In the USA, abortion numbers have been slowly but steadily declining since 1990. Despite this drop, 887,000 babies were aborted in 2016. This is down from 913,000 in 2015. Of course, abortion proponents will argue that this decline means that laws are infringing on their “right” to abort their children. But let’s put this number in perspective. In 2016, abortion wiped out 887,000 babies, the number of people in San Francisco. Can you imagine the media reporting the loss of nearly a million lives? And yet, abortion continues.
For 46 years, the church has largely been “singing,” that is, doing other things so that they don’t have to hear the cries of the unborn. Can Christians really ignore this tragedy? Can real Christians continue to turn away from the slaughter of innocent lives? How far will the church go to avoid the shedding of innocent blood?
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January 3, 2019
January 2, 2019
By one vote, Ohio Legislature fails to override Kasich veto of heartbeat bill
In a heartbreaking loss, the Ohio Senate failed to reach the required votes to override Ohio Governor John Kasich’s veto of the “heartbeat bill.” House Bill 258 passed the House in a 60-28 vote, but failed 19-13 by a single vote in the Senate, as it needed 20 votes to pass. The bill banning abortion once a baby’s heartbeat is detected will not go into law.
This comes just a week after Ohio governor John Kasich vetoed the heartbeat bill for the second time in two years. At the same time Kasich vetoed the heartbeat bill, he signed into law a bill banning D&E (dilation and evacuation) abortions. As Live Action News previously reported, “The legislation will also penalize doctors who break the new law and continue to commit these barbaric abortions.”
Click here for more from Live Action News.
‘Pro-life’ John Kasich vetoes bill banning abortions on babies with heartbeats
Outgoing Ohio Gov. John Kasich vetoed for the second time a bill that would have prevented babies with beating hearts from being aborted. Kasich who is a former Republican presidential candidate, touted his allegedly “pro-life” views as he explained his veto.
“As governor, I have worked hard to strengthen Ohio’s protections for the sanctity of human life, and I have a deep respect for my fellow members of the pro-life community and their ongoing efforts in defense of unborn life,” said Kasich. “However, the central provision of Sub. H.B. 258, that an abortion cannot be performed if a heartbeat has been detected in the unborn child, is contrary to the Supreme Court of the United States’ current rulings on abortion.”
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“As governor, I have worked hard to strengthen Ohio’s protections for the sanctity of human life, and I have a deep respect for my fellow members of the pro-life community and their ongoing efforts in defense of unborn life,” said Kasich. “However, the central provision of Sub. H.B. 258, that an abortion cannot be performed if a heartbeat has been detected in the unborn child, is contrary to the Supreme Court of the United States’ current rulings on abortion.”
Click here for more from Life Site News.
Physician argues there is growing opposition within the American Medical Association to Physician-Assisted Suicide
Shane E. Macaulay, MD, is a radiologist with Center for Diagnostic Imaging in Washington state, twice selected as one of Seattle’s Top Doctors, and an AMA Alternate Delegate from Washington state. Dr. Macaulay wrote an excellent article that was published by the MedPage on December 21.
Macaulay comments on the American Medical Association (AMA) assisted suicide debate. For more than two years pro-assisted suicide members of the AMA have been working to change the AMA position on Physician Assisted Suicide (PAS) from opposed to neutral.
Macaulay opposes a change in the AMA position on PAS) and argues that the AMA is moving towards maintaining its opposition to PAS) rather than moving to a neutral position.
Click here for more from NRL News Today.
Macaulay comments on the American Medical Association (AMA) assisted suicide debate. For more than two years pro-assisted suicide members of the AMA have been working to change the AMA position on Physician Assisted Suicide (PAS) from opposed to neutral.
Macaulay opposes a change in the AMA position on PAS) and argues that the AMA is moving towards maintaining its opposition to PAS) rather than moving to a neutral position.
Click here for more from NRL News Today.
Supreme Court could agree to hear as early as January 4 a challenge to Indiana law banning abortions of babies diagnosed with a disability
This week the legal publication, The Indiana Lawyer posted a story reminding us that the justices of the Supreme Court will meet for their first conference of 2019 on January 4.
At that time they begin consideration of what cases the High Court will hear in 2019, which would include Indiana’s HEA 1337. That law, signed by then-Gov. Mike Pence, bans abortion for the sole reasons of the child’s race, sex, or a potential disability such as Down syndrome. HEA 1337 requires that women be informed of this prohibition as part of Indiana informed consent process.
HEA 1337 also requires that abortion clinics bury or cremate the remains of aborted babies in a dignified fashion.
Four of the nine justices must vote to accept a case, according to the Supreme Court rules.
Click here for more from NRL News Today.
At that time they begin consideration of what cases the High Court will hear in 2019, which would include Indiana’s HEA 1337. That law, signed by then-Gov. Mike Pence, bans abortion for the sole reasons of the child’s race, sex, or a potential disability such as Down syndrome. HEA 1337 requires that women be informed of this prohibition as part of Indiana informed consent process.
HEA 1337 also requires that abortion clinics bury or cremate the remains of aborted babies in a dignified fashion.
Four of the nine justices must vote to accept a case, according to the Supreme Court rules.
Click here for more from NRL News Today.
December 21, 2018
Merry Christmas - A Savior is Born!
The Illinois Federation for Right to Life would like to wish you and your family a Blessed and Safe Christmas.
Nineteen states ask Supreme Court to uphold Down syndrome abortion ban
Planned Parenthood of Indiana and Kentucky has joined with the American Civil Liberties Union in suing to overturn a 2016 Indiana law stating that a preborn baby cannot be aborted “solely because of the fetus’s race, color, national origin, ancestry, sex, or diagnosis or potential diagnosis of the fetus having Down syndrome or any other disability.” Now, a 19-state coalition has joined together to issue a friend-of-the-court brief, urging the Supreme Court of the United States to uphold state laws banning abortion based on disability, gender, or race. These laws are commonly referenced as banning abortion due to Down syndrome, as babies diagnosed with Down syndrome prenatally are very likely to become victims of abortion.
In September of 2016, Judge Tanya Walton Pratt ruled in favor of Planned Parenthood and the ACLU, despite acknowledging that the rate of abortion for preborn babies with Down syndrome is high, writing that “the parties are essentially in agreement that a significant number of women have sought, and will continue to seek, an abortion solely because of the diagnosis of a disability or the risk thereof” and that the CEO of Planned Parenthood of Indiana and Kentucky swore that they would continue to commit abortions “solely because of a diagnosis of fetal Down syndrome or other genetic disabilities or the possibility of such a diagnosis.”
Click here for more from Live Action News.
In September of 2016, Judge Tanya Walton Pratt ruled in favor of Planned Parenthood and the ACLU, despite acknowledging that the rate of abortion for preborn babies with Down syndrome is high, writing that “the parties are essentially in agreement that a significant number of women have sought, and will continue to seek, an abortion solely because of the diagnosis of a disability or the risk thereof” and that the CEO of Planned Parenthood of Indiana and Kentucky swore that they would continue to commit abortions “solely because of a diagnosis of fetal Down syndrome or other genetic disabilities or the possibility of such a diagnosis.”
Click here for more from Live Action News.
NY Times report says Planned Parenthood discriminates against pregnant employees
Planned Parenthood, the taxpayer-funded abortion organization that bills itself as a champion and provider of essential women’s healthcare discriminates against pregnant women, gives employees lackluster pay, and subjects them to other forms of mistreatment, according to a bombshell report in the New York Times.
On Thursday, the Times published a report detailing multiple complaints against the abortion giant that contrast sharply with its prevailing depiction in the mainstream media. The paper spoke to “more than a dozen current and former employees” with horror stories, and notes that a dozen lawsuits have been filed since 2013 alleging denial of rest periods, lunch breaks, and overtime pay, as well as retaliation for pregnancy and taking advantage of medical leave.
Click here for more from Life Site News.
On Thursday, the Times published a report detailing multiple complaints against the abortion giant that contrast sharply with its prevailing depiction in the mainstream media. The paper spoke to “more than a dozen current and former employees” with horror stories, and notes that a dozen lawsuits have been filed since 2013 alleging denial of rest periods, lunch breaks, and overtime pay, as well as retaliation for pregnancy and taking advantage of medical leave.
Click here for more from Life Site News.
December 20, 2018
Pro-life groups blast US govt. health exec for defending research using aborted babies
As the Trump administration reevaluates its funding of medical research on tissue from aborted babies, pro-life groups are calling for National Institutes of Health (NIH) Director Francis Collins (pictured) to be rebuked or removed for continuing to defend the ethically-fraught practice.
The controversy began in August when a notice from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) surfaced detailing a contract to the fetal tissue procurement firm Advanced Bioscience Resources, Inc. (ABR) to acquire “Tissue for Humanized Mice.” Dozens of pro-life leaders and House members successfully pressured the FDA and Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to terminate the contract, but concerns remained over nearly $100 million in tax dollars that continued to pay for other research using tissue and organs from aborted babies.
Click here for more from Life Site News.
The controversy began in August when a notice from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) surfaced detailing a contract to the fetal tissue procurement firm Advanced Bioscience Resources, Inc. (ABR) to acquire “Tissue for Humanized Mice.” Dozens of pro-life leaders and House members successfully pressured the FDA and Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to terminate the contract, but concerns remained over nearly $100 million in tax dollars that continued to pay for other research using tissue and organs from aborted babies.
Click here for more from Life Site News.
Pro-life law firm asks Illinois Supreme Court to stop taxpayer funding of abortion
Attorneys from the Thomas More Society are appealing to the Illinois Supreme Court to stop a state law requiring taxpayer funding of abortions for Medicaid recipients.
According to the December 17, 2018 filing on behalf of hundreds of thousands of Illinois taxpayers, the funding for the law violates the state constitution’s balanced budget requirement. In September 2018, an appellate court upheld the dismissal of a lawsuit against the funding for the law, previously known as “House Bill 40.”
Click here for more from Life Site News.
Planned Parenthood fights requirement of pelvic exam prior to a chemical abortion
It has been previously written about women leaving states with protective abortion laws to go to Illinois where abortions are easy to come by, there is no requirement that women reflect on their decision, and the industry is essentially unregulated.
But here’s a new low, even by Planned Parenthood’s standards.
The St. Louis Post-Dispatch, in a story that ran Tuesday, reported that “Enforcement of a rule requiring women to have a pelvic exam before receiving a pill abortion is sending Missouri’s Planned Parenthood patients to Illinois.”
Reporter Jack Suntrup channeled the response of the abortion industry captured by Dr. David Eisenberg, medical director at Planned Parenthood in the Central West End, who told Suntrup that he informs women they can go to Illinois—which “100%” do.
Suntrup wrote that the Department of Health and Senior Services’ [DHSS] requirement “puts the state at odds with guidance from the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, or ACOG, which does not recommend requiring pelvic exams prior to medication abortions. The group says pelvic exams are medically unnecessary prior to medication abortions in most cases.”
Click here for more from NRL News Today.
But here’s a new low, even by Planned Parenthood’s standards.
The St. Louis Post-Dispatch, in a story that ran Tuesday, reported that “Enforcement of a rule requiring women to have a pelvic exam before receiving a pill abortion is sending Missouri’s Planned Parenthood patients to Illinois.”
Reporter Jack Suntrup channeled the response of the abortion industry captured by Dr. David Eisenberg, medical director at Planned Parenthood in the Central West End, who told Suntrup that he informs women they can go to Illinois—which “100%” do.
Suntrup wrote that the Department of Health and Senior Services’ [DHSS] requirement “puts the state at odds with guidance from the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, or ACOG, which does not recommend requiring pelvic exams prior to medication abortions. The group says pelvic exams are medically unnecessary prior to medication abortions in most cases.”
Click here for more from NRL News Today.
December 19, 2018
Abortion giant admits 'it's a baby' in sex-ed video
"Planned Parenthood has begun releasing videos for parents basically explaining sex education to their children," says Katie Yoder, content manager at National Review. "This latest video came out actually came out November 14, but it didn't receive a lot of attention. It's called 'How Do I Talk With My Kids About Where Babies Come From?' – and Planned Parenthood's narrator talks about how 'a baby grows in the parent's belly' and 'if sperm and egg meet, they can grow into a baby.'"
That, says Yoder, is huge.
"Planned Parenthood is the nation's largest abortion-provider and here they are admitting that it's a baby that's growing inside a woman's womb," she continues. "It's not just a clump of cells or some kind of disease – [they admit] it's a baby."
Click here for more from One News Now.
That, says Yoder, is huge.
"Planned Parenthood is the nation's largest abortion-provider and here they are admitting that it's a baby that's growing inside a woman's womb," she continues. "It's not just a clump of cells or some kind of disease – [they admit] it's a baby."
Click here for more from One News Now.
NIH director under fire for calling research using aborted babies ‘justified’
At a time when a fetal tissue research debate took place on Capitol Hill, National Institutes of Health (NIH) director Francis Collins made comments that seem to directly contradict the position of the Trump Administration’s Department of Health and Human Services on searching for alternatives to fetal tissue research. In statements quoted by Science Magazine, Collins claimed that research done using the bodies of aborted children is “scientifically, highly justified” and “will continue to be the mainstay” in scientific research. He also claimed, without elaboration, that it could be “done with an ethical framework.”
Science Magazine notes that the “NIH has halted procurement of fetal tissue by its own scientists,” but in most cases, research continues using frozen tissue from aborted children. And yet, hidden in the article is a statement that reveals a significant problem with research using fetal tissue: “The agency also revealed that a third lab will need new fetal tissue by 31 January 2019.” In other words, the continuation of this research is dependent upon the act of killing living children in utero — a fact that leads many to surmise that there is no way to make the research “ethical.”
Click here for more from Live Action News.
Science Magazine notes that the “NIH has halted procurement of fetal tissue by its own scientists,” but in most cases, research continues using frozen tissue from aborted children. And yet, hidden in the article is a statement that reveals a significant problem with research using fetal tissue: “The agency also revealed that a third lab will need new fetal tissue by 31 January 2019.” In other words, the continuation of this research is dependent upon the act of killing living children in utero — a fact that leads many to surmise that there is no way to make the research “ethical.”
Click here for more from Live Action News.
VIDEO: MSNBC host announces pregnancy with ultrasound: ‘I have a baby in my belly’
An MSNBC anchor revealed her third baby is on the way with a pregnancy announcement that contrasted sharply with the network’s pro-abortion leanings.
“That will do it from me this hour, except it won’t, because I have a little bit of other news to show you,” Katy Tur said at the end of her broadcast last Thursday. “A lot of eagle-eyed folks out there have noticed, so here it is, roll the tape.”
The screen then displayed an ultrasound of a recognizable baby several months along.
.@KatyTurNBC has an announcement … pic.twitter.com/kERZrqLHRK— MSNBC (@MSNBC) December 13, 2018
December 18, 2018
Illegally prescribing controlled drugs has become a trend among abortionists
Abortion activists often claim that legalized abortion is necessary to protect women, but the existence of substandard care in the largely unregulated abortion industry says otherwise. The argument that women will seek out “back alley” abortions if it becomes illegal fails to hold water. Studies show that women are less likely to seek elective abortion when it is illegal or restricted. But possibly the most important oversight of this pro-abortion argument is that four decades of legal abortion reveals that it is not “safe” and legal abortion facilities are not well regulated. Reports available to the public show that when abortion facilities are inspected, horrific violations of health and safety standards have been found. Some abortion facilities go uninspected for years.
In addition to these substandard conditions, there is a trend of abortionists illegally prescribing controlled substances. While the nation grapples with an opioid epidemic that killed more than 130 people every day in opioid-related drug overdoses in 2016 and 2017, several prominent abortionists have been illegally selling prescriptions for narcotics or prescribing for friends under the table.
Click here for more from Live Action News.
In addition to these substandard conditions, there is a trend of abortionists illegally prescribing controlled substances. While the nation grapples with an opioid epidemic that killed more than 130 people every day in opioid-related drug overdoses in 2016 and 2017, several prominent abortionists have been illegally selling prescriptions for narcotics or prescribing for friends under the table.
Click here for more from Live Action News.
Federal judge strikes down Obamacare as unconstitutional, Trump praises decision
A federal judge in Texas has struck down the whole of the Affordable Care Act, also known as “Obamacare,” as unconstitutional and holds that the federal mandate requiring the purchase of health insurance is unconstitutional, and that as a consequence, the whole of the Affordable Care Act (ACA) is legally invalid.
The ruling, if upheld on appeal, may give President Trump and pro-life representatives in Congress the opportunity to further reduce or eliminate the ACA’s subsidies for abortion.
Click here for more from Life Site News.
The ruling, if upheld on appeal, may give President Trump and pro-life representatives in Congress the opportunity to further reduce or eliminate the ACA’s subsidies for abortion.
Click here for more from Life Site News.
December 17, 2018
Pro-life medical expert tells Congressional panel aborted baby tissue isn’t necessary for research
Dr. Tara Sander Lee is an Associate Scholar with the pro-life Charlotte Lozier Institute. She holds a PhD in biochemistry, studied molecular and cell biology at Boston Children’s Hospital and Harvard Medical School, and has 20 years of experience with both academic and clinical medicine.
Click here for more from Life Site News.
These Baby Shower-Style Workshops Are Empowering Illinois Women to Choose Life
Earlier this year, the Family Life Center of Illinois added a fun new component to its prenatal program: baby shower-style workshops that educate and celebrate clients through each trimester of pregnancy.
Kathy Potter, R.N., (pictured) who serves as the center’s nurse manager and sonographer, oversees the prenatal program and its new set of workshops, an idea which she implemented after learning about a similar program in another state. The sessions consist of three group classes in which participants watch videos that teach them about pregnancy, and in the spirit of a festive baby shower, include games, snacks, and prizes. The women can even bring a guest.
Click here for more from NRL News Today.
Kathy Potter, R.N., (pictured) who serves as the center’s nurse manager and sonographer, oversees the prenatal program and its new set of workshops, an idea which she implemented after learning about a similar program in another state. The sessions consist of three group classes in which participants watch videos that teach them about pregnancy, and in the spirit of a festive baby shower, include games, snacks, and prizes. The women can even bring a guest.
Click here for more from NRL News Today.
December 14, 2018
Bill recognizing 'reproductive rights' as human rights introduced in US House
A bill was introduced Monday in the US House of Representatives to require that the State Department include “reproductive rights” in its annual human rights report. The Reproductive Rights are Human Rights Act of 2018 was introduced Dec. 10 by Rep. Katherine Clark (D-MA-5), and was referred to the House Committee on Foreign Affairs.
“‘Reproductive rights’ has long been a euphemism for destroying human life in the womb,” said Lila Rose, founder and president of the pro-life group Live Action, said when the report was released in April.
Click here for more on the bill.
Click here for more from CNA/EWTN News.
“‘Reproductive rights’ has long been a euphemism for destroying human life in the womb,” said Lila Rose, founder and president of the pro-life group Live Action, said when the report was released in April.
Click here for more on the bill.
Click here for more from CNA/EWTN News.
Scientific experts tell House subcommittee there are many proven alternatives to using tissue from aborted babies for research
A congressional subcommittee heard testimony yesterday from three experts on the now-more-important-than-ever issue of ethical alternatives to scavenging fetal tissue from aborted babies.
Tara Sander Lee, Ph. D., an Associate Scholar with Charlotte Lozier Institute, told the subcommittee
I stand before you today with a message of hope. We do not need fetal body parts from aborted babies to achieve future scientific and medical advancements. … [S]cience speaks for itself. After over 100 years of research, no therapies have been discovered or developed that require aborted fetal tissues.
David Prentice, Ph.D, an advisory board member and Chair for the Midwest Stem Cell Therapy Center, talked specifically not only about the ethical issues raised, the importance of federal funding going to therapies that work, but also a number of alternatives:
There is no scientific necessity for the continued taxpayer funding of fresh fetal tissue, organs, and body parts from induced abortion. Ample scientific alternatives exist, and modern alternatives have overtaken any need for fresh fetal tissue. Moreover, the practice of using fetal tissue from induced abortion raises significant ethical problems, not least of which is the nebulous interpretation of the term “valuable consideration” or compensation for expenses in the harvest and processing of fetal organs and tissues. Taxpayer funding, which is what this discussion is really about, should go to successful, patient-focused.
In his written testimony, Prentice offered a detailed overview of alternatives to fetal tissue. He began with adult stem cell transplants about which NRL News Today has written frequently:
A 2015 review found that as of December 2012, over one million patients had been treated with adult stem cells. The review only addressed hematopoietic (blood-forming) adult stem cells, not other adult stem cell types, so this is a significant underestimate of the patients who have benefitted from adult stem cell therapies.
A public face for such patients can be found at the educational website stemcellresearchfacts.org, where patients successfully treated with noncontroversial adult stem cells tell their stories in short video vignettes, backed by peer-reviewed publications.
There are at present at least 3,500 ongoing or completed clinical trials using adult stem cells listed in the NIH/FDA-approved database, with over 70,000 people around the globe receiving adult stem cell transplants each year for different conditions. Use of adult and cord blood stem cells in clinical therapy is growing rapidly.
Click here for more from NRL News Today.
Tara Sander Lee, Ph. D., an Associate Scholar with Charlotte Lozier Institute, told the subcommittee
I stand before you today with a message of hope. We do not need fetal body parts from aborted babies to achieve future scientific and medical advancements. … [S]cience speaks for itself. After over 100 years of research, no therapies have been discovered or developed that require aborted fetal tissues.
David Prentice, Ph.D, an advisory board member and Chair for the Midwest Stem Cell Therapy Center, talked specifically not only about the ethical issues raised, the importance of federal funding going to therapies that work, but also a number of alternatives:
There is no scientific necessity for the continued taxpayer funding of fresh fetal tissue, organs, and body parts from induced abortion. Ample scientific alternatives exist, and modern alternatives have overtaken any need for fresh fetal tissue. Moreover, the practice of using fetal tissue from induced abortion raises significant ethical problems, not least of which is the nebulous interpretation of the term “valuable consideration” or compensation for expenses in the harvest and processing of fetal organs and tissues. Taxpayer funding, which is what this discussion is really about, should go to successful, patient-focused.
In his written testimony, Prentice offered a detailed overview of alternatives to fetal tissue. He began with adult stem cell transplants about which NRL News Today has written frequently:
A 2015 review found that as of December 2012, over one million patients had been treated with adult stem cells. The review only addressed hematopoietic (blood-forming) adult stem cells, not other adult stem cell types, so this is a significant underestimate of the patients who have benefitted from adult stem cell therapies.
A public face for such patients can be found at the educational website stemcellresearchfacts.org, where patients successfully treated with noncontroversial adult stem cells tell their stories in short video vignettes, backed by peer-reviewed publications.
There are at present at least 3,500 ongoing or completed clinical trials using adult stem cells listed in the NIH/FDA-approved database, with over 70,000 people around the globe receiving adult stem cell transplants each year for different conditions. Use of adult and cord blood stem cells in clinical therapy is growing rapidly.
Click here for more from NRL News Today.
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