The Full Belmonte, 4/13/2023
Appeals court keeps mifepristone on the market but sharply limits access
The court prohibited its use beyond seven weeks of pregnancy and barred its distribution by mail.
The abortion drug Mifepristone is pictured in an abortion clinic February 17, 2006 in Auckland, New Zealand. | Phil Walter/Getty Images
By KYLE CHENEY and JOSH GERSTEIN
“A federal appeals court agreed late Tuesday to maintain the availability of an abortion pill but only under strict conditions that prohibit its use beyond seven weeks of pregnancy and bar its distribution by mail.
In a 42-page order, the three-judge panel of the 5th Circuit Court of Appeals agreed to temporarily block the central aspect of a Texas-based federal judge’s ruling that reversed the FDA’s 2000 approval of the drug — mifepristone. But by a 2-1 vote, the panel also permitted other aspects of the lower-court ruling to take effect that would block a seven-year effort by the FDA to widen access to the drug.
Among the policies temporarily blocked by the court’s order: the FDA’s decision to expand mifepristone’s availability from seven to 10 weeks of pregnancy; narrowing from three to one the number of in-person office visits required for a mifepristone prescription; allowing non-physicians to prescribe or administer the drug; and eliminating a requirement for prescribers to report ‘non-fatal adverse events’ related to mifepristone.
Reining in the drug’s availability while keeping it on the market is likely to dramatically diminish its usefulness to patients seeking to terminate pregnancies in Republican-led states where severe restrictions on abortion kicked in or were passed after the Supreme Court overturned the federal constitutional right to abortion last June….” Read more at POLITICO
The man who leaked secret U.S. documents worked on a military base, a friend said.
“What documents? Dozens of classified intelligence files that surfaced on a chat app and spread online. They exposed sensitive details about U.S. spying and Ukraine’s war with Russia.
What we know: The leaker is a gun enthusiast in his early to mid-20s. He allegedly shared the files with members of an invitation-only Discord group, The Post reported yesterday.
What happens now? The Justice Department is investigating the leak.” [Washington Post]
After calls to resign, Feinstein seeks Judiciary replacement
By MICHAEL R. BLOOD
FILE - Sen. Dianne Feinstein, D-Calif., leaves a classified briefing on China, at the Capitol in Washington, Wednesday, Feb. 15, 2023. A Democratic congressman from California is calling on Sen. Feinstein to step down because of health problems. Rep. Ro Khanna says in a tweet, "We need to put the country ahead of personal loyalty. While she has had a lifetime of public service, it is obvious she can no longer fulfill her duties. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite, File)
“LOS ANGELES (AP) — Recuperating U.S. Sen. Dianne Feinstein of California asked Wednesday to be temporarily replaced on the Judiciary Committee, shortly after two House Democrats called on her to resign after her extended absence from Washington.
In a statement, the long-serving Democratic senator said her recovery from a case of shingles she disclosed in early March had been delayed because of complications. She provided no date for her return to the Senate and said she had asked Majority Leader Chuck Schumer to ask the Senate to allow another Democratic senator to serve in her committee seat until she was able to return.
‘I intend to return as soon as possible once my medical team advises that it’s safe for me to travel,’ Feinstein said. ‘In the meantime, I remain committed to the job and will continue to work from home in San Francisco.’
Feinstein’s decision to seek a committee stand-in during her recovery comes amid increasing anxiety within her party that her lengthy absence has damaged Democratic efforts to confirm President Joe Biden’s nominees for federal courts in a narrowly divided chamber.
She is the oldest member of Congress, at 89.
California Rep. Ro Khanna, one of two Democratic House members who called Wednesday for Feinstein to resign, said in a statement Wednesday: ‘This is a moment of crisis for women’s rights and voting rights. It’s unacceptable to have Sen. Feinstein miss vote after vote to confirm judges who will uphold reproductive rights.’….” Read more at AP News
Second of two Tennessee lawmakers expelled by Republican majority reappointed
“Justin Pearson, one of two Black Democratic state legislators whose expulsion earlier this month by Tennessee’s Republican-led House provoked a national backlash, was reappointed Wednesday to his seat in the state’s House of Representatives. Seven of Shelby County's attending commissioners unanimously voted for Pearson, D-Memphis, to fill the interim seat in Tennessee's District 86. With the vote, Pearson will join Rep. Justin Jones, D-Nashville, who returned to the House Monday backed by Nashville’s Metro Council. Both had been removed for leading gun-reform protests on the chamber floor following last month’s mass shooting at a Nashville elementary school.” Read more at USA Today
Justin Pearson celebrates with supporters after being reinstated to the Tennessee House of Representatives by the Shelby County Board of Commissioners building in Memphis, Tenn., on Wednesday, April 12, 2023.
Grocery prices fell in March for the first time since 2020.
Grocery prices
“American consumers are finally seeing a dip in grocery prices for the first time since 2020, according to new data released Wednesday by the Bureau of Labor Statistics. The meats, poultry, fish and eggs index fell 1.4%, pulled down by another month of large decreases in egg prices. In previous months, the cost of eggs surged primarily due to avian flu, which constrained supply. Some egg producers were also taking advantage of the disruption by raising prices to boost profits. Among the other foods showing a decrease, fruits and vegetable prices fell 1.3%, and dairy products ticked down 0.1%. However, some other indexes like beverages, cereals and bakery products, went up. This comes as groceries still remain expensive on an annual basis as US consumers contend with high inflation.” [CNN]
Trump set to give 2nd deposition in New York fraud lawsuit
FILE - In this image from video provided by the New York State Attorney General, former President Donald Trump is sworn in for a deposition on Aug. 10, 2022, in New York. Trump is expected to visit the offices of New York Attorney General Letitia James on Thursday, April 13, 2023, for his second deposition in a legal battle over his company's business practices. (New York State Attorney General via AP, File)
“NEW YORK (AP) — Former President Donald Trump was expected to visit the offices of New York’s attorney general Thursday for his second deposition in a legal battle over his company’s business practices.
The Republican was scheduled to meet with lawyers for Attorney General Letitia James, who sued Trump last year. Her lawsuit claims Trump and his family misled banks and business associates by giving them false information about his net worth and the value of assets such as hotels and golf courses.
The lawsuit is unrelated to the felony criminal charges filed against Trump by the Manhattan district attorney, which led last week to his historic arraignment, the first for a former president.
Trump and his lawyers have said the Democrat’s lawsuit against him is politically motivated and legally baseless. He and the company have denied doing anything wrong. James declined to answer a question about the planned deposition at a news conference on an unrelated matter Wednesday….” Read more at AP News
Trump sues Michael Cohen for $500 million, alleging ex-attorney breached his contract
By Lauren del Valle and Devan Cole, CNN
“Former President Donald Trump is suing Michael Cohen for $500 million in damages for allegedly breaching his contract as Trump’s former personal attorney.
The lawsuit, filed in a Florida federal court on Wednesday, accuses Cohen of spreading false information about Trump and breaching his contractual obligations to the former president in Cohen’s public statements, published books, podcast series and other media appearances.
Cohen, Trump’s onetime ‘fixer,’ has recently reentered the national spotlight after Trump pleaded not guilty last week to 34 charges of falsifying business records following an investigation into hush money payments made to adult film star Stormy Daniels. The payments were coordinated by Cohen in the days before the 2016 election, and Cohen’s cooperation with prosecutors has drawn the ire of the former president.
‘Mr. Trump is once again using and abusing the judicial system as a form of harassment and intimidation against Michael Cohen,’ Lanny Davis, Cohen’s attorney, said in a statement.
‘Mr. Cohen will not be deterred and is confident that the suit will fail based on the facts and the law,’ he added.
Trump’s legal team said in the suit that the former president has ‘no alternative but to seek legal redress’ to combat an emboldened Cohen, who they allege has recently ramped up false statements about his former boss….” Read more at CNN
Schumer wants to regulate AI
Photo illustration: Shoshana Gordon/Axios. Photo: Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call via Getty Images
“Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer is taking early steps toward legislation to regulate artificial intelligence technology, Axios' Andrew Solender and Ashley Gold report.
Why it matters: The explosion in the development of generative AI systems has spurred alarm among lawmakers about AI's potential social, economic and security ramifications.
What's happening: Schumer is spearheading the congressional effort to shape legislation regulating AI, and circulated a broad framework among experts in recent weeks. The proposal would require:
Disclosure of who trained the algorithm, and the intended audience.
Disclosure of the data source.
An explanation for how it arrives at responses.
Transparent and strong ethical boundaries.
Zoom out: Industry experts and government officials have long known the U.S. needs to hurry up with AI standards. But Americans are averse to regulating new technology too quickly, and progress has been slow.
We're told Schumer's push is being treated as urgent and time sensitive — with the U.S. not wanting to be left behind as other countries, particularly China, race ahead.
Schumer's goal is to develop resilient regulations that can adapt to the advancement of AI technology — and balance security, accountability and transparency with facilitating innovation.
What's next: Schumer plans to spend the next several weeks refining his proposal with input from academic, industry and government experts.” [Axios]
Biden's pick for Labor looking doubtful
President Biden nominates Julie Su for Labor secretary in the East Room on March 1. Photo: Brendan Smilowski/AFP via Getty Images
“President Biden's nomination of Julie Su for Labor secretary is in serious danger: Sen. Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.) has told the Biden administration he has deep reservations about her, Axios' Hans Nichols reports.
Why it matters: For Biden, the divided Senate means Manchin's opposition — combined with one other Democratic defection— would scuttle Su.
This would mark the third defeat of a Biden nominee this year. Democrats who face tough re-election races next year are resisting being seen as rubber stamps for Biden's picks.
Two previous Biden nominees — Gigi Sohn for an open FCC seat, and Phil Washington to lead the FAA — withdrew after Democrats signaled opposition.
Ahead of Su's confirmation hearing on April 20, Biden officials have been canvassing senators to gauge support for her.
The 49 Republicans in the 100-seat Senate are expected to uniformly oppose Su. There are concerns among Senate Democrats backing Su that Arizona Sen. Kyrsten Sinema, a Democrat-turned-independent, also will vote no.
The big picture: With Senate Democrats facing a difficult map in 2024, vulnerable senators — including Manchin, Sinema and Jon Tester (D-Mont.) — are looking for ways to create political space from Biden.
Biden nominated Su, the daughter of Chinese immigrants, amid pressure to add a member of the Asian and Pacific Islander community to his Cabinet.
Su's track record as California’s labor commissioner, and her support for AB5 — a California bill that put pressure on companies to treat gig workers like full-time employees — earned her critics in small business and big tech.
‘Julie is a champion for workers,’ White House spokesperson Emilie Simons said. ‘Our administration is currently engaged with a broad coalition of supporters on Julie’s nomination, including elected officials, labor leaders, key stakeholders, and business groups.’
What we’re watching: Many Democrats are concerned Sinema's new identification as an independent — and a progressive challenge from Rep. Ruben Gallego (D-Ariz.) in 2024 — will leave her little space to be to the left of Manchin on policy or personnel.” [Axios]
Why the Manhattan DA sued Rep. Jim Jordan
Kena Betancur/Getty Images
“Tuesday, Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg sued House Judiciary Chairman Jim Jordan to counter the lawmaker’s efforts to get testimony and documents related to Bragg’s indictment of former President Donald Trump.” [Vox / Li Zhou]
“Trump pleaded not guilty last week to 34 felony counts related to falsifying business records related to hush money payments to an adult film actress during the 2016 presidential campaign.” [Vox / Andrew Prokop]
“The lawsuit argues Congress has no right to obtain information relating to a state investigation, and it aims to block a House subpoena for testimony.” [Vox] [Reuters / Luc Cohen and Kanishka Singh]
“The filing marks a significant escalation in the tension among Bragg, Jordan, and Republicans who argue they should have oversight because the investigation used some federal funds.” [Vox] [CNBC / Dan Mangan]
“A Trump-appointed judge declined to issue a temporary restraining order on the subpoena, but scheduled an April 19 hearing to hear Bragg’s case.” [Vox] [Politico]
“Meanwhile, Trump’s attorneys asked for a month-long delay to writer E. Jean Carroll’s sexual assault and defamation civil suit against the former president, citing intense media scrutiny.” [Vox] [CNN / Kara Scannell]
North Korea
“Millions of people in Japan this morning received a J-alert, or an evacuation order, urging them to seek shelter after North Korea launched a missile in their direction. The alert sparked fear on the Japanese northern island of Hokkaido after officials said the missile could land on or near the island. But soon after, fear turned into anger and confusion as the evacuation order was lifted amid reports that the alert had been sent in error, with officials saying there was no possibility of the missile hitting the area. Tokyo later confirmed the missile had fallen outside Japanese territory, in waters off the east coast of the Korean Peninsula. Still, South Korea and its allies condemned the missile test, with the White House saying Pyongyang's repeated tests continue to risk ‘destabilizing the security situation in the region.’” [CNN]
Ukraine’s outrage grows over video seeming to show beheading
By SAMYA KULLAB and HANNA ARHIROVA
FILE - Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy holds a speech during his visit to Warsaw, Poland, April 5, 2023. Ukraine is promising to investigate a gruesome video circulating on social media that purportedly shows the beheading of a Ukrainian soldier. Zelenksyy on Wednesday, April 12 blamed Russia and said the violence would not be forgotten, while the Kremlin called the footage “horrible” but said it needed to be verified.(AP Photo/Czarek Sokolowski, file)
“KYIV, Ukraine (AP) — Ukraine launched an investigation Wednesday into a gruesome video that purportedly shows the beheading of a Ukrainian soldier, in the latest accusation of atrocities said to have been committed by Russia since it invaded in February 2022.
The video spread quickly online and drew outrage from officials in Kyiv, including President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, as well as international organizations. The Kremlin called the footage ‘horrible’ but said it needed to be verified.
The Associated Press was not able to independently verify the authenticity of the video or the circumstances of where and when it was shot. The AP is not distributing the video or using frame grabs due to its extremely graphic nature.
Meanwhile, a Russian defense official claimed that fighters from Russia’s paramilitary Wagner group have seized three districts of Bakhmut, the embattled city that for months has been the focus of Moscow’s grinding campaign in the east.
The video circulating online appears to show a man in green fatigues wearing a yellow armband, typically donned by Ukrainian fighters. His screams are heard before another man in camouflage uses a knife to decapitate him….” Read more at AP News
NPR quits Elon Musk’s Twitter over ‘government-funded’ label
By MATT O'BRIEN
FILE - The headquarters for National Public Radio (NPR) stands on North Capitol Street on April 15, 2013, in Washington. NPR is quitting Twitter, according to a statement Wednesday, April 12, 2023, after the social media platform owned by Elon Musk stamped NPR's account with labels the news organization says undermine its credibility. (AP Photo/Charles Dharapak, File)
“National Public Radio is quitting Twitter after the social media platform owned by Elon Musk stamped NPR’s account with labels the news organization says are intended to undermine its credibility.
Twitter labeled NPR’s main account last week as ‘state-affiliated media,’ a term also used to identify media outlets controlled or heavily influenced by authoritarian governments, such as Russia and China. Twitter later changed the label to ‘government-funded media,’ but to NPR — which relies on the government for a tiny fraction of its funding — it’s still misleading.
NPR said in a statement Wednesday that it ‘will no longer be active on Twitter because the platform is taking actions that undermine our credibility by falsely implying that we are not editorially independent.’
‘Defund @NPR,’ was Musk’s tweeted response. His latest tiff with a news organization reflects a gamble for the social media platform he bought last year.
Twitter, more than any of its rivals, has said its users come to it to keep track of current events. That made it an attractive place for news outlets to share their stories and reinforced Twitter’s moves to combat the spread of misinformation. But Musk has long expressed disdain for professional journalists and said he wants to elevate the views and expertise of the ‘average citizen.’
The Public Broadcasting Service said Wednesday it has also stopped tweeting from its main account and that the public TV organization has no plans to resume because ‘Twitter’s simplistic label leaves the inaccurate impression that PBS is wholly funded by the federal government.’
Media analysts say growing friction between Twitter and news organizations since Musk bought the platform is bad for Twitter, and bad for the public.
‘It’s a shame to have proceeded in a direction where, intentionally or otherwise, Twitter is categorizing Russian propaganda outlets in a similar way to very legitimate news sources that get a very modest amount of funding from the U.S. government,’ said Paul Barrett, deputy director of the NYU Stern Center for Business and Human Rights.
This is just the latest example of Musk tangling with mainstream news organizations. He abruptly suspended the accounts of individual journalists who wrote about Twitter late last year, claiming some were trying to reveal his location.
Twitter earlier in April removed the verification check mark on the main account of The New York Times, singling out the newspaper and disparaging its reporting after it said it would not pay Twitter for verification of its institutional accounts.
Twitter used to tag journalists and other high-profile accounts with blue check marks to verify their identity and distinguish them from impostors. But Musk has derided the marks as an undeserved status symbol and plans to take them away from anyone not buying a premium subscription. Those cost as little as $8 a month for individuals and a minimum of $1,000 a month for organizations.
Barrett said Musk appears to be intent on ‘insulting and antagonizing individuals and organizations that he considers to be too liberal for his taste.’ But by driving away legitimate news outlets, Twitter is only harming itself, he said.
‘The drift is in an unfortunate direction,’ Barrett said. ‘You want to encourage sources of reliable, well-reported news to be present and prolific on your platform.’
NPR’s main account, which joined Twitter in 2007, had not tweeted since April 4. On Wednesday, it sent a series of tweets listing other places to find its journalism.
NPR spokesperson Isabel Lara said its journalists, employees and member stations can decide on their own if they want to keep using the platform. NPR journalists have not been given the ‘government-funded’ label, at least not yet.
NPR does receive U.S. government funding through grants from federal agencies and departments, along with the Corporation for Public Broadcasting. The company has said it accounts for less than 1% of NPR’s annual operating budget. Much of its funding comes from sponsorships and dues from its member stations around the U.S., which in turn get revenue from a range of funders including public institutions, corporate donors and listeners.
Twitter’s new labels have often appeared arbitrarily assigned. For example, Twitter hasn’t added the ‘government-funded’ label for many other public broadcasting organizations, such as those in Canada and Australia. It also has changed some labels without explanation, such as when it removed a ‘United Arab Emirates state-affiliated media’ tag from the profile of Abu Dhabi’s The National newspaper earlier this year.
In an interview Tuesday with a BBC technology reporter at Twitter’s San Francisco headquarters, Musk acknowledged that the British organization ‘is not thrilled’ about the label it received and asked the reporter for feedback.
‘Our goal was simply to be as truthful and accurate as possible,’ Musk said. ‘So I think we’re adjusting the label to be ‘publicly funded,’ which I think is perhaps not too objectionable. We’re trying to be accurate.’
The BBC said Wednesday it would welcome being described as publicly funded instead of government-funded. Hours later, BBC got its ‘publicly funded media’ label, but not NPR or PBS.
The literary organization PEN America said news organizations are making understandable responses to Twitter’s ‘unpredictable and capricious’ policy decisions but the loss to consumers will be significant.
Liz Woolery, PEN America’s digital policy leader, said ‘Musk’s approach to managing Twitter has come at the expense of information integrity and user trust, and it has only made it harder for users to sift through the maelstrom of online content to find what is credible.’” [NPR]
Michigan researchers find 1914 shipwrecks in Lake Superior
By KATHLEEN FOODY
In this image taken from video provided by the Great Lakes Shipwreck Historical Society, lettering identifying the wrecked ship as property of the Edward Hines Lumber Company is seen in Lake Superior in August 2022. (Great Lakes Shipwreck Historical Society via AP)
“CHICAGO (AP) — Michigan researchers have found the wreckage of two ships that disappeared into Lake Superior in 1914 and hope the discovery will lead them to a third that sank at the same time, killing nearly 30 people aboard the trio of lumber-shipping vessels.
The Great Lakes Shipwreck Historical Society announced the discoveries this month after confirming details with other researchers. Ric Mixter, a board member of the society and a maritime historian, called witnessing the discoveries ‘a career highlight.’
‘It not only solved a chapter in the nation’s darkest day in lumber history, but also showcased a team of historians who have dedicated their lives towards making sure these stories aren’t forgotten,’ Mixter said.
The vessels owned by the Edward Hines Lumber Company sank into the ice-cold lake on Nov. 18, 1914, when a storm swept through as they moved lumber from Baraga, Michigan, to Tonawanda, New York. The steamship C.F. Curtis was towing the schooner barges Selden E. Marvin and Annie M. Peterson; all 28 people aboard were killed….” Read more at AP News
Pet arrives home, dog-tired, after Alaskan sea-ice odyssey
In this photo provided by Mandy Iworrigan is Nanuq, in the middle with Brooklyn Faith, after the 1-year-old Australian shepherd was returned to Gambell, Alaska, on April 6, 2023, after it disappeared for a month and walked on the Bering Sea ice 150 miles to Wales, Alaska. On the left is Zoey with Starlight and on the right is Ty with Kujo. (Mandy Iworrigan via AP)
“ANCHORAGE, Alaska (AP) — A 1-year-old Australian shepherd took an epic trek across 150 miles (241 kilometers) of frozen Bering Sea ice that included being bitten by a seal or polar bear before he was safely returned to his home in Alaska.
Mandy Iworrigan, Nanuq’s owner who lives in Gambell, Alaska, and her family were visiting Savoogna, another St. Lawrence Island community in the Bering Strait, last month when Nanuq disappeared with their other family dog, Starlight, the Anchorage Daily News reported.
Starlight turned up a few weeks later, but Nanuq, which means polar bear in Siberian Yupik, was nowhere to be found.
About a month after Nanuq disappeared, people in Wales, 150 miles (241 kilometers) northeast of Savoonga on Alaska’s western coast, began posting pictures online of what they described as a lost dog.
My dad texted me and said, ‘There’s a dog that looks like Nanuq in Wales,’ Iworrigan said.
She reactivated her Facebook account to see if it might be her wandering hound.
“I was like, ‘No freakin’ way! That’s our dog! What is he doing in Wales?’” she said.
The events of Nanuq’s journey will likely always be a mystery.
‘I have no idea why he ended up in Wales. Maybe the ice shifted while he was hunting,’ Iworrigan said. ‘I’m pretty sure he ate leftovers of seal or caught a seal. Probably birds, too. He eats our Native foods. He’s smart.’
She used airline points to get her dog back to Gambell on a regional air carrier last week, a charter that was transporting athletes for the Bering Strait School District’s Native Youth Olympics tournament.
Iworrigan filmed the happy reunion when the plane landed at the air strip in Savoonga, with both she and her daughter Brooklyn shrieking with joy.
Except for a swollen leg, with large bite marks from an unidentified animal, Nanuq was in pretty good health.
‘Wolverine, seal, small nanuq, we don’t know, because it’s like a really big bite,’ she said…..” Read more at AP News
“Lives Lived: Anne Perry was well into her career as a best-selling crime writer when her own murderous past was dramatized in a 1994 movie. She died at 84.” [New York Times]