Top Senate Judiciary Republican Jeff Sessions Will Oppose Sonia Sotomayor
Washington, DC (LifeNews.com) -- The leading Republican on the Senate Judiciary Committee says he will vote against the nomination of Sonia Sotomayor, who may replace pro-abortion Justice David Souter on the Supreme Court. If confirmed, pro-life groups are concerned that Sotomayor would promote abortion on the high court. As several other leading Republicans in the Senate made known last week, Sessions says he can't vote for Sotomayor and cited her penchant for judicial activism. Sessions says he doesn't think she will be able to get away from it should she become a member of the high court. "During three days of careful questioning, Judge Sotomayor renounced the pillars of activist thinking," he wrote in an editorial. He continued: "She rejected the president's 'empathy standard' abandoned her statements that a judge's 'opinions, sympathies and prejudices' may guide decision-making, dismissed remarks that personal experiences should 'affect the facts that judges choose to see,' brushed aside her repeated wise Latina' comment as 'a rhetorical flourish,' and championed judicial restraint." "Judge Sotomayor's attempt to rebrand her previously stated judicial approach was, as one editorial page opined, 'uncomfortably close to disingenuous,'" Sessions explained. "Why not defend the philosophy she had articulated so carefully over the years?" Full story at LifeNews.comSarah Palin Steps Down as Alaska Governor, New Poll Has Huckabee Leading GOP
Washington, DC (LifeNews.com) -- Sarah Palin stepped down late Sunday as the governor of Alaska , saying her reasons for doing so "should be obvious." Palin decided against serving the remainder of her term in office in part because political opponents kept dogging her about leaving the state to keep her name in the national limelight. Palin, who earned strong support from the pro-life community as John McCain's running mate against pro-abortion presidential candidate Barack Obama, is seen as a potential contender herself in 2012. However, her serving as the governor of state that is not a part of the continental United States made it hard for her to be involved in the political process in the same way as other potential Republicans seeking to challenge Obama next election. Palin went out with a bang in delivering a fiery and candid 15-minute farewell speech to a crowd of supporters in Fairbanks, Alaska. There, she lambasted the mainstream media that continually harped on her and dragged her family through the mud during the campaign and afterwards.As Palin steps down as the Alaska governor, a new poll shows former Arkansas governor stepping up as the potential GOP presidential candidate Republicans support most. Released last week, a Washington Post poll finds Huckabee with the support of 26 percent of Republicans followed by former Massachusetts governor Mitt Romney with 21 percent. Palin polled 19 percent while former House speaker Newt Gingrich received 10 percent. Full story at LifeNews.com
Washington, DC (LifeNews.com) -- Sarah Palin stepped down late Sunday as the governor of Alaska , saying her reasons for doing so "should be obvious." Palin decided against serving the remainder of her term in office in part because political opponents kept dogging her about leaving the state to keep her name in the national limelight. Palin, who earned strong support from the pro-life community as John McCain's running mate against pro-abortion presidential candidate Barack Obama, is seen as a potential contender herself in 2012. However, her serving as the governor of state that is not a part of the continental United States made it hard for her to be involved in the political process in the same way as other potential Republicans seeking to challenge Obama next election. Palin went out with a bang in delivering a fiery and candid 15-minute farewell speech to a crowd of supporters in Fairbanks, Alaska. There, she lambasted the mainstream media that continually harped on her and dragged her family through the mud during the campaign and afterwards.As Palin steps down as the Alaska governor, a new poll shows former Arkansas governor stepping up as the potential GOP presidential candidate Republicans support most. Released last week, a Washington Post poll finds Huckabee with the support of 26 percent of Republicans followed by former Massachusetts governor Mitt Romney with 21 percent. Palin polled 19 percent while former House speaker Newt Gingrich received 10 percent. Full story at LifeNews.com Medical professionals are on the frontlines of the battle on life issues. From abortion to assisted suicide, we are challenged in the workplace to defend our beliefs and risk our employment. The National Association of Pro-life Nurses has been here for nurses since the beginning. Join with us to protect those voices. |
Media Dismisses Concern of Taxpayer-Funded Abortions for Federal Employees
Washington, DC (LifeNews.com) -- A bill in the Senate could force taxpayers to pay for the abortions of the eight million people enrolled on the federal government's health care system. Though pro-life advocates have concerns about reversing a long-standing ban on the taxpayer-funding of abortions, one media outlet is dismissing them. As LifeNews.com reported last week, the Senate Financial Services Appropriations bill, S. 1432, would have Americans fund abortions for employees of the federal government. When Congress adopts the funding bill each year, it has included an amendment from pro-life Rep. Chris Smith, a New Jersey Republican, to stop tax-funding of abortions for federal employees in their health care plans. However, a search of the new bill that Senate Democrats crafted finds the Smith Amendment prohibiting taxpayer-subsidized abortions through the Federal Employee Health Benefits Program (FEHBP) has been deleted. Jonathan Allen, a columnist for Congressional Quarterly, blasted pro-life advocates saying the concern "doesn't exist." Allen's blog post on the CQ web site attacked pro-life blogger Jill Stanek, who also highlighted the concerns about the bill. "Nevertheless, Allen got it backwards. A Senate committee led by rabid pro-abort Dick Durbin passed a funding bill that deleted a provision banning taxpayer funded abortion from the federal employees health care plan - thereby proposing a change in current law to permit it," she explained. Full story at LifeNews.comNumber of Abortion Centers Nationwide Falling, Pro-Abortion Legal Group Says
Washington, DC (LifeNews.com) -- A pro-abortion legal group that represents abortion businesses in lawsuits against pro-life laws in almost every state in the nation says the number of abortion centers nationwide is falling. The figures come as Planned Parenthood, the nation's largest abortion business, increases its number of abortion facilities. The Center for Reproductive Rights released the results of a study it conducted saying the number of abortion businesses and abortion practitioners has decreased by 25 percent since the 1990s. CRR indicates some states, such as Mississippi and North Dakota, have only one abortion facility while Missouri has three. Alabama has seven while Texas has 40 abortion centers across the state. The pro-abortion group says the proliferation of state legislation limiting abortions, with laws such as parental involvement, informed consent and waiting periods, has lowered the number of abortion centers. "The number of abortion providers in the United States fell by 25% just between 1992 and 2005. Without providers, the right to abortion is meaningless," CRR president Nancy Northup said. Full story at LifeNews.com
Amsterdam, Netherlands (LifeNews.com) -- The Netherlands-based abortion boat that targeted nations in Europe and South America won't sail again thanks to changes in law in Holland. The boat was meant to be a way for abortions to be done in international waters outside the reach of nations with pro-life laws protecting women and children. Although surgical abortions were not done on the converted tugboat and its replacement, a sailboat, in recent years, its staff did promote the dangerous abortion drug. Rebecca Gomperts founded the pro-abortion group, Women on Waves, that run the abortion boat and thought she would eventually preside over a fleet of ships registered in the Netherlands that would do abortions across the globe. "I figured we would sail from country to country and help x number of women per day," she told the NRC Handelsblad newspaper. However, with changes in the Dutch law, she has canceled all planned trips for the abortion boat. The move follows a decision by the Dutch government to make it so only certain centers in the Netherlands are able to distribute the abortion drug RU 486, also known as mifepristone. Until now, Dutch health minister Els Borst allowed Gomperts' group to distribute the drug on its vessel. Full story at LifeNews.comScientist Says H1N1 Swine Flu Virus Could Damage Brains of Unborn Children
Minneapolis, MN (LifeNews.com) -- A neuroscientist at the University of Minnesota medical school has published a paper saying the H1N1 swine flu virus could pose problems for unborn children. Hossein Fatemi has published a new paper saying the virus, which is causing the deaths of people across the globe, could damage the developing brains of babies before birth. Fatemi says the virus changes the genes that allow brain growth and development in an unborn child and some of the genes the virus affects are tied to the development of mental disorders. “Prenatal viral infection led to altered gene expression in the hippocampus, including autism and schizophrenia candidate genes,” he told the London Times. Fatemi's research was conducted on mice, so he cautions about the transfer of the results to assumptions made about humans, but he says the results should prompt caution. He said it encourages the theme that pregnant women do all they can to avoid contracting the virus. Full story at LifeNews.com
Pro-Life Group to Hold Second Webcast on Abortion Concerns in Health Care Bills
Washington, DC (LifeNews.com) -- A national pro-life organization is holding what will be the second webcast to educate pro-life Americans on the concerns about abortion in the health care bills Congress is considering. The Family Research Council will highlight how the health care plans could force abortion coverage and taxpayer funding. FRC Action, the legislative lobbying arm of the educational group, will host the webcast Tuesday night at 8:30 p.m. EST. The pro-life group tells LifeNews.com the webcast will "mobilize opposition to President Obama's proposed government takeover of the health care system." The goal is to educate viewers to stop taxpayer funding of abortions and protect the conscience rights of health care workers. FRC Action president will be joined by Congressional leaders to discuss the moral, ethical, and financial dangers of President Obama's health care plan. "President Obama and his liberal allies in Congress have ignored the moral, ethical, and financial dangers of this plan," Perkins told LifeNews.com. "The takeover will mandate taxpayer funded abortion, abortifacient drugs and limit end-of-life care."Full story at LifeNews.comby Matt Barber
The president has more "czars" running around than Mother Russia. It's mondo bizarro. Kind of fitting, though; must be a communist thing. Still, as the debate over Obama's multi-trillion dollar pet experiment in socialized health care reaches terminal velocity, one of his newest czars underscores – in permanent marker – the true depth of BHO's deep-seated radicalism. His choice of Harvard professor and self-styled "neo-Malthusian" John Holdren as "science czar" provides the latest and perhaps most troubling example of just how bad America really muffed it last November. It could give us a sneak-peak into the not-so-distant future should this Obamacare-health-scare become reality. Full story at LifeNews.comSuspect in Shooting of Late-Term Abortion Practitioner George Tiller Faces Hearing
Wichita, KS (LifeNews.com) -- Scott Roeder, who stands accused of shooting and killing late-term abortion practitioner George Tiller, will face an evidential hearing on Tuesday. Roeder, 51, is charged with one count of first-degree murder in Tiller's death and two counts of aggravated assault against members of Tiller's church. Tiller was shot and killed on May 31 at his church in Wichita and Roeder allegedly threatened two church members with a gun as he fled the scene. During the hearing, prosecutors will present the evidence they have against Roeder and, unless his attorneys waive the right to the hearing, a judge will determine if there is enough evidence to proceed. Should the judge agree that a trial is warranted, Roeder will enter a plea. The Associated Press indicated that neither prosecutors nor defense attorneys have been willing to talk about the case and that Roeder has not said what plea he will enter. With plenty of evidence and witnesses, a case will likely move forward and speculation is on what type of defense Roeder's attorneys will rely on during the trial. Some observers say they could say Roeder suffered from mental illness at various times in his life. Full story at LifeNews.comBritish Royal College of Nursing Under Fire for Ditching Assisted Suicide Opposition
London, England (LifeNews.com) -- The Royal College of Nursing has reversed its position and no longer opposes assisted suicide -- instead taking a neutral view on the thorny issue. The decision is bringing the RCN serious condemnation, including from the Christian Nurses and Midwives group, which says it sends a bad message to the disabled. The RCN, which represents 400,000 nurses in the United Kingdom, is now the only major medical group in the nation to not be on record opposing assisted suicide. Peter Carter, RCN chief executive, said: “Assisted suicide is a complicated issue and this was reflected in the range and variety of responses that we received to our consultation. The British Medical Association dropped its opposition to assisted suicide in 2005 but switched back the following year after a backlash. The Christian group said RCN was wrong to change its position because most of its membership had not responded to the idea. Full story at LifeNews.comAmnesty International Calls on Nicaragua to Repeal Law Banning All Abortions
Managua, Nicaragua (LifeNews.com) -- Putting its recent decision to adopt a pro-abortion position into further practical effect, the human rights group Amnesty International on Monday urged the government of Nicaragua to repeal a law making all abortions illegal. The call comes after a United Nations committee said Nicaragua's abortion law violates the Convention Against Torture. Amnesty International is urging the government to repeal the law and make it so abortions are legal in cases of rape and incest and for the country's Supreme Court to issue a decision on the legality and constitutionality of the law. In a shadow briefing to the UN torture committee released in May, AI asserted that Nicaragua's legislation banning all abortions was equivalent to government commissioned “torture” or at least “cruel, inhuman and degrading treatment” banned by the Convention. Amnesty also claims that Nicaragua's law "causes women and girls to die," an assertion disputed by pro-life critics. Full story at LifeNews.com
Managua, Nicaragua (LifeNews.com) -- Putting its recent decision to adopt a pro-abortion position into further practical effect, the human rights group Amnesty International on Monday urged the government of Nicaragua to repeal a law making all abortions illegal. The call comes after a United Nations committee said Nicaragua's abortion law violates the Convention Against Torture. Amnesty International is urging the government to repeal the law and make it so abortions are legal in cases of rape and incest and for the country's Supreme Court to issue a decision on the legality and constitutionality of the law. In a shadow briefing to the UN torture committee released in May, AI asserted that Nicaragua's legislation banning all abortions was equivalent to government commissioned “torture” or at least “cruel, inhuman and degrading treatment” banned by the Convention. Amnesty also claims that Nicaragua's law "causes women and girls to die," an assertion disputed by pro-life critics. Full story at LifeNews.comEncourage Friends to Sign Up for Free Pro-Life News From LifeNews.com
