LifeNews.com Pro-Life News Report
Thursday, September 2, 2010
| For pro-life news updated throughout the day, visit LifeNews.com. |
Current Headlines
• NIH Tells Some Embryonic Stem Cell Researchers to Ignore Judge's Ruling
• Population Control Advocate Killed After Holding Hostages at Discovery Channel
• HHS Secretary: Time for "Re-Education" Effort on Pro-Abortion Health Care
• Pro-Abortion Alaska Republican Lisa Murkowski Concedes to Pro-Life Joe Miller
• Governor Tim Pawlenty Tells Minnesota Agencies to Reject ObamaCare Funds
• OptionLine Web Site Helping Pregnant Women Considering Abortion Re-Launched
• Man Rapes Partner in Front of Their Children After She Refuses Abortion Demand
• Obama Apologetics Group "Catholics" in Alliance for the Common Good Folds
• Louisiana Poll Has Pro-Life Sen. David Vitter Leading Democrat Charlie Melancon
• Illinois Supreme Court Won't Hear Case for Parental Notification on Abortion
• Newspaper Marks 75th Birthday for Wisconsin Planned Parenthood Abortion Biz
---> Thank you!!! We have received over $2,500 of the $4,020 we want to bring in for our pre-election fundraising campaign and need your help to get to the goal. Please use the button below to make a donation or use the donate button on the left-hand side of http://LifeNews.com
NIH Tells Some Embryonic Stem Cell Researchers to Ignore Judge's Ruling
Washington, DC (LifeNews.com) -- A federal judge has struck down the executive order President Barack Obama issued forcing taxpayers to fund embryonic stem cell research. The Obama administration has appealed the decision, but the National Institutes of Health has issued new guidelines that have pro-life advocates concerned.
Judge Royce Lamberth's decision said the order runs afoul of the Dickey-Wicker law Congress has approved annually since 1996, which prohibits taxpayer funding of research that destroys human embryos.
Although tens of millions in federal embryonic research grant funds have already been spent, the question now is whether scientists should be spending unused, previously-awarded federal grant money on current embryonic stem cell research projects.
Despite the law and the injunction, NIH has issued new guidance for researchers who have already received federal funds for their embryonic stem cell projects saying they can essentially disregard the ruling.
According to the new NIH guidelines, grants that were funded prior to the August 23 decision and temporary injunction are "not affected" and "award recipients may continue to expend the funds awarded to them prior to the date of the injunction."
Steve Aden, an attorney with the Alliance Defense Fund, one of the pro-life legal groups involved in the lawsuit filed against the executive order, told LifeNews.com today that he questions the legality of the NIH guidelines.
"Federal grants incorporate federal law. To the extent that federal law has now been tentatively interpreted by a federal court to prohibit funding this research, I find the NIH's position questionable," Aden said. Full story at LifeNews.com
Population Control Advocate Killed After Holding Hostages at Discovery Channel
Washington, DC (LifeNews.com) -- Maryland police shot and killed a population control activist who held several people hostage Wednesday afternoon at the offices of the Discovery Channel, a cable channel staple. James J. Lee has been protesting the channel for years because he said it was not doing enough to promote population control.
Montgomery County Police Chief Tom Manger told WTOP that Lee held hostage three people at the building and hewas shot after a confrontation with law enforcement officers.
Police had been in negotiations with Lee for hours and witnesses on the scene heard popping devices that officials worried were some kind of explosive.
"He was wearing what appear to be metallic canister devices on his front and back. He also pulled out a handgun and was waving the handgun around," Manger said about Lee, who burst into the building about 1:00 p.m. local time.
Lee, 43, was arrested in 2008 for disorderly conduct concerning his protests at the Discovery Channel.
Lee is the creator of a web site that touts population control philosophies --advocated by some abortion proponents who claim the Earth is overpopulated and policies such as legalized abortion or, as is the case in China, ensuring families have limits on the number of children they can have are needed to reduce population levels.
All programs on Discovery Health-TLC must stop encouraging the birth of any more parasitic human infants and the false heroics behind those actions," Lee wrote on his web site. "In those programs places, programs encouraging human sterilization and infertility must be pushed. All former pro-birth programs must now push in the direction of stopping human birth, not encouraging it." Full story at LifeNews.com
HHS Secretary Sebelius: Time for "Re-Education" Effort on Pro-Abortion Health Care
Washington, DC (LifeNews.com) -- Frustrated that Americans are not rallying around the pro-abortion health care plan Presdient Barack Obama signed, Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius is promoting a "re-education" campaign designed to persuade Americans of its benefits.
Unfortunately, there still is a great deal of confusion about what is in [the reform law] and what isn t, Sebelius told ABC News Radio in an interview Monday.
She said the Obama administration has a lot of reeducation to do heading into the midterm congressional elections in November, where polls show pro-abortion Democrats who voted for the ObamaCare bill are projected to lose by a landslide.
Sebelius blamed misinformation given on a 24/7 basis by Republicans and conservative and pro-life groups opposed to the pro-abortion health care measure is making it so Americans are opposed to it. She said seniors -- concerned about the rationing in the bill -- have been a target of a lot of the misinformation."
Once people understand that [the rebate checks are] just one of the new features for Medicare beneficiaries, they become increasingly more enthusiastic, Sebelius told ABC News. They re worried about what happens to their benefits in the future, worried about what happens to the overall stability of Medicare."
Sebelius' desire to lobby voters comes after a new poll showing a sharp drop in support for the pro-abortion, government-run health care plan in August. Full story at LifeNews.com
Pro-Abortion Alaska Republican Lisa Murkowski Concedes to Pro-Life Joe Miller
Juneau, AK (LifeNews.com) -- Sen. Lisa Murkowski, one of the few pro-abortion Republicans in the U.S. Senate, conceded defeat late Tuesday to pro-life primary election challenger Joe Miller. Murkowski failed to gain enough votes on Miller in Tuesday's count of absentee ballots to overcome the advantage Miller had on election night last week.
Murkowski said at her campaign headquarters in Anchorage that, based on the recount totals, "I don't see a scenario where the primary will turn out in my favor."
Murkowski's concession completes what is one of the biggest surprises in the election season -- with a pro-life candidate coming virtually out of nowhere to unseat an incumbent senator with a family name recognition in a race that few political observers expected to be competitive.
Miller led Murkowski by less than 3,000 votes after the August 24th primary but Murkowski wanted to wait on the absentee ballot count before making a decision. She gained only 200 votes from the count and Miller's lead shrank from 1,668 votes to 1,469 by the end of the day.
It also marks the third time this election cycle that an incumbent senator has lost in a primary -- with pro-abortion Sen. Arlen Specter going down in defeat in Pennsylvania and pro-life Sen. Robert Bennett of Utah losing his primary election bid to another pro-life candidate.
Miller will now head to the general election in the Alaska Senate race, where he faces pro-abortion Democratic Sitka Mayor Scott McAdams in a contest he is expected to win in November. Full story at LifeNews.com
Governor Tim Pawlenty Tells Minnesota Agencies to Reject ObamaCare Funds
St. Paul, MN (LifeNews.com) -- Minnesota Gov. Tim Pawlenty, a potential 2012 presidential candidate against pro-abortion President Barack Obama, made a move on health care yesterday that some observers see as a potential move against Obama and an action that could endear him to Republicans looking for nominee.
Pawlenty issued an executive order Tuesday that directs Minnesota state agencies and departments to not accept taxpayer funds from the federal government to set up new government-run health care programs.
The health care plan has been criticized by pro-life groups, who have already had to drum up national attention and opposition to instances where the Obama administration attempted to fund abortions in three states under the program.
According to a CNN report, Pawlenty told reporters the health care bill Obama signed is a "misguided piece of legislation," and added that "anything that I can do to slow down, limit or negate Obamacare, I'm going to try to do it within reason."
Obamacare is one of the most misguided pieces of legislation in the modern history of the country, he said. All of us need to do everything we can to stop it, delay it, and limit it in any way that we can.
During the 20120 presidential campaign, Pawlenty predicted opposition to ObamaCare will remain a significant issue really an icon of the misguided, government-centric, top-down approaches offered by the Obama administration. Full story at LifeNews.com
OptionLine Web Site Helping Pregnant Women Considering Abortion Re-Launched
Washington, DC (LifeNews.com) -- The very successful and highly popular OptionLine web site, which helps pregnant women who are considering abortion connect with counselors and pregnancy centers, received a face-lift that includes new features ensuring more women receive the help they need.
The website, optionline.org, is a joint venture between Care Net and Heartbeat International, two national networks providing support and assistance to thousands of pregnancy centers across the nation.
The new OptionLine web site features clean, simplified navigation and new chat technology.
The upgraded web site features a new chat feature, where web visitors are prompted to speak to a live Option Line consultant for help. It also contains specific guidance for boyfriends, friends, and family members of a woman facing an unplanned pregnancy.
When a young woman suspects she might be pregnant, she often goes online for help, said Care Net president Melinda Delahoyde.
We've designed our new Option Line website so that it s one of the first places she visits. By putting her in touch with a local pregnancy center, Option Line is connecting her to life-saving support for her and her unborn child," Delahoyde said. Full story at LifeNews.com
Man Rapes Partner in Front of Their Children After She Refuses Abortion Demand
Philadelphia, PA (LifeNews.com) -- A Pennsylvania man has been arrested for allegedly sexually assaulting his partner in front of their children after she refused his demand to get an abortion. Thomas O. Hill reportedly raped his unnamed partner on Sunday after she disclosed that she was newly pregnant.
The Philadelphia Daily News indicates police officials say Hill, a former convict, is already the father of two children with the woman.
When he learned he would be a father again, Hill told his partner he wanted her to get an abortion. She refused and Hill began sexually assaulting her in the couple's bedroom where three children, including the two the couple had together, were sleeping.
"He got pissed off at her," Cinnaminson Police Det. Sgt William Covert, told the Daily News, adding that one of the children was pushed off the bed during the assault.
"She's claiming he raped her and he says otherwise," Covert said, but he said the woman, who is 4-6 weeks pregnant, showed evidence of injuries consistent with a sexual assault. Full story at LifeNews.com
Obama Apologetics Group "Catholics" in Alliance for the Common Good Folds
Washington, DC (LifeNews.com) -- Catholics in Alliance for the Common Good, the organization that deceived Catholics across the country in 2008 into thinking presidential candidate Barack Obama was not pro-abortion, appears to have folded. CACG was so far afield from Catholic teaching that at least one Catholic bishop condemned the group.
Jack Smith of the Catholic Key blog has posted dozens of updates "on the background and doings of Catholics in Alliance for the Common Good over the last couple years, but this may be the last."
"It appears they are out of business," Smith says.
He points out that CACG has had no blog posts on its blog since June 10, and had not sent anything from its Facebook or Twitter account since mid May. The calendar pages and staff bio page on its web site is blank and the media staffer CACG hired now works for Faith in Public Life.
"But why rely on circumstantial evidence? I decided to just give them a call," Smith said, finding the phone number disconnected.
"I've long asserted that CACG was a campaign organization and not a non-partisan advocate of Catholic Social Teaching as many news outfits have gullibly or willfully maintained. With the president elected and health care passed, it looks, for now, like the campaign is over," Smith said. Full story at LifeNews.com
Louisiana Poll Has Pro-Life Sen. David Vitter Leading Democrat Charlie Melancon
Baton Rouge, LA (LifeNews.com) -- Louisiana Sen. David Vitter, a pro-life Republican, continues to lead his Democratic opponent Charlie Melancon, according to a new poll by Rasmussen Reports. A new Rasmussen Reports telephone survey of Likely Voters in the state finds Vitter, who is seeking a second term, ahead 54-33 percent.
Five percent prefer some other candidate, while seven percent are not sure.
"These findings have shown little change since early January," Rasmussen notes. "Since then, Vitter has earned anywhere from 53% to 57% of the vote, while Melancon s support has remained in the narrow range of 33% to 36%. In late June, Vitter held a 53% to 35% advantage over Melancon."
Vitter is favored by 85% of Republicans, while Melancon only picks up support from 59% of Democrats. Among voters not affiliated with either political party, Vitter leads Melancon 55% - 27%.
Seventy percent of all Louisiana voters regard Vitter as a conservative, while Melancon is seen as a liberal by 46% of voters in the state. Full story at LifeNews.com
Illinois Supreme Court Won't Hear Latest Case for Parental Notification on Abortion
Springfield, IL (LifeNews.com) -- The parental notification law the Illinois state legislature approved in 195 is still in legal limbo after a divide Illinois Supreme Court refused to hear the legal case pending against the measure. The Thomas More Society had submitted a motion to transfer, hoping the long-delayed, never-enforced law would finally be implemented.
Yesterday, the state's high court denied the request to transfer to the legal case from the Appellate Court to the Supreme Court.
Justices Robert R. Thomas and Thomas L. Kilbride dissented from the order denying the transfer.
We're obviously disappointed with this ruling, but we remain committed to doing everything we possibly can to bring these appeals to a speedy and positive conclusion, said Tom Brejcha, president and chief counsel of the Thomas More Society.
He explained: The latest constitutional attack on this law by the American Civil Liberties Union was deemed legally meritless and tossed out of court by both a federal appeals court and a Cook County trial court, and yet the Attorney General agreed inexplicably and without any legal basis that the enforcement of parental notice should still be stayed, that is, suspended pending the outcome of the ACLU s appeal. Full story at LifeNews.com
Newspaper Marks 75th Birthday for Wisconsin Planned Parenthood Abortion Biz
by Bryan Kemper
The Milwaukee Wisconsin Journal Sentinel ran an article last week wishing the nation s largest baby killing organization a happy birthday; I find that both ironic and nauseating. How can you wish an organization whose purpose is make sure precious babies never have a birthday, a happy birthday themselves? Full story at LifeNews.com
Encourage Friends to Sign Up for Free Pro-Life News From LifeNews.com
