
Midwife is arrested for performing abortions across Texas, AG announces
A Texas woman has been arrested for owning and operating a network of illegal abortion clinics in the northeast Houston area.
Maria Margarita Rojas, 48, was charged with the illegal performance of an abortion, a second-degree felony in Texas, the state attorney general announced on Monday.
Rojas, a midwife known as 'Dr. Maria,' was taken into custody in Waller County. She is also charged with practicing medicine without a license.
An investigation by Attorney General Ken Paxton 's law enforcement division revealed that Rojas owned and operated multiple clinics under the names Clinica Waller Latinoamericana in Waller, Clinica Latinoamericana Telge in Cypress, and Latinoamericana Medical Clinic in Spring.
The facilities allegedly employed unlicensed individuals who 'falsely presented themselves as licensed medical professionals' in order to provide medical treatment.
Rojas herself also performed illegal abortion procedures in her clinics in direct violation of the Texas Human Life Protection Act, the AG's office said.
In addition to the arrest, Paxton has filed for a temporary restraining order to shut down Rojas's network of clinics to prevent further illegal activity.
'In Texas, life is sacred. I will always do everything in my power to protect the unborn, defend our state's pro-life laws, and work to ensure that unlicensed individuals endangering the lives of women by performing illegal abortions are fully prosecuted,' Paxton said in a statement.
'Texas law protecting life is clear, and we will hold those who violate it accountable.'
Under the Texas Human Life Protection Act of 2021, abortion providers can receive civil penalties of at least $100,000 per violation.
Online court records reflect the date of Rojas' offense as March 5, 2025.
She was booked into jail on March 6 and was released on $10,000 bond on March 7, according to Waller County records.
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The Independent
02-05-2025
- The Independent
Texas AG opens investigation into toothpaste companies over fluoride exposure. But, dentists say it's safe
Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton has announced a new investigation into toothpaste makers over fluoride, despite its benefit in helping to fight cavities and being recognized as one of the nation's greatest public health achievements. Fluoride, a naturally occurring mineral found in the soil and water, is used to strengthen tooth enamel. Ingesting too much can come with side effects, including death. However, negative health impacts are incredibly rare, and toothpaste levels are considered safe when applied as recommended. But, the Republican is launching an investigation into some of the largest toothpaste makers. He claims Colgate and Proctor & Gamble have 'illegally' marketed their products to parents and children 'in ways that are misleading, deceptive, and dangerous.' Requests for comment from the companies were not immediately returned to The Independent. Paxton's inquiry is linked to a National Toxicology Program meta-analysis that previously determined with 'moderate confidence' that there is a link between higher levels of exposure to fluoride and lower IQ scores in children. Notably, the study said that there was 'insufficient data to determine if the low fluoride level of 0.7 mg/L currently recommended for U.S. community water supplies has a negative effect on children's IQ.' Dentists have criticized the National Toxicology Program for using 'unorthodox research methods, flawed analyses, lack of clarity, failure to follow the norms of peer review, and lack of transparency.' Other studies have found no link between fluoride and IQ – although some Americans are exposed to higher than recommended levels because of natural fluoride contamination. 'The NTP report has important limitations. High fluoride exposure was defined as at least 1.5 milligrams per liter of water, which is double the concentration U.S. officials recommend in community water. The review also was not intended to demonstrate cause and effect,' the American Dental Association said. 'Numerous factors impact IQ, and it is unclear whether IQ data from different studies are accurate, comparable or generalizable, according to American Academy of Pediatrics experts.' Paxton has alleged that the companies ignored guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and others about usage and 'acute and long-term risks associated with fluoride overdose.' He said that the toothpaste manufacturers flavor their products and 'deceptively market them' in ways that encourage kids to ingest fluoride toothpaste and mislead their parents. 'I will use every tool available to protect our kids from dangerous levels of fluoride exposure and deceptive advertising,' Paxton said. Long-term ingestion of excess fluoride in infancy and childhood can lead to dental fluorosis, which mostly causes blemishes on the teeth. High doses of fluoride can also cause skeletal fluorosis that results in neurological defects and muscle wasting, although it is extremely rare in the U.S. An acute dose that could cause serious harm to the body would be virtually impossible to achieve from toothpaste or water containing standard levels of added fluoride, according to the National Institutes of Health. Still, research published last year found that parents tend to 'significantly' overdo toddlers' toothbrushes with fluoridated toothpaste. The Nature study found they tended to overload toothbrushes by a factor of six to seven times the recommended amount, which is a rice-sized squirt for children under the age of two. Dentist Mary Swift, the Community Water Fluoridation Chair of the Texas Dental Association, told FOX 4 that the recommended dose is not a full brush of toothpaste, but that kids who ingested an entire tube would not have long-term effects – just a 'very upset stomach.' She also said there were gaps in the research connecting fluoride and lower IQ scores. "There are seven thousand studies and research papers. This is an important part of peer-reviewed studies, so the toxicology report that the opponents to fluoride quote was never peer-reviewed, and it was very well understood that the toxicology report that linked IQ with fluoride was a very poorly run study," said Swift. "We've got 75 years of proof that fluoride reduces decay and is safe,' she said. Paxton's move comes after recent bans on fluoride in drinking water in Utah and Florida. These actions have been applauded by Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., who plans to scale back fluoride use on a national scale. This week, he told President Donald Trump that the more of the mineral people receive, 'the stupider you are,' citing the same research as Paxton. '[EPA Administrator] Lee Zeldin and I are working together to change the federal fluoride regulations, to change the recommendations, and we're looking at the science now,' Kennedy said. 'In August, the national toxicity program... did a meta review of all the science on fluoride and found that there's a direct inverse correlation between fluoride exposure and low IQ in children.' Despite Kennedy's plan, dentists argue that the benefits of fluoridation outweigh any potential risks. The American Dental Association points out that communities that have stopped fluoridating water have seen an increase in tooth decay. 'As a science- and evidence-based organization, the ADA welcomes continued study and evaluation of the safety and effectiveness of water fluoridation and continues to strongly support community water fluoridation at its current recommended level,' the association said.


Daily Mail
01-05-2025
- Daily Mail
Trump ally mulls ban on everyday household item rotting people's BRAINS
Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton is targeting big toothpaste brands who he alleges are using dangerous levels of fluoride in their products. Paxton, a close ally of President Trump and supporter of the Make America Healthy Again movement, has issued legal demands to Colgate and Procter & Gamble, the maker of Crest, accusing them of misleading marketing that targets children and could pose risks to brain development and IQ. Paxton is compelling the companies to turn over internal documents, respond to written questions, and provide oral testimony as part of a probe into deceptive business practices. 'Toothpaste manufacturers must follow state law to ensure they aren't putting Texas families in danger through false, misleading, or deceptive marketing,' Paxton said Thursday. '[The investigation] will help my office uncover any potential wrongdoing. As this investigation continues, I will take aggressive action against any corporation that puts our children's health at risk.' Toothpastes marketed to kids — often featuring characters like Bluey and Disney Princesses — are staples on store shelves, designed to encourage early dental hygiene. But Paxton argues these playful designs and fruity flavors mislead parents into overusing fluoride, despite ADA guidelines recommending no more than a pea-sized amount. Paxton's effort come amid a growing movement of officials pushing to eliminate fluoride from drinking water, citing mounting research linking long-term overexposure to issues like reduced IQ and thyroid dysfunction. Paxton's office cited a 2024 meta-analysis by the Department of Health and Human Services — frequently referenced by current HHS head Robert F. Kennedy Jr. — which linked fluoride exposure to neurological issues, particularly in children. The review found that drinking water with fluoride levels above 1.5 mg/L was associated with an average IQ drop of up to five points. It marked the first time a federal agency concluded, with 'moderate confidence,' that fluoride may impact intelligence. Health secretary RFK Jr. said during a cabinet meeting: 'The more you get, the stupider you are — and we need smart kids in this country.' Critics, including the CDC and American Dental Association, pushed back, citing flaws in the studies and no population-wide IQ decline in fluoridated communities. Many of the studies failed to control for factors like lead exposure, malnutrition, and socioeconomic status. The CDC recommends just a rice-sized smear of toothpaste for children under three. At the same time, the ADA advises no more than a pea-sized amount for ages three to six, 'because of the well-known acute and long-term risks associated with fluoride overdose,' according to Paxton. Toothpaste manufacturers, the AG alleged, are aware of this, yet they market their products in a way that encourages children and their parents to use excessive amounts of toothpaste. A pea-sized dot of toothpaste contains typically contains fluoride in the range of 1,000 to 1,500 parts per million - the concentration recommended by the FDA and the ADA for cavity prevention. This equates to roughly 0.25 to 0.375 mg of fluoride per use. Using more than the recommended amount over a long period of time may cause fluorosis, which causes white flecks, spots, or lines to appear on the enamel of the teeth. The EPA and HHS announced in April that they would reconvene a panel of public health and prevention experts to review scientific information regarding the potential health risks associated with fluoride in drinking water. Administrator Lee Zeldin said at the time: 'Without prejudging any outcomes, when this evaluation is completed, we will have an updated foundational scientific evaluation that will inform the agency's future steps.' The EPA sets limits on the levels of fluoride permitted in drinking water. At the same time, the content in toothpaste falls under the purview of the FDA, currently headed by Dr Marty Makary, another fluoride skeptic. Utah became the first state to ban local governments from adding fluoride to drinking water, which takes effect this month. Most Texans drink fluoridated water through the state's public water systems, though some communities such as College Station, have stopped adding the chemical altogether. In College Station, local officials voted to stop adding it in 2015. In 2018, researchers at the nearby Texas A&M University concluded that childhood cavities increased by 27 percent in poorer communities over that three-year period. Fluoride helps prevent cavities from forming by promoting the reabsorption of minerals like calcium and phosphate, which rebuilds weakened enamel. It also blocks the production of acid by cavity-causing bacteria, which slows down tooth decay. It is one of the most proven and cost-effective ways to prevent cavities, especially for people who lack regular access to a dentist due to distance or cost.


Daily Mail
29-04-2025
- Daily Mail
Top doctor reveals the hot drink that can help you live to 100 - but only if you have it in the morning
A doctor has revealed that drinking coffee in the morning could be the secret to living a longer life. According to top cardiologist Dr Aurelio Rojas, those who have a cup first thing have a longer life expectancy and are less likely to suffer a heart attack. The 35 year-old doctor, who is based at the Hospital Regional Universitario in Malaga, Spain, published a video to his Instagram channel—where he has 400,000 followers—telling of illuminating research about the benefits of the drink. The study, by experts at the Tulane University Obesity Research Centre in New Orleans, followed 20,000 people who drank the beverage for over 20 years, and compared their health outcomes to those who avoided it. The researchers found that some coffee drinkers were 16 per cent less likely to have died over the course of the 10 year study, compared to those who did not drink it. They were also 30 per cent less likely to have died from heart disease. However, this reduced risk only applied to those who drank their coffee in the morning — the researchers saw no reduction in risk for all-day drinkers. In his video, Dr Rojas explained that consuming caffeine after 12pm could disrupt our natural circadian rhythm, counteracting any potential health benefits. 'Drinking coffee in the afternoon seems to disrupt our circadian rhythm and the secretion of hormones that regulate our rest, such as melatonin or cortisol,' he said, adding that this 'increases stress levels. 'So yes, enjoy your coffee first thing in the morning.' The benefits of the drink are said to lie with coffee beans, which are rich in a range essential nutrients such as vitamins B2 and B5, which help keep blood cells healthy and control heart-attack-causing cholesterol. Coffee beans are also high in potassium and magnesium which are vital for regulating blood pressure and blood sugar. Studies have shown that those with diets lacking in magnesium are more likely to suffer heart attacks and strokes. Meanwhile, a study published by the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition found that plant compounds present in coffee can reduce the risk of type two diabetes by up to 10 per cent. 'Let's remember that coffee has shown beneficial effects on the heart, such as reducing the risk of diabetes, improving weight loss, and enhancing cardiovascular health,' Dr Rojas said in his video. Numerous previous studies have provided evidence of the benefits of coffee for heart health, including one by researchers at Semmelweis University in Hungary and Queen Mary University of London, who found the beverage reduces the risk of life-threatening stroke. The scientists also found that the health-boosting effect was only prominent if coffee was drunk by participants in the morning. Other research has shown that drinking a surprisingly large amount of coffee could carry further benefits. In 2023, researchers in Singapore interviewed 12,500 people in their 50s about their coffee and tea drinking habits and followed up with them up to 20 years later. They found those who drank four cups of coffee or more each day had about half the odds of being physically frail in their 70s. And compared to non-daily tea drinkers, daily drinkers of black or green tea had about 18 percent lower odds of frailty later on. When the study broke down tea by type, daily green tea drinkers had greater benefit, showing 19 percent lower odds of frailty, compared to 12 percent lower odds for black tea drinkers. The researchers did not claim to prove cause and effect, but they believe caffeine may combine with other antioxidant compounds in coffee and tea to slow cells degrading and prevent physical health conditions like heart disease and certain cancers, which can lead to frailty. To partly test this idea, they also looked at total caffeine consumption, including not only coffee and tea but also soft drinks and chocolate. Compared to those who consumed 67.6 milligrams (mg) of caffeine per day or less, those who took in the highest amount, 223-910.4 mg a day, had about 23 percent lower odds of frailty. Frailty is a common condition in older adults, and its symptoms can include decreased energy, loss of muscle, weakness and slowness. Besides being a possible sign of other health problems, frailty can make daily life more difficult and put older adults at higher risk of falls.