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[EuchreJack]

Actually, I'm kinda liking some of the demands of the Rogue Republicans.
Term limits and Fiscal Responsibility. Tell me more!

[Frumple]

So is that actual fiscal responsibility, or republican boondoggle fiscal responsibility? Sometimes it's interesting to hear if someone in the GOP's accidentally tripped over reasonable economics for once.

[EuchreJack]

So is that actual fiscal responsibility, or republican boondoggle fiscal responsibility? Sometimes it's interesting to hear if someone in the GOP's accidentally tripped over reasonable economics for once.

From what little I've read, they seem to want to cut spending.

I'd be worried about funding to Ukraine if I didn't realize President Biden can probably sidestep the House in a few ways. Plus, the Dems seem to have actual solidarity for once. I mean, their choice of Speaker technically has more votes right now...

[Dostoevsky]

Cutting spending is one of a long list of their demands, and this particular one is taking the form of promising votes on various (somewhat) specific pieces of legislation. It's worth remembering that there's still a Senate, of course, so none of these bills are likely to go anywhere and the form of spending cuts they're advocating for would likely result in either an extended government shutdown or a full-on debt default.

Anyhoo, other demands that McCarthy has partly already given in on range from house procedural changes (some of which are fine if challenging in practice) and effectively gutting the House Ethics Committee to supporting far-right candidates in House Republican primaries.

But there's also the fact that some of these people just hate McCarthy with a passion; McCarthy has sold his soul more than a few times over the years, which I suppose isn't too unusual for congress, but has done so in sometimes wildly different directions and so has expanded his enemies list over time instead of shrinking it. He's considered too mercenary by members and staff in congress, which is definitely saying something.

Trump has declined to say whether he'll continue to support McCarthy, and there are some other 'unity' candidates waiting in the wings, but at this point quite difficult to say how it'll all pan out.

[hector13]

Oh hey that’s what I get just for reading summaries.

The hard-right end of the Republicans nominated and continue to vote Jim Jordan for Speaker, despite Jim Jordan nominating McCarthy and encouraging his colleagues to vote for McCarthy.

There are time when I am frightened of the political shrewdness of the Republicans, and there are times like this I wonder what they’re actually trying to achieve by repeatedly punching themselves in the face.

[martinuzz]

The FDA decided that no longer will abortion pills be distributed only by a select number of doctors and clinics.
Henceforth, pharmacies can now also supply them. A doctor's prescription is still nescessary though.

In response to this new regulation, the US Postal service asked the US Justice Department to clarify whether an old law from 1873, that forbids sending by mail any substance of which the sender knows that it will be used illegally, applies to sending abortion pills by mail to states that have banned abortion.

The ministry of Justice has now responded, and declared that this is not illegal. Their reasoning is that the sender cannot know if the abortion pill will be used illegally.
Some of the anti-abortion states still allow abortion at very early stage of pregnancy, or when the pregnancy is life-threatening to the pregnant woman. It is also possible that the pills will be used in a state where it is legal after being sent to the state where it is illegal. The sender can't know, so sending the pills is legal.
Not only the US Postal service is allowed to deliver abortion pills, commercial delivery services like UPS and FedEx are as well.

Next is to get rid of the need for a doctor's prescription. One step at a time I suppose.

[delphonso]

Heck yeah.

[martinuzz]

What's beautiful about this FDA decision is that it makes abortion pills so easily accessible even in anti-abortion states, that enforcement of anti-abortion laws becomes impossible without hiring 100000 full time customs officers to scan every parcel sent by mail for abortion pills.

[scriver]

It gives people access to abortion pills AND creates jobs!

[martinuzz]

Hmmmm. Perhaps I should start a company that sells hollowed-out mini Bibles that can fit a box of abortion pills

[McTraveller]

"What could possibly go wrong?"

I can think of at least one very heinous way this can be (and so will be) abused.

Just makes me sad.

[Rolan7]

Yay!!

I went looking for potential problems but the closest I could find was this source talking about the ongoing efforts of some newly-incorporated company in a very specific Texas county trying to contest the FDA's approval of the drug.  Apparently the one local judge, coincidentally a Trump appointee, could issue a nationwide temporary injunction

I don't see how that's a consequence of this news, though... just something to worry about I guess.

Looks like CVS might not mail the pills to Texas etc, and Walgreens might not participate at all for mysterious reasons, but I assume that other pharmacies and Planned Parenthood will be able to!

Still prescription-only of course but still, lovely news.  I honestly have no idea how this could be abused.  Mailing pot or something?  But that's against federal law...

Edit: The talking point on the right seems to be "This is okay but Ivermectin is still restricted??" which is pretty reassuring tbh

[McTraveller]

I'm not talking abuse by people shipping. I'm talking abuse by people who now have easy access to such medication.

[martinuzz]

I'm not sure how abortion pills could be abused

[McTraveller]