West Virginia
New lawsuits target state restrictions on abortion pills
Supporters of abortion rights filed separate lawsuits Wednesday difficult two states’ abortion capsule restrictions, the opening salvo in what’s anticipated to a be a protracted authorized battle over entry to the medicines.
The lawsuits argue that limits on the medication in North Carolina and West Virginia run afoul of the federal authority of the U.S. Meals and Drug Administration, which has authorised the abortion capsule as a secure and efficient methodology for ending being pregnant.
The circumstances have been introduced by a North Carolina doctor who prescribes the capsule, mifepristone, and GenBioPro, which makes a generic model of the drug and sued in West Virginia.
Whereas the lawsuits goal particular state legal guidelines, they characterize key authorized exams that might decide entry to abortion for tens of millions of girls.
The litigation activates a longstanding authorized precept that federal regulation, together with FDA selections, pre-empt state legal guidelines. Certainly, few states have ever tried to completely ban an FDA-approved drug due to previous rulings within the company’s favor.
However with the fall of Roe v. Wade there’s little precedent for the present authorized patchwork of legal guidelines governing abortion.
After the Supreme Courtroom overturned the choice in June, beforehand adopted restrictions on abortion kicked in and two states adopted new ones. Presently, bans on abortion in any respect levels of being pregnant are being adopted in 13 states and enforcement is being held up in a number of different states due to authorized challenges.
On prime of that, 19 states — together with North Carolina and West Virginia — impose limits on how physicians can prescribe and dispense abortion medicines.
“West Virginia can’t override the FDA’s security and efficacy determinations, nor can it disrupt the nationwide marketplace for this remedy,” David Frederick, an lawyer representing GenBioPro, stated in an announcement.
Authorized specialists foresee years of courtroom battles over entry to the tablets.
North Carolina bans practically all abortions after 20 weeks, with slender exceptions for pressing medical emergencies. Any doctor prescribing remedy abortion is required to be in the identical room because the affected person when administering the drug. The state additionally requires counseling earlier than receiving the drug.
The lawsuit, filed by Dr. Amy Bryant, argues that such necessities contradict FDA-approved labeling for the drug and intrude together with her capacity to deal with sufferers.
“We all know from years of analysis and use that remedy abortion is secure and efficient — there is no medical motive for politicians to intrude or prohibit entry to it,” Bryant stated in an announcement supplied by the Increasing Remedy Abortion Entry challenge, an abortion rights group engaged on authorized challenges to state legal guidelines.
The workplace of Lawyer Common Josh Stein, who’s a defendant within the grievance as a result of he is the state chief regulation enforcement officer, was reviewing the grievance on Wednesday, Stein spokesperson Nazneen Ahmed wrote in an e-mail. Stein, a Democrat who introduced final week a bid for governor in 2024, is a powerful abortion-rights supporter.
The FDA authorised mifepristone in 2000 to finish being pregnant, when utilized in mixture with a second drug, misoprostol. The mix is authorised to be used as much as the tenth week of being pregnant.
For greater than 20 years, FDA restricted allotting of the drug to a subset of specialty workplaces and clinics, because of security issues. In uncommon circumstances the drug mixture may cause extra bleeding, requiring emergency care. However because the begin of the COVID-19 pandemic, the company has repeatedly eased restrictions and expanded entry, growing demand at the same time as state legal guidelines make the tablets tougher to get extra many ladies.
In late 2021, the company eradicated the in-person requirement for the capsule, saying a brand new scientific evaluation confirmed no improve in security issues if the drug is taken at dwelling. That change additionally permitted the capsule to be prescribed by way of telehealth consultations and shipped by mail-order pharmacies.
Earlier this 12 months the FDA additional loosened restrictions by permitting brick-and-mortar pharmacies to dispense the drug, supplied they endure certification.
That change was made on the request of the 2 drug manufactures: GenBioPro and Danco Laboratories, which makes brand-name Mifeprex.
In its West Virginia lawsuit, GenBioPro argues that state legal guidelines intrude with drug laws crafted by the FDA, which has sole authority over the approval and labeling of all U.S. medication.
West Virginia’s regulation outlaws most abortions, with some exceptions for rape and incest victims and in circumstances of life-threatening medical emergencies and nonviable pregnancies.
“The ban and restrictions make it not possible for GenBioPro to market and distribute mifepristone in West Virginia in accordance with FDA’s necessities,” the corporate states in its swimsuit filed within the state’s southern federal district.
West Virginia Lawyer Common Patrick Morrisey stated he would defend the state’s new abortion regulation. “Whereas it might not sit effectively with producers of abortion medication, the U.S. Supreme Courtroom has made it clear that regulating abortion is a state subject,” he stated in an announcement.
Abortion opponents have filed their very own lawsuits looking for to dam use of the capsule, together with a Texas swimsuit arguing that the FDA overstepped its authority in approving the capsule and easing limitations on its use. A call in that case is predicted subsequent month.
Greater than half of U.S. abortions at the moment are achieved with tablets relatively than surgical procedure, in keeping with the Guttmacher Institute, a analysis group that helps abortion rights.
Mifepristone dilates the cervix and blocks the consequences of the hormone progesterone, which is required to maintain a being pregnant. Misoprostol, a drug additionally used to deal with abdomen ulcers, is taken 24 to 48 hours later. It causes the uterus to cramp and contract, inflicting bleeding and expelling being pregnant tissue.
West Virginia
West Virginia coach calls Gonzaga matchup ‘a great challenge’ for his team
While playing three games in three days can sound tiresome for some coaches, West Virginia men’s basketball head coach Darian DeVries looks forward to a postseason-type atmosphere when his Mountaineers take on No. 3 Gonzaga to tip off the Battle 4 Atlantis from The Bahamas on Wednesday.
“I love [multi-team events] for that reason because it gives you kind of a preview of the Big 12 Tournament,” DeVries said following the Mountaineers’ 86-43 win over Iona on Nov. 20. “So you get a little feel for that tournament type environment, that tournament feel of seeing how guys respond after a night. They’ve guaranteed these three games, but we’re gonna have a real good idea — like a maybe we need to sub a little bit more — or whatever it might be, and be able to get some feedback from this tournament.”
DeVries, who made the move down to Morgantown, West Virginia, after guiding Drake to the NCAA Tournament in three of the past four seasons, has a lot to learn about his team before they head to Kansas City, Missouri, for the Big 12 conference tournament in March. Along with a new environment, DeVries brought in an entirely fresh batch of faces for his first year at the helm of the Mountaineers men’s basketball program, which went 9-23 (4-14 Big 12) under Josh Eilert in 2023-24. West Virginia’s transfer portal class, headlined by Darian’s son Tucker DeVries (21.6 points, 6.7 rebounds at Drake last season) ranked No. 15 in the country according to EvanMiya.com.
Through the first four games, Oklahoma State transfer Javon Small leads the Mountaineers at 15.5 points per game and is one of four guards expected to start against the Zags. The senior guard led the way with 23 points in the victory over the Gaels, as West Virginia went 15-of-31 (48.4%) from the 3-point line and held its opposition to just 14-of-59 (23.7%) from the field, including 5-of-19 (26.3%) from distance.
While winning by 43 points is quite the response to a 24-point loss against Pittsburgh, DeVries knows his team not only had room to improve, but that his players look forward to the challenges that come with facing the Bulldogs.
“It’s an opportunity,” DeVries said. “I mean it’s a great game for us, a great challenge for us. We understand between now and next week, when we toss it up in The Bahamas, we got to get better at some things and we know that we’re not going to be a complete fix by next Wednesday, but we got to continue to grow as a team in certain areas. And I think our guys are pretty motivated to do that and just continue to get better.”
Gonzaga (5-0) enters the matchup coming off an 84-41 victory over Long Beach State at home last week. The Bulldogs already boast victories over No. 17 Baylor (101-63), Arizona State (88-80) and San Diego State (80-67) and rank No. 1 in the country in adjusted offensive efficiency, per KenPom.com. Five players average 11 or more points, led by 6-foot-9 forward Graham Ike at 14.6 points.
The winner of Wednesday’s matchup will take on either No. 14 Indiana (4-0) or Louisville (3-1) on Thanksgiving Day at 9 a.m. PST on either ESPN or ESPN2. The consolation game will be at 11:30 a.m. PST.
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West Virginia
BREAKING: 2025 OL Jahmir Davis Commits to West Virginia
The West Virginia Mountaineers picked up another commitment in the 2025 recruiting class Monday evening, securing a pledge from offensive lineman Jahmir Davis (6’6″, 305 lbs) out of LaSalle High School in Cincinnati, Ohio.
Davis also held an offer from Marshall and interest from Iowa State and Illinois.
Davis took a visit to Morgantown over the weekend and with his announcement, he became the 22nd recruit to commit to WVU this cycle, and the fourth offensive lineman to do so, joining Amir Leonard-Jean Charles, Gavin Crawford, and Eidan Buchanan.
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West Virginia
Bowl Projections: Four Most Likely Destinations for West Virginia
For just a half second, things were starting to look a little hairy for the West Virginia Mountaineers and their chances of reaching a bowl game. Over the weekend, they took care of the visiting UCF Knights to collect that key sixth win of the season, punching their ticket to a bowl game.
Now the question is, where will the Mountaineers land?
With just one game remaining in the regular season, WVU can’t really increase its bowl stock all that much. Right now, it’s more about not falling further down the totem pole.
While it is extremely unlikely, there is still a “path” for the Mountaineers to the College Football Playoff, believe it or not. And no, it doesn’t have anything to do with having five quality losses. That’s sarcasm, by the way. WVU can still make the Big 12 title game but needs several unlikely upsets to happen in the final week of the regular season. If the unthinkable happens and WVU gets to Arlington and wins the Big 12 title, boom. The Mountaineers are in the CFP at 8-5.
On the more realistic side of things, West Virginia will likely end up at either the Independence Bowl, Liberty Bowl, Armed Forces Bowl, or First Responder Bowl. For a team that had legit aspirations of making the College Football Playoff at the start of the year, landing at one of the aforementioned destinations is quite the disappointment, with all due respect to those bowls.
Nonetheless, the Mountaineers still have an opportunity to finish the year with a 6-3 mark in Big 12 play for the second straight year with a win over Texas Tech on Saturday.
Action Network: Radiance Technologies Independence Bowl vs. Army
Athlon Sports: Radiance Technologies Independence Bowl vs. Tulane
CBS Sports: Gasparilla Bowl vs. Florida
College Football Network: SERVPRO First Responder Bowl vs. East Carolina
College Football News: AutoZone Liberty Bowl vs. Arkansas
ESPN (Kyle Bonagura): Lockheed Martin Armed Forces Bowl vs. Navy
ESPN (Mark Schlabach): Radiance Technologies Independence Bowl vs. Oklahoma
Sporting News: Lockheed Martin Armed Forces Bowl vs. Arkansas
USA Today: SERVPRO First Responder Bowl vs. Oklahoma
West Virginia On SI: AutoZone Liberty Bowl vs. Vanderbilt
1. Valero Alamo Bowl vs Pac-12, Saturday, Dec. 28, 7:30 p.m. EST, ABC
2. Pop-Tarts Bowl vs ACC/ND, Saturday, Dec. 28, 3:30 p.m. EST, ABC
3. TaxAct Texas Bowl vs SEC, Tuesday, Dec. 31, 3:30 p.m. EST, ESPN
4. AutoZone Liberty Bowl vs SEC, Friday, Dec. 27, 7:00 p.m. EST, ESPN
5. Guaranteed Rate Bowl vs Big Ten, Thursday, Dec. 26, 5:30 p.m. EST, ESPN
6. Radiance Technologies Independence Bowl vs. Pac 12, Saturday, Dec. 28, 9:15 p.m. EST, ESPN
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