The 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals has granted a temporary reprieve to access to the abortion pill mifepristone, allowing the FDA's initial approval of the drug to remain in place but with tighter rules than before. The ruling leaves considerable uncertainty over access to the drug, but it does provide a temporary solution until the full case is heard.
Posts tagged as “The Justice Department”
A federal appeals court has partially granted a request to freeze parts of a Texas judge’s order that would have suspended the US Food and Drug Administration’s approval of a medication abortion drug, mifepristone. The court’s order will keep the approval in effect and the drug on the market while an expedited appeal plays out, but under tighter rules that would allow the drug only to be dispensed up to seven weeks, not 10, and not by mail. The decision is expected to be appealed to the Supreme Court.
Nine media organizations, including CNN, have filed a lawsuit in federal court against the FBI and US Attorney's Offices at the Justice Department for access to surveillance tapes of the Capitol Hill riot on January 6, 2021. The tapes, which have been provided exclusively to Fox News, contain 44,000 hours of footage and the plaintiffs argue that they should be made available to all media outlets. The lawsuit argues that the tapes are of public interest and the media outlets have diligently sought access to them for the past two years.
The FBI is investigating a major leak of classified Pentagon documents that have been shared on social media sites, which the Justice Department is looking into. CBS News has reviewed some of the leaked documents, and the Biden administration is assessing and containing the fallout. The Pentagon is reviewing the matter and tightening the flow of such documents, while the FBI is trying to track down the source of the leak.
The Gang of Eight, a bipartisan group of congressional leaders, has been granted access to classified documents found in the possession of former President Donald Trump, President Joe Biden, and former Vice President Mike Pence. The documents are expected to provide insight into the activities of the three former officials, and the handling of the documents is under federal investigation. It is unclear what the documents contain, or if they will be made public.
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.
The Department of Justice has filed a request in a federal appeals court to block a ruling from a Trump-appointed judge that would have endangered access to the abortion pill mifepristone. The Biden administration is arguing that the ruling is "extraordinary and unprecedented" and should be stayed pending appeal. The FDA approved mifepristone in 2000 and it has since become one of the most commonly used abortion pills, used in combination with another drug to terminate a pregnancy.
The Pentagon and US Department of Justice are investigating the leak of classified documents related to Ukraine's war effort and military strength. The documents, which were posted on social media, cover a range of topics from US support for Ukraine to information about key US allies. It is unclear at this time who is responsible for the leak or what the consequences may be.