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FBI brands bomb attack on fertility clinic 'act of terrorism'
Investigators place a tarp over an item on a road near the site of an explosion in Palm Springs, Calif., May 17, 2025

A BOMB explosion outside a fertility clinic in Palm Springs, California, killed one person and injured four others in what the FBI today called an “intentional act of terrorism.”

The suspect, believed to have died in the blast on Saturday, attempted to record or livestream the attack, which devastated the American Reproductive Centres clinic.

“Make no mistake: This is an intentional act of terrorism,” said Akil Davis, head of the FBI’s Los Angeles field office.

Authorities are still working to establish a motive, but say writings left behind suggest the suspect held anti-natalist views — believing the world should not be populated — supporting investigators’ theory that the clinic was deliberately targeted.

While the FBI has not publicly identified the suspect, Mr Davis confirmed that officials believe the individual died in a car explosion and said investigators are not looking for any other suspects.

The attack comes amid mounting tensions in the US over reproductive rights, as abortion access continues to face legal challenges and crackdowns across the country.

A pregnant woman declared braindead in Georgia has been kept on life support for over three months so that her foetus can be delivered — a move her family says was demanded under the state’s strict anti-abortion law.

Adriana Smith, a 30-year-old mother and nurse, was declared legally dead in February after suffering blood clots in her brain.

Her family says doctors at Emory University Hospital have told them they cannot withdraw life support due to Georgia’s so-called “heartbeat law,” which bans abortion once cardiac activity is detected, typically about six weeks into pregnancy.

Ms Smith’s mother April Newkirk said that doctors are concerned about the foetus’s health, including fluid on the brain, but say the law gives the family no say over whether life support can be withdrawn.

It remains unclear whether the care Ms Smith received when she first presented at the hospital — complaining of headaches and later collapsing at home — met appropriate medical standards.

Black women in the US frequently report that their pain is dismissed or misjudged, and an Associated Press investigation found that systemic racism contributes to worse health outcomes and barriers to care.

Monica Simpson, executive director of SisterSong — a lead plaintiff in a lawsuit challenging Georgia’s abortion law — said: “Black women must be trusted when it comes to our health care decisions.

“Like so many black women, Adriana spoke up for herself. She expressed what she felt in her body, and as a health care provider, she knew how to navigate the medical system.

“By the time she was diagnosed, it was already too late.”

 

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