Houston-area midwife arrested for providing illegal abortions in first criminal case under state ban: Texas AG
A Houston-area midwife has been arrested for allegedly providing illegal abortions, the first such arrest under Texas' near-total abortion ban.
Maria Margarita Rojas, 48, who identified herself as "Dr. Maria" is charged with the illegal performance of an abortion, a second-degree felony, as well as practicing medicine without a license, Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton announced.
"In Texas, life is sacred," Paxton said in a statement. "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."
"Texas law protecting life is clear, and we will hold those who violate it accountable," he added.
Rojas allegedly operated a network of clinics in the Houston suburbs of Waller, Cypress and Spring. The clinics "unlawfully employed unlicensed individuals who falsely presented themselves as licensed medical professionals," Paxton's office said.
Rojas herself is accused of performing illegal abortions in the clinics, in violation of the Under the Texas Human Life Protection Act of 2021.
Abortions are banned in Texas, except in certain circumstances to save the life of a pregnant woman. Texas holds abortion providers, not patients, criminally responsible for illegal procedures, Paxton's office said.
Waller County District Attorney Sean Whittmore referred the case to Paxton's office.
Fox News Digital has reached out to the clinics where the alleged abortions were performed and Whittmore's office.
In addition to the arrest, the Healthcare Program Enforcement Division of the Attorney General's Office filed for a temporary restraining order to shut down the clinics.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Hamilton Spectator
5 hours ago
- Hamilton Spectator
Colombian senator and would-be presidential candidate is shot and wounded at Bogota rally
BOGOTA, Colombia (AP) — Colombian Sen. Miguel Uribe Turbay, a possible candidate in the country's presidential election next year, was shot and wounded at a campaign rally in Bogota on Saturday, authorities said. His conservative Democratic Center party released a statement calling it 'an unacceptable act of violence.' The attack took place in a park in the Fontibon neighborhood when armed assailants shot him from behind, said the right-wing Democratic Center, which was the party of former President Alvaro Uribe. The men are not related. Images circulating on social media showed Uribe Turbay, 39, covered in blood being held by several people. So far, no official report has been released on the senator's condition. 'Miguel is fighting for his life,' his wife, María Claudia Tarazona, wrote on the senator's X account, urging Colombians to pray for him. The Attorney General's Office, which is investigating the shooting, said the senator 'received two gunshot wounds to his body' in the attack, which wounded two others. The statement from the office said a 15-year-old boy was arrested at the scene with a firearm. Colombia's government said it was offering a reward for the capture of all those responsible. 'Respect life, that's the red line,' President Gustavo Petro said in a message posted on his X account. Shortly after making the post, Petro canceled a planned trip to France 'due to the seriousness of the events,' according to a presidential statement. Uribe Turbay is the son of a journalist who was kidnapped and killed in 1991 during one of the country's most violent periods. Colombia will hold a presidential election on May 31, 2026, marking the end of the current term of Petro, Colombia's first leftist president. The senator announced his presidential bid in March. Colombian police chief Gen. Carlos Triana said that at the time of the attack Uribe Turbay was accompanied by Councilman Andrés Barrios and 20 other people. A minor who allegedly participated in the attack was apprehended at the scene and was being treated for a leg injury, he said. 'I have ordered the Colombian military and police forces and intelligence agencies to deploy all their capabilities to urgently clarify the facts,' said Defense Minister Pedro Sánchez. U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said on X that the 'United State condemns in the strongest possible terms the attempted assassination of Senator Miguel Uribe.' and he urged President Petro 'to dial back the inflammatory rhetoric and protect Colombian officials.' 'This is a direct threat to democracy and the result of the violent leftist rhetoric coming from the highest levels of the Colombian government,' Rubio said. Reactions poured in from around Latin America, with Chilean President Gabriel Boric saying 'there is no room or justification for violence in a democracy,' and Ecuadorian President Daniel Noboa saying 'we condemn all forms of violence and intolerance.' In Colombia, former President Uribe said 'they attacked the hope of the country, a great husband, father, son, brother, a great colleague.' Error! Sorry, there was an error processing your request. There was a problem with the recaptcha. Please try again. You may unsubscribe at any time. By signing up, you agree to our terms of use and privacy policy . This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google privacy policy and terms of service apply. Want more of the latest from us? Sign up for more at our newsletter page .
Yahoo
15 hours ago
- Yahoo
House witness flips script on Dem who ambushed him during hearing with unearthed tweet: 'Iceberg is ahead'
FIRST ON FOX: A House committee witness who was called out by Democratic Rep. Robert Garcia of California during a hearing this week is pushing back after the congressman unearthed a past social media post on Social Security in an attempt to discredit his testimony. During a House oversight DOGE subcommittee hearing on Wednesday, Garcia grilled Power the Future CEO Dan Turner while holding up a posterboard of a past tweet calling Social Security a "government-sponsored Ponzi scheme." "Madoff went to jail for it. Congress runs on it," the post said. "I should be able to keep 100% of my money and not watch government waste it with a paltry percentage return." Garcia then suggested that post was evidence that Turner lacks the credibility to be testifying about the billions of federal tax dollars directed to left-wing NGOs. Social Security Commissioner Breaks Down Plan To Save Agency From Insolvency "A Ponzi scheme and so I think it's interesting, of course, as one of our Republican witnesses is calling Social Security a Ponzi scheme, and that's the person that we should be taking advice from here today," Garcia said. Read On The Fox News App "Without Social Security, 22 million people would be pushed into poverty. That includes over 16 million seniors and nearly 1 million children. And in fact, Elon Musk has also said and agreed with you, sir, that this is a Ponzi scheme. I think it's ironic that you are one of our witnesses talking about efficiency when you want to attack the single best program that we have to support people not just out of poverty, but across this country to uplift them, to ensure they can afford a decent life." Fox News Digital spoke to Turner, who stood by his post and outlined his belief, echoed by many, that Social Security is structured like a Ponzi scheme by definition. Sen Elizabeth Warren: Social Security Is Under Attack. Gutting It Is A Broken Promise "Rep Garcia does not know the definition of Ponzi scheme," Turner said. "Social Security is the ultimate Ponzi, demanding more and more people at the bottom pay in to fund the people at the top, expect our demographics have this now reversed. The system will default. Mr. Garcia nor I will likely never see a dime. That should worry him more than my social media feed." Turner told Fox News Digital that if Garcia's staff were to spend as much time trying to save Social Security as it did "combing through my social media" then "perhaps the Ponzi scheme can survive long enough for me to get a small percentage of what the government confiscated during my lifetime." Turner explained that his father had received a "paltry percentage" of what he paid into the program and the the government "kept the rest" when his father died. "That's not just a Ponzi scheme, it's government greed and politicians running a money-laundering operation to get reelected. No one should be compelled to pay into a failed system, yet in a free America, you don't have that choice." In addition to Turner and Elon Musk suggesting that Social Security is by definition set up like a Ponzi scheme, Fox News Digital previously spoke to James Agresti, president of the nonprofit research institute Just Facts, who said the characterization has "validity." 'Failure's Not An Option': Trump Budget Bill Will Be 'Big' Help For Seniors, Top House Tax-writer Says "A Ponzi scheme operates by taking money from new investors to pay current investors," Agresti said. "That's the definition given by the SEC, and contrary to popular belief, that's exactly how Social Security operates." Agresti explained to Fox News Digital that Social Security, a program mired for decades with concerns about waste, fraud, and improper payments, "doesn't take our money and save it for us, as many people believe, and then give it to us when we're older" like many Americans might believe. "What it does is, it transfers money when we are young and working and paying into Social Security taxes," Agresti said. "That money, the vast bulk of it, goes immediately out the door to people who are currently receiving benefits. Now, there is a trust fund, but in 90 years of operation, that trust fund currently has enough money to fund two years of program operations." The trust fund only being able to last for two years is not a result of the fund being "looted," Agresti explained, but rather it was put in place to "put surpluses in it" from money that Social Security collects in taxes that it doesn't pay out immediately and pays interest on. "The interest that's been paid on that has been higher than the rate of inflation," Agresti said. "So, the problem isn't that the trust fund has been looted. The problem is that Social Security operates like a Ponzi scheme." Democrats have vocally pushed back against efforts by Republicans and DOGE to reform Social Security or make cuts to what they say are examples of wasteful or improper spending from the department. "There's been a lot of misinformation about that as of late," Agresti told Fox News Digital. "You know, when DOGE came in and suggested that the Social Security Administration cut, I think it was about 10,000 workers, Democrats erupted that this is going to weaken Social Security. But the fact of the matter is that Social Security pays those workers who are for administrative overhead from the Social Security trust fund. So, by cutting out the money that they're paying them, you actually strengthen the program financially." Agresti told Fox News Digital that the current administrative overhead for Social Security is $6.7 billion per year, which is enough to pay more than 300,000 retirees the average old-age benefit. "Every single study shows social security going completely bankrupt in the next few years. Garcia and other democrats know the iceberg is ahead but rather than turn the ship, they are yelling at the iceberg about the senior citizens onboard," Turner said. "This Ponzi scheme is collapsing fast, and turning my tweets into posters is not going to stop it."Original article source: House witness flips script on Dem who ambushed him during hearing with unearthed tweet: 'Iceberg is ahead'
Yahoo
17 hours ago
- Yahoo
Mother sensed 'strong danger' from son-in-law weeks before daughter's murder during camping trip
Joseph Ferlazzo had abruptly returned without his wife from what was supposed to be a Vermont camping trip to mark their first wedding anniversary. The 41-year-old told his in-laws that he had gotten into an argument with his spouse, Emily Schwarz Ferlazzo, 22, and that she had headed back home to New Hampshire. Emily's mother and stepfather weren't buying it. New Hampshire Man Pleads Not Guilty To Killing His Wife After Body Found Dismembered "When he handed me her license, that was very strange," her mother, Adrienne Bass, told Fox News Digital. "I interpreted his shivering and shaking as if he'd been cold because he was riding his motorcycle from Vermont to New Hampshire. It was a three-hour drive in the middle of October. But thinking back on it now, I think he was probably having anxiety lying to our faces. . . . And when he left, his whole demeanor was threatening and cold. The feeling I got was, 'Don't question him.'" Read On The Fox News App The case is being explored on Investigation Discovery's (ID) true crime series, "Fatal Destination," which is executive-produced and narrated by Jessica Biel. It profiles stories where "idyllic getaways unravel into haunting mysteries." It features interviews with friends, family, locals and law enforcement, among others. In the episode titled "Where's Emily?" Bass said "We were all afraid of him," referring to Ferlazzo. She told Fox News Digital that the family suspected Ferlazzo had been abusing his wife behind closed doors. "Emily would come to us asking for help, and then she'd go back to him, and it would backfire and cause more problems," said Bass. ". . . The weekend before they left, I had feelings, senses that there was something wrong with him. I didn't like their relationship, or how it was going. I felt, as a mom, my daughter was not safe." "The weekend before they went away, we were sitting at a restaurant having lunch with them to celebrate their anniversary," Bass added. Follow The Fox True Crime Team On X "I can't describe his behaviors or his mannerisms, but I froze. There was a very strong, overwhelming feeling that my life was in danger from him. I tried to figure out how to talk to her about it before they left. But I wasn't ever able to come up with a way that I could talk to my daughter, who's loyal to her husband, and say, 'Hey, I think he's dangerous.'" "I wasn't correct that it was my life that was in danger – it was my daughter's," Bass said. "But I could sense a strong danger from him." Ferlazzo, a tattoo artist, married Emily, a nurse, during the pandemic. Bass admitted that she had been perplexed that the couple had said, "I do." "Part of the reason we were surprised that they got married was because they seemed to be going back and forth… She had difficulty talking to him about when they were going to get married," Bass said. "And then on New Year's Eve, they had a physical altercation," Bass said. "She reached out to me asking for support. He would accuse her of cheating, and she would feel exasperated and confused about how to help him believe her." The family said that after the couple married, they witnessed bruising and "physical injuries" on Emily's body. According to the episode, Emily blamed her injuries on "rough sex." Sign Up To Get The True Crime Newsletter "It put us in an awkward situation," David Bass, Emily's stepfather, told Fox News Digital. "If we tried to talk to her about getting help or getting out, she would immediately tell him everything that was said. . . . We had to sort of not talk to her about things out of fear of making things worse. We had to be careful about what we said [with] very coded language." "She didn't want to talk about the bruising," Adrienne Bass reflected. "I think [months before their trip], Emily filled out paperwork for a divorce. He ended up doing it at the same time. . . . I don't know all the details, but there were moments where things happened that I feel she wasn't even really sure what happened." Things looked hopeful on Oct. 15, 2021. That day, the couple drove on a converted bus that was also their home, where they lived on the parents' property, Rolling Stone reported. According to the outlet, they traveled a little more than two hours to Bolton, Vermont, a rural town in the picturesque western foothills of the Green Mountains, 30 miles east of Burlington and the shores of Lake Champlain. Nearby, Ferlazzo's sister and her boyfriend had rented an Airbnb. Emily sent videos of what appeared to be a scenic drive to her family. But on Oct. 18, Ferlazzo had returned home without Emily. According to Ferlazzo, he restrained her when she tried to leave during their argument, but she kicked him in the groin. He went on to tell Emily's parents that after the fight, he had left to go to the store. That's when Emily vanished, he insisted. Adrienne and David Bass reported Emily missing. They told police there was a history of domestic violence and Emily had been seen with scratches and bruises. GET REAL-TIME UPDATES DIRECTLY ON THE True Crime Hub Adrienne Bass was hopeful that her daughter had managed to finally escape her tumultuous marriage without telling anyone. That hope quickly faded. "As soon as he left, I realized there were only three things that could have happened," said Bass. "One, she'd been abducted. Another, she lost her memory for some bizarre reason. Or, she's no longer alive." "I finally let it out," she said. "I cried and just let the moment hit me." Prosecutor Sarah George later said that because Gabby Petito's investigation had just happened, police were quicker to investigate Ferlazzo, reported. Like Emily, Petito's case started as a search for a missing person after her fiancé, Brian Laundrie, returned from a road trip in a converted van without her. A police video showing Petito crying after a physical altercation with Laundrie raised questions about domestic violence. Petito, 22, was found strangled to death near a Wyoming campground site weeks later. Laundrie was a person of interest. After he went missing for over a month, his remains were found in a Florida park that October. With the police closing in, Ferlazzo confessed. Ferlazzo told investigators he and his wife had been arguing inside their camper, and it turned into a physical altercation. A few minutes later, he took out a handgun and shot her twice in the head, according to the affidavit. The following morning, Ferlazzo said he took the camper from Bolton to a friend's house in St. Albans. About 12 to 15 hours after the shooting, he dismembered Emily and placed her remains in garbage bags, which stayed in the camper and were found by police. The weapons believed to have been used in the killing were also retrieved by investigators. Fighting back tears, Adrienne Bass said it was "excruciating and nauseating" listening to the horrifying details in court. A jury convicted Ferlazzo of first-degree murder in December, reported. In April, a judge sentenced him to 42.5 years to life in prison. Emily's family has been trying to heal. They take comfort in listening to recordings of Emily singing. Music was her true love. "Emily would want to be known as a singer," said David Bass. "She loved singing. She loved performing. Her voice is the most important thing. She would be incredibly upset at what had happened to her and Gabby Petito." Today, Adrienne Bass hopes that in sharing her daughter's story, victims will be compelled to seek help before it's too late. "Try to listen to your gut," she said. "If they don't feel it's safe to get out, wait until they find the time to try to find someone that they can trust to confide in. It doesn't matter how old you are. . . . Anyone could be a victim of domestic violence. It doesn't mean something is wrong with them as a person." "If you're being abused in your relationship, call a crisis center, make a plan, talk to an expert," urged David Bass. "Help is out there. You're not alone."Original article source: Mother sensed 'strong danger' from son-in-law weeks before daughter's murder during camping trip
