New York Uses Rare Move to Block Texas's Anti-Abortion Crusade
New York has blocked Texas from filing a legal action against a local doctor accused of prescribing and sending abortion pills to a resident in the Lone Star State.
'In accordance with the New York State Shield Law, I have refused this filing and will refuse any similar filings that may come to our office,' Taylor Bruck, the acting clerk of Ulster County, said in a statement Thursday. 'Since this decision is likely to result in further litigation, I must refrain from discussing specific details about the situation.'
Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton sued Dr. Margaret Carpenter in December, accusing her of mailing the pills to a Collin County resident who allegedly consumed the medication when she was nine weeks pregnant. The lawsuit did not mention if the woman was successful in terminating her pregnancy.
Paxton wanted Carpenter to cough up $100,000 for every violation of the state's near-total abortion ban—a potentially relatively light sentence, considering that violators of Texas's draconian abortion law can also face life in prison and have their Texas medical license revoked.
The lawsuit was Texas's first attempt at suing an abortion provider across state lines, and is subsequently New York's first use of its shield law, which protects doctors and providers providing abortion care from out-of-state investigations and prosecutions.
Pro-abortion advocates have argued that banning the procedure only bans safe abortions, forcing other women in need of abortion care to find alternative solutions. Last week, news broke that a Pennsylvania teenager and her mother were under investigation after fetal remains were reported in the family's backyard following a self-managed abortion, reported Jezebel.
And recent reports have shown that lacking access to abortion care has actually made pregnancies drastically less safe. In Texas, where abortion hasn't been permitted despite the legislature's medical emergency clause, sepsis rates have skyrocketed by as much as 50 percent for women who lost their pregnancies during the second trimester, according to an investigative analysis by ProPublica.
But Texas has still been brutal in enforcing its post-Roe v. Wade laws. In the last couple of weeks, two Houston-area abortion providers have been arrested and charged with providing illegal care, reported The Texas Tribune.
The prescription commonly referred to as the 'abortion pill' is a two-step process of taking mifepristone and then misoprostol. The procedure accounts for more than half of all the abortions in the United States, according to a 2022 report by the Guttmacher Institute, and has become a crucial tool as abortion restrictions limit access to in-person medical visits. It is more than 95 percent effective at ending pregnancies when used before 10 weeks of pregnancy, according to statistics by the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists.
Access to mifepristone has become an increasingly fraught political issue since the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade in 2022. In October, the attorneys general of Kansas, Missouri, and Idaho—a cohort of states with some of the most draconian abortion restrictions in the nation—sued the federal government to limit access to the drug, arguing that the medication should be illegal for minors (misoprostol is fully legal as it is used for other treatments).
The Supreme Court unexpectedly saved mifepristone access in June, when it unanimously ruled that a group of different plaintiffs, represented by the right-wing Christian legal group Alliance Defending Freedom, did not have legal standing to sue the Food and Drug Administration, and that the legal organization had failed to demonstrate how their clients were personally harmed by the drug's existence on the market.
By and large, most Americans support abortion access. In a 2023 Gallup poll, just 12 percent of surveyed Americans said that abortion should be illegal in all circumstances. Meanwhile, 69 percent believe that it should be legal in the first trimester of pregnancy.
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16 hours ago
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New state laws aim to clarify abortion bans. Doctors say it's not so simple.
Almost three years after the fall of Roe v. Wade made way for near-total abortion bans, state lawmakers are weighing whether to offer more specific guidance about when doctors can perform abortions in a medical crisis. Texas, Kentucky and Tennessee all passed laws this year ostensibly clarifying the scope of its abortion bans, a reaction to climbing sepsis rates and harrowing stories of patients who have suffered or died preventable deaths. Since June 2022, lawmakers in at least nine states have introduced such bills. But doctors, attorneys and policy experts say that the laws being enacted will not solve the problems health providers have been forced to navigate since the end of Roe: The risk of being punished has deterred physicians, hospitals and health systems from providing consistent care, even when it is needed. 'The problem with these clarifying laws is they don't expand access under the law, they don't change the definitions, and they don't remove the legislative interference in the practice of medicine,' said Molly Meegan, chief legal officer and general counsel to the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists. In Texas, a bill that awaits Republican Gov. Greg Abbott's signature ostensibly clarifies when the state's near-total abortion ban allows for the procedure, saying explicitly that physicians do not need to wait until a patient is in imminent danger of dying to perform an abortion. The bill also requires training for doctors and lawyers on the state's abortion law. But lawmakers have made clear that the bill, crafted in consultation with Texas-based health professionals and abortion opponents, does not introduce new exceptions; Texas' ban does not allow for abortions in cases of rape, incest or fatal fetal anomaly. And if enacted, it would codify a Texas Supreme Court decision that found that the state's ban still applied even in cases with complications that could threaten a pregnant person's health.. Such was the case for Dallas woman Kate Cox, who experienced amniotic fluid leaking and cramping — which create the risk of bacterial infection — after discovering a likely-fatal fetal anomaly in her pregnancy. Some former abortion patients whose lives were endangered because of delayed or denied care, including several who challenged the Texas abortion ban, said they fear Senate Bill 31 may not address situations like theirs. Amanda Zurawski, who sued the state after being denied an abortion when experiencing a life-threatening condition called preterm premature rupture of membrane, said at a legislative hearing on the bill that it likely doesn't provide the clarity she would have needed. 'It is unclear whether SB 31 would have prevented my trauma and preserved my fertility had it existed in 2022, and I find that problematic,' Zurawski said. She only received care after she developed sepsis. Clarification bills can have mixed support in legislatures. Local physicians might back tweaks to exemption language if they see it as potentially lifesaving for their patients. Some anti-abortion advocates might also favor changes if the legislation can address certain medical emergencies that they believe fall outside of a state's ban, such as ectopic pregnancies or preterm premature rupture of membranes. But not all anti-abortion advocates or Republican lawmakers within these statehouses support even a small clarification. 'I think in all these cases, lawmakers are being pulled in different directions by these different constituencies,' said Mary Ziegler, an abortion law historian at the University of California, Davis. 'The bills themselves are kind of muddy, because they're trying to be different things to different people.' The end result are clarification laws that remain unclear to physicians and their employing hospitals and health systems, who can still face high penalties for violating an abortion ban. 'When the law isn't clear, physicians don't intervene,' Ziegler said. 'You're not going to be willing to gamble your liberty and your medical license on an uncertain interpretation of the law.' In Kentucky, doctors vocally opposed a Republican-backed bill that supporters said would help health professionals understand when they can provide abortions. Like in Texas, the state's ban only allows abortion when it is necessary to save a pregnant person's life. The clarification bill listed specific conditions that would qualify for an exception to the ban — such as sepsis, hemorrhage or ectopic pregnancy — despite concern from doctors that a delineated list wouldn't be able to predict every possible situation where an abortion might save someone's life. Democratic Gov. Andy Beshear vetoed the bill in March, calling gaps in the law 'literally a matter of life and death.' The state's legislature, where the GOP holds a supermajority, voted days later to override him. 'It's hard to create this laundry list of, 'This is OK, this is not OK,' because unfortunately, medicine is something with a bunch of gray areas,' said Dr. Caitlin Thomas, an OB-GYN in Louisville. In Georgia — where pregnant, brain-dead woman Adriana Smith remains on life-support until she can give birth later this summer, and where the death of Amber Thurman was attributed to the confusion created by the state's abortion ban — some lawmakers have asked physicians whether a clarification might allow doctors to provide abortions when the pregnancy threatens a patient's life, possibly by listing specific conditions that qualify for an exception. 'We encouraged them not to, and said that would not be helpful,' said Dr. Neesha Verma, an Atlanta-based OB-GYN. 'The more and more prescriptive you make these laws, the less space there is for clinical judgment.' Following a case filed by seven Tennessee patients who had been denied abortions under the state's ban, lawmakers in that state passed a law this year meant to clarify that, under the state's ban, abortions could be performed in cases of preterm prelabor rupture of membrane or severe preeclampsia, but that the exception did not include mental health emergencies. Mental health conditions including substance use disorder, depression and confirmed or probably suicide are the largest single cause of pregnancy-related deaths in the state, according to a 2022 report. The interest in clarifying bans — including from some lawmakers who oppose abortion — 'is a response to where we know the public is and the fact that we know the public is generally supportive of abortion access and also has been presented with these terrible preventable cases since Dobbs,' said Kimya Forouzan, who tracks state policy for the Guttmacher Institute, a nonprofit abortion research organization. That ambiguity was on display in a Texas case last year. A state judge held that the state's abortion law exception permitted Cox to have an abortion when her doctors discovered the anomaly in her pregnancy. But the state's attorney general, Ken Paxton, swiftly intervened, threatening legal action against any health care provider that performed an abortion on Cox. Cox ultimately left the state to terminate her pregnancy. Michele Goodwin, a law professor at the University of California, Irvine and author of 'Policing the Womb: Invisible Women and the Criminalization of Motherhood,' said state officials can do more to ensure health providers know their legal rights. 'It would be credible for states' attorneys generals and the prosecutors who are conservative to immediately issue statements of clarity, saying that they are opposed to these kinds of conditions, that they will not prosecute,' she said. The post New state laws aim to clarify abortion bans. Doctors say it's not so simple. appeared first on The 19th. News that represents you, in your inbox every weekday. Subscribe to our free, daily newsletter.
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17 hours ago
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New Mexico Delegation to Promote the State's Bioscience Industry at BIO International Convention in Boston
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'This conference gives us an opportunity to highlight assets driving that growth, to understand how to best support our local firms and to see how trends and technology are shaping site location and expansion decisions.' Representatives from AREA will exhibit at the conference with partners from Presbyterian Health, UNM Health Sciences, the New Mexico Bioscience Authority, Sandoval Economic Alliance, the New Mexico Economic Development Department, Tricore, Los Alamos National Labs. The City of Albuquerque, Bernalillo County and Sandoval County are also serving as sponsors of this effort. Each partner will highlight different aspects of the bioscience industry, which is broadly defined as any science that deals with the biological aspects of living organisms, by showcasing their respective organizations. 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We are excited to engage with global leaders in biotechnology and life sciences, and to highlight the impactful work taking place at UNM Health Sciences and throughout New Mexico.' A featured and exciting showcase will occur on Tuesday, June 17 during the main exhibit hall reception, courtesy of Visit Albuquerque, where booth visitors will experience the thrill of a hot air balloon ride from the safety of the ground through virtual reality. The region has seen consistent growth within the industry, thanks to high concentrations of technical occupations, key regional assets like national laboratories and top-tier research universities, and a statewide talent pipeline of STEM-based graduates that has seen steady growth over the past five years. Overall, the state of New Mexico has seen a 26% job growth increase in the past five years in the bioscience cluster and 3,970 Statewide STEM Graduates. 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The Exhibition showcases over 500 exhibitors offering cutting-edge solutions in product development, contract research, contract manufacturing, and beyond, providing the New Mexico bioindustry an opportunity to build new partnerships and increase visibility and brand awareness of New Mexico as a leading location to do business. To view the New Mexico delegation's schedule of booth events and representatives, as well as reports and data on the bioscience industry in New Mexico, visit For more information about the conference, visit: About AREAThe Albuquerque Regional Economic Alliance is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization whose mission is to lead and execute strategies designed to grow and diversify the economic base of the greater Albuquerque region, creating a prosperous, diverse and inclusive economy and elevating the standard of living for all. AREA provides confidential assistance to businesses considering the area for expansion and new investment. Since its creation in 1960, AREA has recruited more than 250 companies and more than 35,000 jobs to the Albuquerque metro area. AREA also provides retention and expansion assistance to existing industry. For more information, visit CONTACT: Danielle Casey Albuquerque Regional Economic Alliance 505-705-3785 dcasey@
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Virta Health Survey Reveals Secret to Lasting Weight Loss After GLP-1s: Users Who Follow a Guided Off-ramp are 8x More Likely to Continue Losing Weight
DENVER--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Virta Health, a leader in diabetes reversal and sustainable weight loss with a nutrition-first approach, today released a report showing that people can maintain weight loss after stopping GLP-1 medication with the right guidance and lifestyle support—challenging the belief that weight regain is inevitable. Critically, the survey found those who tapered off GLP-1s under medical guidance were eight times more likely to continue losing weight after stopping (56%), compared to the 7% who quit abruptly. In partnership with Wakefield Research, Virta surveyed 500 U.S. adults who previously used GLP-1s for weight loss and stopped taking them at least six months ago. While more than one in three (36%) experienced weight regain after GLP-1s, the data underscores that a structured and supported off-ramp makes the difference for sustaining long-term weight loss. Key findings are below and detailed in the " Virta Vitals: Life After GLP-1s" corresponding report: Guided Transitions Improve Outcomes The survey highlights a stark difference in outcomes for people transitioning off GLP-1s with professional support compared to those who do so independently, with guidance significantly improving post-GLP-1 outcomes. Encouragingly, nearly half (45%) of U.S. adults who stopped taking GLP-1s did so by gradually decreasing their dosage with guidance from a medical professional, while over one-third (36%) tapered off in combination with a specific lifestyle change or diet plan. People who tapered off under medical guidance are eight times more likely to lose even more weight after stopping (56%), compared to those who quit abruptly (7%). Even more telling: 12% of users stopped cold turkey, but among those who failed to meet their weight loss goals, that number shot up to 25%. Going it alone isn't just hard—it's risky. Lifestyle Habits Drive Lasting Results Among the users who stuck with their healthy diet changes after stopping GLP-1s, over half (51%) maintained their weight, and a remarkable 43% continued to lose even more weight, painting a positive picture for life post-GLP-1s. However, a challenge remains: only 36% of users off GLP-1s for 9 to 12 months maintained their new dietary patterns. While GLP-1s can effectively jumpstart weight loss, true, sustained success hinges on integrating and maintaining these fundamental lifestyle habits. Consumers Seek an Exit Strategy Despite pharmaceutical companies often stating these medications constitute a lifelong commitment, user behavior suggests otherwise. The survey revealed that only 26% of respondents used GLP-1s for 12 months or more. This clear preference for an off-ramp underscores the need for effective strategies to help users achieve sustainable, medication-free health. 'The doomed picture of life post-GLP-1s is a myth we're actively debunking,' said Catherine Metzgar, PhD, RD, and health coach at Virta. 'Our findings show that a personalized, nutrition-first approach, coupled with a professionally guided transition plan, can set people up to not only maintain their weight loss after GLP-1 use, but actually continue their journey. Ultimately, GLP-1s can ignite a path to durable health that lasts far beyond any prescription.' Methodology This survey was conducted by Wakefield Research on behalf of Virta Health. Virta commissioned this research to capture the perspective of 500 nationally representative U.S. adults on their experiences with GLP-1s for weight loss. The survey was fielded between March 21 and April 1, 2025, using an email invitation and online questionnaire, with adults ages 18 and older who stopped taking GLP-1 medications a minimum of six months ago. For the interviews conducted in this particular study, the chances are 95 in 100 that a survey result does not vary, plus or minus, by more than 4.4 percentage points from the result that would be obtained if interviews had been conducted with all persons in the universe represented by the sample. About Virta Health Virta Health is a leader in diabetes reversal and sustainable weight loss. Through a combination of personalized nutrition, technology, and expert support, Virta empowers members to build longer, healthier lives—while reducing or eliminating the need for medications. Virta partners with the nation's largest employers, payers, and pharmacy benefit managers to improve the health of their members while reducing costs. Headquartered in Denver, Colorado, Virta's mission is to reverse diabetes and obesity in one billion people. For more information, visit
