Southwest
7 states vote to protect abortion rights, 3 keep restrictions in place
Ten states voted directly on abortion-related measures Tuesday, with abortion advocates claiming seven victories.
Arizona, Colorado, Florida, Maryland, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, New York, Nevada and South Dakota all went to the polls on the issue, with the majority of the ballot measures seeking to amend efforts passed in Republican-led states whose leaders moved to restrict abortion in the wake of the Supreme Court’s June 2022 decision to overturn Roe v. Wade.
Voters in Missouri cleared the way to undo the state’s near-total ban, one of the nation’s tightest restrictions, with an amendment that would allow lawmakers to restrict abortions past the point of a fetus’ viability – usually considered after 21 weeks, although there is no exact defined time frame.
Abortion rights amendments also passed in Arizona, Colorado and Maryland and Montana, per The Associated Press. Montana voted to amend the state constitution to “expressly provide a right to make and carry out decisions about one’s own pregnancy, including the right to abortion.”
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Nevada voters also approved an amendment, but they’ll need to pass it again in 2026 for it to take effect.
Another measure, which bans discrimination on the basis of “pregnancy outcomes,” prevailed in New York. It does not contain the word “abortion,” but rather bans discrimination on the basis of “pregnancy outcomes, and reproductive healthcare and autonomy.”
In Arizona, voters were asked to amend the state constitution to allow abortions through the 24-week mark. The measure enshrines a “fundamental right” to abortion before fetal viability, when a fetus has a “significant likelihood” of surviving outside the uterus.
The amendment replaces the current law that bans abortion after the first 15 weeks of pregnancy.
A long-dormant 1864 law, which predated Arizona’s statehood, had gone into effect in the Grand Canyon State after the repeal of Roe vs. Wade in 2022, thrusting the issue into the spotlight and leading to Tuesday’s vote. The law had no exceptions for rape and incest, only for the life of the mother, and was repealed in September.
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Florida, Nebraska and South Dakota defeated similar constitutional amendments, leaving existing restrictions in place.
Florida, home to more than 13 million registered voters, was the most populous state deciding on abortion measures. Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis last year signed into law the Heartbeat Protection Act, which restricts most abortions after six weeks of gestation.
This year, Florida residents voted on Amendment 4, the Right to Abortion Initiative, which aimed to overturn that law by prohibiting measures that restrict abortion before viability. In Florida, constitutional amendments must get 60% of the vote, not a simple majority, to pass. Amendment 4 received majority support among voters but failed to meet the 60% threshold.
South Dakota voters’ defeat of its abortion measure prevents some regulations related to the health of the woman after 12 weeks. The Mount Rushmore State currently has a ban on abortion throughout pregnancy with some exceptions.
Nebraska passed a ballot amendment prohibiting abortion beyond the first three months of pregnancy.
Tuesday’s results ended a win streak for abortion-rights advocates who had prevailed on all seven measures that have appeared on statewide ballots since the fall of Roe.
A Fox News poll conducted this year found that a record-high number of voters now say they support legalizing abortion in some form, including two-thirds who said they supported a nationwide law that would guarantee abortion access for women.
Fifty-nine percent said they believe abortion should be legal in “all or most cases,” up from the previous high of 57% in September 2022.
Fox News’ Danielle Wallace, Breanne Deppisch, Emma Colton and the Associated Press contributed to this report.
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Los Angeles, Ca
Rialto man found dead in remote San Bernardino County home
A murder investigation is underway after a Rialto man was found dead inside a home in a remote area of San Bernardino County earlier this week.
Deputies were called to a home in the 34400 block of Wilshire Road in Lucerne Valley regarding “suspicious circumstances” around noon on Tuesday, the S.B. County Sheriff’s Department stated in a news release Thursday.
“The reporting party was at the location and believed he saw a deceased person inside the home,” the Sheriff’s Department stated.
Responding deputies found a man, later identified as 26-year-old Anthony Zamora of Rialto, dead at the scene.
Homicide detectives were called to the scene to investigate the incident, which was described as a “PC 187 – murder” in the news release.
An autopsy will be conducted to determine the manner and cause of death.
Anyone with information was asked to call the Homicide Detail at 909-890-4904. Callers wishing to remain anonymous should contact We-Tip at 800-782-7463 or go to wetip.com.
Southwest
Border state Arizona backs having local law enforcement arrest suspected illegal immigrants
Voters in border state Arizona have approved Proposition 314, a measure that would allow local police to arrest migrants suspected of illegally entering the state amid concerns over border security.
Proposition 314 makes it a state crime for people to illegally enter Arizona from Mexico outside official ports of entry, permitting local and state law enforcement officers to arrest them and state judges to order their deportations. Those who enforce the law would be shielded from civil lawsuits.
The proposal won’t go into effect immediately, requiring a similar law in Texas or another state to be in effect for 60 consecutive days before a violator can be prosecuted.
Republican lawmakers in Arizona argued the proposal would help secure the border after the Biden administration dealt with an unprecedented surge of illegal immigration.
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Opponents of the proposal argued it would harm Arizona’s economy and reputation, as well as lead to the racial profiling of Latinos.
As illegal border crossings exploded under the Biden administration, President-elect Trump made the issue one of his top focuses on the 2024 campaign trail.
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He has also pledged to terminate “every open borders policy of the Biden administration.”
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A Trump administration would also likely seek to restore the 2019 Remain-in-Mexico policy and bring back down the number of refugee admissions. On Monday, he announced an additional policy, promising to slap a 25% tariff on incoming goods from Mexico.
Fox News Digital’s Adam Shaw and The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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Los Angeles, Ca
Artist couple's mid-century family home of 60 years lost in Mountain Fire
Some homeowners in Ventura County are now getting a glimpse of what’s left of their property after the Mountain Fire charred nearly 21,000 acres, destroyed at least 132 structures and damaged 88 others.
The wildfire, which is still burning, was only 5% contained as of Thursday evening.
“Yesterday, we watched for three hours as it burned,” Tara Wallace, who lives in Camarillo Heights with her husband Brian Wallace, told KTLA. “It was a beautiful home with a beautiful view of a beautiful city and now it is ash.”
Urgency of the wildfire, which prompted officials to evacuate more than 400 homes, has turned to resignation for many in the Camarillo Heights neighborhood where dozens of homes were completely lost to the flames.
Both musicians, Brian pointed out where is recording studio used to be.
The Wallace’s mid-century home had been in the family for more than 60 years, but much like other properties on Highland Drive and on Old Coach Drive, very little survived the fire.
Brian and Tara lost all their instruments, their pottery studio and a tricked out classic Volvo.
Amid the destruction, though, their pets miraculously survived.
“We have two little chickens and they’re safe and sound right now in a garage,” Tara said.
There were also others near the raging wildfire who were grateful their homes were spared.
“Why ours? I don’t know. I’m grateful. I love my house, and I love living here, but I don’t know why,” a woman identified only as Kimberly told KTLA. “It’s just been devastating.”
As for the Wallaces, they said that although their home is gone, they’re grateful that they have community to lean on.
“We can’t do this alone,” Brian explained. “We can’t make music alone, can’t make art alone. This is our community.”
A GoFundMe campaign has been organized to help the Wallaces as they work through this difficult time.
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