KFUO Radio News Break

In today's News:

Turkey rejects an American pastor’s appeal 

Turkey’s constitutional court last week rejected as “inadmissible” American Pastor Andrew Brunson’s appeal over rights violation for unlawfully arresting him and exceeding the legal limit of his detention. He was imprisoned for his faith for two years in that country. Although he now lives in the United States, the prison sentence against Brunson, who was arrested in October 2016 and charged with espionage and committing crimes in the name of a terrorist organization as a non-member, remains. Brunson's appeal was made on the basis that his arrest was illegal and beyond the legal limit of detention. 

Court rules in favor of a Christian club 

A Christian afterschool ministry tied to The Moody Church in Chicago is sufficiently religious enough to qualify for an exemption from having to pay into a state insurance program, an appeals court ruled last week. A three-judge panel of the Appellate Court of Illinois on Wednesday upheld a lower court decision and ruled 2-1 that the By The Hand Club for Kids should have been given an exemption to the state’s Unemployment Insurance Act. The Illinois Department of Employment Security’s Board of Review concluded in 2017 that the By The Hand Club was not eligible for an exemption to the state unemployment insurance system. In the majority opinion authored by Justice Margaret McBride, the court ruled that the board of review failed to recognize the pervasive religious nature of the student club. This included the club requiring members and staff to be Christian, hosting Bible studies and chapel services and leading field trips to faith-based events like Christian music concerts. 

Judges ask Supreme Court to revisit an abortion ruling 

A three-judge panel on a federal appellate court struck down several pro-life laws in Arkansas, and two of the judges have called on the U.S. Supreme Court to revisit its ruling in a major abortion case that upheld Roe v. Wade. The ruling by three judges on the Eighth Circuit Court of Appeals prevents two pro-life laws passed by the state in 2019 from going into effect. One of the laws prohibits abortions after 18 week’s gestation while the other prohibits abortion of a child based solely on a diagnosis of Down syndrome. Judge James Loken, a George H.W. Bush appointee who authored the opinion, cited the precedent set in the 1992 Supreme Court case Planned Parenthood v. Casey when upholding a lower court’s ruling blocking the Arkansas laws from going into effect. While the panel unanimously agreed that Supreme Court precedent required them to strike down the Arkansas laws, two of the judges urged the court to reconsider the finding of Casey. One of the judges, George W. Bush appointee Bobby Shepherd, shared his view that “good reasons exist for the (Supreme) Court to reevaluate its jurisprudence” in Casey. 

Satanic Temple opposes burial for aborted babies 

The Satanic Temple, a group that believes abortion is a “religious ritual” similar to communion or baptism, is fighting against a new Ohio law that ensures aborted babies receive a proper burial. WLWT 5 News reports the religious group slammed the law as a violation of the First Amendment last week and threatened to take legal action. Signed by Gov. Mike DeWine in December, the law requires the Ohio Department of Health to establish rules for the proper and humane burial or cremation of aborted babies’ bodies. It creates penalties for violations and requires abortion facilities to pay for the babies to be cremated or buried. Several states have similar laws in place, and the U.S. Supreme Court upheld Indiana’s law in 2019. Such laws not only ensure that aborted babies’ bodies are treated with dignity and respect, they also are a safeguard against abortion facilities trying to sell aborted baby body parts. However, the Satanic Temple claims the Ohio law violates their religious freedom.

In today's News:

LCMS schools face the new year 

Jan. 24–30 — offers LCMS schools a yearly opportunity to reflect on and share the blessings of Christian education. This year, amid many challenges, they will have many blessings to celebrate. Currently, the LCMS has 1,914 schools across the nation, serving more than 190,000 students. In the past year, these schools have had to make unexpected adjustments in order to continue their mission and ministry. A testament to their hard work is that enrollment trends are up in many Lutheran schools following the onset of the pandemic. The 2021 NLSW theme is “Sent To Serve,” based on Matt. 20:28: “The son of man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.” 

Texas cuts off Planned Parenthood 

Starting in February, the state of Texas will no longer be required to award Medicaid funds to Planned Parenthood, thanks to a November decision by the 5th Circuit Court of Appeals. After the abortion giant requested a six-month grace period for patients to find new providers while still receiving care, the court denied this request but allowed for a 30-day grace period ending Feb. 3. The 5th Circuit and Texas attorney general based this decision in part on Planned Parenthood’s involvement in the illegal trafficking of aborted baby body parts that came to light in 2015. In 2013, Planned Parenthood was fined $1.4 million for fraudulently over-billing the Texas state Medicaid program, as reported by Live Action News. 

Abortions increase in Pennsylvania 

A new report from the Pennsylvania Department of Health reveals that that in 2019, there were 654 more abortions in the state than in 2018. This marks the second year in a row that the state saw an increase in abortions, and the first time since 2001 that there was an increase in two consecutive years. Altogether, more than 31,000 abortions were committed in the state in 2019, which means that an average of 85 babies died by abortion each day. The majority of those abortions were committed on women ages 25 to 29, and nearly 88 percent of the women were reported as unmarried. More than 47 percent of the abortions were committed on women who already had at least one prior abortion. The report also reveals that 44 percent of abortions were committed on black women, though nationwide, the black community comprises just 12 percent of the population. Additionally, there was an alarming increase in reported abortion complications. The state recorded 285 abortion complications for 2019, significantly higher than the 179 injuries documented in 2018. 

U.S. reforms child welfare providers regulations 

U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ final rule issued last week that eliminates a federal regulation from the previous administration that forced child welfare providers to abandon their deeply held religious beliefs to continue receiving federal funding to serve children in need. Alliance Defending Freedom attorneys represent Catholic Charities West Michigan and New Hope Family Services in New York, both adoption and foster care providers, in federal lawsuits against state officials.

In today's News:

Concordia Seminary offers online visitations

Two online visitation events are scheduled for February at Concordia Seminary, St. Louis; one for high school men, and another for college-age and second-career prospective students planning to study to become pastors and deaconesses. Registration is now open for Taste of the Sem for high school men Feb. 13-15 and Green & Gold Day for prospective students planning to study to become pastors and deaconesses Feb. 20. The events are typically held in person but have been moved online because of the coronavirus pandemic. Both events are free.

Pro-abortion Democrats take the Senate

Democratic candidate Jon Ossoff defeated Incumbent Republican Georgia Sen. David Perdue in Tuesday’s runoff election. The victory for the pro-abortion Democrat over the pro-life senator essentially puts the Senate in democrat hands by giving pro-abortion radical Kamala Harris the tie-breaking vote if she becomes vice president. With both senators losing their races, the Senate will have a 50-50 party split, and, if she’s vice-president, Harris, a pro-abortion Democrat, would cast the deciding vote on issues like forcing taxpayers to fund abortions and expanding late-term abortions.

Study shows gender dysphoric men outperform women

Biological men who identify as women continue to outperform biologically-female athletes for at least two years after they begin receiving “feminizing therapy” (female hormones), a new study shows. “The results, published last month in the British Journal of Sports Medicine, could mean the current one-year waiting period for Olympic athletes who are transitioning is inadequate,” NBC reported on Tuesday. States seeking to ban transgender athletes from competing against biological females in school sports are citing the study to document that athletes born as biological males have an unfair advantage over biological females.

California defines women’s breasts as ‘abnormal’

The California insurance commissioner is clarifying that insurance coverage on double mastectomies for gender dysphoric females is not "cosmetic" but "reconstructive," and classifying normal breast tissue as "abnormal structures of the body caused by congenital defects." The move paves the way for more minor girls who identify as something other than their biological sex to undergo breast amputation.

Arguments heard on the ‘Ministerial Exception’

The highest court in Massachusetts heard oral arguments on Monday regarding whether an evangelical Christian higher education institution can lawfully refuse to promote a former professor who held pro-LGBT views. The Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court heard arguments virtually over a lawsuit filed against Gordon College by former associate professor Margaret Deweese-Boyd. At issue is whether Gordon, founded in 1889, could lawfully deny a promotion to Deweese-Boyd by citing the “ministerial exception,” a legal principle that allows religious bodies to choose their own ministerial staff with exemption from employment discrimination law. Eric Baxter, an attorney with the Becket Fund for Religious Liberty who is representing the school, argued in his opening remarks that the exception applied to the employment of Deweese-Boyd since she was expected to undertake certain religious obligations.

In today's News:

Judge awards Planned Parenthood $13 million 

A U.S. District judge with ties to Planned Parenthood has granted the abortion giant more than $13 million in “attorney fees and costs” despite the fact that attorneys are currently working to appeal the ruling, according to Liberty Counsel. Judge William Orrick III’s connection to Planned Parenthood includes helping to open one of the abortion corporation’s facilities. Despite this conflict of interest, he refused to recuse himself from the civil trial of Planned Parenthood v. The Center for Medical Progress (CMP) regarding CMP’s undercover journalism, which exposed the illegal sales of fetal organs and tissues. The $13 million Orrick awarded Planned Parenthood is in addition to the more than $2 million the jury had awarded the corporation after finding for the plaintiff on all counts in the civil case. That ruling came after Orrick instructed the jury not to consider the First Amendment as a defense for CMP and journalists David Daleiden and Sandra Merritt and blocked the jury from watching much of the undercover videos that revealed Planned Parenthood’s unethical and illegal actions. The jury found Daleiden, Merritt and CMP liable in their undercover journalism of Planned Parenthood in 2019, with Orrick determining that the journalists had trespassed when they attended Planned Parenthood events and visited facilities though they were welcomed into those arenas. The verdict was made against CMP even though Planned Parenthood employees admitted that their words in the videos were their own. Notably, Planned Parenthood has never sued CMP for defamation. With this latest move, Orrick appears to be sending a message to silence pro-lifers from continuing to expose the abortion industry for its horrific practices. 

Satanic Temple billboards support abortion 

The Satanic Temple is back after a failed attempt to overturn Missouri’s abortion laws, promoting its pro-abortion message on billboards. According to the Houston Chronicle, the temple erected billboards in Texas and Florida to raise awareness of its purported abortion “rituals” — and also to claim that pregnancy is dangerous. “Abortions save lives!” The billboard reads in large letters. Underneath, it says, “our religious abortion ritual averts many state restrictions.” The Satanic Temple’s so-called “abortion ritual” seems to have been created less out of actual spiritual fervor and more to skirt pro-life laws. During the rite, a Satanist merely recites personal affirmations in the mirror before and after an abortion procedure.  

‘Feliz Navidad’ for the unborn 

Singer Jose Feliciano has expressed support for the pro-life movement, declaring that “even if all there is a heartbeat, that’s life.” Feliciano, who's blind and best known for his Christmas song “Feliz Navidad,” described his conversion to the pro-life movement in an interview with the National Catholic Register. “I used to be pro-abortion many, many years ago,” he recalled, “But then when I had my daughter Melissa, I went the other way … when I heard Melissa’s little heartbeat on the monitor, I said, ‘well, wait a minute. Even if all there is a heartbeat, that’s life’.”

In today's News:

Planned Parenthood’s ‘wish list’ 

Planned Parenthood is preparing its wish list for former Vice President Joe Biden’s prospective administration, but pro-life forces are gearing up for a fight. In a Roll Call interview, Planned Parenthood Action Fund President and CEO Alexis McGill Johnson said her organization’s top goal in 2021 is abolishing the Hyde Amendment, which for 40 years has prohibited federal funding for most abortions. The Hyde Amendment is named for the late Rep. Henry Hyde of Illinois who sponsored the Amendment, first adopted in 1976. In a statement to The Daily Signal, Jeanne Mancini, President of March for Life, said she is concerned about the obvious pro-abortion trajectory of a Biden Administration. 

Pro-lifers sing Christmas carols at an abortion center 

Pro-lifers greeted women with Christmas carols and messages of hope for them and their unborn babies on Saturday outside an abortion facility in Alexandria, Virginia. The Arlington Catholic Herald reports pro-life sidewalk counselors faithfully show up every Saturday outside the Alexandria Women’s Health Center to pray and offer information to pregnant women considering abortions. On Dec. 19, their outreach included Christmas carols as part of the national “Peace in the Womb Pro-Life Christmas Caroling” event, a project of the Pro-Life Action League. 

Proposed abortion law faces opposition 

New Jersey pro-lifers gathered in the cold Saturday to protest a radical pro-abortion bill that would legalize the killing of unborn babies up to birth and force taxpayers to pay for their deaths. Tap Into Union reports about 50 people protested outside the offices of State Sen. Joseph Cryan, Assemblywoman Annette Quijano and Assemblyman Jamel Holley, urging them to reject the pro-abortion legislation and support life. They also listened to women’s testimonies and sang Christmas carols. A pet project of pro-abortion Gov. Phil Murphy, the bill would legalize the killing of unborn babies for basically any reason up to birth. 

LA county lifts restrictions on worship 

Los Angeles County recently announced that it was allowing houses of worship to hold both indoor and outdoor services, reversing an earlier ban on indoor services. In a statement Saturday, the county government explained that the decision to allow the services comes due to recent legal decisions from the United States Supreme Court. Last week, the U.S. Supreme Court issued two orders in which it overturned state-level restrictions on in-person worship in Colorado and New Jersey, respectively. 

Biological Sex on Birth Certificates Reconsidered

The New England Journal of Medicine joined the ranks of medical institutions elevating “social justice” above sound medicine last week with the publication of an article calling for “rethinking” how biological sex is recorded on birth certificates. The authors go so far as to claim that “sex designations on birth certificates offer no clinical utility; they serve only legal — not medical — goals,” while potentially inviting “scrutiny” and “shame,” as well as thwarting gender-confused individuals’ ability to access opposite-sex locker or shower facilities or serve in the military.

In today's News:

Virginia Christians oppose new law 

Churches, ministries, schools and Christian-owned businesses from across the state of Virginia signed an open letter to Gov. Ralph Northam and members of the Virginia General Assembly that urges them not to force religious citizens to violate their beliefs under the so-called “Virginia Values Act.” The law, enacted July 1, on its face compels churches, religious schools and Christian ministries to hire employees who do not share their stated beliefs on marriage, sexuality and gender identity — or face fines of up to $100,000 for each violation. A companion law requires the ministries and other Christian nonprofits and Christian-owned businesses to include in employee health care plans coverage for “sex reassignment” and “gender affirming” surgeries that run contrary to their beliefs. It also prohibits the ministries from offering sex-specific sports, classes for parenting and Christian discipleship, if those programs are based on biological sex. 

Medicaid money withheld from California 

Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar announced that his department was taking action against California and a hospital in Vermont that implemented policies violating the conscience rights of those opposed to abortion. Azar was among many notable speakers at a White House event, called “Life Is Winning: Celebrating 4 Years of Pro-Life Accomplishments,” hosted by Vice President Mike Pence Wednesday. During his speech, Azar highlighted how the Trump administration was “protecting conscience rights more aggressively than any previous administration in history." He went on to announce that $200 million in federal Medicaid funds would be withheld from California for the first quarter of 2021 due to the state's refusal to amend its policy "imposing universal abortion coverage mandates on health insurance." 

Pro-abortion Representative to Biden’s Cabinet 

A New Mexico Congresswoman who was accused of defaming young, pro-life teenagers at the march for life is President-elect Joe Biden’s choice for Secretary of the Interior. The Hill reports Biden nominated U.S. Rep. Deb Haaland, a pro-abortion Democrat, to join his Cabinet this week. Haaland has a 100-percent pro-abortion voting record, according to the National Right to Life Committee. Her votes include opposing "The Born Alive Abortion Survivors Protection Act," which would protect newborn babies from infanticide. Haaland was sued for defamation in 2019 after she trashed pro-life teenager Nick Sandmann and other high school students who were attending the March for Life, the Los Alamos Monitor reports. 

D.C. mayor backs off Christmas restrictions 

Democratic D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser has eased restrictions on houses of worship following a lawsuit by the Catholic Church accusing the Democrat of “arbitrary” and “discriminatory” restrictions on churches ahead of Christmas. In a lawsuit filed Dec. 11, the Roman Catholic Archbishop of Washington said Bowser’s restrictions “bear no relation to either the size of the building or the safety of the activity” and “single out religious worship as a disfavored activity, even though it has been proven safer than many other activities the district favors.” Bowser modified the city’s attendance limits in a Wednesday order, removing the 50-person limit for religious gatherings and instead capping places of worship at 25 percent capacity with a maximum of 250 people.

In today's News:

Arkansas pro-life laws allowed

The Eighth U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in Little Rock, Ark., decided on Tuesday that it will not reconsider its earlier decision from this summer to lift a judge’s injunction against four Arkansas abortion restrictions. The court was sued by the American Civil Liberties Union and the Center For Reproductive Rights on behalf Of Little Rock abortionist, Frederick Hopkins, after its August decision to allow four Arkansas abortion restriction laws to take effect. Among the four restrictions previously blocked by a judge is a ban on second trimester dismemberment abortion procedures. Additionally, the court lifted the judge’s injunction against a sex-selective abortion ban, a measure specifying how aborted babies’ remains are to be disposed of, and a requirement that police must be notified, and fetal remains must be preserved from abortions committed on girls younger than age 14.

Abortionist fined for false advertising

A complaint filed by Reprotection, Inc. With Indiana Attorney General Curtis Hill’s office has resulted in fines for a Florida abortionist. Earlier in 2020, Reprotection Lodged a complaint against James Pendergraft, owner of the Orlando Women’s Center, for falsely advertising that it operated in Indiana. The complaint led to legal action brought by Attorney General Hill against the Florida-based abortion vendor. This resulted in a civil penalty fine of $9,000 for violating the Indiana Deceptive Consumer Sales Act. Reprotection, Inc. filed the complaint after discovering webpages by the Florida abortion business claiming to do abortions in various Indiana cities, including Muncie. Further, the advertising inferred that the dangerous chemical abortion pill could be administered in one day, which is not in compliance with FDA guidelines.

Administration’s pro-life record praised

President Donald Trump’s administration has been focused on protecting and fighting for the right to life, Vice President Mike Pence said yesterday. Pence’s remarks were delivered at a “Life Is Winning Event,” where the vice president highlighted the Trump administration’s pro-life accomplishments with leaders of the pro-life movement, including Marjorie Dannenfelser of the Susan B. Anthony List, Tom McClusky of the March For Life, David Daleiden of The Center for Medical Progress and Abby Johnson of And Then There Were None. Pence touted the administration’s reinstating of the Mexico City Policy, which ended government funding for abortions globally.

Nevada churches win

Nevada cannot impose on churches greater public health restrictions than those applied to secular businesses, the U.S. Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals ruled Tuesday in a victory for religious Nevadans. As previously covered by LifeSiteNews, Calvary Chapel Dayton Valley v Sisolak concerns a case made by Calvary Chapel, an evangelical church, that Nevada is unlawfully discriminating against houses of worship by allowing several public facilities, including casinos, to fill with crowds to 50 percent capacity while restricting religious gatherings to 50 people, no matter how large the building. In Calvary’s case, 50 percent capacity would be 90 people. This summer, the U.S. Supreme Court voted 5-4 against taking the case, letting the restrictions stand. But a three-judge panel of the Ninth Circuit unanimously sided with the church on Tuesday, courthouse news reports. In reaching their decision, the judges relied on the Supreme Court’s 5-4 decision last month in favor of catholic diocese of Brooklyn against similar capacity limits imposed by New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo.

In today's News:

NSLA School Shepherd Award given 

The Rev. Jonathan Dinger, pastor of Grace Lutheran Church and School in Pocatello, Idaho, was selected by national Lutheran School Accreditation (NLSA) as the recipient of the 2020 NLSA School Shepherd Award. This award honors “a faithful pastor who provides outstanding encouragement, support and service to his school,” and who is able to “understand and articulate a clear philosophy of Lutheran education and provide spiritual encouragement, guidance and support for the schools entrusted to his care,” according to NLSA. Dinger is a graduate of Concordia University, Portland, Ore., and of Concordia Seminary, St. Louis. Prior to his Seminary studies, he served as a high school teacher for several years. He has served as Grace Lutheran’s pastor since 2007. Dinger was nominated by the NLSA validation team and endorsed by the LCMS Northwest District, then selected from among various nominees by the NLSA Selection Committee. 

Religious identity in America declines 

The most common religious identity among young adults in the U.S. is "none," and the majority of Americans don’t believe it’s necessary for a person to believe in God to be moral and have good values, a new survey has found. Released yesterday, the American Enterprise Institute’s Survey Center on American Life investigating contemporary religion in the U.S. found that among young adults age 18 to 29, the most common religious identity today is “none.” More than one in three young adults are religiously unaffiliated. Nearly nine in 10 Americans report they believe in God, but just over half report they believe in God without any doubts at all. Of these, more than eight in 10 white evangelical protestants and black protestants say they are absolutely certain God exists. Overall, 42 percent of Americans have a close social connection with someone who is religiously unaffiliated — up from 18 percent in 2004. Additionally, most Americans say it's not necessary for a person to believe in God to be moral and have good values. Close to six in 10 Americans say a belief in God is not a precondition to being moral and having good values, while 41 percent of the public say a belief in God is essential. 

Court asked to reinstate abortion pill restrictions 

The Trump administration asked the U.S. Supreme Court to reinstate a requirement that women visit a medical facility to obtain abortion-inducing pills, seeking to lift a lower-court order that has allowed delivery by mail during the pandemic. The filing yesterday renews a request the court temporarily rejected in October, when it was shorthanded after the death of justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg. The Supreme Court now has a stronger conservative majority with Justice Amy Coney Barrett having filled Ginsburg’s seat. 

Informed consent law blocked 

A Tennessee law that ensures women are not rushed into aborting their unborn babies will remain blocked after a federal judge ruled Monday. The AP reports U.S. District Judge Bernard Friedman refused to lift his block on the state 48-hour waiting period law, which requires abortion facilities to provide informed consent counseling to women at least two days prior to an abortion.

In today's News:

Religious schools’ accreditation threatened 

The Human Rights Campaign — a large, influential LGBTQ advocacy group — recently released a policy brief with recommendations for a Biden administration, and the suggestions are alarming. The organization’s “Blueprint for Positive Change 2020” describes itself as “a comprehensive list of 85 individual policy recommendations aimed at improving the lives of LGBTQ people.” One of the more alarming suggestions from the organization’s proposal concerns accreditation for religious schools and universities. It states, “the Department of Education should issue a regulation clarifying that this provision, which requires accreditation agencies to ‘respect the stated mission’ of religious institutions, does not require the accreditation of religious institutions that do not meet neutral accreditation standards including nondiscrimination policies and scientific curriculum requirements.” 

Native American casinos are exempt 

Dec. 3 the office of Calif. Gov. Gavin Newsom issued a conditional stay-at-home order which went into effect Dec. 5, giving every region in the state 24 hours from the point its Intensive Care Unit capacity falls below 15 percent to implement the restrictions in the order. Once triggered, the order that restricts residents from gathering, limits grocery stores to 35 percent and retailers to 20 percent capacity; and shuts down bars, salons, indoor and outdoor restaurants, among others, will be in effect for thee weeks. Unlike the rest of the businesses, Native American tribes are not required to follow state’s orders as they are sovereign nations, so Native American casinos are not affected by the governor’s order. 

Bill in Congress would defend women’s sports 

Rep. Tulsi Gabbard of Hawaii and Rep. Markwayne Mullin of Oklahoma introduced a bill Thursday banning transgender females — people who were born male — from taking part in women’s sports. The Protect Women’s Sports Act would clarify Title IX for female athletes based on biological sex and require that only biological females can participate in women’s sports. 

State capitols display Nativity scenes 

Baby Jesus is present at the Iowa statehouse this Christmas season. Starting with an opening ceremony on Dec. 12 and remaining through Dec. 26, a traditional Christian crèche is on display in the first-floor rotunda in Des Moines. The Thomas More Society, a national not-for-profit law firm, has teamed up again with the American Nativity Scene to help keep privately funded manger scenes in the public square for Christmas. The following state capitols featured a nativity scene in 2019: Arkansas, California, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Nebraska, New Hampshire, New jersey, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, Rhode Island, South Carolina, South Dakota, Texas, Washington and Wisconsin. Additionally, during Christmas 2020, manger displays will be featured in Idaho, Oklahoma, Nevada and West Virginia, with newly participating states still being added.

In today's News:

Church wins discrimination case 

Yesterday, a California Superior Court issued a preliminary injunction protecting Father Trevor Burfitt and his Catholic parishes from the discrimination being heaped on them by Gov. Gavin Newsom and those under his authority in the name of COVID-19 prevention. Thomas More Society attorneys are representing Burfitt in his suit against Newsom and other state, county, and municipal officials. Judge Gregory Pulskamp issued the order yesterday, prohibiting Newsom and the others named in the lawsuit from enforcing COVID-19 related restrictions against Burfitt. The court specifically singled out the provisions of Newsom’s Blueprint for a Safer Economy and his regional Stay At Home order as failing to treat houses of worship in a manner “equal to the favored class of entities.” 

Governor tells worshipers how to pray 

Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam was widely rebuked for telling churchgoers during a press conference this week how they should worship. In discussing the latest COVID-19 restrictions in the Commonwealth, the governor turned his attention to the religious holidays celebrated this month, noting they are “typically times of joy and community.” 

Florida free speech law is hailed 

A nationwide pro-life student organization has expressed support for a newly signed law in Florida prohibiting public colleges from creating so-called "free speech zones" to limit on-campus speech. Earlier this week, Florida Gov. Rick Scott signed Senate Bill 4 into law, which prohibited public colleges from creating "free speech zones" on campus. Florida became the ninth state to pass such legislation, joining Arizona, Colorado, Kentucky, Missouri, North Carolina, Tennessee, Utah, and Virginia. 

Born-Alive Bill in the U.S. House

A Democratic congresswoman has introduced a “Born-Alive” bill in the U.S. House of Representatives, attempting to protect babies born after a failed abortion attempt. Hawaii Rep. Tulsi Gabbard, who was a contender for the 2020 Democratic presidential nomination, has offered H.R. 8923, which aims to amend Title 18 of the United States Code “to ensure a health care practitioner exercises the proper degree of care in the case of a child who survives an abortion or attempted abortion.” The legislation has been referred to the House Committee on the Judiciary. 

Woman Injured at Manhattan Planned Parenthood

For the fifth time this year, a woman who was a client of the Manhattan Planned Parenthood abortion facility was transported by ambulance to a hospital emergency room. This is the 38th such medical emergency documented by Operation Rescue with the help of local pro-life activists. The incident occurred on last Tuesday just before 11 a.m. according to pro-life activists on the scene, the emergency workers entered the Planned Parenthood facility and came out about ten minutes later with a woman on a gurney completely covered with a sheet. She was loaded into an ambulance marked “Lennox Health, Greenwich Village, Northwell Health,” and was transported immediately away from the scene.  The ambulance only activated its sirens after it was about a block away from the Manhattan Planned Parenthood facility.