KFUO Radio News Break

In today's News:

Illinois is taken to court

Liberty Counsel filed the final reply brief on behalf of Elim Romanian Pentecostal Church and Logos Baptist Ministries in their federal lawsuit against Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker for his executive orders discriminating against churches. The Court of Appeals ordered expedited briefing and has already scheduled oral argument for June 12. Instead of taking many months or more than a year to complete an appeal, this appeal has been fast-tracked. Within a few hours after two Romanian churches filed an emergency injunction pending appeal to the U.S. Supreme Court, Justice Brett Kavanaugh ordered Pritzker to respond by 8 p.m. on May 28. Just hours before his deadline to respond to the high court, Pritzker removed all restrictions by issuing “guidelines,” none of which are mandatory. However, unless and until there is a judicial declaration that Pritzker has acted unconstitutionally thus far, there is nothing keeping him from changing his mind again, whether in this crisis or any future crisis.

Religious exception struck down in New York

The U.S. District Court for The Northern District of New York has upheld most of a law allowing the Empire State to force pro-life organizations to employ workers who oppose their religious values and pro-life mission while throwing out one provision of the law as compelling speech. Last fall, Alliance Defending Freedom took up the case on behalf of the National Institute of Family and Life Advocates, First Bible Baptist Church in Hilton, and the pro-life pregnancy care service Compasscare, arguing that the law “intentionally and by design sacrifices the associational, speech, and religious freedom of employers in New York state” to “the government’s desire to promote abortion rights.” On June 5, the District Court ruled against the pro-life groups, the religion clause blog reported.

Pandemic closes abortion facilities

Independent abortion facilities are struggling financially and may have to close because of the coronavirus shutdowns, according to the progressive news site Shadowproof. Nikki Madsen, executive director of the Abortion Care Network, said dozens of abortion facilities may close, leaving up to four states completely abortion-free. Her organization represents 125 independent abortion facilities across the country. Independent means they are not affiliated with Planned Parenthood, Whole Woman’s Health or another abortion chain. Madsen said a majority of abortion facilities within her network could close permanently in the coming months. According to the report, some of these abortion facilities chose to temporarily and voluntarily close during the coronavirus crisis because they did not have enough equipment, “while others could not afford the massive sanitization and personnel efforts required to work through the pandemic.” Recently, medical groups representing more than 30,000 doctors in America emphasized that abortions are not “essential” or “urgent,” and abortion facilities that continue to operate during the pandemic are being “medically irresponsible.” Abortion complications include infections, blood clots, hemorrhaging and an incomplete abortion.

In today's News:

New opportunities for Concordia University students

Concordia University, St. Paul, is providing pathways and solutions for nursing students from Concordia University, Portland, Oregon School Of Law In Boise, Idaho, to continue in their degree programs with as little interruption as possible. CSP will provide high-quality nursing education opportunities to students in the Portland region and become the new parent institution for the law school. The transition will provide students, faculty and staff financial and institutional stability and preserve the legacy established by CUP leadership.

Religious liberty wins in Wisconsin

The public health department for the City of Madison and Aane County, Wisc., put out a new “Forward Dane” order Friday, removing a 50-person cap on in-person religious services that did not apply to any similar secular activities. The new order came after the Roman Catholic Diocese of Madison stood up for its right to free exercise of religion. Global law firms Sidley Austin and Troutman Sanders, along with the Becket Fund for Religious Liberty sent a letter to Dane County Executive Joe Parisi, Madison Mayor Satya Rhodes-Conway and Public Health Director Janel Heinrich last Wednesday. The letter explained that Madison/Dane County’s arbitrary 50-person cap on houses of worship violated the First Amendment as well as the Wisconsin Constitution. Because the Diocese stood up for its rights, Catholic churches in Madison/Dane County will now conduct in-person masses at the same 25 percent capacity level as secular activities such as malls and theaters, but with even more rigorous social distancing and hygiene protocols. Under Madison/Dane County’s previous order, shopping malls, bars, restaurants, spas, gyms, salons, museums, movie theaters, community centers, bowling alleys, skating rinks, and trampoline parks were allowed to open at 25 percent capacity, while houses of worship were subject to an arbitrary 50-person cap regardless of how large the church building was.

Baby girl is saved

Parents of a baby girl born just a few hours prior left her safely at a fire station in Crosby, Texas, thanks to a law that allows parents to surrender infants with first responders within a designated period of time after birth. According to a local news station, the sheriff’s office said deputies received a call about the girl being dropped off at the fire station. Deputies and firefighters found the girl a short time later at the station’s front door, which was around 3:30 a.m. On June 1. The mother of the child will not face charges because she did not abandon her baby, but left her child at the fire station in accordance with the state’s Baby Safe Haven or Baby Moses Law, and notified an employee of her child’s location.

Video claims a state university is aiding abortion

A new video documentary provides evidence that the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF) is the nation’s leading center for committing, and teaching how to commit, late-term abortions. Titled “UCSF: An American Horror Story,” the video produced by Pro-Life San Francisco reveals how “abortion extremism influence in America emanates from one of the most prestigious institutions in California.” According to the pro-life group, “There are over 100 active abortion training programs” in the United States that are “run and funded by UCSF. Thus, the publicly funded institution ended up training almost 3,000 currently practicing OB/GYNS in the country.

In today's News:

LCMS grant assistance amplified

The coronavirus pandemic and its associated shutdown have led to unexpected and serious challenges for people around the world. Church workers are no exception. In response, the Synod’s long-time Soldiers Of The Cross grant assistance program has been “amplified” so that not only those workers who are on the Synod’s roster, but also lay workers in LCMS churches, schools and organizations, may apply for assistance. As of yesterday, nearly $500,000 in Soldiers Of The Cross-amplified grants has been disbursed to 334 workers, with an average grant of nearly $1,500 per worker. The grants process is administered by the LCMS Office of National Mission, and workers in crisis are encouraged to contact their district office for an application and guidance. Funding for the Soldiers Of The Cross program depends entirely on designated gifts and offerings from those who want to assist workers confronted with ministry-disrupting personal crises.

Ohio makes adoption more affordable

For individuals wanting to adopt children in Ohio, a newly passed initiative may help them realize their dream of giving a child a forever home. The Ohio House passed the Family Forward Initiative May 14, creating the adoption linked deposit program, to help remove financial barriers for families wanting to adopt. The initial proposal came last November, Ohio Treasurer Robert Sprague and State Rep. Jon Cross proposed the program with interest rate reductions of 1 to 3 percent on loans of up to $50,000 to help pay for adoption expenses, with loan terms up to 10 years. Local pro-life advocates praised the measure, believing the reduced rate loans will be enough to significantly expand adoptions.

More court briefs support faith-based adoption

Among 34 friend-of-the-court briefs, dozens of diverse religious groups, 76 Members of Congress, 16 states, and many others urged the Supreme Court yesterday to protect religious ministries for vulnerable children. In Sharonell Fulton, Et Al. V. City Of Philadelphia, Philadelphia foster moms Sharonell Fulton and Toni Simms-Busch are defending one the city’s best foster care agencies, Catholic Social Services, from the city’s attempt to shut it down over of the agency’s beliefs about same-sex marriage and unmarried couples. The friend-of-the-court briefs argue that the court should keep CSS's doors open, protect faith-based ministries nationwide, and ensure that the First Amendment protects religious exercise so that religious people can continue to serve their communities.

Baptists lose membership

The Southern Baptist Convention lost 2 percent of its membership last year—the largest drop in more than a century, according to its annual report. Certain state conventions did report increases in baptisms and church growth, including in places outside the Bible Belt strongholds. But overall, the denomination’s annual church profile—released yesterday by Lifeway Christian Resources and capturing 2019 statistics—shows a trajectory of serious decline and a sharp challenge for leaders concerned about evangelism and retention. The loss of 288,000 church members last year brings total Southern Baptist Convention membership to 14.5 million, down from its peak of 16.3 million in 2003.

In today's News:

LCMS head condemns racism

“God's word rejects racism,” says Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod President The Rev. Dr. Matthew C. Harrison in a statement in the wake the killing of George Floyd and the riots that followed. Harrison quoted Bible verses stressing the evil of racial discrimination evil that produces only hatred and anger. Harrison called prayers, but also says more is needed. He quotes Micah 6:8, “He has told you, o man, what is good; and what does the Lord require of you but to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God?” Harrison's full statement my be read online at lcms.org.

Faith-based foster care receives legal help

Alliance Defending Freedom attorneys representing faith-based adoption and foster-care providers in New York and Michigan filed a friend-of-the-court brief with the U.S. Supreme Court yesterday in support of a Catholic adoption agency in Philadelphia. The brief filed in Fulton v. City of Philadelphia argues the Constitution prevents governments from banning faith-based providers over disagreement about the meaning and importance of marriage. The brief also argues that, to prevent abuses by lower courts, the Supreme Court should reaffirm that government interests must be truly compelling to justify interfering with religious freedom. “every child in need of a forever home deserves the chance to be adopted or cared for by a foster family. That’s what it means to keep kids first,” said ADF legal counsel Chris Schandevel. 

Facebook bans group

A Facebook group started by a woman dedicated to ending drag queen story hour was kicked off Facebook this week for the third time. Anna Hall Bohach, founder of 500 Mom Strong, told LifeSiteNews yesterday that the grassroots group’s Facebook page was removed on Monday because it was deemed “transphobic,” just like the other 500 Mom Strong pages Facebook had previously removed. The first page, also called 500 Mom Strong, disappeared last July 19. The second, 500 Mom Stronger, was taken down this February. A company spokesperson for Facebook told LifeSiteNews yesterday that the third 500 Mom Strong page was “taken down for violating our community standards.” Bohach told LifeSiteNews that she thought it was hypocritical for Facebook to remove 500 Mom Strong’s page while allowing copycat group, 500 Drag Queen Strong, to post support for antifa.

Multi-national pro-life groups protest abortion requirement

A total of 434 human rights organizations from 16 countries have released a manifesto condemning the push from external groups to promote abortion in their nations during the coronavirus pandemic. The “International Manifesto for the Right to Life” was delivered to the foreign ministry offices of Costa Rica, Argentina, Peru and Ecuador. It repudiates the U.N.’S “Humanitarian Response Plan COVID-19” for Ecuador, which requires “safe, legal abortion” as a condition for aid.

In today's News:

Electors choose interim seminary president

At a meeting yesterday, the electors charged with calling the next president of Concordia Seminary, St. Louis chose to issue a new call for candidates. Also yesterday, the Seminary’s Board of Regents named Dr. Daniel Preus Interim president effective July 1. He will serve until the new president is called and takes office. Preus previously served, at various times, as the LCMS’ first, third, fourth and fifth vice president. He also has served congregations in Indiana, Minnesota, Illinois, Colorado and Missouri. From 1995–2001, he served as director of Concordia Historical Institute, St. Louis, and from 2005–12, as director of Luther Academy, also in St. Louis, an organization devoted to promoting confessional Lutheran theology. The call for nominations is the second one issued for the presidency after the first round, originally issued in October, and the subsequent process resulted in a call that was declined last week.

Call accepted for LCMS Life Ministry

Deaconess Tiffany Manor has accepted a call from the LCMS Office of National Mission to serve as director of LCMS Life Ministry. She began her new role on April 14. Before joining the Office of National Mission, Manor served the LCMS New England District in the areas of church worker wellness, human care and school ministry. For the last several years, Manor has served on the Synod’s Ministerial Care Coalition, a project of Concordia Plan Services that began in 2014 to foster wide-ranging discussion and advocacy of worker wellness in the LCMS. Manor’s installation is currently scheduled for June 12 at the LCMS International Center in St. Louis.  

Religious freedom priority in U.S. foreign policy

President Donald Trump Issued an executive order yesterday that prioritizes international religious freedom concerns for United States foreign policy. Specifically, it requires the U.S. Department of s\State and the U.S. Agency for International Development to create long-term strategic plans for advancing religious freedom internationally, provides $50 million per year for religious freedom programs and requires U.S. foreign service members to receive extensive training on religious freedom. The order also provides for the greater use of economic tools—including reductions of foreign assistance, visa restrictions, and sanctions—to advance religious freedom in countries that have been deemed serious religious liberty violators.

Dismemberment protection is struck down

A federal appeals court struck down a Kentucky law Friday that protects unborn babies from dismemberment abortions. The 2018 law prohibits abortions “that will result in the bodily dismemberment, crushing or human vivisection of the unborn child” while he or she is still alive. These gruesome methods commonly are used in D&E abortions in the second trimester. Last year, U.S. District judge Joseph H. McKinley, Jr., A nominee of pro-abortion President Bill Clinton, argued that the law creates an “undue burden” for women seeking second-trimester abortions. Friday, the 6th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals affirmed that ruling. The American Civil Liberties Union sued on behalf of EMW Women’s Surgical Center, the only abortion business in Kentucky, and a judge temporarily blocked the law in 2018 before Judge McKinley issued the injunction.

In today's News:

Defeat for Missouri pro-life

Last Friday, the pro-life movement received some disappointing news out of Missouri, when the state’s Administrative Hearing Commission determined that the state must renew the license of the Planned Parenthood facility in st. Louis. In May 2019, citing multiple health and safety violations, the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services refused to renew the facility’s license. Local pro-life activists have documented that at least 80 ambulances have been called to the St. Louis Planned Parenthood facility since 2009. However, since this Planned Parenthood facility has performed more than 4,000 abortions since 2018, the commissioner ruled that it was substantially compliance with the rules and is therefore “entitled to renewal of its abortion facility license.” Multiple aspects of the decision concern pro-lifers. The state’s expert witness included Dr. Randall Williams, Director of the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services, and Dr. Donna Harrison, Executive Director of the American Association of Pro-Life Obstetricians and Gynecologists. The commissioner acknowledged that both Williams and Harrison had provided “important testimony regarding gynecological care,” but he discounted their testimony because, unlike Planned Parenthood’s expert witnesses, they did not have extensive experience performing abortions.

Supreme Court ducks religious liberty case

On Friday in a 5-4 decision, the United States Supreme Court rejected an emergency appeal by the Thomas More Society on behalf of a California church fighting for religious rights in the face of ongoing gubernatorial restrictions during the covid-19 crisis. San Diego-area South Bay United Pentecostal Church sued California Governor Gavin Newsom for prohibition of in-person worship, after deeming churches “nonessential” and on par with tattoo parlors. After the case was submitted to the high court, Newsom pulled back, changing his ban to an arbitrary cap on the number of people allowed to gather at a church. Justice Brett Kavanaugh wrote a dissent in which he noted that supermarkets, restaurants, hair salons, cannabis dispensaries, and other businesses are not being subjected to the same restrictions. Justices Clarence Thomas A\and Neil Gorsuch joined the dissent. Justice Alito joined them in voting to grant relief to the church.

The U.S. Denies an international right to abortion

During the recent virtual meeting of the World Health Assembly,-the decision-making body of the World Health Organization,-the U.S. submitted its written explanation of position on the covid-19 response resolution, disassociating itself from a number of paragraphs, including two related to “sexual and reproductive health”. The U.S. statement expressed regret at the failure to achieve consensus language in all areas of the resolution. The U.S. letter stated in part, “the United States strongly supports women reaching the highest attainable outcomes for health, life, dignity, and well-being throughout their lives. However, we do not accept references to “sexual and reproductive health,” or other language that suggests or explicitly states that access to abortion is included in the provision of population and individual level health services.

In today's News:

LCMS President Harrison speaks on reopenings

Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod President the Rev. Dr. Matthew C. Harrison on Friday released a video statement of encouragement and resources for reopening of churches. Harrison noted that communities are in various stages of reopening in the wake of covid-19 crisis and its lockdowns. He told the faithful that we now face the challenges and the opportunities of reopening: gathering your flock back together and reaching out to your community. Harrison suggested resources are available for congregations planning reopening of services. One is the Centers For Disease Control Guidelines For Community And Faith-Based Organizations and the welcome back kit provided by the LCMS Office Of National Mission and The LCMS Communications Department.

Seminary electors meet tomorrow

The electors charged with calling the next president of Concordia Seminary will resume the search at a virtual meeting set for 1 p.m. CDT tomorrow. A call was extended may 16 but was declined earlier last week. Thus, in accordance with the Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod Bylaws, the Seminary’s Board Of Regents has called this meeting of the electors and, as prescribed in the bylaws, will either reissue that call, elect another person from the remaining five finalists, create a new slate from the original assembly of nominees or issue a new call for candidates. He new president will succeed Dr. Dale A. Meyer, who will retire June 30.

Missouri's last abortion facility stays open

Missouri’s only abortion clinic on Friday won its legal fight to stay open, as an independent arbiter found the State’s Health Department was unjustified in denying the clinic’s application to renew its license. Missouri health officials last year declined to renew the license of the St. Louis Clinic, operated by women’s abortion provider Planned Parenthood, on the grounds that it failed to meet their safety standards. They threatened to close the clinic and make Missouri the only U.S. state without legal abortion services. The administrative hearing commissioner overruled the state on Friday after finding the Planned Parenthood clinic, “provides safe and legal abortion care.” A spokeswoman for Missouri’s Republican Governor Mike Parson said in an email the governor’s office would review the decision and consult with the State Attorney General’s Office on next steps.

Pro-life advocate wins settlement

Pro-life advocate Mark Mayberry will receive $50,000 in a settlement with the city of Portland, Oregon. According to Oregon Live, the settlement was approved by the Portland City Council on Wednesday and the city has admitted to violating Mayberry’s rights in June 2019 when a park ranger at Tom Mccall Waterfront Park tried to force him to leave while Mayberry was holding a pro-life sign. Mayberry was banned from the park for 30 days. When Mayberry refused to leave, the ranger issued a citation and called the police. This act was a violation of the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals ruling, which states that people can’t be legally removed from public areas when engaging in free speech. Mayberry’s citation and 30-day ban were dismissed.

In today's News:

Connecticut told men can's compete as women

Following its months-long investigation into the Connecticut Interscholastic Athletic Conference and several Connecticut school districts, the U.S. Department of Education Office for Civil Rights has issued a letter of Impending Enforcement Action, finding that the athletic conference’s policy allowing males who identify as female to compete in girls’ athletic events disadvantages female athletes, denies them equal athletic opportunities, and violates federal law. Alliance Defending Freedom attorneys representing three female high-school track competitors and their mothers requested the DOE Office O\of Civil Rights investigation after the conference decided to allow male students who identify as female to compete on the girls’ athletic teams. Since 2017, males consistently deprived ADF clients Selina Soule, Alanna Smith and Chelsea Mitchell and others of honors and opportunities to compete at elite levels. The letter gives the conference and six Connecticut public high schools until June 4 to bring their policies into alignment with Title IX. The Department of Justice has already filed a brief supporting the position of ADF’s clients in the separate litigation challenging the same policy.

Illinois houses of worship are now open

Less than four hours before the deadline for Gov. J.B. Pritzker to file his response to the U.S. Supreme court to the emergency injunction request brought by two Romanian churches, the governor unilaterally removed all restrictions on churches and houses of worship. Within a few hours yesterday after two Romanian churches filed an emergency injunction pending appeal to the U.S. Supreme court, Justice Kavanaugh ordered Pritzker to respond by 8 p.m. Thursday night. Just before the deadline. Pritzker issued “guidelines” for houses of worship, none of which are mandatory. The guidelines are only suggestions and contain no legally enforceable requirements whatsoever.

Planned Parenthood responds to latest video release

Pro-life activist David Daleiden and Planned Parenthood traded blows Wednesday over newly released videos showing Planned Parenthood employees testifying in court about the sale of fetal organs. Fox News reported Tuesday that it had obtained footage from sworn depositions of Planned Parenthood staff in their lawsuit against Center for Medical Progress in which Daleiden’s attorneys questioned Planned Parenthood about their use of different techniques in abortions to preserve fetal tissue. Daleiden released his own video Tuesday that used clips of the depositions to renew accusations that Planned Parenthood profits from the sale of fetal organs. Planned Parenthood has publicly acknowledged that it was paid for fetal tissue but said argued it was within the law because the payments only reimbursed for costs. However, the videos show the organization has subsequently said they would no longer accept even reimbursements for fetal tissue provided for research.

In today's News:

Dr. Rast declines call

By letter yesterday to the Concordia Seminary, St. Louis Board of Regents, President Of Concordia Theological Seminary, Fort Wayne, Ind, Dr. Lawrence R. Rast, Jr., declined the call to serve as Concordia Seminary’s 11th president and will continue serving as President at Fort Wayne. The Seminary extended the call May 16 and Rast’s decision was made within the 15-day window allowing for deliberation of the call. In accordance with the Lutheran Church — Missouri Synod bylaws, the Seminary’s regents now must call a meeting of the electors and, as prescribed in the bylaws, determine whether to reissue the call, elect another person from the remaining five finalists or issue a new call for candidates. The seminary’s next president will succeed Dr. Dale A. Meyer, who retires June 30.

Methodists reschedule their general conference

The United Methodist Church has rescheduled its general conference for August 29-September 7, 2021, at the Minneapolis Convention Center in Minneapolis. It’s looking into ways to use technology to ensure delegates can participate in the quadrennial meeting, according to the Commission on the General Conference. The general conference — during which delegates from across the globe are expected to discuss a proposal to split the denomination over the inclusion of its LGBTQ members — had been set for earlier this month in Minneapolis. It was postponed in March when the Convention Center announced it was restricting events at the venue to slow the spread of the novel coronavirus.

Preparing young men for fatherhood

Nearly one in four children in america live without a father, according to the National Fatherhood Initiative. This lack of a dad in the lives of American kids translates into numerous behavioral and societal problems, including a four-fold increase in the risk of poverty. A group of pregnancy centers in Missouri is tackling the absent father issue and seeing strong success in saving lives and families. Rachel House Pregnancy Resource Centers, with operations in Lee's Summit, Independence and two Kansas City locations, engaged with nearly 470 men last year. Those interactions included one-on-one meetings with men coming in with their girlfriends and men also attending fatherhood classes. Two large lessons learned from engaging with new fathers are that many feel they have no say regarding the woman’s pregnancy, and they have no male role model with whom to talk.

Conscience rule is defended

House and Senate members urged a federal court Tuesday to uphold a new conscience protection rule that protects doctors and nurses from being forced to help abort unborn babies. U.S. Rep, Andy Harris of Maryland and U.S. Sen James Lankford of Oklahoma led 65 House and 13 Senate lawmakers in filing an amicus brief to the Second Circuit Court of Appeals, arguing in favor of the rule. The court is considering a lawsuit from New York State, led by pro-abortion Democrat Gov. Andrew Cuomo, challenging the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services rule. The 2019 rule protects health care providers from discrimination if they refuse to participate in abortion, sterilization or assisted suicide because of their religious or moral beliefs.

In the News:

New video exposing Planned Parenthood

The Center For Medical Progress, who exposed Planned Parenthood leadership negotiating the harvesting and sale of aborted fetal body parts, released a new video today featuring Planned Parenthood officials’ sworn videotaped testimony about the sales. The new video release documents the Planned Parenthood officials’ admissions, which came in Planned Parenthood’s own retaliatory lawsuit over the undercover footage and contradict Planned Parenthood’s public claims about both the undercover videos and the abortion provider’s fetal tissue research programs. The testimony was unsealed this spring. The video shows how Planned Parenthood Federation of America, while under investigation in 2015, told Congress that its Gulf Coast affiliate in Houston had “rebuffed” an undercover proposal to sell fetal livers for $750 per liver and $1,600 for liver/thymus pairs. But Planned Parenthood Gulf Coast‘s Senior Director of Abortion Access, Tram Nguyen, testified that she “wanted to move forward with it,” as documented in contemporaneous emails between her and PPGC’s Regional Director Dyann Santos.

Female athletes challenge law

Alliance Defending Freedom attorneys representing two female athletes have filed a motion in federal court to intervene in a lawsuit challenging the state’s fairness in women’s sports act. The lawsuit, which the American Civil Liberties Union filed on behalf of a male athlete, seeks to challenge Idaho’s newly enacted law and force female athletes to compete against biological males who identify as female. ADF attorneys represent two collegiate athletes who run track and cross-country at Idaho State University in Pocatello. As ADF attorneys explain, the proposed intervenors are long-time athletes, well familiar with the difference in strength and speed between comparably gifted and trained male and female athletes. ADF attorneys also represent four female athletes in a federal lawsuit in Connecticut, where a policy that allows males who identify as female to compete in girls’ athletic events has consistently deprived the four girls of honors and opportunities to compete at elite levels.

An actor stands up for maternity homes

Pro-life actor Kevin Sorbo is speaking up for mothers and babies in one of the areas hardest hit by the coronavirus. Today, he is scheduled to co-host an online event supporting the work of Good Counsel, a Catholic maternity home charity in New York. New York has been struggling to combat the spread of the virus, and Good Counsel has adapted its services to protect mothers and babies in need, according to the report. The charity runs five maternity homes in New York and New Jersey. Since it began, the charity has sheltered more than 7,800 mothers and babies, according to its website. It also has helped to establish maternity homes in other states.