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Manhunt for US shooter presses on, leaving small town in fear
Thousands of anxious small-town Maine residents began a second day under lockdown Friday as police waging a sprawling manhunt struggled to find a US Army reservist accused of killing 18 people in America’s deadliest mass shooting this year. Dozens of law enforcement agents surrounded the family home of the suspect, Robert Card, 40, but by mid-evening agents left the property in Bowdoin, near Lewiston, Maine, to hunt for him elsewhere. A wide area around Lewiston remained locked down Friday, more than 24 hours after Card allegedly went on a rampage in which 13 people were also wounded. People in Lewiston were on edge, buzzing with talk of Card and the massacre. "Uneasy," said resident Jeremy Hiltz, when asked how he felt. "It's a small community . When something like this happens, everybody knows somebody" affected." Authorities erected roadblocks, ordered schools and businesses closed, and told residents to stay indoors. Governor Janet Mills said the suspect was considered armed and dangerous. Card was seen in surveillance footage pointing a semi-automatic rifle as he walked into the Just-in-Time bowling alley on Wednesday. In early evening, law enforcement agents surrounded the Card family home in Bowdoin, bringing in armored vehicles, and sending up drones and a helicopter. State police warned "please come outside" and "we don't want anyone to get hurt" over a loudspeaker near the home, but later said the warnings were routine and not confirmation that Card was inside. One longtime neighbor, Dave Letarte, said news of the shooting "floored me." "I would have never expected that from him," he told AFP of Card. Joseph Walker, a manager at the Schemengees Bar & Grille, was among those killed Wednesday night, his father, Leroy Walker, told NBC News. Walker said his family was "suffering and dying in a nightmare we don't understand." "We were up all night. We didn't know where to go, who to turn to," he said. Terror at bowling alley One survivor told television reporters that he was 15 feet (5 meters) from the gunman when he opened fire at the bowling alley. He thought at first it was a balloon popping. "And as soon as I turned and saw it was not a balloon and he was holding a weapon, I just booked it down the lane and I slid basically into where the pins are and climbed up into the machine and was on top of the machines for about 10 minutes until the cops got there," he said. Card is a member of the US Army Reserve, but had not been deployed in any combat zone. US media reported that he had recently been sent for psychiatric treatment after he said he was hearing voices. Hundreds of police in military style camouflage gear, as well as FBI agents, flooded the search zone in what Lewiston police chief David St. Pierre called "an all-hands-on-deck approach." Republicans oppose new laws This latest shooting is one of the deadliest in the United States since 2017, when a gunman opened fire on a crowded music festival in Las Vegas, killing 60 people. Mass shootings are common in the United States, a country with more privately owned guns than people, and strong political opposition to even minor restrictions on access. The country has recorded at least 565 mass shootings this year, according to the Gun Violence Archive, a nongovernmental organization that defines a mass shooting as four or more people wounded or killed. President Joe Biden called Maine's governor to offer federal support, and ordered flags to be lowered to half-staff at the White House and all government buildings. Biden added that the gun violence that plagues the United States "is not normal, and we cannot accept it," urging lawmakers to pass a bill banning assault weapons and high-capacity magazines. A Maine Democrat who holds a seat in the US House of Representatives, Jared Golden, flipped on this ban, saying that after the shooting in his state his previous opposition to such a restriction, which is supported by most in his party, was a mistake. "I have opposed efforts to ban deadly weapons of war, like the assault rifle used to carry out this crime," Golden said Thursday. "The time has now come for me to take responsibility for this failure," he added. But in a reminder that Congress will not be considering stronger gun ownership laws anytime soon, the newly installed Republican speaker of the House of Representatives, Mike Johnson, told Fox News that the reason for so many mass shootings in the United States "is the human heart, not guns." The post Manhunt for US shooter presses on, leaving small town in fear appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Hunt for ‘armed and dangerous’ US gunman who killed 18
Hundreds of police in the US state of Maine hunted Thursday for a fugitive gunman who killed 18 people at a bowling alley and a bar, as President Joe Biden mourned "yet another senseless and tragic mass shooting." The rampage in the small northeastern city of Lewiston also left 13 people wounded, three critically, in the deadliest shooting this year in America. A wide area around Lewiston was locked down during the tense search as authorities erected roadblocks, ordered schools and businesses closed, and told residents to stay indoors. Governor Janet Mills said the suspect was "considered armed and dangerous, and police advised that Maine people should not approach him under any circumstances." "This attack strikes at the very heart of who we are and the values we hold dear," Mills told a press conference. "This is a dark day for Maine." Police named the suspect as 40-year-old Robert Card -- seen in surveillance footage pointing a semi-automatic rifle as he walked into the Sparetime Recreation bowling alley. Police converged on the home of Card's father in nearby Bowdoin early Thursday evening, closing off roads. One longtime neighbor, Dave Letarte, said news of the shooting "floored me." "I would have never expected that from him," he told AFP of the younger Card. Joseph Walker, a manager at the Schemengees Bar & Grille, was among those killed the night before, his father Leroy Walker told NBC News. Walker said his family was "suffering and dying in a nightmare we don't understand. "We were up all night. We didn't know where to go, who to turn to," he said. Terror at bowling alley News outlets broadcast footage of people fleeing in terror from the Sparetime Recreation bowling alley after the shooting started Wednesday evening. One survivor told television reporters that he was 15 feet (5 meters) from the gunman when he opened fire. He thought at first it was a balloon popping. "And as soon as I turned and saw it was not a balloon and he was holding a weapon, I just booked it down the lane and I slid basically into where the pins are and climbed up into the machine and was on top of the machines for about 10 minutes until the cops got there," he said. Card is a member of the US Army Reserve. US media reported that he had recently been sent for psychiatric treatment after he said he was hearing voices. Hundreds of police in military-style camouflage gear and FBI agents flooded the search zone in what Lewiston police chief David St. Pierre called "an all-hands-on-deck approach." "We continue to work tirelessly in bringing the situation to an end," he told reporters, vowing "to locate and hold the person accountable." Biden called Maine's governor to offer federal support and ordered flags to be lowered to half-staff at the White House and all government buildings. "Once again, our nation is in mourning after yet another senseless and tragic mass shooting," he said. Biden added that the gun violence that plagues the United States "is not normal, and we cannot accept it," urging lawmakers to pass a bill banning assault weapons and high-capacity magazines. Daily mass shootings Police and rescuers reportedly arrived at the Sparetime Recreation bowling alley at about 7:15 p.m. in response to an active shooter, and then received reports of another shooting at the Schemengees Bar & Grille. In surveillance images of Card at the bowling alley, he appeared calm and composed as he moved through the doorway with his rifle raised. Officers located a "vehicle of interest" -- a white sport utility vehicle -- in Lisbon, a town around eight miles (12 kilometers) from Lewiston. The shooting is one of the deadliest in the US since 2017, when a gunman opened fire on a crowded music festival in Las Vegas, killing 60 people. Mass shootings are alarmingly common in the United States, a country with more guns than people, and attempts to clamp down on their spread are always met with stiff resistance. The country has recorded at least 565 mass shootings this year, according to the Gun Violence Archive, a nongovernmental organization that defines a mass shooting as four or more people wounded or killed. Efforts to tighten gun controls routinely run up against opposition from Republicans, staunch defenders of the constitutional right to bear arms. The political paralysis endures despite widespread outrage over recurring shootings. The post Hunt for ‘armed and dangerous’ US gunman who killed 18 appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
How nations allow or restrict legal gender change
A small number of countries have made it easier for transgender people to change their legal gender, while other nations have restricted such changes, notably Russia and Pakistan. Here is a snapshot of the situation around the world. Exception, not the rule According to the International Lesbian and Gay Association (ILGA), 24 UN member states have legally allowed people to change their gender on the basis of self-identification. In about 40 other countries, the legal and administrative process can take years and may include requirements such as psychiatric diagnosis, hormone treatment, gender confirmation surgery, or even sterilization. Making it easier Argentina has led the way on transgender rights, allowing a change of gender on national ID cards with a simple declaration since 2012. Several Latin American countries have followed suit. Denmark was the first European country in 2014 to allow adults to apply for a gender change without undergoing medical or psychological assessments, with Belgium, Ireland, Malta, Norway, Portugal, and most recently Spain following suit. Since 2017, France has allowed transgender people to change their status on their ID documents without treatment, surgery, or sterilization but they must receive court approval. The issue of trans rights sparked a fierce row in 2022 in Scotland, where parliament passed a bill making it easier for people to self-identify their gender that was sensationally vetoed by London. The German cabinet in August 2023 signed off plans under which Germans will be able to change their name or legal gender by making a simple application to their local registry office. The law still has to go to parliament. Hesitating Sweden, one of the world's most liberal countries, was the first in the world to authorize physical and legal gender reassignment for adults in 1972. But last year it began restricting hormone therapy available for children diagnosed with gender dysphoria, such as puberty blockers, citing the need for caution following a strong increase in demand. It also restricted access to mastectomies for teenage girls wanting to transition. Finland in 2020 had already restricted hormone treatment for minors. Making it harder Russia adopted new legislation in July 2023 banning "medical interventions aimed at changing the sex of a person" and "the state registration of a change of gender without an operation". President Vladimir Putin has repeatedly railed against transgender rights in his speeches. Pakistan's religious judiciary ruled in May that landmark transgender legal protections from 2018 are un-Islamic and therefore void. An appeal is being sought with the Supreme Court. Pakistan continues to recognize the existence of a third gender, neither masculine nor feminine, as do India and Nepal. Restricting gender-affirming treatment, such as puberty blockers for minors, has become a major campaign of US conservatives. Arkansas in 2021 became the first US state to ban physicians and health workers from offering transition-related treatment to transgender minors. A federal judge in June overturned the ban. Around 20 states, including Florida and Texas, have passed similar laws. Anti-LGBTQ sentiment in Hungary has escalated during the rule of Viktor Orban's right-wing government. In May 2020, the country passed a law making it impossible for transgender people to change their name and gender on their ID documents. The post How nations allow or restrict legal gender change appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
House panel OKs bill penalizing use of corporal punishment against children
The House panel on the welfare of children has approved a bill banning the use of corporal punishment to discipline children — a measure that lawmakers and child rights advocates hope would deter incidents of child abuse within homes......»»
Abortion hotline ringing nonstop
The Miscarriage and Abortion Hotline is ringing nonstop since the United States Supreme Court’s revocation of the federal right to abortion a year ago led to 15 states banning or severely curtailing access to the procedure, Linda Prine, a New York doctor who co-founded the helpline in 2019, said. The USSC decision triggered a “huge bump” in call volume to the hotline, the physician told Agence France-Presse. The hotline also is now staffed by around 70 health care professionals on a voluntary rotational basis, providing advice and fielding questions from American women seeking to end their pregnancies. It started with 12 volunteers. Callers were women who must perform their own abortions alone at home, without seeing a doctor, because the procedure is now illegal in their states. Many patients call the hotline after taking the pills, to make sure the abortion actually worked. Pregnancy tests can remain positive for up to several weeks after an abortion, sometimes causing confusion. “Most of the time, we’re not really giving medical advice, we’re giving reassurance,” Prine said. Many women who call have not spoken to anybody else about their abortions for fear of being reported, she said. “You can just hear it in people’s voices, they are so grateful to have a place to talk to somebody who can answer their questions,” explained Prine. The telephone line is open 18 hours a day, every day. Most of the volunteers are general practitioners, and the patients remain anonymous. One of the patients that morning mentions calling from Texas, where abortion is now illegal, even in cases of rape. In the hotline’s first three years, they had only one or two calls from someone using pills at 18 weeks. “And now we will get a call like that once or twice a day sometimes,” she said. The US Food and Drug Administration has approved abortion pills for use up to 10 weeks since the end of the patient’s last menstrual cycle. For second trimester abortions, patients can be “in a total state of panic, because they’ve just passed a recognizable fetus and the umbilical cord is still there,” she said. The post Abortion hotline ringing nonstop appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
‘We want to be free’: Filipinos demand right to divorce
Philippine mother-of-three Stella Sibonga is desperate to end a marriage she never wanted. But divorce in the Catholic-majority country is illegal, and a court annulment takes years. The Philippines is the only place outside the Vatican where divorce is outlawed, with the Catholic Church -- which holds great influence on Philippine society -- opposing the practice as against its teachings. Those in favor of legalizing divorce say the ban makes it difficult to escape violent or otherwise abusive spouses, or even for couples to amicably cut ties. People wanting to end their marriage can ask a court for an annulment or a declaration that the nuptials were invalid from the start, but the government can appeal against those decisions. The legal process is slow and expensive -- cases can cost as much as $10,000 or more in a country plagued by poverty -- with no guarantee of success, and some people seeking a faster result fall for online scams. "I don't understand why it has to be this difficult," said Sibonga, who has spent 11 years trying to get out of a marriage that her parents forced her into after she became pregnant. Sibonga's legal battle began in 2012, when she applied to a court to cancel her marriage on the basis of her husband's alleged "psychological incapacity", one of the grounds for terminating a matrimony. After five years and $3,500 in legal fees, a judge finally agreed. The former domestic worker's relief was, however, short-lived. The Office of the Solicitor General, which as the government's legal representative is tasked with protecting the institution of marriage, successfully appealed the decision in 2019. Sibonga said she requested the Court of Appeals to reverse its ruling, but is still waiting for an answer. "Why are we, the ones who experienced suffering, abandonment and abuse, being punished by the law?" said Sibonga, 45, who lives near Manila. "All we want is to be free." 'Dysfunctional marriages' The most powerful opponent to divorce in the Philippines is the Catholic Church, which is also against abortion and contraceptives. Around 78 percent of the country's 110 million people are Catholic, according to official census data, and many politicians are wary of contradicting the Church on sensitive social issues. But Congress has scored significant wins in recent years. A controversial birth control law was passed in 2012, despite strong opposition from the Church. And in 2018, majority and opposition parties in the House of Representatives approved a divorce bill that later stalled in the Senate. It was the first time such a proposal had got that far. Surveys conducted by polling company Social Weather Stations show a shift in Philippine attitudes towards divorce. In 2005, 43 percent of Filipinos supported legalizing divorce "for irreconcilably separated couples", while 45 percent disagreed. The same survey in 2017 showed 53 percent in favor, while only 32 percent disagreed. A group of lawmakers is now leading a fresh push to legalize divorce, with several bills filed in the House and the Senate. "We are not destroying any marriage," said Edcel Lagman, a congressman and author of one of the bills. Lagman said divorce was for "dysfunctional marriages beyond repair" and legalizing it would enable women and their children to escape "intolerant and abusive husbands". Before he was elected, President Ferdinand Marcos said the country should consider allowing divorce, but insisted it should not be easy. Annulment scams The burdensome process for getting a court order to end a marriage has spawned online scams offering to secure a quick ruling without time-consuming court appearances. AFP fact checkers found numerous Facebook posts spreading false information about the legal process for annulment in order to attract clients, underscoring a growing global trend of fraudsters profiting off disinformation. One victim told AFP she was charged the equivalent of $2,400 for an annulment service that turned out to be fake. She is now considering converting to Islam in the hope of securing a divorce under Muslim law. "I'm really trying every possible option just to be single again," she told AFP on the condition of anonymity. "Annulment takes so long, it's so expensive and it's not guaranteed, so I'm seeking a more convenient way." Family law specialist Katrina Legarda said the number of people falling for bogus services showed there was a "dire need" for new legislation. But Father Jerome Secillano, of the Catholic Bishops' Conference of the Philippines, said the nation should be "proud" to be the only country outside the Vatican "holding on to the traditional concept of marriage". "There will always be imperfections in a relationship," he said. Secillano said divorcing an abusive partner would "perpetuate the violence" because the perpetrator would go on to abuse their next partner. "You are not actually curing the disease itself," he said. 'I'm a sinner' Sibonga was raised a Catholic, but stopped attending church to avoid accusations of adultery. She has a long-term boyfriend, but cannot tie the knot with him until her first marriage is legally terminated. That her case has dragged on for so long is not unusual in the Philippines, where a creaky justice system can take years to resolve even minor issues. "People think that because I am still technically married, I'm a sinner," she said. "They really believe that what God has united cannot be separated. Really? Even if your husband is trying to kill you, even after everything he's done, divorce is still not allowed?" Sibonga said her relationship with her husband had been traumatic and had pushed her to attempt suicide twice. She does not want her children to marry until divorce is allowed. "I told them they can cohabitate and have as many children as they want, but I won't ever consent to them getting married," she said. "I just don't want them to end up like me." The post ‘We want to be free’: Filipinos demand right to divorce appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Solon wants plastic straws ban
A lawmaker is pushing for banning the use of drinking plastic straws in all restaurants, hotels, inns, fast food centers, eateries, and similar establishments. Senate Bill 2209 or the Plastic Straws Act, filed by Senator Cynthia Villar, seeks to reassess consumption patterns of plastic straws with the “principles of sustainability and environmental stewardship.” The bill also provides penalties to serve as a deterrent against non-compliant establishments as it mandates the Department of Environment and Natural Resources to develop the implementing rules and regulations, in order to foster effective implementation of the legislative measure. Villar, who chairs the Senate Committee on Environment, Natural Resources and Climate Change, stressed that plastic pollution poses a considerable challenge to a balanced and healthful ecology. Single-use items like drinking straws can add up to the country’s plastic pollution—causing significant harm to diverse species and human health, she said. “Having other choices besides plastic straws makes it both possible and urgent for us to make a change. This switch to greener options is an important move we could make now to ensure a sustainable future,” Villar said. The post Solon wants plastic straws ban appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Dialogue sought over `no permit, no exam’ policy
The Council of Teachers and Staff of Colleges and Universities in the Philippines or COTESCUP on Tuesday suggested a sectoral dialogue among government, school administrators, teachers and students in deciding on policies for the country’s education system. In a Radyo Pilipinas interview, COTESCUP lead convenor Rene Luis Tadle said that the government has mostly been responsive to private schools in crafting policies in the conduct of operations and business in the education sector, but less attention has been given to teachers and students. “We feel that government agencies have become hostage to the private sectors, especially private schools. They listen to them more than the teachers and students who are also key stakeholders in the education system,” Tadle said. Tadle was mainly talking about their stance on the proposed bills that ban the practice of ‘No Permit, No Exam’ policies which prevent students who have pending payments from taking their exams. COTESCUP has already released a statement on Monday refuting the concerns of the Coordinating Council of Private Educational Associations of the Philippines over the effects of such laws in the operations of private schools. During the interview, Tadle recalled the case of Behavioral Sciences student Kristel Tejada from the University of the Philippines-Manila, whose suicide in 2013 over problems in the payment of her tuition, leading to her filing a leave of absence prior to her death. “Let me tell you directly, the youth are not to blame for the obligation of the parents to pay such fees, that they will be the one carrying the burden that would cause them such embarrassment,” he said. He expounded on their group’s arguments against the concerns of private school groups such as COCOPEA, saying that they could actually collect tuition fees, which has been a recognized power of educational institutions. “If a student wasn’t able to pay on time, they can actually collect that. They have the transcript. They are allowed to hold the TOR of the student until the student pays. In fact, they could also refuse enrollment for the student. There are ways to collect fees later. It will take them a little time, but the law is enough for them to collect,” he explained. Tadle also urged lawmakers to pass a piece of legislation compelling private educational institutions to release financial statements, saying that while such schools are benefitting from the assistance given by the government, teachers are still bearing the brunt of low salaries. Meanwhile, the Davao Association of Catholic Schools said in a statement that the Senate version on the banning of the ‘No Permit, No Exam’ policy – Senate Bill Number 1359 – provides a ‘deceptive’ perception of it being pro-student, arguing that it will not solve the issue and students and parents will still need to settle such payments. Signed by DACS President Br. Noelvic Deloria and DACS Advocacy Chairperson Fr. Joel Tabora, the organization proposed more scholarships, soft long-term loans, assistance in innovative research and entrepreneurial investments, and aid in providing adequate facilities and equipment to schools. “Students disadvantaged by poverty are not helped by postponing their contractual obligations. Legislation can alleviate the obligations for the deserving, or remove them altogether. It is wise to allow the private schools to continue operating their schools in the manner they, their clientele and their stakeholders freely agree on,” they said in a statement. The post Dialogue sought over `no permit, no exam’ policy appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Teachers group: No permit, no exam policy ‘inhumane and immoral’
The Council of Teachers and Staff of Colleges and Universities in the Philippines or COTESCUP on Monday expressed disapproval over concerns raised by the Coordinating Council of Private Educational Associations of the Philippines or COCOPEA on the proposed banning of the ‘No Permit, No Exam’ policy in schools. COCOPEA, in a statement on 4 April, argued that the implementation of Senate Bill 1359 and House Bill 7584, both bills prohibiting the ‘No Permit, No Exam’ policy, would affect the collection of tuition and other fees that support the operations of private schools, hence resulting in possible school closures and loss of thousands of jobs. However, COTESCUP argued that such bans would not affect the operations of private schools, but the continuation of the policy will bring burden to many more students, calling it ‘inhumane and immoral.’ “The mental and emotional effects of students’ inability to take their exams without a permit cannot be understated. We firmly believe that students, especially children, should not be exposed to ridiculed and public shame,” COTESCUP said. “As educators, we in COTESCUP cannot agree to be accomplices to such an immoral act,” the council added. Bills on the banning of the “No Permit, No Exam” policy is nearing completion in the legislative floor, with SB 1359 already been approved by the Senate while HB 7584 has been approved on second reading, both occurred last March. The Senate Bill covers both basic and higher educational institutions, while the House Bill explicitly covers elementary and secondary learners. The post Teachers group: No permit, no exam policy ‘inhumane and immoral’ appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
US Justice Department taking abortion pill fight to Supreme Court
The US Justice Department said Thursday that it will go to the Supreme Court to appeal restrictions imposed on a widely-used abortion pill in the latest round of a fierce battle over reproductive rights. The decision by President Joe Biden's administration came just hours after an appeals court rejected moves to ban mifepristone outright, but imposed a series of measures restricting access to the pill. As the Justice Department prepared an emergency filing with the nation's highest court, the White House slammed a Florida bill that would ban abortion in the third most populous state after six weeks, before many women even know they are pregnant. White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said the bill passed on Thursday by the Republican-controlled legislature in Florida was "extreme and dangerous" and "flies in the face of fundamental freedoms." More than a dozen US states have passed laws severely restricting abortion since the conservative-dominated Supreme Court last year overturned the landmark Roe v. Wade ruling that had enshrined the constitutional right to abortion for half a century. Mifepristone, which was approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in 2000 and accounts for more than half the abortions in the United States, has become the centerpiece of the country's latest clash over women's reproductive freedom. Attorney General Merrick Garland said the Justice Department will seek "emergency relief from the Supreme Court to defend the FDA's scientific judgment and protect Americans' access to safe and effective reproductive care." Speaking to reporters during Biden's visit to Dublin, Ireland, Jean-Pierre said "we believe that the law is on our side, and we will prevail." Late Wednesday, the US Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals said mifepristone, also known as RU 486, should remain available pending a full hearing of the case, but limited access to the first seven weeks of pregnancy, down from 10. The appeals court also said in-person visits would be necessary to obtain the pill -- a requirement lifted in recent years -- and blocked the medication from being sent by mail. The 2-1 ruling by the conservative-majority appeals court in New Orleans, Louisiana, came after a US District Court judge in Texas overturned the FDA's two-decades-old approval of the drug last Friday. 'Furious' The appeals court said anti-abortion opponents had waited too long to challenge the drug's approval by the FDA but gave them a victory of sorts by imposing restrictions on its use, a move denounced by groups seeking to maintain access to abortion. "We are furious that yet another court would choose to jeopardize the health and futures of the millions of people who rely on mifepristone for abortion care," said Planned Parenthood president Alexis McGill Johnson. Jennifer Dalven, director of the ACLU Reproductive Freedom Project, said "unless the Supreme Court steps in, this decision will prevent many people from getting abortion care and force them to remain pregnant against their will." The anti-abortion group Susan B. Anthony described the appeals court ruling by two judges appointed by former Republican president Donald Trump as a "win." "The court recognized that the abortion pill is dangerous and rolled back Biden's reckless mail-order abortion scheme," said Susan B. Anthony state policy director Katie Daniel. Mifepristone is one component of a two-drug regimen that can be used in the United States through the first 10 weeks of pregnancy. It has a long safety record, and the FDA estimates 5.6 million Americans have used it to terminate pregnancies since it was approved. 'Unborn human' Last week's ruling by Judge Matthew Kacsmaryk, also a Trump appointee, seeking to impose a nationwide ban on mifepristone came in response to a suit by a coalition of anti-abortion groups. The judge, in his decision, adopted language used by abortion opponents, saying the drug was used to "kill the unborn human." Kacsmaryk said the two-drug regimen that includes mifepristone had resulted in "thousands of adverse events suffered by women and girls," including intense bleeding and psychological trauma. But the FDA, researchers, and the drugmaker say decades of experience have proven the medication to be safe and effective when used as indicated. The Biden administration and leading pharmaceutical and biotech companies also argued that Kacsmaryk's ruling risked undermining the entire drug approval authority of the FDA. "If this decision stands, no medication -- from chemotherapy drugs to asthma medicine, to blood pressure pills, to insulin -- would be safe from attacks," said Vice President Kamala Harris. Polls repeatedly show a clear majority of Americans support continued access to safe abortion, even as conservative groups push to limit access to the procedure -- or ban it outright. The post US Justice Department taking abortion pill fight to Supreme Court appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Senate urged to pass tougher, more comprehensive bill banning single-use plastics
A petition signed by nearly 58,000 individuals was also sent to Senate President Vicente Sotto III to pass a bill that will address the problem from the very first stages—at extraction and production......»»
Argentina pumabor sa aborsyon
Pinahihintulutan na ang ligal na aborsyon sa Argentina matapos pirmahan ni President Alberto Fernandez ang abortion bill. The post Argentina pumabor sa aborsyon first appeared on Abante......»»
Bill filed over medical charges
An official has filed a bill that aims to protect patients and their families and to plug the leaks in the state health insurance fund by banning “suprise medical billings” and the provision of “unexpected” services at inflated rates......»»
Argentine activists celebrate landmark abortion bill
Pro-choice activists celebrated on the streets on Wednesday as Argentina joined a handful of South American nations to legalize abortion, a landmark decision in a country where the Catholic Church has long held sway......»»
Argentine Senate debates landmark abortion bill
Argentina's Senate on Tuesday debated a landmark bill on whether to legalize abortion in a country where the Catholic Church has long held sway, with the vote expected to be razor-thin......»»
Argentina s Catholics, evangelicals unite against abortion bill
At the entrance to Argentina's Congress is a plaque reminding legislators that Our Lady of Lujan is the patron saint of the country's political parties---a not-so-subtle nod to religion in a nation considering whether to allow abortions......»»
Argentina’s Catholics, evangelicals unite against abortion bill
BUENOS AIRES, Argentina — At the entrance to Argentina’s Congress is a plaque reminding legislators that Our Lady of Lujan is the patron saint of the country’s political parties — a not-so-subtle nod to religion in a nation considering whether to allow abortions. As Argentina’s Senate prepares to vote on a bill that would legalize the […] The post Argentina’s Catholics, evangelicals unite against abortion bill appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
MMA coach reiterates: NSAs ensure safety amid bill banning minors from combat sports
Team Lakay head coach Mark Sangiao assured that National Sports Associations (NSAs) are putting safety of their athletes, especially the youth, at the utmost priority......»»
Team Lakay champs slam bill banning minors from full-contact sports
Famed Baguio stable Team Lakay, which has produced more than a few world champions in various MMA promotions across the world, recently shared their thoughts on the controversial bill which goes into the first reading on Wednesday......»»
Philippine Olympic chief blasts bill banning minors from participating in combat sports
Philippine Olympic Committee president Abraham Tolentino on Sunday said the proposal is regressive and counter productive since most of the country’s best hopes in the international competition, including the Olympics comes from full-contact events......»»