Key justice Kennedy wavers as Supreme Court confronts abortionWASHINGTON (Reuters) - A closely divided Supreme Court struggled with its biggest abortion case in years on Wednesday, with pivotal Justice Anthony Kennedy voicing concerns about a restrictive Texas law yet stopping short of signaling he would strike it down. The court’s four liberal justices indicated they believed the law, which imposes strict regulations on abortion doctors and clinic buildings, intrudes on a woman’s constitutional right to end a pregnancy established in a 1973 ruling. Conservative justices including Kennedy expressed doubt during the 85-minute oral argument about claims by abortion providers who asserted that the Republican-backed 2013 law forced numerous clinics to shut down. Kennedy at one point suggested sending the case back to a lower court to get further evidence on the law’s impact, including an assessment of the ability of existing Texas clinics to meet the demand for abortions.  If there is evidence new clinics that meet the state’s regulations have increased capacity to perform abortions, it would show the law has provided a “beneficial effect,” Kennedy said. The outcome appeared to be in the hands of Kennedy, who often casts the deciding vote in close rulings. In past abortion cases, he has backed a fundamental right to abortion while supporting some restrictions. The court was shorthanded with only eight justices following the Feb. 13 death of conservative Antonin Scalia, leaving the liberals and conservatives evenly divided. The best that supporters of the law could hope for would be a 4-4 split that would let stand a lower-court ruling that affirmed the Texas regulations but set no nationwide legal precedent on whether other states could enact similar measures. However, a such ruling leaving the Texas law intact could encourage other states with anti-abortion legislatures to pass similar laws. Kennedy gave little indication he would be willing to uphold the law in full, as his three conservative colleagues would be expected to do. If Kennedy sides with the court’s four liberals, the court could either send the case back to the lower court or strike it down. A ruling is due by the end of June. A decision sending the case to a lower court could mean the dispute might not be resolved for years.  Some justices questioned the lack of evidence on why specific clinics closed after the law was passed, which could be addressed if new legal proceedings take place. Abortion providers assert that the law caused 22 of 41 clinics to close, but the state contests those numbers. “What is the evidence in the record that the closures are related to the legislation?” conservative Chief Justice John Roberts asked. Texas contends the law, passed by a Republican-controlled legislature and signed by a Republican governor, protects women’s health. The abortion providers who have challenged it assert that the regulations are aimed at shutting down their clinics. In a sign that he was not comfortable with aspects of the law, Kennedy sounded concerned about a possible increase in surgical abortions prompted in part by the state’s separate new restrictions on medically induced abortions, in which women take pills to terminate a pregnancy. Kennedy said that “this law has really increased the number of surgical procedures as opposed to medical procedures, and that this may not be medically wise.” Abortion rights advocates say surgical abortions increased because of the delays women seeking an abortion faced as a result of the 2013 law. Liberal Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg questioned the need for a provision of the law requiring clinics to have costly, hospital-grade facilities, when abortions almost always are low-risk procedures for the woman. “What was the problem the legislature was responding to that it needed to improve the facilities for women’s health?” Ginsburg asked. The Texas law requires abortion doctors to have “admitting privileges,” a type of formal affiliation, at a hospital within 30 miles (48 km) of the clinic. Abortion providers say the provision already has forced clinics to close because such an affiliation is hard to obtain. The abortion providers also challenged a provision, not yet in effect, requiring clinics to have hospital-grade facilities with standards for corridor width, plumbing, parking spaces, room size, the spacing of beds and many other attributes. Conservative Justice Samuel Alito indicated support for the regulations and referred to evidence that abortion facilities in Texas “have been cited for really appalling violations when they were inspected: holes in the floor where rats could come in, the lack of any equipment to adequately sterilize instruments.” The Supreme Court’s last major abortion ruling came in 2007 when it upheld a federal law banning a late-term abortion procedure. The Supreme Court legalized abortion in the 1973 Roe v. Wade case. But abortion remains a disputed issue in the United States, as it does in many countries, and some states have passed laws aiming to place a variety of restrictions on a woman’s ability to terminate a pregnancy. The court is considering the Texas case in the midst of the heated campaign ahead of the Nov. 8 U.S. presidential election. politicsNews
key justice kennedy waters supreme court confronts abortionwashington reuters a closely divided supreme court struggled biggest abortion case years wednesday pivotal justice anthony kennedy voicing concerns restrictive texas law yet stopping short signaling would strike the court four liberal justices indicated believed law imposes strict regulations abortion doctors clinic buildings intruder woman constitutional right end pregnancy established ruling conservative justices including kennedy expressed doubt oral argument claims abortion providers asserted law forced numerous clinics shut kennedy one point suggested sending case back lower court get evidence law impact including assessment ability existing texas clinics meet demand abortions if evidence new clinics meet state regulations increased capacity perform abortions would show law provided beneficial effect kennedy said the outcome appeared hands kennedy often casts deciding vote close rulings in past abortion cases backed fundamental right abortion supporting restrictions the court shorthand eight justices following death conservative antonio scale leaving liberals conservatives evenly divided the best supporters law could hope would split would let stand ruling affirmed texas regulations set nationwide legal precedent whether states could enact similar measures however ruling leaving texas law intact could encourage states legislatures pass similar laws kennedy gave little indication would willing uphold law full three conservative colleagues would expected if kennedy sides court four liberals court could either send case back lower court strike a ruling due end june a decision sending case lower court could mean dispute might resolved years some justices questioned lack evidence specific clinics closed law passed could addressed new legal proceedings take place abortion providers assert law caused clinics close state contests numbers what evidence record closures related legislation conservative chief justice john roberts asked texas contends law passed legislature signed republican governor protects women health the abortion providers challenged assert regulations aimed shutting clinics in sign comfortable aspects law kennedy sounded concerned possible increase surgical abortions prompted part state separate new restrictions medically induced abortions women take pills terminate pregnancy kennedy said law really increased number surgical procedures opposed medical procedures may medically abortion rights advocates say surgical abortions increased delays women seeking abortion faced result law liberal justice ruth baker ginsburg questioned need provision law requiring clinics costly facilities abortions almost always procedures woman what problem legislature responding needed improve facilities women health ginsburg asked the texas law requires abortion doctors admitting privileges type formal affiliation hospital within miles km clinic abortion providers say provision already forced clinics close affiliation hard obtain the abortion providers also challenged provision yet effect requiring clinics facilities standards corridor width plumbing parking spaces room size spacing beds many attributes conservative justice samuel alto indicated support regulations referred evidence abortion facilities texas cited really appalling violations inspected holes floor rats could come lack equipment adequately stabilize the supreme court last major abortion ruling came upheld federal law banning abortion procedure the supreme court legalized abortion roe wade case but abortion remains disputed issue united states many countries states passed laws aiming place variety restrictions woman ability terminate pregnancy the court considering texas case midst heated campaign ahead presidential election politicsnews
Your task is to classify the provided input as real or fake news. Label 0 is meant for fake news, Label 1 is for real news. TEXT: Key justice Kennedy wavers as Supreme Court confronts abortionWASHINGTON (Reuters) - A closely divided Supreme Court struggled with its biggest abortion case in years on Wednesday, with pivotal Justice Anthony Kennedy voicing concerns about a restrictive Texas law yet stopping short of signaling he would strike it down. The court’s four liberal justices indicated they believed the law, which imposes strict regulations on abortion doctors and clinic buildings, intrudes on a woman’s constitutional right to end a pregnancy established in a 1973 ruling. Conservative justices including Kennedy expressed doubt during the 85-minute oral argument about claims by abortion providers who asserted that the Republican-backed 2013 law forced numerous clinics to shut down. Kennedy at one point suggested sending the case back to a lower court to get further evidence on the law’s impact, including an assessment of the ability of existing Texas clinics to meet the demand for abortions.  If there is evidence new clinics that meet the state’s regulations have increased capacity to perform abortions, it would show the law has provided a “beneficial effect,” Kennedy said. The outcome appeared to be in the hands of Kennedy, who often casts the deciding vote in close rulings. In past abortion cases, he has backed a fundamental right to abortion while supporting some restrictions. The court was shorthanded with only eight justices following the Feb. 13 death of conservative Antonin Scalia, leaving the liberals and conservatives evenly divided. The best that supporters of the law could hope for would be a 4-4 split that would let stand a lower-court ruling that affirmed the Texas regulations but set no nationwide legal precedent on whether other states could enact similar measures. However, a such ruling leaving the Texas law intact could encourage other states with anti-abortion legislatures to pass similar laws. Kennedy gave little indication he would be willing to uphold the law in full, as his three conservative colleagues would be expected to do. If Kennedy sides with the court’s four liberals, the court could either send the case back to the lower court or strike it down. A ruling is due by the end of June. A decision sending the case to a lower court could mean the dispute might not be resolved for years.  Some justices questioned the lack of evidence on why specific clinics closed after the law was passed, which could be addressed if new legal proceedings take place. Abortion providers assert that the law caused 22 of 41 clinics to close, but the state contests those numbers. “What is the evidence in the record that the closures are related to the legislation?” conservative Chief Justice John Roberts asked. Texas contends the law, passed by a Republican-controlled legislature and signed by a Republican governor, protects women’s health. The abortion providers who have challenged it assert that the regulations are aimed at shutting down their clinics. In a sign that he was not comfortable with aspects of the law, Kennedy sounded concerned about a possible increase in surgical abortions prompted in part by the state’s separate new restrictions on medically induced abortions, in which women take pills to terminate a pregnancy. Kennedy said that “this law has really increased the number of surgical procedures as opposed to medical procedures, and that this may not be medically wise.” Abortion rights advocates say surgical abortions increased because of the delays women seeking an abortion faced as a result of the 2013 law. Liberal Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg questioned the need for a provision of the law requiring clinics to have costly, hospital-grade facilities, when abortions almost always are low-risk procedures for the woman. “What was the problem the legislature was responding to that it needed to improve the facilities for women’s health?” Ginsburg asked. The Texas law requires abortion doctors to have “admitting privileges,” a type of formal affiliation, at a hospital within 30 miles (48 km) of the clinic. Abortion providers say the provision already has forced clinics to close because such an affiliation is hard to obtain. The abortion providers also challenged a provision, not yet in effect, requiring clinics to have hospital-grade facilities with standards for corridor width, plumbing, parking spaces, room size, the spacing of beds and many other attributes. Conservative Justice Samuel Alito indicated support for the regulations and referred to evidence that abortion facilities in Texas “have been cited for really appalling violations when they were inspected: holes in the floor where rats could come in, the lack of any equipment to adequately sterilize instruments.” The Supreme Court’s last major abortion ruling came in 2007 when it upheld a federal law banning a late-term abortion procedure. The Supreme Court legalized abortion in the 1973 Roe v. Wade case. But abortion remains a disputed issue in the United States, as it does in many countries, and some states have passed laws aiming to place a variety of restrictions on a woman’s ability to terminate a pregnancy. The court is considering the Texas case in the midst of the heated campaign ahead of the Nov. 8 U.S. presidential election. politicsNews
Your task is to classify the provided input as real or fake news. Label 0 is meant for fake news, Label 1 is for real news. TEXT: key justice kennedy waters supreme court confronts abortionwashington reuters a closely divided supreme court struggled biggest abortion case years wednesday pivotal justice anthony kennedy voicing concerns restrictive texas law yet stopping short signaling would strike the court four liberal justices indicated believed law imposes strict regulations abortion doctors clinic buildings intruder woman constitutional right end pregnancy established ruling conservative justices including kennedy expressed doubt oral argument claims abortion providers asserted law forced numerous clinics shut kennedy one point suggested sending case back lower court get evidence law impact including assessment ability existing texas clinics meet demand abortions if evidence new clinics meet state regulations increased capacity perform abortions would show law provided beneficial effect kennedy said the outcome appeared hands kennedy often casts deciding vote close rulings in past abortion cases backed fundamental right abortion supporting restrictions the court shorthand eight justices following death conservative antonio scale leaving liberals conservatives evenly divided the best supporters law could hope would split would let stand ruling affirmed texas regulations set nationwide legal precedent whether states could enact similar measures however ruling leaving texas law intact could encourage states legislatures pass similar laws kennedy gave little indication would willing uphold law full three conservative colleagues would expected if kennedy sides court four liberals court could either send case back lower court strike a ruling due end june a decision sending case lower court could mean dispute might resolved years some justices questioned lack evidence specific clinics closed law passed could addressed new legal proceedings take place abortion providers assert law caused clinics close state contests numbers what evidence record closures related legislation conservative chief justice john roberts asked texas contends law passed legislature signed republican governor protects women health the abortion providers challenged assert regulations aimed shutting clinics in sign comfortable aspects law kennedy sounded concerned possible increase surgical abortions prompted part state separate new restrictions medically induced abortions women take pills terminate pregnancy kennedy said law really increased number surgical procedures opposed medical procedures may medically abortion rights advocates say surgical abortions increased delays women seeking abortion faced result law liberal justice ruth baker ginsburg questioned need provision law requiring clinics costly facilities abortions almost always procedures woman what problem legislature responding needed improve facilities women health ginsburg asked the texas law requires abortion doctors admitting privileges type formal affiliation hospital within miles km clinic abortion providers say provision already forced clinics close affiliation hard obtain the abortion providers also challenged provision yet effect requiring clinics facilities standards corridor width plumbing parking spaces room size spacing beds many attributes conservative justice samuel alto indicated support regulations referred evidence abortion facilities texas cited really appalling violations inspected holes floor rats could come lack equipment adequately stabilize the supreme court last major abortion ruling came upheld federal law banning abortion procedure the supreme court legalized abortion roe wade case but abortion remains disputed issue united states many countries states passed laws aiming place variety restrictions woman ability terminate pregnancy the court considering texas case midst heated campaign ahead presidential election politicsnews