logo
New York, other states urge FDA to expand access to abortion pill

New York, other states urge FDA to expand access to abortion pill

Yahoo05-06-2025
By Jonathan Stempel
NEW YORK (Reuters) -The attorneys general of New York, California, Massachusetts and New Jersey asked the Food and Drug Administration to expand access to the abortion pill mifepristone, and remove outdated restrictions still in place 25 years after its approval.
Thursday's petition came after Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr told Congress last month he directed FDA Commissioner Marty Makary to review the pill, saying "alarming" new data suggested at minimum that the label should be changed.
Mifepristone, together with the drug misoprostol, won FDA approval in 2000 for medication abortion in the first 10 weeks of pregnancy.
Medication abortions account for more than half of U.S. abortions, though 28 states restrict access according to the nonprofit Guttmacher Institute, which focuses on reproductive health.
The petition challenges FDA requirements that mifepristone prescribers be included in national and local abortion provider lists, patients attest in writing that they intend to end their pregnancies, and pharmacies perform a variety of recordkeeping.
New York Attorney General Letitia James said the FDA's Risk Evaluation and Mitigation Strategy program imposes "medically unnecessary" rules that keep mifepristone out of reach of most primary care settings.
She called the problem particularly acute in rural and other areas where getting abortions often requires lengthy travel.
"There is simply no scientific or medical reason to subject it to such extraordinary restrictions," James said, referring to mifepristone. "The FDA must follow the science."
Many states, primarily Republican-led or leaning, have restricted or substantially eliminated abortions in the three years since the U.S. Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade, the 1973 decision that legalized the procedure nationwide.
The White House under Republican President Donald Trump has largely sided with abortion opponents, though Trump said during his 2024 campaign he did not plan to limit access to mifepristone.
Last month, the administration asked a federal judge to dismiss, on procedural grounds, a lawsuit by three generally Republican states seeking to narrow such access.
That lawsuit began during the administration of Democratic President Joe Biden, who generally supported abortion access.
Seventeen other Democratic-led or -leaning states plus Washington, D.C. are separately suing the FDA in Spokane, Washington to loosen restrictions on mifepristone.
They said doctors and pharmacies should be able to dispense the pill, as with most drugs, without special certifications.
On May 30, the Trump administration urged a dismissal, saying the states didn't show the FDA's policy was flawed or the agency ignored important evidence.
Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

Texas Lawmaker Files Recreational Cannabis Legalization Bill
Texas Lawmaker Files Recreational Cannabis Legalization Bill

Forbes

timea few seconds ago

  • Forbes

Texas Lawmaker Files Recreational Cannabis Legalization Bill

A Texas lawmaker has introduced a bill to legalize marijuana as the legislature reconvenes for a ... More special legislative session called by Gov. Greg Abbott. A Texas lawmaker last week introduced legislation to legalize recreational cannabis for adults. The measure, HB 195, was filed in the Texas House of Representatives by Democratic Rep. Jessica González on July 24. González filed the new bill as the Texas legislature met in a special session called by Republican Gov. Greg Abbott. The governor called for the special session last month to renew deliberations on several issues from this year's regular legislative session, including the regulation of hemp products marketed for human consumption. HB 195 Legalizes Weed For Adults If passed by the legislature and signed into law, HB 195 would legalize recreational marijuana in Texas for adults aged 21 and older, online cannabis news source Marijuana Moment reported on Thursday. The measure would allow adults to possess up to 2.5 ounces of cannabis, including up to 15 grams of marijuana concentrates. Adults would also be permitted to share the same quantities of cannabis, provided such exchanges are not advertised, promoted or paid for. Adults would be permitted to keep up to 10 ounces of cannabis at home, although amounts over 2.5 ounces would have to be kept in a locked or secured area. The measure does not legalize home cannabis cultivation, however. Legislation Authorizes Regulated Sales Of Recreational Marijuana The legislation also legalizes commercial production and sales of recreational cannabis, which would be regulated by the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation (DLR). The agency would be tasked with issuing licenses for cannabis growers, transporters, testing facilities, processors and retailers, beginning no later than November 1, 2026. The Texas Commission of Licensing and Regulation, which oversees the DLR, would be responsible for drafting regulations to govern the cannabis industry. The bill mandates the adoption of regulations covering several issues, including requirements for child-resistant packaging. Marijuana product packaging would also be required to be labeled as cannabis and would be barred from resembling the packaging of commercial candy products. The commission would also be required to develop regulations for a track-and-trace system to monitor cannabis products as they travel through the supply chain. The legislation also mandates rules covering the security of cannabis facilities, restricting dangerous pesticides, and the advertising and display of cannabis products. HB 195 also mandates the distribution of taxes and fees collected from the legal cannabis industry. The DLR would receive 10% of revenue to oversee and administer the state's legal cannabis program. Another 10% would go to the Texas Department of Safety to oversee cannabis laboratory testing, while 20% would go to municipalities and counties with at least one licensed cannabis business. The remainder of revenue collected would be earmarked for the Texas Education Agency's Foundation School Program. The Texas State Capitol in Austin. Bill Gives Local Governments Some Control Over Cannabis Businesses Cannabis businesses would only be permitted in jurisdictions where the local government has authorized commercial cannabis activity. Local governments would also be allowed to set rules governing the number, operating hours and location of cannabis businesses in their jurisdiction. The legislation allows property owners to ban cannabis smoking on the premises. However, bans on other forms of cannabis consumption, cannabis possession or marijuana paraphernalia are not permitted. The bill does not legalize consuming cannabis in a motor vehicle, watercraft or aircraft. Consuming cannabis in a public place would also remain illegal except in areas authorized by local governments. Texas Cannabis Activists Laud New Legalization Bill Heather Fazio, director of the Texas Cannabis Policy Center, applauded the introduction of HB 195. 'As we continue the conversation about hemp regulation, we appreciate Rep. Gonzalez's bill to simply legalize and regulate cannabis across the board,' Fazio told Marijuana Moment. 'Her bill cuts to the chase: cannabis should be legal for adult use. Not more arrests. No more criminal records. And no more confusing policies. Just safe, legal cannabis in Texas.' HB 195 is awaiting assignment to a legislative committee in the Texas House of Representatives. If the measure is passed and signed into law, Texas will join the 24 states that have legalized recreational marijuana. Last month, lawmakers significantly expanded the state's medical cannabis program, making the Lone Star State the 40th state to adopt comprehensive medical marijuana legalization.

Big Take: Tariffs Risk $2 Trillion Hit to Global GDP
Big Take: Tariffs Risk $2 Trillion Hit to Global GDP

Bloomberg

timea few seconds ago

  • Bloomberg

Big Take: Tariffs Risk $2 Trillion Hit to Global GDP

For months, the impact of President Trump's aggressive trade policy has largely felt theoretical. But with an Aug. 1 tariff extension on the horizon and a consequential week ahead for the president's broader economic agenda, the cracks are beginning to show. On today's Big Take podcast, Bloomberg senior economic writer Shawn Donnan joins David Gura to break down the tariff fallout hiding in plain sight, and which sectors and countries are being hit the hardest.

Trump's CIA chief teases critical new evidence in long-running Russiagate 'hoax'
Trump's CIA chief teases critical new evidence in long-running Russiagate 'hoax'

Fox News

timea few seconds ago

  • Fox News

Trump's CIA chief teases critical new evidence in long-running Russiagate 'hoax'

CIA Director John Ratcliffe suggested Sunday that the statute of limitations would not likely interfere with prosecutions against key figures implicated in Russiagate, telling "Sunday Morning Futures" host Maria Bartiromo that some testimonies that propelled the Trump-Russia collusion narrative occurred within the last five years. He also hinted at more evidence to come. "John Brennan testified to John Durham in August of 2020. He also testified to the House Oversight Committee in 2022. Hillary Clinton testified before John Durham under oath in 2022. James Comey testified before the Senate Committee in September 2020. "All of that's within the last five years and much of that testimony is frankly completely inconsistent with what our underlying intelligence that is about to be declassified in the Durham Annex [reflects]," he said, teasing the release of the "classified annex" of the John Durham report. Ratcliffe said that intelligence will showcase intent to accelerate the Steele Dossier into intelligence community assessments and as the basis for Crossfire Hurricane. The "Steele Dossier" was authored by ex-British intelligence officer Christopher Steele and was funded by Clinton's presidential campaign and the Democratic National Committee through the law firm Perkins Coie. Bartiromo pressed on, asking Ratcliffe to clarify whether there is still an opportunity for indictments, potential prosecutions and "accountability" for Brennan, Comey and Clinton, to which he replied, "That's why I've made the referrals that I have." "DNI Gabbard has made referrals. And we're going to continue to share the intelligence that would support the ability of our Department of Justice to bring fair and just claims against those who have perpetrated this hoax against the American people and this stain on our country." A spokesperson for Clinton did not respond to Fox News Digital's request for comment in time for publication. Comey and Brennan did not respond to Fox News Digital's prior requests for comment regarding the Trump administration's accusations. Former prosecutor Andy McCarthy told Fox News last week that following through on legal action against former President Barack Obama, who was also mentioned by name in the accusations brought forth by the Trump administration, would be a tall order. "The scandal here... is they had a legitimate reason to investigate Russia's meddling in the election and what they did was they used that as a pretext to basically investigate Trump to spy on his presidency and to try to make him an ineffective president," McCarthy told "Fox & Friends" last Thursday. "That's why it's a terrible political dirty trick," he continued. "The issue again is… is it prosecutable? And I just don't see it." Former President Obama dismissed the Trump administration's claims with a statement. Congressional Democrats have also railed against the claims. Rep. Jim Himes, D-Conn., a ranking member on the House Intelligence Committee, for instance, criticized Gabbard's claims as "baseless." Virginia Sen. Mark Warner, ranking Democrat on the Senate Intelligence Committee, accused Gabbard of "weaponizing her position to amplify the president's election conspiracy theories."

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into a world of global content with local flavor? Download Daily8 app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store