International

US: Health Secretary criticizes judge’s abortion ruling

Photo: AP

April 10 |

The top U.S. health official said Sunday that a court ruling threatening the availability of an abortion pill is “not America” and did not rule out challenging the judge’s orders if necessary.

“We want the courts to overturn this irresponsible ruling,” Health and Human Services Secretary Xavier Becerra told CNN’s “State of the Union.”

“We do want women to continue to have access to a drug that has been proven safe. Millions of women have used this drug around the world,” he added.

He emphasized that for now, women do have access to mifepristone after a federal judge in Texas appointed by then-President Donald Trump, Matthew Kacsmaryk, on Friday put his ruling on hold for a week so the federal government could file a motion against it. The drug was approved in 2000 by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), which is overseen by the Department of Health and Human Services, which Becerra heads.

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President Joe Biden has stated that his administration will oppose the Texas ruling. Kacsmaryk’s 67-page ruling gives the government seven days to appeal.

“Our intention is to do everything we can to keep the drug accessible, not just a week from now but ultimately going forward, because mifepristone is one of the safest and most effective drugs we’ve seen in the last 20 years to help women in their health care, especially in care related to an abortion,” Becerra said.

Asked whether he might recommend that the FDA ignore a court ruling, Becerra replied, “Everything is on the table.”

There is uncertainty about the abortion pill, the most common method of abortion in the United States, because of two conflicting court rulings – one in Texas and one in Washington – on the legality of mifepristone.

The Kacsmaryk decision, ordering a pause to official approval of mifepristone, contradicted decades of scientific recommendations. But a near-simultaneous ruling by Judge Thomas O. Rice in Washington, a Barack Obama appointee, orders authorities not to make any changes that would restrict access to the drug in at least 17 states where Democrats filed lawsuits to ensure such access.

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Becerra said Kacsmaryk’s ruling could have dire repercussions for the legality of any FDA-approved drug – such as insulin or Alzheimer’s drugs – as it seeks to “turn upside down” the entire FDA approval process.

Becerra acknowledged that there is “a good chance” that the case will end up being decided in the Supreme Court, which last year overturned Roe v. Wade, which gave women the right to decide about their pregnancy.

“If a judge decides to place his or her judgment or preference over the opinion of health professionals, what drug will be exempt from any court challenge? That is why we have to go to court,” Becerra said.

In an appearance after Becerra on CNN, Rep. Tony Gonzales, R-Texas, stated that “it’s important that we take care of women” and “have real discussions about women’s health care” but “you have to get out of this abortion conversation. Women have a lot of other issues that have nothing to do with abortion. … Let’s talk about other things that are going on in this world.”

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International

Paraguay summons Brazilian ambassador over Itaipú espionage scandal

Paraguay summoned the Brazilian ambassador in Asunción on Tuesday to demand “explanations” and called its own representative in Brasília for consultations following Brazil’s acknowledgment of an espionage operation. The Brazilian government, led by President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, attributed the operation to the previous administration.

The surveillance effort aimed to uncover Paraguay’s position in now-suspended negotiations with Brazil regarding the pricing of electricity from the binational Itaipú hydroelectric plant, according to reports in the Brazilian press.

The Brazilian government “categorically denied any involvement in the intelligence operation,” stating in a Foreign Ministry communiqué on Monday that the espionage was carried out under former President Jair Bolsonaro’s administration (2019-2023).

“The operation was authorized by the previous government in June 2022 and was annulled by the interim director of the (state intelligence agency) ABIN on March 27, 2023, as soon as the current administration became aware of it,” Brazil’s government asserted.

Paraguay’s Foreign Minister Rubén Ramírez announced that Brazilian Ambassador José Antonio Marcondes de Carvalho was summoned “to provide detailed explanations” regarding the operation. Additionally, Paraguay recalled its diplomatic representative in Brasília “to report on aspects related to the intelligence activity conducted by Brazil regarding Paraguay’s government affairs.”

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International

Elon Musk to step down as government advisor, per Trump insiders

President Donald Trump has informed his inner circle that Elon Musk will be stepping down from his role as a government advisor, according to a report by Politico today.

Citing three individuals close to Trump, Politico states that the president is pleased with Musk’s leadership at the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), where he has implemented significant budget cuts. However, both have agreed that it is time for Musk to return to his businesses and support Trump from a different position outside the government.

A senior administration official told Politico that Musk will likely maintain an informal advisory role and continue to be an occasional visitor to the White House. Another source warned that anyone thinking Musk will completely disappear from Trump’s circle is “deluding themselves.”

According to the sources, this transition is expected to coincide with the end of Musk’s tenure as a “special government employee,” a temporary status that exempts him from certain ethics and conflict-of-interest regulations. This 130-day period is set to expire in late May or early June.

International

Milei vows to make Argentina so strong that Falkland Islanders “choose” to join

Argentine President Javier Milei reaffirmed his country’s claim over the Falkland Islands (known as the Islas Malvinas in Argentina) and praised the role of the nation’s armed forces during a ceremony marking the “Veterans and Fallen Soldiers of the Malvinas War Day,” commemorating 43 years since the 1982 conflict with the United Kingdom.

Argentina continues to assert sovereignty over the islands, arguing that Britain unlawfully seized them in 1833.

“If sovereignty over the Malvinas is the issue, we have always made it clear that the most important vote is the one cast with one’s feet. We hope that one day, the Malvinas residents will choose to vote with their feet and join us,” Milei stated.

“That is why we aim to become a global power—so much so that they would prefer to be Argentine, making deterrence or persuasion unnecessary. This is why we have embarked on a path of liberation, working to make Argentina the freest country in the world and once again the nation with the highest GDP per capita on the planet,” he added.