan Boada,” the statement continued. Estee is awaiting his arraignment, prosecutors said. The DA’s office said a complaint against him will be released after his Saturday morning court appearance. Fox News Digital has reached out to the Police Benevolent Association for comment. Boada was one of several migrants arrested shortly after the Jan. 27 attack on two NYPD officers in Times Square near a migrant shelter. Surveillance and police bodycam footage shows a group kicking and punching the officers on the ground after they were told to move along a sidewalk near 42nd Street. Boada infamously gave reporters and photographers the middle finger following his release from the Midtown South Precinct in Manhattan. Initially, all the migrant suspects were released without bail except one, prompting widespread anger and criticism of Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg. Several suspects accused in the attack have since been rearrested and are being held. One of the officers assaulted in the attack, NYPD Lieutenant Ben Kurian, will be present at President Biden’s March 7 State of the Union speech in Washington. Kurian, a 20-year-veteran of the force and a Queens resident, was invited by U.S. Rep. Nicole Malliotakis, a Republican. BIDEN, DURING VISIT TO OVERWHELMED BORDER, URGES REPUBLICANS TO BACK SENATE BILL: ‘TIME TO ACT’ “Our NYPD officers are on the front line every single day working to keep our streets safe, and unfortunately now they are being forced to deal with hundreds of violent crimes being committed by those in our country illegally,” Malliotakis said in a statement. “The horrifying video of Lt. Kurian and his fellow officer being attacked by a mob in Times Square was hard to watch, but it shed a light on just how difficult our officers’ jobs have become.” “I’m honored to have Lt. Kurian accompany me to the State of the Union to not only show support for New York City’s finest, but to also bring attention to the need for the Biden Administration to end its dangerous border policies that have allowed millions of unvetted individuals to enter our country illegally,” she added.
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Major medical group unveils policy pushing ‘unobstructed access’ to gender-transition treatment for children
A leading scientific organization in the U.S. representing more than 150,000 licensed psychologists announced a new policy this week urging clinics to provide “unobstructed access” to gender-transitioning treatments for children. The American Psychological Association (APA) adopted the resolution titled “Affirming Evidence-Based Inclusive Care for Transgender, Gender Diverse, and Nonbinary Individuals, Addressing Misinformation, and the Role of Psychological Practice and Science,” in a 153-9 vote on Feb. 24. The policy affirms “evidence-based care for transgender, gender diverse and nonbinary children, adolescents and adults” and further “affirms APA’s support for unobstructed access to healthcare and evidence-based clinical care.” ‘MERIT-BASED HIRING’ MIGHT BE ‘UNFAIR’: AMERICAN PSYCHOLOGICAL ASSOCIATION “Evidence-based clinical care, including gender-affirming care, should be noncoercive, adaptive to and centered on the needs of the individual receiving care, and rooted in psychological and clinical science, including recognition of gender diversity as a part of normal human diversity as well as recognition of limits in the current state of scientific knowledge,” the policy read. The APA also encouraged all licensed psychologists to “unite” against the spread of “misinformation” about surgical and non-surgical transgender treatments. “Misinformation further creates distress and confusion for families and loved ones of transgender, gender-diverse, and nonbinary individuals, as they make decisions about their healthcare,” the policy stated. The policy arrives as 22 states currently have bans on gender-transition treatments for children, while in five states, medical professionals face felony charges for conducting such treatments or surgical procedures, according to data from the progressive research group Movement Advancement Project. EXPERTS WARN OF ‘DEVASTATING EFFECT’ AS TRADITIONAL MALE ROLES DEEMED ‘TOXIC’ BY MEDIA, HOLLYWOOD But some say the APA’s policy is another progressive “ideological” push in the scientific community. Senior researcher Jay Richards at Heritage Foundation, a conservative public policy think tank, told Fox News Digital in an interview that the APA’s policy is “rankly political.” “It is a prime example of how medical associations can be captured ideologically,” he said. “This is definitely evidence of the APA doubling down on promotion on so-called gender-affirming care, and it’s really, I would say, sex-denying care.” “I actually think it’s probably a mistake on their part politically, because these procedures are wildly unpopular among the general public left, right, and center,” he added. The APA previously came under fire for its other progressive claims. Earlier this month, it claimed that “[h]iring the most qualified candidate might be unfair” based on one of its recent studies. ‘TRADITIONAL MASCULINITY’ DEEMED HARMFUL, COULD LEAD TO SEXUAL HARASSMENT, MEDICAL GROUP SAYS CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP The study, titled “Can Selecting the Most Qualified Candidate Be Unfair?,” examined people’s perceptions of merit-based hiring after learning more about the socioeconomic status of potential workers. While previewing the results, it argued that hiring the most qualified candidate could contribute to more inequality. In 2019, the organization also claimed that “traditional masculinity” could be mentally damaging. “The main thrust of the subsequent research is that traditional masculinity — marked by stoicism, competitiveness, dominance and aggression — is, on the whole, harmful,” it claimed in a press release. Fox News’ Lindsay Kornick contributed to this report.
Fox News Politics: Where was Kamala?
Welcome to Fox News’ Politics newsletter with the latest political news from Washington D.C. and updates from the 2024 campaign trail. What’s Happening? – Fani Willis’ disqualification hearing happening Friday afternoon… – DC voters make their presidential primary pick… – Harris’ shrinking role in migrant crisis President Biden visited the southern border in Brownsville, Texas, on Thursday, and was joined by a number of top officials, including Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas, but Vice President Kamala Harris was not among them. Biden spoke in Brownsville after meeting with Border Patrol, law enforcement and local leaders. He urged Republicans to back a bipartisan Senate bill that he believes will help solve the raging crisis at the southern border. “It’s real simple, it’s time to act, it is long past time to act,” the president said. “It’s time for us to move on this, we can’t wait any longer.” But the vice president, who was tasked in 2021 with leading the diplomatic outreach to tackle the “root causes” of migration, was not there. A year ago, Harris announced an additional $950 million in response to the Call to Action, bringing in a total of more than $4.2 billion since May 2021. But since then, her public role only appears to have continually shrunk, even amid a historic year for illegal immigration, with more than 2.4 million migrant encounters in FY 23. FY 24 has been similarly overwhelming, with over 300,000 encounters in December. ‘TROUBLING ALLEGATIONS’: McCaul demands UNRWA chief testify in public House hearing over ‘troubling allegations’ of Hamas ties …Read more READ IT: House Oversight releases James Biden’s deposition transcript as impeachment inquiry moves into ‘next phase’ …Read more ‘USUAL C–P’: GOP hardliners furious at Johnson for passing another short-term spending bill with Dems …Read more BORDER BOOST: GOP lawmakers move to green-light states to stop illegal immigrants with temporary border walls …Read more ‘DESPERATE’: Dems, Biden mock RNC for fundraising drive that includes stark admission on DNC’s money advantage …Read more MAKING NICE: Trump to attend Club for Growth retreat after rocky relationship …Read more ‘COHERENTLY LEAD’: Miami Mayor, former White House hopeful endorses Donald Trump for president …Read more COLD PLUNGE: Shirtless GOP US Senate candidate takes cold plunge in Wisconsin lake, challenges Democratic opponent …Read more JUMPING IN: Former GOP Congressman Justin Amash announces bid for Michigan US Senate seat …Read more FIRST WIN?: DC primary represents Haley’s best chance yet to beat Trump …Read more DONALD’S DOOM: Haley places blame on Trump for Senate losses, hopes new leader sets tone …Read more ‘IMPROPER’ AFFAIR: Georgia judge set to hear final arguments in affair allegations against Fani Willis …Read more FELONY DESTRUCTION: Climate activists hit with felony charges for defacing US Constitution’s display …Read more CHANGING WINDS: Appeals court rules some Jan 6 Capitol riot defendants were improperly sentenced over ‘interference’ …Read more PRE FUNDED SAVINGS: California could send cash to residents with disabilities to be more ‘inclusive’ amid billion dollar deficit …Read more Subscribe now to get Fox News Politics newsletter in your inbox. Get the latest updates from the 2024 campaign trail, exclusive interviews and more on FoxNews.com.
Police lieutenant attacked by migrants in Times Square invited to Biden’s State of the Union
EXCLUSIVE: A New York City police officer who was attacked by migrants in Times Square is coming to Washington, D.C., to watch President Biden tout his administration’s work over the last year in his State of the Union address. Rep. Nicole Malliotakis, R-N.Y., the only Republican representing New York City in the House, told Fox News Digital she invited NYPD Lieutenant Ben Kurian to the president’s major address on Wednesday. “Our NYPD officers are on the front line every single day working to keep our streets safe, and unfortunately, now they are being forced to deal with hundreds of violent crimes being committed by those in our country illegally,” Malliotakis said. ICE OFFICIAL RIPS NYC POLICIES SHIELDING POLICE-BEATING MIGRANTS FROM DEPORTATION “The horrifying video of Lt. Kurian and his fellow officer being attacked by a mob in Times Square was hard to watch, but it shed a light on just how difficult our officers’ jobs have become.” She said his presence at Biden’s speech will “bring attention to the need for the Biden administration to end its dangerous border policies.” A now-viral video from late January showed two officers being attacked by a group of migrants in the heart of New York City’s tourist area. NYPD CHIEF BLASTS MIGRANTS’ ATTACK ON OFFICERS AS MUGSHOTS OF SUSPECTS RELEASED One suspect can be seen kicking an officer in the head twice while another person kicked the other officer in the back. The attack began after the police officers asked migrants who were blocking the sidewalk outside a shelter to disperse, the NYPD has said. The incident was a flashpoint in the tension that’s long been simmering in New York City since it was flooded by thousands of migrants, many seeking asylum. A number were bussed up by Southern governors whose states were buckling under the strain of people crossing the U.S.-Mexico border. More than 161,000 migrants have come to New York City in need of shelter and other city resources since the middle of 2022, New York City Mayor Eric Adams has said. AMERICANS AREN’T SAFE WITH BIDEN’S OPEN BORDER AND THE SYSTEM IS ‘FLASHING RED’ Earlier this week, Adams, a Democrat, called for curtailing the city’s “sanctuary” status to allow migrants “suspected of serious crimes” to be turned over to federal law enforcement. Republican lawmakers, including Malliotakis, have denounced the city’s sanctuary policies as a primary driver of the migrant crisis. Fox News Digital reached out to the White House for comment.
Biden signs stopgap funding bill, pushing shutdown deadline one week
President Biden signed a funding measure on Friday that was agreed upon by congressional leaders and passed in both the House and Senate, once again averting a government shutdown. Biden signed H.R. 7463, a funding bill titled “Extension of Continuing Appropriations and Other Matters Act, 2024,” which extends the March 1 funding deadline for the first slate of appropriations bills by one week, pushing it to March 8. Those bills will head to the House and Senate for votes in the next week. SENATE PASSES SHORT-TERM FUNDING BILL TO AVERT PARTIAL GOVERNMENT SHUTDOWN ABC NEWS MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT WON’T SAY IF BIDEN PHYSICALLY UP TO THE JOB: ‘I’M NOT HIS PHYSICIAN’ The funding bill also moves the second deadline for a second slate of bills to March 22. However, the second group of appropriations measures still need to be finalized and agreed upon before heading to the floor for votes. “We are in agreement that Congress must work in a bipartisan manner to fund our government,” House Speaker Mike Johnson R-La., Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., and House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries D-N.Y., said in a joint statement on Wednesday, along with House Appropriations Committee Chair Kay Granger, R-Texas, House Appropriations Committee Ranking Member Rosa DeLauro, D-Conn., Senate Appropriations Committee Chair Patty Murray, D-Wash., and Senate Appropriations Committee Vice Chair Susan Collins, R-Maine. The stopgap bill is the fourth such measure enacted to avoid a government shutdown since the original September 30 deadline for appropriations bills.
Bob Menendez’s corruption case co-defendant pleads guilty to 7 counts, cooperating with investigators
A New Jersey businessman and co-defendant in Sen. Bob Menendez’s, D-N.J., corruption case pleaded guilty to seven counts and said he would cooperate with investigators. Jose Uribe on Friday pleaded guilty to a slate of charges that include conspiracy to commit bribery, obstruction of justice, wire fraud, and tax evasion. He faces up to 95 years in prison if convicted on all counts. In his plea agreement, Uribe said he would cooperate with prosecutors against Menendez. Federal prosecutors initially unsealed charges against Menendez and his wife, Nadine Menendez, in September. They include accusations that he benefited the government of Egypt and engaged in a corrupt scheme alongside Uribe, New Jersey real estate developer Fred Daibes, and Wael Hana, who runs a halal meat certification business in the state. TIMELINE OF SEN BOB MENENDEZ’S INDICTMENT WITH WIFE ALLEGES YEARSLONG CORRUPTION Menendez and his wife allegedly accepted hundreds of thousands of dollars in bribes “to seek to protect and enrich” Uribe, Daibes, and Hana. The bribes included cash, gold bars, home mortgage payments, compensation for no-show jobs, and “other things of value,” according to the indictment. Uribe also allegedly helped Menendez and his wife purchase a Mercedes-Benz C-300 convertible valued at over $60,000. According to the indictment, Menendez had agreed to interfere in a New Jersey state criminal prosecution dealing with an associate of Uribe, who faced insurance fraud charges relating to a trucking company and an employee of Uribe. DEMOCRAT SEN MENENDEZ’S WIFE HIT, KILLED PEDESTRIAN WHILE DRIVING IN 2018: REPORTS Menendez, whose trial is scheduled to start in May, has denied any wrongdoing and said forces “behind the scenes” are working to silence him and dig his “political grave.” He, his wife, Daibes, and Hana have pleaded not guilty. Menendez’s office did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment.