Trump Revokes Emergency Abortion Protection Memo
WASHINGTON: The administration of US President Donald Trump rescinded on Tuesday guidance issued under his predecessor Joe Biden explicitly protecting hospitals for providing emergency abortions.
The memo, which required hospitals to provide emergency abortions to women whose health was at risk, even in states with abortion restrictions, was rescinded by a branch of the US health department overseen by Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.
The Biden-era memo had been issued in July 2022, weeks after the US Supreme Court revoked federal abortion rights.
It sought to maintain some abortion protections by guiding the interpretation of the 1986 Emergency Medical Treatment and Labor Act (EMTALA).
The EMTALA 'provides rights to any individual who comes to a hospital emergency department and requests examination or treatment', according to the latest memo issued by Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS).
Although the memo specifying emergency abortion protections has been rescinded, the overarching law enshrining a person's right to receive emergency medical services remains in place.
'Patients, including pregnant people, are entitled to the full rights and protections afforded under this federal statute,' Tuesday's memo concluded.
This is the latest move by Trump and his administration at restricting abortion access.
In his first week back in office, Trump revoked two executive orders signed by Biden, which aimed to protect access to abortion pills and the ability to travel to states where abortions are not banned, among other things.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Star
an hour ago
- The Star
Zachary Levi describes facing wrath of Hollywood for supporting Trump
The 'Shazam!' star endorsed Trump in the 2024 presidential election. Photos: Zachary Levi/Instagram, AP Zachary Levi is opening up on navigating the backlash he's faced due to his support of Donald Trump and espousing controversial views on Covid-19 vaccines. The Shazam! star endorsed Trump in the 2024 presidential election after his preferred candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. dropped out and joined forces with the MAGA leader. Already courting 'cancellation' because of his vaccine scepticism, he called the move 'career suicide' at the time because 'Hollywood is a very, very liberal town.' In a wide-ranging interview published May 22, Levi revealed that he's since experienced the wrath of Hollywood. 'I know that there are people that would prefer not to work with me now because of my opinions. My team has let me know,' he told Variety executive editor Tatiana Siegel. 'They haven't given me any specific names, but there are people who prefer not to work with me at this time. And it's unfortunate.' The self-described Hollywood pariah – whose credits include Chuck , Thor: Ragnarok and Harold And The Purple Crayon – also revealed that while he may be one of few people in the industry who publicly came forward with their support of Trump, he's not the only one. 'I know it to be true because I've gotten messages from lots of people who I won't name but who were very grateful to me for taking the stand that I took,' Levi said. 'They would tell me, 'I want to do that, but I'm so afraid.' And I would tell them, 'Listen, you're on your journey. I'm on my journey. You've got to keep trusting God. And if you feel compelled to step out in that way, then do it boldly and know that you're going to be OK. "And if you don't feel that conviction yet, then don't. It's all good.'' The 44-year-old Louisiana native, who welcomed his first child with photographer Maggie Keating in April, also shared his true thoughts on Trump himself, saying he's not blind to certain issues. 'I was not a fan of Trump's Trumpiness. I didn't like a lot of these personal things, the ways that he carries himself a lot of the time,' Levi confessed. 'I understand people's aversion. Do I think the whole package is somehow perfect? No. In fact, most people who voted for Donald Trump recognise a lot of the imperfections in all of it. Nobody was saying, 'This is the Orange Messiah.'' – New York Daily News/Tribune News Service
The Star
an hour ago
- The Star
Trump and Musk to speak Friday after alliance descends into public feud, Politico reports
WASHINGTON (Reuters) -White House aides scheduled a call between Donald Trump and Elon Musk for Friday, Politico reported, after a huge public spat that saw threats fly over government contracts and ended with the world's richest man suggesting the U.S. president should be impeached. The reported call could ease the feuding after an extraordinary day of hostilities - largely conducted over social media - that marked a stark end to a close alliance. Shares in Musk's Tesla closed down over 14% on Thursday, losing about $150 billion in market value in the largest single-day decline in value in its history. In pre-market European trading on Friday they pared some of those losses, rising 5% after the Politico report that the two men were scheduled to speak. Musk had bankrolled a large part of Trump's presidential campaign and was then brought as one of the president's most visible advisers, heading up a sweeping and controversial effort to downsize the federal workforce and slash spending. The verbal punches erupted on Thursday after Trump criticized Musk in the Oval Office and the pair then traded barbs on their social media platforms: Trump's Truth Social and Musk's X. The falling-out had begun brewing days ago when Musk, who left his role as head of the Department of Government Efficiency a week ago, denounced Trump's sweeping tax-cut and spending bill. The president initially stayed quiet while Musk campaigned to torpedo the bill, saying it would add too much to the nation's $36.2 trillion in debt. Trump broke his silence on Thursday, telling reporters he was "very disappointed" in Musk. "Look, Elon and I had a great relationship. I don't know if we will anymore," Trump said. As Trump spoke, Musk responded on X. "Without me, Trump would have lost the election," wrote Musk, who spent nearly $300 million backing Trump and other Republicans in last year's election. In another post, Musk asserted that Trump's signature import tariffs would push the U.S. into a recession later this year. "The easiest way to save money in our Budget, Billions and Billions of Dollars, is to terminate Elon's Governmental Subsidies and Contracts," Trump posted. Minutes after the closing bell, Musk replied, "Yes," to a post on X saying Trump should be impeached, something that would be highly unlikely given Trump's Republicans hold majorities in both chambers of Congress. Musk's businesses also include rocket company and government contractor SpaceX and its satellite unit Starlink. Musk, whose space business plays a critical role in the U.S. government's space program, said that as a result of Trump's threats he would begin decommissioning SpaceX's Dragon spacecraft. Dragon is the only U.S. spacecraft capable of sending astronauts to the International Space Station. Late on Thursday, Musk backed off the threat. In another sign of a possible detente to come, Musk subsequently wrote: "You're not wrong," in response to billionaire investor Bill Ackman saying Trump and Musk should make peace. PUNCHING BACK Trump and Musk are both political fighters with a penchant for using social media to attack their perceived enemies, and many observers had predicted a falling-out. Musk hit at the heart of Trump's agenda earlier this week when he targeted what Trump has named his "big, beautiful bill", calling it a "disgusting abomination" that would deepen the federal deficit. His attacks amplified a rift within the Republican Party that could threaten the bill's prospects in the Senate. Nonpartisan analysts say Trump's bill could add $2.4 trillion to $5 trillion to the nation's $36.2 trillion in debt. A prolonged feud between the pair could make it harder for Republicans to keep control of Congress in next year's midterm elections if it leads to a loss of Musk's campaign spending or erodes support for Trump in Silicon Valley. "Elon really was a significant portion of the ground game this last cycle," said a Republican strategist with ties to Musk and the Trump administration who spoke to Reuters on condition of anonymity. "If he sits out the midterms, that worries me." On Tuesday, Musk posted that "in November next year, we fire all politicians who betrayed the American people." Musk had already said he planned to curtail his political spending in the future. Musk's increasing focus on politics provoked widespread protests at Tesla sites, driving down sales while investors fretted that Musk's attention was too divided. (Additional reporting by Jeff Mason, Joey Roulette and Jarrett RenshawWriting by Costas Pitas, Joseph Ax and Charlie DevereuxEditing by Don Durfee, Michael Perry and Frances Kerry)
The Sun
an hour ago
- The Sun
Vietnam trade surplus with US surges, clouding tariff talks
HANOI: Vietnam's trade surplus with the US expanded sharply in May as exports swelled and its imports from China also jumped, exacerbating sore points with Washington that could hurt Hanoi's efforts to avoid crippling tariffs. Separate trade data from the US also showed Vietnam's surplus overtook Mexico's in April, lagging only China and the European Union. US President Donald Trump has vowed to bring down the US trade deficit and the Southeast Asian country faces one of his highest 'reciprocal' tariffs at 46% if a deal cannot be negotiated before a pause on the levies ends in early July. Despite Hanoi's efforts and pledges to meet Washington's demands, the surplus keeps growing, particularly as exporters rush to get their goods to the US before the tariffs go into effect. The new figures 'may put some clouds in the sky of these negotiations and put pressure on Vietnam to make additional concessions to reach an agreement,' said Leif Schneider, vice-chairman of the European Chamber of Commerce in Vietnam's legal sector committee. The surplus with the US surged to US$12.2 billion (RM52 billion) in May, up nearly 42% from a year earlier and 17% higher than April, Vietnamese government data showed yesterday. Exports to the US also climbed roughly 42% from a year earlier to a post-pandemic high of US$13.8 billion. That stands in contrast to signs that other countries are reining in their exports to the US with the US trade deficit narrowing sharply in April. Schneider noted that while Vietnam's spike in exports was largely due to front-loading ahead of possible tariffs, and represents a short-term inflation of the surplus, Vietnam is in a particularly hard spot because of its limited imports from the US. In the first five months of the year, the surplus hit nearly US$50 billion, up 28.5% and putting Vietnam on track to exceed last year's record surplus. The country's imports from China also posted a post-pandemic record of US$16.2 billion in May, up 21% from a year earlier. Vietnam is home to large manufacturing operations of US multinationals such as Apple, Intel and Nike , and it also hosts numerous Chinese companies, often suppliers to US firms. US officials have repeatedly accused Vietnam of being used as a waypoint for Chinese goods destined for the US. They allege that some goods have 'Made in Vietnam' labels despite having received no or insufficient added value in the country – allowing Chinese exporters to avoid high US duties on their goods. The US has sent a 'long' list of 'tough' requests to Vietnam in its tariff negotiations including demands that could force the country to cut its reliance on Chinese industrial goods imports, two people briefed about the matter have said. Under US pressure, Hanoi has launched a crackdown on illegal transshipments of goods, mostly from China. It has also repeatedly shown its willingness to reduce non-tariff barriers and to import more US goods including US planes, farm products and energy, although no purchase contracts have been announced yet. Vietnam's overall trade figures with the world showed exports in May rose 17% from a year earlier to US$39.6 billion, while imports were up 14% at US$39 billion. Separate government data also out yesterday showed industrial production in May shot up 9.4% from a year earlier, while consumer prices rose 3.24% and retail sales were up 10.2%. Foreign investment inflows for January-May climbed 7.9% to US$8.9 billion. Foreign investment pledges over the period soared 51.2% to US$18.4 billion. – Reuters
