Senate Republicans try to block Biden vaccine mandate


Senators John Barrasso and Mike Braun talk ahead of a news conference about Covid-19 vaccine mandates on December 8, 2021 (AFP/Drew Angerer)

Wed, December 8, 2021,

The US Senate was expected to vote Wednesday to block President Joe Biden's vaccine-or-test mandate for large private employers, in a symbolic win for conservatives that will have little tangible effect.

The Republican-led vote -- planned for the evening -- is expected to pass with the backing of two Democrats, but has worse prospects in the House of Representatives, where it may only have support from the right.

Under Biden's plan, all companies with more than 100 workers will have to require their employees be immunized or undergo weekly testing from January 4.

The Senate pushback is being led by Indiana's Mike Braun, who told reporters that threatening Americans' jobs if they refuse on both counts "is the heavy hand of government."

Wyoming's John Barrasso, the chairman of the Senate Republicans, accused Biden, who is not a doctor, of "medical malpractice."

Numerous states run by both Democrats and Republicans already require hundreds of thousands of their citizens to be vaccinated against a variety of diseases, and none of these mandates is controversial.

Most cover childhood immunizations, which have been a feature of American society since the 19th century, but there are mandates covering adults, too.

New York requires all workers in hospitals, nursing homes and other health care facilities to be immunized against measles and rubella while Rhode Island requires child care workers to be immunized against a variety of common childhood diseases, and the flu.

Several states have vaccination mandates for college students and all 50 require school children to get shots for diphtheria, tetanus, whooping cough, polio, measles, rubella and chickenpox.

Democratic Senate leader Chuck Schumer likened the Republicans to flat-earth theorists and accused those who have sought out vaccine shots for themselves of hypocrisy.

"The biggest thing standing between us and the end of the pandemic is Americans who have refused to get vaccinated," he said.

All three major Biden vaccine policies for people not employed by the federal government -- the mandates for contractors, certain health care workers and employees of larger companies -- face legal challenges and are currently on ice.

ft/dw

GUNRUNNER TO THE WORLD

House passes $770B National Defense Authorization Act

House lawmakers on Tuesday voted to approve a $770 billion Pentagon spending bill including changes to how the military prosecutes sexual assault cases and orders a review of the Afghanistan war. 

Dec. 7 (UPI) -- The House on Tuesday passed the National Defense Authorization Act, moving the must-pass measure one step closer to becoming law.

The bill, which authorizes nearly $770 billion in funding for the Department of Defense passed by a vote of 363-70 with 169 Democrats and 194 Republicans voting in favor of the measure while 51 Democrats and 19 Republicans were opposed.

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., withheld her vote.

The version of the bill passed by the House includes changes to how sexual assault and harassment are handled within the military, directs an independent review of the Afghanistan war and authorizes a 2.7% pay increase for military service members and Pentagon civilian employees.

In regards to foreign policy, the measure includes a "statement of policy on Taiwan," directs President Joe Biden to develop a classified "Grand Strategy with Respect to China" and authorizes the president to appoint a senior official to lead a "whole-of-government" effort to address "anomalous health incident" commonly referred to as "Havana Syndrome."

The annual spending bill, usually seen as a bipartisan effort, was crafted behind closed doors by the heads of the House and Senate armed services committees.

It faced opposition from House Democrats who said it lacked key provisions to alter the military's culture to provide more equity for women and people of color.

"It is an unconscionable failure to deliver a National Defense Authorization Act that does not meet the values of equity and justice for which we have long strived or a bill that does not meaningfully protect the foundations of our democracy," Rep. Anthony G. Brown, D-Md., wrote in a letter urging fellow members of the Congressional Black Caucus to oppose the bill.

The bill now moves to the Senate where it is expected to pass after Republicans on the chamber last week blocked the measure demanding more time to debate amendments, before heading to Biden's desk for his signature.

SEE LA REVUE GAUCHE - Left Comment: Search results for PERMANENT ARMS ECONOMY 

Cochlear implants linked to new bone growth, may hurt hearing, study says

By Amy Norton, HealthDay News

Cochlear implants may contribute to greater hearing loss over time, according to a new study finding that many patients had developed new bone growth and worse hearing in the years after an implant. Photo by Engin_Akyurt/Pixabay

People who get cochlear implants to treat severe hearing loss may develop new bone growth in the ear -- and it may lessen any hearing they have left, a new study hints.

The researchers found that among 100-plus adults with cochlear implants, two-thirds showed evidence of new bone formation near the implant within four years.

And of patients who still had some hearing when they received the implant, those with new bone growth showed more hearing loss over time.

However, no one with a cochlear implant should be alarmed by the findings, stressed researcher Dr. Floris Heutink, of Radboud University Medical Center, in the Netherlands.

RELATED Cochlear implants improve hearing in older adults, with no side effects

"Cochlear implantation allows most candidates to tremendously improve speech perception compared to their hearing situation (before), despite the possible presence of new bone formation," Heutink said.

Cochlear implants are small electronic devices that send sound signals from the environment directly to the ear's auditory nerve, bypassing damaged portions of the ear.

They can provide some sense of sound to people who are deaf or severely hard-of-hearing -- typically enough to help them understand speech.

The implant has an external portion that sits behind the ear and picks up sounds with a microphone. Those signals are sent to a receiver implanted under skin, and then transmitted to tiny electrodes implanted in the cochlea -- a part of the inner ear.

It's already known that in people who have some hearing ability left, cochlear implants can sometimes diminish that "residual" hearing.

Studies have also shown that the implanted electrodes can spur inflammation that may lead to fibrosis, or tissue growth, including new bone formation.

RELATED Study: 1 in 4 children with common hearing condition receives treatment

But, Heutink said, it has not been clear exactly when that bone growth happens, or if it's related to any residual hearing loss.

In this study, Heutink's team was able to spot new bone growth using high-resolution CT scans, and correlate it with diminishing hearing in the ear with the implant.

None of that, however, means people with cochlear implants should be getting CT scans, said Dr. Maura Cosetti, who directs the cochlear implant program at the New York Eye and Ear Infirmary of Mount Sinai, in New York City.

For one, there's no clear way to use that CT scan information. Various factors can contribute to residual hearing loss, Cosetti noted, and it's not yet known how new bone formation fits in -- or what to do about it.

People with cochlear implants already regularly have their hearing and quality of life assessed -- and that's what they should continue to do, said Cosetti, who was not involved in the study.

The findings were published Tuesday in the journal Radiology.

They're based on 123 patients, average age 63, who received cochlear implants at Radboud. The patients underwent CT scans about four years later, on average.

At that point, 68% showed signs of new bone growth near at least one implanted electrode, the study found.

There were 24 patients who still had some hearing ability when they received the implant. In that group, those with new bone formation showed more residual hearing loss in the implanted ear, the researchers reported.

Overall, 48% had preserved their level of hearing, versus almost 79% of those with no signs of new bone growth in the ear.

The study received funding from Med-El, an Austrian cochlear implant maker that is developing a version with electrodes that contain the anti-inflammatory drug dexamethasone. The idea is to reduce inflammation and tissue damage that can happen post-implantation.

But for now, Heutink said, more research is needed to better understand how new bone growth might affect cochlear implant patients' hearing -- and whether somehow preventing that tissue formation has benefits.

Cosetti said there is growing interest in whether and how residual hearing might be preserved in people with cochlear implants.

Traditionally, she noted, the implants were reserved for people with profound deafness. But an increasing number of people with some residual hearing are receiving them, too.

More information

The U.S. National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders has more on cochlear implants.

Copyright © 2021 HealthDay. All rights reserved.

1. The Difference In Interpretation of The Words "May" and Shall
   https://lawgic.info/difference-interpretation-words-may-shall-law-india

   2016-05-05 · 10. To reiterate the words “may” and “shall” are distinct in meaning. While one confers a discretionary power, the latter one pelts out mandatory directions. These words are not synonymous but may 

CRIMINAL CAPITALI$M

Firm once owned by 'pharma bro' to pay $40M in price-gouging settlement


Former Vyera Pharmaceuticals CEO Martin Shkreli is seen outside federal court during a fraud trial on August 3, 2017, in New York City.

File Photo by Dennis Van Tine/UPI | License Photo

Dec. 8 (UPI) -- A company once owned by hedge fund manager Martin Shkreli, a young investor who became known as "pharma bro," has agreed to pay $40 million to settle charges that it ran up the cost for a potentially life-saving medication after acquiring the rights to it.

The Federal Trade Commission said Vyera Pharmaceuticals agreed to the deal to settle price-gouging charges.

Under Shkreli, the company hiked the price of Daraprim in 2015 from $17.50 to $750 per tablet, an increase of 4,000%.

Shkreli, who faces antitrust charges for the scheme, was found to have created a "web of anti-competitive restrictions" meant to delay the production of generic versions of the drug. His trial is set to begin on Dec. 14.

Under the settlement, Vyera and Phoenixus are required to pay $10 million immediately and $30 million over ten years. File Photo by John Angelillo/UPI

In 2018, Shkreli was sentenced to seven years in prison on federal charges of wire and securities fraud. He was banned from any role in the pharmaceutical industry for seven years.

Tuesday's order in New York, California, Illinois, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania and Virginia names Shkreli, associate Kevin Mulleady, Vyera Pharmaceuticals and parent company Phoenixus AG.

Mulleady will be banned from the drug industry and subject to a fine of $250,000 if he violates the order.

Under the settlement, Vyera and Phoenixus are required to pay $10 million immediately and $30 million over ten years. They also must make Daraprim available to any generic competitor at list price.

World's top manga One Piece publishes milestone 100th volume

 

Eiichiro Oda’s manga A PLAY (published by Shueisha Inc.) took a significant step forward by releasing its 100th volume, 24 years after it was first published in 1997.

Netherlands ready to pay 150 mn euros for Rembrandt painting

The Dutch government said Wednesday it would contribute 150 million euros ($170 million) to bring a Rembrandt self-portrait set to be sold by the Rothschild family back to the Netherlands.

Restorers discover hidden sketch in Rembrandt's 'The Night Watch'


Around 30 experts worked on the canvas for two and a half years using cutting-edge imaging techniques and computer technology (AFP/Herman WOUTERS)

Charlotte VAN OUWERKERK
Wed, December 8, 2021

A sketch that has lain hidden for centuries under the thick layers of paint Rembrandt applied to create "The Night Watch" offers new insight into the Dutch master's creative process, museum officials said Wednesday.

Hailing a "breakthrough" in the understanding of Rembrandt's most famous work, Rijksmuseum director Taco Dibbits told reporters: "We always suspected Rembrandt must have made a sketch on the canvas before embarking on this incredibly complex composition, but we didn’t have the evidence."

The sketch reveals that the artist initially planned to paint feathers on one militiaman's helmet, and that he decided against including a sword that he had drawn between the two main figures.


"On the sketch, the feathers are clearly visible, on the painting not," said Pieter Roelofs, the Amsterdam museum's head of paintings. "

"Why did Rembrandt change his mind? ... We don't know," he said. "But probably he removed the feathers because they drew too much attention as Van Cruijsbergen (the militiaman) is in the centre of the painting."

Around 30 experts have been working on the 1642 masterpiece for two and a half years using cutting-edge imaging techniques and computer technology.

At Wednesday's news conference, the Rijksmuseum unveiled the findings of a first phase of the project aimed at understanding the artist's technique as well as restoring the massive work to its original brilliance.

"It is fascinating to see Rembrandt searching for the right composition" of the work, which is 3.8 metres high and 4.5 metres wide (12.5 x 14.8 feet) and weighs 337 kilos (740 pounds), Dibbits said. "We have discovered the genesis of 'The Night Watch'."

- Historic restoration -

Rembrandt van Rijn painted "The Night Watch" in 1642 after a commission by Frans Banninck Cocq, the mayor and leader of Amsterdam's civic guard, to depict the officers and other members of the militia.

Since the project kicked off in July 2019, millions of visitors have been able to observe the historic restoration work in real time at the Rijksmuseum, where it is protected by a glass casing in the centre of the museum's main gallery.

The painting has suffered many travails over the centuries.

In 1715, large chunks of the work were sliced off the edges so that it could fit into a new venue.

Thanks to a reconstruction based on a small 17th-century copy, the missing sections were restored to the work using artificial intelligence earlier this year.

The painting was stabbed by a man with a knife in 1911, was hidden in a bunker when Nazi Germany invaded the Netherlands, then was slashed by another knifeman in 1975 and sprayed with acid in 1990.

The current multi-million-euro "Operation Night Watch" is the most extensive research and restoration project to tackle the masterpiece.

In the next phase, which kicks off on January 19, experts will study deformations in the painting's upper left corner.

They will also decide whether to carry out a complete or partial restoration.

"In many areas the paint is still in an excellent state," the museum said in a press release, adding that other areas "are in poor repair... It is more than likely.. that the removal of varnish in the past led to the dissolving of paint at some locations."

Roelofs told the news conference: "The condition of the painting is what you would expect from an almost 400-year-old painting, but nowhere does the condition set alarm bells off."

Meanwhile, also on Wednesday the Dutch government said it would contribute 150 million euros ($170 million) to bring a Rembrandt self-portrait set to be sold by the Rothschild family back to the Netherlands.

Paris had said Tuesday that it would allow a sale on the open market even though the 1636 work titled "The Standard-Bearer" and valued at 165 million euros is classed as a "national treasure" in France.

If the Dutch parliament approves the 150 million euros of public cash, the Rembrandt Association would add 15 million euros to the pot and the Rijksmuseum would fund 10 million.

cvo/gd/tgb

 

World Aids Day

 

"The children are the one paying the highest price to this pandemic" Dr Landry Dongmo Tsague, Senior HIV/AIDS specialist at the UNICEF Regional Office for Western and Central Africa

As social unrest explodes in French West Indies, chlordecone is key to the crisis

© Hélène Valenzuela, AFP

AFP
08/12/2021

The current social unrest in Guadeloupe and Martinique has brought international attention back to the critical issue of chlordecone pollution in these Caribbean islands. This highly toxic insecticide, banned since 1993 throughout France and its territories, is currently undergoing intense scientific study to understand its harmful effects on the human body and ecosystems.

Chlordecone has left a permanent scar on the French West Indian population. Throughout the protests that have shaken Guadeloupe and Martinique since the end of November, this highly toxic insecticide has been named as one of the key factors behind the social unrest which was provoked by the Covid-19 situation.

France was forced to postpone implementing a vaccination mandate for health workers there after the measure spurred widespread protests on the French territories in which police officers were injured and journalists attacked. If the people in these islands are hesitant to trust the Covid-19 vaccines, it is because they have been failed by Paris on the chlordecone issue.

Former farm workers, who were exposed to this insecticide for many years in banana plantations, believe that chlordecone is directly connected to specific cancers and neurological diseases. This controversial pesticide is now the subject of several scientific studies aimed at finding out more about its effects on health and the environment.

Chlordecone was first used in banana plantations in Guadeloupe and Martinique in 1972 in a battle against an insect called the banana weevil. Banned in 1976 in the United States, the substance was classified as a probable human carcinogen by the World Health Organisation (WHO) in 1979. France itself did not ban it until 1990. However, a governmental exemption allowed its continued use in the West Indies for three more years, until 1993.

The insecticide which polluted the banana trees, poisoned the soil, which then went into the groundwater, the rivers and all the way to the coast. Much of the islands’ vegetation has also been contaminated as the poison has become ingrained in the soil. As a result, chlordecone has been found in animal pastures and subsequently in meat products.

“At least one third of the agricultural land used for cultivation and breeding and at least one third of the marine coastline have been polluted by chlordecone,” said Luc Multigner, epidemiologist and director of research at France’s National Institute of Health and Medical Research, Inserm, speaking with FRANCE 24.

As its molecules disintegrate very slowly in the soil, it is difficult to know how long it will stay in the ecosystem. According to the National Institute for Agricultural Research (INRAE), “it could still be there for anything between one to six centuries”.

>> Thousands protest in France’s Martinique against insecticide ‘impunity’

 
Almost the entire population poisoned

Chlordecone has poisoned, to varying degrees, more than 90% of the population of the two islands, according to Santé publique France and Inserm. “In terms of the general danger of chlordecone, its intrinsic toxicity is well known,” said Multigner, referencing hundreds of published research papers dedicated to exploring this poison.

Research into the health consequences of chlordecone is not new. The first studies took place as early as the 1960s, before it had even been introduced to the West Indies. Researchers detected neurological disorders in laboratory animal tests, but also testicular disorders and liver tumour lesions. In the mid-1970s, scientists then discovered neurological damage and liver enlargement in workers at the chlordecone factory in Hopewell, USA.

A few years later, research showed that chlordecone has hormonal properties. Today, it is considered an endocrine disruptor. “Twenty years ago, when the issue of chlordecone received very little media attention, a series of studies were carried out by Inserm to find out whether this pollution was contaminating the population. We found that the West Indian population had indeed been poisoned, since chlordecone was detected in the blood of most of the people studied,” said Multigner. “Once this observation was made, the question was do these traces of chlordecone in the blood cause health problems?”

In the 2000s, the Timoun (“child”, in Creole) study led by Inserm highlighted a link between chlordecone exposure levels during pregnancy and an increased risk of premature birth. Numerous data acquired during the follow-up of children born to the Timoun cohort are currently being analysed to understand the impact on their development. Other research is still underway, notably on the evolution of chronic hepatitis.

As early as 2010, the Karuprostate study, coordinated by Multigner and Pascal Blanchet, head of the urology department at Pointe-à-Pitre University Hospital in Guadeloupe, identified a clear link between exposure to this harmful substance and occurrences of prostate cancer.

“We observed that the more men were exposed to chlordecone, the greater their risk of developing prostate cancer”, said Multigner. “In the West Indies, the incidence rate of this disease is almost twice as high as the estimated incidence rate in mainland France over the period 2007-2014,” according to an Inserm study entitled “Pesticides and health effects” and updated last June.

In this context, the Minister of Agriculture and Food Julien Denormandie announced on November 28 that a decree officially recognising prostate cancer as an occupational illness following the use of this pesticide will be issued “before the end of the year”.
New prostate cancer studies

There is much research currently being done on the particular connection between this disease and chlordecone. A new study (Cohorte KP-Caraïbes-Breizh) on prostate cancer, “will pay particular attention to environmental contaminants (including chlordecone) on the evolution of the disease according to the treatments”, according to France’s Institute of research in health, environment and work.

Faced with an understandably anxious West Indian population, the National Cancer Institute launched a multidisciplinary research programme on November 9 devoted to investigating the link between exposure to chlordecone in the West Indies and the risk of developing prostate cancer. For five years, researchers from different disciplines (epidemiology, human and social sciences, clinical science) will work on this subject to “further our understanding of the role of chlordecone in the risk of prostate cancer as well as its perception and social consequences in the West Indies”.

“The strong presumption of a link between chlordecone exposure in the general population and the risk of prostate cancer occurrence has been confirmed,” the authors of the “Pesticides and health effects” study write, noting that “the causality of the relationship [between chlordecone and prostate cancer] is considered likely.”

“Until now, all scientific knowledge [on the link between chlordecone and prostate cancer] has had no contradiction,” said Multigner.

If there is a scientific consensus, on the political level, it is another matter. On February 1, 2019, French President Emmanuel Macron, who six months earlier had denounced this as an “environmental scandal” and recognised, for the first time, that “the State has its share of responsibility”, spoke again on the issue.

“We must not say that it is carcinogenic. It has been established that this product is not good, there have been scientifically recognised cases, but we must not go so far as to say that it is carcinogenic because we are saying something that is not true and we are feeding fears,” said Macron at the time.

His statement provoked the indignation of international elected leaders and scientists, including Multigner. The Elysée Palace later claimed it was a “misunderstanding”. “The president said that chlordecone pollution was a scandal, that’s fine. But to say at the same time: ‘It is not carcinogenic’ is contrary to research,” says Multigner.

All the scientific studies carried out so far have helped the authorities put in place successive action plans, which aim to protect, raise awareness and repair the damage caused by this insecticide. Specific measures have been taken. Foodstuffs produced in the West Indies may not contain more chlordecone residues than the maximum limit authorised by the State. In addition, many areas are closed to fishing because the fish are contaminated. These decisions have also had socio-economic consequences, as some farmers and fishermen have no longer been able to continue their professional activities.

The deployment this year of the fourth plan to combat chlordecone pollution has not been enough to calm rising tensions among the population. The Guadeloupean and Martinican associations that filed a complaint against the state in 2006 for “endangering the lives of others” are still waiting for a trial. As a result of the statute of limitations, the case is likely to be dismissed.

This article has been translated from the original in French.

Increased ER visits for asthma linked to seasonal air pollution, study finds

Emergency room visits by children with asthma may be triggered by seasonal levels of airborne pollutants, a new study has found. File Photo by M. Dykstra/Shutterstock

Dec. 8 (UPI) -- Rising rates of emergency room visits among children with asthma may be linked with seasonal air pollution, even in areas with generally low levels, a study published Wednesday by the journal PLOS ONE found.

Based on data from urban and rural regions of South Carolina, coarse airborne particulate pollution -- particulate matter measuring 1.0 to 2.5 microns, known as PM1.0-2.5 -- and nitrogen oxide levels are linked to the rate of hospital ER visits among children with asthma, particularly during the fall, the data showed.

So-called fine particulate matter, which are microscopic pollutants that measure 2.5 microns, plays its largest role in fostering severe asthma symptoms in the summer, the researchers said.

PM typically comes fom industry and vehicle exhaust, according to the Environmental Protection Agency.

RELATED Scientists identify new chemicals in air pollution that trigger asthma in kids

Meanwhile, relatively cool and dry conditions in the summer asthma season and increased temperatures in the spring and fall asthma seasons also are associated with increased risk for emergency room care, according to the researchers.

"With improved individual awareness of the seasonality of their own triggers, people with asthma may be able to introduce seasonally adaptive behaviors to reduce or prevent environmental exposures" to triggers, study co-author Matt Bozigar told UPI in an email.

"However, marginalized groups of people may not have the resources to make behavioral changes, such as staying inside in a place with filtered air on a hazy summer day, for example," said Bozigar, a post-doctoral associate with the Boston University School of Public Health.

RELATED Urban oil wells linked to asthma, other health problems in Los Angeles

Asthma is a long-term inflammatory disease of the lungs that causes wheezing, coughing, chest tightness and shortness of breath, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

About one in 12, or 6 million, children in the United States have asthma, the agency estimates.

A study published in October by the Journal of Clinical Investigation identified 18 airborne pollutants that worsened asthma symptoms in children.   

RELATED Breathing, lung problems more common in low-income households

Separate analyses have indicated that breathing problems such as asthma are more common in low-income households, which are often concentrated in areas with higher air pollution levels.

For this study, Bozigar and his colleagues estimated air pollution levels across South Carolina and compared with data on hospital ER visits related to asthma among children in the state.

From 2006 and 2014, 48% of ER visits related to asthma for children in South Carolina occurred during the fall, or between Aug. 20 and Dec. 31, while 26% were reported during the spring, between March 1 and May 31.

The remainder of ER visits for children with asthma in the state occurred during the summer and winter, which are relatively mild seasons for the breathing disorder there, according to the researchers.

Elevated levels of PM1.0-2.5 in the fall, which often brings warmer, wet weather to the region, increased the risk for hospital ER visits among children by 14%.

Similarly, higher levels of nitrogen oxides in the air increased the risk for hospital ER visits for asthma among children by 3% during the same season, the researchers said.

"Individuals with asthma could benefit from understanding that their own asthma symptom rhythms may be influenced by different things at different times of the year," Bozigar said.

"What triggers asthma from the environment, such as air pollution, appears to change by season [and these] asthma exacerbations do not follow normal astronomical seasons," he said.

Abortion rights council calls on California to pay for out-of-state patients if Roe vs. Wade falls

Abortion rights activists wave signs on the Wilshire overpass overlooking the 110 freeway at a Stop Abortion Bans rally organized by NARAL Pro-Choice California in Los Angeles on May 21, 2019. 

File Photo by Chris Chew/UPI | License Photo

Dec. 8 (UPI) -- A council made up of abortion rights and women's health advocates recommended Wednesday that California prepare to provide abortion access -- and funding -- to all Americans if the Supreme Court overturns Roe vs. Wade.

The California Future of Abortion Council was convened in September with support from California Gov. Gavin Newsom and members of the California State Legislature to provide recommendations to government officials on ways to make access to abortion more safe, equitable and affordable. The so-called FAB Council, which comprises more than 40 organizations, issued a report Tuesday making 45 policy recommendations.

The recommendations come as the Supreme Court considers challenges to restrictive abortion laws in states including Mississippi and Texas that could upend the landmark 1973 ruling that protects a woman's right to an abortion. That could result in several states choosing to outright ban abortions, leaving millions of Americans without access to the procedure.

"When I ran clinic services for a women's health center, I saw countless individuals who needed information, services, and support," state Sen. Toni Atkins, president pro tempore, said. "Working with the FAB Council, my colleagues and I will ensure Californians and people from every state can get the reproductive health services they need in a safe and timely way -- and that all our rights remain enshrined in law. This is crunch time, but we will not be dragged into the past. California will keep leading for the future."

Included among the 45 policy recommendations:

-- Provide more funding, support and infrastructure for those seeking an abortion.

-- Reimburse patients for abortion-related expenses.

RELATED  Study: Abortion medically safe, unwanted pregnancy poses greater health risk

-- Invest in a more diverse abortion provider workforce.

-- Reduce institutional barriers to abortion care.

-- Provide legal protection for patients, providers and their supporters.

-- Counteract misinformation and provide accurate education about abortion.

-- Collect data and carry out research on abortion and education needs in the state.

Abortion rights activists wave signs and banners on the Wilshire overpass overlooking the 110 freeway at a Stop Abortion Bans rally organized by NARAL Pro-Choice California in Los Angeles on May 21, 2019. File Photo by Chris Chew/UPI | License Photo

Jessica Pinckney, executive director of Access Reproductive Justice, said the state must strengthen access to abortion as it prepares for an influx of patients from other states. The Guttmacher Institute, a research group that advocates for abortion rights, predicts out-of-state women seeking abortions in California will increase from 46,000 to 1.4 million if Roe vs. Wade falls and 26 states ban abortion.

"Abortion funds and practical support organizations have long supported individuals in transportation to and from their appointments or money for gas, lodging for overnight stays, support with childcare, among other supports, however, the unmet need far exceeds what we are able to support. The policy recommendations made in the FAB Council report are integral to filling the gaps in abortion access that exist for Californians and those in our sibling states," she said.

California plans to be abortion sanctuary if Roe overturned

By ADAM BEAM

 People rally in support of abortion rights at the state Capitol in Sacramento, Calif., May 21, 2019. On Wednesday Dec. 8, 2021, a group of abortion providers and advocacy groups recommended California should use public money to bring people here from other states for abortion services should the U.S. Supreme Court overturn Roe v. Wade. The report has the backing of key legislative leaders, including Senate President Pro Team Toni Atkins, a Democrat. (AP Photo/Rich Pedroncelli, File)

SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) — With more than two dozen states poised to ban abortion if the U.S. Supreme Court gives them the OK next year, California clinics and their allies in the state Legislature on Wednesday revealed a plan to make the state a “sanctuary” for those seeking reproductive care, including possibly paying for travel, lodging and procedures for people from other states.

The California Future of Abortion Council, made up of more than 40 abortion providers and advocacy groups, released a list of 45 recommendations for the state to consider if the high court overturns Roe v. Wade — the 48-year-old decision that forbids states from outlawing abortion.

The recommendations are not just a liberal fantasy. Some of the state’s most important policymakers helped write them, including Toni Atkins, the San Diego Democrat who leads the state Senate and 

Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom started the group himself and in an interview last week with The Associated Press said some of the report’s details will be included in his budget proposal in January.

“We’ll be a sanctuary,” Newsom said, adding he’s aware patients will likely travel to California from other states to seek abortions. “We are looking at ways to support that inevitability and looking at ways to expand our protections.”

Abortion, perhaps more than any other issue, has divided the country for decades along mostly traditional partisan lines. A new decision overturning Roe v. Wade, which could come next summer, would be the culmination of more than 40 years of conservative activism. But Wednesday’s report offers a first glimpse of how Democratic-dominated states could respond and how the debate over abortion access would change.

California already pays for abortions for many low-income residents through the state’s Medicaid program. And California is one of six states that require private insurance companies to cover abortions, although many patients still end up paying deductibles and co-payments.

But money won’t be a problem for state-funded abortion services for patients from other states. California’s coffers have soared throughout the pandemic, fueling a record budget surplus this year. Next year, the state’s independent Legislative Analyst’s Office predicts California will have a surplus of about $31 billion.

California’s affiliates of Planned Parenthood, the nation’s largest abortion provider, got a sneak preview of how people might seek abortions outside their home states this year when a Texas law that outlawed abortion after six weeks of pregnancy was allowed to take effect. California clinics reported a slight increase in patients from Texas.

Demonstrators rally to to demand continued access to abortion during the March for Reproductive Justice, Oct. 2, 2021, in downtown Los Angeles. On Wednesday Dec. 8, 2021, a group of abortion providers and advocacy groups recommended California should use public money to bring people here from other states for abortion services should the U.S. Supreme Court overturn Roe v. Wade. The report has the backing of key legislative leaders, including Senate President Pro Team Toni Atkins, a Democrat. 

(AP Photo/Damian Dovarganes, file)

Now, California abortion providers are asking California to make it easier for those people to get to the state.

The report recommends funding — including public spending — to support patients seeking abortion for travel expenses such as gas, lodging, transportation and child care. It asks lawmakers to reimburse abortion providers for services to those who can’t afford to pay — including those who travel to California from other states whose income is low enough that they would qualify for state-funded abortions under Medicaid if they lived there.

It’s unclear about how many people would come to California for abortions if Roe v. Wade is overturned. California does not collect or report abortion statistics. The Guttmacher Institute, a research group that supports abortion rights, said 132,680 abortions were performed in California in 2017, or about 15% of all abortions nationally. That number includes people from out of state as well as teenagers, who are not required to have their parents’ permission for an abortion in California.

Planned Parenthood, which accounts for about half of California’s abortion clinics, said it served 7,000 people from other states last year.

A huge influx of people from other states “will definitely destabilize the abortion provider network,” said Fabiola Carrion, interim director for reproductive and sexual health at the national Health Law Program. She said out-of-state abortions would also likely be later term procedures, which are more complicated and expensive.

The report asks lawmakers to help clinics increase their workforce to prepare for more patients by giving scholarships to medical students who pledge to offer abortion services in rural areas, help them pay off their student loans and assist with their monthly liability insurance premiums.

“We’re looking at how to build capacity and build workforce,” said Jodi Hicks, CEO of Planned Parenthood Affiliates of California. “It will take a partnership and investment with the state.”

Abortion opponents in California, meanwhile, are also preparing for a potential surge of patients from other states seeking the procedure — only they hope to convince them not to do it.

Jonathan Keller, president and CEO of the California Family Council, said California has about 160 pregnancy resource centers whose aim is to convince women not to get abortions. He said about half of those centers are medical clinics, while the rest are faith-based counseling centers.

Many of the centers are located near abortion clinics in an attempt to entice people to seek their counseling before opting to end pregnancies. Keller said many are already planning on increasing their staffing if California gets an increase of patients.

“Even if we are not facing any immediate legislative opportunities or legislative victories, it’s a reminder that the work of changing hearts and minds and also providing real support and resources to women facing unplanned pregnancies — that work will always continue,” Keller said.

He added: “In many ways, that work is going to be even more important, both in light of the Supreme Court’s decision and in light of whatever Sacramento decides they are going to do in response.”