QUOTE OF THE DAY “There’s not a good reason in this world for why I did the horrible things I did.” U.S. Staff Sgt. Robert Bales, during court proceedings at which he pleaded guilty to murder in the 2012 slayings of 16 Afghan civilians, including women and children Article,this pageCourt lifts morning-after pill age limit
NEW YORK - Girls of any age can buy generic versions of emergency contraception without prescriptions while the federal government appeals a judge’s ruling allowing the sales, a federal appeals court said Wednesday.
The order was met with praise from advocates for women’s rights and scorn from opponents, who argue the drug’s availability takes away the rights of parents.
The order issued by the 2nd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in Manhattan permits two-pill versions of emergency contraception to immediately be sold without restrictions, but the court refused to allow unrestricted sales of Plan B One-Step until it decides the merits of the government’s appeal.
The government has appealed U.S. District Judge Edward Korman’s underlying April 5 ruling, which ordered the emergency contraceptives be made available over the counter and without point-of-sale or age restrictions.
The government asked the judge to suspend the effect of that ruling until the appeals court could decide the case, but the judge declined, saying the government’s decision to restrict sales was “politically motivated” and “scientifically unjustified.”
The morning-after pill contains a higher dose of hormones than is in regular birth control pills and works by preventing ovulation or fertilization of an egg. Taking it within 72 hours of rape or unprotected sex has been shown to cut the chances of pregnancy by up to 89 percent.
IRS suspends 2 over 2010 conference
WASHINGTON - The Internal Revenue Service placed two officials on administrative leave for accepting free food at a party in a private suite at a lavish IRS conference in 2010, the agency said Wednesday.
The officials accepted $1,100 worth of free food and other items, two congressional aides said. The IRS said in a statement that the agency “has started the process to remove the employees pending a further review.”
The action comes as the IRS faces mounting criticism for lavish spending on employee conferences, and for improperly targeting conservative political groups.
The agency’s inspector general issued a report on Tuesday that said the IRS spent nearly $50 million on employee conferences from 2010 through 2012.
The two officials were disciplined for accepting free food at a 2010 conference in Anaheim, Calif., the IRS said. The conference cost $4.1 million, making it the agency’s most expensive conference during the threeyear period, the inspector general’s report said.
TSA drops bid to allow knives on planes
WASHINGTON - The Transportation Security Administration is abandoning a plan to allow passengers to carry small knives, souvenir bats, golf clubs and other sports equipment onto planes in the face of fierce congressional and industry opposition, the head of the agency said Wednesday.
By scuttling the plan to drop the knives and sports equipment from the agency’s list of prohibited items, the agency can focus its attention on other priorities, including expanding its Pre-Check program to identify ahead of time travelers who don’t pose a security risk, agency Administrator John Pistole said.
Pistole had unveiled the proposal to loosen the rules for carry-ons in March, saying the knives and other items can’t enable terrorists to cause a plane to crash.
He said intercepting them takes time that would be better used searching for explosives and other more serious threats. Agency screeners confiscate more than 2,000 of the small folding knives a day from passengers.
Skeptical lawmakers, airlines, labor unions and some law enforcement groups complained that the knives and other items in the hands of the wrong passengers could be used to injure or even kill passengers and crew.
Front Section, Pages 4 on 06/06/2013