Memorial to unborn vandalized at Illinois Catholic university

A temporary memorial commemorating the lives snuffed out by abortion was vandalized at DePaul University, a Catholic university in Illinois.

Members of the DePaul University chapter Young Americans for Freedom put up the memorial on the morning of January 22 with permission of the school's administration. By afternoon, it had been vandalized, and videotape evidence suggested the vandalism was committed by three or four female students.

"It is a sad thing to see that liberal minded students aren't [tolerant] and don't respect the views of those who respect the lives of the unborn," said Kristopher Del Campo, chairman of the student organization that put up the display.

Source: CWN

President issues statement on 40th anniversary of Roe v. Wade

President Barack Obama issued a brief statement to commemorate the 40th anniversary of Roe v. Wade, the Supreme Court decision that struck down laws protecting unborn human life.

"On the 40th anniversary of Roe v. Wade, we reaffirm its historic commitment to protect the health and reproductive freedom of women across this country and stand by its guiding principle: that government should not intrude on our most private family matters, and women should be able to make their own choices about their bodies and their health care," the president said.

"Today and every day, my Administration continues our efforts to reduce unintended pregnancies, support maternal and child health, and minimize the need for abortion," he added. "On this anniversary, we recommit ourselves to supporting women and families in the choices they make and redouble our efforts to promote safe and healthy communities."

Source: CWN

News Links for January 18th

Pew survey on abortion attitudes criticized as misleading

2nd court victory for Illinois company against contraceptive-coverage mandates

Georgia Right to Life Hails 'Personhood' Milestone

Star Parker: Roe v. Wade, 40 Years Later

40 Year Anniversary of Roe vs. Wade

40 Years of Roe v. Wade Marks Four Decades of Opposition by Pro-Life's 'Godfather'

What Has 40 Years of Abortion Done to America?

Help Memorialize 55 Million Slaughtered Since Roe

Ryan Bomberger, Live Action, and Irish Pro-Life Leaders to Headline All Life is Sacred Rally in DC

Abortion Exposed -- On 2 Jumbo TVs -- At 2 Marches -- On 2 Coasts -- At the Same Time

Statement of Sandra Cano (The Former 'Mary Doe' of Doe V. Bolton) on the 40th Anniversary of 'Roe' and 'Doe'

Pro-Life Nation's New Booklet Urges a Refocusing of the Pro-Life Message

Abandoned Reveals Untold Story of the Abortion Wars: Unprecedented, Controversial Book Reveals Dynamics of Pro-Life Activism and the 40-year Injustice of Legalized Abortion

Complaint: Remodeling on Former Tiller Abortion Clinic Illegally Proceeding Without Permits

Owners of Healthcare Management Business Win Temporary Restraining Order -- Not Required to Provide Insurance Coverage for Contraception in Employer Health Insurance Plans

Caging the Human Cloning Beast

Twins Euthanized in Belgium

Euthanasia Really the Right of Kevorkians

Pro-Life Nation urges a refocusing of the pro-life message

Ben Franklin, January 17, 1706: "Of What Use is a Newborn Baby?"

Cleaning up Michigan's abortion industry

Pro-life article merely a pro-abortion tactic?

Court rules child protection laws apply to unborn babies

Miss. law on side of pro-lifers

TX deals Planned Parenthood another blow

Planned Parenthood abortion numbers rise, other services fall

Facebook abortion ads prompt call for pro-life action

Alabama Supreme Court recognizes unborn as 'children'

Irish pro-lifers rally at defining moment in abortion law

Changes to March for Life focus on engaging culture

'Religious Freedom Day' prompts renewed opposition to mandate

Generation Life spreads pro-life, chastity message among Catholic youth

Euthanasia approved for Belgian twins because of approaching blindness

US opinions unchanged on Roe v. Wade

Hobby Lobby finds short-term way to avoid fines

20,000 Russians protest ban on U.S. adoptions

Law Restricting Pro-Lifers Dismissed for Third Time

Charges leveled against a Chicago pro-lifer jailed for violating the city's bubble zone law at abortion clinics have been dismissed for a third time. A legal expert believes that's evidence the law needs to be erased from the books.

The bubble zone specifies a distance pro-life counselors must stay away from people entering an abortion clinic. Attorney Peter Breen of the Thomas More Society tells OneNewsNow that 64-year-old grandmother Anna Marie Mesia was the most recent person arrested for violating the law, this time at a north side late-term abortion clinic.

"And in this particular case, Anna Marie was not in the area where the bubble zone even applies," he says. "But that did not stop the abortion facility employees from filing the complaint, calling 9-1-1 as if it were an actual emergency, and it didn't stop the Chicago police from arresting her and booking her."

Prosecutors could not prove their case so the court had little choice but to dismiss it, and that was without even having all the evidence brought into court.

"These charges in particular were also dismissed because the state said that the abortion clinic refused to allow its employees to testify to the court and refused to answer to the subpoena that we were given leave to serve on them to get the surveillance video and the pictures of the alleged incident," Breen adds.

Breen says the video and pictures would have proven Mesia was not violating the law.

Three times pro-lifers have been arrested under the bubble zone ordinance -- and three times the charges went nowhere. Breen says police need to stop enforcing the law, as it is one that needs to be repealed.

Source: OneNewsNow

Surrender the Secret - New Christian Reality Show Addresses Post-Abortion Healing

Since abortion was legalized by the Supreme Court in Roe v. Wade, January 22, 1973, over 54 million babies have been aborted in the United States alone. This tragedy is compounded by the emotional scars carried by women who have experienced abortions.

Between 35-40% of women in the U.S. have had an abortion. The grief and guilt a woman carries with her after an abortion can be overwhelming. Abortion has been linked to an increased risk of depression, anxiety, substance abuse and suicidal attempts or thoughts. Even the Supreme Court has acknowledged that some women come to regret the choice they've made to "abort the infant they once created and sustained… severe depression and loss of esteem can follow," (Gonzales v. Carhart 550 U.S. 124, 159 (2007)). Even so, a majority of women never receive counseling or support following an abortion. One study notes that two thirds of women reported not receiving any counseling related to their abortion.

In light of the prevalence of post-abortion suffering, it is imperative that we focus on helping women heal from past abortions by showing them the love and forgiveness offered by Christ. Many Pregnancy Resource Centers and other Christian groups now offer hope for healing from past abortions through counseling and Bible studies created specifically for women who have experienced abortion. One such Bible study, Surrendering the Secret, by Pat Layton, LifeWay Press, 2008, has been widely used by counselors and pregnancy resource centers as they minister to women hurting from past abortions.

The Surrendering the Secret Bible study will be featured this month in Christian reality series, aptly titled Surrender the Secret, by the groundbreaking new internet Christian television network, Knock TV. The ten episode series premieres on January 22, 2013, marking the 40th anniversary of Roe v. Wade. It will follow five women who tell their stories of past abortions and embark on a journey toward healing together. Surrender the Secret touches on the serious topic of post-abortion healing with grace and compassion as well as high quality production one would expect from a more established television network.

KnockTV, headed by President and CEO Geoffrey Rogers, was created to "redefine what Christian television means to America," by offering programming that is "interesting, relevant, exciting, education and what Christians want to watch." Surrender the Secret will be the first of several planned shows offered by KnockTV. You can watch the show weekly, beginning January 22, on www.knocktv.com.

We must remember that post-abortion suffering is real and prevalent in our society. It is important that we reach out to lovingly support women on their road to healing and offer alternatives to abortion. KnockTV is playing a part in bringing awareness to post-abortion suffering through "Surrender the Secret." For more resources on post-abortion healing, visit Operation Outcry, an organization established to "end the pain of abortion in America and around the world by mobilizing women and men hurt by abortion who share their true stories of the devastating effects of abortion." You can find a link to the Surrendering the Secret Bible study on knocktv.com, and learn more about post-abortion suffering by downloading FRC's resource booklet, "Post-Abortion Suffering, A Psychiatrist Looks at the Effects of Abortion."

Source: FRCBlog

Pro-Life Citizens Unite to End Abortion

"Send a message to the White House" and boldly proclaim that abortion is not acceptable in the United States.



RememberingRoe.com, in partnership with Red Envelope Day, hopes to send 1.2 million pro-life messages to the President on January 22, commemorating the 1.2 million babies aborted in the U.S. every year since 1973, when abortion on-demand became legal as a result of Roe v. Wade.

Pro-life citizens are encouraged to join this effort by visiting RememberingRoe.com and clicking the red, "Send a Message" button on the website's homepage.

Led by Heartbeat International, more than 10 pro-life organizations have united to form RememberingRoe.com, an interactive website commemorating the 40th anniversary of Roe, the insidious Supreme Court decision that has led to the killing of more than 54 million unborn children in the United States alone.

Just as Americans will never forget 9/11, the day on which nearly 3,000 lives were lost in the attacks on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon, so too, we will never forget Roe v. Wade, which has allowed nearly 3,300 unborn children to be aborted every day for the last 40 years.

RememberingRoe.com provides a centralized venue for the pro-life community to declare, "We will never forget." The website provides tools to share stories, post prayers, and register to join a national prayer webcast January 22 at 3 p.m. (EST).

Go to RememberingRoe.com and see how you can participate in the unique pro-life event.

Source: Heartbeat International

40 Years After Roe V. Wade, 40 Film Takes on the Civil Rights Issue of Abortion

History Will be Made with Groundbreaking Documentary



To coincide with the upcoming 40th anniversary of Roe v. Wade on January 22, the 40 film is sure to be the most groundbreaking pro-life documentary in history. The film will present abortion as not merely a religious or political issue, but as the most important fundamental human and civil rights issue of our time.

Directed by John E. Morales with Executive Producer Jason Jones, the founder of Movie to Movement, the film will feature inspiring stories and deeply personal interviews with champions of the pro-life movement. It will address some of the strongest arguments for the pro-choice/pro-abortion position countered by pro-life answers from a wide and diverse array of pro-life activists, leaders and youth.

40 features some of the biggest names in the pro-life movement such as Investigative Journalist Lila Rose, the President of Live Action, Abby Johnson, former Planned Parenthood abortion clinic director and Senior Policy Advisor with American's United For Life, Rebecca Kiessling, Pro-Life Speaker and Attorney, David Bereit, the National Director of 40 Days for Life, Father Frank Pavone, the National Director of Priests for Life, and Pro-Life legend Joe Scheidler, the Founder of the Pro-Life Action League, and Pastor Caesar Le Flore, Midwest Director of LEARN. 40 also includes the powerful testimonies of former abortionists Dr. Anthony Levatino, Dr. John Bruchalski and many more!

Pro-life and humanitarian activist, film producer Jason Jones is the Executive Producer of 40. Jason is the President of Movie to Movement, the grassroots marketing team that was behind the box office phenomenon 2016: Obama's America. Jones was also Co-Executive Producer of the movie, BELLA, recipient of The People's Choice Award at the 2006 Toronto International Film Festival. BELLA has inspired hundreds of abortion-bound mothers to choose life for their babies.

Former Fox Sports Net sportscaster John E. Morales is the Producer and Director of The 40 Film. John brings an extensive 20-year background in radio and television to the 40 project. Morales was the co-producer, writer, and narrator of the award winning "Champions of Faith: Baseball Edition," a groundbreaking sports film that showcases the intersection of sports and faith in Major League Baseball.

Source: The 40 Film

Judge Halts Illinois Mandate of Contraceptives and Abortifacients Coverage in HHS Lawsuit

Thomas More Society Says Triune Health Group's Religious Liberty Protected



Judge Terence M. Sheen of the DuPage County Circuit Court granted Triune Health Group's motion for a temporary restraining order against Illinois' contraception mandate, which forces coverage of abortifacients and contraceptives in group healthcare plans. This temporary restraining order comes on the heels of a preliminary injunction issued by U.S. District Judge Amy St. Eve, granting Triune Health Group temporary relief from the federal HHS mandated healthcare coverage of abortifacients, sterilizations, and contraceptives.

"The ruling today is a victory for religious liberty and the right of conscience," said Peter Breen executive director and legal counsel for the Thomas More Society. "Religious liberty rights don't end at the four walls of the church. In this pluralistic society, we don't force people to abandon their religious beliefs merely because they are engaged in the marketplace."

This was the first ruling by an Illinois court that the state's contraception mandate for health insurance may be preempted by Illinois laws protecting conscience and religious freedom.

The court will hear argument on the Illinois Attorney General's motion to transfer the case to Cook County Circuit Court on February 6. Plaintiffs oppose the motion because Triune Health Group is located in DuPage County.

Source: Thomas More Society

Stop Borrowing Money from China to Pay for Abortions in America

Conservative leaders are calling on Congress to refuse to raise the debt ceiling until Planned Parenthood is defunded.
 


With last week's revelation that over a half billion dollars in tax dollars is being funneled from Federal tax coffers to Planned Parenthood last year, Pro-Life Nation, Operation Rescue, and other pro-life leaders call upon Congress to refuse to raise the nation debt ceiling until Planned Parenthood is defunded.
 
Planned Parenthood is the largest abortion provider in the world and received $542 million in taxpayer money last year alone. Their latest annual report indicates that abortions done by Planned Parenthood have reached an all-time high while "well-woman" services, such as cancer screenings and contraceptive services, dramatically dropped.
 
"While the amount of legitimate medical services at Planned Parenthood was being slashed, Federal tax dollars - along with the number of abortions - substantially increased. In order to keep paying Planned Parenthood, the U.S. must borrow more money from China, the world's largest human rights abuser where forced abortions and sterilizations continue unabated. This is intolerable," said Troy Newman, President of Pro-Life Nation and Operation Rescue.
 
"Congress' irresponsible 'tax and spend' policies have mutated into 'borrow and kill.' This insanity has to stop. The debt ceiling crisis will come to a head in the next few weeks. Now is the time to draw the line in the sand and demand that America stop borrowing money from human rights abusers so we can give it to the butchers at Planned Parenthood."
 
Operation Rescue and other conservative and pro-life leaders are in talks with House members to force a show-down over Planned Parenthood funding. Additionally, Operation Rescue plans to make hundreds of thousands of informative robo-calls to key Congressional house districts. A civil disobedience campaign is also in the works.
 
"Recent polling shows Congress' popularity is less than root canals and cockroaches. It appears that the low favorability rating is due to Congress' spending addiction. Taxpayers are tired of footing the bill for Congressional irresponsibility that includes dumping billions down the rat hole of a failing abortion industry. By continuing to borrow money to fund Planned Parenthood, Congress has created a recipe for civil unrest. This irresponsibility has to stop, for the good of the nation," said Newman.

Source: Operation Rescue/Pro-Life Nation

Justin Bieber's Mother Adds Her Voice to the Pro-Life 'Crescendo'

The mother of the pop-music star is executive producer of a new movie.


A scene from 'Crescendo'

The producers behind the new award-winning short film Crescendo hope that their film has the same kind of life-altering effect as movies such as October Baby and Bella.

Created by the same team that put together Bella, the debut of Crescendo Feb. 28 also features a video testimony by Pattie Mallette, the mother of pop-music teen favorite Justin Bieber, as a fundraising appeal for crisis-pregnancy centers nationwide.

Producers Eduardo Verástegui, Jason Jones and Leo Severino plan to debut the 15-minute film, and Mallette's appeal to raise funds for crisis-pregnancy centers around the country, at individual- and organization-hosted showings. Their goal is to release the film on more than 100 screens during a special one-night event.

"My lifelong mission has been to work for the full protection of the human person," said Jones, founder of Movie to Movement. "I wanted to create a universal film that promotes the dignity and worth of the human person across cultures and time."

Based on a true story, Crescendo is set in the 18th century. It tells the story of a series of events that turn an ordinary day into an extraordinary experience for a woman (portrayed by Colombian actress Montserrat Espalde) whose life will never be the same. The film enlisted the talent of accomplished Mexican writer and director Alonso Alvarez.

Mallette, the film's executive producer, recorded a special appeal at the conclusion of the film that shares her own testimony. Mallette became pregnant at the age of 17 and spent the duration of her pregnancy living at a Canadian crisis-pregnancy center.

"I felt alone and scared and unprepared and didn't have anywhere to go," Mallette told the Register about her experience. "If it wasn't for the crisis-pregnancy center, I'm not sure where we would be. They offered me a place to stay, education, proper nutrition and gave me the confidence to be the best mom to Justin that I could be."

Mallette said the film really resonated with her.

"I could relate to the position of the mother in the film — also the mother of a musical son," said Mallette. "I had a lot of pressure not to keep my baby. I could relate with her."

Mallette said that Justin Bieber hasn't yet seen the film, but is well aware of it.

"He knows about it; I've talked to him about it," said Mallette. "We're working out details for the debut while I'm on tour with Justin in Europe in February."

"I'm excited to lend my name to support this project," said Mallette. "I'm excited to give others the same opportunities I had. My hope is that this movie encourages young women just like me all over the world that there is a safe place they can go where people will take care of you."
 
February Debut

Heartbeat International, a national network of pregnancy-help centers, is encouraging like-minded organizations to participate with Movie to Movement in hosting a showing as a way to fundraise within their communities.

"I encourage every pregnancy-help organization to bring the blessings of Crescendo to their own community for the grand premiere on Feb. 28," said Peggy Hartshorn, president of Heartbeat International. "The film is riveting and powerful, and the life-affirming finale will stay in your heart. It's a unique, enjoyable and beautiful way to raise much-needed dollars to save and change lives in our ministries."

More than a dozen pregnancy centers have already signed up to host the film. Among them are four Expectant Mother Care/EMC Frontline Pregnancy Centers, which are based in New York, and the Gabriel Project on the West Virginia-Ohio border.

Attorney Khadine Ritter first saw the film at a gathering in November.

"I was very impressed with the movie," said Ritter. "It was very moving, cinematically beautiful and very powerful. Afterwards, during a break, I told Jason I wanted to help."

Ritter is working with the Mid-Ohio Valley Gabriel Project of West Virginia to show the film as a fundraiser for the pregnancy-help center.

The film will be shown at the Regal Cinema at Grand Central Mall in Vienna, W.Va., and the organization is working with local churches, right-to-life organizations and the pregnancy-help center's donor list to promote the showing.

The cost to host the film ranges between $700-$2,500 for the necessary site license, disc and movie promotional materials. Details are available through the film's website.
 
Reaction to the Film

The film has already garnered more than 15 international film-festival awards for its high production value and artistry, including the Heartland Film Festival's Crystal Heart Award and "Best Short Film" from the Hollywood Film Festival.

It has also attracted the support of many.

"Crescendo is powerful in content and truly makes you think," said Andrea Trudden, director of communications and marketing with Heartbeat International. "The cinematography is phenomenal."

"Crescendo touches the heart and soul of life's bittersweet song with a powerful promise," said Alveda King, pastoral associate with Priests for Life. "If the notes are left in God's hand, he will create a masterpiece."

"Crescendo is a beautiful, powerful, transformational short movie that reveals an important deeper truth," said Ted Baehr, MovieGuide publisher.

Some may question the value of a short vs. a feature-length film, but as Pixar has demonstrated through the animated short subjects that precede its feature-length films, there is an audience.

Register film critic Steven Greydanus compared the artistic value of a short to a parable.

"The main value of a short is that it offers you a way to tell the story you want to tell — and often more creatively than a feature film," said Greydanus, founder of Decent Films. "A short film is like a short story, potentially like a parable. A quick sketch, a simple scenario has a special kind of power to capture the essence of inspiration, of a single idea."

"In this age of YouTube, if a short succeeds, it can go viral and have a huge impact," Greydanus added.

The producers hope that the lasting impact of Crescendo is in saving lives. They've seen it happen before.

According to Jones, who provides Bella to crisis-pregnancy centers through the Bella Hero Project, that film has resulted in more than 581 women who have chosen life after seeing the movie.

"Movies have a way of working their way from the screen into your heart," said mother Crissy Stanley. "Because of Bella, I decided to choose life and am now the proud mother of beautiful twins, who are my 'miracle babies' that I can't imagine my life without."

Source: National Catholic Register

A Nation Mourns the Deaths of 55 Million Children

Pro-life Advocates Mark Grim Anniversary with Prayer, Memorial to Abortion Victims



This Tuesday, January 22, thousands of citizens across the nation will be marking a tragic anniversary with prayer and visits to hundreds of memorial sites. They will be remembering the lives of the over 55 million children killed by abortion in the United States since the Supreme Court's 1973 Roe v. Wade decision.

Event Details
 
What: Memorial visits and prayers of mourning for the unborn victims of abortion

When: Tuesday, January 22, 2013

Where: Hundreds of memorial sites dedicates to the unborn victims of abortion sites indexed by state at prolifeaction.org/mourn.php

More information: prolifeaction.org/hotline/2013/mourn

On the 40th Anniversary of the court ruling that legalized abortion throughout the United States, the Pro-Life Action League is coordinating a nationwide prayer campaign, "Blessed Are They Who Mourn."

"We cannot not let the brief lives of abortion's innocent victims to be utterly forgotten," said Eric Scheidler, executive director of the Pro-Life Action League. "As a nation we have been mourning for the twenty precious children massacred at Sandy Hook Elementary School last month. Now we're calling on our nation to reflect on the profound loss of all the millions of children aborted since 1973, and mourn for them, too -- children whose names and faces will never be on the evening news, but whose lives were just as precious."

Scheidler said that "Blessed Are They Who Mourn" is inspired, in part, by the words of Pope Benedict XVI, who has called mourning a "shattering encounter with truth, which leads men to undergo conversion and to resist evil."

For a list of 265 sites in 41 states, including 24 grave sites, visit prolifeaction.org/mourn.php.

Source: Pro-Life Action League

News Links for January 11th

Caging the Human Cloning Beast

Hobby Lobby CEO Pens Letter About Loss of Religious Freedom

Planned Parenthood: More Dead Children and Largest Budget Ever

First National TV Ad Campaign Highlighting Adoption as Alternative to Abortion a Success

U.S. Attorney General Settles with Pro-Life Advocate in Legal Fiasco

'NAACP Forsakes Tonya Reaves and Natural Marriage, Favors Reproductive Genocide,' Says Dr. Alveda King

Sex Selection Abortion Behind India Rape Crisis?

Ethical Stem Cells as Effective as Embryonic

Unborn eviction notice

Supreme Court Declines to Review Sherley v Sebelius Stem Cell Lawsuit

Abortuary closes, investigation continues

Planned Parenthood: Record year for abortions, taxpayer funding

Regulations on abortion clinics will save lives

Mother wants abortion industry's lies to stop

Elk remembered ... babies ignored

Tens of thousands pledge support for Hobby Lobby

Time magazine says pro-life advocates are winning

Federal judge rejects Notre Dame's challenge to HHS mandate

French authorities find heightened health risks in new oral contraceptives

Supreme Court lets stand ruling allowing federally-funded embryonic stem-cell research

Court temporarily halts enforcement of HHS mandate against Illinois company

CHA leaders still hopes for 'accommodation' on HHS mandate

Times offers an unbiased look at pregnancy-help centers

Irish deputy prime minister disagrees with Pope's stand against legal abortion

Doctors ask British court to direct abortion for mentally disabled woman

Judge dismisses Protestant college's suit against HHS mandate

UN focus on abortion ignores deadly and preventable diseases

Irish bishops urge lawmakers against allowing abortion

2nd Lawsuit Filed After Tonya Reaves' Death

Five months after Tonya Reaves death following a second trimester abortion, details aren't complete on the circumstances. It may take lawsuits to make that happen in the death of Tonya Reaves.

Reaves, 24, walked into a Chicago Planned Parenthood for an abortion July 20 and died late that night at a hospital. Troy Newman of Operation Rescue explains why he believes the death to be a tragic one.

"She could have easily survived this, but she was left to bleed to death for 5 ½ hours before Planned Parenthood finally brought her to a hospital, and even a Level-2 trauma center couldn't figure it out before it was too late," he tells OneNewsNow.

A staff member called an ambulance about the time their shifts were over. Surgeons found an incomplete abortion, which they completed, and loss of blood from a perforated uterus. They had to perform a hysterectomy, but Reaves died. Operation Rescue demanded an investigation.

"We went ahead and filed that complaint and we do know that there is at least some cursory investigation into it, although a lot of times they just don't have the passion to pursue it: (A) because it's an abortion case, and (B) because we're not the next of kin."

A wrongful death lawsuit has been lodged against Planned Parenthood by Reaves' mother. A second one has now been filed by her surviving son and the boy's father.

Source: OneNewsNow

Iowa Planned Parenthood Case Dismissed, not Defeated

ADF attorneys expect to be back in court in an attempt to pursue a whistleblower lawsuit against Iowa Planned Parenthood.

Sue Thayer, a former clinic director, filed the lawsuit alleging fraud on the part of Planned Parenthood of the Heartland. In dismissing the lawsuit, Judge James Jarvey acknowledged substantial allegations of fraud schemes, but under the Eighth U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals standard for false claims act cases, he ruled that very specific evidence -- including names, dates, amounts of service, etc. -- was lacking.

Alliance Defending Freedom attorney Michael Norton tells OneNewsNow his firm is "very disappointed in this result, but we are not giving up."

"We have an opportunity, we think, to present some of these specifics to this judge, and we're in the process of putting that together so that we can file a request that the judge reconsider this order and accept the specific evidence that we do have," the attorney continues.

But he explains that much of the information is protected as private and privileged under federal law, which is making things difficult for ADF. Norton will ask that any information provided to the court be sealed, and Judge Jarvey will be asked to decide how to deal with it. Still, the attorney says it is a significant obstacle.

Soource: OneNewsNow

Planned Parenthood: Raking in Government Money, Driving Up Abortion Numbers

Following the release of Planned Parenthood's annual report yesterday, the Susan B. Anthony List  issued a press release reporting the following facts:

During fiscal year 2011-2012, Planned Parenthood reported receiving a record $542 million in taxpayer funding in the form of government grants, contracts, and Medicaid reimbursements. Taxpayer funding consists of 45% of Planned Parenthood's annual revenue.

In 2011, Planned Parenthood performed a record high 333,964 abortions.

Over the past three reported years (2009-2011), Planned Parenthood has performed nearly one million abortions (995,687).

Cancer screening & prevention services and contraceptive services provided by Planned Parenthood continue to drop. Contraceptive services have dropped by 12% since 2009, and cancer screening & prevention services have dropped by 29%.

Planned Parenthood reported a total of three million clients in 2011, meaning that 11% of all Planned Parenthood clients received an abortion.

Though the Hyde Amendment prohibits the federal government from funding elective abortions, the simple fact is that money is fungible. As the FRC pamphlet America's Abortion Provider: What Everyone Should Know about Planned Parenthood states, "By funding non-abortion services, the federal government essentially allows Planned Parenthood to cover overhead and other expenses, as it pursues a more lucrative and lethal business—abortions."

In the Chart 1 from America's Abortion Provider, we first show the correspondence between Planned Parenthood's government funding and the number of abortions it performs.

However, in Chart 3, we show the almost perfect co-variance between annual increases or decreases in federal funding for Planned Parenthood and the following year's increase or decrease in the number of abortions they perform.

The only exception to the very close correlation between present-year funding and next-year abortions is 2007-2008. At this point, we see a shift to correlation between present-year funding and present-year abortions.

As America's Abortion Provider notes, "[i]n the end, the operating model of Planned Parenthood is such that its abortion activities require the overhead and general funding support of the federal government."

Source: FRCBlog

Chicago's Bubble Zone Ordinance Burst Again as Charges are Filed, Then Dismissed

Clinic Refused to Give Evidence, Another Win for Thomas More Society

Today, the City of Chicago dropped all charges against Anna Marie Mesia, 64, who was charged with disorderly conduct for allegedly violating the City's abortion clinic "bubble zone" law at the Family Planning Associates late-term abortion facility on the North Side of Chicago. The abortion clinic had sought the charges against Mesia, but City prosecutors stated in court that the clinic now refuses to allow its employees to testify or even to produce surveillance videos and photos of the alleged crime. The court had previously allowed Mesia's attorney, Peter Breen, executive director and legal counsel for the Thomas More Society, to subpoena the clinic for videos, photos, and documents related to the incident.

"Today's dismissal marks our fourth client in three years who has been wrongfully arrested and charged with disorderly conduct, based on reports made by Chicago abortion clinics," said Breen. "Every single one of these arrests has resulted in a dismissal. These repeated false arrests and prosecutions, today of a 64-year-old grandmother, are an embarrassment to the City and make a mockery of the rule of law. It's time for the City of Chicago to take the First Amendment seriously and stop arresting peaceful law-abiding folks protesting and providing assistance at the city's abortion clinics."

In the past three years, the Thomas More Society has successfully defended four clients against disorderly conduct allegations based on their peaceful witness in front of Chicago abortion clinics. In addition to Mesia, the Thomas More Society successfully defended Joseph Holland and David Avignone, who were arrested for praying outside a clinic and whose cases garnered national media attention. Andrew Scholberg was also arrested last year, and the charges were dropped against him when abortion clinic personnel did not appear in court.

Mesia's arrest on October 4, 2012, for disorderly conduct was her second arrest at Family Planning Associates this year. On July 26, 2012, Family Planning Associates staff called the police and accused Mesia of touching the arm of an abortion patient the day before. Thomas More Society attorneys were prepared with numerous witnesses to attest that Mesia was not at or near that abortion clinic the day before. All charges were dropped when abortion clinic personnel did not appear in court. Based on the July 2012, incident, Society attorneys were considering countersuit against Family Planning Associates for false arrest and malicious prosecution.

The Chicago disorderly conduct ordinance applies a "bubble zone" within 50 feet of the entrance door to an abortion clinic, forbidding pro-life picketers and protestors from approaching within eight feet of a person to speak to, present a leaflet to, or display a sign to that person.

Source: Thomas More Society

'Safe & Legal' Project Highlights Abortion's Danger to Women

In 1996, then-President Bill Clinton famously said he would like to see abortion "safe, legal and rare." Seventeen years later, abortion remains legal. It kills more than a million unborn babies a year, so it is certainly not rare. And as a new project called "Safe & Legal" demonstrates, abortion is not safe for women.

"We are bringing graphic visuals to the truth that abortion harms women," explains Fr. Frank Pavone, National Director of Priests for Life, which is co-sponsoring this project along with Operation Rescue and Life Dynamics (the group which initiated it).

A new brochure, entitled "Safe and Legal," shows a beautiful photo of Marla Cardamone, and then her horrific autopsy photos following her death by "safe and legal abortion" at a respected hospital in Pittsburgh, PA.

"I am grateful to Marla's mom, Deborah, and her husband for their full support of this project and their permission to use these photos," said Fr. Pavone. "As they know, this project isn't just about Marla; it's about the countless women Marla represents, who are killed by abortion without the world ever knowing."

This past July, Priests for Life and its Director of African-American Outreach, Alveda King, helped bring attention to a young mother, Tonya Reaves, who was killed after a botched second-trimester abortion in Chicago.

"The utter failure of the abortionist to get help for Tonya after she developed complications constitutes nothing less than murder," Fr. Pavone explained.

The case of Tonya, and many others, will be highlighted along with that of Marla on the special website, SafeAndLegal.com that has been developed for this project.

The brochure about Marla will be distributed widely by Priests for Life and others at this year's March for Life. Moreover, also at the March, Priests for Life will release Executive Director Janet Morana's new book, Recall Abortion, which makes the case that abortion is a failed product that should be recalled by the government just as other harmful products have been recalled. This book, along with the annual gathering of the Silent No More Awareness Campaign, which Janet co-founded, will reinforce the same message about how abortion harms women.

"We ask everyone to get involved and to spread the truth about Marla and others killed and wounded by abortion," said Fr. Frank. "As Deborah Cardamone has said often, we have to speak, because if we are silent, we are part of the problem."

For more info, and for audio and video format of this press release, visit Priestsforlife.org/Marla.

Source: Priests for Life

Poll Finds More than 8 in 10 Americans Favor Significant Abortion Restrictions

Nearly 6 in 10 Americans View Abortion as Morally Wrong

Four decades after the Supreme Court's controversial decision in Roe v. Wade that legalized abortion throughout the United States, a new KofC-Marist Poll shows that more than 8 in 10 Americans (83 percent) favor significant restrictions.

The poll reveals that support for significant abortion restrictions has increased by four points since last year -- rising from 79 percent to 83 percent.

Of the 83 percent who support significant restrictions on abortion, 10 percent believe abortion should never be permitted; 12 percent believe abortion should be allowed only to save the life of the mother; 34 percent would restrict abortion only to cases of rape or incest, or to save the life of the mother; and 27 percent would limit abortion to -- at most -- the first three months of pregnancy.

Just 11 percent would allow abortion at any time, while 6 percent would allow it during the first six months of pregnancy.

"After four decades of legalized abortion in this country, Americans have had ample time to understand that abortion has terrible consequences," said Knights of Columbus Supreme Knight Carl Anderson. "They understand abortion's true legacy -- a child loses life, and parents lose a child. And after witnessing the effects of abortion for the past 40 years, Americans are not legally or morally comfortable with that legacy. It is time for our country to chart a new course on this issue -- a course that protects both the mother and the child."

The survey also found that nearly 6 in 10 Americans (58 percent) believe abortion is "morally wrong." And 84 percent of Americans say laws can protect both mothers and unborn children.

"For years polls have found that Americans divide on labeling themselves as pro-life or pro-choice," said Lee Miringoff of The Marist Poll. "By asking more detailed questions about their specific views on abortion, we have been able to go beyond those labels to get a more complete picture of what Americans actually think about this issue."

Source: Knights of Columbus

Adult Stem Cell Researchers Represented by Jubilee Campaign's Law of Life Project Express Great Disappointment that the U.S. Supreme Court Declined to Hear Their Case to Enjoin Destructive Human Embryo Research

On behalf of the adult stem researchers it represents, the Jubilee Campaign's Law of Life Project and their co-counsel at the Alliance Defending Freedom and Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher, expressed great disappointment that the United State Supreme Court declined to hear their petition for certiorari. The petition made two central arguments: first, that the D.C. Court of Appeals erred in holding that President Obama's Executive Order issued in 2009 can and did excuse an agency's failure to comply with the Administrative Procedure Act; and second, that that a preliminary injunction ruling is binding 'law' of the case. In declining to hear the case, the Supreme Court did not decide these questions, but did effectively end the case.
 
Petitioner adult stem cell researcher Dr. James Sherley said:
 
"There are many human histories that teach us that the path to ending obvious inhumanities against humanity can be blocked by the blunt dismissal of knowledge and reason. The course of our court case to emancipate human embryos from research slavery sponsored by the NIH is yet another of these histories. Today's refusals by the Supreme Court to hear our case is not the ending of our cause. Instead, it provides a new basis for educating the world that embryos are living human beings, worthy of all the safeguards provided to other human research subjects. "
 
Petitioner adult stem cell researcher Theresa Deisher said:
 
"This lawsuit brought critical information into the public forum that had been suppressed by embryonic stem cell proponents. While the legal fight seems to have been lost for now, unless and until Congress acts to correct this waste of taxpayer funds, this case brought adult stem cells to the forefront of many scientists' minds and contributed significantly to the adult stem cell progress and focus that many scientists and clinicians are following. Without this suit many of these scientists and clinicians might have traveled blindly down the embryonic and aborted fetal stem cell roads. Patients will benefit because we raised the issue and brought awareness to the importance of adult stem cells. Adult stem cells continue to be safe, effective and affordable while embryonic and aborted fetal stem cells therapies fail patients by their tumor forming capacity, exorbitant cost and moral harms."
 
Petitioners initially brought this case over three years ago when, in response to President Obama's March 9, 2009, Executive Order, the NIH published and noticed for public comment regulatory guidelines allowing federal funds to be used for the first time for the creation of new stem cell lines (hESC) requiring and providing incentives for the destruction of living human embryos. The Petitioners contended then--and, indeed, continue to argue--that the National Institutes of Health (NIH) Guidelines for funding human embryonic stem-cell research are invalid because they not only disregard the limitations in the Executive Order but also violated the plain language of federal law known as the Dickey-Wicker Amendment and because they were promulgated in violation of the Administrative Procedure Act. The Dickey Wicker Amendment currently prohibits the use of federal funds for "(1) the creation of a human embryo or embryos for research purposes; or (2) research in which a human embryo or embryos are destroyed, discarded, or knowingly subjected to risk of injury or death greater than that allowed for research on fetuses in utero under 45 C.F.R. 46.204(b) and section 498(b) of the Public Health Service Act (42 U.S.C. 289g (b))." Pub. L. No. 112-74, § 508. "Congress enacted the Amendment 'in reaction to a 1994 NIH panel report,'" which "advocated federal funding of research 'designed to improve the process of in vitro fertilization, to determine whether embryos carried genetic abnormalities, and to isolate embryonic stem cells." Sherley v. Sebelius, 644 F.3d 388, 400 (D.C. Cir. 2011) (Henderson, J., dissenting). The Dickey-Wicker Amendment has been included in every Health and Human Services appropriations bill since 1996, and has not been altered in any material respect. Thus, Congress continues to prohibit federal funding for "research in which" an embryo is "destroyed, discarded, or knowingly subjected to risk of injury or death."
 
Sam Casey, JC-LOLP's General Counsel who served as co-counsel for Petitioners in the case, described the implications of the Supreme Court's ruling today saying:
 
"After almost four years of litigation the courts are apparently telling Congress that the Dickey-Wicker Amendment's language isn't plain enough to achieve its intentions. To fix this 'ambiguity' Congress at least will need to consider changing the phrase "research in which" to "research involving" and the phrase "are destroyed" to "are or have been destroyed." Hopefully, Congress will do so, along with any other steps deemed necessary to once again make plainly unlawful the federal funding of destructive human embryo research which the record shows continues to be an unnecessary, unethical and a wasteful use of the federal taxpayer's money."
 
After the NIH initially promulgated its proposed guidelines, they received approximately 49,000 public comments, more than 60% of which—that is, approximately 30,000—raised serious and highly relevant questions about the ethics and scientific merits of human embryonic stem cell research. The NIH refused to consider those comments, however, erroneously saying that the President's Executive Order precluded such consideration that would otherwise have been required by the Administrative Procedure Act. Nevertheless, the D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals incorrectly held that NIH's refusal to address numerous comments that it received in promulgating the Guidelines was justified by an executive order (Executive Order 13,505) issued by President Obama.
 
Petitioners' request for certiorari argued that the D.C. Circuit's holding embraces a fundamentally mistaken and unprecedented view of Executive power, authorizing the President to exempt agencies from the APA's requirements at will: "If allowed to stand, the decision below would eviscerate the vital checks that Congress has imposed on agencies to ensure transparency, accountability, and rationality in administrative decision-making."
 
Under the D.C. Circuit's erroneous rulings, Petitioners couldn't challenge the NIH's guidelines directly. Accordingly, the petition argued that because the President cannot dictate the outcome of a rulemaking in advance, declare all dissenting views and contrary data irrelevant, and essentially circumvent the ban on arbitrary and capricious agency action by instructing an agency to act in a way that plainly violates federal law, the D.C. Circuit was wrong to reject Petitioner's claim that the NIH Guidelines violate the Administrative Procedure Act. Additionally, the petition contended that the D.C. Circuit wrongly declined to resolve Petitioners' claim that the NIH Guidelines violate the Dickey-Wicker Amendment, by ruling that the preliminary-injunction decision in this case was a "definitive, fully considered [one]" made on what it later deemed a "fully developed factual record." Petitioners were relying on Supreme Court case law holding that rulings by a court granting a preliminary injunction are not binding at later stages of the case, so the D.C. Circuit panel erred in concluding that the preliminary-injunction ruling resolved the Dickey-Wicker Amendment claim.
 
Thus, this appeal to the United States Supreme Court was necessary to correct procedural errors made by the courts below so that this important case could be resolved in the courts below on the merits. The Jubilee Campaign Law of Life Project's General Counsel, Sam Casey, concluded by saying:
 
"Sure we are disappointed that the Court declined to hear our clients' case. Each time federal grant money is awarded to support human embryonic stem cell research, living human embryos are at risk. Not only is this an ethical tragedy, as well as a waste of taxpayers' money on unethical research that has not to date led to any therapeutic benefits, but it is also a clear violation of what we believe Congress intended when it passed the current federal law known as the Dickey-Wicker Amendment. Sadly, the DC Circuit Court of Appeal found ambiguity in the statutory language that we continue to believe is not there. We also think that the President, by authorizing NIH non-compliance with federal law, overstepped his legal boundaries, and it is now imperative that Congress step in to clarify the law. The Constitution and the Supreme Court say Congress enacts the laws in this country, not the Executive Branch. Now that the Supreme Court has declined to hear our case, the matter necessarily returns to Congress who will have to decide whether to amend the Dicker-Wicker Amendment to make it even clearer for the courts that Congress does not want NIH expending federal taxpayer funds on unethical and unnecessary embryonic stem cell research that requires the destruction of living human embryos."

Source: Jubilee Campaign's Law of Life Project

Prebirth Baby Shower Videos Re-Stir Interest in Ultrasound Mandate

Last February, the ACLU released an Illinois-based poll saying that only one in three thought doctors offering ultrasounds to expectant mothers before undergoing an abortion was acceptable.  The poll, conducted by Fako & Associates of suburban Lisle, found the majority of both men (57%) and women (53%) opposed the bill.

But now, only a year later, ultrasounds are in the news again. Ultrasounds have become so popular, that expectant mothers are hiring medical technicians to provide entertainment at their baby showers. A live, in utero introduction to a welcomed baby has now become the "must do" for trendy moms.

But ultrasounds being offered to expectant moms outraged Illinois' ACLU activists in 2012. The bill required abortionists to simply offer an ultrasound to all clients considering an abortion. All the woman would need to do to opt out is decline the offer in writing, using a form provided by the abortionist and retained by the Departent of Public Health.

HB 4085 would have provided mothers an image of their expectant child and insight into its superficial health condition.

Another attempt at offering ultrasound images of an unborn child may find less resistance among the public in 2013, but it's for certain the ACLU will remain firmly opposed.

Source: Illinois Review