In a statement released Monday, Mills argued that the bill, which will allow registered nurses and physician assistants to administer abortion-inducing drugs and perform in-clinic abortions.
Mills said." data-reactid="20">“Allowing qualified and licensed medical professionals to perform abortions will ensure that Maine women, especially those in rural areas, are able to access critical reproductive health care services when and where they need them from qualified providers they know and trust,” Mills said. More...Maine Gov. Signs Bill Allowing Non-Doctors to Perform Abortions
Florida gun safety group wins first step for assault weapons ban
- A group of gun control activists said Monday it's collected enough petition signatures in Florida to force a review by the state Supreme Court for a proposed ballot initiative that would ban the sale of assault weapons.
Ban Assault Weapons Now made the announcement at the Orange County Supervisors office. Orlando, the county seat, was the location of the Pulse nightclub shooting in 2016, in which the gunman killed 49 people with an assault weapon.
The group, which said it's gathered more than 103,000 signatures for the ballot initiative since February, is made up of survivors from the shootings at Parkland's Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School and the Pulse night club. They hope the review will lead to a state constitutional amendment on the 2020 ballot to ban sales of the weapons in Florida.
Alabama Governor Kay Ivey signs chemical castration bill into law
Republican Alabama Gov. Kay Ivey signed a bill into law that requires anyone convicted of committing a sexual offense against a child under 13 years of age to undergo chemical castration treatment as conditions of parole.
Alabama House Bill 379 states individuals convicted of such acts must undergo chemical castration treatment at least a month prior to being released on parole and will continue the treatment, which is to be administered by the Alabama Department of Public Health at the parolee's expense, "until the court determines the treatment is no longer necessary."
Failing to continue with the treatment for any reason will be considered a parole violation, it said.
Social Security error leaves 250K American seniors with unpaid Medicare
Hundreds of thousands of seniors in the United States have been informed by the government they will be billed for five months of unpaid Medicare premiums, which could total more than $1,000 each, due to a "processing error" by the Social Security Administration.
The administration said requests to deduct payments for the premiums from their Social Security checks weren't processed correctly in January and some Medicare Advantage and Part D beneficiaries will now receive bills directly from their plans.
Iran to Release Man Accused of Being U.S. Spy After Four Years in Prison
A U.S. permanent resident and Lebanese businessman who was imprisoned for years in Iran has been freed and was on his way back to his native Lebanon on Tuesday, a development that comes amid heightened tensions between Iran and the U.S. after President Donald Trump withdrew America from Tehran’s nuclear deal with world powers.
Nizar Zakka, held in Iran since 2015 on charges of spying, was on a plane accompanied by the chief of Lebanon’s General Security Directorate, Maj. Gen. Ibrahim Abbas, heading to the Lebanese capital, according to a photo released by the directorate on its official Twitter page.
The photo showed Zakka, wearing a dark suit, seated with Abbas aboard the private jet carrying them to Lebanon.
Missouri's only abortion clinic to stay open after injunction issued
The only abortion clinic in Missouri can stay open after a St. Louis judge issued a preliminary injunction on Monday saying the state must make an “official” decision on the facility’s license before it can be reviewed, a court document showed.
Women’s healthcare and abortion provider Planned Parenthood sued Missouri two weeks ago after state health officials refused to renew the license of the Reproductive Health Services of Planned Parenthood clinic in St. Louis.
Court documents show state health officials said they did not renew because they were unable to interview seven of its physicians over “potential deficient practices.”
Helicopter crash-lands on roof of Midtown NYC skyscraper, killing pilot
A helicopter crash-landed onto the roof of a Midtown skyscraper just minutes after takeoff in Manhattan Monday, killing the pilot in the “obliterated” wreckage, officials said.
The Agusta A109E aircraft made a hard landing in heavy rain and dense clouds on top of the 54-story AXA Equitable Center on Seventh Ave. at W. 51st St. about 1:45 p.m., 11 minutes after he went aloft from the East 34th Street Heliport, officials said.
A fire erupted immediately after the crash on the roof, which was not equipped with a helicopter landing pad, law enforcement sources said.
The force of the terrifying landing onto the roof was so intense “the area was actually sunken down,” said Adrienne Walsh, a lieutenant from Rescue 1.
Acting DHS inspector general retires, deputy to fill role
Acting Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Inspector General John V. Kelly will retire from his position effective June 10, the Office of Inspector General confirmed Monday.
Deputy Inspector General Jennifer Costello will assume the role of acting inspector general, according to a statement from the DHS's Office of Inspector General (OIG) shared with The Hill by a spokesperson.
“I informed OIG staff this morning that I intend to retire, effective today. I accelerated my retirement because I feel it’s in the best interest of the organization and its employees,” Kelly said in the statement.
Cummings sets contempt votes for Barr, Ross for Wednesday
The House Oversight and Reform Committee will vote on Wednesday on whether to hold Attorney General William Barr and Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross in contempt for failing to comply with congressional subpoenas.
Committee chairman Rep. Elijah Cummings (D-Md.) said last week he would schedule the contempt votes after both of the officials' agencies did not hand over subpoenaed documents relating to the Trump administration's efforts to add a citizenship question to the 2020 census.
Page 9 of 1081
