Appeals Court Seems Skeptical of FDA’s Steps to Ease Access to Abortion Pill
A three-judge panel of a federal appeals court appeared skeptical of the government Wednesday as lawyers for the Food and Drug Administration argued that a commonly used abortion pill should remain widely available. At issue is whether to uphold a preliminary ruling from a federal judge in Texas, who declared in April that the FDA’s 23-year-old approval of the pill, mifepristone, was invalid. From the outset of the two-hour hearing in New Orleans, questions and comments from the three judges on the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals reflected criticism of the FDA and a lack of familiarity with medication abortion.
Florida School District Is Sued Over Book Restrictions
A lawsuit filed in federal court Wednesday said that a Florida county violated the First Amendment by removing or restricting certain kinds of books from its school libraries. The free-speech organization PEN America and the country’s largest book publisher, Penguin Random House, filed the lawsuit, along with a group of authors and parents. The complaint said that the Escambia County School District and school board also violated the equal protection clause of the Constitution because books they targeted were disproportionately written by nonwhite and LGBTQ authors and addressed themes of race, racism, gender and sexuality.
U.S. Drug Overdose Toll Neared 110,000 in 2022
Nearly 110,000 people died last year of drug overdoses in the United States, according to preliminary federal data published Wednesday, a staggering figure that nonetheless represented a plateau after two years of sharp increases. The preliminary count of 109,680 deaths was only slightly higher than the figure for 2021, when 109,179 people were estimated to have died, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Overdose deaths climbed significantly that year and the prior year, increasing by roughly 17% in 2021 and 30% in 2020. The newly released data offered the latest indication of the catastrophic effects of fentanyl, a synthetic opioid often mixed with stimulants and other drugs.
Texas Legislature Bans Transgender Medical Care for Children
Over the opposition of Democrats and the loud protests at the Capitol this month, the Texas Legislature voted Wednesday to approve a bill banning hormone and puberty blocking treatments, as well as surgeries for transgender children. The bill would prohibit a doctor from performing mastectomies or surgeries that would sterilize a child or remove otherwise healthy tissue or body parts, or from prescribing drugs that would induce transient or permanent infertility. The legislation, known as Senate Bill 14, was among the most volatile measures of the state’s every-two-year legislative session. The bill now heads to the governor’s desk. It would go into effect Sept. 1.
In Florida Upset, Democrat Wins Jacksonville Mayor’s Race
Donna Deegan, a Democrat, was elected mayor of Jacksonville on Tuesday, shaking up the politics of Florida’s largest city, where Republican mayors have been in power for all but four of the past 30 years. Deegan, a former television news anchor, defeated Daniel Davis, a Republican endorsed by Gov. Ron DeSantis. Deegan’s victory is a rare bright spot for Florida Democrats. While Florida has become decidedly more Republican — and while many have viewed DeSantis, a likely 2024 presidential contender, as all-powerful in state politics — Jacksonville has emerged as a swingy corner of the state.
The Latest Rift Among Ukraine’s Allies Is Whether to Send F-16s
A fresh push by Britain and the Netherlands to provide Ukraine with F-16 fighter planes to use against Russia has exposed the latest fault line among Western allies who have wrangled repeatedly over sending powerful weapons of war, once again pitting a reluctant United States against some of its closest European partners. Several European allies are prepared to give their F-16s to Ukraine. But the Biden administration, which must approve any transfers of the U.S.-made planes, remains unconvinced that Ukraine needs the expensive jets, which are a staple of many modern military arsenals.
Ecuador’s President Dissolves Congress Amid Impeachment Trial
President Guillermo Lasso of Ecuador disbanded the country’s opposition-led National Assembly on Wednesday, a drastic move as the right-leaning leader faced impeachment proceedings over accusations of embezzlement. The constitutional measure, never before used, allows the president to rule by decree until new elections can be held. Opposition lawmakers accused Lasso of turning a blind eye to irregularities and embezzlement in a contract between a state-run shipping company and an oil tanker company that wasn’t delivering on its promises. This was the second time the opposition had tried to remove Lasso from the presidency since he took office in 2021.
‘Catastrophic’ Floods in Italy Leave 8 Dead and Thousands Homeless
Widespread flooding in the northern Italian region of Emilia-Romagna killed at least eight people and forced another 5,000 to abandon their homes, officials said Wednesday as rescue efforts continued to assist those stuck on the upper stories of buildings. Some of the worst-hit areas received almost 20 inches of rain in 36 hours, about half the average annual amount, according to the Italian civil protection minister, Nello Musumeci. At least 23 rivers in Emilia-Romagna — including the Savio, the Montone, the Santerno and the Lamone — had burst their banks, affecting some 36 towns. Local officials were working to evacuate those in danger, the region’s website said.
The Religious Right’s Hidden Sway as Japan Trails Allies on Gay Rights
Japan is the only nation in the Group of 7 that has not legalized same-sex unions, and foreign ambassadors have pushed the country to support equality more forcefully in the run-up to a summit in Hiroshima starting later this week. Polls show overwhelming support for same-sex marriage in Japan; one of the country’s most influential business leaders recently called it “embarrassing” that Japan has not sanctioned the unions. Lawmakers, under pressure from the Shinto faith and other traditionalist forces, have lagged behind public opinion, struggling to agree on even limited expressions of support for the rights of gay and transgender people.
Prince Harry and Meghan Say They Were Chased by Paparazzi in New York
The statement was alarming, unmistakably evocative of the car chase that killed Princess Diana 26 years ago: Prince Harry and his wife Meghan had been “involved in a near catastrophic car chase at the hands of a ring of highly aggressive paparazzi,” according to an unnamed spokesperson for the couple. That story, of a chaotic and dangerous pursuit through midtown Manhattan, New York, on Tuesday night, ricocheted all over the world Wednesday morning, making headlines on both sides of the Atlantic. But as more details emerged Wednesday from the accounts of the police and a taxi driver who was briefly involved, the picture became more complicated.
By wire sources