Jan. 7, 2020: Planned Parenthood record abortions, Christians in Iraq worried, college access in prison
Tuesday, Jan. 7, 2020
Here are the latest headlines, brought to you by The Christian Post.
— Planned Parenthood reports record abortions
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Planned Parenthood released its annual report and revealed that it performed 345,672 abortions in 2018, the highest number in recent years.
The abortion provider saw a nearly 7 percent rise in abortions performed from 2008 to 2018 and now performs 40 percent of all abortions in the U.S.
Planned Parenthood also received the highest amount of federal funds in its history. From 2017 to 2018, the group saw funding increase 9.4 percent, from $563.8 million in 2017 to $616.8 million.
The report comes at a time when abortion rates in the country overall are on the decline.
— Church leader in Iraq worries about aftermath of Iranian general killing
A church leader in Iraq expressed concern this week after a U.S. military strike killed Iran’s top security and intelligence commander, Maj. Gen. Qassem Soleimani.
Chaldean Catholic Patriarch of Baghdad Louis Raphael Sako described the situation in Iraq and the Middle East as a “volcano about to erupt.” He called on people around the world to pray and push to avoid further escalation of the ongoing tensions surrounding the situation.
Soleimani, who was responsible for the killing of 608 American soldiers in Iraq and arming Hezbollah in Lebanon, was killed Friday along with several officials from Iraqi militias backed by Tehran in a drone strike at Baghdad International Airport that was authorized by President Donald Trump.
— Kirk Cousins glorifies God after first NFL playoff victory
Minnesota Vikings quarterback Kirk Cousins earned his first-ever playoff victory Sunday against the New Orleans Saints.
During a post-game interview, he said faith is “the foundation of my life” and that “win or lose … God is still on the throne.”
The win came as Cousins has faced immense pressure from the media after signing a three-year, $84 million contract with the Vikings in 2018 and missing the playoffs the first year.
— Advocates push to restore college access in prison
Stanley Andrisse, executive director of From Prison Cells to PhD, is among those serving on the frontlines of a growing bipartisan push to help inmates gain access to a college education and thereby reduce the recidivism rate.
A former inmate himself, Andrisse was able to turn his life around after pursuing higher education in prison and now works as an endocrinologist scientist.
He and others, including Prison Fellowship, are pushing to restore Pell Grants for people behind bars. The federal subsidy helps low-income students pay for college.
He said, “I know very intimately that there is an abundance of talent and potential that we're locking behind these walls.”
— Court orders hospital to keep Tinslee Lewis on life support
A Texas appeals court has agreed to delay a judge’s ruling that would have allowed a hospital to end life-sustaining treatment for an 11-month-old girl despite her mother’s objections.
The Second Court of Appeals in Fort Worth ordered Cook Children's Medical Center to not remove Tinslee Lewis from life support until it makes a final ruling in the case.
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