Report: US endures ‘staggering’ record number of mass killings in first half of 2023 July 18, 2023By Kate Scanlon OSV News Filed Under: Feature, Gun Violence, News, World News The United States endured a record number of mass killings in the first half of 2023, according to a new analysis. The report came in tandem with news that at least four people were killed in a mass shooting in Hampton, Georgia, south of Atlanta, on July 15.
Iowa judge blocks new ‘heartbeat’ law prohibiting abortion after six weeks July 18, 2023By Kate Scanlon OSV News Filed Under: Feature, News, Respect Life, World News An Iowa judge issued a preliminary injunction July 17 temporarily blocking the state’s new “heartbeat” abortion ban, which prohibits most abortions after about six weeks of pregnancy, while a legal challenge to that law moves forward.
Pence pushes back on false claims about Ukraine’s religious freedom at GOP forum July 18, 2023By Kate Scanlon OSV News Filed Under: 2024 Election, Feature, News, Religious Freedom, War in Ukraine, World News Former Vice President Mike Pence had a tense exchange with former Fox News host Tucker Carlson July 14 at an Iowa candidate forum about the war in Ukraine, shedding light on both how Republican presidential candidates are navigating increasingly conflicted views on the subject among their base, but also an oft-repeated disinformation tactic by Russian propagandists.
FDA approves first over-the-counter birth control pill July 14, 2023By Kate Scanlon OSV News Filed Under: Feature, News, Respect Life, World News The Food and Drug Administration announced July 13 it approved the sale of a birth control pill without a prescription for the first time in the United States, a move that will increase the availability of oral contraception and impact ongoing debates about abortion policy post-Dobbs.
U.S. to provide Ukraine cluster munitions opposed by the church as ‘inhumane’ July 11, 2023By Kate Scanlon OSV News Filed Under: Feature, News, War in Ukraine, World News President Joe Biden defended what he called a “very difficult decision” to provide cluster munitions to Ukraine amid Russia’s invasion of that country, weapons the Vatican opposes.
High court sides with Christian web designer opposed to making websites for same-sex marriages June 30, 2023By Kate Scanlon OSV News Filed Under: Feature, News, Religious Freedom, Supreme Court, World News The U.S. Supreme Court ruled June 30 in favor of a Christian web designer who argued she had a First Amendment right to refuse to provide services for same-sex marriages despite a Colorado law prohibiting discrimination against people who identify as LGBTQ+.
About a dozen candidates seek GOP presidential nomination in 2024 June 30, 2023By Kate Scanlon OSV News Filed Under: 2024 Election, Feature, News, World News About a dozen candidates are currently seeking the Republican presidential nomination in 2024. In a field currently dominated by an ex-president, other Republican candidates are seeking ways to break out so that they might win their party’s nomination to challenge President Joe Biden next year.
Supreme Court expands protections for workers seeking to observe holy days, Sunday rest June 29, 2023By Kate Scanlon OSV News Filed Under: Feature, News, Religious Freedom, Supreme Court, World News The U.S. Supreme Court issued a unanimous decision June 29 in favor of a former postal worker who said he was denied a religious accommodation to observe Christian precepts on keeping holy the Lord’s Day by his former employer.
U.S. bishops, other Catholics criticize ‘statement of principles’ on abortion by House Democrats June 29, 2023By Kate Scanlon OSV News Filed Under: Feature, News, Respect Life, U.S. Congress, World News After more than two dozen Catholic Democratic House lawmakers signed a “statement of principles” advocating for abortion access that cited tenets of their faith as their rationale, the U.S. bishops and other Catholics pushed back, arguing their position was contrary to church teaching.
House Republican chair: Dobbs anniversary is ‘opportunity to continue to strengthen culture of life’ June 24, 2023By Kate Scanlon OSV News Filed Under: Feature, News, Respect Life, Supreme Court, World News The first anniversary of the U.S. Supreme Court’s historic ruling in Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization is an “opportunity to continue to strengthen the culture of life,” Rep. Elise Stefanik of New York, chair of the House Republican Conference, said 20 at an event hosted by a pro-life group in the nation’s capital to mark the occasion.
From intolerance to genocide: religious liberty violations driven by ‘tense’ global conditions, says report June 23, 2023By Kate Scanlon OSV News Filed Under: Feature, News, Religious Freedom, War in Ukraine, World News “Tense” global conditions — including the consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic, the fallout of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, and increases in the cost of living — lead to religious freedom violations in countries around the world, according to a new report by Aid to the Church in Need, a pontifical foundation of the Catholic Church.
Catholic pro-life sidewalk counselor asks U.S. Supreme Court to review NY prohibitions June 23, 2023By Kate Scanlon OSV News Filed Under: Feature, News, Respect Life, Supreme Court, World News A Catholic sidewalk counselor plans to ask the U.S. Supreme Court to review a federal appeals court ruling upholding a New York county law prohibiting pro-life protesters from approaching people outside abortion clinics, the law firm representing her said June 22.
