NARAL Report: Minnesota PCCs give false medical information to pregnant women

CityPages: ​In a new report released by NARAL Pro-Choice Minnesota Foundation, pro-choice advocates accuse state funded "crisis pregnancy centers" in the metro area of dispensing deliberately misleading or false information about pregnancy in an attempt to dissuade women from having an abortion.
 

"Everyone can agree to disagree about abortion," says NARAL executive director Linnea House. "But I think everybody should be able to agree that state-funded agencies should only be disseminating medically accurate information."

According to the report, undercover NARAL investigators went to 27 appointments at 15 different clinics. They documented the kind of advice they were given, which was compiled for the report. Not all CPCs receive public funds, but NARAL specifically visited ones that do.

Crisis pregnancy centers offer "alternatives to abortion" services and often set up shop very close to abortion clinics. They often provide free pregnancy testing and counseling for pregnant women. Sometimes their explicitly stated goal is to prevent their clients from getting abortions, other times it is not so clearly stated. They can receive funding from both the state and federal government -- in Minnesota, former Governor Tim Pawlenty signed the Positive Alternatives Acts in 2005, which today has a grant pool of $2.4 million to give to CPCs.

Editor's cursory analysis

One issue that the report raises is state and federal funding for PCCs. They picked on centers that receive funding under a Minnesota provision. That's a red flag there. Or it's like a center drawing a big red target on it's front door and saying, "Come and get us." If you're going to accept tax-dollars, get ready for scrutiny.

Another thing I see right away in the report is they went in looking for three things:

■ Are CPCs staffed by qualified, trained personnel?
■ Are they dispensing medically sound information and guidance?
■ Are they forthright and honest in their promotion and advertising?

According to them, the answer to all of these questions was a resounding “no."
This begs the question, however, of whether centers that receive funds must have "qualified, trained personnel," and what is the criteria for making that determination? Medically sound according to whom?

Giving it a cursory look, it appears this report copies and pastes from other NARAL studies and asserts the same things are going on in MN. Very few actual examples are given. They huff and they puff, but they can't blow the house down.

Still, it's worthwhile for MN centers (and all centers) to examine their practices in light of this report.

Blob or Baby?

Blob or Baby? - Answers in Genesis: Recent research has found that differentiation of the embryonic cells begins on the day of conception and may even be initiated by the point of entry of the sperm into the egg. When egg and sperm unite, they produce a single new cell, called the “zygote,” and the zygote is the first cell in the body of the new baby. When the zygote undergoes its first cell division to produce a two-celled embryo, it now appears that these two cells form the top-tail axis for all subsequent development. In other words, which part will be the head, for instance, is determined “up front.” And similar processes of orientation appear to continue during all subsequent cell divisions.

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Abortion Clinic Hid Critical Information About Botched Abortions

Abortion Clinic Hid Critical Information About Botched Abortions, New Evidence Shows :Operation Rescue: New evidence has been obtained through an open records request that indicates an abortion clinic in Birmingham, Alabama, downplayed the seriousness of the conditions of two abortion patients that were transported to hospital emergency rooms on the same morning.

Transcripts of emergency calls that were placed from New Women All Women Health Center on January 21, 2012, were heavily redacted and missing the last half of their content, but were enough to tell that the two each women suffered from an overdose of the drug Vasopressin, which is used to treat low blood pressure that results from heavy blood loss.

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Planned Parenthood Policy Document: Restructure Family; Encourage Homosexuality

Planned Parenthood Policy Document: Restructure Family; Encourage Homosexuality - Christian Newswire: Hooking Kids on Sex I and II show that Planned Parenthood uses pornographic illustrations, contests, workshops, and even cartoons to encourage sexual activity at very early ages when sexual addiction can start.

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Virginia ultrasound bill joins other states’ measures

Virginia ultrasound bill joins other states’ measures - The Washington Post: In recent years, this common diagnostic tool has taken a greater role in abortion-related legislation. Seven states require ultrasounds before abortions. Twenty states regulate some aspect of ultrasound exams, including requiring abortion providers to give women the option to view the image or listen to the fetal heartbeat if an ultrasound is performed.

Eleven other states have legislation pending. If all of the measures pass, more than half of the states will have laws governing ultrasound exams before abortions.

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Abortion Is Safer than Childbirth?

Prolife OBGYNS – AAPLOG – American Association of Pro-life Obstetricians & Gynecologists » Abortion Is Safer than Childbirth?: The prominent original research article “The Comparative Safety of Legal Induced Abortion and Childbirth in the United States,” by Raymond and Grimes in the Feb, 2012, journal Obstetrics & Gynecology, rehearses the original mantra of the choice argument: “Abortion is safer than Childbirth.” To reach this conclusion, Raymond and Grimes employ statistical methodologies seen before, using inadequate or incomplete data, ignoring some important literature, and drawing general conclusions using limited and, we feel, inaccurate “facts.” AAPLOG finds this article to be a very serious distortion of reality as we understand the reality.

Previous articles on the same subject:

Abortion Safer? Part 2
Abortion Safer?

Additional analyses from AAPLOG

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Article gushes over super-sophisticated abortionist

NY Daily News: Choices Women’s Medical Center is moving from its current Long Island City location to a $3 million, state-of-the-art facility in Jamaica on Friday. The abortionist is Choices CEO Merle Hoffman, 65, whose memoir “Intimate Wars” hit bookshelves last month, helped open one of the state’s first licensed clinics with her late husband in 1971 in Flushing. More than 40 years later, the former aspiring concert pianist is opening an 18,000-square-foot outpatient surgery center at 147-32 Jamaica Ave.

“This is basically built to the specifications of a hospital,” said Hoffman, who grew up in Kew Gardens and now lives on the upper East Side. The clinic is expected to serve 40,000 clients and perform roughly 10,000 abortions a year.

Hoffman said she chose Jamaica for the new site because 78% of her clients are from the area. Dr. Steven Inglis, chairman of Jamaica Hospital Medical Center’s Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, said Choices will be “a wonderful addition to Jamaica.” The hospital is partnering with Choices for prenatal care and to perform second-trimester abortions.

California Bill to Let Nurses and Midwives Do Abortions

California Bill Would Let Nurses and Midwives Do Abortions | LifeNews.com: Sen. Christine Kehoe proposed a bill in the California Senate that would greatly expand who can be an abortion provider in California. Kehoe’s bill would, "clarify that the estimated 16,000 trained nurse practitioners, certified nurse midwives and physician assistants in the state could provide first-trimester abortions in outpatient clinics and doctor’s offices."

Californians attempt another parental notification bill

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Russia defunds late-term ‘social abortions’

Russia defunds late-term ‘social abortions’ as country moves to curtail high abortion rate | LifeSiteNews.com: The Russian government has cut off funding for most late-term abortions that are done for “social” reasons, in a move that may signal more restrictions to come.

Previously, Russians could receive government-funded abortions after the first twelve weeks of pregnancy in cases of rape, when a woman had been deprived of parental rights by a court, imprisonment of the woman, or death or disability of her husband.

The only “social” condition that now remains is rape, according to Russian media sources. Women may also still obtain late-term abortions if they suffer from a life-threatening illness during the pregnancy.

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Finance Committee Best Practices

IdeaEncore: Be sure that your Finance Committee complies with these best practices and supports your fiduciary responsibilities. This booklet will help a new or experienced Treasurer manage the finance function broadly and thoroughly.

Articles on growing your nonprofit, from IdeaEncore

• Why More Nonprofits Are Getting Bigger
• Growing Bigger Better: Lessons from Experience Corps' Expansion in Five Cities
• Scaling Social Impact
• What Do We Mean by Scale?

Planned Parenthood banned from Texas' Women Health Program

Planned Parenthood banned from Texas' Women Health Program | www.pegasusnews.com | Dallas/Fort Worth: If there was any hope that the state was seeking a compromise with the federal government over Texas’ Women’s Health Program, it’s fading fast. At the direction of lawmakers and Texas Attorney General Greg Abbott, the Texas Health and Human Services commissioner signed a rule on Thursday that formally bans Planned Parenthood clinics and other "affiliates of abortion providers" from participating in the program.

Related: Odessa office closes

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Planned Parenthood Offers “GPS” Condoms

Planned Parenthood Offers “GPS” Condoms « Alan Colmes' Liberaland: Planned Parenthood of the Great Northwest is distributing high tech condoms that allow students to “check in” and show where they’re having safe sex.

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Doctors call for HPV shots for boys

Doctors call for HPV shots for boys - Washington Times: Despite lackluster acceptance among girls for a vaccine to prevent cancer-causing sexually transmitted viruses, the American Academy of Pediatrics is fully recommending that boys get the shots as well.

Boys 11 and 12 should be immunized routinely, with three doses of a vaccine against human papillomavirus (HPV), the AAP said Monday in its online issue of Pediatrics. This formally updates the academy’s previous policy of “permissive recommendation” for vaccination of males.

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Siblings of People Dying in Abortions Suffer Depression

Siblings of People Dying in Abortions Suffer Depression | LifeNews.com: Approximately 50% of younger North Americans, 60% of Russians, 90% of younger Chinese are abortion survivors. As those who are alive because they were wanted, post-abortive people tend to feel they have no intrinsic value and therefore, nor do others. They conclude that everyone who doesn’t contribute is expendable.

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Call For Monthly Audit Of UK Taxpayer-Funded Abortions

UK MEP Calls For Monthly Audit Of Taxpayer-Funded Abortions: A senior Member of the European Parliament has called on the UK government to carry out a monthly audit of all abortions that receive funding from the British taxpayer, after a newspaper exposed terminations being illegally carried out on the basis of gender.

Nirj Deva MEP, President of the International Committee on Human Dignity, said such an audit would ensure that the British people “can finally begin an informed debate on how much public money funds abortions on the basis of nothing but gender.”

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The Emergence of Human Consciousness: From Fetal to Neonatal Life

Pediatric Research - The Emergence of Human Consciousness: From Fetal to Neonatal Life: A simple definition of consciousness is sensory awareness of the body, the self, and the world. The fetus may be aware of the body, for example by perceiving pain. It reacts to touch, smell, and sound, and shows facial expressions responding to external stimuli.

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Fetal Awareness - Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists

Fetal Awareness - Review of Research and Recommendations for Practice | Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists: The intention was to review the relevant science and clinical practice relevant to the issue of fetal awareness and, in particular, evidence published since 1997. PDF file

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Secret Daughter: A Pro-Life Book Review

Secret Daughter: A Pro-Life Book Review | Canadian Centre for Bio-Ethical Reform: “When she emerged from her grief, no one acknowledged her loss.”

This very telling line was written by Shilpi Somaya Gowda in the novel Secret Daughter, which has recently become very popular in literary circles.

The story revolves around two women from two separate families who become connected unexpectedly (though on opposite sides of the world) through a little girl named Usha. Usha’s biological mother, Kavita, gave her up for adoption due to the stigma surrounding having a baby girl in India. A few years later, Usha is adopted by an American mixed-race family, and Somer becomes her new adopted mother. The novel explores the themes of motherhood, adoption and the cultural stigma against girls in India.

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No case where abortion was ‘necessary to save mom’

No case where abortion was ‘necessary to save mom’: Eminent Irish oncologist | LifeSiteNews.com: Dr. John Crown, who has lectured in 40 countries and is the author of 150 research papers told Twitter followers that he had during his medical career faced some “hard decisions re: chemotherapy in pregnancy.” However, he said, “I don’t think I ever had a case where abortion was necessary to save mom.”

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Planned Parenthood Says it Won’t Do Abortions Without Ultrasounds

Planned Parenthood Says it Won’t Do Abortions Without Ultrasounds « Commentary Magazine: Pro-choice groups have been pushing back against a Virginia bill that would require women to undergo ultrasounds before an abortion procedure. The complaints are the ultrasounds are needlessly invasive, not medically necessary, and would be forced on women seeking abortions, even if they don’t want them.

This criticism misses one crucial point: Planned Parenthood policy already requires ultrasounds before abortion procedures.

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Abortion jests mask more serious agenda

Kathryn Lopez: Abortion jests mask more serious agenda: We can’t have an honest debate about anything that involves women, because it might make Planned Parenthood or any of the political or business wings of the abortion industry uncomfortable. This is the new feminist America, and it’s just as delusional and duplicitous at the first round. It’s not happening at anti-establishment protests, it is the establishment.

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Abortions for sex selection are just the tip of a large iceberg of illegal activity

Abortions for sex selection are just the tip of a large iceberg of illegal activity | NRL News Today: It is a common misconception that abortion is legal in Britain. In fact it remains illegal under the Offences Against the Person Act 1861 and doctors are only exempted from prosecution if they follow a strict set of guidelines as laid down in the Abortion Act 1967.

But the government, the medical profession and the police have consistently turned a blind eye over many years to practice at or beyond the edge of the law. The present cases raise again the question of just how many illegal abortions are being carried out in Britain.

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Nine Pro-Life Books You Should Read

Nine Pro-Life Books You Should Read: For anyone out there who’d like to increase their knowledge or expand their thinking on the issue, here are Kristi Burton Brown's reviews and recommendations.

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Get to Know: The Morning Center

Statement of Purpose The Morning Center -- The Morning Center: The Great Commission states: “Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.” (Matthew 28:18-20). To fulfill this purpose, the Morning Center provides free full-service prenatal and maternity care to women in urban and underserved areas, in a manner that demonstrates and testifies to the love of Christ and presents His saving grace. Every woman and community we serve receives the highest quality care, as if we are serving Jesus, and each staff member is as concerned about a woman’s spiritual needs as her maternity needs.

The Morning Center was founded in 2011 to provide free full-service pre-natal and maternity care to women in urban and under-served areas. It is a project of Samaritan Ministries International, a 501(c)(3) Christian charity. The Morning Center seeks to return charitable maternity care to a private, patient-centered model.

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Pro-aborts ‘completely made up’ vaginal ultrasound requirement in Virginia bill

LifeSiteNews: The rhetoric against the bill became so heated that today pro-life Virginia Governor Bob McDonnell issued a statement, moments before the bill was set to undergo a final vote in the House of Delegates, saying that the bill should be amended to make it clear that it will not mandate transvaginal ultrasounds, but only an external ultrasounds. Shortly after the governor released his statement, a version of the bill amended according the statement passed by a vote of 65-32. The bill now returns to the Senate.

However, pro-life supporters of the bill say the campaign against the bill is based upon an objection that was pulled out of thin air, and point out that abortion clinics across the country already perform ultrasounds—including vaginal ultrasounds—as a matter of course. In its original form, the bill did not require “any specific type of ultrasound,” Kristi Hamrick, media spokesperson for Americans United for Life, told LifeSiteNews.com. The notion that it required a transvaginal ultrasound “was completely made up by the pro-abortion advocates,” she said.

In Alaska 40 Days volunteers brave 8 foot snowdrifts to stand outside Planned Parenthood

In Alaska 40 Days volunteers brave 8 foot snowdrifts to stand outside Planned Parenthood | LifeSiteNews.com: "We refer to the current 40 Days for Life events as the “spring” campaign. But don’t tell that to the folks in Alaska! Anchorage has received more than 100 inches of snowfall already this winter. And it isn’t over yet."

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Abortion investigation: Available on demand – an abortion if it’s a boy you wanted

Abortion investigation: Available on demand – an abortion if it’s a boy you wanted - Telegraph: The pregnant woman, who said she was eight weeks into her term and in reality was looking forward to having a baby, was there to establish whether illegal sex-selection abortions were really available “on demand” in Britain.

She claimed to have had a blood test in France that showed that she was expecting a baby girl. “That’s not really appropriate for us right now, we were hoping for a boy,” the pregnant woman said. “So we’re not looking to have this baby at the moment.”

Alarm bells should have started ringing — as they did at other abortion clinics visited by The Daily Telegraph in recent weeks. But, instead, Prabha Sivaraman asked: “And how certain are they about this foetal gender?”

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Abortion investigation: Health Secretary to report clinics and doctors to police

Abortion investigation: Health Secretary Andrew Lansley to report clinics and doctors to police - Telegraph: In the wake of the disclosures, Mr Lansley convened an urgent meeting this morning of his top officials and decided to refer the matter to the police and medical authorities. The Chief Medical Officer is also writing to all abortion clinics to remind them of their “responsibilities.”

Editor: UK officials hop right to it.

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Abortion investigation: doctors filmed agreeing illegal abortions 'no questions asked'

Abortion investigation: doctors filmed agreeing illegal abortions 'no questions asked' - Telegraph: Acting on specific information, undercover reporters accompanied pregnant women to nine clinics in different parts of the country. In three instances doctors were recorded offering to arrange terminations after being told the mother-to-be did not want to go ahead with the pregnancy because of the sex of the unborn child.

Editor: You see, THIS is how journalists serve the public.

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Breaking: Board Orders Tiller Associate’s License Revoked

Breaking: Board Orders Tiller Associate’s License Revoked Over Illegal Late-Term Abortion Referrals :Operation Rescue: The Kansas State Board of Healing Arts has ordered the revocation of the medical license of abortionist Ann Kristin Neuhaus, stating that Neuhaus’ practice of providing late-term abortion referrals to George Tiller was “professionally incompetent” and constituted “unprofessional conduct.”

Had Tiller lived, it is certain that his medical license would also have been revoked since he faced a similar complaint based on the same eleven patient files.

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Disclosing the abortion-suicide association - Washington Times

FORSYTHE and SMITH: Disclosing the abortion-suicide association - Washington Times: The South Dakota statute does not mention or require any statement of causation (that abortion causes suicide). Instead, the statute requires a description of the “increased risk” of suicide after abortion, and that is what the medical studies address.

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Teen pregnancy data

The DCR Report | The National Campaign: The DCR Report (Data, Charts, Research) provides in depth answers to some critical questions about teen and unplanned pregnancy. At present, the report is divided into nine sections, eight on unplanned pregnancy and one on teen pregnancy.

Section J is on religiosity associated with sexual activity, childbearing, and marriage among young adults ages 20-29.

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What it's like to be a birth mom

Birth Moms {My favorite super-heroes}: This sacrifice, this selfless act, this ultimate display of love, this extremely mature way of taking responsibility for your actions that birth moms engage in is a huge part of them. It alters the course of their life and who they are and I know now that many of them want to talk about it. My sister-in-law did.

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Judge says ordering of abortion was justified

Judge says ordering of abortion was justified - Metro - The Boston Globe: In a rare personal defense of the reasoning behind a court ruling, Christina Harms, who retired from the bench last month after 23 years, said she concluded that the woman, a 31-year-old who suffered from delusions, would choose to terminate her pregnancy if she were mentally competent, chiefly so that she could resume antipsychotic medication that would have harmed the fetus.

“I believed then, as I do now, that she would elect to abort the pregnancy to protect her own well-being,’’ she said. “She would want to be healthy.’’

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Board Fundraising Assessment Forms

IdeaEncore: Forms to evaluate the effectiveness of your board's fundraising capability and willingness, including a form for evaluating board meetings!

Related: Guilty As Charged -- Prove Your Board Supports Your Organization

Have You Met Your Financial Reporting Obligations?

IdeaEncore: Quick discussion on nonprofit financial reporting obligations.

New employees: learning the job

NonProfit Direct: Many nonprofit organizations spend a great deal of time interviewing and hiring new employees, however they often do not implement efficient and effective plans for training the new employees.

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Info on abortionist William R. Adams, Salt Lake City

Abortion Safety Project (William R. Adams, Salt Lake City): Three college students in Utah decided to do research for AbortionSafety.com as part of their university’s “service learning project.” They discovered the existence of several malpractice and personal injury lawsuits against William R. Adams, an abortionist in Salt Lake City.

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Facebook censors pro-life image, allows DIY abortion instructions

What An Abortionist Does – Facebook censors pro-life image, allows DIY abortion instructions which encourage women to lie to Pharmacists « Stand True Pro-life Outreach: Facebook has apologized for censoring a post by Dr. Rebecca Gomperts in which she gave instructions for a do-it-yourself chemical abortion. The popular social media site decided it was OK for the international abortion provider to teach women and girls how to do an abortion themselves at home using Misoprostol, even telling them to lie to a pharmacist to get the necessary drugs.

But Facebook has removed a graphic that shows the aftermath of an abortion: An eight-week fetus torn limb from limb and decapitated.

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Performing abortions is ‘extremely gratifying’ - leading UK abortionist

Performing abortions is ‘extremely gratifying’ - leading UK abortionist | LifeSiteNews.com: Killing children by abortion is “extremely gratifying” according to a leading UK abortionist. Dr. Patricia Lohr told an audience of abortion advocates meeting in London in September that she could never have fully understood or agreed with the abortionist philosophy until she actually started committing abortions herself.

Lohr said that abortion is “self-evidently” moral and explained that she began to conduct 2nd trimester surgical abortions during her training as a physician. She said that she performs abortions “as early as possible and as late as necessary” and that she was unapologetic about being “pro-choice, pro-child and pro-abortion.”

Dr. Lohr, the medical director of the British Pregnancy Advisory Service (BPAS), one of the UK’s busiest abortion organizations, said that all medical practitioners should be willing to refer for abortions, even if they would not conduct the practice themselves for moral reasons. “It’s crucial for abortionists to talk about abortion as a good thing.”

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Planned Parenthood Launches Twitter Account Targeting Teens

Planned Parenthood Launches Twitter Account Targeting Teens | LifeNews.com: Whether they are texting high school students, lecturing in public schools, or coaxing students to their cringeworthy “Teen Information” website, Planned Parenthood relentlessly tries to appeal to the nation’s youth. Their most recent attempt is the newly-launched “HeyPP!” Twitter account.

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Report documents women murdered for not having abortions

Report documents women murdered for not having abortions | Greeley Gazette: The report Under-the-Radar Violence in the Conflict Over Abortion was produced by Life Dynamics, a pro-life group that conducts abortion research, documents 80 known cases of women who were murdered for the simple reason they did not want to kill their baby with an abortion.

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Pro-life group aims to create “states of refuge”

Pro-life group aims to create “states of refuge” | Greeley Gazette: Operation Save America has identified five states that have only a single abortion clinic within its borders, Arkansas, Mississippi, North Dakota, South Dakota and Wyoming. This year the group is focusing on closing down these five clinics, thus making the entire state a “state of refuge” for the unborn. While abortion would still be legal, in order to obtain it the mother would have to travel to another state.

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Social Media Makes Adoption Easier

Social Media Makes Adoption Easier - Page 1: Thea, a married mother of two young children, founded a new, stunningly successful website called Adoption-Share. When you visit her site at www.adoption-share.com you will see the beauty and genius of her idea. Thea has a profoundly pro-life mission, with a very practical goal: to make adoption easier, more transparent, and more successful for all involved-licensed agencies, adoptive parents, and birthmothers.

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Seven Tips to Motivate, Inspire, and Innovate at Your Organization

Teleseminars Sponsored by NonProfit Direct: The NonProfit National Resource Directory: Raise Funds More Successfully than Apple Sells iPads

Apple’s iPad™ has revolutionized the way many people interface with technology, and everyone from toddlers to retirees seems to be getting one. The iPad’s innovative design makes technology more accessible and easier to use, and we can all learn from this thin tablet PC. It has managed to “do technology” better, faster and easier, while inspiring a loyal following.

We need to adapt these same benefits to our own organizations. We don’t have to change everything we’re doing; we just have to bring it all together in one place to make life more convenient for those we serve. In this session, we will share the seven things nonprofits of any size can learn from iPad’s success.

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Bill mandating abortion coverage in maternity insurance passes Wash. State House

Bill mandating abortion coverage in maternity insurance passes Wash. State House | LifeSiteNews.com: Legislators in the Washington state House passed a bill Monday mandating that all insurance plans that cover the costs of bringing a child to term also pay for aborting the baby.

Supporters of the “Reproductive Parity Act,” such as the local chapter of NARAL, say the measure is necessary to protect coverage for “abortion services” in the face of changes wrought by the new health insurance exchanges due for implementation in 2014 under the federal health care bill.

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Screen All for Intimate Partner Violence

Ob/Gyn News: More than one in three women (36%) in the United States have experienced rape, physical violence, or stalking by an intimate partner at some point during their lives, according to figures published in 2010 by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Intimate partner violence (IPV) extends beyond just physical and sexual violence. The term also includes psychological abuse and reproductive coercion, ranging from name calling and threats to isolation and sabotaging efforts at contraception.

The consequences of IPV are wide-ranging, too, and include acute injuries, chronic headaches, sleep and appetite disturbances, and recurrent vaginal infections. Among pregnant women who experience IPV, the abuse has been associated with stillbirth, placental abruption, fetal injury, preterm delivery, and low birth weight.

Obstetricians and gynecologists should screen all of their patients for intimate partner violence at periodic intervals such as at annual visits or during prenatal care, according to a new recommendation from the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists.

Forget Networking. How to Be a Connector

Forget Networking. How to Be a Connector | Entrepreneur.com: We all know people like them, people who seem to know everyone. They're always able to help -- or if they can't, they know someone who can. You meet them for the first time and in 15 minutes, you're talking with them like you're childhood friends. They're successful, smart and funny, with a likable touch of self-deprecation. And they're interested in everything. Who are they? Connectors.

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Important Announcement Regarding Option Line

Care Net and Heartbeat International's joint venture, Option Line, since commencing services in 2003, has served more than 1.5 people, connecting them directly or referring them to the pregnancy help networks of Heartbeat and Care Net. 

Care Net and Heartbeat are thankful for our long-term relationship and its example of unity within the Body of Christ. However, more needs to be done to reach and serve abortion-vulnerable women. At this point in time, the magnitude of the challenge, as well as the unique strengths of Heartbeat and Care Net, make two ventures, rather than one, the most effective course for the future.

This move allows each organization to respond quickly to challenges and opportunities in our own areas of strength. To that end, the current Option Line joint venture between Care Net and Heartbeat International will close after February 15, 2012.

Heartbeat International will operate its outreach under the name Option Line. Heartbeat's Option Line will use the toll free number 1-800-712-HELP (4357). The website is OptionLine.org.

Care Net will use the toll free number 1-800-395-HELP (4357) and will operate its outreach under the name Pregnancy Decision Line. (Apparently that website isn't up and running yet.)

Abortion-vulnerable women and the pregnancy help network will continue to benefit from  both of our ventures. We anticipate that even more lives will be saved as both Care Net and Heartbeat International work vigorously to reach those in need. Both organizations look forward to continuing to cooperate and collaborate in the future, as the Lord leads us. We ask for your prayers as we develop our visions for the future.

From aborting her own baby to starting a network of pro-life medical clinics: Kathleen Eaton’s story

LifeSiteNews: The year was 1980. Kathleen, in her early 20’s, had recently separated from her husband and had just aborted another man’s baby. In her time of crisis, Kathleen had turned for help to the only organizations she knew, Planned Parenthood and Family Planning Associates. The first gave her a pregnancy test, the other aborted her baby. As Kathleen doubled up from pain on the curb side, rocking her tear-streaked face in her hands, she vowed to God that if he showed her just one woman who faced a choice like hers, she would do all she could to guide that woman down a different path.

Now, 31 years later, Kathleen Eaton is one of America’s leading pro-life advocates who has worked tirelessly and successfully to create a chain of fully licensed pro-life medical clinics that offer holistic healthcare to a woman and her unborn child.

The Bubble Sheet – A Flexible Action Planning Tool (downloadable)

The Bubble Sheet – A Flexible Action Planning Tool Nonprofit | Personal and Team productivity | Book (downloadable) | IdeaEncore Network: This flexible action planning tool supports individuals and groups in setting goals and developing action plans.

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Recommended Reading for Nonprofit Leaders

Recommended Reading for Nonprofit Leaders: Top picks from a number of nonprofit leaders.

Editor: I'd like to add one of my own -- Decision Making and the Will of God by Gary Friesen.

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Love (?) American Style

Love (?) American Style: Sex in dating has become divorced from a committed relationship. We live in a culture that expects men and women to be sexually active, in or out of a relationship, and it's strange if they aren't. . . . Millennials want to do better at marriage and parenting than they perceive their parents did. That's why they're taking their time; they want to get the commitment part right.

CDC Warns Untreatable Gonorrhea is On the Way

CDC Warns Untreatable Gonorrhea is On the Way - US News and World Report: Gonorrhea has a long history of developing immunity to antibiotics, but doctors have always had a stronger medicine up their sleeves to treat patients. Not anymore—about 1.7 percent of gonorrhea is now resistant to cephalosporins, the last line of defense against gonorrhea. That might not seem like much, but it's a 17-fold increase since 2006, when about one tenth of one percent of gonorrhea was believed to have resistance to cephalosporins. The strains are showing up most often in western states.

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Follow The Money: Obama’s Order Requiring Catholics To Fund Birth Control

The PJ Tatler » Follow The Money: Obama’s Order Requiring Catholics To Fund Birth Control: Where does the money go after it gets into Planned Parenthood’s bank accounts? OpenSecrets.org has that answer.

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Abortion: The “Best Predictor” of Breast Cancer

Abortion: The “Best Predictor” of Breast Cancer | NRL News Today: The fall 2007 issue of the Journal of American Physicians and Surgeons provides important additional confirmation of the abortion-breast cancer link (ABC link). This time, the study comes from an unexpected source.

The Breast Cancer Epidemic was produced by British actuary Patrick Carroll, research director of the London-based Pension and Population Research Institute. Actuaries are in the business of making forecasts of disease and death for the insurance and pension industries.

Carroll’s study found that abortion is the “best predictor of breast cancer” incidence in all eight European countries he examined (England and Wales, Scotland, Northern Ireland, the Irish Republic, Sweden, the Czech Republic, Finland, and Denmark).

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Cash vs Accrual

Cash vs Accrual Nonprofit | Financial Management - Accounting | Workshop / Training material | IdeaEncore Network: Explains in simple terms the difference between cash accounting systems and accrual accounting systems.

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Considerations A Nonprofit Should Bear In Mind When Using A Speaker

IdeaEncore: Once your speaker committed a speech in writing it likely became work owned solely by him or her (that is unless you were a legal eagle and dictated otherwise in a contract). By owning rights in the work, that speaker also gets to dictate how that work is used. Meaning they could very easily put a halt to your attempted viral campaign. The easiest way to avoid this is to work out a license agreement ahead of time.

Minimizing the Risks Inherent in New Programs

Minimizing the Risks Inherent in New Programs Nonprofit | Research / Studies / Opinion - Methods | Article / Position Paper | IdeaEncore Network: Launching new programs has many risks. This article is loaded with tips for minimizing the risks and increasing the chances of success.

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How to Turn Your Volunteers into Marketing Ambassadors

IdeaEncore: Volunteers affect your public image every time they interact with the your customers, your constituents, or the media. The question is: what impression are they giving these audiences about your organization? This article offers tangible, practical steps to assess the impact your volunteers are having on public perception, and how to turn them into ambassadors for your brand.

Strategic Planning Template and Directions (downloadable)

Strategic Planning Template and Directions Nonprofit | Planning - Strategic planning | Book (downloadable) | IdeaEncore Network: This easy-to-use strategic planning template and directions can be used by any organization. It helps you focus on the key concerns of your organization and plan the action steps that will ensure your strategic plan is implemented on time and on budget.

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Why every nonprofit needs a social media strategy

Why every nonprofit needs a social media strategy | SPURspectives: A few high-performing nonprofits across the nation are embracing social media and tapping into its power to further their missions. They are using social media tools to connect with the communities they serve. They are attracting donations, volunteers, media coverage, and employees.

However, the majority of nonprofits seem to be taking a “wait and see” attitude about social media. For every nonprofit that has a staff member assigned to oversee social media efforts, there are hundreds (maybe thousands) that are simply missing out on everything social media could do for their organization.

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Troubled Texas Abortion Chain Exporting Problems to Minnesota

Troubled Texas Abortion Chain Exporting Problems to Minnesota :Operation Rescue: Today, the troubled Whole Women’s Health chain of abortion clinics headquartered in Austin, Texas, has announced that it is taking over operations at Midwest Health Center for Women, a failed abortion clinic in Minneapolis, Minnesota. It has been renamed Whole Women’s Health of the Twin Cities.

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Former employee alleges fraud in suit against Planned Parenthood

The Lufkin Daily News: Whistleblower Karen Reynolds alleges she was instructed by the organization to maximize billing revenue when the government was fitting the bill through Medicaid and the Women’s Health Program. She claims this was the procedure in all 12 Planned Parenthood Gulf Coast locations across Texas and Louisiana.

The suit alleges that, in addition to falsifying patient records, billing the government for unwarranted services and services not covered by Medicaid, Planned Parenthood tacked on services patient did not receive. The suit states almost all Women’s Health Program and Medicaid patients were handed a bag of at least two birth control devices despite the fact the items were not needed or requested by the patient. “Pursuant to corporate policy and instructions from clinical directors, after merely handing the patient a bag of condoms and vaginal film on the way out the door, clinic employees then entered billing codes to be submitted to the government” at an average billed cost of $57.85.

2 Texas abortion clinics fined for fetus disposal

WOAI: Texas environmental officials have fined two women's health clinics and an Illinois waste disposal company they contracted for improperly disposing of fetuses in a landfill. The Texas Commission on Environmental Quality ordered fines Wednesday of $22,980 and $17,430 for the Whole Woman's Health clinics in Austin and McAllen, respectively. Stericycle, an Illinois-based international medical waste disposal company used by both clinics, was fined $42,612.

TCEQ documents indicate the clinics changed waste disposal companies and have been in compliance since May. The clinics' violations lasted three years before officials investigated last year following a complaint. Texas regulations require the disposal of fetuses in specific ways. Stericycle's first step of "steam disinfection" was allowed, but then regulations require the waste be buried, not dumped in a municipal solid waste landfill.

Center Ethics: A Reflection

Center Ethics: A Reflection: No matter how successful our PCC ministries appear on the surface, it is wise as directors to reflect back on ministry activities and examine our actions as leaders as well as that of our board of directors. Do we reflect a biblical standard of ethics as we oversee our centers? Do we exhibit strong ethics as we do our day-to-day activities of writing a newsletter, training volunteers, or organizing a fundraiser? Does God's Word stand as the foundation of all decisions made at our centers?

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The woman who was a sinner

Women of the Bible: She saw her degraded life in the white light of divine holiness personified in Jesus, and as she wept her tears brought her triumph over a shameful past. Coming to Simon’s house in all her guilt, afraid and ashamed to mingle with the invited guests, she flung herself at the foot of Him who said that Publicans and harlots would go into His kingdom before the self-righteous Pharisees. . . . Those tears of hers, evidence of her sorrow for her many sins, cleansed her vision and gave her a sight of Him who came to save sinners.

Editor: Oh, that our clients could be moved the way she was.

Study: Pregnant women with cancer can often be treated normally; chemo not always harmful

Study: Pregnant women with cancer can often be treated normally; chemo not always harmful - The Washington Post: Researchers have encouraging news for women who find themselves in a very frightening situation: having cancer while pregnant. Studies suggest that these women can be treated almost the same as other cancer patients are, with minimal risk to the fetus.

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Dr. Reardon Responds to Attacks on Research

Dr. Reardon Responds to Attacks on Research « After Abortion: After several months’ delay, a leading medical journal has published a letter by Elliot Institute director Dr. David Reardon in response to recent ad hominem attacks by abortion advocates attempting to deny a link between abortion and mental health problems in women.

The criticism began last fall after the British Journal of Psychiatry published a meta-analysis review by Dr. Priscilla Coleman on mental health and abortion. To the dismay of abortion rights advocates, the review showed that women who had abortions were 81 percent more likely to experience mental health problems afterward compared to women who gave birth.

Additional commentary by Dr. Reardon

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Suit wants morning-after pill available to girls

Suit wants morning-after pill available to girls | Reuters: Reproductive rights advocates on Wednesday asked a federal judge in Brooklyn to make the "morning-after pill" immediately available to girls of all ages without a prescription. The move by a coalition headed by the Center for Reproductive Rights attempts to override a decision by U.S. Secretary for Health and Human Services Kathleen Sebelius that maintains the requirement of a prescription for girls age 16 and younger.

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The Emerging Threat of Untreatable Gonococcal Infection

The Emerging Threat of Untreatable Gonococcal Infection — NEJM: Gonorrhea is the second most commonly reported communicable disease in the United States, with an estimated incidence of more than 600,000 cases annually. It disproportionately affects vulnerable populations such as minorities who are marginalized because of race, ethnic group, or sexual orientation. Unfortunately, Neisseria gonorrhoeae has always readily developed resistance to antimicrobial agents.

Access to the article requires a subscription.

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AbortionDocs.org Surpasses 1,000 Document Uploads Detailing Abortion Abuses

AbortionDocs.org Surpasses 1,000 Document Uploads Detailing Abortion Abuses :Operation Rescue: Pro-Life Nation announces that its ground-breaking new website, AbortionDocs.org has passed 1,000 document uploads. Abortion Docs.org is the most up-to-date database of existing abortion businesses and providers in the United States that contains civil and criminal court records, disciplinary documents, health department inspection reports, and other documents that paint a picture of rampant abortion abuses throughout the country.

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Ohio's Planned Parenthood affiliates to merge

Ohio's Planned Parenthood affiliates to merge, become Planned Parenthood of Greater Ohio | cleveland.com: Fueled in large part by the increased financial demands associated with health care reform, three Ohio affiliates of Planned Parenthood will merge this summer as Planned Parenthood of Greater Ohio. The new affiliate will serve 68 of Ohio's 88 counties.

The move to consolidate the Northeast Ohio and Central Ohio affiliates, and Affiliates of Ohio (the public policy office for state affiliates has a governing board but no chief executive), has been in the works for more than a year, said Tara Broderick, president and CEO of the Northeast Ohio affiliate.

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Komen Exec Karen Handel Calls Planned Parenthood a ‘Gigantic Bully’

The Daily Beast In explaining the decision-making process at Komen, Handel said, “It’s no secret that for some years—long before my time—Komen was dealing with a controversy regarding Planned Parenthood grants. The issue would flare up, then die down, then flare up again. It was fairly cyclical. But over the summer, it intensified. More donors said they were pulling out. The issue was ratcheting up. It wasn’t dying down."

Handel said Komen and Planned Parenthood in December had come to an understanding—a “ladies’ agreement,” as Handel described it—not to discuss the fact that Komen had decided to cut its financial support. In the past two weeks, the Komen foundation—best known for its hugely popular pink-ribbon campaigns to fight breast cancer—has been embroiled in a politically tinged crisis, with critics claiming the decision suggested a lack of support for abortion rights. In response, Komen reversed its decision.

At 30, I learned that my mother was raped by her father

At 30, I learned that my mother was raped by her father…and I was that child | LifeSiteNews.com: The incest was published in 1991 when my biological mother prosecuted her father, for not only the one pregnancy resulting in my birth and adoption, but also for six other pregnancies resulting in five abortions, and one forced miscarry by her father. Words could not begin to describe the emotions going on inside my mind at that moment. What kind of monster would do such a thing to his own daughter? Another thought going through my mind was, given the fate of the other six children, why was I spared?

Related: Conceived in incestuous rape, but ‘not defined by my DNA’: Kristi Hofferber’s incredible story

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Hard cases: New facts, new answers

Unchoice: Women victimized by sexual assault have some important perspectives on the abortion issue. Studies show that most don't want abortion. Those who had abortions in such situations reported that it only increased their trauma. Those who didn't abort said they had no regrets about giving birth to their child. Download free booklet

Komen Founder Nancy Brinker’s Mysterious Expense Report

Komen Founder Nancy Brinker’s Mysterious Expense Report - The Daily Beast: In interviews with The Daily Beast, a half-dozen former Komen employees who held a range of jobs at the charity in the past five years expressed similar sentiments, saying the foundation has become dominated by its larger-than-life leader. These people strongly acknowledge Brinker’s accomplishments, praising her immense skill at raising funds for lifesaving cancer research. At the same time, they describe her as an imposing figure who flies first class, prefers five-star hotels, and generally exhibits an entitled air, which, they say, is at odds with the organization’s important mission.

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Teleseminars: Strategic planning beyond the SWOT

Teleseminars Sponsored by NonProfit Direct: The NonProfit National Resource Directory: For an organization to complete a ‘deep’ strategic plan, they need to dig into the institution and look beyond the SWOT analysis (strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, threats) that the board and maybe the staff completes.

Looking at the organization in terms of board readiness for planning, organizational capacity, cost-benefit of programming will provide the board with a clearer planning picture. In addition, viewing the organization through the lens of others will further enhance the process.

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Resources for PCCs on HIPPA, boards, more

eBooks : Chase Advancement Incorporated:

• Text Messaging and HIPAA Compliance, By Beth Chase & Lorraine Mazurek
• Two Rules That Define Board and Staff Relations
• Why Linear?
• Five Reasons Why Pregnancy Medical Clinics Should Become HIPAA Compliant, By Beth Chase"

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Komen charity under scrutiny for funding, science

Komen charity under scrutiny for funding, science - Health - Women's health - msnbc.com: The organization's 2011 financial statement reports that 43 percent of donations were spent on education, 18 percent on fund-raising and administration, 15 percent on research awards and grants, 12 percent on screening and 5 percent on treatment.

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The Media’s Blinders on Abortion

The Media’s Blinders on Abortion - NYTimes.com: Three truths should be obvious to everyone reporting on the Komen-Planned Parenthood controversy. First, that the fight against breast cancer is unifying and completely uncontroversial, while the provision of abortion may be the most polarizing issue in the United States today. Second, that it’s no more “political” to disassociate oneself from the nation’s largest abortion provider than it is to associate with it in the first place. Third, that for every American who greeted Komen’s shift with “anger and outrage” (as Andrea Mitchell put it), there was probably an American who was relieved and gratified.

Editor: God bless Ross Douthat.

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New Head of Biggest Planned Parenthood Says Abortion Sacred

New Head of Biggest Planned Parenthood Says Abortion Sacred | LifeNews.com: Melaney Linton, who will now oversee Planned Parenthood Gulf Coast, is determined to further the Life-ending work of Planned Parenthood:

“I am honored and humbled to be entrusted with such a sacred duty…I pledge to do everything in my power to fight back against the ideological attacks on Planned Parenthood and women, so that no teen will ever say she didn’t know how she got pregnant, no one will ever be denied basic reproductive health care, and no woman will ever be forced to bear children she cannot adequately support.”

Starting March 1st, Linton will manage 13 abortion and abortion-referring centers in Southeast Texas and Louisiana, as well as the largest abortion mill in America, located in Houston, Texas.

Editor: She's not kidding. This is what she believes. Tell your supporters this is the mindset we're up against.

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Study: Teen Abortion, Pregnancy Rates Fall to Record Lows

Study: Teen Abortion, Pregnancy Rates Fall to Record Lows | LifeNews.com: “Teen pregnancies have declined dramatically in the United States since their peak in the early 1990s, as have the births and abortions that result; in 2008, teen pregnancies reached their lowest level in nearly 40 years,” the Guttmacher Institute said today.

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More insanity: Connecticut lawmaker calls for probe of Komen foundation

Connecticut lawmaker calls for probe of Komen foundation in wake of Planned Parenthood flap- The New Haven Register - Serving New Haven, Connecticut: “While I welcome the turnabout of SGK National, I am convinced a forensic analysis needs to be done to determine which individuals or what forces were responsible for this shocking decision,” state Rep. Lonnie Reed, D-Branford, said in a Tuesday statement. “Guilty individuals need to be purged from Komen National. This reprehensible behavior dishonors all the great people at Komen, and also the memory of Susan G. who fought so valiantly against the disease that took her life, while also reaching out to help and comfort other women.”

Editor: Emphasis added.

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WORLD Magazine's effective compassion contest

WORLD Magazine | Today's News, Christian Views: World wants to show the value of ministries that offer challenging, personal, and spiritual help to those in need.

A generous donor once again values those efforts enough to put up $25,000 as a prize to the local poverty-fighting ministry that our reporters and readers find the most impressive in the country. Regional winners will receive $5,000 each.

We're looking for nominees: Ministries need to be explicitly Christian, local rather than national, and dependent on donations rather than government grants.

By March 1 please email June McGraw a note including the organization's name, address, and web address, with a sentence or two explaining why you think it's terrific. Given continuing unemployment, groups that help people find jobs are particularly important. Pregnancy resource centers in poor areas are also eligible, since they not only save babies from abortion but often give single moms a fresh start.

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Planned Parenthood Not Always Successful at Bullying Donors

Planned Parenthood Not Always Successful at Bullying Donors: Back in the pre-Internet dinosaur days 22 years ago, Planned Parenthood’s tactics may have been different, but its assault was just as grand when it learned AT&T was planning to disconnect its service.

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What happens when someone says no to Planned Parenthood

When I think about Planned Parenthood's response to Susan G. Komen's initial decision to defund the abortion giant, I imagine an angered alien monster baring its fangs and uttering a menacing roar from the depths of its being. Fluttershy's anguished scream comes close but, of course, the graphic lacks a level of fear-inducement.

The episode with Komen has certainly given pro-life ministries a lot to think about. One of those things is how we respond when someone says no to us. What do we do when a donor (or potential donor) can't accommodate a funding request, or continue with giving as in the past?

I hope this is true of every pregnancy center in the nation . . . no, I'm confident it is true: We smile, say thank you for your consideration of our request, thank you for past support, and promise to maintain the relationship despite the refusal.

There can be many reasons an individual or foundation chooses not to give. Christian principles of giving and receiving demand we respond with grace and gratitude. And with a continuance and strengthening of fellowship.

Quite often the reason someone chooses not to give is a change in family situation or lack of funds. I can't tell you how many times I've sat in my office across from our president's and heard him pray over the phone with a donor/friend. Money aside, we can share with them and they can share with us through prayer.

It is our policy/habit/way of life to quickly follow a "no" with a request for prayer and an offer to pray. "How can we pray for you?" Prayer is not a last resort, or the least we can do for each other.

Keep this in mind: Planned Parenthood doesn't have a prayer.

‘The single biggest mistake of my entire life’

‘The single biggest mistake of my entire life’: a letter from a post-abortive woman | LifeSiteNews.com: "It wasn’t the baby that I didn’t want. I simply didn’t want for my parents to hate me anymore. . . . I can say with 100% conviction that absolutely nothing positive came from my abortion."

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Pa. Vending Machine Dispenses 'morning-after' Pill

Pa. Vending Machine Dispenses 'morning-after' Pill | Fox News: Students at Shippensburg University in Pennsylvania can get the "morning-after" pill by sliding $25 into a vending machine, an idea that has drawn the attention of federal regulators and raised questions about how accessible emergency contraception should be.

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New Planned Parenthood TV ad thanks Obama for the contraception mandate

New Planned Parenthood TV ad thanks Obama for the contraception mandate | LifeSiteNews.com: Planned Parenthood is thanking Obama for his decision to force religious institutions to cover contraception, including abortifacient drugs like ella, in their health care plans by August 2013.

Editor: Of course. It's another cash cow.

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Washington Votes Thursday on Bill Attacking Pregnancy Centers

Washington Votes Thursday on Bill Attacking Pregnancy Centers | LifeNews.com: This Thursday, February 10th at 10am, the House Healthcare & Wellness Committee is scheduled to take executive action on HB 1366, a bill that would place significant legal liabilities on pregnancy resource centers because they do not perform or refer for abortion.

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Don't mess with Big Abortion

Mark Steyn: Komen is free to give its money to whomever it wishes, isn't it? Dream on. Liberals take the same view as the proprietors of the Dar al-Islam: Once they hold this land, they hold it forever. . . .

Congratulations! Planned Parenthood certainly raised Nancy [Brinker]'s awareness. I wonder what color ribbon that comes with? Black and blue?

. . . A prudent observer would conclude that the best way to avoid being crowbarred by Cecile Richards is never to get mixed up with her organization in the first place.

It's not like she needs the money. Komen's 2010 donation of $580,000 is less than Ms. Richards' salary and benefits. . . . [I]f you're that eager to run over poor women on the way to the bank, I'd recommend a gig with Planned Parenthood: the average salary of the top eight executives is $270,000, which makes them officially part of what the Obama administration calls "the one percent." In America today, few activities are as profitable as a "nonprofit." Planned Parenthood receives almost half a billion dollars – or about 50 percent of its revenues – in taxpayer funding.

A billion dollars seems a lot, even for 322,000 abortions a year. But it enables Planned Parenthood to function as a political heavyweight.

Editor: As I tagged this post "Pro-Death, Fundraising" it occurred to me this whole episode is a lesson in how NOT to do fundraising. Where's the grace, Planned Parenthood? Where's the gratitude? By their fruits ye shall know them.

Planned Parenthood Used Social Media to Crush Komen

Planned Parenthood Used Social Media to Crush Komen | LifeNews.com: Knowing it had all the time it needed, Planned Parenthood’s team took six weeks from when it learned Komen was cutting it loose to put all the pieces in place before giving the Associated Press the “exclusive.” Planned Parenthood’s online and social media team was standing by when the AP story broke.

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Komen Official At Center Of Planned Parenthood Dispute Quits

Komen Official At Center Of Planned Parenthood Dispute Quits | Fox News: Karen Handel, the charity's vice president for public policy, told Komen officials that she supported the move to cut off funding for Planned Parenthood. She said the discussion started before she arrived at the organization and was approved at the highest levels of the charity.

In her letter of resignation, she noted, "The controversy related to Planned Parenthood has long been a concern to the organization."

Ironically, during her 2010 campaign for the governorship of Georgia, Handel, a Republican, had been accused by her opponent of being soft on abortion.

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US Judge: 'I Can't Block Abortion Sonogram Law'

US Judge: 'I Can't Block Abortion Sonogram Law': A federal judge on Monday upheld the Texas law requiring women to have a sonogram before having an abortion, saying an appeals court had forced him to declare the law constitutional.

District Judge Sam Sparks had previously struck down parts of the law, but his latest ruling said he's bound to follow the direction of the New Orleans-based appeals court.

A spokeswoman for the state Department of Health Services said the ruling clears the way for full-enforcement of the law, which was supposed to take effect Oct. 1 but has ping-ponged through the federal courts in legal challenges.

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The Komen fiasco's silver lining

Christianity Today: What began as a victory in the fight against abortion ended in what seemed a particularly cruel defeat, a reminder of how much elite culture is aligned in defense of abortion and its largest provider. But there is a silver lining to the disaster, and not just for textbook writers looking for case studies in catastrophic public relations failures.

• Now everyone knows that Komen funnels money to the abortion business
• Planned Parenthood's lack of mammogram services has been exposed
• Any pretense of media objectivity on the abortion issue has been destroyed
• Planned Parenthood is damaged goods

Related CT articles:

It Isn't Easy Being Pink: There Is No Neutral Ground When It Comes to Planned Parenthood

The politics of breast cancer

The Pink Ribbon and the dollar sign

After Komen, the next big PP fight

An Inside Look at Susan G. Komen for the Cure's Spin Machine

An Inside Look at Susan G. Komen for the Cure's Spin Machine - Jeffrey Goldberg - Health - The Atlantic: Here are the internal documents circulated by Susan G. Komen for the Cure officials that instruct employees how to "obfuscate" the issues when confronted with questions about why Komen cut-off funding to Planned Parenthood.

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Komen and Planned Parenthood: What next?

Komen and Planned Parenthood: What next? | LifeSiteNews.com: There were advisers who in December thought Komen should not notify Planned Parenthood of its decision to defund the abortion giant and just quietly not renew the grants. But Komen viewed the people at Planned Parenthood as “longtime friends” and felt obligated to let them know. Komen had no idea it was trying to pet a scorpion.

Komen’s apology was careful not to include any commitment to give Planned Parenthood grants in the future. The Komen executive team doesn’t want to, now more than ever.

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Summary of State Audits of Planned Parenthood Affiliated Providers Showing Waste, Abuse, and Potential Fraud

Alliance Defense Fund: Based on the publicly available audits summarized herein and confirmed by our confidential sources, Planned Parenthood’s primary motivation is to take advantage of “overbilling” opportunities to maximize its revenues in complex, wellfunded federal and state programs that are understaffed and rely on the integrity of the provider for program compliance. Thus,  Planned Parenthood’s primary motivation appears not to be to provide quality healthcare to patients who seek family planning services, but rather to enhance its profits.

Latest from At the Center magazine

Centerboard: Spiritual Discernment in the Decision-Making Process By Tom Lothamer

An Abortion Doctor Chooses Life By Grant C. Clark, M.D.

Pregnancy Centers and the Local Church: Partners in Life or Adversaries in Ministry? — Part 4
and Final Installment By Elaine Ham

Center Ethics: A Reflection By Dianne Pomon

Fill My Tank By Sherry Camelleri

The LIFE CHOICE Election of 2012 By Thomas A. Glessner, J.D.

Jesus' Family Tree By Mark Hiehle

Marketing 101: The Cell Phone By Jerry Thacker

The Wrath of the Abortion Movement Unleashed on Komen

Articles: The Wrath of the Abortion Movement Unleashed on Komen: Breast cancer is the most common cause of death of women in their 40's and the second most common death of women over 50. An especially vulnerable group is uninsured women from ages 50-65, before Medicare eligibility. The main demographic group Planned Parenthood serves is young reproductive age women. But women almost never get breast cancer under the age of thirty, and uncommonly from 30-40, although Susan G. Komen herself, the foundation's namesake and sister of the founder, was diagnosed and died in her thirties. The incidence of breast cancer in younger women has increased, mainly due to lifestyle changes such as later childbearing, hormonal contraception, and induced abortion, although breast cancer can certainly occur without any of these factors. A recent study on linking the deadliest type of premenopausal breast cancer to the pill is a case in point.

Related:
Karen Handel, Susan G. Komen's Anti-Abortion VP, Drove Decision To Defund Planned ParenthoodKomen accepts resignation of Karen Handel

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Get to Know: Abstinence Works

Abstinence Works: This is a website of the National Abstinence Education Foundation, compiling news, research, and facts about abstinence education.

Who's politicizing breast cancer?

From the editor: I had to avoid watching news shows over the weekend, because the constant rehash of the "poor, poor Planned Parenthood" line was making me sick, as though they are the only resource women have in the fight against breast cancer.

I just want to point something out for the record: Pro-life people have long wanted to participate in Komen fundraising drives. Years ago I collected my yogurt caps and dutifully sent them in, until I learned that Komen funded PP. In other words, any activism on our part was motivated by concern for women and a desire to give.

Planned Parenthood, on the other hand, was motivated by the desire to get. Seeing the end of a lucrative dollar-stream, they screamed and hollered (and perhaps worse) until they got it back. Quite a contrast, if you ask me.

Now, lest we feel too sorry for Komen in all of this, let me just refer you to their recent 990. I'm no accountant, but it appears to me they brought in over $900 million last year. If I'm reading this right, they spent a large chunk of it (well over $368 million) lobbying legislators -- probably for more money.

In light of this information, PP's share ($680,000) is/was a pittance. (I imagine it would have to be a lot more if they actually did mammograms.) We all saw how quickly and easily they were able to make up the difference -- with the media's help. Why should anyone feel sorry for them?

Should anyone feel sorry for Komen? I don't. For one thing, I'd be surprised if all the pro-life ministries in the nation pooled their resources that we could come up with $900 million of income in one year. Maybe I'm wrong (who has time to figure it out?), but I know our entire budget is about half of what PP gets from Komen.

But as the American Association of Pro-Life Ob/Gyns points out, it is not the pro-life side who has politicized breast cancer. The majority of world studies on the abortion/breast cancer link come up positive, but do you hear that from Komen or other major cancer organizations? From Planned Parenthood? No. They have vociferously hidden and obscured the link. And that is unconscionable when you consider all that PP does to promote abortion.

What I'm getting at here is that none of us needs to feel ashamed of our stance on this issue. Let the world say what they like, abortion does not help women, and (dare I say it?) Komen is not helping women. We, with our paltry budgets all aimed at abortion prevention, are helping women more than anyone will ever know.

This Huffington Post article underscores the difference between how pro-lifers wage their battles and how the other side does it: A Komen source is cited as saying "right-wing groups would organize a protest or send out a mailing every now and then, but it was on a low simmer." In contrast, once Komen decided to defund PP:

The backlash against Komen was intense, including threats of violence, angry letters from members of Congress and public rebukes from political figures such as New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg. The charity struggled to deal with the pressure, especially in a face-off against Planned Parenthood, an organization whose fine-tuned political team has experience in these high-pitched, high-stakes debates. . . . "politically speaking, they're no match for Planned Parenthood." . . . "They were just naive in the face of [the] incredibly sophisticated Planned Parenthood operation." . . . Komen has been left reeling and its reputation as a top charity endangered. "We're under attack. We're getting threats of violence," the source said. "It's devastating."