Recent US News

By John-Henry Westen WASHINGTON, June 25, 2010 (LifeSiteNews.com) – The Doctrinal Committee of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) published a document this week to clarify misunderstandings about the case of an abortion that took place in a Catholic hospital in Phoenix.  A media frenzy erupted in May after Phoenix Bishop Thomas Olmsted announced the automatic excommunication of a nun who contributed to the decision to go ahead with the procedure. The nun in question, Sister Margaret McBride, had claimed that the abortion was necessary to save the life of the mother, who was suffering from pulmonary hypertension. However, while various media gave […]

By Peter J. Smith WASHINGTON, D.C., June 25, 2010 (LifeSiteNews.com) – The U.S. Supreme Court ruled against the organizers of a 2009 referendum to repeal Washington State’s civil unions law, saying that the state’s public disclosure law does not violate the U.S. Constitution by making the petition names public. However, the Court said that the pro-family advocates could ask for special protections if they proved that the public availability of their names would lead to political reprisal. The high court voted 8-1 to reject Protect Marriage Washington’s (PMW) appeal to keep secret the identities of those who signed a petition to […]

WASHINGTON, D.C., June 25, 2010 (LifeSiteNews.com) - Overturning a lower court ruling, a federal appeals court has told adult stem-cell researchers that they have standing to fight guidelines allowing taxpayer funding of embryonic stem-cell research. The United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia issued its decision Friday, finding that doctors doing adult stem cell research have 'competitive standing' to sue. Therefore, the court reinstated the doctors' federal lawsuit, filed last summer, that seeks to preliminarily enjoin and ultimately overturn the controversial guidelines for public funding of embryonic stem cell research that the National Institutes of Health issued on July […]

By Peter J. Smith MADISON, Wisconsin, June 25, 2010 (LifeSiteNews.com) – A Wisconsin appeals court has ruled against a woman seeking joint custody of her former lesbian partner’s adopted children, saying that only legal adoptive status, not years of caretaking, provide parental rights. The District 4 Court of Appeals ruled against a woman identified in court documents as Wendy M., who was seeking legal guardianship of two children whom her partner, identified as Liz K., had adopted from Guatemala. “Wisconsin law neither provides for joint adoption of a child by an unmarried couple, nor permits same-sex couples to marry.  Thus, gay […]

DES MOINES, IA, June 24, 2010 (LifeSiteNews.com) – Operation Rescue (OR) has filed a formal complaint with the Iowa Attorney General's office asking for a criminal investigation of a remote-controlled push-button Internet abortion pill scheme operated by Planned Parenthood of the Heartland known as “telemed abortion.” Earlier this year OR investigators found that a dozen small Planned Parenthood offices in Iowa were administering the dangerous abortion drug, RU 486, without the patient having been personally examined by a physician. Instead, an abortionist briefly addresses abortion patients through a teleconferencing hook-up from her office in Des Moines. After explaining the medical abortion […]

Tuesday May 11, 2010 Lawmakers Seek Probe of Obama Admin Push for Pro-Abort Kenyan Constitution WASHINGTON, D.C., May 11, 2010 (LifeSiteNews.com) – A federal probe into whether the Obama Administration broke federal laws by promoting a proposed constitution that radically changes abortion policy in Kenya has been requested by three high ranking lawmakers with congressional oversight responsibilities. In a letter to Inspectors General of the U.S. Department of State and the U.S. Agency for International Development, and the Government Accountability Office, Reps. Chris Smith (R-NJ), Darrell Issa (R-CA) and Ileana Ros-Lehtinen (R-FL) said: “Kenya’s new proposed constitution, which will be […]

Thursday June 17, 2010 Michigan Bishop Withholds CCHD Funds By Patrick B. Craine GAYLORD, Michigan, June 17, 2010 (LifeSiteNews.com) – Another United States bishop is taking precautions in light of continuing allegations that the U.S. bishops’ domestic anti-poverty arm, the Catholic Campaign for Human Development (CCHD), is funding groups that support abortion and other activities contrary to Catholic teaching. Bishop Bernard Hebda of Gaylord, Michigan has decided to delay sending funds to CCHD from the 2010 collection while the organization is under review, LifeSiteNews has learned. Candace Neff, communications director for the Gaylord diocese, emphasized that the bishop has not […]

Thursday April 22, 2010 Black Minister Forms PAC to Break Dems Party’s ‘Death Grip’ on Black Community WASHINGTON, D.C., April 22, 2010 (LifeSiteNews.com) — Bishop E.W. Jackson Sr., retired attorney and Harvard Law graduate, is declaring political war on the Democrat Party and the liberal Congressional Black Caucus (CBC), the pro-life leader announced this week. Bishop Jackson, who has fought for pro-life and pro-family causes for 25 years, formed STAND AMERICA PAC on April 1. The committee aims primarily to recruit and support conservative black candidates to run against liberals in Congressional Black Caucus districts. “The black community has been […]

By Peter J. Smith WASHINGTON, D.C., June 24, 2010 (LifeSiteNews.com) – Armed with the inspiration that comes from political desperation, the Democrat-controlled House of Representatives is scheduled to vote today on a campaign finance bill that critics on both the left and the right say will disable grassroots political opposition – including the nascent “Tea Party” movement that has been looking to sweep away liberal incumbents in November. According to House Republican sources, the House began meeting at 10:00 a.m. for legislative business and are now taking up H.R. 5175, the “Democracy is Strengthened by Casting Light on Spending in Elections […]

Roswell, NM, June 24, 2010 (LifeSiteNews.com) – Late yesterday, Liberty Counsel (LC) filed a complaint in a federal court in New Mexico to stop what they called the “censorship” of a group of students at Roswell High School and Goddard High School called “Relentless in Roswell.” According to LC, the student group had previously handed out food, hot chocolate, and candy canes to the student body and faculty without opposition or prior permission from the school. In addition, the students had helped janitors with the trash and assisted fellow students with their lunch trays. The students also distributed rocks with […]