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| Archives 2007 |
December 28, 2007 Assassinated Pakistan Leader Benazir Bhutto Was Strong Abortion Opponent Islamabad, Pakistan (LifeNews.com) -- The world mourned the loss of assassinated Pakistani leader Benazir Bhutto on Thursday, but her death was more than a setback for those hoping for democracy in this war-torn nation. Bhutto was a member of an international pro-life women's movement that understood abortion causes medical, mental health and other problems for women. When Bhutto was the prime minister of Pakistan, she helped lead a delegation to the 1994 Cairo population conference that confronted abortion advocates looking to make abortion an international right. "I dream ...of a world where we can commit our social resources to the development of human life and not to its destruction," she told the United Nations panel at the time. Bhutto was one of only two women to address the conference. Bhutto warned conference participants that "this conference must not be viewed by the teeming masses of the world as a universal social charter seeking to impose adultery, abortion...and other such matters on individuals, societies and religions which have their own social ethos." One of the leading pro-life women's groups in the United States, Feminists for Life of America, honored Bhutto in the 1998 issue of its publication The American Feminist. The group named Bhutto as one of the first and best "remarkable pro-life women" around the world. Full story at LifeNews.com. Another Coach Gets Female Student Pregnant, Uses Abortion to Cover Up His Actions Las Vegas, NV (LifeNews.com) -- Another coach has been accused of getting a female student pregnant and using an abortion to cover up his crime of sexual abuse. In this case, 27-year-old Kenneth Craig, a former high school track coach and substitute teacher has been arrested on charges of sexual misconduct with a student. Craig has been charged with getting a female track student pregnant and officials arrested him on December 20. According to an AP report, he is free on bail and has a February 20 hearing in Las Vegas Justice Court. If convicted on the charge, he could face as much as one to five years in prison. Clark worked as a substitute teacher in the Clark County School District and was a track coach at Las Vegas High School for several months last year. AP indicates he told authorities he had sex with the student in question after she graduated. However, officials report that his former girlfriend said the relationship began when the teenager was 17 and still in school and authorities have been given copies of email and phone text messages supposedly proving that. The student became pregnant and Clark is alleged to have assisted her in obtaining an abortion. It the second case in recent weeks involving a coach who has tried to use abortion to over up sexual abuse. Full story at LifeNews.com. Kansas Attorney General Will Face Abortion Investigation Despite Resignation Topeka, KS (LifeNews.com) -- Kansas Attorney General Paul Morrison will still face an investigation into allegations that he asked his mistress to send him information about an abortion probe Phill Kline is conducting even though he has decided to resign over embarrassing news that he had sexual relations with a former subordinate. Morrison was also accused of asking the employee to get him documents related to Kline's case. Morrison stepped down December 14 after acknowledging the affair but has repeatedly denied claims from his mistress Linda Carter that he asked her to gather information on charges Kline filed against a Kansas City area Planned Parenthood. The attorney general plans to vacate his office on January 31 but that won't avert the eyes of Johnson County officials from looking at Carter's claims. Kline says he still plans to appoint a special prosecutor next month to weigh the charges of blackmail, telephone harassment and disrupting a county attorney's investigation. An AP report Thursday indicated Morrison spokeswoman Ashley Anstaett said her boss wasn't surprised to learn Kline would proceed and she peddled more claims that Kline is motivated by politics. "Most Kansans know that anything associated with or initiated by Phill Kline is political motivated," she told AP. "Phill Kline has a terrible track record." Kline spokesman Brian Burgess said Thursday that his office is "obliged to appoint a special prosecutor," according to a Topeka Capital-Journal article. Full story at LifeNews.com. Colorado Attorney General Won't Challenge Hospital Sale That Could End Abortions, Denver, CO (LifeNews.com) -- Colorado's top attorney says he won't challenge a Catholic hospital's id to purchase another medical center that could result in ending abortions there. Sisters of Charity Leavenworth Health System is purchasing Exempla Lutheran Medical Center in Wheat Ridge, a suburb of Denver, and the sale could stop abortions at Exempla. State law requires the Attorney General John Suthers to approve the transfer of assets and he has until December 30 to do so. As LifeNews.com reported earlier this month, doctors at Exempla are upset that the hospital will be sold to a Catholic medical facility that does not allow abortions. Physicians there tried to persuade Suthers to void the sale but he announced in a statement on Thursday that the transaction can proceed. Suthers said he found no "material change in the charitable purposes" of the hospitals once the sale proceeds so he has "no basis to challenge the transfer." The decision does not affect a lawsuit that the Boulder Daily Camera newspaper says was filed in Boulder County District Court last week challenging the sale. The lawsuit says the sale would be illegal if abortions (and more legitimate medical services) are curtailed. Full story at LifeNews.com. "Superman Returns" Producer Jon Peters Faces Abortion-Pregnancy Discrimination Suit - Los Angeles, CA (LifeNews.com) -- Jon Peters, the producer of the 2006 movie "Superman Returns," is the subject of an employment discrimination lawsuit two former employees have filed against him. One of the women in question says Peters fired her because she was pregnant and refused his suggestion to have an abortion in order to keep her job. Blanca Hernandez and Adriana Silveira filed the lawsuits on Monday in Los Angeles Superior Court and both are seeking unspecified compensatory and punitive damages. According to a KNBC-TV news report, Silveira says Peters hired her and her husband to take care of his home and office in Malibu, California and began working for him in December 2005. Silveira learned in June 2006, the same month the film premiered, that she was pregnant. She says in her lawsuit that Peters fired her a week later after she refused to have an abortion. The suit also indicates that Peters tried to persuade Andrew Silveira to convince his wife to have the abortion so the couple could keep the job. He refused to cave in to the pressure and KNBC reports that the lawsuit says Peters fired the him in an email. The lawsuit also alleges that Blanca Silveira found out from her doctor that she needed a week of bed rest because of a cornea pregnancy and a large cyst and that Peters fired her instead of agreeing to the time off. Silveira was told to rest as more medical test results were accumulated. Full story at LifeNews.com. Israel’s Chief Jewish Council Affirms Abortions “Grave Sin,” Delaying Messiah - Jerusalem, Israel (LifeNews.com) -- The chief rabbinic council in Israel released a new opinion about abortion over the weekend confirming that abortions constitute a “grave sin” and saying they are delaying the coming of the Messiah. Their determination provides hopes to pro-life Jews in the United States and elsewhere who battle abortion. "The vast majority of abortions are unnecessary and strictly forbidden according to halacha because they are carried out even when the pregnancies do not endanger the mother's health," the rabbis wrote.They said those kinds of abortions for socioeconomic reasons or the mother not wanting the baby at the time are delaying the coming of the messiah, who Jews believe was not represented by Jesus Christ. Jews typically believe that the messiah will not come until all of the children who could be born to Jewish mothers are born. Sephardi Chief Rabbi Shlomo Amar and Ashkenazi Chief Rabbi Yona Metzger -- two leading Jewish figures in the nation -- both supported the council’s decision. The Rabbinic Council of Chief Rabbinate also said it would establish a new committee that would examine methods of reducing abortions in Israel. According to a Ynet News report, the council made its decision after a presentation by Dr. Eli Schussheim, the head of the pro-life group Efrat. He presented the council rabbis with the latest information on abortions in Israel. His showed them that 50,000 abortions happen there every year and about 20,000 of them are done within the confines of current law. Full story at LifeNews.com. Former British Prime Minister Criticized on Catholic Conversion and Abortion - London, England (LifeNews.com) -- Former British political leader Tony Blair converted to Catholicism on Friday as Cardinal Cormac Murphy-O’Connor, Archbishop of Westminster, received him in a ceremony at his residence chapel. However Blair is coming under fire for refusing to oppose legalized abortions -- an important policy position for the Catholic Church. Blair’s conversion came under criticism from former Tory MP Ann Widdecombe, who converted to Catholicism in 1993, and she said his public positions had often "gone against church teaching.” In an interview with the BBC, Widdencombe said Blair's move is ironic given the differences. "If you look at Tony Blair's voting record in the House of Commons, he's gone against Church teaching on more than one occasion. On things, for example, like abortion," she said. "My question would be, 'has he changed his mind on that?'" Meanwhile, John Smeaton, director of the Society for the Protection of Unborn Children, a leading British pro-life group, said in an interview earlier this month in The Spectator that Blair needed to repudiate his pro-abortion views to be fully accepted by pro-life Catholics. “We need to hear a full repudiation from him,” Smeaton said. “Without one, having Blair as a Catholic is like having a vegetarian in a meat-eating club. It simply does not make sense.” Father Tim Russ, the pastor of the Catholic parish Blair attended when he was prime minister, previously told The Guardian newspaper that it appeared Blair may be beginning to move towards the pro-life direction. Russ said Blair confided to him that he had doubts about the moral status of embryonic stem cell research that destroys human life. Full story at LifeNews.com. Black Pro-Life Leader Applauds Jamie Lynn Spears’ Decision to Not Have Abortion - Hollywood, CA (LifeNews.com) -- A pro-life leader in the African-American community is applauding the decision by Hollywood notable Jamie Lynn Spears to keep her baby rather than having an abortion. Spears has been the subject of television and Internet talk after the actress and sister of Britney Spears found out she was pregnant. Dr. Alveda King, the niece of the late Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. and an associate of Priests for Life, told LifeNews.com that Spears’ decision is a positive trend. "Jamie Lynn Spears deciding to keep her baby is but the latest in a series of life affirming examples we've seen in the media lately," said Dr. King. "The movies 'Bella,' 'Juno,' and others depict young women who choose life. Keyshia Cole on her reality TV show strongly advised her sister not to abort. As we celebrate the most meaningful birth in the history of man, it's encouraging that these stories are part of the season of hope that is Christmas." Dr. King said she encourages young Americans to abstain from sexual relations unless they're in a marital relationship, but she said women who become pregnant anyway shouldn't compound one bad decision with another. Pro-Lifers Convince United Way to Defund Planned Parenthood The United Way of Jackson County, Mich., was prepared to give a $10,000 grant to the local Planned Parenthood. But pro-life groups would have none of it. Following an outcry from Jackson Right to Life, Spring Arbor Universityand others, United Way changed its mind. "When they had all the information to make thedecision with, they saw that it just wasn’t going to be a good move," said Kathy Potts, president of Jackson Right to Life. (return to the top of the page) December 20, 2007 Barack Obama Has Cozy Relationship With Pro-Abortion Planned Parenthood Washington, DC (LifeNews.com) -- Illinois Sen. Barack Obama is getting renewed attention from voters and has caught pro-abortion rival Hillary Clinton in Iowa and New Hampshire polls. While some voters appreciate his fresh perspective, Obama has a long-standing relationship with the nation's leading abortion business. As LifeNews.com profiled earlier, Clinton has attacked Obama for voting present on several abortion-related bills while he was a member of the Illinois state legislature. Yet, those votes came only because he worked intimately with the Illinois Planned Parenthood Council in a concerted effort to try to defeat the pro-life bills. The Council's CEO Pam Sutherland talked about the cozy relationship her group had with Obama during a July ABC News interview. She said Obama voted present on bills related to partial-birth abortions, parental notification, and providing medical care for newborns who survive botched abortions "with the explicit support of the president and CEO of Illinois Planned Parenthood Council." "We at Planned Parenthood view those as leadership votes," Sutherland said of Obama's voting record and admitted that, "We worked with him specifically on his strategy." "Obama made sure those bills got as few votes as possible for passage," she added. Full story at LifeNews.com. Pro-Abortion Group Still Supports Hillary Clinton as Women Voters Flee -- Democratic presidential hopeful Hillary Clinton may be dropping in the polls but a leading pro-abortion organization isn't giving up on its efforts to hand her the nomination. Emily's List continues to sink hundreds of thousands of dollars into efforts to prop up her candidacy. The organization has been backing Clinton in Iowa, the first presidential contest, with a web site and Internet ads designed to increase her support among women. The group also spent $30,000 on Wednesday alone in a slick new statewide mailing of two pieces designed to attract women voters. The first one features a picture of a smiling mother of two who, ironically, promotes Clinton's record of promoting children. The message is not lost on pro-life advocates: "I'm supporting Hillary Clinton because she has always stood up for our children. The least I can do is stand up for her at the Caucus." The second profiles a teacher who sings Clinton's praises and also touts her record promoting the interests of children. "I've been going to the caucus for 28 years because it's just too important to skip," the mailer says. Full story at LifeNews.com Pro-Life Group Reminds Voters Rudy Giuliani's Iowa Chair Pro-Abortion -- The leading pro-life organization in Iowa is reminding voters in the first presidential battleground state that Rudy Giuliani's state campaign chairman is a pro-abortion activist who has raised millions for Planned Parenthood. Pro-life advocates worry that's the kind of people Giuliani would surround himself with as governor. Joy Corning was the Lieutenant Governor during the last eight years in office of former Gov. Terry Branstad. However, Corning was on the Board of Trustees for Planned Parenthood of Greater Iowa as recently as 2005, according to information from the abortion business. Corning wasn't an idle member who simply showed up for leadership meetings. She headed Planned Parenthood's "Responsible Choices" fundraising effort and PPGI reports she was responsible for bringing in over $11 million to its coffers. Iowa Right to Life sent LifeNews.com a copy of a communication it sent to its membership to urge pro-life advocates to get involved in the upcoming caucuses. The pro-life group hasn't endorsed a candidate in either the Republican or Democratic presidential race but clearly hopes Giuliani is not the nominee and mentions Corning's involvement in his campaign. "We want people to know that Giuliani's co-chair for his campaign in Iowa also sat on Planned Parenthood's board and was responsible for raising $11,000,000 for Planned Parenthood," Kim Lehman, the president of the organization said. Full story at LifeNews.com.. John McCain Chats With Catholic Pro-Life Leaders, Affirms Abortion Opposition Washington, DC (LifeNews.com) -- Arizona Sen. John McCain held a national conference call with Catholic pro-life leaders across the country on Friday afternoon. McCain is one of several pro-life candidates seeking the Republican nomination for president and he told participants on the call that he would press the case for protecting the unborn if he heads to the White House. Former Oklahoma governor Frank Keating introduced the senator at the beginning of the phone call and said McCain is “a man of integrity and a lifelong pro-life advocate.” Father Frank Pavone, the director of Priests for Life, asked Senator McCain what kind of approach he would take if elected president. “Father, I always quote that we are all created equal and endowed by our Creator with the inalienable rights, among them are life, and that applies to the born as well as the unborn,” McCain responded. “I believe it is a human right, as you said. And that’s why I've struggled for human rights all over the world.” During the call, John Jakubczyk, an attorney and the former president of Arizona Right to Life, asked McCain if the new breakthrough in turning adult stem cells into an embryonic-like state would change his mind on the issue. McCain said he's not sure the research is strong enough yet to prompt him to turn back on the issue and he said he's worried about being perceived as a flip-flopper. “I’m not there yet on changing that position for a couple reasons: one, I don't think it's totally been proven yet and second of all, there's always the flip-flop aspect of this issue,” he said. Full story at LifeNews.com. Pro-Lifers Convince United Way to Defund Planned Parenthood The United Way of Jackson County, Mich., was prepared to give a $10,000 grant to the local Planned Parenthood. But pro-life groups would have none of it. Following an outcry from Jackson Right to Life, Spring Arbor Universityand others, United Way changed its mind. "When they had all the information to make thedecision with, they saw that it just wasn’t going to be a good move," said Kathy Potts, president of Jackson Right to Life. John McCain Chats With Catholic Pro-Life Leaders, Affirms Abortion Opposition Washington, DC (LifeNews.com) -- Arizona Sen. John McCain held a national conference call with Catholic pro-life leaders across the country on Friday afternoon. McCain is one of several pro-life candidates seeking the Republican nomination for president and he told participants on the call that he would press the case for protecting the unborn if he heads to the White House. Former Oklahoma governor Frank Keating introduced the senator at the beginning of the phone call and said McCain is “a man of integrity and a lifelong pro-life advocate.” Father Frank Pavone, the director of Priests for Life, asked Senator McCain what kind of approach he would take if elected president. “Father, I always quote that we are all created equal and endowed by our Creator with the inalienable rights, among them are life, and that applies to the born as well as the unborn,” McCain responded. “I believe it is a human right, as you said. And that’s why I've struggled for human rights all over the world.” During the call, John Jakubczyk, an attorney and the former president of Arizona Right to Life, asked McCain if the new breakthrough in turning adult stem cells into an embryonic-like state would change his mind on the issue. McCain said he's not sure the research is strong enough yet to prompt him to turn back on the issue and he said he's worried about being perceived as a flip-flopper. “I’m not there yet on changing that position for a couple reasons: one, I don't think it's totally been proven yet and second of all, there's always the flip-flop aspect of this issue,” he said. Full story at LifeNews.com. Fred Thompson Says Fatherhood, Not Politics or Acting, is His Biggest Role -- Fred Thompson has been an actor, attorney and a senator from Tennessee but he says his role as a father has been the biggest of his life. His comments are important given the concern pro-life advocates have about fathers and the abortion process. Thompson is now the father of two daughters, ages 4 and 1, and their births solidified his pro-life views on abortion. He’s said that seeing their ultrasounds confirmed in his mind that life begins at conception and not some arbitrary point later. Thompson talked with McClatchy about his role as a father. "I've had the worst thing that can happen to a father, and the best thing that can happen to a father," Thompson says. "I think you come out from the other end of that with a sense of what's important and not important." Full story at LifeNews.com. John McCain Wants Pro-Huckabee Group to Stop Abortion Calls, Blasts Romney Washington, DC (LifeNews.com) -- Republican presidential candidate John McCain wants an organization that backs GOP hopeful Mike Huckabee to stop conducting telephone calls in New Hampshire that attack him on his pro-life position on abortion. McCain said Saturday that a group called Common Sense Issues has been making calls for the former Arkansas governor that call into question his positions. Huckabee says his campaign has no involvement in the telephone calls. A McCain supporter said he received a phone call Friday night saying, “You know, Senator McCain's campaign finance reform limits the ability of right to life groups to get their message out. Does that change your opinion about Senator McCain?" Meanwhile, McCain’s camp has sent a mailer to New Hampshire residents questioning Mitt Romney’s change of heart on abortion. Full story at LifeNews.com. Fred Thompson Campaign Continues Criticizing Mitt Romney on Abortion -- The Fred Thompson campaign is continuing to criticize Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney over his conversion on the issue of abortion. The Thompson camp is renewing its concerns over cheap abortions in Romney's Massachusetts health care plan and the involvement of Planned Parenthood. The Thompson campaign sent LifeNews.com two emails last week blasting the Commonwealth Care state-run health care program for poor residents. This is the second time the former Tennessee senator has brought up the issue. In a list of the services covered under the program, the Thompson campaign points to $50 abortions paid for at taxpayer expense. The legislation used to create the program also put together a health care panel that Thompson says gave Planned Parenthood a seat at the table but not any representatives of pro-life groups. ''Romney claims to be pro-life,'' the Thompson campaign said in the statement. "But under his health care plan, Massachusetts residents now have access to taxpayer-funded abortions for $50.'' Romney spokesman Kevin Madden called the claims a "distortion" and raised rebuttals similar to those raised the last time Thompson's camp criticized Romney over these issues. The rebuttal includes a reference to a Massachusetts law requiring the state to pay for taxpayer funding of abortions -- something the campaign says the legislature must change. Full story at LifeNews.com. Mitt Romney Restates Abortion Change, Allowing Some Embryonic Research Washington, DC (LifeNews.com) -- Mitt Romney participated in a weekend interview with Tim Russert of the NBC program "Meet the Press" and he restated, as he has countless times before, why he changed his position on abortion. Romney also reiterated his position allowing researchers to destroy human embryos from fertility clinics for scientific studies. Russert played a couple of videos from previous elections where Romney said he would not waver in his support for legalized abortion. Asked why he changed his position, Romney shared the old story of confronting the destruction of human life through embryonic stem cell research and how it prompted him to become pro-life. "Well, you know, Tim, I was always personally opposed to abortion, as I think almost everyone in this nation is. And the question for me was, what is the role of government?" Romney explained. Romney said he now believes that life begins at the point of conception. "I do. I believe, I believe from a, from a, a political perspective that life begins at conception. I, I don't, I don't pretend to know, if you will, from a theological standpoint when life begins," he explained. The former Massachusetts governor also restated his position that his supports a human life amendment and overturning Roe v. Wade but doesn't think Americans are ready for the amendment yet. Full story at LifeNews.com. Minnesota Pro-Life Group Issues Endorsement for Republican Fred Thompson Minneapolis, MN (LifeNews.com) -- A statewide pro-life organization in Minnesota is the latest to issue an endorsement for Republican presidential hopeful Fred Thompson. The former Tennessee senator is one of several pro-life candidates on the GOP side but he's racked up the most official endorsements from pro-life groups. Minnesota Citizens Concerned for Life is the latest to back Thompson's candidacy and its endorsement follows on the heels of those from pro-life groups in South Carolina, Wyoming, Wisconsin, West Virginia, and New York. MCCL executive director Scott Fischbach told LifeNews.com that, “His record and his positions on issues affecting life have earned Thompson our support for president." The organization says Thompson has had a strong, consistent pro-life record throughout his political career. It highlighted how Thompson opposes the 1973 Roe v. Wade ruling that allowed virtually unlimited abortion and wants it reversed. Full story at LifeNews.com. Photo Shows Mitt Romney at Planned Parenthood Abortion Fundraiser in 1994 Washington, DC (LifeNews.com) -- Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney is taking flak over a new photo that shows him attending a 1994 fundraiser for Planned Parenthood. The photo comes after statements Romney and his wife made during the election that they don't recall making a $150 donation to the abortion business. ABC News featured the picture on its web site Tuesday showing Mitt and Ann Romney standing with local abortion advocates, including Nicki Nichols Gamble, the former president and CEO of the Planned Parenthood League of Massachusetts. Gamble told ABC that the event was a fundraising house party in June 1994, when Romney was involved in a bitter battle to defeat pro-abortion Sen. Ted Kennedy. It was at that event that Ann Romney wrote a check to the pro-abortion group on the Romney's joint checking account, Gamble indicated. Romney campaign spokesman Kevin Madden told ABC News what he has said on previous occasions -- that the Romneys don't recall the circumstances of the donation from 13 years ago. "As Mrs. Romney has stated previously, she is unfamiliar with the circumstances of a check she wrote close to 14 years ago," Madden said. "During his campaign for U.S. Senate in 1994, it would not have been out of the ordinary for the governor to have attended an event, out of the hundreds that any candidate would attend during a campaign season, which involved a voter coalition and also have his wife accompanying him," he added. Madden said the important point for the purposes of the 2008 presidential election is that Mitt Romney is now pro-life. Full story at LifeNews.com. California Pro-Life Organization Says Fred Thompson Deserves GOP Support Sacramento, CA (LifeNews.com) -- Republican presidential candidate Fred Thompson is doing everything he can to create a strong showing in Iowa and South Carolina to capture the Republican nomination. In doing so, he continues to rack up endorsements from pro-life organizations that say he has a consistent pro-life record on abortion and bioethics issues. The California Pro-Life Council is the latest pro-life group in Thompson's corner. Lawrence Lehr, the chairman of the group's political action committee, told LifeNews.com on Tuesday that “There are many pro-life candidates in the race." “But Fred Thompson is clearly the one, consistently pro-life candidate with the ability to win in November. It is important that pro-life voters rally around a candidate that can make a difference," he said. Lehr said Thompson's 100 percent pro-life voting record while he served in the Senate made a big difference for his group. “Fred is reminiscent of Ronald Reagan;” said Lehr, “firm and deliberative, not given to hype and not to be bullied; he is the kind of pro-life President this country needs.” Full story at LifeNews.com. North Carolina Pro-Life Organization Jumps on Fred Thompson Bandwagon Charlotte, NC (LifeNews.com) -- Republican presidential candidate Fred Thompson continues to accumulate the support of pro-life groups as he tries to rebuild his campaign in Iowa and capture the GOP nod for 2008. North Carolina Right to Life is the latest pro-life group to hop aboard the Thompson bandwagon and says the former senator is strongly pro-life. The organization joins its sister group in South Carolina, site of one of the early presidential battlegrounds, in backing the former actor and attorney. “By endorsing Fred Thompson for President, North Carolina Right to Life PAC wants all North Carolinians to know Senator Thompson’s long-standing pro-life record," Barbara Holt, the president of the group, told LifeNews.com. Holt cites Thompson's "unwavering commitment to protecting unborn children from abortion, and our belief in his ability to win" as other reasons to back his presidential bid. “As President, Fred Thompson will be a strong advocate for life at all stages," Holt told LifeNews.com. Full story at LifeNews.com. December 14, 2007 Who's the Biggest Baby-Killing Champion? MSNBC reported it "would be putting it mildly" to say a Dec. 4 press conference had "gone awry," when the Clinton campaign arranged for the head of the pro-abortion group EMILY's List to hype Hillary. National OBGYN Group Says Pro-Life Doctors Should Refer for Abortions Washington, DC (LifeNews.com) -- The national organization for obstetricians and gynecologists is coming under fire for a new policy saying all doctors, including those who are pro-life, should refer women to abortion centers. Dozens of pro-life groups have issued a new letter condemning the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) position. ACOG has released a position statement that targets pro-life physicians, insisting those who object to doing abortions should refer patients to doctors who will do them. A leading group for Christian doctors, the 15,000-member Christian Medical Association (CMA), sent a letter on behalf of itself and dozens of pro-life groups to ACOG president Douglas Laube and the group's board of directors. In the letter, Dr. David Stevens, CMA's director, tells ACOG that it's new position statement, "suggests a profound misunderstanding of the nature and exercise of conscience." Stevens says ACOG has "an underlying bias against persons of faith and an apparent attempt to disenfranchise physicians who oppose ACOG's political activism on abortion." ACTION: Express your disappointment with the ACOG policy paper by contacting the group at: American College of Obstetricians and Gynecology, Douglas W. Laube, MD, President, PO Box 96920, Washington, D.C. 20090-6920. You can call ACOG at (202) 638-5577 and members can email membership@acog.org. Full story at LifeNews.com. Reducing Abortions Would Significantly Cut Premature Birth Rate -- Two researchers say reducing abortions in the United States would significantly cut the rate of premature births. Dr. Richard E. Behrman, representing the Institute of Medicine, has identified prior first-trimester induced abortion as an “immutable medical risk factor associated with pre-term birth.” Behrman found that the premature birth rate in the U.S. was 12.5% in 2004 -- 40 percent higher than the rate of 8.9% in 1980. Citing that data, researchers Brent Rooney, of Canada, and William Robert Johnston, of Texas, published in a letter in the Journal of American Physicians and Surgeons, saying that prohibiting abortion would reverse the trend and also drive down medical costs. To back up their claim, they point to United Nations data showing Poland dramatically reduced its rates of premature birth, maternal mortality and infant mortality within a few years after its abortion rate declined by 98% between 1989 and 1993 (as a result of the passage of an abortion ban). They say data from UNICEF found that, between 1995 and 1997, Poland’s pre-term birth rate dropped by 41.8% and maternal mortality decreased 41.4%, and infant mortality was down by 25.0%. Full story at LifeNews.com. Woman Whose Parents Kidnapped Her for Forced Abortion Speaks Out -- A young woman whose parents kidnapped her and tried to drive her from Maine to New York City for an abortion is speaking up for the first time since their sentencing. Katelyn Kampf's parents Nicholas and Lola acknowledged their guilt to lesser charges but escaped jail time on the more serious violations. Under the agreement, the Kampfs pleaded guilty to misdemeanor assault and disorderly conduct charges and had felony kidnapping charges dismissed. As long as the Kampfs follow the court's request to receive proper counseling the assault charges will be dismissed as well. The Kampf's tied Katelyn's hands and feet at gunpoint and put her in the back of their car. She was able to flee after using the restroom and grabbed her parents' cell phone to alert police. On "Good Morning America" today Katelyn, 20, talked about what happened and how she "lost" her parents. Katelyn told ABC News interviewer Chris Cuomo that events unfolded because her boyfriend Reme, a black man from South Africa, was the father of the child. She accused the Kampfs of racism. Full story at LifeNews.com. Washington Abortion Advocates Appeal Judge's Morning After Pill Ruling -- Abortion advocates in Washington are appealing the decision of a judge who halted a new state requirement forcing pharmacists to fill prescriptions for all drugs, including those that would violate their moral or religious beliefs. Pharmacists who are pro-life were worried they could be forced to dispense the morning after pill. Under pressure from pro-abortion Gov. Chris Gregoire, the pharmacy board approved the rules earlier this year. Kevin Stormans, who owns pharmacies in the state, filed a lawsuit along with other pharmacists in July seeking to overturn the new rules. U.S. District Judge Ronald Leighton ruled that pharmacists can refuse to fill a prescription for the morning after pill or other objectionable drugs if they refer the customer to another store where they can get the order filled. But the ACLU, Planned Parenthood and the pro-abortion Northwest Women's Law Center are asking for Judge Leighton's injunction to be overturned. They filed legal papers with the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals this week saying the ruling goes against previous precedent. Full story at LifeNews.com. Iowa Man Charged With Assaulting Pro-Life Advocate at Clinton RallyFt. Madison, IA (LifeNews.com) -- An Iowa man has been charged with assaulting pro-life advocates as they protested outside a campaign rally for Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton. The pro-life protesters say police threatened to arrest them if they didn't immediately leave the public sidewalk, but now the offender has been charged in the incident. Jim Mitchell, a resident of the local town, is charged with assaulting Don Holman, of Keokuk, Iowa. The attack was captured on video. Police were parked across the street from where Holman was standing on a public sidewalk last Friday. According to eyewitnesses, Mitchell got out of his vehicle and approached Holman with a club, shouting at him to get off his property. Full story at LifeNews.com. India's Gender Ratio Getting Worse as Sex-Selection Abortions Continue -- The gender ratio in India is growing worse as sex-selection abortions and infanticides continue in the Asian nation, a new report reveals. Officials there have been working overtime to try to halt the practices, but the illegal use of ultrasounds continues and is allowing parents to kill unwanted girl babies. Researchers from relief group ActionAid examined a sample of 6,500 households in the Indian states of Punjab, Rajasthan, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh. They found that the male-female ratio grew worse in four of the states compared with the figures from 2001. According to a Reuters report, upper class Hindu areas of Punjab's Fatehgarh Sahib district had the worst rates as the organization found only 300 girls for every 1,000 boys living there. "These sex ratios are disastrous," Mary John, a researcher from the Centre for Women Development Studies in New Delhi, told Reuters. She said the new numbers reflect a trend of having smaller families. Couples are choosing to have only one child and deciding to only have a boy. India follows the beliefs of other Asian nations in favoring boys to carry on work and family names and because girls must have expensive dowries upon their marriage. Full story at LifeNews.com. Juno Director Jason Reitman Talks About Movie's Adoption, Abortion Themes Hollywood, CA (LifeNews.com) -- "Juno" is the latest movie that hits on a pregnancy theme and the crucial decision of whether to have an abortion. Despite foul language and other raunchy aspects, the film has delighted some pro-life advocates with its promotion of adoption over abortion. In the new movie, Juno MacGuff (played by Ellen Page) is a teenager who suddenly finds herself pregnant. Juno heads to a local abortion business -- saying she will "nip [the problem] in the bud" -- only to be talked out of taking her baby's life by a pro-life sidewalk counselor who tells her about the development of her unborn child. Jason Reitman, known for his 2006 debut, ''Thank You for Smoking," talked with the Morning Call newspaper about the movie. Reitman says he expected the worst when he got the script for the film -- thinking it would be another Afterschool Special with a Pollyanna look at pregnancy. "Instead, it turns into a politically incorrect comedy that deals with teen pregnancy in a frank and warm way," he said. Reitman told the newspaper he appreciates how the film takes an honest look at growing up and accepting responsibility but, at the same time, acknowledges that children grow up too fast in today's world. ''More and more, we seem to be giving up our innocence faster and sooner,'' he said. ''If Juno had decided to keep her baby, she could have become an adult right there and then. There's something heartbreaking about that." Full story at LifeNews.com. Woman Whose Parents Tried to Force Abortion Charged With Prostitution Portland, ME (LifeNews.com) -- The saga of Katelyn Kampf, the 20-year-old woman whose parents tried to force her to New York City for an abortion continues. Just days after she appeared on a national television program to tell her side of the story, Kampf was arrested on outstanding prostitution charges. Kampf was arrested on several warrants after she failed to appear in court for a summons issued in October. The warrant came after police conducted a sting operation at a local hotel in Portland, Maine. Police say Kampf was slated to appear in court on December 4 on the prostitution charge, but made an appearance a week later on ABC's "Good Morning America" instead to talk about how her parents tried to make her have an abortion. As LifeNews.com has reported, Kampf's parents Nicholas and Lola acknowledged their guilt to lesser charges but escaped jail time on the more serious violations. Full story at LifeNews.com. (return to the top of the page) December 13, 2007 Abortion Practitioner Tells Michigan Medical Students He Has "License to Lie" Lansing, MI (LifeNews.com) -- A video of an abortion practitioner is making its way across the Internet featuring a November appearance by Alberto Hodari at Wayne State University in Michigan. The campus pro-abortion organization invited him to speak and Hodari tells them his status as an abortion practitioner gives him license to lie to women. Hodari gave the local Medical Students for Choice group a talk entitled, "Why I Am An Abortion Provider" to motivate the pro-abortion medical students. The national pro-life student group Students for Life of America obtained a copy of the speech, in which Hodari says, "I have great satisfaction of what I do, and I never feel bad or worried about doing abortions." Hodari also spoke about how little he washed between abortions because it chafed his hands, even though his doing so puts women's health at risk. Most upsetting to SFLA director Kristan Hawkins is Hodari's claim that being an abortion practitioner gives him "license to lie" to women who seek him out for abortions. "To hear Hodari speak, one wonders if Michigan is the third world," Hawkins says in a statement she provided LifeNews.com. "Planned Parenthood complains about 'back-alley' abortions, even though Hodari is running a business where he's barely washing his hands between abortions." Full story at LifeNews.com. Mitt Romney Needs Embryonic Stem Cell Research Education, Pro-Life Leader Says Washington, DC (LifeNews.com) -- A leading pro-life advocate says Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney needs more education on the topic of embryonic stem cell research. Comments from Wendy Wright, the head of Concerned Women for America, come after Romney gave an interview saying he favors some of the controversial science. Last week, Lifenews.com reported on a Romney interview where the former Massachusetts governor said he would oppose the specific creation and destruction of human life but supports destroying human embryos from fertility clinics. Wright said his response indicate Romney "shows a need for more education." Wright said she doesn't think Romney is putting forward a consistently pro-life position on embryonic stem cell research. "Human life should be treated as sacred and that includes the youngest of humans," she said. "There needs to be a consistent application of the belief in the sanctity of human life." Wright said Romney was making a mistake in trying to find a middle ground between supporting and opposing the destruction of human life for research. Full story at LifeNews.com. Embryonic Stem Cell Alternative Researcher Didn't Like Destroying Life -- Dr. Shinya Yamanaka of Kyoto University made international headlines recently when he devised a new process that allows for the creation of embryonic stem cells without the destruction of human life. Now, Yamanaka says he was prompted to search for ethical alternatives by his own conscience. Invited by a friend to take a look at a human embryo -- a unique human being -- under a microscope, Dr. Yamanaka had a moral spark that changed his career. “When I saw the embryo, I suddenly realized there was such a small difference between it and my daughters,” the father of two told the New York Times today. The glimpse into the beginnings of human life motivated him to seek out alternatives to the destruction of human beings for their stem cells for research. “I thought, we can't keep destroying embryos for our research. There must be another way," he said. Full story at LifeNews.com. Australia Practitioner Defends Decision to Do Abortion at 32 Weeks Canberra, Australia (LifeNews.com) -- The man who did a late-term abortion at 32 weeks into a woman's pregnancy on an unborn baby diagnosed with dwarfism is defending his decision. Lachlan de Crespigny has been prevented by the courts from talking about the case until now, and he told Australian media he has no regrets about doing the controversial abortion. Five doctors at Royal Women's Hospital were involved in the February 2000 abortion and the Australia Medical Practitioners Board ultimately decided against subjecting them to formal disciplinary hearings. In his interview with The Age newspaper, de Crespigny claims the woman was so distressed about the news that her baby had dwarfism that she became suicidal and pleaded for an abortion. The hospital physicians injected potassium chloride into the baby's heart in what de Crespigny calls a "lifesaving" medical procedure. "If we didn't do it and the woman died we would have potentially been charged with manslaughter and gone to jail," he told the newspaper. "So in a legal sense, you could argue that we were compelled to offer it." Full story at LifeNews.com. Pro-Life Candidates in Virginia, Ohio Cruise to Lopsided Victories for Congress Washington, DC (LifeNews.com) -- Two pro-life candidates cruised to lopsided victories on Tuesday in their bid for seats in special Congressional elections. Bob Latta will be the next congressman from Ohio and State Delegate Rob Wittman easily won in his race for a Virginia congressional seat. Republican state Representative Bob Latta, who enjoyed the endorsement of both National Right to Life and Ohio Right to Life's political action committees, faced Robin Weirauch. Latta, who, as the chairman of the Ohio Senate Judiciary Committee, Bob helped pass Ohio’s ban on partial birth abortion, defeated Weirauch, the 2004 and 2006 Democratic nominee who had the endorsement of pro-abortion Emily's List, by a vote of 57% to 43%. Meanwhile, as expected, State Delegate Rob Wittman cruised to a landslide victory over Philip Forgit in Tuesday's special election. Wittman had the backing of 63 percent while Forgit had 35 percent. "Wittman is pro-life and has been endorsed by the Virginia Society for Human Life PAC," National Right to Life political director Karen Cross told LifeNews.com. Full story at LifeNews.com. Kansas Attorney General Calls for Probe of His Affair-Abortion Scandal Topeka, KS (LifeNews.com) -- In the latest episode involving Kansas Attorney General Paul Morrison's affair and alleged tampering with an abortion investigation, Morrison has called for an independent investigation into his actions. Morrison has already admitted to the affair but has denied pressuring a former subordinate to give him information on the abortion probe. Morrison has admitted to having an affair with Linda Carter, who was his director of administration at the county attorney's office. She accuses him of asking her to gather information in a case his replacement is building against an abortion center. The state's top attorney says he will ask Stanton Hazlett, the Kansas Disciplinary Administrator that is an agency under the Kansas Supreme Court, to investigate the allegations. But Mary Kay Culp tells LifeNews.com the request is a joke. "Morrison's call for an investigation by the Disiplinary Board means nothing," she said. "It was going to happen anyway, they have no criminal or civil power, and this way he makes it look like it was his idea. These games need to stop." Full story at LifeNews.com. Terri Schiavo's Family, Pro-Life Group Announce Official Day to Honor Her St. Petersburg, FL (LifeNews.com) -- The family of Terri Schiavo and a leading national pro-life organization have announced a special day of remembrance to honor the memory of the disabled woman whose former husband killed her. March 31, the date of Terri's death, will become the "International Day of Prayer and Remembrance for Terri Schindler Schiavo." The day is designed not only as a remembrance of Terri's painful 13-day starvation and dehydration death at the hands of her ex-husband Michael, but as a way to help the disabled. Terri's family and Priests for Life hope the special day will foster education, prayer, and activism regarding discrimination against the disabled. They hope other people never have to face what she did. "Those of us who were with Terri will never forget her life and her death," Father Frank Pavone, the director of Priests for Life, told LifeNews.com. "For the sake of all the vulnerable, it is critically important that those who never knew Terri likewise remember the lessons that God taught us through her," he added. Suzanne Vitadamo, Terri's sister, said that no family should ever have to watch as a loved one is starved to death. Full story at LifeNews.com. Professor Wants $5,000 Baby Tax for Couples With Two or More Kids Perth, Australia (LifeNews.com) -- A university professor has written an article in a medical journal suggesting that couples who have more than one baby should pay a $5,000 tax for supposedly hurting the environment. His comments follow on the heels of women in England saying they had abortions to protect the environment. Associate Professor Barry Walters, a professor of obstetric medicine at the University of Western Australia, says the taxes would help offset the supposed problem of overpopulation. Writing in today's Medical Journal of Australia, Walters proposes the baby tax and says parents of every child born should also pay an annual carbon tax of up to $800 a child. That would cover the supposed cost per year that people cause by harming the planet. "Every newborn baby in Australia represents a potent source of greenhouse gas emissions for an average of 80 years, not simply by breathing but by the profligate consumption of resources typical of our society," he wrote. Moreover, Professor Walters suggests that Australia's government should scrap the tax rewards parents get for having a child and, instead, imposed a one-child only rule that China uses. Full story at LifeNews.com. Mainstream Media Present Biased View of When Human Life Begins Washington, DC (LifeNews.com) -- Critical to the debate over abortion is the scientific determination of when human life begins -- a fact that pro-life advocates have always had on their side. Though conception, or fertilization, begins the life of a unique human being, the mainstream media is presenting a slightly, albeit decptively, different picture. Last month, Time magazine features an incredible photo of a human embryo implanted into the lining of her mother's uterus shortly after conception. Time called it "[a]n implanted fertilized egg," even though the picture in question apparently showed an unborn baby about one week old. In another article, Time called an "embryo" a human being who was further along in the development process. But Jill Stanek, a leading pro-life advocate who exposed live-birth abortions in Chicago and pushed for a federal law to protect babies who survive them, says the mainstream media is trying to distort terminology to advance the pro-abortion cause. Full story at LifeNews.com. Historic Symposium Focuses on Opposing Assisted Suicide and Euthanasia Over three hundred people from various nations met in Toronto, Ontario for a history-making event, The First International Symposium on Euthanasia and Assisted Suicide: Current Issues, Future Directions. Hosted by the Euthanasia Prevention Coalition of Canada (EPCC), the symposium was co-sponsored by diverse groups from Canada, the United States and the United Kingdom as well as the Archdiocese of Toronto. With one thing in common—opposition to legalization of euthanasia and assisted suicide—disability rights advocates, medical and legal professionals, pro-life activists, people of various religious faiths and atheists came together to learn from the experts, find common ground and strategize. Presenters exposed the new directions and strategies of the movement to legalize euthanasia and assisted suicide. According to Wesley Smith, who is a senior fellow at the Discovery Institute, attorney, international lecturer and author of several books on bioethics (just to name a few of his credentials), "The euthanasia movement has become much more sophisticated in the last few years." The "crackpot element" is no longer driving the movement. It is now "a professional model" and "an elitist establishment movement" whose pitch is "just a little extra choice for people who are dying." The thread running through all the presentations was the urgent need to establish a common response to this world-wide threat. Full story at LifeNews.com. (return to the top of the page) December 11, 2007 Heisman Trophy Winner Tim Tebow Could Have Been a Victim of Abortion New York, NY (LifeNews.com) -- University of Florida quarterback Tim Tebow became the first sophomore in the history of the NCAA to win the coveted Heisman Trophy as the best football player in the nation. However, Tebow's accomplishments may never have been supported had his mother followed a doctor's recommendation to have an abortion. With 29 passing touchdowns and 22 rushing touchdowns, Tebow displayed the kind of versatility that has become more valued at the quarterback position. Pam Tebow and her husband were Christian missionaries in the Philippines in 1985 and they prayed for "Timmy" before she became pregnant. Unfortunately, as the Gainesville Sun reports, Pam entered into a coma after she contracted amoebic dysentery, an infection of the intestine caused by a parasite found in a contaminated food or drink. The treatment for the medical condition would require strong medications that doctors told Pam had caused irreversible damage to Tim -- so they advised her to have an abortion. Full story at LifeNews.com. Kansas Attorney General Sex Scandal Also Rocks Abortion Investigations Topeka, KS (LifeNews.com) -- Kansas Attorney General Paul Morrison has been rocked by a sexual harassment claim tied to an affair he had with a subordinate employee when he served as the Johnson County Attorney. Morrison is accused of urging the employee to gather information in a case his replacement is building against an abortion center. Morrison has admitted to having an affair with Linda Carter, who was his director of administration at the county attorney's office. She resigned her job at the end of November and filed a sexual harassment complaint with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission. In the claim, Carter alleges that Morrison pressured her in a number of political ways, including asking her to obtain confidential documents in the case new Johnson County Attorney Phill Kline, the former state attorney general, is building against a Planned Parenthood abortion business in Overland Park. Morrison has condemned Kline for investigating the abortion center and filing charges of illegal abortions and improper paperwork after Morrison dismissed similar state charges Kline at filed against Planned Parenthood. Carter also alleges that the two had a lengthy discussion about Morrison's charges against Wichita abortion practitioner George Tiller. Full story at LifeNews.com. Emergency Records Reveal Abortion Center's Callousness to Injured Woman Hyannis, MA (LifeNews.com) -- Records from emergency services in Massachusetts reveal the callousness abortion business staff had towards a woman who had just been victimized by a botched abortion that would eventually result in her death. Transcripts of a 911 call reveal what one pro-life group calls a "cold-hearted dispassion." As LifeNews.com first reported, Laura Smith, a 22-year-old from Honduras, died in September after getting an abortion from Rapin Osathanondh at the Women Health Center abortion business. Officials with the pro-life group Operation Rescue obtained the transcript and audio recording of the 911 call a woman named Kim, who was an employee at the abortion center, made after Osathanondh botched the abortion. Kim called the Hyannis Fire Department on September 13 requesting medical assistance for Smith, who had aspirated and was not breathing. The audio of the call is noteworthy for its brevity, with Kim providing no other details to emergency officials about Smith's condition at the time of the call or mentioning she had just undergone a surgical abortion. Smith's mother, Eileen Smith, also listened to the call and said she was surprised at the lack of emotion she heard, the pro-life group told LifeNews.com. Full story at LifeNews.com. Abortion Typically Unnecessary When Cancer Strikes a Pregnant Mother The amazing discovery that it is actually better for women diagnosed with cancer while pregnant (called gestational cancer) to carry the pregnancy to term is hardly news. It wasn't even news last year or twenty years ago. About 70 years ago, it was news. Sadly, the abortion culture had infiltrated the fabric of the practice of medicine long before Roe v. Wade. And it was perfectly legal to have an abortion, provided, of course, that a doctor decided that a woman "needed" an abortion. That's why they call it "therapeutic abortion." Up north, the Princess Margaret Hospital in Toronto has been accumulating case histories since 1931, and publishing the results every several years. The most recent paper, authored by Drs. R.M. Clark and T. Chua15, and published in 1989, reported on the fate of 154 patients with gestational breast cancer. In such cases, the cancer is usually discovered at an advanced stage (since symptoms are masked by the pregnancy), and the prognosis is generally poor. Thus only 20 percent of the Princess Margaret patients who carried their pregnancies to term were alive 20 years later. But strikingly, all 21 patients who had undergone "therapeutic abortion" were dead within eleven years! Full story at LifeNews.com. Huckabee Now Ahead in South Carolina; Romney, Thompson Giuliani 2nd Columbia, SC (LifeNews.com) -- Two new polls of Republicans in South Carolina find Mike Huckabee leading in the early primary battleground state for the first time. Recent polls have had Mitt Romney, Fred Thompson or Rudy Giuliani in the lead but they now show the three GOP hopefuls tied for second just a few percentage points behind. The surveys, released by Rasmussen and Insider Advantage, find Huckabee getting the support of 25 and 23 percent of Republicans respectively. Rasmussen has Thompson and Romney tied at 18 percent for second place and Giuliani dropping to 12 percent from the 20 percent support he had in the company's September poll. John McCain came in fifth with the support of 9 percent and Ron Paul had four percent. Meanwhile, Insider Advantage shows Thompson and Giuliani tied for second with 17 percent apiece and Romney in fourth with 14 percent. McCain is also fifth with 10 percent and Paul has 6 percent. The polling firm last surveyed South Carolina residents in early October and the change has Huckabee up 12 percent, Romney down two, Thompson down four, and Giuliani up one point. Full story at LifeNews.com. Bella Movie's Lead Actor Talks More About Baby He Saved From Abortion Hollywood, CA (LifeNews.com) -- Millions of Americans have enjoyed the soft pro-life theme of the movie Bella, that has been one of Hollywood's success stories despite the limited number of theaters showing the film. Now its lead actor Eduardo Verastegui is sharing more details about the baby saved from an abortion as he prepared for his role in the film. In June 2006, LifeNews.com first reported the heartwarming story Verastegui shared at a private showing of the film. Bella's producers wanted to keep the story private for fear of making their movie appear to be a polemic political statement on abortion. In a statement released on Thursday, Verastegui, for the first time, publicly discusses what happened. Verastegui told LifeNews.com last year that he didn't know much about the issue of abortion when he prepared for his role as Jose. Not knowing of the animosity abortion businesses have towards pro-life advocates, he decided to go to a local abortion facility to learn more about what really happens inside. What occurred, he says, changed his life forever. Full story at LifeNews.com. Man Who Tried to Cause Girlfriend's Abortion Gets Top Defense Team -- A Wisconsin man charged with trying to get his girlfriend to have an abortion by secretly slipping her the dangerous RU 486 abortion drug is getting a top-rate defense team. Several key attorneys are assembling to defend Manishkumar Patel, who is considered very wealthy, in court. Patel posted a cash bond of $750,000 for his bail on Saturday after getting significant sums of money from his own portfolio as well as from family and friends. Now, the 34-year-old will be represent by an attorney who handled the state's first case of an attack on a pregnant woman that caused the injury or death of an unborn child. In 2000, Milwaukee attorney Martin Kohler, was involved in a case where a man imprisoned and assaulted a pregnant woman. State courts eventually found the state's unborn victims law constitutional in that case. It's the same law being used to charge Patel with attempted first-degree intentional homicide for trying to cause his unnamed girlfriend to abort her twin babies. Full story at LifeNews.com. Canada's Robert Latimer Denied Parole, No Remorse for Killing Disabled Daughter Ottawa, Canada (LifeNews.com) -- Robert Latimer has been denied a chance to receive day parole because he has shown no remorse for killing his disabled 13-year-old daughter. Latimer was a Saskatchewan resident who sparked a national debate on assisted suicide and euthanasia after killing Tracy in a so-called mercy killing earned him a life sentence. As his wife and other children attended church, Latimer put Tracy into the cab of his pickup and allowed exhaust fumes to enter. A jury found him guilty of second-degree murder in 1994 and the Canada Supreme court eventually nullified the conviction. A second guilty verdict was later upheld. Latimer has served seven years of that sentence and he appeared with an attorney before the board of the William Head Institution, a minimum security prison on Vancouver Island where he is imprisoned. According to a Toronto Globe and Mail news report, the three-member panel determined that Latimer has not shown enough contrition over his actions to be released from prison. Full story at LifeNews.com. Woman Says Boyfriend Who Tried to Cause Abortion Abused Her Too Appleton, WI (LifeNews.com) -- A Wisconsin woman who says her boyfriend tried to make her have an abortion by putting the dangerous abortion drug mifepristone (RU 486) into a drink also physically abused her. Darshana Patel says Manishkumar M. Patel hurt her to the extent that she jumped from a moving vehicle once to escape him. Darshana obtained a restraining order against Manishkumar last month and now he has been charged with first-degree intentional homicide for trying to cause Darshana to abort her twin babies. According to court records the Associated Press obtained, Darshana said Manishkumar abused her physically and emotionally on repeated occasions but she stayed with him even though his divorce with another woman was not finalized. Darshana became suspicious after she had two miscarries in one year and noticed white powder on the cup of a drink Manishkumar prepared. Police labs later confirmed the powder was the dangerous abortion drug Manishkumar has purchased in India. Darshana Patel's concern for her baby led her to obtain the restraining order after he hit her once and blackened her eye and cut her lip. According to the AP report, she was "afraid (for) my safety and my unborn child's safety." Full story at LifeNews.com. Michael J. Fox Won't Budge on Stem Cell Research After Breakthrough Washington, DC (LifeNews.com) -- Prominent embryonic stem cell research proponent Michael J. Fox won't change his views on the controversial science following an ethical breakthrough. Scientists in Wisconsin and Japan discovered a way of converting adult skin cells into an embryonic-like state. They also were able to overcome other hurdles associated with the embryonic-like cells to show that they are not only more ethical than embryonic ones but more effective as well. When asked by NBC's Maria Menounos whether the news has changed Fox's mind, he refused to abandon the practice of embryo destruction. "We don't want to discontinue the embryonic stem cell research that's being done because one begat the other and, and it all becomes part of a broad canvas that we want to continue to work on," he said. With regard to ending the debate over embryonic stem cell research and destroying human life to advance science, Fox said, "I want to make sure that we, that, that doesn't happen." Full story at LifeNews.com. (return to the top of the page) December 6, 2007 Focus on the Family Handbook Equips Pro-Lifers Free online resource helps Christians answer the tough questions. Are preborn babies human beings? What is partial-birth abortion? Do I have the right to choose when I die? Should I support stem-cell research? Christians often face these difficult questions, but may be unsure how to respond. A new, downloadable Sanctity of Human Life handbook created by Focus on the Family offers 52 pages of insight on a broad range of life issues from the single-cell stage to natural death. The first sectionof the handbook addresses beginning-of-life issues, including abortion, fetal development, the morning-after pill, alternatives to abortion and human cloning. The second part is devoted to end-of-life issues, such as physician-assisted suicide, euthanasia and advance medical directives. One page in the book is dedicated toabortion statistics. Carrie Gordon Earll, senior bioethics analyst for Focus on the Family Action, said the statistics reported in the handbook and in the media showing that abortion is down are great news, but they may not be completely accurate.“These numbers may be deceiving, as several states did not file a report, including California, which is a leader in the number of abortions in the nation,” Earll said. “Without mandatory state reporting, we really have no way of knowing the true number of abortions committed each year in this country." Earll encourages people to download the free handbook. “Many pro-life citizens want to be better equipped to defend the value of human life, but don't have the time to sift through mountains of data to collect the best and most reliable information to use,” Earll said. “Focus on the Family has done that for you, and the result is the Sanctity of Human Life handbook.” Bella Movie Audience Keeps Abortion-Themed Film in the Top 20 Nationwide Hollywood, CA (LifeNews.com) -- The audience for the movie Bella, which contains a life-affirming theme on abortion that has touched the hearts of millions, has kept the film in the top twenty at the box office. With the addition of 77 new theaters last weekend, Bella was able to bring in enough in box office sales to remain in 16th place nationwide. Bella has brought in just over $6.8 million in ticket sales in the six weeks it has been in theaters. With a $3 million budget, the directors have recouped their investment and hopefully will be able to move ahead with other films that press the pro-life perspective. That's a significant accomplishment given the fact that its distributor, Roadside Attractions, never really allowed the movie to reach a full national audience. While other top films see as many as two to three thousand theaters -- Enchanted, in its second week, is currently playing in 3,700 -- Bella never played in any more than 600 theaters nationwide at one time. Full story at LifeNews.com. Another Movie Presses "Pro-Life" Theme as Comedy Juno Touts Adoption Hollywood, CA (LifeNews.com) -- Another movie with a "pro-life" theme is hitting theaters starting this weekend -- as the indie comedy "Juno" could delight pro-life advocates with its promotion of adoption over abortion. The movie follows Bella, which has touched the heart of millions with its beautiful presentation of appreciating human life. Juno appears to be somewhere in-between Bella, which pro-life advocates found appropriate for families, and "Knocked Up," a raunchy comedy that had a mild pro-life theme but language and situations inappropriate for children. In the new movie, Juno MacGuff ) is a teenager who suddenly finds herself pregnant after a tryst with her best friend. Juno heads to a local abortion business -- saying she will "nip [the problem] in the bud" -- only to be talked out of taking her baby's life by a pro-life sidewalk counselor who tells her about the development of her unborn child. The counselor describes how her baby has fingernails at this point in the development process. The pregnant teen responds to a newspaper ad placed by a couple looking to adopt a baby and Juno tells her parents the news. Full story at LifeNews.com. Ottawa Senators Hockey Wives Support Pregnancy Center, Draw Pro-Abortion Fire Ottawa, Canada (LifeNews.com) -- The wives of the hockey players for the Ottawa Senators have formed a charitable group called "The Better Halves" and are soliciting donations that will go to a local pregnancy center. One-third of the money they raise will support the First Place Pregnancy Centre, which helps women in the area who are considering an abortion. The Sens Foundation, the team's registered charity arm, is matching every dollar the wives raise during the campaign, which involves selling Christmas trees. The idea of helping women in crisis pregnancy situations is coming under fire from abortion advocates and Planned Parenthood Ottawa has sent out a press release attacking their effort. The group claims pregnancy centers exploit women and pressure them against having abortions. Abortion advocates have been putting pressure on Sens Foundation president Dave Ready, trying to get him to declare the donations illegal under Revenue Canada's rules for charities. But Ready told the CBC that the First Place pregnancy center donations are "in line with our mandate." Full story at LifeNews.com. "View" hosts grill Ron Paul on Abortion GOP candidate crosses picket line to appear - Ron Paul defended his anti-abortion stance during an intense grilling from the women hosting "The View" Tuesday, acknowledging that he was unlikely to convince the pro-choice women of his position and that it would be virtually impossible to completely outlaw the procedure nationally. "I don't think we're ever going to reach a stage where there will no abortions," Paul said. The Texas congressman, whose long-shot bid for the Republican nomination is gaining steam, said he would like to see Roe v. Wade overturned. But Paul said state governments should be able to decide for themselves how to regulate abortion. "But I want to sort this out the way the constitution mandates, and that is at the local level." Paul, a former OB-GYN, said his anti-abortion position was based on his view that a fetus was a human being with the same rights as any other person. Just as he advocated personal privacy that would not give people the right's to commit murder, he did not view a woman's claim to her own body as superior to the fetus's right to life. "It's a legal position because I honor and respect the rights of the mother. But your home too; your home is your castle," Paul said. "I don't want any government in your home: no searches without warrants, no cameras. But you can't kill your baby in your home."The hosts spent several minutes discussing Paul's abortion position, although they spent virtually no time on the libertarian lawmaker's fierce opposition to the war in Iraq and his calls for limiting American intervention abroad, which have garnered him substantial support online. Complete story: The Raw Story | 'View' hosts grill Paul on abortion Pro-Life: What Does it Mean? Today, there seems to be a lot of debate about what it means when someone says they are pro-life. This is especially true for politicians. For clarity’s sake, let’s define the term. The pro-life position is that a new human life is created at the moment of fertilization and is, thus, entitled to the same legal protections as any other human being. Given that, some abortion positions are pretty cut and dried. For example, someone who upports a universal human life amendment to the constitution is pro-life, while someone who supports the Roe vs. Wade decision is not. Then there is the person who says that they are personally opposed to abortion and would never participate in one, but pro-choice when it comes to legality. As amazing as it may seem, I have actually heard pro-lifers describe people who say this as pro-life. In reality, this is the most insidious and despicable of all positions on abortion. After all, there is no reason to oppose abortion other than the belief that it takes the life of a living human being. So what the “personally opposed” crowd is saying is, "I agree that abortion is the intentional killing of a baby, but if other people want to do it I support their legal right to do so and it’s not my place to interfere." That is not a pro-life position. It’s like someone in 1860 saying, “I am personally opposed to slavery and I would never own one, but if someone else wants to own a few that’s their business.”Another stance often mischaracterized as pro-life is the “pro-life with exceptions” position. You’ll hear people say things like, “I am pro-life, but I think there should be an exception when the pregnancy was the result of rape or incest” or “I am pro-life, but abortion should be legal when the baby is handicapped.” Complete story: Mark's Blog: Pro-Life: What Does it Mean? British-Indianas aborting "unwanted girls" LONDON: British Indian women are as prone to the secretive, outlawed practice of female foeticide as their counterparts in the mother country and they generally travel to India to do the dastardly deed.The alarming revelation by the BBC's Asian Network radio station on Monday comes as Oxford University population experts declared they had found at least 1,500 Indian girl children "missing" from birth statistics in England and Wales in the last 17 years.The Oxford study, which looked at birth rates of different ethnic groups here, concluded that there had been an abnormal increase in the proportion of boys over girls in the Indian community from 1990. Dr Sylvie Dubuc, a human geography and population expert at Oxford, said that the most likely explanation was sex-selective abortion by Indian-born British women. This represents one in 10 girls "missing" from the birth statistics for Indian-born women having their third or fourth child.But the BBC radio investigation, which is targeted at Asian listeners, said that it is not just Indian-born British women who are resorting to the culturally-specific practice of female foeticide. Using first-hand evidence from interviews with British-born-and-bred Indian women, it said the practice appears to be quietly accepted among this strand of the 1.3-million-strong community as well.The revelation received ballast on Monday when a Punjabi local councillor from the Indian-dominant city of Leicester admitted the practice was rife among British Indians.The BBC investigation used an actor to recount the story of one of its interviewees, who used the false name 'Meena'. The British-born office-worker in her 30s described the pressures of being an Indian wife in the UK who disappointingly produced a string of three daughters only to find scorn and derision from her Punjabi family. Complete story: British-Indians aborting 'unwanted girls'-Indians Abroad-The Times of India Mike Huckabee: Pat Robertson Abandoned Pro-Life Values Backing Giuliani Washington, DC (LifeNews.com) -- Republican presidential candidate Mike Huckabee says in a new interview that religious figure Pat Robertson abandoned his pro-life values when he endorsed pro-abortion candidate Rudy Giuliani. While Huckabee hopes to be the GOP nominee, he says he would support Giuliani over any of the Democrats. The former Arkansas governor gave an interview to men's magazine GQ, which asked him about the Robertson endorsement. The magazine wondered if Huckabee thought it was a departure from the pro-life movement for Robertson to back a pro-abortion candidate. "It seems that the leaders of the past, those who have been looked to as the bell cows of the movement, are completely out of step with their own followers lately," Huckabee said. "But if you talk about the people in the rank and file, there's not any confusion at all. The people haven't abandoned their principles," Huckabee added. Full story at LifeNews.com. Pro-Abortion Group's Leader Rattled in Press Mtg Defending Hillary Clinton Des Moines, IA (LifeNews.com) -- The leader of one of the biggest pro-abortion groups in the nation was rattled during a press conference on Tuesday afternoon as she attempted to defend Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton. Reporters challenged Emily's List president Ellen Malcolm on several topics. Emily's List has endorsed Clinton, but, as LifeNews.com has reported, the group's efforts in Iowa to garner support from women appear to have backfired as pro-abortion candidate Barack Obama has moved up in the polls. To try to regain her footing, Clinton has gone after Obama and criticized him for voting "present" on key abortion votes when he was a member of the Illinois state legislature. Before the start of the NPR debate, the Clinton campaign arranged for Malcolm to defend her pro-abortion record in a press conference. The event didn't run as smoothly as Clinton officials expected. Malcolm argued that Clinton is the only Democrat in the presidential race to stand up to President Bush on a number of pro-life issues ranging from the morning after pill to Supreme Court nominees. However, reporters went after Malcom quickly after her comments. Full story at LifeNews.com. Use of Abortion Victim's Body Parts For Research Has Become Major Industry Pro-life advocates have known for some time that a major aspect of the abortion industry is providing the tissue from aborted children for profit for scientific and medical research. Cybercast News Service (CNS) revealed this week that this type of research has become extremely common and is being paid for by US taxpayers. CNS reports that experiments using human/animal hybrid mice, bred to have no immune systems, and injected with tissue and cells from aborted children, have been paid for with federal funds for more than twenty years. The National Cancer Institute explains that "immature human" immune tissues and/or immune cells are injected or implanted into these mice that are unable to reject the tissue. But CNS reveals that "immature" is a euphemism for tissue obtained from aborted children or "abortuses". Much of the fetal tissue comes from late-term abortions committed at 17-23 weeks' gestation. CNS quotes one 2005 study, published in the journal Blood said, "Mice were surgically implanted with human bone chips of fetal femur or tibia from 19- to 23-week gestation human abortuses ...." Dr. Joseph Bryant, director of animal research at the University of Maryland's Institute of Human Virology, said that the "SCID-Hu" ("hu" means human) mice, genetically programmed to have a version of severe combined immuno-deficiency (SCIDS), are unable to reject tissue, even tissue from other species, including human tissue. "It is used in transplant medicine and cancer research, research on diabetes, for studying HIV, the effects of some drugs, Alzheimer's - you name it," he said. Dr. Bryant told CNS the immune deficient mice have "been something of a godsend for modern-day research." Complete story: Use of Abortion Victim's Body Parts For Research Has Become Major Industry (return to the top of the page) December 5, 2007 Pro-Abortion Group's Efforts Flop, Hillary Clinton Drops Among Iowa Women Des Moines, IA (LifeNews.com) -- A new poll in Iowa not only shows Hillary Clinton losing support to Barack Oabama but it shows female Democrats prefer the pro-abortion Illinois senator over Clinton. The poll results are surprising given the fact that Emily's List, the wealthiest pro-abortion group in the nation, launched a major election effort on her behalf. As LifeNews.com twice reported, Emily's List started a campaign last month to rally women voters in Iowa around Clinton. Emily's List unveiled a new web site and promoted it online via ads on leading search engines and on web sites women view such as those on yoga or health issues. But a new Des Moines Register poll shows the campaign apparently isn't working. Barack Obama has pulled ahead in the Iowa Democratic caucus and leads for the first time in the Register's poll with the support of 28 percent of Democrats, up from 22 percent in October. Clinton gets the support of 25 percent, down four percent from her 29 percent showing before the Emily's List campaign began. Surprisingly, the telephone survey of 500 likely Democratic caucusgoers found Obama leads with support from 31 percent of women likely attend the caucuses, compared to 26 percent for Clinton. Full story at LifeNews.com Poll: 63% of Republicans Want Abortion Illegal, Miss Giuliani's Stance Washington, DC (LifeNews.com) -- A new poll conducted by the Pew Research firm for the Associated Press finds almost two-thirds of Republicans want all or most abortions illegal. The survey found that to be the case in Iowa and South Carolina and showed that half of voters still don't know Rudy Giuliani is the lone pro-abortion Republican candidate. The survey finds 63 percent of Republicans nationwide say abortion should mostly (43 percent) or always (20 percent) be illegal. Just 34 percent of Republicans take a pro-abortion position saying it should be mostly legal (23 percent) or, as abortion is nationally under Roe v. Wade, always legal (11 percent). As evidenced by the fierce campaigning in Iowa, more Iowa Republicans are aware of Rudy Giuliani's pro-abortion position than are GOP voters elsewhere. Two-thirds of likely Republican voters in Iowa (66 percent) name Giuliani as the candidate who favors abortion. By comparison, only about half of Republican voters nationwide (48 percent) -- as well as 47 percent in South Carolina and 54 percent in New Hampshire -- identified Giuliani as the pro-abortion candidate. Full story at LifeNews.com.. Mike Huckabee Ties for Lead in National Poll as Rudy Giuliani Slides Down Washington, DC (LifeNews.com) -- A new national poll shows former Arkansas Governor and pro-life advocate Mike Huckabee is tied for the lead in the race for the Republican nomination for president. The survey also shows pro-abortion candidate Rudy Giuliani's continuing his downward slide that is evident in polls in the early primary states. The latest Rasmussen Reports daily tracking poll shows Huckabee and Giuliani tied with 18 percent apiece. John McCain at 14 percent, Fred Thompson at 13 percent, and Mitt Romney at 12 percent are close behind the two leaders. Ron Paul secured the support of 7 percent of likely Republican voters and no other candidate rises above two percent. Like Huckabee, all four are campaigning on pro-life positions and each say they favor overturning Roe v. Wade. Giuliani’s support has fallen to 18 percent -- a drop of nine points from the four-day tracking poll Rasmussen reported at the end of November. This is the first time Rasmussen has shown Giuliani under 20 percent since October. Meanwhile, Huckabee's polling numbers reflect his climb in the early battleground states. He has risen steadily since early November, when Rasmussen showed him with the support of nine percent of Republicans. Huckabee has gained six points since the end of November. Full story at LifeNews.com. Women Having Abortions More Likely to Abuse Drugs, Alcohol Study Shows Melbourne, Australia (LifeNews.com) -- Women who have abortions are more likely to abuse drugs and alcohol compared with those who carry a pregnancy to term, a new Australian study shows. The results of the study are important given that the American Psychological Association is preparing another review of the literature on how abortion adversely affects women. The study involved 1,122 women born at Mater hospital in the 1980s who were tracked following their birth. Kaeleen Dingle, of the University of Queensland, reported the results at a recent meeting of the World Psychiatric Association at a conference in Melbourne. About one-third of the women in the group had abortions and those who did were three times more likely to abuse hard drugs like heroin or meth than women who were never pregnant or kept their baby. The women who had abortions were also twice as likely to be an alcoholic or engage in binge drinking and 1.5 times more likely to suffer from depression. Full story at LifeNews.com. New Web Site Tests Americans' Knowledge on Roe v. Wade Abortion Case Washington, DC (LifeNews.com) -- As the thirty-fifth anniversary of the Supreme Court's decision to allow unlimited abortions approaches, a coalition of pro-life groups have unveiled a new web site testing Americans' knowledge of the landmark case. They hope the site will dispel myths in the mainstream media that the case allowed only first-trimester abortions. Focus on the Family, the Family Research Council, Concerned Women for America, and the Alliance Defense Fund law firm are behind the web site. With RoeIQ, the groups hope to help move public opinion closer towards overturning Roe v. Wade and its companion case Doe v. Bolton that, together, made abortion on demand a reality. "The pro-abortion mantra is that the public supports Roe," Michael Johnson, ADF's senior legal counsel said about the web site. "That presumption is on shaky ground." RoeIQ asks respondents questions such as when abortions are allowed under the cases, whether abortion would become illegal if Roe is reversed, how many abortions occur annually and whether parents can be involved in their teenage daughter's abortion decision. Full story at LifeNews.com. Planned Parenthood Returns Pro-Abortion Christmas Cards Without Fanfare Washington, DC (LifeNews.com) -- Planned Parenthood has presented pro-abortion Christmas cards for well over a decade with considerable fanfare in their attempt to promote abortion with in the religious community. However, the national abortion business has yet to promote the 2007 version of its Christmas cards in emails to its membership. The pro-abortion group's web site features six different designs and the ability to customize a message on the inside of the card. Cards, envelops and imprinting are all included in the price of $36.00 per pack of 25. The cards feature messages ranging from the traditionally offensive "Choice on Earth" (with gold snowflakes on a purple background or golden birds on a tree branch) to "Seasons Greetings" (featuring a pink background and a white silhouette of a parent and child) and "Happy Planning for the New Year" (with a parent hold a child's hand). One version of the sacrilegious "Choice on Earth" card features two Christian doves holding an olive branch. Full story at LifeNews.com. Mexico City Lawmakers Approve Passive Euthanasia Bill for Terminally Ill Mexico City, Mexico (LifeNews.com) -- They started with abortion and now lawmakers in the Mexico City legislative assembly have approved a measure that could pave the way to allowing assisted suicide or euthanasia. They signed off on a bill that allows terminally ill patients to refuse medical treatment. The Mexico City Congress voted unanimously for the bill, which would allow terminally ill patients to refuse any medical care that would prolong or extend their lives. Family members could make the decision in cases of patients who are unable to make their own choice -- hearkening to the international debate about Terri Schiavo. The legislation says physicians who want to withhold food and water from patients -- which is not considered extraordinary medical care by pro-life advocates -- would be given legal protection. Pro-life advocates are concerned by the news because this kind of measure can easily lead to euthanasia and patients having their decisions about lifesaving medical treatment made for them. The measure would legalize so-called passive euthanasia but pro-life advocates worry doctors would eventually actively kill patients. Full story at LifeNews.com. Illinois Police Officer Fired for Harassing Pro-Life Protesters at Abortion Center Des Plaines, IL (LifeNews.com) -- A police officer in this Illinois city has been fired over an incident in which he is accused of verbally and physically assaulting and harassing a group of women protesting outside a local abortion business. Dick V. Lalowski, 44, was suspended without pay in October 2006 while hearings on the matter moved forward. While on duty in May 2006 as a security guard for a Des Plaines abortion business, Lalowski threatened a group of women and told them they could be arrested. He said arrests would be made if they blocked women from entering the American Women's Medical Center abortion facility or continued to pass out teddy bears to the women going there. None of the pro-life advocates prevented women from entering the building. After his shift ended, Lalowski returned to the abortion center in plainclothes and harassed the women despite requests from the next officer on duty to stop. Lalowski is accused of cursing at the women, ridiculing their faith, and poking one woman hard on the shoulder. One of the women later told authorities she was "filled with fear" over his harassment. Full story at LifeNews.com. Georgia Police Drop Charges Against Pro-Lifer in Abortion Truck Case Atlanta, GA (LifeNews.com) -- Gwinnett County Police Department officials have dropped the charges originally filed against pro-life advocate Bob Roethlisberger, a Missouri man arrested for driving a truck with graphic abortion pictures around a suburban shopping mall after Thanksgiving.Roethlisberger was originally arrested and jailed on the charge of "Disorderly Conduct" for driving the vehicle. He was arrested by police officers after they stopped the vehicle and told him violated a city provision referring to "the display of obscene and vulgar images visible to persons under age 14." Gwinnett County Solicitor Rosanna Szabo said she "administratively dismissed" the disorderly conduct charge. "I have reviewed the evidence and law in this case, and concluded that the physical display of the images in question — as shocking and offensive as they are — does not constitute 'obscene and vulgar or profane language' as specifically prohibited by this statute," she said. The case against Roethlisberger may be over but Troy Newman, the head of Operation Rescue, which owns the truck in question, said the legal battle is only beginning. He indicated the pro-life group plans to sue the county. Full story at LifeNews.com. California State Panel Will Fund Non-Embryonic Stem Cell Research Sacramento, CA (LifeNews.com) -- The California Institute for Regenerative Medicine has come under fire since its creation through a state referendum for only funding studies involving human cloning or embryonic stem cell research. The panel has announced it will shift gears and fund alternative research that does not create or destroy human embryos. The agency plans to spend as much as $13 million in 2008 on techniques that use stem cells without the destruction of human life. A CIRM spokesperson claims that this was the plan all along. Arlene Chiu, who quit her position as lead scientist with CIRM in August, is said to be the key person behind the decision. "We want to support the full spectrum of human pluripotent stem cell types and experimental approaches," she said at an October 3 meeting of the directors of the stem cell panel. However, John Simpson of the Foundation for Taxpayer and Consumer Rights, a watchdog group that initially sued the state over the panel's alleged violation of several conflict of interest and funding laws, said he was cautious about the news. He noted that the conflict of interest controversy is still a concern and has led the California state controller to request an audit for the entire agency. Full story at LifeNews.com. Chinese Man Sentenced to Death For Burning Girlfriend After Abortion Refusal Shenyang, China (LifeNews.com) -- A Chinese man has been sentenced to death for burning his girlfriend and causing her severe burns after she refused to have a sex-selection abortion. Such abortions have plagued the Asian nation by creating a skewed gender imbalance that's resulting in a plethora of social problems. The man, referred to only as Wang in official Chinese media reports, received the death sentence from the Shenyang Intermediate People's Court on Monday. He met his 24 year-old girlfriend Sun last year and began living together. Sun became pregnant and, six months into the pregnancy, she found out that her unborn child was a girl. Wang pressured Sun to have an abortion, but she refused. Wang poured gasoline on Sun on February 13 and set her ablaze. Neighbors heard Sun screaming as she ran out of the couple's home. Full story at LifeNews.com. Slovakia Court Rules Against Abortion Ban, Prohibits Late-Term Abortions Bratislava, Slovakia (LifeNews.com) -- The top court in this eastern European nation of Slovakia ruled on Tuesday against a request to prohibit abortions there. However, the constitutional court upheld the time limit when abortions can be done -- which makes late-term abortions illegal by stopping any done after 12 weeks of pregnancy. The Christian Democratic political party had submitted the request to ban abortions six years ago. When Slovakia was part of Czechoslovakia and under communist rule, abortions were frequent and often used as a measure of birth control -- a common theme in former eastern European nations. There were as many as 56,307 abortions there in 1989, but the number has dropped to 19,332 as recently as 2005. After communism fell, pro-life advocates in this heavily Catholic nation began working to limit abortions there. Full story at LifeNews.com. (return to the top of the page) December 3, 2007 Rudy Giuliani Confirms He Wouldn't Sign Federal Bill Banning Abortions St. Petersburg, FL (LifeNews.com) -- It came as no shock to pro-life advocates familiar with his position, but former New York City mayor Rudy Giuliani confirmed during Wednesday night's Republican presidential debate that he would not sign a bill banning abortions. The refusal was the latest confirmation that he is the only pro-abortion candidate on the GOP side. CNN debate host Anderson Cooper asked the former mayor, "If Roe v. Wade was overturned and Congress passed a federal ban on all abortions and it came to your desk, would you sign it, yes or no?" "I probably would not sign it. I would leave it to the states to make that decision," Giuliani said. The presidential hopeful added that the only ban on abortions he favors is one that prohibits late-term abortions or partial-birth abortions -- an issue on which he's changed his position from his days as mayor. "I don't believe, in the circumstance that you asked before, that it should be criminalized. I think that would be a mistake unless we're talking about partial birth abortion or late-term abortion," Giuliani said. Read the complete story. Fred Thompson Makes Clear He Wants Virtually All Abortions Prohibited Washington, DC (LifeNews.com) -- Fred Thompson takes a clear pro-life stance on the issue of abortion but the former Tennessee senator isn't always clear in his presentation of his views. In a statement released on Thursday, Thompson said there are only a few very rare cases when an abortion should be allowed. "I believe abortion should only be allowed in the instances of rape, incest and the life of the mother," Thompson said. According to figures from the pro-abortion Alan Guttmacher Institute, a Planned Parenthood research arm, less than one percent of all abortions in the United States occur in such circumstances. He's been frequently asked in the news media about when someone engaged in an illegal abortion should be punished and Thompson appears to understand abortion has two victims. He said any penalties for an illegal abortion "should be assessed against the abortion doctor and not the woman." Ramesh Ponnuru, a columnist with National Review and a pro-life author, said the statement is "pretty significant" given that Thompson has frequently said he favors reversing Roe v. Wade. "As far as I know, it's the first time Thompson has said that abortion should be illegal," Ponnuru said. Read the complete story. Republicans Romney, Thompson and Paul Address Abortion During Debate Washington, DC (LifeNews.com) -- Three of the Republican candidates were given a chance to address the issue of abortion during the presidential debate in Florida. Mitt Romney, Fred Thompson and Ron Paul all expressed pro-life positions and said they favored overturning the landmark Roe v. Wade case that allowed virtually unlimited abortions. Mitt Romney had the first opportunity and it came as a response to a television commercial from the Fred Thompson campaign. Thompson's commercial highlights Romney's flip-flop on abortion and it included old footage of Romney promoting abortion. "I believe that abortion should be safe and legal in this country. I believe that since Roe v. Wade has been the law for 20 years, that we should sustain and support it," Romney says in the video. Asked to respond to the clip, Romney appeared upset that he had to address his conversion to the pro-life perspective yet again. "I don't know how many times I can tell it. I was wrong. All right. I was effectively pro-choice when I ran for office," he said. "If people in this country are looking for someone who's never made a mistake on a policy issue and is not willing to admit they're ever wrong, why then they're going to have to find somebody else, because on abortion I was wrong," he added. "I'm proud to be pro-life, and I'm not going to be apologizing to people for becoming pro-life," he concluded. Meanwhile, former Tennessee Sen. Fred Thompson said overturning Roe should be "our number one focus right now" and that he would appoint the kind of judges to the Supreme Court who would reverse the decision. Read the complete story. Mitt Romney South Carolina Mailing Says Only He Backs GOP Abortion Stand Columbia, SC (LifeNews.com) -- Mitt Romney is pressing his pro-life views in an expansive mailing to Republican voters in the battleground state of South Carolina. However, the mailing claims he is the only "major" presidential candidate to support the Republican Party's pro-life platform -- leaving the impression other pro-life GOP candidates aren't pro-life. The piece features a photo of the former Massachusetts governor holding a young boy and the words, "The governor who sided with life ... every single time." The cover of the mailing also says, Romney is "the only major Presidential candidate who supports the Republican Party's pro-life platform: A Constitutional amendment banning abortion nationwide." An unsuspecting voter may get the impression Romney is the only pro-life candidate seeking the Republican nomination for president. However, Mike Huckabee, whom the Romney camp apparently doesn't consider a "major candidate" supports the GOP's pro-life platform calling for a human life amendment. Each of the lower-tier candidates support keeping the platform in place. Among the other major candidates, Fred Thompson opposes a human life amendment for now because there's not enough votes but has said he won't change the GOP platform and wants Roe reversed. Read the complete story. Terri Schiavo's Brother Meets With Mitt Romney Before Republican Debate Tampa, FL (LifeNews.com) -- Terri Schiavo's brother Bobby Schindler met with Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney prior to the GOP debate that will be held tonight in Florida. Schindler has extended an invitation to all of the Republican candidates to meet and discuss his sister's story and end-of-life issues like euthanasia and assisted suicide. Terri's family talked about how a meeting with a presidential candidate is incredibly important to help shape their views on these key topics. "Given that the Presidential candidates are repeatedly asked to comment on the circumstances and outcome of Terri Schiavo's case, Mr. Schindler sent a letter to every candidate requesting a meeting," the Schindler family told LifeNews.com in a statement. The family said Bobby hoped "to discuss the implications of Terri's case on the right to life of people living with disabilities." Romney is the only candidate to accept an invitation to meet with Terri's brother to this point. Read the complete story. New Iowa Republican Poll Shows Mike Huckabee Taking Mitt Romney's Lead Des Moines, IA (LifeNews.com) -- A new poll in Iowa has Republican presidential candidate Mike Huckabee taking the lead and it's the first survey in the leading battleground state to show someone other than Mitt Romney leading for months. The poll could be an anomaly but it represents the surge Huckabee has experienced during November. The latest Rasmussen Reports telephone survey of likely caucus participants in Iowa finds former Arkansas Governor Mike Huckabee with 28% of the vote. That places in him first place ahead of former Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney, who enjoys the support of 25 percent of Republican voters in the state that leads off the presidential battles on January 3. National frontrunner and abortion advocate Rudy Giuliani gets just 12% of the vote in Iowa in the Rasmussen survey while former Tennessee senator Fred Thompson is the only other candidate in double digits at 11%. Read the complete story at lifenews.com. Fred Thompson Says Mitt Romney Wrong to Assume Only He's Pro-Life Ladson, SC (LifeNews.com) -- Last week, LifeNews.com reported on a mailing Mitt Romney's campaign sent to South Carolina voters. The campaign piece makes it appear Romney is the only Republican presidential candidate who is pro-life or supports a human life amendment to the Constitution. While campaigning in South Carolina last week, reporters asked GOP hopeful Fred Thompson about the piece. "Until about two years ago, when he decided he was going to run for president, Governor Romney was the most adamant pro-choice advocate that I've ever seen," Thompson said. "You know, pull it up on the YouTube sometime of his debates and when he was running for governor and see the fervor with which he held his pro-choice beliefs." Thompson added: "Now he's entitled to change his mind, but I don't think that he ought to be casting aspersions on anybody in terms of pro-life, pro choice issues." A Romney campaign spokesman responded that Romney "is proudly pro-life and his record as governor reflects that." Virginia Republican Party's Loyalty Oath Blasted by Pro-Life Group Richmond, VA (LifeNews.com) -- This week the Republican Party of Virginia passed a new requirement for people wishing to vote in the state's presidential primary. The new policy requires that 2008 GOP primary voters sign an oath of loyalty to the eventual GOP presidential nominee. But pro-life advocate Tony Perkins, the head of the Family Research Council, decried the idea because the eventual nominee could be pro-abortion candidate Rudy Giuliani -- someone pro-life advocates likely won't support. "Should a pro-abortion candidate win the Republican nomination, committed pro-life voters who sign this oath could face a general election scenario of either breaking their oath or violating their conscience," he told LifeNews.com. "This bullying tactic will only drive voters away and worsen the wounds inflicted on the Virginia GOP in recent elections," he said. Perkins said that if the party is concerned about attracting loyalty, it might reflect on the example of Ronald Reagan, who expanded the GOP coalition and attracted new voters by espousing and articulating his pro-life optimistic vision for America. He concluded, "Rejuvenating any political party begins not with a loyalty oath from voters but with renewing the party's loyalty to its voters." Women Who Have Abortions to Save the Planet Are the Selfish Ones Hey, did you hear the one about the woman who aborted her kid so she could save the planet? That's no joke, but Darwin must be chuckling somewhere. Toni Vernelli was one of two women recently featured in a Lond |