Ohio State University ‘Sex Week’ Features ‘Valentine’s for Abortion Providers’

Ohio State University’s annual “Sex Week,” which begins Sunday, will feature two days for students to meet and thank abortion providers.

“Meet [Student Advocates for Sexual Health Awareness] (SASHA) in the Union on the 1st floor on to help thank abortion providers in Ohio and Texas for the valuable work they do for reproductive rights! We will be creating valentines,” the group’s schedule says. 

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Michigan Gov. Whitmer: Support for Canadian Freedom Convoy ‘Downright Dangerous’

After two years of imposing heavy-handed COVID-19 restrictions resulting in the loss of thousands of jobs for Michiganders and nearly 30 percent of small businesses in the state expecting not to survive the pandemic, Gov. Gretchen Whitmer (D) is concerned about the economic ramifications of the Canadian Freedom Convoy. 

“[The right-wing media is] inciting and encouraging people to break the law and to do so in a way that devastates so many hard-working people…This is five days, and it’s already taken a toll of tens of billions of dollars — that number compounds over time,” Whitmer said on CNN Friday morning. 

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Five Police Officers Shot, Four Others Injured in Phoenix Shootout

Details emerged throughout the day Friday of an incident that led to five Phoenix police officers being shot, four injured by bullet shrapnel, one suspect dead and a woman injured. 

The deadly incident unfolded just after 2 a.m. on Friday morning, when police responded to a shooting at a Phoenix home, according to Phoenix Police Department spokesperson Sgt. Andy Williams. 

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Cleveland Post Offices Taping Mailboxes Shut as Thefts Continue

Ohio’s issues with mail theft and violence against postal workers do not appear to be slowing, as postal workers in Cleveland are taking extraordinary measures to keep thieves from stealing mail. 

 Just a week after The Ohio Star reported on a string of robberies of postal workers in the Columbus area, Cleveland’s United State Postal Service (USPS) employees have been forced to tape shut their ubiquitous blue mailboxes to prevent thieves from breaking in and stealing mail, according to reports. 

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Largest Owner of Spotify Stock Also Largest Owner of Moderna Stock

Amid the controversy over world-famous Spotify podcaster Joe Rogan hosting guest Dr. Robert Malone, credited with inventing mRNA vaccine technology that is used in COVID-19 vaccines, Malone revealed information about a massive conflict of interest. 

On an episode of Tucker Carlson Today that aired Wednesday, Malone revealed that the largest stakeholder in Spotify, which has been under pressure to censor Rogan for spreading “misinformation” about COVID-19, is also the largest stakeholder in Moderna, one of the two companies distributing mRNA vaccines for COVID-19.

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Freedom Convoy Backs Up Traffic on Ambassador Bridge, Jams Shipping Route to Canada

A bridge linking a major international shipping route between the U.S. and Canada is blocked, thanks to a a weeks-long protest by truckers in that country who are against COVID-19 vaccine mandates.

“Cameras over the highway on I-94 depicted a massive traffic jam building up near Port Huron, where the only bridge port of entry linking Canada to the U.S. that remained open became overwhelmed with diverted truck traffic,” according to WJBK.

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Ohio Attorney General Yost to Hold Forum on Elder Abuse After Esther’s Law Passed

Attorney General Dave Yost (R) is holding a series of forums to spread awareness about elder abuse in the state. 

In a press release announcing the next event in the series of forums, called  “Responding to Financial Exploitation, Scams and Fraud in Facility Settings,” Yost told the following story of an Ohio senior who was bilked out of his own money:

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Records Released in Amir Locke Shooting Show He Wasn’t Named on Arrest Warrant

According to warrants released in the shooting of Amir Locke, he was not the target of the police raid that led to his death. 

Instead the warrant was for 17-year-old Mekhi Speed, Locke’s cousin, who has been charged with second-degree murder in the shooting death of a St. Paul man last month, according to WCCO. The warrants were unsealed days ago, but needed a judge’s stamp of approval to be released to the public because Speed is a minor. 

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Georgia Democratic Gubernatorial Candidate Stacey Abrams Addresses Photo Op Controversy, Says Not Wearing Mask Was ‘Mistake’

Stacey Abrams without a mask in a crowd of young students

After appearing without a mask for a photo opportunity last week in front of a classroom full of masked students, Democrat gubernatorial candidate Stacey Abrams has apologized. 

“I took a picture and that was the mistake,” Abrams said on CNN Tuesday. “Protocols matter and protecting our kids is the most important thing and anything that can be perceived as undermining. That is a mistake and I apologize.”

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Ohio Sen. Portman Pushes Bipartisan Bill to Rename Cincinnati Post Office

Outgoing Senator Rob Portman (R-OH) spoke Monday on the floor of the U.S. Senate on behalf of his bipartisan bill that would rename the Avondale area of Cincinnati.

“I’m pleased to come to the Senate floor today to speak in support of a bill sponsored by the entire Ohio delegation naming the post office in Avondale of Cincinnati, Ohio for two World War II veterans, John Leahr and Herbert Heilbrun,” Portman said. “These two remarkable men, one black and one white, grew up in Avondale, which is a neighborhood [that is] part of Cincinnati, Ohio.”

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Illegal Alien Convicted in Minneapolis Carjacking Had Lengthy Criminal Record

An illegal alien with a long prior rap sheet that includes violent crimes has once again been sentenced to prison time.

Abdulhakim Omar Erbob, 27, attempted to carjack a man in St. Paul last year, according to Pioneer Press. He beat the man who he tried to carjack when the man began to fight back, and was subsequently charged with attempted first-degree aggravated robbery. 

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Loudoun County Schools Security Directed Administrators to Seek Warrants for Students Without Masks

In yet another scandal involving Loudoun County Public Schools (LCPS), an email published on Twitter shows school security officials told school administrators to seek warrants from magistrate judges to arrest students who refused to wear masks. 

An email from security head John Clark, posted on Twitter by commentator Ned Ryun, shows Clark giving teachers instructions on February 1 about how to obtain those warrants. The instructions were given just after the school vowed to defy Gov. Glenn Youngkin (R), who banned mask mandates on his first day in office. 

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Feds to Sentence Aspiring Rapper Filming Music Video During January 6 Protest

According to CBS reporter Scott MacFarland, who has been covering sentencing of the defendants stemming from the mostly peaceful January 6, 2021 protest at the U.S. Capitol building, federal prosecutors are seeking nearly two years in prison for an aspiring rapper from Virginia who entered the Capitol that day. 

“[Antionne] BRODNAX identified himself by date of birth and social security number, and admitted to the agents that he entered the U.S. Capitol Building on January 6, 2021,” a probable cause statement from the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) says. “BRODNAX also provided the following additional information. BRODNAX said he had traveled to Washington, D.C., prior to January 6, 2021, to shoot a music video. On January 6, 2021, BRODNAX saw a rally of which many participants descended on the U.S. Capitol Building. BRODNAX followed the crowd to the United States Capitol Building and entered the building after United States Capitol Police (USCP) moved the gates that blockaded the door.”

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Rumble Offers Joe Rogan $100 Million to Use Their Platform Amid Spotify Controversy

Amid controversy over podcaster Joe Rogan’s controversial COVID-19 episodes and some past episodes that contained racial slurs, one video streaming platform is lending Rogan their support. 

“We stand with you, your guests, and you legion of fans in desire for real conversation,” Rumble CEO Chris Pavlovski said in a letter addressed to Rogan. “So we’d like to offer you 100 million reasons to make the world a better place.”

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Minnesota Prosecutors Disagree on Appropriate Sentence in Kim Potter Case

Two prosecutors who participated in the case against former Brooklyn Center Police officer Kimberly Potter are at odds over her sentencing. 

Imran Ali was the original prosecutor in Potter’s case. But he stepped down, citing the politically charged environment around her prosecution, and paved the way for Minnesota Attorney General Kieth Ellison’s office to take over the case. 

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Bannon: Mike Pence ‘Stone-Cold Coward’ for Mischaracterizing Trump January 6 Ask to Let The States Decide for Themselves on Legitimacy of Electoral College Votes

The former chief of staff to President Donald Trump blasted former Vice President Mike Pence, who said earlier this week that he “had no right to overturn the election” that Trump says was fraudulent. 

Steve Bannon explained that though Pence himself did not have the right to overturn the election – and that Trump never said he had that right – Pence had the ability to let the states decide for themselves. 

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Son of Man Charged with Felony Harassment in Kim Potter Trial Killed in Minnesota High School Shooting

The deceased victim of two teenage students who are now charged with murder stemming from a shooting at a Richfield high school is the son of a high-profile Black Lives Matter (BLM) activist who himself has trouble with the law.

“Fernando Valdez-Alvarez, 18, and Alfredo R. Solis, 19, were charged in Hennepin County District Court Friday with one count each of second-degree murder and two counts each of attempted second-degree murder,” according to reports.

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Petition for Biden to Appoint Carol Swain to SCOTUS Surpasses 1,000 Signatures

A petition asking President Joe Biden to appoint Dr. Carol Swain, an accomplished professor of law and Yale University graduate, to be the next Associate Justice of the United States Supreme Court has reached over 1,000 signatures in just one week. 

“We, the undersigned, respectfully suggest – and fully support – Carol M. Swain, PhD as your nominee to serve as the next Associate Justice on the United States Supreme Court,” the petition says.

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Freedom Convoy Switches to CloutHub After GoFundMe Ban

After GoFundMe banned Canada’s Freedom Convoy of truckers from using its service, CloutHub has stepped in to fill the void.

“There is no more important movement for freedom across the American continent right now than the Freedom Convoy 2022,” CloutHub founder Jeff Brain said in a press release. “We are proud to support the Canadian Truckers and will help support the other Trucker movements popping up around the world to fight against unlawful mandates. CloutHub is where the world connects and organizes to take on the issues they care about, including defending liberty and freedom.”

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Virginia Attorney General Miyares: Loudoun County School’s Trespassing Threat for Ignoring Mask Rules ‘Astonishing’

Virginia’s Attorney General Jason Miyares joined radio host Jeff Katz of The Jeff Katz Show on WRVA, where he expressed his dismay about Loudoun County Public Schools’ (LCPS) current mask mandate policy. 

“I’ve gotta admit, that was a pretty astonishing even coming from the Loudoun County administrators,” Miyares said.

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Gwinnett County School Board Chair Has History of TikTok Critical Race Theory Activism

The chairwoman of the Gwinnett County Public Schools (GCPS) School Board has a long history of using Critical Race Theory (CRT) talking points on her TikTok page. 

“I want to first acknowledge the land of the indigenous people,” Dr. Tarese Johnson said in a TikTok video last October. “I want to say to you all that Gwinnett County is the land of the Muskogee Creek and the [inaudible] Cherokee people.”

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Virginia Attorney General Miyares Responds After Public Universities End Vaccine Mandates

Virginia Attorney General Jason Miyares (R) doubled down on his position that if public universities want to mandate COVID-19 vaccines, they must wait until the General Assembly passes a law to that effect. 

“The COVID-19 vaccine is a critical tool in our fight against COVID-19, and it could save your life. The Attorney General has been vaccinated , has received the booster, and he encourages everyone to get the vaccine,” Miyares’ spokeswoman Victoria LaCivita told The Virginia Star. “He also promised to be an Attorney General that calls balls and strikes – and according to Virginia law, only the General Assembly can enact a statute that requires the COVID-19 vaccine as a condition of enrollment or in-person attendance, as it has with six other vaccines.”

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Ohio’s COVID-19 Case Average Falls to Pre-Omicron Levels

Ohio’s seven-day COVID-19 case rate has now fallen to about the same level of seven-day cases as the state saw in mid-September, when the more deadly Delta variant was the virus’ prominent strain. 

As of February 2, Ohio had an average seven-day case rate of 7,806, a drastic drop in that average over a period of just two weeks, according to publicly available data. On January 19, the seven-day average caseload was 27,462 cases. 

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Gwinnett County Resident Arrested at School Board Meeting Speaks Out Against Superintendent

In an interview with The Georgia Star News, a Gwinnett County resident arrest at a  Gwinnett County Public Schools (GCPS) spoke out against the measures taken by the school district against parents who wish to protest the district’s mask mandates and teaching of Critical Race Theory (CRT). 

“At our school board meetings, we have 30 School Resource Officers (SROs) plus about 15 or so additional staff members, metal detectors, bag searches, video cameras and wands,” Brenda P. Stewart told The Star News. “It is a blatant attempt to violate the First Amendment rights of parents. Fear is being used to silence us. It is fundamentally wrong. We currently have about 75 to 100 visitors at school board meetings, so basically one staff member for every two or three citizens. It is insane.”

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Controversy After Man Shot and Killed by Minneapolis Police

Activists and police disagree on the narrative on what happened in the death of Amir Locke, who was shot and killed by a Minneapolis Police officer Wednesday night as a SWAT Team attempted to serve a warrant. 

Minneapolis Police Department (MPD) Public Information Officer Casper T. Hill referred The Minnesota Sun to a press release explaining the MPD’s version of events. 

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Postal Police Officers Association Chief: Government Defunded Postal Officers While Mail Crimes Soared

“The Postal Inspection Service data revealed that mail theft reports soared by 600% over three years, from about 25,000 in 2017 to roughly 177,000 through August of 2020,” Frank Albergo said. “But when asked to explain the apparent explosion in mail theft, the Inspection Service backtracked and said the figures might be inaccurate.”

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Prosecutors Plan to Argue Defendants Used Encrypted Chat in Whitmer Case

Gretchen Whitmer

In the high profile case against alleged plotters of a kidnapping of Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer (D), the state plans to introduce evidence that defendants use encrypted chat applications in the planning stages of their scheme. 

“The government disagrees, saying the defendants did more than talk, but took actions to carry out their plan: they cased Whitmer’s house twice; drew maps; bought night vision goggles; secretly communicated in encrypted chat rooms so as not to get caught; and held training exercises,” according to The Detroit Free Press.

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After Miyares Legal Opinion, Virginia’s Largest Universities End Student Vaccine Mandates

After Virginia Attorney General Jason Miyares (R) wrote a legal opinion last week saying that vaccine mandates for public university students are illegal, several of the state’s largest schools have backed off their COVID-19 vaccine requirements. 

“Absent specific authority conferred by the General Assembly, public institutions of higher education in Virginia may not require vaccination against COVID-19 as a general condition of students’ enrollment or in-person attendance,” Attorney General Jason Miyares said in his opinion.

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After Settling Athlete Sex Abuse Case, University of Michigan Hit with Professor Sex Abuse Allegations

A prominent former professor at the University of Michigan (UM) has been accused by eight former students of sexual misconduct, ranging from groping to rape, according to reports. 

University spokesman Rick Fitzgerald told The Michigan Star that Professor Bruce Conforth’s tenure at the school ended in 2017, when he admitted to allegations of sexual misconduct. Conforth resigned, and agreed to “a separation agreement outlined his permanent removal from the university, no contact with students and other requirements.”

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George Mason University Pulls Booster Mandate After Students Fight Back

healthcare worker giving vaccination

After students at George Mason University (GMU) fought the school’s administration on mandatory booster shots for COVID-19, the school Monday announced that it has scrapped the mandate, though it did not credit the students for their efforts. 

“George Mason University announced today it will strongly encourage students who remain unvaccinated to get the COVID-19 vaccine and booster, but no longer require it, in observance of Virginia Attorney General Jason Miyares’ opinion,” the school said in a message written by President Gregory Washington. 

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Army Veteran John James Announces Michigan Congressional Run

John James Announces Michigan Congressional Run

Two-time Senate candidate and Army Veteran John James Monday announced that he is jumping into the congressional race in Michigan’s 10th district. 

“I fought on the battlefield for American lives and in business for good-paying jobs that fuel livelihoods. I will continue to fight for the hardworking families in Michigan’s 10th district as today I announce my run for Congress,” James said in a Twitter post. 

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Petition Launched to Nominate Dr. Carol Swain to Supreme Court

Carol Swain

In response to President Joe Biden’s promise to nominate a black woman to replace outgoing Supreme Court Justice Stephen Breyer, a Monday petition was launched urging Biden to nominate legal expert and professor Dr. Carol Swain, PhD. 

“We, the undersigned, respectfully suggest – and fully support – Carol M. Swain, PhD as your nominee to serve as the next Associate Justice on the United States Supreme Court,” the petition says. 

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Minnesota DFL Rep Pushes Citizen Panels for Disciplining Police Officers

Cedrick Frazier

A Democrat Farm-Labor Party (DFL) member of the Minnesota House of Representatives has introduced a bill that would give private citizens power to oversee the police, and punish them for wrongdoing. 

“[Police Officer Standards and Training Board] (POST) directed to amend portable recording systems policy to require showing and releasing video; civilian oversight councils permitted by local governments to impose discipline on peace officers; citizen oversight councils required to provide information to POST,” says HF 2724, introduced by Rep. Cedric Frazier (DFL-District 45A). 

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Virginia Attorney General Says College Mandate Vaccines for Students Illegal

Virginia’s Attorney General released a legal opinion Friday saying that under Virginia law, vaccine mandates for college students are illegal. 

“Absent specific authority conferred by the General Assembly, public institutions of higher education in Virginia may not require vaccination against COVID-19 as a general condition of students’ enrollment or in-person attendance,” Attorney General Jason Miyares said in his opinion. 

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Exclusive: Inside Virginia Gov. Youngkin’s Meeting with Democrat Delegate Who Questioned Governor’s Christian Faith

A source inside the Virginia Capitol Thursday spoke exclusively to The Virginia Star about Wednesday’s tiff between Gov. Glenn Youngkin (R) and Del. Don Scott (D-Portsmouth), who claimed in an interview with the Washington Post that the Governor was not comporting himself in a manner consistent with his Christian faith. 

At the time of Washington Post’s publication, Scott was expecting the governor to meet with him in his office. 

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Militia Member Who Led Surveillance in Whitmer ‘Kidnapping Plot’ Was Paid FBI Informant

A militia member who is described as a leader of a surveillance operation in the plot to kidnap Gov. Gretchen Whitmer (D) is a paid informant for the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), according to several reports. 

In September 2020, 12 men involved in the alleged plot traveled to Whitmer’s vacation cottage on Birch Lake in Antrim County. Their goal was to surveil the property, and figure out whether they could blow it up or kidnap the governor. 

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Advocacy Group Asks Virginia Senate to Reconsider Ivermectin as COVID-19 Treatment

After Virginia’s Senate Health and Education Committee voted to push discussions on SB 73 indefinitely, one advocacy group is asking the committee to reconsider the vote.

“Senate Bill 73 provides licensed health care providers with prescriptive authority to prescribe, administer, or dispense Hydroxychloroquine and Ivermectin to a patient with a clinical diagnosis of COVID-19,” Joshua Daniel Pratt, MDiv., the Executive Director for Virginia-based Alliance For Free Citizens wrote to the committee. 

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FDA Cites Non-Peer Reviewed Study to Revoke Monoclonal Antibody Authorization

As reported Tuesday by The Florida Capital Star, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) revoked the Emergency Use Authorization (EUA) for monoclonal antibodies as a treatment for COVID-19, but did not provide the data is cited in making its decision. 

Without the help of the FDA, which did not return a follow up comment request Wednesday, The Star was able to locate what appears to be the data used in the decision-making process. It is on the website for the National Institute of Health (NIH), which is headed by Dr. Anthony Fauci. 

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Virginia Gov. Youngkin’s Office Responds to Criticism over Critical Race Theory Tip Line

The office of Gov. Glenn Youngkin (R) responded Wednesday to criticism it has drawn over an email Critical Race Theory (CRT) tip line it has made available to Virginia’s parents.

“The governor’s office set up [email protected] as a resource for parents, teachers, and students to relay any questions or concerns,” Youngkin spokesperson Macauley Porter told The Virginia Star. “Governor Youngkin was elected to serve all Virginians and has utilized a customary constituent service, to hear from Virginians and solicit feedback.”

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FDA Pulls Authorization for Antibody Treatment, Refuses to Answer Questions

SAN DIEGO (Jan 26, 2020) Lt. Cmdr. Raben Talvo, Naval Medical Center San Diego's (NMCSD) Office of Clinical Quality department head, administers the hospital’s first monoclonal antibody (mAb) treatment to a COVID-19-positive patient Jan. 26. Bamlanivimab, the mAb treatment, is administered under emergency use authorization (EUA) guidance from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to treat mild to moderate COVID-19 symptoms in some adult and pediatric patients who are at high risk for progressing to severe COVID-19 symptoms. NMCSD's mission is to prepare service members to deploy in support of operational forces, deliver high quality healthcare services, and shape the future of military medicine through education, training, and research. NMCSD employs more than 6,000 active duty military personnel, civilians, and contractors in Southern California to provide patients withworld-class care anytime, anywhere. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 3rd Class Harley K. Sarmiento)

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Monday unexpectedly pulled its Emergency Use Authorization (EUA) for monoclonal antibody treatments for COVID-19, dealing a blow to states like Florida which have been using the treatment effectively for months. 

“Without a shred of clinical data to support this action, Biden has forced trained medical professionals to choose between treating their patients or breaking the law,” Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) said in response to the FDA’s decree. “This indefensible edict takes treatment out of the hands of medical professionals and will cost some Americans their lives. There are real-world implications to Biden’s medical authoritarianism – Americans’ access to treatments is now subject to the whims of a failing president.”

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