Pro-Life Group Asks for Comments on Obama's New Embryonic Stem Cell Policy
Washington, DC (LifeNews.com) -- The Family Research Council is asking pro-life advocates to submit their official comments in opposition to the new policy of the Obama administration funding embryonic stem cell research. President Barack Obama overturned President Bush's policy that protected taxpayers from funding new embryonic stem cell research that involves the destruction of human life. "President Bush's policy erected a wall and did not encourage the further killing of human embryos for their cells," FRC president Tony Perkins said. He said Obama's executive order "opened the floodgates for funding more embryonic stem cell research that creates an incentive to create and destroy human embryos." Obama designated the National Institutes of Health (NIH) to draft guidelines for distributing funds for this research. Last week, April 23, NIH officially posted draft guidelines to open federal funding for research on human embryonic stem cells. "What these guidelines do is send your tax dollars to experiment on stem cells taken from human embryos that supposedly are 'leftover' from in vitro fertilization. Instead of promoting the adoption of these human embryos, these draft guidelines would require their death," Perkins explains. The public comment period on these draft regulations is 30 days and FRC asks hat you submit comments to oppose these regulations on or before May 26, 2009. To submit your comment, please go to this web site and fill out the form with your comment.
Washington, DC (LifeNews.com) -- The Family Research Council is asking pro-life advocates to submit their official comments in opposition to the new policy of the Obama administration funding embryonic stem cell research. President Barack Obama overturned President Bush's policy that protected taxpayers from funding new embryonic stem cell research that involves the destruction of human life. "President Bush's policy erected a wall and did not encourage the further killing of human embryos for their cells," FRC president Tony Perkins said. He said Obama's executive order "opened the floodgates for funding more embryonic stem cell research that creates an incentive to create and destroy human embryos." Obama designated the National Institutes of Health (NIH) to draft guidelines for distributing funds for this research. Last week, April 23, NIH officially posted draft guidelines to open federal funding for research on human embryonic stem cells. "What these guidelines do is send your tax dollars to experiment on stem cells taken from human embryos that supposedly are 'leftover' from in vitro fertilization. Instead of promoting the adoption of these human embryos, these draft guidelines would require their death," Perkins explains. The public comment period on these draft regulations is 30 days and FRC asks hat you submit comments to oppose these regulations on or before May 26, 2009. To submit your comment, please go to this web site and fill out the form with your comment.
Image via WikipediaAbortion Advocates Want Woman to Replace Souter, See Johnsen as Prep Battle
Washington, DC (LifeNews.com) -- Responding to the news that pro-abortion Supreme Court Justice David Souter plans to step down at the end of his term in June, leading abortion advocates say they want a woman to replace him. The National Organization for Women and other abortion advocates started the drumbeat for a woman last week. "It changes the discussion when you have women at the table," said Kim Gandy, president of NOW. "I think it's very important for us to return to a minimum of two women on the court." Gandy says she is not making potential names of pro-abortion nominees her group wants public for fear that they will come under political attack. "I don't want any nominee to be attacked based on who submitted their name," said Gandy. Nancy Keenan, president of NARAL, another top pro-abortion group, would not go along with the suggestion that any pro-abortion nominee will have a slam dunk in a Senate that is dominated by abortion advocates. "You cannot assume, and we do not take for granted, that this is going to be easy," she said. Keenan sees the nomination of pro-abortion former NARAL lawyer Dawn Johnsen, Obama's pick to head the Justice Department's Office of Legal Counsel, as a preparatory battle for fighting for a Supreme Court pick. That is the dress rehearsal for the big dance, which happens to be the Supreme Court," Keenan says. The right is trying to find that tactic that works so they can lodge a filibuster and be successful."
Washington, DC (LifeNews.com) -- Responding to the news that pro-abortion Supreme Court Justice David Souter plans to step down at the end of his term in June, leading abortion advocates say they want a woman to replace him. The National Organization for Women and other abortion advocates started the drumbeat for a woman last week. "It changes the discussion when you have women at the table," said Kim Gandy, president of NOW. "I think it's very important for us to return to a minimum of two women on the court." Gandy says she is not making potential names of pro-abortion nominees her group wants public for fear that they will come under political attack. "I don't want any nominee to be attacked based on who submitted their name," said Gandy. Nancy Keenan, president of NARAL, another top pro-abortion group, would not go along with the suggestion that any pro-abortion nominee will have a slam dunk in a Senate that is dominated by abortion advocates. "You cannot assume, and we do not take for granted, that this is going to be easy," she said. Keenan sees the nomination of pro-abortion former NARAL lawyer Dawn Johnsen, Obama's pick to head the Justice Department's Office of Legal Counsel, as a preparatory battle for fighting for a Supreme Court pick. That is the dress rehearsal for the big dance, which happens to be the Supreme Court," Keenan says. The right is trying to find that tactic that works so they can lodge a filibuster and be successful."
Obama Admin Included "Alternative Media" Like LifeNews.com In Terrorism List
Washington, DC (LifeNews.com) -- Last month, the Obama administration came under intense criticism from Americans of all stripes after it listed pro-life advocates and others among a list of potential right-wing extremists and terrorists. Now, a new WorldNetDaily report indicates that alternative media web sites like WND and LifeNews.com were also included in a separate Obama administration memo released two weeks before the one that included pro-life advocates. Though the Obama admin almost immediately rescinded the "Domestic Extremism Lexicon" report, dated March 26, 2009, several web sites have recently published the memo. The lexicon states its purpose is to provide "definitions for key terms and phrases that often appear in DHS analysis that addresses the nature and scope of the threat that domestic, non-Islamic extremism poses to the United States." Under the definitions, the DHS memo includes web sites like WND and LifeNews.com that qualify as "alternative media," or, as the Obama administration put it, "a term used to describe various information sources that provide a forum for interpretations of events and issues that differ radically from those presented in mass media products and outlets." With the mainstream media taking a decidedly pro-abortion view and endorsing Obama's repeated executive orders, appointments and other actions promoting abortion, LifeNews.com appears to have made the list. The Obama administration reportedly rescinded the memo "within minutes" of issuing it, but gave no reason for issuing it or taking it back.
Washington, DC (LifeNews.com) -- Last month, the Obama administration came under intense criticism from Americans of all stripes after it listed pro-life advocates and others among a list of potential right-wing extremists and terrorists. Now, a new WorldNetDaily report indicates that alternative media web sites like WND and LifeNews.com were also included in a separate Obama administration memo released two weeks before the one that included pro-life advocates. Though the Obama admin almost immediately rescinded the "Domestic Extremism Lexicon" report, dated March 26, 2009, several web sites have recently published the memo. The lexicon states its purpose is to provide "definitions for key terms and phrases that often appear in DHS analysis that addresses the nature and scope of the threat that domestic, non-Islamic extremism poses to the United States." Under the definitions, the DHS memo includes web sites like WND and LifeNews.com that qualify as "alternative media," or, as the Obama administration put it, "a term used to describe various information sources that provide a forum for interpretations of events and issues that differ radically from those presented in mass media products and outlets." With the mainstream media taking a decidedly pro-abortion view and endorsing Obama's repeated executive orders, appointments and other actions promoting abortion, LifeNews.com appears to have made the list. The Obama administration reportedly rescinded the memo "within minutes" of issuing it, but gave no reason for issuing it or taking it back.
Abortions Not Increasing Among Cancer Survivors, New Denmark Report Shows
New York, NY (LifeNews.com) -- A new report shows women who survive childhood cancer are no more or less likely to opt for an abortion during pregnancy than unaffected women, new research from Denmark suggests. These findings run counter to those in a recent report from the United States in which induced abortions were significantly more common among female cancer survivors than among their female siblings without a cancer history. The current population-based study, published in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute, included 1688 childhood cancer survivors. Dr. Jeannette Falck Winther, from the Danish Cancer Society, Copenhagen, and colleagues compared the abortion rate in this group with the rate in 2737 sisters of the survivors and in 16,700 randomly selected "control" subjects. The abortion rate in the survivor group was 19.7 percent, exactly the same rate noted in the population control group and only slightly higher than that in their sisters, 18.9 percent. "The findings of the study suggest that female cancer survivors who are able to become pregnant believe and act as if they are healthy enough to be parents and are willing to carry through a pregnancy," the authors conclude.
New York, NY (LifeNews.com) -- A new report shows women who survive childhood cancer are no more or less likely to opt for an abortion during pregnancy than unaffected women, new research from Denmark suggests. These findings run counter to those in a recent report from the United States in which induced abortions were significantly more common among female cancer survivors than among their female siblings without a cancer history. The current population-based study, published in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute, included 1688 childhood cancer survivors. Dr. Jeannette Falck Winther, from the Danish Cancer Society, Copenhagen, and colleagues compared the abortion rate in this group with the rate in 2737 sisters of the survivors and in 16,700 randomly selected "control" subjects. The abortion rate in the survivor group was 19.7 percent, exactly the same rate noted in the population control group and only slightly higher than that in their sisters, 18.9 percent. "The findings of the study suggest that female cancer survivors who are able to become pregnant believe and act as if they are healthy enough to be parents and are willing to carry through a pregnancy," the authors conclude.
Alabama Nurse in Botched Abortion Case Will Face Trial in November
Montgomery, AL (LifeNews.com) -- The nurse in a botched abortion and medical paperwork falsification case is set for a trial to begin in November. Janet F. Onthank King, a nurse at the now-defunct Summit Medical Center abortion business in Birmingham, gave the dangerous RU 486 abortion drug to a woman with severely high blood pressure who needed medical attention. State health officials found significant concerns at Summit and the abortion facility was permanently closed in June 2006 after state health officials found numerous violations, including the botched abortion case. Following the incident, King falsified the medical records and authorities eventually charged her with misdemeanor charges including performing illegal abortions. The abortion center nurse could face six months on each conviction. A Jefferson County, Alabama, judge recently set the trial date of November 2. Originally set for January 2008, the trial was postponed while state appeals courts considered appeals of a pretrial ruling by Circuit Judge Gloria Bahakel. Bahakel had ruled that defense lawyers Richard Jaffe and Derek Drennan could present evidence that King was acting under authorization from the abortion practitioner, Deborah Lyn Levich. Although the Court of Criminal Appeals ruled that the evidence could not be presented at trial, the state's high court later overturned the lower appeals court ruling and sided with Bahakel.
Singapore Sees Abortion Totals Rise, Underpopulation Over Economic Downturn
Singapore, Singapore (LifeNews.com) -- Just as initial numbers in the United States are showing an increase in the number of abortions thanks to the poor economy, the Asian nation-state of Singapore is experiencing the same phenomenon. The country is also experiencing an underpopulation problem and the increase in abortions isn't helping. Despite a national campaign to boost the birthrate, Singapore has one of Asia's most pro-abortion policies and the global financial crisis could be prompting more abortions. A Ministry of Health spokeswoman said there were 12,222 abortions in the city-state last year, compared to 11,933 in 2007. No official figures are available for 2009. Abortion practitioner Saifuddin Sidek told AP his private practice had recorded a 20 percent rise in abortion customers so far this year compared with the same period last year. "A lot of them are because of the current economic climate," he said. He said the government programs to try to increase the birth rate fall short when couples think about the economy. "No matter what incentives the government gives, (parents) may find it a bit hard to make ends meet, especially if they already have more than (one or) two children," he said. Government figures show 39,935 babies delivered in 2008, well below the 60,000 Singapore needs just to maintain its native population. Latest official data put the 2007 fertility rate, the number of births for each woman in her lifetime, at 1.29 births. The ideal population replacement rate is 2.1 births per woman.
Rally Sees 1,000 New York and New Jersey Students Stand Up for Pro-Life Values
South Orange, NJ (LifeNews.com) -- Leading local pro-life speakers, Jason Evert and Father Habling called on high school students to practice chastity and spread the pro-life message at New Jersey's 6th annual Pro-Life Youth Rally held on Friday, April 24th at Seton Hall University. The rally, which is sponsored annually by the Salesians of Don Bosco, drew almost 1,000 high school students from thirty high schools and two parishes from throughout New Jersey and New York. Jason Evert, founder of the Pure Love Club, delivered the rally's keynote speech. In a lively and impassioned talk filled with anecdotes and humor, Evert said that modern culture too often confuses "love with lust." Instead of embracing what modern culture teaches, Evert told students, "sex is worth waiting for." The rally concluded with a mass presided by Fr. Bill Halbing.. In his homily, Fr, Halbing told students, "You need to proclaim to the whole nation, abortion has got to stop!" Students in attendance saw an important connection between the importance of chastity and building a culture of life. "The true meaning of love is to love someone completely… that's also needed to be pro-life, to love the baby and to not be selfish and kill the child," said Tim Dore a junior at Oratory Prep School.
Montana Pro-Life Advocates Stop Contraception Funding in Children's Health
Helena, MT (LifeNews.com) -- For over 10 years, there has been a ban on supplying contraceptives to children who are on the Children's Health Insurance Program in Montana. Some lawmakers sought to lift that ban during this legislative session. When their idea didn't pass as a bill, they tacked it onto HB 676, as an amendment, in the eleventh hour. Last week, pro-life advocates, including the Montana Family Foundation, alerted state residents about the coming battle. So many pro-life advocates called to leave messages for members of the HB 676 Conference Committee that the legislative services switchboard could not keep up. The following day, the Speaker of the House dissolved this committee in the House of Representatives. He reinstated the committee three days later. In the meantime, committee members forged an agreement to strip the amendment from the bill. "Because of your outcry, the committee reinstated the ban on taxpayer funding of contraceptives for minors," said Jeff Laszloffy, the head of the group. "We tell kids to 'just say no' to alcohol, drugs and tobacco, but for some reason we don't believe they're capable of making the same wise choices when it comes to premarital sex."
