Latest news with #StateLaw
Yahoo
16-05-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
What to know about brain-dead Georgia woman reportedly being kept on life support because she's pregnant
In May 2025, a rumor circulated online that a brain-dead woman in Georgia was being kept alive artificially against her family's wishes to allow her pregnancy to reach a term at which the baby might survive on its own. This was supposedly due to the abortion ban in the state. For example, writer and activist Jessica Valenti posted a video discussing the situation on her X account (archived): "If you have the capacity for pregnancy, you are not a person to them," Valenti said in the video. "You are a vessel, you are an incubator, but you are most certainly not a human being, because you don't treat human beings like this." The post had reached 168,100 views and 1,800 likes as of this writing. The claim further spread on X, where one post garnered 2.8 million views (archived), on TikTok and on Reddit. Further, Snopes readers searched the site seeking to confirm the veracity of the rumor. Indeed, Snopes was able to determine that several reputable news sources had reported on the story, including The Associated Press, NBC News and local NBC affiliate 11Alive-WXIA. Snopes attempted to contact April Newkirk, the woman in question's mother and the source of the details reported in those outlets, to confirm the story, and we will update this article should she respond. According to these reports, Adriana Smith, a 30-year-old nurse and mother of one, was nine weeks pregnant when she died in February. She went to Northside Hospital seeking treatment following "intense headaches," Newkirk told WXIA. Newkirk said the doctors there did not do tests and sent her home with medication. The next day, her boyfriend called 911 after he noticed her struggling to breathe, and Smith was admitted to Emory University Hospital, where she worked. There, doctors identified blood clots in her brain on a CT scan and declared her brain-dead, which constitutes legal death in all 50 states. However, due to Georgia's ban on abortion, effective from the moment a fetus' heartbeat is detectable, doctors reportedly told Smith's family they would not turn off the machines that are keeping her body functionally alive. Indeed, a fetus' heartbeat is generally detectable at six weeks of pregnancy. Smith was 21 weeks pregnant the week of May 12, 2025, according to her mother. Doctors hoped to take the pregnancy to 32 weeks to increase the fetus' chances of survival. She was moved to Emory Decatur Hospital, which had better obstetric care. We have reached out to the hospital for more details and will update the story should we receive an answer. However, Newkirk said the doctors told her the fetus, which is male, had fluid around its brain, though it was not clear how much, and that they were concerned about its health. Further, the financial cost of Smith's long-term hospital stay was also a concern for her family. Alcorn, Cody. "Family Says Woman Declared Brain Dead but Her Pregnancy Continues under State Law." WXIA, 13 May 2025, Accessed 16 May 2025. Amy, Jeff, et al. "Georgia's Anti-Abortion Law Keeps Brain-Dead Pregnant Woman Adriana Smith on Life Support." AP News, 15 May 2025, Accessed 16 May 2025. Burke, Minyvonne. "Georgia Mother Says She Is Being Forced to Keep Brain-Dead Pregnant Daughter Alive under Abortion Ban Law." NBC News, 15 May 2025, Accessed 16 May 2025. "House Bill 481." 2019, Accessed 16 May 2025. "Maternity Center | Emory Decatur Hospital." 2025, Accessed 16 May 2025.
Yahoo
02-04-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Bridgeport mayor issues statement on city manager's possible removal
BRIDGEPORT, (WBOY) — Bridgeport Mayor Andy Lang has issued a statement on Thursday's special council meeting to discuss the potential removal of City Manager Patrick Ford. In a statement emailed to 12 News on Wednesday morning, Lang wrote 'Thursday's Special Meeting was called by me in accordance with the City's procedural requirements.' City officials have not commented publicly on the reason they're considering Ford's removal. 'The City Council and I are elected to serve the residents of the City of Bridgeport, and we took an oath to serve and always work in the best interests of the City,' Lang wrote. 'Many times, we must discuss and act on tough issues and make decisions to keep the City moving forward.' Bridgeport city manager intends to fight for his job Ford, who was hired in October of 2024, has claimed his possible termination is an effort by city leaders to hide the results of an internal investigation initiated in February of 2025. In a letter to City Council obtained by 12 News, Ford wrote 'on February 10th, 2025, you (city council) unanimously voted to initiate an internal investigation — the initial results of which you are collectively now attempting to hide through my termination.' In that same letter, Ford invoked West Virginia State Code, which he said gives him the statutory right to have an open meeting concerning his employment status. In an email sent to local media outlets Tuesday, Ford said there was a 'wealth of misinformation' circulating about his reputation and character and that he intends to 'fight for what is right — and my job.' The Thursday special meeting has one item on the agenda: discussion and possible action on Ford's removal from office. 'Thursday's Special Meeting was called by me in accordance with the City's procedural requirements,' wrote Lang in his Wednesday statement. 'As an elected official who takes my responsibilities seriously, I will not deviate from the processes that we are obligated to follow. Rest assured, regardless of any information posted on social media or elsewhere, accurate information will be provided when appropriate. We must follow State Law and the Charter of the City of Bridgeport.' The special meeting is scheduled for Thursday at 5 p.m. 12 News will be at the meeting and will bring you the latest. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Fox News
02-04-2025
- Politics
- Fox News
Washington athletics org's proposals to change trans-athlete policy would violate state law, official says
Washington appears to be the latest state that is getting set for a showdown over its decision to allow biological males to play in girls' and women's sports despite President Donald Trump's executive order in February. The Washington Interscholastic Activities Association (WIAA)'s Representative Assembly proposed two amendments to its policies that would keep girls' sports to biological females only and potentially offer an open division if student-athletes were interested. However, WIAA commutations director Sean Bessette said in a statement to The Seattle Times on Tuesday that the proposals would violate state law. "The WIAA has been told by the Attorney General's office, the Office for Civil Rights, and the Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction that proposed amendments ML/HS #7 and ML/HS #8 would be a violation under current Washington state law, affirming our attorney's legal review," Bessette told the paper. "The WIAA remains committed to following state law, and those amendments focused on gender-identity participation would not be implemented on August 1 if they were to pass under current state law. "If state law were to change, the WIAA's Executive Board has the authority and would need to alter the Association's rules accordingly." The proposals will be voted on by the 53-person representative assembly but no changes will be made to the rules. The proposals titled ML/HS #7 and ML/HS #8 are strictly advisory votes only. "Amendment would not be implemented under current State Law. Participation in girls' sports would be limited to biological females," the ML/HS #7 proposal read on the athletics organization's website. "Amendment would not be implemented under current State Law. Athletic programs would be offered separately for boys, girls, and an open division for all students interested," ML/HS #8 read. Washington state law requires local educational agencies to allow transgender students to participate in interscholastic sports "that most closely aligns with their gender identity," according to the WIAA. The Kennewick School Board filed a Title IX complaint with the U.S. Department of Education's Office of Civil Rights against Washington state's Superintendent of Public Instruction Chris Reykdal this week. The complaint included a plea for "urgent" federal intervention against the state's ongoing policies that defy Trump's order. Reykdal previously claimed it was "inaccurate" to say there are only two genders during a video address in late February. "It is quite simply inaccurate to say, biologically, that there are only boys and there are only girls," Reykdal said. "There's a continuum. There's a science to this. There are children who are born intersex. There are children whose hormones and whose chromosomes are not consistent with their sex at birth. "Our state laws make clear that children get to identify and participate based on the gender in which they identify. We're going to uphold that law." Reykdal also insisted in that address that Trump does not have the authority as president to issue a ban on trans athletes in girls' sports but conceded the U.S. Congress does. Another school district in Washington opted to take matters into its own hands and defy the state government in late February. The Tumwater School District's board of directors voted 3-1 Feb. 27 to ban trans athletes from playing for girls sports teams after a nationally publicized controversy involving one of its school's girls basketball teams. Follow Fox News Digital's sports coverage on X, and subscribe to the Fox News Sports Huddle newsletter.
Yahoo
26-03-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
INDOT suing Dubois County property owners
HENDERSON, Ky. (WEHT)- 121 property owners in Dubois County are being sued by the Indiana Department of Transportation over issues surrounding the Mid-States Corridor Project. 12-year-old inspires Dallas basketball team The lawsuit filed in Dubois Circuit Court alleges that property owners are unlawfully preventing the agency from conducting environmental assessments and surveying for the project, which would connect I-64 to I-69 through Spencer, Dubois, and Martin Counties. INDOT claims that State Law allows the agency to do so. According to court documents, INDOT contacted property owners by mail, phone, and in-person, but were told they could not have access to their properties. INDOT says they were also sent cease and desist letters from an Indianapolis attorney who is representing the property owners. INDOT is now seeking a preliminary injunction to prohibit property owners from interfering with the department's rights of access, surveying and assessment under Indiana law. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
01-03-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Why we've filed civil-rights complaints against DEI in New York and Wisconsin: ‘Discriminates openly based on race'
A public-interest law firm has filed federal civil-rights complaints against New York and Wisconsin on behalf of contractors who say they're losing millions thanks to those states' race and gender discrimination in handing out lucrative government contracts, the New York Post can exclusively report. 'We're a successful business by any metric, but if it wasn't for the diversity requirements, we would be two or three times the size,' a New York company owner represented in the complaints told The Post. 'It's been a significant frustration of mine for the last 10 years.' He's not alone. But Donald Trump's election and the president's requirement — made in an executive order his first day back in the White House — that federal contract and grant recipients comply with federal anti-discrimination law have created a climate of hope. After reading about the Wisconsin Institute for Law and Liberty's work on civil-rights cases, the supplier reached out. What resulted is WILL's two complaints on behalf of Contractors for Equal Opportunity. 'Multiple times a day, we lose orders because we're not a minority business,' the source, who supplies contractors for government-infrastructure projects and requested anonymity for fear of state reprisals, told The Post. 'I was actually with a customer yesterday, one of our good customers. And his words were: 'You guys are considerably less expensive. You're far easier to deal with. Your products are better. We love working with you, but unfortunately, we can't buy off you most of the time because we have to meet these diversity goals.'' Such set-asides are racially and sexually discriminatory — and so illegal under federal law, says Daniel Lennington, WILL's managing vice president. Rather than take the cases directly to federal court, WILL filed Title VI complaints this week with US Attorney General Pam Bondi. Title VI of the 1964 Civil Rights Act bans discrimination based on sex or race in programs receiving federal funds, and WILL notes the state programs receive federal grants from 'several different agencies.' The New York complaint targets the state's Department of Economic Development for its Minority and Women's Business Enterprise program, which WILL alleges can 'disqualify contractors that fail to meet the racial goals of a project.' 'In short, if a contractor does not have the correct racial balance of workers, it is subject to penalties or disqualification,' the complaint says. It cites data showing in the last three years, 'DED received $23 million in federal funds from 64 separate transactions,' concluding 'it is beyond question that Title VI applies.' View this document on Scribd The Empire State plans to put up a fight. 'For more than 35 years New York State has worked to create an economic environment that values all New Yorkers while unlocking the vast potential of underserved groups,' DED spokeswoman Emily Mijatovic told The Post. 'New York's narrowly tailored MWBE is fully compliant with State Law and Supreme Court precedent,' Mijatovic added. 'Governor Hochul and Empire State Development remain fully dedicated to continuing to advance a strong and legally sound minority- and women-owned business enterprise program, and New York's commitment to expanding economic opportunity for all New Yorkers has never been stronger.' Hochul recently trumpeted the fact 32.3% of state contracts go to such businesses and launched a program 'to provide free, comprehensive support to help qualified MWBEs complete their applications for state certification' for Black History Month in February. The Wisconsin complaint targets the state's Department of Administration for its supplier-diversity program, which mandates a 5% quota of contracts for woman- or minority-owned businesses. 'We are asking you to open an investigation into a state-based supplier and procurement program that discriminates openly against small businesses based on race,' the complaint reads. View this document on Scribd The New York supplier said he hears 'daily' from government officials that his firms aren't eligible for certain business because they're not woman- or minority-owned. 'I don't mind losing an order when it's a fair playing field,' the source said. 'Some orders we deserve to lose. But when we're losing hundreds of millions of dollars of business every year simply because of our race or gender, it's a little frustrating.' The business owner said he didn't want to defraud taxpayers by claiming minority status or female ownership — but not everyone has the same scruples. 'What this whole program has created is really a huge amount of fraud,' he said. 'You get people setting up so-called minority businesses that are really only fronts, and all these large infrastructure projects mandate a percentage of spend has to be minorities,' he explained. 'It's very difficult to meet those mandates, so they'll knowingly go and overpay for product.' WILL alleges the New York program grants $3 billion in discriminatory contracts annually and Wisconsin $200 million annually. Trump's plan to rout diversity, equity and inclusive funding may change that. 'The executive orders have basically required all the agencies to identify targets of action that the federal government can take,' Lennington told The Post. 'We have heard second hand that the White House is looking for examples to be made of universities, states and companies.' 'We think that the Trump administration wants to be very aggressive, and the landscape has completely changed with regard to DEI,' he added. While it still exists, though, those harmed fear their business could completely dry up if they put their names to a complaint. 'These folks are very concerned about retribution for speaking out. It's partially why this fight, in our eyes, is so important,' WILL's communication director, Pat Garrett, told The Post.
