Mitri Shatara

On Friday, June 24th, 2022, The Supreme Court of the United States overturned the landmark 1973 Roe v. Wade ruling that recognized women’s constitutional right to abortion.

What Happened?

The ruling of overturning Roe v Wade was the culmination of decades of efforts by abortion opponents.

It was made possible by an emboldened right side of the Supreme Court fortified by three appointees of former President Donald Trump.

A 6-3 ruling in the Supreme Court upheld a Republican-backed Mississippi law that bans abortion after 15 weeks of pregnancy.

The vote was 5-4 to overturn Roe.

Chief Justice John Roberts did not join his conservative colleagues in overturning Roe.

Instead, he wrote that there was no need to overturn the broad precedents to rule in Mississippi’s favor.

The ruling reestablished the ability of states to ban abortion.

What It Means For States

Twenty-six states are either certain or expected to implement abortion bans, leaving women in large portions of the United States without access to the medical procedure.

Pregnant women considering abortions in Oklahoma had already been dealing with a near-complete ban.

Women in Texas face a prohibition after roughly six weeks in Texas.

Clinics in at least five other states including Alabama, Kentucky, Missouri, Wisconsin, and West Virginia stopped performing abortions after Friday’s decision.

Many other states have several restrictions on abortion in place already.

Some trigger laws ban abortions almost completely, while others will outlaw abortion after six weeks or 15 weeks.

The speed at which those trigger laws will go into effect will vary.

Some will be immediate.

Arkansas’ trigger law takes effect as soon as the state attorney general certifies that Roe has been overturned.

In Texas after the Supreme Court ruling, there will be a close to complete prohibition on abortion.

The states where women will still have access to abortion are mostly on the West Coast, including California, Nevada, Oregon, and Washington, or in the Northeast.

In California, Governor Gavin Newsom proposed enshrining a right to abortion in the state’s constitution.

Select states in the Midwest and Southwest are expected to keep abortion legal including Illinois, Kansas, Minnesota, and New Mexico.

Conservative states are already rushing to restrict abortion pills, which can be prescribed through online telemedicine visits.

Since the Supreme Court has overturned Roe v. Wade and made it possible to implement abortion bans, they will be able to ban the pills altogether, experts say.

Only doctors are permitted to dispense abortion drugs in 32 states.

Any use of telemedicine for medication abortion is prohibited in six states, including Texas and Missouri.

21 states don’t have blanket bans but require at least one in-person visit.

That means patients cannot simply have a telemedicine appointment to receive the pills by mail.

What Happens Next?

Abortion foes cheered the ruling by the conservative justices, but abortion-rights supporters expressed dismay and pledged to fight to restore the rights.

According to figures examined by The Associated Press, the decision is anticipated to have a disproportionately negative impact on minority women who already have limited access to healthcare.

The majority of Americans who supported upholding Roe are also at odds with the court because of this.

Attorney General Merrick Garland released a statement saying that the Justice Department will protect the medical providers and women seeking abortions in states where it is legal.

They will also “work with other arms of the federal government that seek to use their lawful authorities to protect and preserve access to reproductive care.”

According to Garland, the use of Mifepristone for pharmaceutical abortions has been permitted by the federal Food and Drug Administration.

The majority of abortions, more than 90%, take place in the first 13 weeks of pregnancy.

More than half of abortions are also done with pills, not surgery, according to the Guttmacher Institute.

Defenders of abortion rights have warned that a decision overturning Roe also threatens other high court decisions, like those in favor of gay rights and even contraception.

The liberal justices made the same point in their joint dissent: The majority “eliminates a 50-year-old constitutional right that safeguards women’s freedom and equal station. It breaches a core rule-of-law principle, designed to promote constancy in the law. In doing all of that, it places in jeopardy other rights, from contraception to same-sex intimacy and marriage. And finally, it undermines the Court’s legitimacy.”

Contact The Shunnarah Trial Attorneys For Your Legal Needs

References:
https://www.reuters.com/world/us/us-supreme-court-overturns-abortion-rights-landmark-2022-06-24/
https://www.reuters.com/world/us/abortion-america-if-supreme-court-overturns-roe-v-wade-2022-05-03/
https://apnews.com/article/abortion-supreme-court-decision-854f60302f21c2c35129e58cf8d8a7b0

Freeport LNG is the operator of one of the largest U.S. export plants producing liquefied natural gas (LNG).

Following an explosion at its Texas Gulf Coast facility, the plant will close its doors for at least three weeks, raising the risk of shortages, especially in Europe.

Freeport LNG provides around 20% of U.S. LNG processing.

They disclosed the shutdown after appraising damage to the massive facility.

One industry analyst told Reuters the temporary shutdown would likely take 1 million tonnes of LNG off the market.

Residents Are Worried

Melanie Oldham, a resident of Freeport, heard three loud bangs the morning of the explosion and went outside to find out what was happening.

“It makes me feel like we are daily living with high risk of explosion, release of gas, public health issues for not only us in Freeport, but for all the people who go to those big beaches on Quintana Island,” said Oldham.

Oldham, a physical therapist and co-founder of Citizens for Clean Air and Clean Water of Freeport and Brazoria County, said, “We don’t know what could have been released into the air or even the water.”

According to an incident report filed with the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality Thursday, the fire in the LNG terminal’s liquefaction delivery system resulted in excess emissions of carbon monoxide, nitrous oxides, particulate matter, sulfur dioxide, and volatile organic compounds.

Gwendolyn Jones, 63, another longtime Freeport resident, said she was about a mile from the facility when she saw a white cloud hovering over it after the explosion.

Jones was concerned that Freeport residents weren’t evacuated or warned about the incident by local authorities.

She thought nearby residents should be given respirators to help reduce the risk of inhaling dangerous fumes.

Harold Doty, who lives on Quintana Island, warned that “there is still no emergency action plan for that plant” despite Wednesday’s explosion.

Global Demand For LNG Is High

The explosion came as US LNG exports to Europe were surging as part of the Biden administration’s plan to help European nations wean themselves off Russia’s fossil fuels.

According to federal data, U.S. LNG exports averaged 11.5 billion cubic feet per day during the first four months of this year.

That’s an 18% jump compared to the 2021 annual average.

Most of Freeport LNG’s exports were going to Europe, according to Rystad Energy.

Europe could offset the lost volume with increases from other facilities, said Emily McClain, vice president at Rystad.

Europe gets about 45% of its LNG from the U.S.

She said the rest comes from Russia, Qatar, and other sources.

Is Natural Gas Safer?

The fossil fuel industry characterizes LNG as a more climate-friendly alternative to coal and other dirty energy sources driving global warming.

However, environmentalists stress that LNG is a significant emitter of methane — a greenhouse gas roughly 80 times more potent than carbon dioxide.

“In the United States, natural gas accounts for more than one-third of carbon emissions and almost half of methane emissions,” notes Marisa Guerrero of the Natural Resources Defense Council.

Citizens for Clean Air and Clean Water in Brazoria County and the Texas Campaign for the Environment said that the oil and gas industry has been benefiting from an ‘export boom’ sending gas and crude oil overseas in record amounts.

However, the boom has resulted in leaks, explosions, and wrecked communities back home — from flaring and pollution in the Permian Basin to eruptions on Quintana Island.

“Officials rarely disclose the contents of the tanks that explode, leaving residents to just have to wonder whether or not they are in danger,” the groups continued.

“The boom is also jeopardizing global climate agreements, as the window to rein in emissions is closing.”

Contact The Shunnarah Trial Lawyers For Your Legal Needs.

References:

https://truthout.org/articles/texas-explosion-shows-danger-of-liquefied-natural-gas-industry-activists-say/
https://www.commondreams.org/news/2022/06/09/terrifying-explosion-texas-gas-plant-spotlights-threat-lng-industry
https://www.npr.org/2022/06/10/1104118546/freeport-natural-gas-terminal-texas-explosion-offline-shutdown
https://abcnews.go.com/US/wireStory/fire-lng-terminal-texas-jolts-residents-fuel-markets-85294345
https://www.reuters.com/business/energy/explosion-hits-freeport-lng-plant-us-natgas-prices-plunge-2022-06-08/

If you’re the parent of a newborn and cannot find formula anywhere, you’re not alone.

There is a nationwide shortage of baby formula that is making life difficult for many people.

Due to increased demand for baby formula products and various supplier challenges, infant and toddler formulas are seeing constraints across the country.

The supply shortage has gotten so stark that stores have begun rationing.

Below we will discuss why the shortage happened and when you can expect it to end.

Why Is There A Formula Shortage?

Due to two infant deaths, a formula plant shutdown triggered the infant formula shortage.

There’s now a dangerous shortage of powdered infant formula and special formulas needed to keep many children and adults alive.

The Abbott Nutrition plant in Sturgis, Mich., was one of the biggest suppliers of infant formula nationally.

The Abbott Laboratories plant was also the primary supplier of several lesser-known specialty formulas.

Those formulas, which are getting harder and harder to get, are lifelines for thousands of people with rare medical conditions.

Some of the medical conditions these formulas help with are metabolic, allergic, and gastrointestinal disorders, which can make eating regular foods impossible or dangerous.

The situation has struck fear in parents and medical professionals alike.

The aftermath of the shortage has raised questions about whether or not the federal government should do more to ensure critical and life-sustaining supply chains don’t break down.

Speaking of supply chains, supply-chain issues due to COVID-19 have contributed to the shortage of powdered formula around the U.S.

Manufacturers have had more difficulty getting key ingredients, packaging hangups, and labor shortages.

Formula Recalls Aren’t Helping

A voluntary recall Abbott Nutrition issued in mid-February recalling select batches of Similac, Alimentum, and EleCare formulas in Sturgis, Michigan, has only worsened the problem.

That recall was expanded in late February to include one lot of Similac PM 60/40.

In March, the Food and Drug Administration also issued preliminary findings of failure to maintain sanitary conditions and procedures at the formula plant.

What Can You Do In The Meantime?

Manufacturers are increasing output to fulfill families’ needs, according to the Infant Nutrition Council of America.

Parents should also maintain a 10-day to two-week supply of formula on hand, according to the organization, but not to stockpile products. 

Until everything gets back to normal, here are a couple of things to do if you’re in a tough spot.

1. Ask Your Pediatrician For Help

Some pediatricians keep samples of the more specialized formulas that can be hard to find.

Your children’s doctor may also have a working relationship with formula companies and can request special shipments for their patients.

They can also refer you to a regulated breast milk bank that can provide safe, pasteurized breast milk for babies.

1. Be Flexible

You can switch between baby formula brands as long as it’s the same type of formula.

Just be sure not to switch from cow milk protein-based formula to soy. 

The brands are very similar. It’s sort of like Coke and Pepsi.

There might be a slight difference in taste, but it’s virtually the same.

If your child is on a specialized type of formula for an allergy or intolerance, you will have to find another specialized formula that meets that need until you can return to your usual formula. 

How Long Will The Shortages Last?

Families should start seeing some relief soon.

Abbot and the FDA have suggested a settlement that would allow the corporation to restore the shuttered Michigan factory under the supervision of an independent expert.

If it is allowed, the corporation could reopen the site in two weeks, and its products would be available in six to eight weeks after that.

The FDA has also outlined a series of steps to boost supply, including procedures to make it simpler for foreign infant formula manufacturers to market their goods in the United States. Right now, the U.S. produces about 98% of formula domestically.

The FDA will also ease some of the requirements on formula companies on a case-by-case basis.

Will Something Be Done To Be Sure This Doesn’t Happen Again?

Some people want the federal government to tackle the monopoly a handful of companies have on the formula market.

Booker, Warren, and other senators call for immediate antitrust review, stating, “This is yet another example of how alarming levels of consolidation hurt American families and can no longer be ignored.”

Kellams and Duggan also call for policy changes to better support breastfeeding mothers.

The U.S. is the only industrialized nation that does not mandate paid maternity leave.

Contact Alexander Shunnarah Trial Attorneys today if you have any questions about your legal rights.