Foes vow to appeal Texas abortion law
EL PASO, Texas – Abortion-rights lawyers are predicting “a showdown” at the U.S. Supreme Court after federal appellate judges allowed full implementation of a law that has closed more than 80 percent of Texas’ abortion clinics.
As of Friday, abortion services for many Texas women required a round trip of more than 200 miles or a border-crossing into Mexico or New Mexico.
Operators of some of the affected clinics and their lawyers from the Center for Reproductive Rights vowed to appeal Thursday’s decision by the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in New Orleans that allows Texas to fully enforce a sweeping abortion law approved by the Republican-controlled legislature last year.
‘Brain-dead’ case heads back to court
SAN FRANCISCO – Debate over the definition of “brain-dead” reignited this week when a California family and its lawyer asked a judge to declare that 13-year-old Jahi McMath is alive 10 months after a coroner signed her death certificate.
Attorney Christopher Dolan is seeking the unprecedented ruling, arguing that new tests show Jahi has brain activity. Jahi has been kept on a ventilator and feeding tubes since an operation to treat sleep apnea went awry in December. Three doctors, including one appointed by the judge, declared her brain-dead after finding no neurological activity.
Dolan says researchers at the International Brain Research Foundation found signs of activity in Jahi’s brain last week after testing at Rutgers University in New Jersey.
Protesters call off talks in Hong Kong
HONG KONG – Pro-democracy protesters called off planned talks with the government on political reforms Friday after mobs tried to drive them from the streets where they have held a weeklong, largely peaceful demonstration.
The protesters urged residents to join their cause and demanded that the police protect their encampments. The Hong Kong Federation of Students, one of the groups leading the demonstrations that drew tens of thousands of people earlier this week, said they saw no choice but to cancel the dialogue.
“The government is demanding the streets be cleared. We call upon all Hong Kong people to immediately come to protect our positions and fight to the end,” the group said
Associated Press
