A federal appeals court has ruled to preserve access to abortion pills, but tightens the rules on how the drug can be used.

Reuters

Karah Rucker Reporter/Producer

Court preserves abortion pill access, but tightens rules: April 13 rundown

Apr 13, 2023

Karah Rucker Reporter/Producer

By Karah Rucker (Reporter/Producer), Ben Burke (Editor/Producer), Stacey Chamberlain (Digital Producer)

A federal appeals court has ruled to preserve access to abortion pills, but tightened the rules on how the drug can be used. And officials claim North Korea has fired a weapon never used before in the country. These stories and more highlight the daily rundown for Thursday, April 13, 2023.

Court preserves abortion pill access

Just days after a federal judge in Texas blocked the abortion pill mifepristone from being sold on the market, a federal appeals court has reversed the judge’s ruling. But it is adding new stipulations in accessing the drug.

The abortion pill mifepristone will keep its FDA-approved status, but it will not be dispensed by mail and or without any need to visit a doctor’s office. The drug will also be dispensed only up to seven weeks of pregnancy. Previously, it was prescribed to abort pregnancies up to 10 weeks gestation.

The appeals court ruling sets the groundwork for the case to potentially end up going to the Supreme Court.

Feinstein steps down from Judiciary Committee

California Democratic Sen. Diane Feinstein is temporarily stepping down from her position on the Senate Judiciary Committee. This after Democrats started to publicly criticize the senator for her lack of attendance.

Feinstein was hospitalized for shingles earlier this year. In a statement, she said she been absent for nearly two months due to a slow recovery from her illness.

But with Feinstein absent from the Senate, Democrats have argued it has slowed down their ability to confirm Biden-picked judicial nominees. Some Democratic lawmakers have called for her resignation, claiming the 89-year-old longtime senator is no longer fit to serve.

Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer’s office says he will ask the Senate to temporarily replace Feinstein sometime next week.

New weapon tested by North Korea

North Korea has fired more than 100 missiles since the start of 2022, many of them within striking distance of the U.S. Their latest ballistic missile launch came on Thursday, April 13. And South Korean military officials say it was a weapon never used before by North Korea.

The long-range missile traveled more than 600 miles, landing in the waters between the Korean Peninsula and Japan.

According to South Korea’s military, the missile possibly used what’s called “solid fuel.” All of the North’s other missiles have used liquid propellants that must be fueled before launches. A solid fuel missile can be pre-loaded, allowing it to be fired faster.

White House officials say today’s missile testing needlessly raises tensions.

Recalled baby sleepers resold online

A baby sleeper that was recalled four years ago continues to concern officials. The Price Rock’n Play sleepers have accounted for more than 100 infant deaths since 2019. The government agency that oversees recalls is now asking Facebook to do something about the resale of the product on Facebook marketplace.

The Consumer Product Safety Commission has sent a letter to Meta, the parent company of Facebook. A letter was also sent to Mattel, the maker of the Price Rock’n Play Sleeper. The letter asks the companies to take action to make sure the sleeper is not used by consumers.

The agency cited hundreds of recalled rockers being sold every month on Facebook Marketplace, Offerup, and other second-hand sale sites. The government agency says they will flag any sleepers that they see on Facebook Marketplace. They say Facebook has been quick to take down the listings, but the letter calls for Meta to take on a larger role in identifying the listings and stopping them from ever being publicly shared.

‘Max’ app to combine streaming platforms

Warner Bros. Discovery is combining the streaming platforms HBO Max and Discovery-Plus into one service called “Max.” The rebranded streaming service will combine offerings from the company’s multiple holdings, including Warner Brothers, HBO, HGTV and more.

The announced streaming-app-merger comes after Warner Media and Discovery merged companies last December.

“Max” will launch on May 23rd.

$25k reward for fallen space rock

The race is on to find a space rock that reportedly fell from the skies somewhere along a remote stretch of forest near Maine’s border with Canada. And whoever finds it, could receive a $25,000 payout from a museum that wants it.

The Maine Mineral and Gem Museum wants to study fragments from a fireball detected by a NASA radar last week.

The museum says if anyone finds fragments of the fireball that are as big as a softball, then you get the payout. The museum is hopeful the fallen meteorite could contain valuable information about the solar system.

Tags: Abortion, abortion pills, House Judiciary Committee, Meta, missiles, NASA, North Korea, Recall, U.S. Senate

KARAH RUCKER: COMING UP – A FEDERAL APPEALS COURT HAS RULED TO PRESERVE ACCESS TO ABORTION PILLS — BUT TIGHTENS THE RULES ON HOW THE DRUG CAN BE USED. WHAT’S NEXT IN THE CONTROVERSIAL COURT CASE.

AND – OFFICIALS CLAIM NORTH KOREA HAS FIRED A WEAPON NEVER USED BEFORE IN THE COUNTRY – HOW THE WHITE HOUSE IS RESPONDING.

THE DAILY RUNDOWN STARTS NOW. THIS IS STRAIGHT-ARROW NEWS. BRINGING YOU UNBIASED, STRAIGHT FACTS. I’M KARAH RUCKER.

COURT PRESERVES ABORTION PILL ACCESS

OUR TOP STORY – JUST DAYS AFTER A FEDERAL JUDGE IN TEXAS BLOCKED THE ABORTION PILL “MIFEPRISTONE” FROM BEING SOLD ON THE MARKET – A FEDERAL APPEALS COURT HAS REVERSED THE JUDGE’S RULING – BUT IS ADDING NEW STIPULATIONS IN ACCESSING THE DRUG.

THE ABORTION PILL MIFEPRISTONE WILL KEEP IT’S FDA APPROVED STATUS – BUT THE PILL WILL NOT BE DISPENSED BY MAIL AND WILL NOT BE DISPENSED WITHOUT ANY NEED TO VISIT A DOCTOR’S OFFICE.

THE DRUG WILL ALSO ONLY BE DISPENSED UP TO SEVEN WEEKS OF PREGNANCY – WHERE IT USED TO BE PRESCRIBED TO ABORT PREGNANCIES UP TO 10 WEEKS ALONG.

THE APPEALS COURT RULING SETS THE GROUNDWORK FOR THE CASE TO POTENTIALLY END UP GOING TO THE SUPREME COURT.

FEINSTEIN REMOVED FROM JUDICIARY COMMITTEE

DEMOCRATIC SENATOR DIANE FEINSTEIN OF CALIFORNIA IS TEMPORARILY STEPPING DOWN FROM HER POSITION ON THE SENATE JUDICIARY COMMITTEE AFTER DEMOCRATS STARTED TO PUBLICLY CRITICIZE THE SENATOR FOR A LACK OF ATTENDANCE.

SENATOR FEINSTEIN WAS HOSPITALIZED FOR SHINGLES IN MARCH – AND IN A STATEMENT SAID SHE HAS BEEN ABSENT FOR NEARLY TWO MONTHS DUE TO A SLOW RECOVERY FROM HER ILLNESS.

BUT WITH FEINSTEIN ABSENT FROM THE SENATE – DEMOCRATS HAVE ARGUED IT HAS SLOWED DOWN THEIR ABILITY TO CONFIRM BIDEN-PICKED JUDICIAL NOMINEES.

HER COLLEAGUES HAVE CALLED FOR HER*RESIGNATION CLAIMING THE 89 YEAR OLD LONG-TIME SENATOR IS “NO LONGER FIT TO SERVE.”

SENATE MAJORITY LEADER CHUCK SCHUMER’S OFFICE SAYS HE WILL ASK THE SENATE TO TEMPORARILY REPLACE FEINSTEIN SOMETIME NEXT WEEK.

NEW WEAPON TESTED BY NORTH KOREA

WE REGULARLY REPORT ON ESCALATIONS OUT OF NORTH KOREA – THE COUNTRY FIRING MORE THAN 100 MISSILES SINCE THE START OF 2022 – MANY OF THEM WITHIN STRIKING DISTANCE OF THE U.S.

THEIR LATEST BALLISTIC MISSILE LAUNCH CAME TODAY – AND SOUTH KOREAN MILITARY OFFICIALS SAY IT WAS A WEAPON NEVER USED BEFORE BY NORTH KOREA.

THE LONG-RANGE MISSILE TRAVELED MORE THAN 600 MILES LANDING IN THE WATERS BETWEEN THE KOREAN PENINSULA AND JAPAN.

ACCORDING TO SOUTH KOREA’S MILITARY – THE MISSILE POSSIBLY USED WHAT’S CALLED “SOLID FUEL” – ALL OF THE NORTH’S OTHER MISSILES USE LIQUID PROPELLANTS THAT MUST BE FUELED BEFORE LAUNCHES.

A “SOLID FUEL” MISSILE CAN BE PRE-LOADED – ALLOWING IT TO BE FIRED FASTER.

WHITE HOUSE OFFICIALS SAY TODAY’S MISSILE TESTING “NEEDLESSLY RAISES TENSIONS” FURTHER.

RECALLED BABY SLEEPERS RESOLD ONLINE

A BABY SLEEPER THAT WAS RECALLED FOUR YEARS AGO CONTINUES TO CONCERN OFFICIALS. THE PRICE ROCK N PLAY SLEEPERS HAS ACCOUNTED FOR MORE THAN 100 INFANT DEATHS SINCE 2019 – AND THE GOVERNMENT AGENCY THAT OVERSEES RECALLS IS NOW ASKING FACEBOOK TO DO SOMETHING ABOUT THE RESALE OF THE PRODUCT ON FACEBOOK MARKETPLACE.

THE CONSUMER PRODUCT SAFETY COMMISSION HAS SENT A LETTER TO META – THE PARENT COMPANY OF FACEBOOK – AND MATTEL – THE MAKER OF THE PRICE ROCK N PLAY SLEEPER. IN IT IS A PLEA FOR THE COMPANIES TO TAKE ACTION TO MAKE SURE THE SLEEPER IS NOT USED BY CONSUMERS.

THE AGENCY CITED HUNDREDS OF RECALLED ROCKERS BEING SOLD EVERY MONTH ON FACEBOOK MARKETPLACE, OFFERUP, AND OTHER SECOND HAND SITES.

THE GOVERNMENT AGENCY SAYS THEY WILL FLAG ANY SLEEPERS THAT THEY SEE ON FACEBOOK MARKETPLACE AND FACEBOOK IS QUICK TO TAKE DOWN THE LISTINGS.

BUT THE LETTER CALLS FOR META TO TAKE ON A LARGER ROLE IN IDENTIFYING THE LISTINGS FIRST AND STOPPING THEM FROM EVERY BEING PUBLICLY SHARED.

‘MAX’ APP TO COMBINE STREAMING PLATFORMS

COMING SOON TO AN APP STORE NEAR YOU – WARNER BROTHERS DISCOVERY IS COMBINING THE STREAMING PLATFORMS H-B-O MAX AND DISCOVERY-PLUS INTO ONE SERVICE CALLED “MAX.” THE REBRANDED STREAMING SERVICE WILL COMBINE OFFERINGS FROM THE COMPANY’S MULTIPLE HOLDINGS — INCLUDING WARNER BROTHERS, HBO, HGTV AND MORE.

THE ANNOUNCED STREAMING-APP-MERGER COMES AFTER WARNER MEDIA AND DISCOVERY MERGED COMPANIES LAST DECEMBER.

“MAX” WILL LAUNCH MAY 23RD.

$25K REWARD FOR FALLEN SPACE ROCK

THE RACE IS ON TO FIND A SPACE ROCK THAT REPORTEDLY FELL FROM THE SKIES SOMEWHERE ALONG THE A REMOTE STRETCH OF FOREST NEAR MAINE’S BORDER WITH CANADA.

AND WHOEVER FINDS IT – COULD RECEIVE A 25 THOUSAND DOLLAR PAYOUT FROM A MUSEUM WHO WANTS IT.

THE MAINE MINERAL AND GEM MUSEUM WANTS TO STUDY FRAGMENTS FROM A FIREBALL DETECTED B A NASA RADAR LAST WEEK.

THE MUSEUM SAYS IF ANYONE FINDS FRAGMENTS OF THE FIREBALL THAT ARE AS BIG AS A SOFTBALL —

THEN YOU GET THE PAYOUT.

THE MUSEUM IS HOPEFUL THE FALLEN METEORITE COULD CONTAIN VALUABLE INFORMATION ABOUT THE SOLAR SYSTEM.

THESE ARE YOUR TOP STORIES. THANKS FOR WATCHING THE DAILY RUNDOWN.

WE’RE ON A MISSION TO BRING BACK TRUSTWORTHY JOURNALISM BY SERVING ONLY YOU — NOT AN AGENDA. BE SURE TO CHECK OUT MORE OF OUR WORK AT STRAIGHT ARROW NEWS DOT COM.

WE’LL SEE YOU BACK HERE TOMORROW! UNTIL THEN I’M KARAH RUCKER. HAVE A GREAT DAY!