LifeNews.com Pro-Life News Report
Friday, November 13, 2009
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Current Headlines
• Former Pro-Abortion Leaders Threaten Democratic Party Revolt Over Stupak Amdt
• Pro-Life Group Challenges Harry Reid on No Abortion in Health Care Promise
• Research: Women in China See 17% Higher Breast Cancer Risk From Abortion
• Military Charges Hasan With 13 Counts of Murder, Excludes Unborn Baby's Death
• Pro-Abortion Group Launches New Ad Supporting Abortion Funding in Health Care
• Pro-Abortion Group Plans $12K in Online Advertising Attacking Bart Stupak
• Disciplined Abortion Practitioner Attacks Reporter Uncovering Move to New York
• Britain Has More Abortions Than Any Other European Country, Overtakes France
• Oregon's Largest Laboratory Stops Working With Eugene Abortion Business
• Nebraska Pro-Life Groups Want University Board to Revisit Stem Cell Research
• South Dakota Group Opposes Measure for Human Cloning, Embryonic Research
• Aurora, Illinois Reaches Settlement With Pro-Life Advocates for Abortion Protests
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Former Pro-Abortion Leaders Threaten Democratic Party Revolt Over Stupak Amdt
Washington, DC (LifeNews.com) -- Two former leaders of major pro-abortion organizations write in an opinion column in the New York Times today that the Democratic Party could face an internal revolt from abortion advocates upset that Speaker Nancy Pelosi and party leaders in the House allowed a vote on the Stupak amendment.
As LifeNews.com reported, the House approved the government-run health care bill Saturday night but not before voting for the Stupak amendment to stop the massive abortion funding in it.
The vote has produced tremendous fallout among abortion advocates who have demanded a meeting with President Barack Obama to discuss where to go from here and a letter to Pelosi threatening to vote against the final bill if Stupak is not removed.
Now, former NARAL president Kate Michelman and former "Catholics for Choice" president Frances Kissling have issued a stark challenge to leading Democrats: defend abortion or risk an inter-party revolt.
"The Democratic majority has abandoned its platform and subordinated women's health to short-term political success. In doing so, these so-called friends of women's rights have arguably done more to undermine reproductive rights than some of abortion's staunchest foes," they write. Full story at LifeNews.com
Pro-Life Group Challenges Harry Reid on No Abortion in Health Care Promise
Washington, DC (LifeNews.com) -- A pro-life women's group is challenging Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid on his promise this week that the health care bill he unveils next week will not contain abortion funding. The Susan B. Anthony List notes how Reid has changed from a pro-life to a mixed voting record on abortion issues.
Reid said Tuesday that there will be no abortion funding in the Senate version of the health care reform bill.
"I expect that the bill that will be brought to the floor will ensure that no federal funds are used for abortion and that the rights of providers, health care facilities, like Catholic hospitals, will be protected, so I believe we can work that out, and we will" Reid said.
In response, Susan B. Anthony List president Marjorie Dannenfelser -- whose group challenged Reid with commercials early in the health care debate -- told LifeNews.com that he needs to remember voters in his state of Nevada don't want abortion funding.
"Senator Reid should remember the Nevadans who elected him to defend life when he is crafting abortion language in the Senate health care reform bill," she said. "Abortion is not health care, and Senator Reid's constituents will not settle for anything less than an authentic abortion exclusion measure." Full story at LifeNews.com
Research: Women in China See 17% Higher Breast Cancer Risk From Abortion
Beijing, China (LifeNews.com) -- Chinese researchers have issued a new study indicating women who have had abortions face a 17 percent higher chance of contracting breast cancer than women who carried their pregnancy to term. One leading American scientist says he believes the increased risk is even higher.
Peng Xing and his colleagues conducted a case-control study in northeast China examining reproductive factors associated with subtypes of breast cancer.
They found a statistically significant overall odds ratio of 1.17 (17% increased breast cancer risk for all subtypes combined) among women who had induced abortions.
The study excludes the possibility of a flaw called "report bias" because abortion isn't stigmatized in China. Communist officials frequently require women who violate the one-child family planning policy there to have abortions so Chinese women are considered reliable reporters of their abortion histories.
Xing and his colleagues also found an increased risk of breast cancer for women who delayed their first full-term pregnancy, a frequent phenomenon among women who have an abortion of their first baby.
Professor Joel Brind of Baruch College maintains that the Chinese study underestimates the risk of abortion because of its high prevalence in China. Full story at LifeNews.com
Military Charges Hasan With 13 Counts of Murder, Excludes Unborn Baby's Death
Fort Hood, TX (LifeNews.com) -- The military has charged Maj. Nidal Malik Hasan with 13 counts of premeditated murder in the terrible shooting that recently took place at the Fort Hood military base. The initial charges do not include one for the death of an unborn child, who was the little-talked-about fourteenth victim.
U.S. Army Criminal Investigation Command spokesman Chris Grey told a news conference Thursday that additional charges may be filed, which pro-life advocates hope would include one for the baby's death.
Hasan is suspected of killing 12 soldiers and one civilian in last Thursday's shooting and he was shot and wounded by two police officers at the base. He is currently in recovery at an Army hospital in San Antonio, where his attorneys read him the charges.
Americans United for Life attorney Mailee Smith is disappointed that the death of soldier Francheska Velez's unborn baby is rarely mentioned. Velez was on maternity leave when she stopped at Ft. Hood, where she and the child she carried in her womb fell victim to Hasan's bullet.
"There are, of course, many unnamed victims of the attack at Fort Hood. Spouses, parents, children, siblings, friends. Each left to suffer and question why, on American soil, their loved one's life was violently ended," she said.
"When Hasan took Velez's life, he took the life of her unborn baby as well," she said. "As the country looks for justice to be served in this horrendous tragedy, we cannot forget that Hasan can and should be charged with the death of Baby Velez as well." Full story at LifeNews.com
Lawmakers Won't Say if They Signed Letter for Abortion Funding in Health Care
Washington, DC (LifeNews.com) -- Responding to the passage of a government-run health are bill in the House that contains the Stupak amendment to stop massive abortion funding, one of the heavy hitters in the pro-abortion movement has released a new commercial calling for it to be removed.
The Center for Reproductive Rights has sponsored a new advertising campaign called Abortion Coverage is No Joke, according to CBN correspondent David Brody.
The campaign calls on abortion advocates to call members of the Senate in advance of the first vote on health care next week to urge that abortion funding be included in the bill.
Center for Reproductive Rights president Nancy Northup will unveil the ad along with DJ Feldman, a woman who CRR claims was diagnosed with a fatal fetal abnormality and was refused insurance coverage for an abortion. In previous comments about the bill and the Stupak amendment, Northup has complained about the lack of government funding for abortion.
"Pro-choice supporters in this country are going to be outraged that the anti-choice movement used this important debate over health care to expand anti-choice policies into the private employment sector," she said after the vote. Full story at LifeNews.com
Pro-Abortion Group Plans $12K in Online Advertising Attacking Bart Stupak
Washington, DC (LifeNews.com) -- A pro-abortion liberal group has raised more than $12,000 to run online advertising attacking pro-life Democratic Rep. Bart Stupak, who sponsored the amendment that removed the massive abortion funding from the House version of the government-run health care bill.
The Progressive Change Campaign Committee, which sponsors pro-abortion candidates to challenge pro-life Democrats in primaries, is behind the effort.
"The Stupak Amendment goes farther in restricting a women's right to choose than Republicans passed during the entire Bush presidency," the group complains.
The group sent an email to its members on Wednesday challenging them to raise $10,000 and promising to air a barrage of Internet ads attacking Stupak if they met the goal. In under five hours, 425 contributors pledged $12,107.
The ad features a picture of a distressed young woman with the text, "Women, not sure what to do with your body? Rep. Bart Stupak will tell you." Full story at LifeNews.com
Disciplined Abortion Practitioner Attacks Reporter Uncovering Move to New York
New York, NY (LifeNews.com) -- Abortion practitioner Pierre Renelique, who lost his medical license in Florida in a controversial botched abortion-infanticide case, has attacked Fox News reporter who uncovered information showing he has moved to New York City in an attempt to set up an abortion center there.
Renelique was found guilty of medical malpractice by the Florida Board of Medicine in February and the agency revoked his license. That came after a July 2006 incident involving baby Shanice Denise Osbourne and abortion facility staff who hid her body from officials after a botched abortion.
The local Fox News station in New York learned Renelique had moved to New York and sent reporter Arnold Diaz to interview him. The station has since released the video of that attempted interview that shows how he is now working at the Clinton Place Medical Center in the Bronx.
Diaz is shown in the report jogging behind Renelique as the abortion practitioner denies he did anything wrong even though the reporter had the Florida disciplinary documents in hand. At one point he turned and attacked Diaz, grabbing the microphone from his hand and slamming it into the street. Full story at LifeNews.com
Britain Has More Abortions Than Any Other European Country, Overtakes France
London, England (LifeNews.com) -- Great Britain now does more abortions annually than any other nation in Europe, with government figures showing it overtaking France even though France has a higher population. Britain now ranks sixth in the world in annual abortion figures behind China, the U.S., Russia, India and Japan.
The latest figures were compiled by the Norway-based pro-life group Institute for Family Policies based on statistics collected by the European Union's statistical arm, Eurostat.
They showed 219,336 abortions in England, Scotland and Wales compared with 209,699 in France. Both nations had more abortions than other countries such as Romania with 150,246 and Italy with 126,562. Abortions are rising rapidly in Spain but the nation still posted only 112,138 abortions in 2007.
According to the London Telegraph, Britain also had the highest number of teenage abortions with 48,150 done on girls under the age of 20 compared with France's 31,779. Full story at LifeNews.com
Oregon's Largest Laboratory Stops Working With Eugene Abortion Business
Eugene, OR (LifeNews.com) -- The largest private laboratory in Oregon has decided to end its relationship with a Eugene abortion business. PeaceHealth Laboratories only recently learned that Peter Bours' clinic does abortions and the Catholic-owned company has stopped doing any of its testing as a result.
The decision came after a local sidewalk counselor at Bours' abortion center noticed a PeaceHealth courier making a delivery and issued a complaint to the company.
Bours told the Associated Press he uses lab testing to diagnose tubal pregnancies and was taken aback by the decision. "I was a little surprised," Bours said. "You have a seven-year business relationship with someone and you cut it off because one lame protester calls — it seems a little ridiculous to me."
AP indicated Bours talked with Ran Whitehead, CEO of PeaceHealth Laboratories, who said that doing testing for an abortion facility was not in line with its values and mission. Bours indicated a different, albeit unnamed, lab has picked up his business. Full story at LifeNews.com
Nebraska Pro-Life Groups Want University Board to Revisit Stem Cell Research
Lincoln, NE (LifeNews.com) -- Nebraska Right to Life and other state pro-life groups are asking the University of Nebraska Board of Regents to revisit its current policy on embryonic stem cell research. The current policy follows the Obama administration's policy of forcing taxpayers to pay for the destruction of human life.
A resolution addressing the issue will be taken up by the Regents at their November 20th meeting in Lincoln. In advance of the meeting, three state senators who worked out a compromise on public funding of cloning and embryonic stem cell research sent a letter to Nebraska Right to Life on Tuesday.
The letter from Speaker Mike Flood, Senator Steve Lathrop and Senator Brad Ashford confirms that LB 606 did not settle the issue of embryonic stem cell policy as far as the NU Board of Regents is concerned.
"Thank you for your November 9, 2009 e-mail regarding LB 606 (2008) and the related 'agreement.' As you know, the agreement at issue lists several parties involved in the LB 606 negotiations, including the Nebraska Catholic Conference, Nebraska Right to Life, Nebraskans for Research and the University of Nebraska," the letter says.
"Relevant to your question, the agreement states that 'those involved in the process acknowledge that LB 606 represents a resolution of the public policy considerations attendant with embryonic stem cell research,'" it added. Full story at LifeNews.com
South Dakota Group Opposes Measure for Human Cloning, Embryonic Research
Pierre, SD (LifeNews.com) -- A new grassroots organization has sprung up that would urge voters to reject a statewide ballot measure next year that would force taxpayers to pay for embryonic stem cell research and human cloning. That is the research that has yet to provide any cures for patients and has had problems in animal studies.
Currently, adult stem cell research is allowed by state law while embryonic stem cell research and cloning are prohibited -- which the measure would overturn. Former state Treasurer David Volk of Sioux Falls, who is a cancer survivor, says he doesn't like the current state restrictions against funding the controversial research.
He has created a new group called South Dakotans for Lifesaving Cures that will file papers with the Secretary of State for the ballot measure. The group needs to obtain 16,776 valid signatures by April 6 to get the measure on the November 2010 ballot.
If that happens, the new Coalition for Cures Not Cloning -- led by Dr. Mick Vanden Bosch, Republican state legislator Manny Steele and former Democratic state legislator Mary Glenski -- will be there to oppose it. Full story at LifeNews.com
Aurora, Illinois Reaches Settlement With Pro-Life Advocates for Abortion Protests
Aurora, IL (LifeNews.com) -- The city of Aurora and pro-life advocates under the banner of the Pro-Life Action League have settled a years-long lawsuit related to protests at the large new Planned Parenthood abortion facility. The Aurora city council agreed to the settlement that lays out provisions protecting the rights of pro-life advocates at the abortion center.
A win for pro-life advocates, the agreement recognizes the rights of protesters and secures comprehensive protection for citizens who wish to speak out in front of one of the nation's largest abortion facilities.
Eric Scheidler, executive director of the Pro-Life Action League, told LifeNews.com he is thrilled with the agreement.
"With this new agreement in place, the pro-life community's peaceful outreach to abortion-bound mothers can proceed without hindrance, and the uncertainty and confusion that has characterized the police response to pro-life protests at Planned Parenthood should finally end," he said.
The settlement exemplifies the kind of cooperation between municipalities and peaceful pro-life activists that is needed across the country, he said. Full story at LifeNews.com
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