NEWS SHORTS FOR THURSDAY

Disclaimer: The linked items below or the websites at which they are located do not necessarily represent the views of The Illinois Federation for Right to Life. They are presented only for your information.

Ten Years Later, See How Samuel is Doing Now

Nearly 10 years after a stunning photograph of his tiny hand traveled the world, Samuel Armas has a firm grip on what "The Hand of Hope" means to him. "When I see that picture, the first thing I think of is how special and lucky I am to have God use me that way," Samuel told FOXNews.com. "I feel very thankful that I was in that picture." On Aug. 19, 1999, photographer Michael Clancy shot the "Fetal Hand Grasp" — his picture of a 21-week-old fetus grasping a doctor's finger during innovative surgery to correct spina bifida. Nearly four months later, on Dec. 2, Samuel Armas was "born famous." The photo, which first appeared in USA Today on Sept. 7, 1999, quickly spread across the globe as proof of development in the womb and was later cited during congressional debates on the Partial-Birth Abortion Ban Act, which passed in 2000.
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Texas bill proposes to punish infanticide with mere two-year maximum in jail

A Texas bill proposing to reduce significantly the penalty for the murder of young infants by their mothers conveys the message that newborns and infants are "less valuable people," a Texas pro-life leader warns.

The introduced version of House Bill 3318 adds the offense of "infanticide" to the Texas penal code. It defines infanticide as a state jail felony "if the person willfully by an act or omission causes the death of a child to whom the person gave birth within the 12-month period preceding the child’s death" and if the person’s judgment was impaired as a result of the effects of giving birth or the effects of lactation following the birth.
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FDA Approved Another Drug That Kills Babies in the Womb

Group Wants Boxed Warning on 'Abortion Causing' Constipation Drug

Consumer advocates are calling on the Food and Drug Administration to add stronger warning labels about risks for pregnant women related to a constipation drug. The FDA has approved Amitiza to treat chronic constipation and irritable bowel syndome, and it was prescribed more than 1 million times last year. The drug is marketed by Sucampo Pharmaceuticals Inc. and Takeda Pharmaceuticals Co. The label warns that the pills have not been studied in pregnant women and that mothers-to-be should use the drug only "if the potential benefits justify the potential risk to the fetus." But Public Citizen says that note isn't good enough. The consumer watchdog group filed a petition with the FDA on Wednesday demanding the drug receive a "black box" warning, the strongest type available. The group's petition points out that a chemically similar drug called misoprostol carries the boxed warning, stating that it can cause "abortion and premature birth." That drug, marketed by Pfizer Inc. as Cytotec, is approved to treat gastric ulcers, but is used off-label to hasten labor or cause an abortion, according to Public Citizen.
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DA Reviewing Footage of Sexual Abuse Cover up at Planned Parenthood Used in State Legislation

The Shelby County District Attorney's Office is reviewing whether to begin an investigation of a Memphis Planned Parenthood Clinic. It was recently revealed that one of the clinic employees told an alleged victim of statutory rape to hide the identity of her perpetrator. The videotape of this employee was cited by state legislators in conjunction with a proposed bill to divert taxpayer subsidies from Planned Parenthood. The bill passed a Tennessee House of Representatives Health & Human Resources sub-Committee on Monday.
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Related News...

Planned Parenthood's Funding Questioned

Some state lawmakers are questioning whether Planned Parenthood should get federal funding to offer birth control and other services in Tennessee. Two weeks ago, a video surfaced that appears to show an employee at a Memphis clinic advising an underage girl to lie in order to get an abortion. The video appears to show a woman claiming to be 14 years old and pregnant by her 31-year-old boyfriend. She's seeking an abortion at the Planned Parenthood clinic in Memphis, and the employee tells her to lie about her boyfriend's age. 
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New Kansas Governor Has a Spider's Web of Ties to Abortion Scandals

Since former Kansas Governor Kathleen Sebelius has moved on to her new post with the Obama administration, Kansas now has a new governor, Mark Parkinson, who appears to be picking up where the radical abortion supporter, Sebelius, left off.

"Sebelius has been replaced with a Sebelius puppet, at least as far as the abortion issue is concerned," said Operation Rescue President Troy Newman.
Parkinson stated in no uncertain terms at a press conference last week that he would be carrying the pro-abortion torch in Sebelius' stead.
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