Controversy Surrounding Epstein Heats Up in Washington; Trump Endorses Homelessness Executive Order; More Events Reported
In a significant development on July 24 and 25, Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche of the U.S. Department of Justice interviewed Ghislaine Maxwell, the convicted accomplice of Jeffrey Epstein, in relation to the Epstein sex trafficking investigation. Maxwell is currently serving a 20-year sentence for recruiting and grooming minor girls to be sexually abused by Epstein.
On the same day, President Donald Trump signed an executive order titled "Ending Crime And Disorder On America's Streets". The order did not provide specific details, but it is expected to address measures to combat crime and disorder in the United States.
In the realm of healthcare, FDA Commissioner Marty Makary stated he has "no preconceived plans" to change policy regarding mifepristone, a pill commonly used for abortion and miscarriage care. This statement comes after some pro-life activists have sought to reverse COVID-era rollbacks to restrictions on mifepristone or eliminate its approval for abortion altogether. Notably, the U.S. Supreme Court unanimously dismissed a challenge to mifepristone's FDA approval last year, finding that the challengers lacked standing to bring the case.
In a separate healthcare-related matter, the Catholic Church opposes the use of medicine when it is intended to cause direct abortion but does not oppose its use when it is intended for restoring the body to health or life. Mifepristone, approved by the FDA for early abortion in 2000, has been used for the morally legitimate purpose of miscarriage care within the past decade.
Catholic advocates have called on Congress to strengthen efforts to prevent sex trafficking. This call comes as three bills have been advocated by advocacy groups to fight trafficking: the Frederick Douglass Trafficking Victims Prevention and Protection Reauthorization Act (H.R. 2961), the Trafficking Survivors Relief Act (H.R. 1379), and The Kids Online Safety Act (S.1748).
The Department of Justice will share additional information about what was learned in the interview with Ghislaine Maxwell at an appropriate time. Meanwhile, the National Homelessness Law Center issued a statement condemning a recent executive order, arguing it deprives people of their basic rights and makes it harder to solve homelessness. The order directs the attorney general to attempt to reverse federal and state judicial precedents to make it easier for local governments to remove people experiencing homelessness from encampments into treatment centers.
Lastly, the State Department has drafted documents to potentially end PEPFAR, the U.S. President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief. PEPFAR, authorized by Congress and President George W. Bush in 2003, is the largest global health program devoted to a single disease and has saved 25 million lives from AIDS. The report about ending PEPFAR came shortly after Congress rejected cuts to PEPFAR in its recent rescissions package, with the White House's agreement. Secretary of State Marco Rubio has stated that PEPFAR will continue to be an important and lifesaving program. The draft documents propose transitioning countries away from U.S. assistance, replacing the program with bilateral relationships focused on detecting outbreaks.
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