The Senate Judiciary Committee has called on Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts to investigate Justice Clarence Thomas for failing to disclose 20 years' worth of lavish gifts and luxury travel from a GOP megadonor. The Committee, chaired by Dick Durbin, is also planning to hold a hearing on the need to restore public confidence in the Supreme Court. The ProPublica report revealed that Thomas had failed to disclose the gifts and trips as required by law, sparking the latest development in a long-running controversy surrounding the Supreme Court's ethics standards.
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Nashville Metro Council has voted to reappoint Tennessee Democratic Rep. Justin Jones to the state House, following his expulsion from the House last Thursday for participating in a peaceful gun protest. Supporters of Jones gathered to show their support, and the vote is a sign of solidarity with the young, Black men who were silenced for speaking out against gun violence.
Tennessee state Rep. Justin Jones, who was expelled from the GOP-dominated House of Representatives last week, is shocked at reports of legislators threatening local officials with funding cuts if he is reappointed. Rep. Gloria Johnson, who also participated in the protest, survived the vote and was not expelled. The Metro Council is meeting Monday to consider reappointing Rep. Jones, and the outcome of the meeting will show whether they stand up to the threats made by the state legislature.
The Senate Judiciary Committee has announced plans to hold a hearing in the coming days to address the need to restore public confidence in the Supreme Court's ethical standards, following ProPublica's reporting that Justice Clarence Thomas accepted luxury travel from a billionaire without disclosing it. The 11 Democratic members of the Committee have urged Chief Justice John Roberts to open an investigation into Thomas' conduct, believing that the public has a right to know about the trips and that the Supreme Court should be held to the highest ethical standards. The hearing will be an important step in restoring public confidence in the Supreme Court.
A U.S. District Court judge in Texas ruled that the FDA's approval of mifepristone was illegal, sparking a debate over the future of abortion access in the United States. Democrats have called on the Biden administration to ignore the ruling, but the administration has yet to announce what action it will take. The FDA is expected to make a statement soon.
The Justice Department has asked a federal judge in Washington state to clarify an order that the FDA maintain the availability of the abortion pill in more than a dozen states, in direct opposition to a Texas decision. A coalition of Democratic attorneys general had filed suit to lift restrictions on the drug, and the Justice Department is now seeking clarification on the order. It remains to be seen how the court will respond and how it will affect the availability of the drug in the states involved.
Biden Administration Prepares to Defend FDA Approval of Abortion Drug Despite Federal Judge’s Ruling
Biden Administration Prepares to Defend FDA Approval of Abortion Drug Despite Federal Judge’s Ruling
The Biden administration has responded to a recent ruling from a federal judge in Texas that suspended the approval of a medication drug used for abortion. Rep. Nancy Mace, a Republican congresswoman, has urged the FDA to ignore the ruling, while Jones, spokeswoman for the Department of Health and Human Services, stated that the agency is prepared to defend the approval through the legal process. The FDA has not yet commented on the ruling or the administration's response, leaving the future of the drug uncertain.
The Tennessee House of Representatives is set to reconvene Monday, with the Nashville Metropolitan Council meeting to consider the recent expulsion of two young Black lawmakers. The expulsion, which was a two-thirds majority vote cast by their Republican colleagues, has sparked national attention to racial dynamics in the state's top legislative body. Demonstrators are expected to gather at the Capitol to protest the expulsion and the outcome of the Council's meeting is yet to be seen.