California doctor is first to face private lawsuit under Texas abortion drug ban

By Daniel Wiessner

Feb 2 (Reuters) - A Texas man has accused a California doctor of prescribing abortion pills to his partner in violation of state law, in what appears to be the first test of a Texas law that took effect in December ​allowing private citizens to sue abortion providers on behalf of the state.

The man, Jerry Rodriguez, filed an amended lawsuit in Galveston, Texas, ‌federal court on Sunday seeking to block the doctor, Remy Coeytaux, from continuing to allegedly mail abortion drugs to patients in Texas.

The case represents another front in a nationwide legal battle ‌over the abortion drug mifepristone, whose use Republican-led states are working to curtail after the U.S. Supreme Court in 2022 opened the door for states to ban abortion. Mifepristone is used in 60% of U.S. abortions.

It could also test California's so-called "shield law" protecting healthcare providers against out-of-state investigations and prosecutions. More than a dozen other Democratic-led states have adopted similar laws.

Coeytaux has been indicted in Louisiana for allegedly prescribing mifepristone to women there. California Governor Gavin Newsom, a Democrat, ⁠said last month that his state would not extradite ‌Coeytaux to Louisiana.

Rodriguez had sued Coeytaux last year for wrongful death of the fetus, claiming his partner had used abortion drugs prescribed by the doctor against his wishes. The amended complaint adds claims under a Texas law that took ‍effect in December known as HB 7, which bans the prescribing, transporting, mailing and delivery of abortion-inducing drugs and allows state residents to sue for violations.

Wrongful death cases against healthcare providers are complex and often difficult to win, requiring proof of negligence or deviation from accepted standards of medical care and that a provider directly caused a ​death. HB 7 only requires proof that a defendant engaged in conduct prohibited by the law.

Rodriguez said he would seek to recover at least $100,000 ‌in penalties from Coeytaux for each established violation of the law.

Rodriguez is represented by Jonathan Mitchell, a former Texas solicitor general who reportedly crafted the state's 2021 law known as SB 8 that prohibits aiding or abetting abortion, including a novel provision allowing private citizens to sue for violations. HB 7's private right of action is based on the 2021 law but allows for up to 10 times the monetary penalties.

Mitchell did not immediately respond to a request for comment on Monday.

Coeytaux is represented by the Center for Reproductive Rights, which said in a statement that the case is the first ⁠under HB 7 by a private litigant.

"Texas officials have already been going after doctors ​outside their borders, and now they've incentivized private citizens to do their bidding," said Nancy Northup, ​the group's president and CEO.

The office of Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton, a Republican, filed a lawsuit last week against a nurse practitioner in Delaware for allegedly violating HB 7.

Paxton's office last year won a $100,000 judgment against a New York doctor ‍accused of prescribing abortion pills in ⁠violation of the 2021 abortion ban, and is now trying to enforce it in New York. Texas is appealing a ruling by a judge that dismissed the case, citing New York's shield law.

The case is Rodriguez v. Coeytaux, U.S. District Court for the Southern District of ⁠Texas, No. 3:25-cv-00225.

For Rodriguez: Jonathan Mitchell

For Coeytaux: The Center for Reproductive Rights

Texas sues Delaware nurse practitioner to test abortion 'shield law'

US abortion pill access under fire: Lawsuits and regulatory battles ‌to watch in 2026

New York law seeks to shield doctors who provide abortion pills by mail

Texas moves to enforce judgment against ‌New York doctor over abortion pills

(Reporting by Daniel Wiessner in Albany, New York)

byNeo

in Celebrity, Lifestyle, Politics, ShowBiz, Sport

February 02, 2026

California doctor is first to face private lawsuit under Texas abortion drug ban

By Daniel Wiessner Feb 2 (Reuters) - A Texas man has accused a California doctor of prescribing abortion pills t...

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USDA to release flies near US-Mexico border to fight screwworm pest

By Tom Polansek

CHICAGO, Feb 2 (Reuters) - The U.S. Department of Agriculture will disperse glow-in-the dark, sterile flies in Mexico, closer to the U.S. border, and in southern Texas, as officials race to keep flesh-eating New World screwworm pests from spreading in Mexico, the agency ​said.

Screwworms are parasitic flies whose females lay eggs in wounds on warm-blooded animals, often livestock. Once the eggs hatch, hundreds of screwworm larvae ‌use their sharp mouths to burrow through living flesh, eventually killing their host if left untreated.

The USDA has halted U.S. imports of Mexican livestock to keep out the pest, worsening a cattle ‌shortage that has pushed beef prices to record highs for consumers.

The agency also produces 100 million sterile flies per week at a facility in Panama and disperses them in Mexico to prevent wild screwworm flies from reproducing. Now, the agency says, it is going to take the same flies further north near the border.

The shift came after the USDA has reported 20 screwworm infestations since December 26 in animals in the Mexican state of Tamaulipas, which borders southern Texas.

"Given that we need to protect ⁠Texas and the U.S., I think it's definitely something ‌that had to be done," Sonja Swiger, an entomologist at Texas A&M University, said on Monday.

MORE STERILE FLIES NEEDED

Experts said the USDA needs well more than 100 million sterile flies per week to eradicate the pest in Mexico. The agency announced ‍last year that it intended to build a production facility in Texas, but that could still be at least a year away from opening. Last month, the agency said it would spend up to $100 million on other projects that aim to boost sterile fly production and help fight screwworm.

For now, the USDA will start releasing sterile flies north of ​where Mexico has reported active cases to attempt to create a "buffer zone" to halt the pest if it continues moving north, according to a statement ‌issued late on Friday. The new dispersal area will include operations about 50 miles into Texas, along the U.S. border with the state of Tamaulipas, according to the USDA.

The northernmost active case in Mexico was about 200 miles away from the U.S. border, and cases have continued to spread in Tamaulipas and further south in Mexico, said Dudley Hoskins, a USDA under secretary.

"Our highest priority is protecting the United States from screwworm," he said in the agency's statement.

GLOWING FLIES

The USDA said it would apply fluorescent dye to sterile flies before they hatch so officials can distinguish them from wild flies that pose a threat. The sterile ⁠flies will glow under ultraviolet light and may also be visible to the naked eye, ​the agency said.

The U.S. decision to direct the release of sterile flies toward the border region ​was consistent with technical proposals Mexico has been making since November 2025, Mexico's government said in a statement.

The U.S. eliminated screwworms in the 20th century by flying planes over hotspots to drop boxes packed with sterile flies.

"They're pretty effective as long as ‍you can outnumber the population," said Max ⁠Scott, an entomology professor at North Carolina State University.

Screwworm can be detected in new areas when livestock are transported from an infested region. However, rising cases in Tamaulipas signal a local population of flies has likely started to establish there, experts said.

Unseasonably cold weather in Texas could temporarily ⁠help prevent the pest's movement, Tyson Foods COO Devin Cole said on an earnings call. The meatpacker's beef business has bled money as tight cattle supplies have raised costs.

"We don't really have ‌anything that would give us any insight as to when the government would open the border," Cole said.

(Reporting by Tom Polansek in ‌Chicago. Additional reporting by Cassandra Garrison in Buenos Aires; Editing by Lincoln Feast.)

byNeo

in Celebrity, Lifestyle, Politics, ShowBiz, Sport

February 02, 2026

USDA to release flies near US-Mexico border to fight screwworm pest

By Tom Polansek CHICAGO, Feb 2 (Reuters) - The U.S. Department of Agriculture will disperse glow-in-the dark, st...

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Costco Recalls Beignets After a Major Labeling Error

If you're a Costco shopper and you have serious food allergies in your household, you'll want to be aware of the warehouse chain's latest recall. One of the store's popular bakery items has had its labels mixed up, which could lead to a dangerous situation,according to a recall letter posted to Costco's recall website. Here's everything you need to know about the recall.

What's Wrong with the Recalled Costco Bakery Items?

Costco just brought back its mini beignets in the bakery, and they've been sold with the wrong label.

According to the Costco recall letter, mini beignets that were filled with chocolate hazelnut spread were labeled as being filled with caramel instead. That means the allergen information on the labels was incorrect, which could lead to some people with serious nut allergies consuming the beignets filled with hazelnuts by accident. The mislabeled mini beignets contain tree nuts, a serious allergen that would normally be noted on the packaging.

According to the recall letter sent to Costco members who purchased the product, people with tree nut allergies "run the risk of severe life-threatening allergic reaction if they consume this product."

How Do I Tell if My Beignets Were Recalled?

The recalled Costco beignets are labeled as Mini Beignets Filled with Caramel, which is item #1181272. They were sold between January 16 and 30, 2026, in 22 states:

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• Alabama

• Arizona

• California

• Colorado

• Florida

• Georgia

• Hawaii

• Idaho

• Illinois

• Iowa

• Louisiana

• Michigan

• Missouri

• Nevada

• New Jersey

• New York

• Ohio

• Oregon

• Pennsylvania

• Tennessee

• Virginia

• Washington

If you purchased the recalled mini beignets, you probably have already gotten a letter from Costco. Some members are also reporting on Reddit that they have received a call from Costco alerting them of the recall as well.

"PSA I just received a call from Costco saying these were accidentally made with hazelnuts and that anyone with a nut allergy should not eat them,"explained one Costco member. Many others chimed in with the same experience.

What Should I Do if I Have the Recalled Beignets?

If you have a tree nut allergy and have purchased the recalled Costco Mini Beignets Filled with Caramel, do not eat them.

But because this is a labeling issue and not a problem with the beignets themselves, it should be OK to eat them as long as no one in your household has any allergies to any of the ingredients in the chocolate hazelnut filling. If there is any doubt, do not eat them, and do not give them to anyone else to eat.

Anyone who has purchased the recalled mini beignets can return them to Costco for a full refund.

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• Costco's $4.99 Rotisserie Chicken Is Facing a Lawsuit. Shoppers Are Still 'Team Chicken' — Some members are questioning whether the cheap chicken is as good as Costco has told them it is.

• The Costco Cheeses You Should Always Buy, According to Members — We looked to Reddit for recommendations from fellow Costco fans — and cheese lovers — on which cheeses to pick up for our next charcuterie board or pizza night.

byNeo

in Celebrity, Lifestyle, Politics, ShowBiz, Sport

February 02, 2026

Costco Recalls Beignets After a Major Labeling Error

If you're a Costco shopper and you have serious food allergies in your household, you'll want to be aware of the ...

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FIFA president Gianni Infantino defends awarding Peace Prize to Trump

FIFA president Gianni Infantino has defended his organization's controversial decision toaward Donald Trump its inaugural Peace Prize.

The U.S. president was presented the award at the 2026 World Cup draw in December, just one month after FIFA announced the creation of the prize.

Though he conceded there had been a "strong reaction" to Trump winning the award, Infantino insisted the prize was deserved.

"Whatever we can do to help peace in the world, we should be doing it, and for this reason, for some time we were thinking about (whether) we should do something to reward people who do something," he said in aninterview with Sky News.

The FIFA president, who has a close relationship with Trump, said that "objectively, he deserves it."

Photos show Trump and celebs gather for 2026 World Cup draw

Many speculated the FIFA Peace Prize was invented to placate Trump, who has been publicly fuming over not winning the Nobel Peace Prize since it was awarded in October.

According to The Athletic, FIFA's Council and vice presidents were not "consulted or involved" in the award's creation, as they normally would have been with such an initiative.

The prize has looked even stranger in hindsight afterU.S. troops invaded Venezuela and removed its president Nicolás Maduroand his wife, followed by the fatal shootings of two American citizens last month amid an immigration crackdown in Minneapolis.

Infantino, however, pointed to the actual winner of the Nobel Peace Prize, Venezuelan opposition leader María Corina Machado, to say Trump was deserving.

"It's not just Gianni Infantino who said it ... (there's) a Nobel Peace Prize winner who said this," Infantino said.

"He was instrumental in resolving conflicts and saving lives and saving thousands of lives."

Machadopresented her Nobel Prize to Trumpduring a meeting last month as she continues to seek his endorsement to be Maduro's long-term replacement.

Trump said that Machado giving him the award was "a wonderful gesture of mutual respect," but the Nobel committeereleased a statementthat said it didn't hold any official weight.

"Once a Nobel Prize is announced, it cannot be revoked, shared, or transferred to others," the statement said. "The decision is final and stands for all time."

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY:FIFA's Gianni Infantino defends awarding Peace Prize to Donald Trump

byNeo

in Celebrity, Lifestyle, Politics, ShowBiz, Sport

February 02, 2026

FIFA president Gianni Infantino defends awarding Peace Prize to Trump

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Sean McVay 'absolutely' wants Matthew Stafford back with Rams, but will give QB time to make retirement decision

If Matthew Stafford wants to return to the Los Angeles Rams in 2026, he'll have a job waiting for him. Rams coach Sean McVay confirmed Monday that he "absolutely" wants Stafford back next season, but will give the quarterback some time to decide if he still wants to play football.

McVay expressed as much Monday, saying he wants Stafford back as long as "that's something that he wants to do."

McVay's comments shouldn't come as a major surprise considering Stafford's numbers in 2025. The 37-year-old led the NFL with 4,707 passing yards and 46 touchdowns. He's considered the favorite to take home the MVP award once its announced.

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[Get more Rams news: Los Angeles team feed]

But there's at least some uncertainty over whether Stafford — who is signed with the Rams through the 2026 NFL season — will return for next season. WhileMcVay angrily dismissed the ideaimmediately following the Ram's loss to the Seattle Seahawks in the NFC championship, the quarterback said he wouldtake some time to think things over.

McVay said Monday the team would "respect [Stafford's] timetable." McVay added there was no specific date set for Stafford to make that decision.

The Stafford-McVay pairing has been incredibly successful since the Rams traded for the former Detroit Lions quarterback. Since joining the Rams, Stafford has led the team to the playoffs in four out of five seasons. He won the Super Bowl in his first year with the team back in 2021. Stafford has made two Pro Bowls and was selected to the first-team All-Pro team once with the Rams. He'll likely add an MVP award to his list of accomplishments with the team before long.

Given his success in the NFL, there's not much else Stafford needs to accomplish before he calls it a career. He already ranks sixth all time in passing yards and seventh all time in passing touchdowns. Combine that with his Super Bowl win — and probable MVP award — and Stafford has a pretty strong case for the Hall of Fame if he never plays another down in the NFL.

But walking away from the game right now could prove difficult. Stafford just had the best season of his career and was able to take the Rams on a deep playoff run. The temptation to try and win one more ring might prove too strong, especially with Stafford showing little to no signs of decline in 2025.

byNeo

in Celebrity, Lifestyle, Politics, ShowBiz, Sport

February 02, 2026

Sean McVay 'absolutely' wants Matthew Stafford back with Rams, but will give QB time to make retirement decision

If Matthew Stafford wants to return to the Los Angeles Rams in 2026, he'll have a job waiting for him. Rams coach Sea...

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