November 30, 2021
Tomorrow is the day.
The Supreme Court will hear oral arguments in a case that experts say is the most significant and real challenge to abortion rights and the nearly 50-year precedent set by Roe vs Wade.
The high court will hear the case against the Mississippi abortion ban which prohibits nearly all abortions after 15 weeks of pregnancy with some specific exceptions. It would also suspend or revoke the medical license of doctors who violate the ban. That law was passed in Mississippi in 2018.
A federal district court judge who initially heard the case struck down the Mississippi law saying it was unconstitutional. Then a three-judge panel in very conservative Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals then upheld that ruling agreeing with the lower court that it was unconstitutional. Then Mississippi appealed to the Supreme Court. And the Justices took the case. And here we are.
Just so you’re clear – the precedent established in 1973 by Roe vs Wade asserts that states cannot restrict abortion before fetal viability, typically around 24 weeks into pregnancy and longer in cases in which the patient’s life or health comes into question. The Court upheld roe in another case in 1992.
That issue of viability – is at the heart of the Mississippi case. Also playing into this — is the current six to three conservative majority of the high court.
This isn’t the only high-profile abortion case the Justices have heard this term. Last month they heard the case against the Texas abortion ban.
In terms of the Supreme Court rulings on these cases – we will all be waiting. The Justices usually hear cases now, but don’t issue their rulings until the end of their term. That usually means in June. So, it’s going to be a while.
There are no cameras allowed in the supreme court but you can listen to the oral arguments. This case will be heard tomorrow morning at 10 a.m. est.
You can listen here.
You may soon be able to take a pill to treat Covid19. That’s because the FDA’s independent advisory panel approved Merck’s pill under Emergency Use Authorization.
The panel narrowly approved the pill known as Molnupiravir for use in adults with mild to moderate Covid-19 who are at risk for severe disease or hospitalization. The vote was 13 to 10. There were a lot of questions about the drug’s effectiveness, safety and whether it would possibly contribute to mutations of even more dangerous Covid19 variants.
Merck originally said the drug was more than 50% effective in preventing hospitalizations and death, but after the FDA fully investigated those numbers and research – the panel said today – the drug is actually 30% effective. But the benefits include that it does not need to be administered by IV or injected.
Both Merck and the FDA advise that pregnant or breastfeeding women and kids should *not* take this pill.
As always with Emergency Use Authorization, there are several steps before this pill is available to the general public. Now, the FDA commissioner will either approve or deny this endorsement and then the CDC advisory panel will either approve or deny it and then CDC Director has to sign off.
More info on today’s FDA action from Merck here.
Two more huge blows from two separate judges over the CMS vaccine mandate and the vaccine mandate for federal contractors.
First – the CMS vaccine mandate. A federal district court judge in Louisiana issued a preliminary injunction over the vaccine mandate for employees who work at medical facilities that receive money from Medicare and Medicaid. This is similar to the Missouri judge’s ruling that I told you about yesterday in this video – the difference with today’s ruling – the Louisiana judge included a nation-wide pause on the CMS vaccine mandate for every single state in his order.
This case was brought by attorneys general in Arizona, Alabama, Georgia, Idaho, Indiana, Kentucky, Louisiana Mississippi, Montana, Ohio, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Utah and West Virginia. And case is not over and will continue to play out in that Louisiana courtroom.
Second – the vaccine mandate for federal contractors. A federal district court judge in Kentucky has also order a preliminary injunction to pause the president’s vaccine mandate for federal contractors in three states. Those states where the pause is happening, Kentucky, Ohio and Tennessee.
Now – there are a lot of injunctions, a lot of moving parts and again every single vaccine mandate is different and just because one is stopped or paused doesn’t mean in the end… all of them will be.
There are a lot of lawsuits to keep track of and we’re going to be getting several more rulings. If you’re confused or wondering about a specific vaccine mandate that impacts you, please go look at all my videos on this topic. Look for the vaccine mandate category on my page.
Read the Louisiana Federal District Court Judge’s ruling on the CMS Vaccine mandate here.
Read the Kentucky Federal District Court Judge’s ruling on the Federal Contractor vaccine mandate here.
