Court OKs Trump Rule Defunding $60 Million from Planned Parenthood

Court OKs Trump Rule Defunding $60 Million from Planned Parenthood



The often-criticized U.S. Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals handed a major victory to pro-lifers and the White House Thursday when it ruled the Trump administration can enforce a new rule that could result in Planned Parenthood and other abortion providers losing tens of millions of dollars. 


The president of Planned Parenthood called the ruling “devastating news.” 


At issue is federal money for Title X, a $300 million family-planning program for birth control, cancer screenings and STD testing.


The new rule by the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), supporters say, ensures that none of the money goes toward promoting abortion or conducting abortion. Critics call it the “gag rule.”


Planned Parenthood receives an estimated $60 million annually in Title X funding.


In June, a three-judge panel of the Ninth Circuit allowed the rule to go into effect while the lawsuit from Planned Parenthood and others goes forward. Then, an 11-judge Ninth Circuit panel earlier this month announced it would hear an appeal. On Thursday, that same 11-judge panel ruled the earlier order by the three-judge panel would remain in effect – thus allowing the Trump administration to enforce the new HHS rule.


“After due consideration of the emergency motions, the motions for administrative stay of the three-judge panel order are DENIED,” the ruling said. 


The 7-4…

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Why ‘the wildest week’ of NBA free agency matters—even if you don’t care about basketball

When Kawhi Leonard decided to join the Los Angeles Clippers late Friday night, he capped off what ESPN’s Zach Lowe dubbed “the wildest week ever in the NBA.” In so doing, he spurned the formation of the next Super Team with LeBron James and the Los Angeles Lakers to instead team up with MVP candidate Paul George for their in-city rivals. 

He also fundamentally altered the course of the league for the foreseeable future. 

Gone are the days of a single team slated to dominate the season from start to finish (at least for this year). In its place, we find a state of parity that hasn’t been seen for quite some time. As a result, basketball fans around the country are rejoicing at what’s shaping up to be a very entertaining season.

Or, at least that’s what you might expect. 

The reality is that while many fans are genuinely excited about the chance to see a greater level of competition across the months to come, that excitement is tempered for most by the outlook for their favorite team. 

And whether you care about basketball or not, there’s an important cultural truth to be learned from that fact. 

The perils of high expectations

As most fans assess their team’s status for the coming year, they are likely to fall into one of three groups: contenders, pretenders, and attenders.

The first group, the contenders, consists of those select few who saw their team sign the necessary players to vault into championship contention. 

If you are a fan of one of the Los Angeles teams, you fit in this group. It’s not just the teams that signed a superstar who find themselves in a better spot, however. Fans of the Jazz, Pacers, and a few others that made relatively low-key signings by comparison still have to feel good about their team’s chances this season. 

On occasion, that perspective will end up being correct. 

When Kevin Durant signed with the Warriors in 2016, for example, their expectations of…

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Parliament praise C of E social media guidelines

Lord Ashton of Hyde, Minister for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport welcomed the new community guidelines and pledged to engage with the Church as digital technology continues to develop.

In an assessment heard by the House of Lords this week, Lord Ashton said: “I thank the Church of England for their community guidelines and the digital charter and emphasise how aligned we are on the fundamental issues.

“We will continue to engage with the Church of England as this work progresses. This is an opportunity to lead the way and work with others globally. Through this work we will protect citizens, increase public trust in new technologies and create the best possible basis on which the digital economy and society can thrive.”

 

The charter is an online pledge centred on five principles of truth, kindness, welcome, inspiration and togetherness, with an opportunity for people to sign up in support.

Both the online pledge and the principles published by the Archbishop of Canterbury earlier this month offer advice on tackling offensive behaviour and misleading content and encouraging a positive atmosphere for online conversations.

Bishop of St Albans, Alan Smith has celebrated the success of the campaign and encouraged all communities to unite in signing the pledge, to promote more positive social media behaviour.

Bishop Alan said: “These are not simply guidelines or…

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Pray for Cherry Creek Baptist Church

Location: Ecru, Mississippi

Pastor: Dustin Long

Weekly Worship: 11:00 AM, Central

Fast Facts: Cherry Creek Baptist was founded in 1843 and has planted five other local churches in northeast Mississippi over the years. Cherry Creek has a great outreach ministry to the Hispanic community in the area and is starting its Who’s Your One campaign next month. Cherry Creek is a loving church with a growing population around the church. Many of those around the church are not involved in any church and have moved to the area because of the opening of a Toyota assembly plant nearby. Pray that those new to the area will be reached with the gospel and will plug into a fellowship of Bible believers in the area.

Website: https://www.facebook.com/cherrycreek.baptistchurch.5


“Pray for . . .” is the Sunday blog series at ThomRainer.com. We encourage you to pray for these churches noted every Sunday. Please feel free to comment that you are praying as well.

If you would like to have your church featured in the “Pray for…” series, fill out this information form..

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Tropical Storm Barry Expected to Reach Hurricane Strength before Colliding with Louisiana

Tropical Storm Barry Expected to Reach Hurricane Strength before Colliding with Louisiana



Tropical Storm Barry is expected to wreak havoc on the Gulf Coast starting Friday morning. The storm – which is expected to be at hurricane strength when it makes landfall – is predicted to bring as much as 2 feet of rain to parts of Louisiana, threatening to flood areas in and around New Orleans.


According to the Associated Press, the heavy rains and winds are already hitting Louisiana, despite the fact that the storm – which is moving west-northwest at only 5 mph – will not hit land until early Saturday. Rain is expected to continue to fall through Sunday in Louisiana and in parts of Mississippi.


“There are three ways that Louisiana can flood: storm surge, high rivers and rain,” Louisiana Governor John Bel Edwards told ABC News.


“We’re going to have all three,” he added.


According to the AP, the storm is expected to produce flooding and storm surges. The outlet reports that some coastal roads are already flooded from the rise of the tide caused by the storm. Officials are also monitoring the Mississippi River since it is already running abnormally high due to snowmelt upstream and heavy spring rain – including a down pour earlier this week that dropped 8 inches of rain in the area. Reportedly, the Mississippi is expected to crest on Saturday at 19 feet in New Orleans. The levees in that area are built to protect the city from 20 to 25…

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The latest on the Gulf Coast crisis: The relevance of our Father and our faith

Tropical Storm Barry is causing a crisis on the American Gulf Coast. It is forecasted to make landfall along the Louisiana coast tonight or tomorrow and could strengthen into a hurricane beforehand.

Louisiana Gov. John Bel Edwards warned, “There are three ways that Louisiana floods: storm surge, high rivers, and rain. We’re going to have all three.” New Orleans’ Bourbon Street is already underwater. 

Hurricane warnings have been issued and a state of emergency has been declared in Louisiana. The National Guard has been activated as well. 

“Acts of God” make it hard to trust in God 

Hurricanes, tornadoes, tsunamis, cyclones, volcanic eruptions, floods, landslides, wildfires, heat waves, and droughts affect close to 160 million people a year, killing around 90,000 annually. 

So-called “acts of God” make it hard to trust in God. If your car broke down as often as our planet seems to, you’d blame the manufacturer. Since God not only made the universe but rules it as king today (cf. Psalm 9:8), many blame him for the suffering we face. 

It’s worth remembering that we live on a fallen planet in which human sin has damaged God’s perfect creation (Romans 8:22). As a result, “the whole world lies in the power of the evil one” (1 John 5:19) who seeks only to “steal and kill and destroy” (John 10:10). 

Of course, a theology lesson is seldom helpful to someone who loses their home to flooding or their child to leukemia. When my father died while I was in college and our oldest son was diagnosed with cancer a few years ago, intellectual explanations for our pain were not what our family sought. 

What can God’s people do when crises come? 

Tarot, astrology, and crystals 

According to the Los Angeles Times, “a growing number of young people . . . have turned away from traditional organized religion and are embracing more spiritual beliefs…

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Bishop says change to NI abortion law would be tragedy

Auxiliary Bishop of Westminster, John Sherrington has argued that changes to the Northern Ireland abortion amendment contradict the Church’s teachings.

In a statement he said: “Last year there were over 200,000 abortions in England and Wales, extending this to Northern Ireland would be a tragedy for lives not yet born.

 

“The Church’s consistent affirmation that human life begins at conception emphasises this unique beginning of human existence. The challenge that faces our society today is to recover an understanding of the immeasurable good of each unborn child and to value his or her life with even greater respect.”

He added: “A legal framework for the protection of unborn human life is an important statement about the respect due to each and every child and about the society in which we live.”

Abortion is a devolved issue in Northern Ireland, which means that the Assembly in Northern Ireland has the authority to make its own abortion law independent of the Government in Westminster.

Bishop Sherrington has condemned parliament for pushing forward amendments to the Northern Ireland (Executive Formation) Bill in the House of Lords and threatening to undermine devolution.

 

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