If you read this headline and thought it was an article from The Babylon Bee, you thought wrong — though your confusion would be understandable.
In a move that is just a bit too on the nose, The Satanic Temple — whose tagline is &#8220;empathy, reason, advocacy&#8221; — has announced that it will be opening a &#8220;telehealth abortion clinic&#8221; named &#8220;TST Health&#8221; operated out of New Mexico.
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The Satanic Temple is proud to announce the launch of TST Health, a religious telehealth abortion clinic in New Mexico offering discreet Telehealth medical abortion care. 
Learn more: <a href="https://t.co/SzBzeld88v">https://t.co/SzBzeld88v</a> <a href="https://t.co/pbAuex6zyq">pic.twitter.com/pbAuex6zyq</a>
&mdash; The Satanic Temple of NYC (@satanicnyc) <a href="https://twitter.com/satanicnyc/status/1620767108584939521?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 1, 2023</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
The group will raise funds to assist girls and women around the country to <a href="https://thesatanictemple.com/pages/abortion-clinic-fundraiser" target="_blank" rel="noopener">have</a> &#8220;access to safe and legal abortions, no matter where they live or what their financial situation may be.&#8221; So, it would appear they will send out pills for at home medicated abortions while funding abortion tourism so Americans can travel to states where abortion is legal.
The group is doing so because abortion is apparently a &#8220;religious ritual&#8221; under Satan&#8217;s domain.
&#8220;As part of our commitment to protecting our members&#8217; civil rights and ensuring that our religious rituals can be performed without government interference, the clinic represents one of the most important steps we have taken,&#8221; the group&#8217;s website also claims.
Abortion, of course, kills an innocent life and takes the inalienable right to life for the child in the womb.
Perhaps it is no surprise then that The Satanic Temple also has the motto: &#8220;Thyself is Thy Master. Hail Satan!&#8221;
Call me old-fashioned, but I remember when the Devil came as a false angel of light masquerading as something good — not an in-your-face ode to the murder of another human.
Well, it would appear that The Satanic Temple is still trying to come to children of God as that light.
“The Satanic Temple is the leading beacon of light in the battle for abortion access,” the Temple has <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/team-behind-5m-bid-to-block-kentucky-pro-life-law-includes-staffer-who-posted-satanic-temple-message-another-marched-with-radical-socialists" target="_blank" rel="noopener">stated</a> on Instagram.
Perhaps that messaging is because a gigantic chunk of the population has been brainwashed into believing that abortion is something good that should be celebrated — rather than a barbarity that should be &#8220;safe, legal, and rare&#8221; as twice failed-presidential-candidate Hillary Clinton said so many moons ago.
It, of course, should always be illegal &#8230; but at least the Democrats of the 90s pretended that they thought it was something to be ashamed of. Now, that shame is gone, and literal followers of Satan openly tout abortion to curry favor with the Left.
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The views expressed in this piece are the author’s own and do not necessarily represent those of The Daily Wire
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Satanic temple

The Satanic Temple Opens ‘Telehealth Abortion Clinic’ To Defend Its ‘Religious Ritual’ Of Killing Unborn Babies

The Satanic Temple Opens 'Telehealth Abortion Clinic' To Defend Its 'Religious Ritual' Of Killing Unborn Babies

Abortion

Babylon Bee

Pro-Life Movement

satanic

Social Issues

U.S.

This article is a companion piece to today’s Morning Wire Afternoon Update. To listen to the podcast version, click <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/podcasts/morning-wire" target="_blank" rel="noopener">here</a>.
Sixth Police Officer Disciplined In Tyre Nichols Beating
Memphis Police say a 6th officer has been disciplined for his involvement in the brutal beating and arrest of Tyre Nichols. The department revealed that officer Preston Hemphill was relieved of duty shortly after the Jan. 7 arrest of Nichols, but Hemphill’s role in Nichols&#8217;s arrest was not disclosed.
Pro-Life Father Acquitted 
Mark Houck, the pro-life <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/mark-houck-catholic-pro-life-activist-facing-11-years-in-prison-acquitted-at-trial" target="_blank" rel="noopener">father of seven arrested</a> by the Biden administration last September, was facing two counts of violating the FACE act, after shoving a Planned Parenthood escort in 2021. The escort had reportedly harassed his son. The DOJ’s prosecution came after local authorities opted not to charge the Catholic activist. He faced up to 11 years in prison.
Minnesota Votes To Enshrine Abortion Into State Law
Minnesota’s <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/minnesota-compared-to-north-korea-china-for-extreme-abortion-bill-about-to-pass" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Democrat-majority Senate voted</a> to enshrine the right to abortion into state law without limiting the stage of the pregnancy. Senators approved the bill by just a one-vote margin, 34-33. Democratic Governor Tim Walz is expected to sign the measure into law.
Ice Storm Threatens The South
Millions in the South could be left without power by a major ice storm over the coming days, as Americans in Texas, Oklahoma, Arkansas, and Tennessee could face nearly half an inch of ice through Wednesday.
Hero Who Stopped Monterey Park Shooter Honored
This week the city of Alhambra, California, awarded Brandon Tsay — the bystander who disarmed the Monterey Park shooter last weekend— with a medal for courage. Security footage showed the 26-year-old tackled the suspect and wrestled away his firearm after the man had already killed 10 and wounded more earlier in the day.
Utah Bans Sex-Change Surgeries For Minors
Utah banned sex-change surgeries for minors over the weekend after the <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/utah-republicans-pass-ban-on-trans-procedures-for-minors-gov-spencer-cox-not-likely-to-veto" target="_blank" rel="noopener">GOP-led House</a> fast-tracked a bill outlawing gender procedures and other hormone-altering forms of therapy for those under 18. Republican Governor Spencer Cox signed the new law on Saturday. Here’s one advocate testifying in support of the bill:
Novak Djokovic Wins Australian Open, A Year After Being Banned From Country
The Australian Open wrapped up this weekend with Novak Djokovic reclaiming his title at the top of the tennis world after not being allowed to compete last year.
To listen to the audio version of this podcast, <a href="https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/morning-wire/id1576594336" target="_blank" rel="noopener">click here</a>. And for more in-depth discussion of the biggest stories of the day, listen to the latest full episode of Morning Wire every morning.

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Monday Afternoon Update: Pro-Life Father Acquitted After Biden Raid, Utah Bans Sex-Change Surgeries For Minors, Ice Storm Threatens South

General

Mass Shooting

Morning Wire

Novak Djokovic

Podcast

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A Catholic pro-life activist facing 11 years in prison for allegedly violating a federal law prohibiting people from blocking others from entering an abortion clinic was acquitted on Monday following a week-long trial.
Mark Houck leads a nonprofit group that counsels women outside of abortion clinics in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. He was providing sidewalk counseling when, <a href="https://www.justice.gov/usao-edpa/pr/bucks-county-man-indicted-federal-charges-assaulting-reproductive-healthcare-clinic">the Department of Justice says</a>, he assaulted an abortion escort twice “because he was a volunteer reproductive health care clinic escort.”
“Assault is always a serious offense, and under the [Freedom of Access to Clinic Entrances] FACE Act, if the victim is targeted because of their association with a reproductive healthcare clinic, it is a federal crime,” U.S. Attorney Jacqueline Romero said in a DOJ press release. “Our Office and the Department of Justice are committed to prosecuting crimes which threaten the safety and rights of all individuals.”
The FACE Act makes it a federal crime to injure, intimidate, or interfere with anyone due to their status as a provider of reproductive health care.
Houck and his attorneys at the Thomas More Society <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/trial-begins-for-mark-houck-the-catholic-pro-life-activist-bidens-doj-wants-behind-bars">argued</a>, however, that this was &#8220;a political prosecution” meant to “send a message” to pro-life Americans.
“And what’s clear from the Department of Justice at its highest levels, which is directing this case, [is] that they are trying to send a message to pro-life and people of faith: ‘Don’t mess with us,’” Thomas More Society vice president Peter Breen <a href="https://www.foxnews.com/us/pro-life-activist-mark-houck-pleads-not-guilty-federal-charges-fbi-arrest">told</a> Fox News. “They want to intimidate — they want to cause good people like Mark to stop praying and counseling at the abortion clinics of our country. And that’s not going to happen.”
Breen told the outlet that the case was thrown out of state court but revived by the Biden administration nearly a year after the incident. Further, Breen said, some 20 FBI agents raided Houck’s home when they arrested him, treating him &#8220;as if he was a drug lord or a mafia boss.&#8221;
&#8220;If he was truly a danger to the community, they wouldn’t have waited a year to prosecute,&#8221; Breen said. &#8220;Serious questions need to be asked of the attorney general. What was he thinking? Why did they do this obscene show of force against a peaceful pillar of the community?&#8221;
Houck’s lawyers also argued that the DOJ’s claim that the FACE Act protects anyone associated with an abortion clinic is inaccurate.
“The FACE Act was never intended to cover disputes between advocates on the public sidewalks outside of our nation’s abortion clinics,” Breen <a href="https://thomasmoresociety.org/thomas-more-society-attorneys-drop-bombshell-evidence-in-biden-dojs-persecution-of-pro-life-dad/">said</a> in a statement earlier this month. “This new evidence shows clearly that Congress intended to limit the FACE Act to patients and staff working in the clinic, and not to take sides between pro-life and pro-choice counselors and escorts on the sidewalk. The Biden Department of Justice’s prosecution of Mark Houck is pure harassment, meant solely to intimidate our nation’s pro-life sidewalk counselors who provide vital resources to help pregnant women at risk for abortion.”
Houck pleaded not guilty to the charges against him and testified at trial that he and the clinic escort, Bruce Love, had two altercations on the day in question. The first occurred while Houck was counseling two women crossing the street who left Planned Parenthood, Catholic News Agency <a href="https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/253490/mark-houck-trial-jury-deadlocked-will-resume-deliberations-jan-30">reported</a>. Love allegedly chased Houck about 100 feet in an attempt to stop him from counseling the women, Life News <a href="https://www.lifenews.com/2023/01/30/jury-decides-today-whether-mark-houck-goes-to-prison-for-11-years-for-protesting-abortion/">reported</a>. Houck claimed that Love surprised and made contact with him, causing him to ask, “What are you doing?” and reflexively elbow the escort in the hip to move him out of the way. The prosecution argued that Houck elbowed Love unprovoked because of his status as a clinic escort.
After this, Houck said Love left the clinic and stood near Houck’s 12-year-old son while taunting Houck Sr., saying, “You’re hurting women. You don’t care about women.”
Houck said Love also repeatedly disparaged him to his son, who testified on Friday that Love stood about an arm’s length away from him near the clinic.
“I moved away… because I was scared,” the younger Houck testified, adding that Love told him, “Your dad’s a bad person. Your dad’s harassing women.”
It was after Houck repeatedly told Love to stop harassing his son that Houck said he pushed Love away.
The jury deadlocked on Friday after two-and-a-half hours of deliberation, telling U.S. District Judge Gerald Pappert that they didn’t think they could come to a conclusion given more time. Pappert sent the jury home but instructed them to return Monday morning and continue deliberations anyway.
On Monday, the jury acquitted Houck. Following the verdict, Breen released a statement condemning the Biden administration for pursuing his client.
“We are, of course, thrilled with the outcome,” Breen said. “Mark and his family are now free of the cloud that the Biden administration threw upon them. We took on Goliath &#8211; the full might of the United States government &#8211; and won. The jury saw through and rejected the prosecution&#8217;s discriminatory case, which was harassment from day one. This is a win for Mark and the entire pro-life movement. The Biden Department of Justice&#8217;s intimidation against pro-life people and people of faith has been put in its place.”

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Pro-Life Father Acquitted Of Federal Charges, Attorney Rips Biden Admin ‘Intimidation’

Mark Houck, Catholic Pro-Life Activist Facing 11 Years In Prison, Acquitted At Trial

On Tuesday, the Department of Justice <a href="https://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/two-defendants-indicted-civil-rights-conspiracy-and-face-act-offenses-targeting-pregnancy-0" target="_blank" rel="noopener">announced</a> charges for two people over the vandalization of <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/pro-life" target="_blank" rel="noopener">pregnancy centers</a> in Florida.
A federal grand jury indicted the two residents of Florida for the act of spray-painting threatening phrases on the resource centers that assist men and women who may be facing unplanned pregnancies.
The charge alleges that the two defendants, Caleb Freestone and Amber Smith-Stewart, took part in a conspiracy to prohibit the pregnancy center workers from offering help to men and women at the centers, the Department of Justice explained in a release on Tuesday. Included in the conspiracy, the department noted that the indictment stated the two individuals went after pregnancy centers and vandalized them with threatening messages in spray paint.
The defendants, along with others, allegedly spray-painted aggressive statements, such as, “If abortions aren’t safe than niether [sic] are you,” “WE’RE COMING for U,” “YOUR TIME IS UP!!” and “We are everywhere.”
The messages were written on a center in Winter Haven, Florida, and they allegedly went after other pregnancy centers that are located in Hollywood, Florida, and Hialeah, Florida.
Freestone and Smith-Stewart are accused of breaking the Freedom of Access to Clinic Entrances Act (<a href="https://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/text/18/248" target="_blank" rel="noopener">FACE</a> Act) for two reasons — why they went after the workers and why they caused harm to the site.
The law does not allow individuals to keep people from “obtaining or providing reproductive health services” or go after someone because they have been doing so. They also cannot “intentionally [damage] or [destroy] the property of a facility … because such facility provides reproductive health services&#8230;”
They each could spend up to 12 years in jail, with three years of supervised release and penalties that could reach up to $350,000.
One of the pregnancy centers attacked is operated by the Archdiocese of Miami.
“I applaud our police and justice system for taking very seriously these instances of domestic terrorism against pro-life facilities. Hate crimes of this sort should not be tolerated,&#8221; Miami Archbishop Thomas Wenski <a href="https://www.ncregister.com/news/2-suspects-indicted-in-2022-attacks-on-florida-pro-life-pregnancy-centers" target="_blank" rel="noopener">told</a> the National Catholic Register through a spokesperson on Wednesday.
A Facebook page that seemed to belong to Smith-Stewart reportedly reveals that she is connected with Antifa, according to <a href="https://www.nationalreview.com/news/two-florida-residents-indicted-on-federal-charges-in-connection-with-pregnancy-resource-center-attacks/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">National Review</a>. The cover photo for the account is Antifa’s flag and the profile picture included an Antifa sticker with the phrase, “Fight all governments there’s no authority but yourself,” and an additional sticker that said, “make racists afraid again.” Smith-Stewart also posted a photo on Facebook of someone <a href="https://www.facebook.com/permalink.php?story_fbid=pfbid0qMc4Ucf7Aeo7ho5gWm6Y1MT4YPVB1yFdvHmkdeTDTEopeqBvUE43RxzMc1expuVyl&amp;id=100068594037275" target="_blank" rel="noopener">burning</a> an American flag in August of 2021.
Since May of 2022, there have been almost 60 <a href="https://public.flourish.studio/visualisation/10300712/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">attacks</a> on pro-life pregnancy facilities across the country, according to <a href="https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/253464/two-florida-residents-indicted-for-vandalizing-pro-life-pregnancy-centers" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Catholic News Agency</a>&#8216;s data. As of October of last year, Fox News <a href="https://www.foxnews.com/politics/100-pro-life-orgs-churches-attacked-dobbs-leak" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reported</a> that more than 100 pro-life groups, pregnancy centers, and churches had withstood attacks.

“Woman pregnant belly with little teddy toy bear.”

Alleged Vandals Indicted Over Attacking Pregnancy Centers In Florida

Crime

Department of Justice

Florida

Republican South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem and Attorney General Marty Jackley sent a letter to pharmacists in their state warning that they will be subject to felony prosecution if they dispense abortion pills in their state.
The joint letter was sent on Tuesday following changes by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) stating that it will certify retail pharmacies to prescribe popular medications used in chemical abortions.
“Chemical abortions remain illegal in South Dakota. Under South Dakota law, pharmacies, including chain drug stores, are prohibited from procuring and dispensing abortion-inducing drugs with the intent to induce an abortion, and are subject to felony prosecution under South Dakota law, despite the recent FDA ruling,&#8221; the letter <a href="https://governor.sd.gov/doc/GovNoem_AGJackley_Letter-to-Pharmacists.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">stated</a>. &#8220;Their resources should be focused on helping mothers and their babies, both before birth and after.&#8221;
After the Supreme Court&#8217;s Dobbs decision in June 2022 to return abortion laws to individual states, South Dakota&#8217;s 2005 trigger law went into effect that made abortions illegal in the state except to save the life of the mother, <a href="https://news.sd.gov/news?id=news_kb_article_view&amp;sys_id=8d8bf9121b602510b04d4262f54bcb40" target="_blank" rel="noopener">according to</a> a statement from Noem&#8217;s office.
Noem announced a new website, <a href="https://life.sd.gov/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Life.SD.gov</a>, last year to promote &#8220;helping mothers and babies before and after birth&#8221; as part of the state&#8217;s pro-life focus.
“All abortions, whether surgically or chemically induced, terminate the life of a living human being,&#8221; Noem and Jackley added in the letter. &#8220;South Dakota will continue to enforce all laws including those that respect and protect the lives of the unborn. We trust pharmacists doing business in this state will take the same approach to respecting life.”
At least two other states, Florida and Alabama, have offered similar warnings to pharmacists in their states.
The Florida Agency for Healthcare Administration <a href="https://www.cbsnews.com/miami/news/florida-agency-for-healthcare-administration-warns-pharmacies-to-not-give-out-abortion-pills/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">sent</a> a letter following the FDA&#8217;s change warning pharmacies against dispensing abortion pills, citing state law that &#8220;no termination shall be performed at any time except by a licensed physician.&#8221;
In Alabama, Attorney General Steve Marshall even noted that women could be prosecuted for using abortion pills, despite the state’s law only criminalizing abortion providers and preventing prosecution against women who have abortions.
“The Human Life Protection Act targets abortion providers, exempting women ‘upon whom an abortion is performed or attempted to be performed’ from liability under the law,” Marshall said in a <a href="https://www.al.com/news/2023/01/women-can-be-prosecuted-for-taking-abortion-pills-says-alabama-attorney-general.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">statement</a> to AL.com. “It does not provide an across-the-board exemption from all criminal laws, including the chemical-endangerment law—which the Alabama Supreme Court has affirmed and reaffirmed protects unborn children.”
The FDA&#8217;s policy update earlier this month was followed by President Joe Biden issuing a presidential memorandum on Sunday to protect access to abortion pills to mark 50 years since the Supreme Court’s Roe v. Wade decision.
&#8220;My Administration remains committed to supporting safe access to mifepristone, consistent with applicable law, and defending women’s fundamental freedoms,&#8221; Biden <a href="https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/presidential-actions/2023/01/22/memorandum-on-further-efforts-to-protect-access-to-reproductive-healthcare-services/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a> in the Sunday memorandum. &#8220;Defending and protecting reproductive rights is essential to our Nation’s health, safety, and progress. It is the policy of my Administration to protect against threats to the liberty and autonomy of those who live in this country.&#8221;
The FDA change on abortion pill access led to a group of 22 attorneys general sending a letter to FDA Commissioner Dr. Robert Califf asking the agency to reverse its decision. The letter, led by Alabama Attorney General Steve Marshall, argued that the distribution of abortion-inducing drugs poses a danger to women’s health.
“The Food and Drug Administration’s decision to abandon commonsense restrictions on remotely prescribing and administering abortion-inducing drugs is both illegal and dangerous,” the <a href="https://www.scribd.com/document/619779306/Letter-From-Alabama-Attorney-General-Steve-Marshall-to-FDA-about-abortion-pill-rule-change#" target="_blank" rel="noopener">letter</a> read. “In direct contravention of longstanding FDA practice and congressional mandate, the FDA’s rollback of important safety restrictions ignores both women’s health and straightforward federal statutes. We urge you to reverse your decision.”

Kristi Noem

‘Subject To Felony Prosecution’: Gov. Kristi Noem Warns South Dakota Pharmacists Against Dispensing Abortion Pills

Gov. Kristi Noem Warns South Dakota Pharmacists Against Dispensing Abortion Pills

South Dakota

The trial for <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/fbi-swat-team-conducts-early-morning-raid-arrests-pro-life-activist-at-pennsylvania-home-report" target="_blank" rel="noopener">pro-life activist</a> and <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/catholicism" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Catholic</a> father of seven Mark Houck started Tuesday before U.S. District Judge Gerald J. Pappert in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania.
The <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/doj" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Department of Justice</a> is targeting Houck, who leads a nonprofit group that provides sidewalk counseling at abortion clinics in Philadelphia, over an incident from 2021 involving his then-12-year-old son at a Planned Parenthood abortion facility. The family says Houck, who&#8217;s been charged with violating the federal Freedom of Access to Clinic Entrances (FACE) Act, was defending his son from a harassing pro-abortion activist. Houck is facing 11 years behind bars and $350,000 in fines if convicted.
“This is a political prosecution,” <a href="https://www.foxnews.com/us/pro-life-activist-mark-houck-pleads-not-guilty-federal-charges-fbi-arrest" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a> one of Houck&#8217;s attorneys, Peter Breen, Thomas More Society vice president. Breen added his client is innocent and the Biden DOJ moved against Houck to “send a message” to pro-life Americans.
“And what’s clear from the Department of Justice at its highest levels, which is directing this case, [is] that they are trying to send a message to pro-life and people of faith: ‘Don’t mess with us,&#8217;” he said. “They want to intimidate — they want to cause good people like Mark to stop praying and counseling at the abortion clinics of our country. And that’s not going to happen.”
“What in the world would possess the Department of Justice to send 20 or so heavily armed agents to this family’s home, violate the sanctity of that home, frighten the children and then drag their father away instead of allowing us to present him peacefully, which we had offered to do?” Breen questioned.
The DOJ in a press release last year <a href="https://www.justice.gov/usao-edpa/pr/bucks-county-man-indicted-federal-charges-assaulting-reproductive-healthcare-clinic" target="_blank" rel="noopener">claimed</a> Houck assaulted the abortion escort on two occasions on October 13, 2021, &#8220;because he was a volunteer reproductive health care clinic escort.&#8221;
“Assault is always a serious offense, and under the FACE Act, if the victim is targeted because of their association with a reproductive healthcare clinic, it is a federal crime,” U.S. Attorney Jacqueline Romero said in the release. “Our Office and the Department of Justice are committed to prosecuting crimes which threaten the safety and rights of all individuals.”
Lawyers for Mark Houck during pre-trial last week said they produced evidence proving that when Congress passed the FACE Act &#8220;it expressly intended to exclude so-called &#8216;escorts&#8217; operating outside of abortion facilities from being encompassed by the FACE Act.&#8221;
“The FACE Act was never intended to cover disputes between advocates on the public sidewalks outside of our nation’s abortion clinics,” Breen <a href="https://thomasmoresociety.org/thomas-more-society-attorneys-drop-bombshell-evidence-in-biden-dojs-persecution-of-pro-life-dad/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a>. “This new evidence shows clearly that Congress intended to limit the FACE Act to patients and staff working in the clinic, and not to take sides between pro-life and pro-choice counselors and escorts on the sidewalk. The Biden Department of Justice’s prosecution of Mark Houck is pure harassment, meant solely to intimidate our nation’s pro-life sidewalk counselors who provide vital resources to help pregnant women at risk for abortion.”
Related: <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/political-prosecution-pro-life-activist-mark-houck-fights-back-pleads-not-guilty-to-federal-charges-after-controversial-arrest" target="_blank" rel="noopener">‘Political Prosecution’: Pro-Life Activist Mark Houck Fights Back, Pleads Not Guilty To Federal Charges After Controversial Arrest</a>

Mark Houck, Merrick Garland

Trial Begins For Mark Houck, The Catholic Pro-Life Activist Biden’s DOJ Wants Behind Bars

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President Joe Biden will issue a presidential memorandum on Sunday to protect access to abortion pills to mark 50 years since the Supreme Court&#8217;s Roe v. Wade decision.
Vice President Kamala Harris announced the memorandum during remarks on Sunday in Florida, according to the White House.
&#8220;President Biden has emphasized the need to protect access to mifepristone, a drug used in medication abortion that has been approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for over 20 years and accounts for the majority of all abortions in the United States,&#8221; a <a href="https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/statements-releases/2023/01/22/fact-sheet-president-biden-to-sign-presidential-memorandum-on-ensuring-safe-access-to-medication-abortion/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Fact Sheet</a> from the White House states.
The FDA made a policy update earlier this month to allow retail pharmacies to become certified to distribute abortion medications, including by telehealth. The Biden administration is pushing back on efforts by some states that have attempted to discourage pharmacies from becoming certified by the FDA.
&#8220;The Presidential Memorandum directs the Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS), in consultation with the Attorney General and the Secretary of Homeland Security (DHS), to consider new guidance to support patients, providers, and pharmacies who wish to legally access, prescribe, or provide mifepristone—no matter where they live,&#8221; the Fact Sheet explained.
The Secretary of Health and Human Services will reportedly collaborate with the Attorney General and the Secretary of the Department of Homeland Security &#8220;to consider new actions to ensure that patients can access legal reproductive care, including medication abortion from a pharmacy, free from threats or violence.&#8221;
In addition to the memorandum, President Joe Biden released a statement on Sunday to mark the anniversary of the 50th anniversary of the Roe v. Wade decision.
&#8220;Today, instead of commemorating the 50th anniversary of the Supreme Court’s decision in Roe v. Wade, we are acknowledging that last year, the Supreme Court took away a constitutional right from the American people,&#8221; Biden said in the <a href="https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/statements-releases/2023/01/22/statement-from-president-joe-biden-on-the-50th-anniversary-of-the-roe-v-wade-decision/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">statement</a>.
&#8220;Republicans in Congress and across the country continue to push for a national abortion ban, to criminalize doctors and nurses, and to make contraception harder to access. It’s dangerous, extreme, and out of touch,&#8221; he added.
The efforts come following a landmark year for the pro-life movement that saw Roe v. Wade overturned and abortion laws returned to individual states in June. Numerous states have since added additional abortion limitations, including some like Oklahoma with <a href="https://www.oag.ok.gov/articles/attorney-general-o%E2%80%99connor-releases-guidance-law-enforcement-after-newest-abortion-law-takes#:~:text=%C2%A7%201%2D731.4).,in%20performing%20abortions%20in%20Oklahoma." target="_blank" rel="noopener">near-total abortion bans</a>.
Since the FDA&#8217;s policy change, a group of 22 attorneys general sent a letter to FDA Commissioner Dr. Robert Califf asking the agency to reverse its decision to certify retail pharmacies to dispense abortion pills.
“The Food and Drug Administration’s decision to abandon commonsense restrictions on remotely prescribing and administering abortion-inducing drugs is both illegal and dangerous,” the <a href="https://www.scribd.com/document/619779306/Letter-From-Alabama-Attorney-General-Steve-Marshall-to-FDA-about-abortion-pill-rule-change#" target="_blank" rel="noopener">letter</a> read. “In direct contravention of longstanding FDA practice and congressional mandate, the FDA’s rollback of important safety restrictions ignores both women’s health and straightforward federal statutes. We urge you to reverse your decision.”

Biden To Sign Memorandum To Ensure Access To Abortion Pills

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A <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/united-nations-call-on-russia-to-pay-ukraine-war-reparations/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">United Nations</a> women&#8217;s rights committee rejected a pro-life organization&#8217;s request to screen The Daily Wire&#8217;s &#8220;<a href="https://www.dailywire.com/videos/what-is-a-woman" target="_blank" rel="noopener">What is a Woman?</a>” after declaring the groundbreaking documentary did not align with the panel&#8217;s &#8220;values.&#8221; 
The Committee on the Status of Women, New York, referred to within the global body as NGO CSW/NY, and a convener for the United Nations&#8217; annual meeting on women&#8217;s rights, rejected the International Youth Coalition&#8217;s request to hold a screening of the film starring Matt Walsh at an upcoming conference because it did not adhere to their new guidelines. 
“Unfortunately, your request to host an event has been denied as your event does not align with NGO CSW/NY’s values and/or mandate,” read the letter turning down the proposal.
The summary rejection stunned Austin Ruse, president of the Center for Family and Human Rights (C-Fam), the youth coalition&#8217;s parent organization.
&#8220;How ironic is it that a conference on women does not want to consider the question, &#8216;what is a woman?'&#8221; Ruse said. &#8220;It is also unfortunate that this UN conference is not interested in diverse voices.&#8221;
The NGO Committee of the UN Commission on the Status of Women issued new &#8220;<a href="https://ngocsw.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/Virtual-Safety-Guidelines-and-Principles.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">safety guidelines and principles</a>&#8221; that pro-life and pro-family groups are <a href="https://c-fam.org/friday_fax/un-committee-moves-to-block-pro-lifers/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">concerned</a> will have the effect of blocking their participation in UN conferences. 
&#8220;In past years, many pro-life and family organizations, including C-Fam, have hosted events, but are now unwelcomed with the new guidelines,&#8221; <a href="https://c-fam.org/friday_fax/un-committee-rejects-matt-walsh-documentary-on-women/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">wrote</a> Craig-Austin Rose of C-Fam.
The new guidelines state that participants must acknowledge that &#8220;sexism, racism, classism, heterosexism, transphobia, global North domination and other institutionalized forms of oppression exist.&#8221;
&#8220;This is an antiracist space meaning that we welcome, value and revere an intersectional approach to feminism,&#8221; the guidelines read. 
&#8220;An anti-racist space requires that all of us need to consider our positionality and work actively not to replicate white patriarchal structures including subjugating voices of Black women and women of color,&#8221; the guidelines continue.
In response to the new guidelines, C-Fam organized a petition that included signatures from 600 organizations in 119 countries that urged UN Women to allow pro-life and pro-family representation. 
&#8220;The NGO Committee on the Status of Women is blocking non-governmental organizations that do not subscribe to progressive Western views about the family and women’s issues from participating in the NGO/CSW Forum, including many organizations with ECOSOC status,&#8221; the petition <a href="https://c-fam.org/wp-content/uploads/UN-Women-Letter-Final-011723.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">states</a>. &#8220;We appeal to you to ensure that organizations that hold traditional views about the family and women’s issues are not discriminated against in UN debates.&#8221;
The 67th annual NGO CSW/NY Forum is set to take place March 6-17, 2023, at the United Nations Plaza in New York.

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UN Committee Rejects Screening Of Daily Wire’s ‘What Is A Woman?’ At Upcoming Women’s Event

UN Committee Rejects Screening Of Daily Wire's 'What Is A Woman?' At Upcoming Women's Event

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What Is A Woman

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The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) is offering a $25,000 reward for information about those responsible for a series of attacks on pro-life pregnancy centers nationwide.
FBI Director Christopher Wray shared the information in a news release that focuses on finding the people responsible for the crimes as potential acts of domestic violent extremism, Freedom of Access to Clinic Entrances Act (FACE Act) violations, or violent crime matters.
“Today’s announcement reflects the FBI’s commitment to vigorously pursue investigations into crimes against pregnancy resource centers, faith-based organizations, and reproductive health clinics across the country,” FBI director Christopher Wray said in a <a href="https://www.fbi.gov/news/press-releases/fbi-offering-25000-rewards-for-information-in-series-of-attacks-against-reproductive-health-service-facilities" target="_blank" rel="noopener" data-testid="standard-link">statement</a>.
“We will continue to work closely with our national, state, and local law enforcement partners to hold responsible anyone who uses extremist views to justify their criminal actions,” he added.
The reward focuses on attacks at pregnancy centers that have occurred since March 2022 in eight states.
CatholicVote, a non-profit pro-life organization, has tracked at least <a href="https://catholicvote.org/pregnancy-center-attack-tracker/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">78 attacks</a> on pregnancy care centers and offices since a draft of the Supreme Court&#8217;s decision to overturn Roe v. Wade was leaked in May.
Michigan has been the location of the most attacks tracked by the group, with eight, followed by Oregon and California, each with six attacks, and New York, Minnesota, and Washington each experienced five attacks.
In September, Mother and Unborn Baby Care pregnancy center in Southfield, Michigan, was <a href="https://www.detroitcatholic.com/news/pregnancy-resource-center-in-southfield-vandalized-with-pro-abortion-threats" target="_blank" rel="noopener">vandalized</a> with messages in red spray paint with broken windows.
&#8220;If abortions aren&#8217;t safe, neither are you. Jane,&#8221; the writing read.
On January 3, pro-life group CompassCare announced that it was launching its own private investigation into vandalism on its location in June, claiming that the FBI was not doing enough to stop targeted violence against pro-life pregnancy centers.
“If the FBI is interested in quelling the nationwide hate crimes against Christian pro-life organizations, they would offer a reward for information leading to the arrests of all 78 attacks, not just for the pro-abortion terrorists who firebombed our facility,&#8221; CompassCare CEO, Rev. Jim Harden, said in a <a href="https://www.compasscarecommunity.com/2023/01/pro-life-strategist-predicts-increased-attacks-in-2023/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">statement</a>.
&#8220;It is a sad day when private citizens are left to do the work of law enforcement. If the FBI is being used for political purposes, all investigative efforts should turn on them. The organization should be defunded and those involved indicted for conspiracy to deprive pro-life citizens of their rights,&#8221; he added.
One activist group, Jane’s Revenge, has claimed responsibility for many attacks. The group <a href="https://madison.com/news/local/crime-and-courts/group-claims-responsibility-for-attack-on-anti-abortion-organization-in-madison-warns-of-more-violence/article_c56741e2-05fe-551f-ada9-078bf58db076.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a> they are at &#8220;war&#8221; with pro-life groups. Several vandalism attacks at pro-life locations have included graffiti reading &#8220;Jane was here&#8221; or similar messages.
Another group called Ruth Sent Us organized groups of protesters outside the homes of conservative Supreme Court justices. Twitter <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/twitter-suspends-group-that-published-supreme-court-justice-addresses" target="_blank" rel="noopener">deleted</a> the group&#8217;s account after it made the location of some justices&#8217; homes public.
The group shared a map on its website listing the street names where Justices Amy Coney Barrett, John Roberts, Samuel Alito, Brett Kavanaugh, Clarence Thomas, and Neil Gorsuch live. Google <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/map-doxing-conservative-justices-violates-googles-terms-of-service-platform-says">removed the map</a> in early May, saying they found it to be in “violation of our personal and confidential information policy.”

Christopher Wray

FBI Offers $25K Reward For Information On Pro-Life Pregnancy Center Attacks

New York City Mayor <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/eric-adams" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Eric Adams</a> said Tuesday that four city-run health clinics would offer free abortion pills as early as tomorrow in an outlined so-called agenda for &#8220;women&#8217;s health&#8221; across the five boroughs.
&#8220;For too long, health and health care has been centered around men,&#8221; Adams said in a <a href="https://www.nyc.gov/office-of-the-mayor/news/037-23/mayor-adams-commits-making-new-york-city-future-women-s-health#/0" target="_blank" rel="noopener">news release</a>. “If men had periods, pap smears and menopause, they would get a paid vacation. And if men could get pregnant, we wouldn&#8217;t see Congress trying to pass laws restricting abortion.&#8221;
Adams, who said the city would become the model for women&#8217;s health care, detailed in the plan that the clinics dispensing the controversial pill would join public hospitals citywide that already offer medication abortion.
The four sites combined could give away up to 10,000 abortion pills annually designed for women to dodge insurance issues and bills that they could otherwise face in hospitals.
The mayor&#8217;s announcement comes just 24 hours after nearly two dozen attorneys general sent a <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/22-attorneys-general-urge-fda-to-reverse-abortion-pill-decision" target="_blank" rel="noopener">letter</a> to Federal Drug Administration (FDA) Commissioner Dr. Robert Califf urging the agency to reverse its decision to certify retail pharmacies to dispense abortion pills.
The letter argues that the distribution of abortion-inducing drugs threatens women&#8217;s health.
&#8220;The Food and Drug Administration&#8217;s decision to abandon commonsense restrictions on remotely prescribing and administering abortion-inducing drugs is both illegal and dangerous,&#8221; the letter read. &#8220;In direct contravention of longstanding FDA practice and congressional mandate, the FDA&#8217;s rollback of important safety restrictions ignores both women&#8217;s health and straightforward federal statutes.&#8221;
Such medications used to induce abortions, Mifeprex and its generic Mifepristone Tablets, are approved by the FDA for up to 10 weeks gestation, as a woman&#8217;s health risk reportedly increases after that time.
When FDA officials first approved mifepristone in 2000, the federal agency admitted that the drug could pose &#8220;serious risks for women, including infection and bleeding,&#8221; the letter pointed out.
Officials later instituted several restrictions in 2007 as part of a Risk Evaluation Mitigation Strategy.
In November, four national medical associations and doctors filed a lawsuit against the federal government for illegally approving chemical abortion drugs that &#8220;harm&#8221; females.
The Alliance Defending Freedom, which is representing the case, accused FDA officials of &#8220;illegally&#8221; prioritizing abortion politics over science when it pushed for the legalization of the chemical abortion drugs mifepristone and misoprostol in 2000.
The organization alleges the FDA could only authorize the drugs by characterizing pregnancy as an &#8220;illness&#8221; and arguing that these drugs provide a &#8220;meaningful therapeutic benefit.&#8221;
Lawyers further allege the federal agency never studied the drug&#8217;s safety and the potential impacts it could have on blocking hormone development in adolescent female bodies.
&#8220;Pregnancy is not an illness, and chemical abortion drugs don&#8217;t provide a therapeutic benefit—they end a baby&#8217;s life and they pose serious and life-threatening complications to the mother,&#8221; Julie Marie Blake, senior counsel of the organization, said in a <a href="https://adflegal.org/press-release/doctors-health-care-groups-sue-fda-approving-dangerous-chemical-abortion-drugs" target="_blank" rel="noopener">news release</a>. &#8220;The FDA never had the authority to approve these dangerous drugs for sale. We urge the court to listen to the doctors we represent who are seeking to protect girls and women from the documented dangers of chemical abortion drugs.&#8221;
Lawyers for the Biden administration told a federal judge Tuesday that the public would be harmed if the abortion pills were made unavailable.
&#8220;The public interest would be dramatically harmed by effectively withdrawing from the marketplace a safe and effective drug that has lawfully been on the market for twenty-two years,&#8221; the filing by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to U.S. District Judge Matthew Kacsmaryk said, Fox News <a href="https://www.foxnews.com/health/biden-fda-warns-judge-reversing-abortion-drugs-approval" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reported</a>.
Since the historic overturning of the 1973 Roe v. Wade ruling last summer by the Supreme Court, medication abortions have been sought after as an alternative abortion method.
According to the <a href="https://www.guttmacher.org/article/2022/02/medication-abortion-now-accounts-more-half-all-us-abortions" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Guttmacher Institute</a>, more than half of all “facility-based abortions” in the U.S. every year have been due to such drugs.

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New York City-Run Clinics To Offer Free Abortion Pills Amid Lawsuit Against ‘Dangerous’ FDA Approved Drugs

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New York City

A group of 22 attorneys general sent a letter to Federal Drug Administration (FDA) Commissioner Dr. Robert Califf asking the agency to reverse its decision to certify retail pharmacies to dispense abortion pills.
The Friday letter, led by Alabama Attorney General Steve Marshall, argued that the distribution of abortion-inducing drugs poses a danger to women&#8217;s health.
“The Food and Drug Administration’s decision to abandon commonsense restrictions on remotely prescribing and administering abortion-inducing drugs is both illegal and dangerous,” the <a href="https://www.scribd.com/document/619779306/Letter-From-Alabama-Attorney-General-Steve-Marshall-to-FDA-about-abortion-pill-rule-change#" target="_blank" rel="noopener">letter</a> read. “In direct contravention of longstanding FDA practice and congressional mandate, the FDA’s rollback of important safety restrictions ignores both women’s health and straightforward federal statutes. We urge you to reverse your decision.”
The letter&#8217;s signers also argued that the FDA&#8217;s decision would not stop them from enforcing state laws against administering abortion pills.
“Though the FDA has abdicated its responsibility to protect women’s health, we have not. To be crystal clear, you have not negated any of our laws that forbid the remote prescription, administration, and use of abortion-inducing drugs,&#8221; the attorneys general wrote.
In addition to Alabama, the other states represented in the letter included Alaska, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Idaho, Indiana, Iowa, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, Ohio, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, West Virginia, and Wyoming.
Last week, The Daily Wire <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/alabama-women-can-be-prosecuted-for-taking-abortion-pills-ag-says" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reported</a> on Marshall&#8217;s comments that women could be prosecuted for taking abortion pills in Alabama. Marshall made the remarks despite the state’s Human Life Protection Act which criminalizes abortion providers and prevents prosecution against women who have abortions.
“The Human Life Protection Act targets abortion providers, exempting women ‘upon whom an abortion is performed or attempted to be performed’ from liability under the law,” Marshall said in a <a href="https://www.al.com/news/2023/01/women-can-be-prosecuted-for-taking-abortion-pills-says-alabama-attorney-general.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">statement</a> to AL.com. “It does not provide an across-the-board exemption from all criminal laws, including the chemical-endangerment law—which the Alabama Supreme Court has affirmed and reaffirmed protects unborn children.”
The reactions from Marshall and other state leaders came after a recent <a href="https://www.fda.gov/drugs/postmarket-drug-safety-information-patients-and-providers/information-about-mifepristone-medical-termination-pregnancy-through-ten-weeks-gestation" target="_blank" rel="noopener">update</a> by the FDA stating that major pharmacy chains would be allowed to provide two medications, mifepristone and misoprostol, prescribed for medical abortions. CVS and Walgreens, the nation’s two largest pharmacy franchises, have since noted plans to participate in the new program from the FDA.
The change from the FDA will encounter problems in at least <a href="https://www.guttmacher.org/state-policy/explore/medication-abortion" target="_blank" rel="noopener">18 states</a> that require a medical professional providing a medication abortion to be physically present when the drug is administered. The laws effectively prohibit telemedicine from prescribing medication for abortion.
The medications used to induce abortions, Mifeprex and its generic Mifepristone Tablets, are approved by the FDA for up to 10 weeks gestation, as a woman&#8217;s health risk reportedly increases after that time.
&#8220;Though there are risks to a woman of using these drugs at any point in pregnancy, abortion-inducing drugs are riskiest when used later in pregnancy. This means that accurately determining the date of pregnancy is critical for women’s safety,&#8221; Marhsall&#8217;s letter from the attorneys general stated.

Steve Marshall

22 Attorneys General Urge FDA To Reverse Abortion Pill Decision

Children's Health

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has announced that retail pharmacies like CVS and Walgreens can now provide abortion pills.
The abortion drug Mifepristone was previously only available through doctors, clinics, or some mail-order pharmacies. The new rule change from the FDA will allow any pharmacy abiding by its guidelines to fill prescription orders in stores and by mail.
&#8220;Mifeprex and its generic Mifepristone Tablets, 200 mg, are available under a single, shared system risk evaluation and mitigation strategy (REMS), known as the Mifepristone REMS Program, which sets forth the requirements that must be followed for mifepristone for medical termination of pregnancy through ten weeks gestation,&#8221; the FDA shared in a Tuesday <a href="https://www.fda.gov/drugs/postmarket-drug-safety-information-patients-and-providers/information-about-mifepristone-medical-termination-pregnancy-through-ten-weeks-gestation" target="_blank" rel="noopener">update</a>.
The FDA recommended against the purchase of Mifepristone online without a prescription.
&#8220;The FDA does not have regulatory oversight of prescription medicines from outside the legitimate U.S. drug supply chain; therefore, the FDA cannot ensure the safety, effectiveness, or quality of those medications,&#8221; the guidance noted.
<a href="https://www.guttmacher.org/article/2022/02/medication-abortion-now-accounts-more-half-all-us-abortions" target="_blank" rel="noopener">According</a> to the Guttmacher Institute, medication abortion accounted for 54% of U.S. abortions in 2020. That percentage is likely to increase as retail pharmacies provide abortion pills.
The new FDA update comes following a year of significant changes to abortion policies. In June, the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade and returned abortion laws to individual states.
Thirteen states had trigger laws that further limited abortion following the court&#8217;s decision. Several additional states passed legislation after the ruling to tighten abortion restrictions.
Court battles have since ensued, with some new abortion limitations placed on hold until cases are held.
Some states, such as Mississippi, have already ruled against abortion pills. Mississippi Republican Gov. Tate Reeves said in July that doctors in his state would lose their medical licenses for prescribing abortion pills.
“If a physician is practicing medicine in the state of Mississippi, they have to have a license to do so and if abortion is illegal in our state, which it is, then those medicines will not be allowed and they will not have a license to practice in our state,” Reeves <a href="https://video.foxnews.com/v/6309044908112?intcmp=tw_fnc" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a> in July.
“Any physician that is practicing, whether it’s through telemedicine or otherwise… that practices in our state is practicing not only based upon the standards of care that we require in our state, but also based upon state law,” he added.
South Dakota Republican Governor Kristi Noem also signed a <a href="https://sdlegislature.gov/Session/Bill/23247" target="_blank" rel="noopener">bill</a> in March to ban telemedicine abortion.
“With this bill, we will protect both unborn babies and their mothers from this dangerous procedure,” Noem <a href="https://twitter.com/govkristinoem/status/1499140687715094531?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw" target="_blank" rel="noopener">wrote</a>.
Eighteen states currently &#8220;require the clinician providing a medication abortion to be physically present when the medication is administered, thereby prohibiting the use of telemedicine to prescribe medication for abortion,&#8221; the Guttmacher Institute <a href="https://www.guttmacher.org/state-policy/explore/medication-abortion" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reported</a>.
Texas has a ban on medication abortion at seven weeks, while Indiana has a 10-week ban.

Abortion drug pills and drinking water – stock photo

FDA Says Abortion Pills Can Now Be Offered At Retail Pharmacies

Roe v. Wade's Long And Brutal Legacy

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