Illinois is the latest state to forgo federal family-planning funds under the Trump administration’s new Protect Life Rule.

Democratic Gov. JB Pritzker announced Thursday the state would not abide by the new rule and instead would use state money to fund the 28 organizations that received the federal funds distributed through the Illinois Department of Public Health. About $2.4 million in annual funding was at issue. 

“Under my administration, Illinois will always stand with women and protect their fundamental right to choose,” Pritzker said. 

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services issued the Protect Life Rule in February, prohibiting federal Title X money from going to clinics that “perform, promote, refer for, or support abortion as a method of family planning.” Title X is a $300 million federal family-planning program. 

Another part of the rule will go into effect next year requiring Title X recipients to financially and physically separate their abortion services from their non-abortion services.

Critics like Pritzker call it the “gag rule” because it prevents family planning clinics from discussing abortion with patients. Two federal courts ruled the Trump administration can enforce the rule while lawsuits against it proceed. 

“While I’m committed to bringing as many federal dollars to the state as possible, I refuse to…

An American amphibious attack ship shot down an Iranian drone over international waters in the Strait of Hormuz. President Trump announced the incident Thursday and said it in self-defense after the drone came within 1,000 yards of the USS Boxer and ignored calls to turn around. According to the Associated Press, Pentagon spokesman Jonathan Hoffman said the drone “closed within a threatening range” before the Boxer shot it down.

This marks the latest episode in rising tensions between Washington and Tehran. President Trump placed the blame squarely on Iran, saying it marked the “latest of many provocative and hostile actions,” the New York Times reports. 

Iran initially said they didn’t know anything about a drone being shot down, with foreign minister Mohammad Javad Zarif saying, “The drone issue is being investigated but based on the latest news I have from Tehran, we have no information about losing a drone.” 

On Friday Iranian officials flatly disputed the Pentagon’s version of the story, saying the Boxer did not shoot down a drone. They further alleged that the “unfounded claim” aimed to ratchet up tensions in the already volatile region. Iran’s deputy foreign minister Seyed Abbas Araghchi suggested that the U.S. may be covering up an incident of friendly fire. He tweeted, “We have not lost any drone in the…

The principal of a well-known Manhattan school announced her retirement after a teacher caused a stir in the community by showing a pro-life video in her 5^th-grade class. Principal Iris Chiu announced to a group of parents during a parent-teacher forum that her last day at PS 184, known as the Shuang Wen School, would be in August, Faithwire reports.

The controversy started in April when Ju Ling Wei showed a video of which featured teenagers staging a drama in which they pretended to be a baby in the womb during an abortion. According to Gothamist, the video was the work of a young group representing the First Assembly of God in Smithville, TN at an Assemblies of God fine arts festival.

Parents expressed their frustration and anger soon after. Liset Reyes, whose 10-year-old daughter was in the class, told the New York Daily News that, “I was really, really upset and angry and appalled. I was crying. We don’t even discuss the birds and the bees.”

Ishmael Alvarado was taken aback when his daughter asked him, “What’s abortion?” He added, “My kids still believe in Santa Claus. They’re still innocent.”

A student named Isabella told The New York Daily News that Wei asked the class “What do you think abortion is?” She said Wei then told the class that it was when the doctor gave the mother “a shot to kill the baby.

Principal Chiu sent…