HARRISBURG, Pennsylvania, Sept. 25 -- Pennsylvania Attorney General Josh Shapiro issued the following news release:

Attorney General Josh Shapiro filed an amicus brief on behalf of a coalition of 17 Attorneys General to support a lawsuit by Massachusetts challenging the Trump administration's decision to roll back a requirement under the Affordable Care Act that employers include contraceptive coverage for women in their health insurance plans.

In December 2017, Pennsylvania won a nationwide injunction from Federal Judge Wendy Beetlestone of the Eastern District of Pennsylvania in a lawsuit challenging the Administration's actions. That ruling stopped the Trump Administration's rules undermining the Affordable Care Act's requirement that employers provide their employees with contraceptive coverage. The Trump administration is appealing that injunction. The Commonwealth of Massachusetts also sued the Trump Administration over its plans to change this critical rule, and the amicus brief filed today by Attorney General Shapiro and the other Attorneys General supports Massachusetts Attorney General Maura Healey's lawsuit.

"The Trump Administration persists in its efforts to impose illegal rules that will undermine the health and economic security of American women," said Attorney General Shapiro. "We stopped them last year when we obtained an injunction, but their efforts continue to threaten the rights of women everywhere to health care coverage. I've been an unwavering supporter of a woman's right to access affordable health care for my whole career, and I'm going to keep fighting for these basic, fundamental rights for women in Pennsylvania and across the country."

The amicus brief filed Monday with the United States Court of Appeals for the First Circuit in Boston, supports Massachusetts' appeal to stop the federal government from implementing new rules that authorize virtually any employer with a religious or moral objection to disregard its legal obligation to provide its employees and their dependents with coverage for contraceptive care. According to the brief, rules issued by the Trump Administration violate the Affordable Care Act, which requires insurance companies to cover preventive health care services, including contraception, with no co-pays.

As a result of the ACA, more than 55 million women in the United States -- including 2.5 million Pennsylvania women and families -- have access to birth control with no out-of-pocket costs.

In addition to Attorney General Shapiro, the amicus brief was joined by the Attorneys General of California, Connecticut, Delaware, Hawaii, Iowa, Maine, Maryland, Minnesota, New York, North Carolina, Oregon, Rhode Island, Vermont, Virginia, Washington and the District of Columbia.

ST. LOUIS — Andrew C. Hubbard schemed with a cousin to give his mother laced drugs and cause an overdose so he could collect a $150,000 life insurance policy, prosecutors said in federal court Thursday.

The plan to lace crack cocaine with heroin or fentanyl didn't kill her, so the cousin shot the woman instead and dumped her body in a St. Louis alley, Hubbard admitted in U.S. District Court as he pleaded guilty.

Hubbard, 40, pleaded to murder-for-hire and conspiracy to commit murder-for-hire in connection with the death of his mother, Andreaia Worthem.

Worthem, 53, was shot in the chest, arm and face. Her body was found in the north alley in the 4400 block of Kennerly Avenue on the morning of July 7, 2023.

Others facing the same charges in connection with her death are the cousin, Eric Washington, 47, of Jennings; Justin R. Lee, 40, of Northwoods; and Hubbard's girlfriend, Kim Mosley, 33. Their cases are pending.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Matthew A. Martin unveiled new details about the case as he read in court from a 14-page document.

Hubbard took out a life-insurance policy on his mother in 2019 and was the sole beneficiary.

His plan was to have Lee and Washington supply his mother with a "bad pack," crack cocaine laced with enough fentanyl to kill her, Martin said. Hubbard knew that his cousin had recently experienced a near-fatal overdose after ingesting drugs Lee had supplied.

In exchange, Washington would get $10,000, and Mosley would get $50,000, the prosecutor said.

Washington used Lee's phone to tell Hubbard, "It's done." Later, Hubbard asked if the "bad pack" caused a quick overdose. Washington admitted it didn't work, so he instead shot her, Martin said.

Mosley gave Washington $200 in exchange for the victim's cellphone, which was then destroyed, according to the plea agreement. Hubbard also gave Washington $450 cash and cocaine and marijuana, Martin said.

According to the plea agreement, Washington, impatient because he hadn't been paid the full $10,000, called Primerica, the insurance company, to ask when the policy would be paid.

Washington told the insurer that he had "done some work" for Hubbard and the insurance money would help cover what he is owed, the court document said.

When Hubbard found out Washington had made that call, he confronted his cousin and told him that it would lead the police to them.

The plea agreement didn't say whether Hubbard ever received the insurance money.

Hubbard, jailed in Illinois, lived in the 12200 block of Corrida Court in Maryland Heights.

U.S. District Judge Henry E. Autrey scheduled Hubbard's sentencing for Sept. 23.

Each charge is punishable by life in prison and a fine of up to $250,000. Federal prosecutors already announced they would not seek the death penalty.

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