lifesitenews--2020-02-24--Why electric cars will never succeed in creating a green energy economy

February 24 , 2020 ( American Thinker ) — Two green-dream fantasies are heading for a massive and costly collision .
Firstly , they dream of generating all grid power from wind and solar propped up by battery storage ( such as lots of giant Tesla batteries and pumped hydro ) .
Secondly , they dream of replacing all petrol , diesel , and gas cars , trucks , and buses with electric vehicles , powered by more batteries .
But wind farms do well if they can average about 35 % of their rated capacity , with low predictability @ @ @ @ @ @ @ % of their capacity , produced intermittently .
To generate zero emissions energy for Australia , we would need hills covered with turbines , flats covered with solar panels , the countryside spider-webbed with access roads and transmission lines , and much more hydro .
To stabilize a green energy system without using hydrocarbons will require an eye-watering quantity of batteries , costing as much as 200 times the cost of any wind or solar facility needing backup .
Every home will need a battery in the basement ( and sensible ones will @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ) .
Add to this battery bonanza : millions of batteries will be needed to electrify and replace our fleet of gas and diesel vehicles .
No wonder cynical mining companies like BHP are going green — they smell a jackpot from the coming green boom in demand for steel , aluminum , lithium , copper , nickel , graphite , cobalt , rare earths , and nuclear fuels .
And no wonder Tesla supports green energy — the total annual output of the world 's biggest battery factory in Nevada would store @ @ @ @ @ @ @ electricity demand .
They also see booming demand for electric vehicle batteries .
No wonder Tesla shares have gone ballistic ( the boom before the crash ? )
.
The carbon dioxide emitted by all the extra mining , transport , manufacture , and disposal of green energy generators and batteries would far exceed the CO2 allegedly saved by the threatened green upheaval .
All Australians rely on trucks to deliver their daily food to towns and cities — in road trains , semi-trailers , refrigerated trucks , and electric trains , almost @ @ @ @ @ @ @ or gas .
If they are all-electric and powered by batteries , where will the electricity come from to recharge all of these batteries ?
In tomorrow 's Australia , it must come from an unreliable wind and solar grid , hydro power , or diesel generators .
Take a look in the video below at a road train taking cattle to market in the Kimberley region in outback Australia .
One truck on its own would bog in the soft sand or in creek crossings , but with a 4WD tractor , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ linked in a road train , at least one set of driving wheels is likely to be on solid ground .
In the electric vehicle fantasy world , what weight of batteries would drive this road train , and where would they recharge their batteries ?
Even if they focus on forcing electrification of private cars , where does the real power come from every night , when most of them plug in to re-charge ?
If it is a still night , zero electricity will be coming from wind and solar .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ , pumped-hydro , rationing , load-shedding or blackouts to close the gap .
Forget energy-wasting nonsense like capture and burial of CO2 and the energy-consuming roundabout of generating and then burning hydrogen .
The zero-emissions delusion is impossible without nuclear power , but this can happen only if people can be reassured on nuclear safety and waste disposal .
Are the Greens going to lead that education process ?
And if we get global cooling instead of global warming , what will keep us warm on long , still winter nights ?
Any @ @ @ @ @ @ @ green dreams is destined for blackouts and energy riots on the streets .
It 's time for Australian politicians to stop frolicking with green fairies around the zero emissions maypole .
Green energy will never power a conversion to electric vehicles .
They must remove all barriers and climate taxes on safe , reliable , trusted energy sources — coal , gas , and oil .
We need more reliable cheap power for jobs and industry and more CO2 in the atmosphere to make green plants grow faster with less water .
The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ https : //carbon-sense.com/2018/09/01/snowy-elephant/ # more-2115 Australian grid has major near miss : SA Islanded for two weeks .
Nearly wrecked an aluminium smelter : http : //joannenova.com.au/2020/02/australian-grid-has-major-near-miss-sa-islanded-for-two-weeks/ Published with permission from the American Thinker .

Even if green energy advocates focus on forcing electrification of private cars, where does the real power come from?
February 24, 2020 (American Thinker) — Two green-dream fantasies are heading for a massive and costly collision.
Firstly, they dream of generating all grid power from wind and solar propped up by battery storage (such as lots of giant Tesla batteries and pumped hydro).
Secondly, they dream of replacing all petrol, diesel, and gas cars, trucks, and buses with electric vehicles, powered by more batteries.
But wind farms do well if they can average about 35% of their rated capacity, with low predictability, while solar panels average just 25% of their capacity, produced intermittently. To generate zero emissions energy for Australia, we would need hills covered with turbines, flats covered with solar panels, the countryside spider-webbed with access roads and transmission lines, and much more hydro.
To stabilize a green energy system without using hydrocarbons will require an eye-watering quantity of batteries, costing as much as 200 times the cost of any wind or solar facility needing backup. Every home will need a battery in the basement (and sensible ones will also have a diesel in the shed).
Add to this battery bonanza: millions of batteries will be needed to electrify and replace our fleet of gas and diesel vehicles.
No wonder cynical mining companies like BHP are going green — they smell a jackpot from the coming green boom in demand for steel, aluminum, lithium, copper, nickel, graphite, cobalt, rare earths, and nuclear fuels. And no wonder Tesla supports green energy — the total annual output of the world's biggest battery factory in Nevada would store less than five minutes of annual U.S. electricity demand. They also see booming demand for electric vehicle batteries. No wonder Tesla shares have gone ballistic (the boom before the crash?).
The carbon dioxide emitted by all the extra mining, transport, manufacture, and disposal of green energy generators and batteries would far exceed the CO2 allegedly saved by the threatened green upheaval.
All Australians rely on trucks to deliver their daily food to towns and cities — in road trains, semi-trailers, refrigerated trucks, and electric trains, almost all powered by diesel, coal, or gas. If they are all-electric and powered by batteries, where will the electricity come from to recharge all of these batteries? In tomorrow's Australia, it must come from an unreliable wind and solar grid, hydro power, or diesel generators.
Take a look in the video below at a road train taking cattle to market in the Kimberley region in outback Australia. One truck on its own would bog in the soft sand or in creek crossings, but with a 4WD tractor, four diesel semis, and eight trailers linked in a road train, at least one set of driving wheels is likely to be on solid ground. In the electric vehicle fantasy world, what weight of batteries would drive this road train, and where would they recharge their batteries?
Even if they focus on forcing electrification of private cars, where does the real power come from every night, when most of them plug in to re-charge? If it is a still night, zero electricity will be coming from wind and solar. That leaves coal, gas, batteries, pumped-hydro, rationing, load-shedding or blackouts to close the gap.
Forget energy-wasting nonsense like capture and burial of CO2 and the energy-consuming roundabout of generating and then burning hydrogen. The zero-emissions delusion is impossible without nuclear power, but this can happen only if people can be reassured on nuclear safety and waste disposal. Are the Greens going to lead that education process?
And if we get global cooling instead of global warming, what will keep us warm on long, still winter nights? Any state or country reaching for these impossible green dreams is destined for blackouts and energy riots on the streets.
It's time for Australian politicians to stop frolicking with green fairies around the zero emissions maypole. Green energy will never power a conversion to electric vehicles. They must remove all barriers and climate taxes on safe, reliable, trusted energy sources — coal, gas, and oil.
We need more reliable cheap power for jobs and industry and more CO2 in the atmosphere to make green plants grow faster with less water.
Viv Forbes has studied geology, physics, chemistry, math, meteorology, cycles, industry economics, and commodity markets.
Further Reading:
Providing 100 Percent Energy from Renewable Sources Is Impossible:
https://saltbushclub.com/category/batteries/
Battery Storage — an infinitesimal part of electricity power:|
https://carbon-sense.com/2019/07/14/battery-storage-an-infinitesimal-part-of-electrical-power/#more-2233
The Green Elephant in the Snowy Mountains:
https://carbon-sense.com/2018/09/01/snowy-elephant/#more-2115
Australia's failed Energy Policies:
https://carbon-sense.com/2017/10/13/open-letter-to-the-prime-minister-of-australia/#more-1855
Australian grid has major near miss: SA Islanded for two weeks. Nearly wrecked an aluminium smelter:
https://joannenova.com.au/2020/02/australian-grid-has-major-near-miss-sa-islanded-for-two-weeks/
Zero Emissions Foolishness:
https://carbon-sense.com/2013/07/10/zero-emissions/
Electric Vehicles and CO2:
https://www.windtaskforce.org/profiles/blogs/the-proper-basis-for-calculating-co2-of-electric-vehicles
China's Electric Car Market Continues to Plunge:
https://www.climatedepot.com/2020/02/14/chinas-electric-car-market-continues-to-plunge-once-pipped-for-explosive-growth-chinas-ev-market-is-now-crashing/
Published with permission from the American Thinker.
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lifesitenews--2020-02-24--California rep claims victory as Trump fights state withholding water from farmers

While much of the nation was impressed with President Trump 's attention to America 's farmers , Nunes is telling constituents that the tide has finally turned on their farmers ' long Democrat-caused drought .
That 's based on President Trump 's signature last week on a bill to provide California 's beleaguered farmers with water , build storage for them , and put a stop to the junk science that buttresses the whole problem .
Here was his email to constituents : While campaigning in 2016 , then-candidate Trump promised that the Central Valley 's water supply would no @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
This week , both President Trump and Secretary of the Interior David Bernhardt visited the Valley to make official the Trump administration 's plans to return water to the Valley .
On Wednesday , President Trump signed a second presidential memorandum to formally adopt policies that will deliver more water to the Valley .
In addition to implementing new biological opinions that govern how much water flows through the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta , President Trump directed the Secretaries of the Interior and Commerce to develop more water storage infrastructure so that Valley @ @ @ @ @ @ @ have a more bountiful and reliable water supply .
Since before my election to Congress , I have fought to reclaim the water that California 's radical environmentalists have flushed out to the Pacific Ocean .
With this week 's actions , President Trump has turned the tide in California 's decades-long water wars .
Along with other Republican congressmen , I joined President Trump for the signing ceremony .
This , coming from him , a dairy farmer himself , is dramatically good news .
Nunes was the original voice crying out @ @ @ @ @ @ @ water situation .
We often think of him in his role as the ranking member on the House Intelligence Committee , but his original cause was always the water .
He wrote this book about the environmentalists ' efforts to shut down America 's most important land for food production .
Here was his hugely popular account of the backstory that appeared in Investor 's Business Daily in 2015 : In the summer of 2002 , shortly before I was elected to Congress , I sat through an eye-opening meeting with representatives from @ @ @ @ @ @ @ local environmental activist groups .
Hoping to convince me to support various water restrictions , they argued that San Joaquin Valley farmers should stop growing alfalfa and cotton in order to save water — though they allowed that the planting of high-value crops such as almonds could continue .
Then , as our discussion turned to the groups ' overall vision for the San Joaquin Valley , they told me something astonishing : Their goal was to remove 1.3 million acres of farmland from production .
They showed me maps that laid out @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the way down to Bakersfield , and on the entire west side of the Valley as well as part of the east side , productive agriculture would end and the land would return to some ideal state of nature .
I was stunned by the vicious audacity of their goal — and I quickly learned how dedicated they were to realizing it .
He knows all their tricks .
And now he 's finally closing in on them .
Just as he thwarted the Deep State with digging to the truth about the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ he 's marshaled the feds to go around California 's wasteful greenies , who flush millions of gallon of pure clean water into the sea in the name of saving the delta smelt , a policy that has turned the lower San Joaquin valley into a wasteland .
And speaking of the Russia hoax , Nunes is on fire here , too .
He 's also telling Fox News 's Harris Faulkner he 's suing the Washington Post , based on its habitual lies concerning his supposed visits to the White House .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ never made .
Now he 's in hot pursuit .
That 's another victory for him coming up .
Like President Trump , Nunes racks up a lot of wins .
It was a good week for him .
We can only wish he has many more .
Published with permission from the American Thinker .

February 24, 2020 (American Thinker) — Rep. Devin Nunes is on fire.
While much of the nation was impressed with President Trump's attention to America's farmers, Nunes is telling constituents that the tide has finally turned on their farmers' long Democrat-caused drought. That's based on President Trump's signature last week on a bill to provide California's beleaguered farmers with water, build storage for them, and put a stop to the junk science that buttresses the whole problem. Here was his email to constituents:
While campaigning in 2016, then-candidate Trump promised that the Central Valley's water supply would no longer be held captive by radical environmentalists. This week, both President Trump and Secretary of the Interior David Bernhardt visited the Valley to make official the Trump administration's plans to return water to the Valley. On Wednesday, President Trump signed a second presidential memorandum to formally adopt policies that will deliver more water to the Valley. In addition to implementing new biological opinions that govern how much water flows through the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta, President Trump directed the Secretaries of the Interior and Commerce to develop more water storage infrastructure so that Valley farmers, families, and communities can have a more bountiful and reliable water supply. Since before my election to Congress, I have fought to reclaim the water that California's radical environmentalists have flushed out to the Pacific Ocean. With this week's actions, President Trump has turned the tide in California's decades-long water wars. Along with other Republican congressmen, I joined President Trump for the signing ceremony.
This, coming from him, a dairy farmer himself, is dramatically good news. Nunes was the original voice crying out in the wilderness about California's disastrous water situation. We often think of him in his role as the ranking member on the House Intelligence Committee, but his original cause was always the water. He wrote this book about the environmentalists' efforts to shut down America's most important land for food production. Here was his hugely popular account of the backstory that appeared in Investor's Business Daily in 2015:
In the summer of 2002, shortly before I was elected to Congress, I sat through an eye-opening meeting with representatives from the Natural Resources Defense Council and several local environmental activist groups. Hoping to convince me to support various water restrictions, they argued that San Joaquin Valley farmers should stop growing alfalfa and cotton in order to save water — though they allowed that the planting of high-value crops such as almonds could continue. Then, as our discussion turned to the groups' overall vision for the San Joaquin Valley, they told me something astonishing: Their goal was to remove 1.3 million acres of farmland from production. They showed me maps that laid out their whole plan: From Merced all the way down to Bakersfield, and on the entire west side of the Valley as well as part of the east side, productive agriculture would end and the land would return to some ideal state of nature. I was stunned by the vicious audacity of their goal — and I quickly learned how dedicated they were to realizing it.
He knows all their tricks. And now he's finally closing in on them. Just as he thwarted the Deep State with digging to the truth about the foundations of the Russia hoax, how he's marshaled the feds to go around California's wasteful greenies, who flush millions of gallon of pure clean water into the sea in the name of saving the delta smelt, a policy that has turned the lower San Joaquin valley into a wasteland.
And speaking of the Russia hoax, Nunes is on fire here, too.
He's also telling Fox News's Harris Faulkner he's suing the Washington Post, based on its habitual lies concerning his supposed visits to the White House. These, he says, are visits never made. Now he's in hot pursuit.
That's another victory for him coming up. Like President Trump, Nunes racks up a lot of wins. It was a good week for him. We can only wish he has many more.
Published with permission from the American Thinker.
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lifesitenews--2020-02-24--We need reverent Masses to revive the Catholic faith

February 24 , 2020 ( ) — With Ash Wednesday just a few days away , I have been thinking about the need for repentance : not just my own need ( which is great ) , but the need of the whole universal Church .
For all of us , acutely conscious of the scandals within the Church , Lent is a good time to recall the words of St. Peter to religious leaders who had betrayed the Messiah : “ Repent , therefore , and turn again , that your sins may be blotted out , that times @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the Lord.
” [ Acts 3:19 ] When I refer to the scandals in the Church , I do not mean only the sex-abuse scandal ( although that would be bad enough ) .
Nor do I mean only the financial scandals ( although news from Rome brings another harbinger of ugly stories what will eventually explode ) .
Nor do I mean only the scandals of episcopal malfeasance and misfeasance ( about which the reminders are constant ) .
Over and above these problems , I am thinking of the scandal @ @ @ @ @ @ @ — all of us , all the baptized — have been charged by the Lord to preach the Gospel to all nations .
But instead of spreading the faith , we are watching its decay .
In societies that were once solidly Catholic , old parish churches are closing .
Even where the churches remain open , young people are filing out the doors by the hundreds of thousands , planning never to return .
Something is terribly , terribly wrong — and has been wrong for years , because the mass exodus @ @ @ @ @ @ @ decades ago .
It should come as no surprise that , in an institution that lost its zeal for evangelization — its enthusiasm for its central mission — other signs of corruption would eventually appear .
Where should we look for a solution to this problem , a remedy for anemic faith ?
Let ’ s look to the “ source and summit of the Christian life , ” the Eucharist .
When we think of life in the Catholic Church , we generally think first of Sunday Mass — and so do @ @ @ @ @ @ @ watching for signs of life .
Every believing Catholic recognizes the Eucharistic liturgy as the source of his spiritual life .
But do we think of the Sunday Mass in our parish as the summit of our spirituality ?
Is this the best we can do ?
Really ?
To be sure , the liturgy can never be beautiful enough , never reverent enough , to convey the full meaning of the Eucharist .
But are we trying ?
Or have we slipped into a lackadaisical routine , accepting a liturgical approach that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ transcendent glory of the Mass ?
A friend who served as a parish cantor in one busy parish memorably remarked that the liturgical approach of the “ anticipatory ” Mass on Saturday evening was marked by the desire to “ get ’ em in and get ’ em out.
” The music , the preaching , and the perfunctory observance of the rubrics were all marked by a desire for efficiency : to allow people to fulfill their Sunday obligation with a minimum of effort , a minimum of reflection .
The bare-bones @ @ @ @ @ @ @ My Traditionalist friends often blame the “ get ’ em in , get ’ em out ” ( GEIGEO ) approach on the Novus Ordo .
I beg to differ .
I am old enough to remember serving as an altar boy at the Tridentine Mass , for the priest in my boyhood parish who could , and often did , rush through a low Mass in 12 minutes .
He was clearly a proponent of the GEIGEO liturgy , years before Vatican II .
I say again : these problems are not @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Catholic communities are not troubled by the GEIGEO approach , because those who seek out the Extraordinary Form are searching precisely for reverence in the Eucharistic liturgy .
Not so the Novus Ordo , the form that must serve the reverent and irreverent alike in a typical parish setting .
And because the Novus Ordo allows for dozens of liturgical options , there is always a temptation to choose the simplest option , the quickest , least demanding option .
Get ’ em in , get ’ em out .
Several years ago @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the first time , I was taken aback by the lightning-quick celebration of Mass in the parishes that we visited , chosen more or less randomly along our way .
When I voiced my dismay to Irish friends , they told me that the tradition of a lickety-split liturgy had developed during the years when Catholicism was forced underground , and priests celebrated Mass quickly to avoid detection .
That explanation failed to convince me .
First , because it ’ s been quite a while , now , since Catholicism was illegal @ @ @ @ @ @ @ years of celebrating Mass covertly , in basements and valleys , I would expect Catholics — finally freed from persecution — to give the Mass every bit of grandeur they could muster .
I don ’ t think the British could be blamed for the slapdash liturgies that I experienced .
The priests who were rushing through the Mass in the early 21st century were never hunted by Queen Elizabeth ’ s deputies .
They were , I strongly suspect , succumbing to the GEIGEO mentality .
And that was — and is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ an Irish scandal .
Nor just an American scandal .
A scandal — no , the scandal — for the universal Church .
If the Eucharist is the source of our spiritual life as a Church , then an irreverent approach to the Eucharist , made manifest in the GEIGEO liturgy , is the source of the corruption that ails us today .
So this Lent , my plan is a program of repentance for my own lack of proper reverence for the Eucharist , and for my irreverence that has so deeply @ @ @ @ @ @ @ I encourage other Catholics to join me in that campaign .
We can argue later about how to make the liturgy more beautiful , more reverent , more fitting .
For now let ’ s focus on a realization that the first step toward a liturgical revival — which is , necessarily , the first step toward a Catholic spiritual revival — is the recognition that what we have been doing is not good enough .
We ’ ve been inviting the Lord into our parish homes , and then treating Him as @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Until we acknowledge that lack of love , the Catholic revival can not begin .
So although I ’ m a selfish man , and I enjoy my creature comforts , and I shrink from mortification ...
Still when I reflect on the troubles of the Church , and when I read the ugly headlines , when I see the empty pews , I realize that Lent can ’ t come too soon .

To be sure, the liturgy can never be beautiful enough, never reverent enough, to convey the full meaning of the Eucharist. But are we trying?
February 24, 2020 ( CatholicCulture.org ) — With Ash Wednesday just a few days away, I have been thinking about the need for repentance: not just my own need (which is great), but the need of the whole universal Church. For all of us, acutely conscious of the scandals within the Church, Lent is a good time to recall the words of St. Peter to religious leaders who had betrayed the Messiah: “Repent, therefore, and turn again, that your sins may be blotted out, that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord.” [Acts 3:19]
When I refer to the scandals in the Church, I do not mean only the sex-abuse scandal (although that would be bad enough). Nor do I mean only the financial scandals (although news from Rome brings another harbinger of ugly stories what will eventually explode). Nor do I mean only the scandals of episcopal malfeasance and misfeasance (about which the reminders are constant). Over and above these problems, I am thinking of the scandal of a shrinking Catholic Church.
We — all of us, all the baptized — have been charged by the Lord to preach the Gospel to all nations. But instead of spreading the faith, we are watching its decay. In societies that were once solidly Catholic, old parish churches are closing. Even where the churches remain open, young people are filing out the doors by the hundreds of thousands, planning never to return.
Something is terribly, terribly wrong — and has been wrong for years, because the mass exodus (no pun intended) began several decades ago. It should come as no surprise that, in an institution that lost its zeal for evangelization — its enthusiasm for its central mission — other signs of corruption would eventually appear.
Where should we look for a solution to this problem, a remedy for anemic faith? Let’s look to the “source and summit of the Christian life,” the Eucharist. When we think of life in the Catholic Church, we generally think first of Sunday Mass — and so do any non-Catholics and lapsed Catholics who are watching for signs of life. Every believing Catholic recognizes the Eucharistic liturgy as the source of his spiritual life. But do we think of the Sunday Mass in our parish as the summit of our spirituality? Is this the best we can do? Really?
To be sure, the liturgy can never be beautiful enough, never reverent enough, to convey the full meaning of the Eucharist. But are we trying? Or have we slipped into a lackadaisical routine, accepting a liturgical approach that does not even attempt to convey the transcendent glory of the Mass?
A friend who served as a parish cantor in one busy parish memorably remarked that the liturgical approach of the “anticipatory” Mass on Saturday evening was marked by the desire to “get ’em in and get ’em out.” The music, the preaching, and the perfunctory observance of the rubrics were all marked by a desire for efficiency: to allow people to fulfill their Sunday obligation with a minimum of effort, a minimum of reflection. The bare-bones ritual was not complicated by devotion.
My Traditionalist friends often blame the “get ’em in, get ’em out” (GEIGEO) approach on the Novus Ordo. I beg to differ. I am old enough to remember serving as an altar boy at the Tridentine Mass, for the priest in my boyhood parish who could, and often did, rush through a low Mass in 12 minutes. He was clearly a proponent of the GEIGEO liturgy, years before Vatican II. I say again: these problems are not new.
Today, however, traditionalist Catholic communities are not troubled by the GEIGEO approach, because those who seek out the Extraordinary Form are searching precisely for reverence in the Eucharistic liturgy. Not so the Novus Ordo, the form that must serve the reverent and irreverent alike in a typical parish setting. And because the Novus Ordo allows for dozens of liturgical options, there is always a temptation to choose the simplest option, the quickest, least demanding option. Get ’em in, get ’em out.
Several years ago, when I traveled to Ireland for the first time, I was taken aback by the lightning-quick celebration of Mass in the parishes that we visited, chosen more or less randomly along our way. When I voiced my dismay to Irish friends, they told me that the tradition of a lickety-split liturgy had developed during the years when Catholicism was forced underground, and priests celebrated Mass quickly to avoid detection. That explanation failed to convince me. First, because it’s been quite a while, now, since Catholicism was illegal in Ireland. Second, because after years of celebrating Mass covertly, in basements and valleys, I would expect Catholics — finally freed from persecution — to give the Mass every bit of grandeur they could muster. I don’t think the British could be blamed for the slapdash liturgies that I experienced. The priests who were rushing through the Mass in the early 21st century were never hunted by Queen Elizabeth’s deputies. They were, I strongly suspect, succumbing to the GEIGEO mentality.
And that was — and is — a great scandal. Not just an Irish scandal. Nor just an American scandal. A scandal — no, the scandal — for the universal Church. If the Eucharist is the source of our spiritual life as a Church, then an irreverent approach to the Eucharist, made manifest in the GEIGEO liturgy, is the source of the corruption that ails us today.
So this Lent, my plan is a program of repentance for my own lack of proper reverence for the Eucharist, and for my irreverence that has so deeply infected the life of our Church. I encourage other Catholics to join me in that campaign. We can argue later about how to make the liturgy more beautiful, more reverent, more fitting. For now let’s focus on a realization that the first step toward a liturgical revival — which is, necessarily, the first step toward a Catholic spiritual revival — is the recognition that what we have been doing is not good enough. We’ve been inviting the Lord into our parish homes, and then treating Him as a servant rather than an honored guest. Until we acknowledge that lack of love, the Catholic revival cannot begin.
So although I’m a selfish man, and I enjoy my creature comforts, and I shrink from mortification… Still when I reflect on the troubles of the Church, and when I read the ugly headlines, when I see the empty pews, I realize that Lent can’t come too soon.
Published with permission from CatholicCulture.org.
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lifesitenews--2020-02-24--First animated Disney movie with openly homosexual character to debut in March

PETITION : Boycott Disney 's new kids ’ film 'Onward ' for pushing the LGBT agenda !
Sign the petition here .
February 24 , 2020 ( LifeSiteNews ) – Onward , Disney ’ s first animated movie with an openly homosexual character , is set to hit theaters on Friday , March 6 .
LifeSite and pro-family advocates are calling on parents to boycott the film .
The movie is about two brothers , voiced by Tom Holland and Chris Pratt , who set out on a mission to magically resurrect their father for a day .
One of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Officer Specter , a purple cyclops police officer .
In addition to being one-eyed and purple , Officer Specter , who is voiced by Lena Waithe , is also an open lesbian , reports Slate .
In one scene where Officer Specter pulls over a motorist who claims to have been distracted by his girlfriend ’ s kids , Waithe ’ s character replies by saying : “ My girlfriend 's daughter got me pulling my hair out.
” Though the moment apparently passes without comment , and without being “ showcased ” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and Christians are calling for parents to boycott the film .
Disney is also the parent company of Marvel Studios , which is in the middle of producing a movie starring an “ LGBT superhero.
” “ It 's a relentless onslaught against our children 's innocence , ” said Gualberto Garcia Jones , LifeSite 's Director of Advocacy .
“ And , we parents have got to be just as relentless in rejecting Disney 's attempt to sexualize our children.
” “ By forcing the LGBT agenda on us , you are @ @ @ @ @ @ @ petition says .
“ The days are now over where we would give you our hard-earned dollars just so you can turn around and offend us and our children 's innocence.
” “ Please do not pursue this agenda again in the future.
” LifeSite ’ s petition calling on parents to boycott Onward and not reward Disney for promoting homosexuality to children can be viewed and signed HERE .

Pro-family advocates are calling on parents to boycott the film.
PETITION: Boycott Disney's new kids’ film 'Onward' for pushing the LGBT agenda! Sign the petition here.
February 24, 2020 (LifeSiteNews) – Onward, Disney’s first animated movie with an openly homosexual character, is set to hit theaters on Friday, March 6. LifeSite and pro-family advocates are calling on parents to boycott the film.
The movie is about two brothers, voiced by Tom Holland and Chris Pratt, who set out on a mission to magically resurrect their father for a day.
One of the movie’s minor characters is Officer Specter, a purple cyclops police officer. In addition to being one-eyed and purple, Officer Specter, who is voiced by Lena Waithe, is also an open lesbian, reports Slate.
In one scene where Officer Specter pulls over a motorist who claims to have been distracted by his girlfriend’s kids, Waithe’s character replies by saying: “My girlfriend's daughter got me pulling my hair out.”
Though the moment apparently passes without comment, and without being “showcased” as “special,” pro-family advocates and Christians are calling for parents to boycott the film.
Disney is also the parent company of Marvel Studios, which is in the middle of producing a movie starring an “LGBT superhero.”
“It's a relentless onslaught against our children's innocence,” said Gualberto Garcia Jones, LifeSite's Director of Advocacy. “And, we parents have got to be just as relentless in rejecting Disney's attempt to sexualize our children.”
“By forcing the LGBT agenda on us, you are seriously disrespecting our values,” the petition says. “The days are now over where we would give you our hard-earned dollars just so you can turn around and offend us and our children's innocence.”
“Please do not pursue this agenda again in the future.”
LifeSite’s petition calling on parents to boycott Onward and not reward Disney for promoting homosexuality to children can be viewed and signed HERE.
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lifesitenews--2020-02-24--Loopholes in Trump’s foreign aid policy banning abortion funding must be closed

February 24 , 2020 ( Population Research Institute ) — In 2006 , in the west African country of Ghana , five organizations from the United States and the U.K. formed a coalition with the singular mission of expanding access to abortion and contraception in Ghana .
Included in this coalition were pro-abortion heavyweights Marie Stopes International and Ipas .
The coalition also included two well-funded and well-resourced U.S. non-governmental organizations ( NGOs ) : the Population Council and EngenderHealth .
The project was benignly called Reducing Maternal Morbidity and Mortality ( or “ R3M ” ) , though the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ efforts to influence key leaders in Ghana — including physicians , police officers , the Ghanaian Attorney General and the Minister of Justice — to increase abortion access .
Abortion is illegal in Ghana except in cases of rape , incest , fetal disability , and in cases of life , physical health , and mental health of the mother .
A Pew Research Center survey from 2013 found that an overwhelming 92 % of Ghanaians find abortion “ morally unacceptable.
” In 2007 , the coalition began a trial phase of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ program was fully rolled out in three administrative regions in southern Ghana , including Accra , the nation ’ s capital city .
By the end of 2012 , the project had trained 320 midwives and physicians on how to perform abortions .
The program had renovated 70 family planning and abortion clinics , built 7 new abortion clinics , and built 2 brand new reproductive health centers to serve as abortion training centers .
The program had successfully convinced law and journalism schools in the country to change their curriculum to teach @ @ @ @ @ @ @ mortality .
For its own part , the Population Council also developed training protocols and handbooks on abortion for clinical health workers and medical students and trained health care workers how to perform abortions .
All in all , according to the Population Council ’ s estimates , the R3M project was responsible for the execution of 122,545 abortions in Ghana .
However , throughout the life of the R3M project , both the Population Council and EngenderHealth were recipients of multiple and substantially sizable U.S. foreign aid grants .
This occurred in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the first two years of the R3M project , the second Bush administration was in office and the Mexico City Policy was in effect .
How did this happen ?
Wasn ’ t the Mexico City Policy supposed to stop funding groups involved in abortion-related activities and groups once and for all ?
Partially yes and partially no .
The Mexico City Policy was first introduced in 1984 under the Reagan administration at the International Conference on Population in Mexico City , the namesake from which the policy gets its name .
The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ administration banned U.S. foreign family planning funding for foreign NGOs that perform or promote abortion abroad as a method of family planning .
But the policy has never banned U.S. funds from going to domestic NGOs that do exactly the same thing .
In other words , the policy blocks U.S. foreign aid dollars from funding foreign organizations that promote abortion such as the International Planned Parenthood Federation ( IPPF ) and Marie Stopes International .
IPPF , for example , claims that it has lost $ 100 million in funding from the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ put in place by the Trump administration .
But the Mexico City Policy does not apply to U.S. based NGOs like the Population Council and EngenderHealth , despite their involvement in promoting abortion in projects such as the Ghanaian abortion scheme described above .
According to the United States Agency for International Development ’ s ( USAID ) Foreign Aid Explorer , between 2001–2008 when the Bush Mexico City Policy was in place , the Population Council received $ 127.9 million in U.S. government family planning and reproductive health funding as a first-tier @ @ @ @ @ @ @ $ 86.3 million in family planning grants as a primary recipient .
And these totals do not even include the amount of U.S. government funding these organizations may have received through subgrants and subcontracts .
Under current regulations , U.S. NGOs involved in promoting abortion can still receive grant money for other activities like family planning , reproductive health , HIV prevention , maternal health , or water and sanitation projects .
The only restriction is that no part of the grant can be used directly to pay for abortion-related activities .
But @ @ @ @ @ @ @ promote abortion as much as they wish in foreign countries using their own money and still be eligible for receiving funding from the government .
This loophole has allowed hundreds of millions of dollars to continue to flow into the coffers of organizations headquartered in the U.S. that perform or promote abortion in foreign countries , despite the Mexico City Policy .
My research shows that the amount of USAID Global Health funding that U.S.-based abortion-promoting NGOs continue to receive dwarfs the amount of money that notorious foreign abortion-promoting NGOs such like IPPF @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , even when the Mexico City Policy was not in effect .
In fact , the Mexico City Policy does not even come close to cutting even half of all U.S. foreign aid funding for organizations that promote abortion overseas .
When President Trump reinstated the Mexico City Policy as one of his first acts as president on January 23 , 2017 , the policy was significantly expanded to apply to all U.S. global health assistance .
All previous versions of the Mexico City Policy under prior administrations had only applied to U.S. @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of global health assistance .
The expansion made the new Mexico City Policy , now called “ Protecting Life in Global Health Assistance ” ( PLGHA ) , applicable to approximately $ 8.8 billion of U.S. foreign aid per year .
By comparison , Congressional appropriations for family planning/reproductive health have stood at “ no less than ” $ 575 million per year since 2011 .
On March 26 , 2019 , Secretary of State Mike Pompeo again significantly expanded the Mexico City Policy , this time prohibiting U.S. global health assistance from @ @ @ @ @ @ @ gives financial support of any kind to any other foreign NGO that performs or promotes abortion as a method of family planning .
The policy expansion ends U.S. government funding of foreign aid organizations that provide large donations to international abortion providers such as IPPF and Marie Stopes International .
In spite of these two significant expansions of the historic Mexico City Policy , one major loophole remains .
The Trump administration needs to close the loophole that allows U.S. NGOs who perform or promote abortion in foreign countries to receive government funding @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to do just that is now underway .
On January 23rd , 19 U.S .
Senators and 41 members of Congress signed a letter addressed to Secretary of State Mike Pompeo , asking the Secretary to extend the Mexico City Policy to U.S. NGOs .
Many U.S. NGOs that promote abortion receive substantial funding from the U.S. government .
The table below shows how much global health funding and subaward funding the U.S. government has given to these selected organizations since President Trump ’ s new Protecting Life in Global Health Assistance policy @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 2017 .
One such organization is Population Services International ( PSI ) .
PSI is a non-profit , non-governmental international health organization based in Washington , D.C. that works in over 50 countries to increase access to health services through social marketing enterprises and communication strategies .
PSI is one of the U.S. government ’ s go-to organizations for implementing family planning and global health programming .
PSI openly promotes abortion as one its core global health activities .
PSI ’ s website clearly states that the organization “ train [ s ] @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” including through the abortion pill , misoprostol , and manual vacuum aspiration ( MVA ) , a device that suctions the unborn through a tube using a manually-operated vacuum pump .
Until recently , PSI had a webpage solely devoted to describing its MVA-related activities in which it had said plainly “ We procure manual vacuum aspiration equipment.
” PSI also co-operates a project called Ignite where it seeks to increase demand for contraception and abortion in several developing countries .
In Mozambique , PSI ’ s Ignite program in 2017 began @ @ @ @ @ @ @ schools and enlisted 390 student “ peer educators ” to promote clinic services to the student body .
Peer educators and clinic staff were trained by PSI to talk to students about abortion and to tell them where they can get an abortion .
Following outcry from parents , PSI was forced to close its in-school clinics which were later moved to off-campus locations immediately in front of the schools .
Since the Trump administration began enforcing its Protecting Life in Global Health Assistance policy , Population Services International has been awarded over @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in prime grants in global health programs , according to the Foreign Assistance Dashboard .
In addition , PSI was also awarded received $ 33 million in subgrants and $ 23.8 million in subcontracts during this time , according to USAspending.gov .
Another U.S. NGO deeply involved in promoting abortion abroad is Pathfinder International .
According to Pathfinder International ’ s website , the organization lobbies foreign governments to increase access to abortion , seeking to “ Collaborate with governments in building the capacity of health systems to ensure quality , comprehensive abortion @ @ @ @ @ @ @ project in Mozambique and Tanzania where it “ supports public health facilities to offer a wide range of quality contraceptive and safe abortion services ” and where it works to “ ensure availability ” of abortion .
In 2018 , Pathfinder International launched a campaign to advocate for abortion in Côte d ’ Ivoire , Burkina Faso , and the Democratic Republic of the Congo .
Population Council also continues to promote abortion .
Recently , the Population Council concluded a program in 2018 called STEP-UP , a research project which sought to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ access to safe abortion be maximized ?
” The Population Council is currently working on a project to expand the Bruce quality of care framework to include abortion .
The Bruce quality of care framework is a quality assurance protocol used by family planning programs worldwide .
EngenderHealth , another U.S. NGO involved in promoting abortion abroad , is currently engaged in “ expanding access to comprehensive abortion care ” in Ethiopia through a project called the Access to Reproductive Health Initiative ( ABRI ) .
According to EngenderHealth ’ s website , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ perform abortion in Ethiopia .
From 2012–2017 , Woman Care Global International ( WCG ) , a California-based NGO , ran a project called the MAX Program that sought to increase access to abortion in South Africa and Kenya .
WCG claims that “ Through the MAX program , over 230,000 women received safe abortion services.
” A few U.S. NGOs that the U.S. government frequently partners with on global health programs are not directly involved with performing or lobbying for abortion themselves but are major donors to international abortion providers such as @ @ @ @ @ @ @ international development non-profit called Pact donated nearly $ 1.7 million to Marie Stopes International in 2016 and 2017 , according to Marie Stopes International ’ s financial statements .
Abt JTA , a wholly owned subsidiary of Abt Associates , Inc. , a global health consulting firm that frequently partners with USAID , is one of Marie Stopes International ’ s biggest donors , having donated approximately $ 7.7 million to the international abortion provider in 2017 and 2018 .
When the Reagan administration first announced the Mexico City Policy at the 1984 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ delegation to the conference declared “ the United States will no longer contribute to separate nongovernmental organizations which perform or actively promote abortion as a method of family planning in other nations.
” Thirty-six years later , the promise of the Mexico City Policy has still not been fully realized .
U.S. foreign aid funding continues to flow to abortion-promoting NGOs based in the United States .
It is time the Trump administration , the most pro-life administration in recent American history , to rectify this fundamental flaw in the Mexico City Policy @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Research Institute .

Under current regulations, U.S. organizations involved in promoting abortion can still receive grant money to facilitate abortion work in foreign countries.
February 24, 2020 (Population Research Institute) — In 2006, in the west African country of Ghana, five organizations from the United States and the U.K. formed a coalition with the singular mission of expanding access to abortion and contraception in Ghana. Included in this coalition were pro-abortion heavyweights Marie Stopes International and Ipas. The coalition also included two well-funded and well-resourced U.S. non-governmental organizations (NGOs): the Population Council and EngenderHealth.
The project was benignly called Reducing Maternal Morbidity and Mortality (or “R3M”), though the project sought to engage in intensive advocacy efforts to influence key leaders in Ghana — including physicians, police officers, the Ghanaian Attorney General and the Minister of Justice — to increase abortion access.
Abortion is illegal in Ghana except in cases of rape, incest, fetal disability, and in cases of life, physical health, and mental health of the mother. A Pew Research Center survey from 2013 found that an overwhelming 92% of Ghanaians find abortion “morally unacceptable.”
In 2007, the coalition began a trial phase of the R3M project and soon after, the program was fully rolled out in three administrative regions in southern Ghana, including Accra, the nation’s capital city.
By the end of 2012, the project had trained 320 midwives and physicians on how to perform abortions. The program had renovated 70 family planning and abortion clinics, built 7 new abortion clinics, and built 2 brand new reproductive health centers to serve as abortion training centers. The program had successfully convinced law and journalism schools in the country to change their curriculum to teach that abortion access is tied to maternal mortality. For its own part, the Population Council also developed training protocols and handbooks on abortion for clinical health workers and medical students and trained health care workers how to perform abortions.
All in all, according to the Population Council’s estimates, the R3M project was responsible for the execution of 122,545 abortions in Ghana.
However, throughout the life of the R3M project, both the Population Council and EngenderHealth were recipients of multiple and substantially sizable U.S. foreign aid grants. This occurred in spite of the fact that, during the first two years of the R3M project, the second Bush administration was in office and the Mexico City Policy was in effect.
How did this happen? Wasn’t the Mexico City Policy supposed to stop funding groups involved in abortion-related activities and groups once and for all?
Partially yes and partially no.
The Mexico City Policy was first introduced in 1984 under the Reagan administration at the International Conference on Population in Mexico City, the namesake from which the policy gets its name. The original Mexico City Policy from the Reagan administration banned U.S. foreign family planning funding for foreign NGOs that perform or promote abortion abroad as a method of family planning. But the policy has never banned U.S. funds from going to domestic NGOs that do exactly the same thing.
In other words, the policy blocks U.S. foreign aid dollars from funding foreign organizations that promote abortion such as the International Planned Parenthood Federation (IPPF) and Marie Stopes International. IPPF, for example, claims that it has lost $100 million in funding from the U.S. government under the Mexico City Policy put in place by the Trump administration. But the Mexico City Policy does not apply to U.S. based NGOs like the Population Council and EngenderHealth, despite their involvement in promoting abortion in projects such as the Ghanaian abortion scheme described above.
According to the United States Agency for International Development’s (USAID) Foreign Aid Explorer, between 2001–2008 when the Bush Mexico City Policy was in place, the Population Council received $127.9 million in U.S. government family planning and reproductive health funding as a first-tier prime grant recipient, while EngenderHealth received $86.3 million in family planning grants as a primary recipient. And these totals do not even include the amount of U.S. government funding these organizations may have received through subgrants and subcontracts.
Under current regulations, U.S. NGOs involved in promoting abortion can still receive grant money for other activities like family planning, reproductive health, HIV prevention, maternal health, or water and sanitation projects. The only restriction is that no part of the grant can be used directly to pay for abortion-related activities. But they can still continue to perform or promote abortion as much as they wish in foreign countries using their own money and still be eligible for receiving funding from the government. This loophole has allowed hundreds of millions of dollars to continue to flow into the coffers of organizations headquartered in the U.S. that perform or promote abortion in foreign countries, despite the Mexico City Policy.
My research shows that the amount of USAID Global Health funding that U.S.-based abortion-promoting NGOs continue to receive dwarfs the amount of money that notorious foreign abortion-promoting NGOs such like IPPF and Marie Stopes International have ever received, even when the Mexico City Policy was not in effect. In fact, the Mexico City Policy does not even come close to cutting even half of all U.S. foreign aid funding for organizations that promote abortion overseas.
Progress Made, More Progress Needed
When President Trump reinstated the Mexico City Policy as one of his first acts as president on January 23, 2017, the policy was significantly expanded to apply to all U.S. global health assistance. All previous versions of the Mexico City Policy under prior administrations had only applied to U.S. family planning funding, a mere subset of global health assistance. The expansion made the new Mexico City Policy, now called “Protecting Life in Global Health Assistance” (PLGHA), applicable to approximately $8.8 billion of U.S. foreign aid per year. By comparison, Congressional appropriations for family planning/reproductive health have stood at “no less than” $575 million per year since 2011.
On March 26, 2019, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo again significantly expanded the Mexico City Policy, this time prohibiting U.S. global health assistance from being awarded to any foreign NGO that gives financial support of any kind to any other foreign NGO that performs or promotes abortion as a method of family planning. The policy expansion ends U.S. government funding of foreign aid organizations that provide large donations to international abortion providers such as IPPF and Marie Stopes International.
In spite of these two significant expansions of the historic Mexico City Policy, one major loophole remains. The Trump administration needs to close the loophole that allows U.S. NGOs who perform or promote abortion in foreign countries to receive government funding for other projects. Fortunately a movement to do just that is now underway.
On January 23rd, 19 U.S. Senators and 41 members of Congress signed a letter addressed to Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, asking the Secretary to extend the Mexico City Policy to U.S. NGOs.
Many U.S. NGOs that promote abortion receive substantial funding from the U.S. government. The table below shows how much global health funding and subaward funding the U.S. government has given to these selected organizations since President Trump’s new Protecting Life in Global Health Assistance policy went into effect on May 15, 2017.
1. U.S. global health obligations since May 15, 2017 furnished through federal accounts which the Protecting Life and Global Health Assistance policy (PLGHA) (a.k.a. the “Mexico City Policy”) are believed to be applicable to (contact author for details). Only includes first-tier prime awards. Source: Foreign Assistance Dashboard. 2. All subgrants and subcontracts received by the organization since May 15, 2017 according to USAspending.gov. Not all subawards reported here would be affected by PLGHA if it were made applicable to U.S. NGOs. Since USAspending.gov does not report federal accounts for transactions, it is impossible to ascertain whether PLGHA would apply to them.
One such organization is Population Services International (PSI). PSI is a non-profit, non-governmental international health organization based in Washington, D.C. that works in over 50 countries to increase access to health services through social marketing enterprises and communication strategies. PSI is one of the U.S. government’s go-to organizations for implementing family planning and global health programming.
PSI openly promotes abortion as one its core global health activities. PSI’s website clearly states that the organization “train[s] providers in offering safe abortion services,” including through the abortion pill, misoprostol, and manual vacuum aspiration (MVA), a device that suctions the unborn through a tube using a manually-operated vacuum pump. Until recently, PSI had a webpage solely devoted to describing its MVA-related activities in which it had said plainly “We procure manual vacuum aspiration equipment.”
PSI also co-operates a project called Ignite where it seeks to increase demand for contraception and abortion in several developing countries. In Mozambique, PSI’s Ignite program in 2017 began operating family planning clinics in 50 secondary schools and enlisted 390 student “peer educators” to promote clinic services to the student body. Peer educators and clinic staff were trained by PSI to talk to students about abortion and to tell them where they can get an abortion. Following outcry from parents, PSI was forced to close its in-school clinics which were later moved to off-campus locations immediately in front of the schools.
Since the Trump administration began enforcing its Protecting Life in Global Health Assistance policy, Population Services International has been awarded over $265.7 million from the U.S. government in prime grants in global health programs, according to the Foreign Assistance Dashboard. In addition, PSI was also awarded received $33 million in subgrants and $23.8 million in subcontracts during this time, according to USAspending.gov.
Another U.S. NGO deeply involved in promoting abortion abroad is Pathfinder International. According to Pathfinder International’s website, the organization lobbies foreign governments to increase access to abortion, seeking to “Collaborate with governments in building the capacity of health systems to ensure quality, comprehensive abortion services.”
Pathfinder International currently runs a project in Mozambique and Tanzania where it “supports public health facilities to offer a wide range of quality contraceptive and safe abortion services” and where it works to “ensure availability” of abortion.
In 2018, Pathfinder International launched a campaign to advocate for abortion in Côte d’Ivoire, Burkina Faso, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
Population Council also continues to promote abortion. Recently, the Population Council concluded a program in 2018 called STEP-UP, a research project which sought to address the question of “How can access to safe abortion be maximized?” The Population Council is currently working on a project to expand the Bruce quality of care framework to include abortion. The Bruce quality of care framework is a quality assurance protocol used by family planning programs worldwide.
EngenderHealth, another U.S. NGO involved in promoting abortion abroad, is currently engaged in “expanding access to comprehensive abortion care” in Ethiopia through a project called the Access to Reproductive Health Initiative (ABRI). According to EngenderHealth’s website, the ABRI program supports 424 sites that perform abortion in Ethiopia.
From 2012–2017, Woman Care Global International (WCG), a California-based NGO, ran a project called the MAX Program that sought to increase access to abortion in South Africa and Kenya. WCG claims that “Through the MAX program, over 230,000 women received safe abortion services.”
A few U.S. NGOs that the U.S. government frequently partners with on global health programs are not directly involved with performing or lobbying for abortion themselves but are major donors to international abortion providers such as IPPF and Marie Stopes International. An international development non-profit called Pact donated nearly $1.7 million to Marie Stopes International in 2016 and 2017, according to Marie Stopes International’s financial statements. Abt JTA, a wholly owned subsidiary of Abt Associates, Inc., a global health consulting firm that frequently partners with USAID, is one of Marie Stopes International’s biggest donors, having donated approximately $7.7 million to the international abortion provider in 2017 and 2018.
When the Reagan administration first announced the Mexico City Policy at the 1984 International Conference on Population, the U.S. delegation to the conference declared “the United States will no longer contribute to separate nongovernmental organizations which perform or actively promote abortion as a method of family planning in other nations.”
Thirty-six years later, the promise of the Mexico City Policy has still not been fully realized. U.S. foreign aid funding continues to flow to abortion-promoting NGOs based in the United States.
It is time the Trump administration, the most pro-life administration in recent American history, to rectify this fundamental flaw in the Mexico City Policy.
Published with permission from the Population Research Institute.
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lifesitenews--2020-02-24--Beloved Chuck Norris show ‘Walker, Texas Ranger’ will get pro-LGBT reboot

February 24 , 2020 ( NewsBusters ) — Fans of the beloved old CBS show Walker , Texas Ranger will be sorely disappointed to hear it will be getting the CW treatment in its reboot .
In addition to Walker getting a new female partner , media reported on Wednesday that he will have a “ gay , conservative younger brother.
” The new series will be titled simply Walker and star Jared Padalecki ( Supernatural ) who will also executive produce .
The original , which starred Chuck Norris as Texas Ranger Cordell Walker and aired eight seasons from @ @ @ @ @ @ @ show about good vs. evil and roundhouse kicks .
With the show , movie actor and world champion martial artist Norris gained a cult following that went beyond the series and spurred comedic and fantastical “ Chuck Norris facts , ” like “ Chuck Norris can strangle you with a cordless phone ” or “ Death once had a near-Chuck-Norris experience.
” According to Variety , Keegan Allen was brought on to play Walker 's brother Liam in the revival : Described as smart , slightly smug , but with a strong moral @ @ @ @ @ @ @ younger gay and conservative brother who has been recently promoted to assistant DA .
Liam and Walker are close , but Liam gives his brother no shortage of tough love .
Liam has always stayed close to home , often sacrificing his personal life in favor of his family duties .
In Walker ’ s absence , he stepped up to take Walker ’ s kids under his wing .
Liam ’ s close relationship with Walker ’ s son and daughter makes Walker slightly jealous .
Knowing the CW , now that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ plenty of opportunity to explore his gay personal life for audiences to watch .
It will also be very interesting to see how the CW interprets the conservative side of his character — or if they even know what a conservative is !
Something tells me the gay representation is more important to them than getting the far less frequent conservative representation right .
In the description of Walker it says he will “ find unexpected common ground with his new partner.
” No doubt there will be lots of misogyny for “ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Rangers ’ history ” to fight and lessons for Walker along the way .
No word yet on if there will be a trans or non-binary character , but you can be sure something like will be a nice little Easter egg in there , too .
Woke Walker , Texas Ranger : coming soon to a TV near you .

Fans of the beloved old CBS show will be sorely disappointed to hear that it will be getting the woke treatment in its reboot.
February 24, 2020 (NewsBusters) — Fans of the beloved old CBS show Walker, Texas Ranger will be sorely disappointed to hear it will be getting the CW treatment in its reboot. In addition to Walker getting a new female partner, media reported on Wednesday that he will have a “gay, conservative younger brother.”
The new series will be titled simply Walker and star Jared Padalecki (Supernatural) who will also executive produce. The original, which starred Chuck Norris as Texas Ranger Cordell Walker and aired eight seasons from 19930–2001, was a wholesome, moral show about good vs. evil and roundhouse kicks. With the show, movie actor and world champion martial artist Norris gained a cult following that went beyond the series and spurred comedic and fantastical “Chuck Norris facts,” like “Chuck Norris can strangle you with a cordless phone” or “Death once had a near-Chuck-Norris experience.”
According to Variety, Keegan Allen was brought on to play Walker's brother Liam in the revival:
Described as smart, slightly smug, but with a strong moral compass, Liam is Walker’s younger gay and conservative brother who has been recently promoted to assistant DA. Liam and Walker are close, but Liam gives his brother no shortage of tough love. Liam has always stayed close to home, often sacrificing his personal life in favor of his family duties. In Walker’s absence, he stepped up to take Walker’s kids under his wing. Liam’s close relationship with Walker’s son and daughter makes Walker slightly jealous.
Knowing the CW, now that Walker is back, Liam will have plenty of opportunity to explore his gay personal life for audiences to watch. It will also be very interesting to see how the CW interprets the conservative side of his character — or if they even know what a conservative is! Something tells me the gay representation is more important to them than getting the far less frequent conservative representation right.
In the description of Walker it says he will “find unexpected common ground with his new partner.” No doubt there will be lots of misogyny for “one of the first women in Texas Rangers’ history” to fight and lessons for Walker along the way. No word yet on if there will be a trans or non-binary character, but you can be sure something like will be a nice little Easter egg in there, too.
Woke Walker, Texas Ranger: coming soon to a TV near you.
Published with permission from NewsBusters.
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lifesitenews--2020-02-28--Socialism will send America into a horrifying 1984-like existence

February 27 , 2020 ( American Thinker ) — Most critics agree that George Orwell 's 1984 is a supremely great novel .
But is it suitable for teenagers ?
After all , this book is a grim portrayal of a totalitarian dystopia , and for many readers , it is a traumatic experience .
Several years ago , I argued that 1984 is too deep , dark , and unpleasant for high school students .
Let 's protect them .
Now the political atmosphere has shifted wildly .
High school students praise socialism and even communism as if they @ @ @ @ @ @ @ do n't need to be protected ; they need to be educated .
I believe that Orwell wrote his beautiful but terrifying book as a gift to the world .
Look what happens , he warns us , if you do n't recognize danger .
The demagogues promising Heaven on Earth ?
They are the ones most likely to put you in a concentration camp or a mass grave .
The presidential debates for 2020 have been historically memorable because so many Democrats came out of the political closet .
They casually confirmed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , are n't we all ?
Our Education Establishment , safe to say , has been busy for decades enabling these changes and now seems eager to build on them .
Our students do n't need more propaganda .
They need to learn hard , painful truths about ideologues who promise perfect societies .
What is the flaw that lets socialist or communist countries descend so fast and furiously into barbarism ?
Stalin is routinely credited with killing 20 million of his own people .
Mao 's total is closer to 40 million @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , what protects the USA from those murderous fates ?
The Founding Fathers were obsessed with dictatorial tendencies observed throughout history and how best to keep them in check .
The simplest defense is to distribute power in many places , and that 's the genius of the American Constitution .
Socialist and communist governments always seek to centralize power .
Leaders claim they need power , and still more power , to push through their wonderful visions .
Mao talked like that .
Castro talked like that .
It 's always the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on Earth , let us do anything we want .
Students in American public schools learn little history .
So they wo n't see any reason to disagree with authoritarian overreach .
Sure , why not try something new and different ?
That should be fun and entertaining .
Because so much content has been eliminated from American classrooms , children grow up to be intellectual lightweights ready to take a chance with whatever Bernie Sanders and Elizabeth Warren spout .
The fatal flaw in all collectivist schemes is that to be safe @ @ @ @ @ @ @ But we 're much more likely to get power-crazy sociopaths .
The Democrat debates showed this very strongly .
Many of them seemed ready to smash a lot of eggs on the off-chance they could make a few omelets .
Beto O'Rourke set the tone : `` Hell Yes , We Are Going to Take Your AR-15 . ''
Most of the Democrat candidates stress the same drastic dreams .
They hope they have a pretext to grab guns .
Abolish borders so anybody can come in and ipso facto become a citizen @ @ @ @ @ @ @ let the convicts in prison vote , legalize marijuana , cut the military budget , bring back all the troops , and of course raise taxes — in other words , do everything our enemies are probably hoping we 'll do .
Orwell was a genius at illuminating the dark corners of the communist mind .
`` Power is not a means ; it is an end .
One does not establish a dictatorship in order to safeguard a revolution ; one makes the revolution in order to establish the dictatorship .
The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ object of torture is torture [ . ]
...
If you want a picture of the future , imagine a boot stamping on a human face — for ever . ''
Realistically , few high school kids will read every page of 1984 .
So find the most gruesome 10 pages and assign that .
Seriously .
Or the most gruesome five pages .
How about that section where people find the torture that makes them adore Big Brother ?
Everybody loves the scene where rats come forward to eat a man 's @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , but everything else is also disgusting .
The whole society is ugly on purpose because beauty might give people hope .
Every character in the book betrays somebody else ; that 's what you 're supposed to do .
In this book , brutality is invincible .
There is no hope .
All the authorities lie each day ; no citizen can ever find the truth .
As fast as news is reported one way , it is reported some other way .
Orwell adopted the clever device of having the world @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of them are always at war .
The alignments change every few weeks , creating total flux and confusion .
No problem — simply hate the country you are told to hate .
Would Big Brother lie to you ?
Orwell is particularly brilliant at describing the people who run this Slave New World .
The one thing required of Party members is enthusiasm .
They must be mindless , gung-ho hacks .
The job of schools is to produce such people .
It 's important to mention that not every socialist idea @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that communists never know when to stop .
They could start with apple pie and Mother and end up with gulags .
Absolute power corrupts absolutely .
The only solution is to make sure no one has absolute power .
A joke circulating on internet sums up our dilemma : Words might pull you into socialism , but you 'll need a gun to fight your way out .
Orwell is famous for this scary insight : `` In a time of deceit , telling the truth is a revolutionary act . ''
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ Deitrick Price 's new book is Saving K-12 : What happened to our public schools ?
How do we fix them ?
Price deconstructs educational methods on Improve-Education.org .
Published with permission from the American Thinker .

The demagogues promising Heaven on Earth? They are the ones most likely to put you in a concentration camp or a mass grave.
February 27, 2020 (American Thinker) — Most critics agree that George Orwell's 1984 is a supremely great novel. But is it suitable for teenagers? After all, this book is a grim portrayal of a totalitarian dystopia, and for many readers, it is a traumatic experience.
Several years ago, I argued that 1984 is too deep, dark, and unpleasant for high school students. Let's protect them. Now the political atmosphere has shifted wildly. High school students praise socialism and even communism as if they know all about them. These kids don't need to be protected; they need to be educated.
I believe that Orwell wrote his beautiful but terrifying book as a gift to the world. Look what happens, he warns us, if you don't recognize danger. The demagogues promising Heaven on Earth? They are the ones most likely to put you in a concentration camp or a mass grave.
The presidential debates for 2020 have been historically memorable because so many Democrats came out of the political closet. They casually confirmed: Sure, I'm a socialist, aren't we all? Our Education Establishment, safe to say, has been busy for decades enabling these changes and now seems eager to build on them.
Our students don't need more propaganda. They need to learn hard, painful truths about ideologues who promise perfect societies. What is the flaw that lets socialist or communist countries descend so fast and furiously into barbarism? Stalin is routinely credited with killing 20 million of his own people. Mao's total is closer to 40 million. What is this curse?
Conversely, what protects the USA from those murderous fates?
The Founding Fathers were obsessed with dictatorial tendencies observed throughout history and how best to keep them in check. The simplest defense is to distribute power in many places, and that's the genius of the American Constitution.
Socialist and communist governments always seek to centralize power. Leaders claim they need power, and still more power, to push through their wonderful visions. Mao talked like that. Castro talked like that. It's always the same pitch: if you want Heaven on Earth, let us do anything we want.
Students in American public schools learn little history. So they won't see any reason to disagree with authoritarian overreach. Sure, why not try something new and different? That should be fun and entertaining.
Because so much content has been eliminated from American classrooms, children grow up to be intellectual lightweights ready to take a chance with whatever Bernie Sanders and Elizabeth Warren spout.
The fatal flaw in all collectivist schemes is that to be safe, you need angels in charge. But we're much more likely to get power-crazy sociopaths. The Democrat debates showed this very strongly. Many of them seemed ready to smash a lot of eggs on the off-chance they could make a few omelets.
Beto O'Rourke set the tone: “Hell Yes, We Are Going to Take Your AR-15.”
Most of the Democrat candidates stress the same drastic dreams. They hope they have a pretext to grab guns. Abolish borders so anybody can come in and ipso facto become a citizen. Dems want to abolish fracking, let the convicts in prison vote, legalize marijuana, cut the military budget, bring back all the troops, and of course raise taxes — in other words, do everything our enemies are probably hoping we'll do.
Orwell was a genius at illuminating the dark corners of the communist mind. “Power is not a means; it is an end. One does not establish a dictatorship in order to safeguard a revolution; one makes the revolution in order to establish the dictatorship. The object of persecution is persecution. The object of torture is torture[.] … If you want a picture of the future, imagine a boot stamping on a human face — for ever.”
Realistically, few high school kids will read every page of 1984. So find the most gruesome 10 pages and assign that. Seriously. Or the most gruesome five pages. How about that section where people find the torture that makes them adore Big Brother? Everybody loves the scene where rats come forward to eat a man's face.
That's a high point, but everything else is also disgusting. The whole society is ugly on purpose because beauty might give people hope. Every character in the book betrays somebody else; that's what you're supposed to do.
In this book, brutality is invincible. There is no hope. All the authorities lie each day; no citizen can ever find the truth. As fast as news is reported one way, it is reported some other way. Orwell adopted the clever device of having the world divided into three countries, and two of them are always at war. The alignments change every few weeks, creating total flux and confusion. No problem — simply hate the country you are told to hate. Would Big Brother lie to you?
Orwell is particularly brilliant at describing the people who run this Slave New World. The one thing required of Party members is enthusiasm. They must be mindless, gung-ho hacks. The job of schools is to produce such people.
It's important to mention that not every socialist idea is intrinsically bad. The problem is that communists never know when to stop. They could start with apple pie and Mother and end up with gulags.
Absolute power corrupts absolutely. The only solution is to make sure no one has absolute power.
A joke circulating on internet sums up our dilemma: Words might pull you into socialism, but you'll need a gun to fight your way out.
Orwell is famous for this scary insight: “In a time of deceit, telling the truth is a revolutionary act.” Let's all be revolutionaries.
Bruce Deitrick Price's new book is Saving K-12: What happened to our public schools? How do we fix them? Price deconstructs educational methods on Improve-Education.org.
Published with permission from the American Thinker.
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lifesitenews--2020-02-28--Alabama moves to ban mutilating ‘transgender’ surgery on kids

February 27 , 2020 ( Family Research Council ) — Rob Hoogland ca n't turn back time and save his daughter .
He wishes more than anything that he could .
A year ago , he and his wife had a perfectly healthy child .
Now , `` that perfectly healthy child has been altered and destroyed for absolutely no good reason . ''
And millions of parents are getting up every day completely oblivious to the fact that their daughter could be next .
She was 12 when a school counselor told Rob 's daughter she was transgender .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ started treating her like a boy at school — without ever calling home .
Two years later , she and her parents were in court , fighting over whether she could take testosterone .
Rob said no .
The judges said yes .
Now , he says emotionally , `` Sometimes I just want to scream so that other parents understand what 's going on ... She can never go back to being a girl in the healthy body that she should have had .
She 's going to forever have a lower @ @ @ @ @ @ @ shave because of facial hair .
She wo n't be able to have children ... . ''
What do I do in five or 10 years , he told Jeremiah Keenan , when she changes her mind , `` and she turns to me and says , 'Dad or mom , why did none of you do anything to stop this ? '
'' And Rob will say , `` I did everything that I could ... and then , when there was nothing more I could do , I continued on — @ @ @ @ @ @ @ parent to go through what I went through . ''
His message to every mom and dad is : Do n't think it ca n't happen to you .
It can .
And unless our leaders have the courage to step in and stop it , our kids will continue to be mutilated , sterilized , and destroyed over their parents ' fiercest objections .
In Alabama , they 've heard enough horror stories like Rob 's to realize it 's time to do something , now .
In the House and Senate @ @ @ @ @ @ @ called the Vulnerable Child Compassion and Protection Act that would stop children under 19 from getting hormone treatments or transition surgeries .
FRC 's Peter Sprigg was on the ground Wednesday to testify in rooms so packed that dozens of people had to wait outside .
Everyone from pediatricians and endocrinologists spoke , along with detransitioners of every age .
Their stories were powerful and heartbreaking — beautiful young girls like Sydney Wright , who said she ca n't even wrap her head around all that she 's done to herself .
Her @ @ @ @ @ @ @ included as part of her testimony , stopping everyone in their tracks .
`` I was struggling with a big hole in my heart , '' she said .
But instead of helping her , doctors pushed her down a path that has permanently scarred her .
`` Nobody told me , '' she lamented , `` that most people outgrow their feelings . ''
For her and for so many others , this is n't a partisan issue .
Believe it or not , Peter explained on `` Washington Watch , '' @ @ @ @ @ @ @ still identifies as a lesbian .
And she made clear that she 's not opposing this bill because she 's against the LGBT community .
She 's part of the LGBT community .
She opposes it because of the physical harm that it causes to the bodies of transgender kids . ''
State Rep. Wes Allen ( R ) , one of the lead sponsors of the bill , says , `` I was shocked when I found out doctors in Alabama were prescribing these types of drugs to children .
This is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ or New York , but it is happening right here ... and it 's time we put a stop to [ it ] . ''
These are kids like Sydney who are struggling with confusion .
`` We should help them with therapeutic treatment from qualified mental health professionals , '' he insisted , `` not allow these children 's bodies to be permanently mutilated . ''
Several members of the House and Senate agreed — passing the measure out of both committees and recommending it for a full floor vote .
In @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a pharmacist who obviously understands the dangers of this agenda — were thoroughly on board with the idea , voting 10-1 to move full speed ahead .
As Peter pointed out , `` One thing we 've emphasized with respect to this bill — although some opponents are portraying it as a radical [ idea ] — is that it 's actually quite modest , because it targets only these physical interventions and only for minors .
So this bill does nothing to prevent children , for example , from going through what @ @ @ @ @ @ @ are free to do with the support of their parents to change the way they wear the hair , to change the style of clothing they wear , to change their name , to ask their local school to identify them as the opposite sex , and so forth .
Nothing in this bill would prevent that at all .
Nothing in this bill would prevent adults who have reached the age of maturity from being able to have these radical medical transitions or medical procedures themselves if they choose to as adults @ @ @ @ @ @ @ radical medical interventions that harm the bodies of children — of minors — who really are not capable of giving informed consent to this kind of procedure . ''
To read Peter 's complete testimony , click here .
If you 're an Alabama resident , urge your state leaders to support HB 303 and SB 219 and help give parents a voice !
Published with permission from the Family Research Council .

Unless our leaders have the courage to step in and stop it, our kids will continue to be mutilated, sterilized, and destroyed over their parents' fiercest objections.
February 27, 2020 (Family Research Council) — Rob Hoogland can't turn back time and save his daughter. He wishes more than anything that he could. A year ago, he and his wife had a perfectly healthy child. Now, “that perfectly healthy child has been altered and destroyed for absolutely no good reason.” And millions of parents are getting up every day completely oblivious to the fact that their daughter could be next.
She was 12 when a school counselor told Rob's daughter she was transgender. They picked out a new name and started treating her like a boy at school — without ever calling home. Two years later, she and her parents were in court, fighting over whether she could take testosterone. Rob said no. The judges said yes. Now, he says emotionally, “Sometimes I just want to scream so that other parents understand what's going on… She can never go back to being a girl in the healthy body that she should have had. She's going to forever have a lower voice. She'll forever have to shave because of facial hair. She won't be able to have children….”
What do I do in five or 10 years, he told Jeremiah Keenan, when she changes her mind, “and she turns to me and says, 'Dad or mom, why did none of you do anything to stop this?'” And Rob will say, “I did everything that I could… and then, when there was nothing more I could do, I continued on — because I didn't want any other parent to go through what I went through.”
His message to every mom and dad is: Don't think it can't happen to you. It can. And unless our leaders have the courage to step in and stop it, our kids will continue to be mutilated, sterilized, and destroyed over their parents' fiercest objections. In Alabama, they've heard enough horror stories like Rob's to realize it's time to do something, now. In the House and Senate, state legislators are pushing a bill called the Vulnerable Child Compassion and Protection Act that would stop children under 19 from getting hormone treatments or transition surgeries.
FRC's Peter Sprigg was on the ground Wednesday to testify in rooms so packed that dozens of people had to wait outside. Everyone from pediatricians and endocrinologists spoke, along with detransitioners of every age. Their stories were powerful and heartbreaking — beautiful young girls like Sydney Wright, who said she can't even wrap her head around all that she's done to herself. Her before and after photos, which she included as part of her testimony, stopping everyone in their tracks. “I was struggling with a big hole in my heart,” she said. But instead of helping her, doctors pushed her down a path that has permanently scarred her. “Nobody told me,” she lamented, “that most people outgrow their feelings.”
For her and for so many others, this isn't a partisan issue. Believe it or not, Peter explained on “Washington Watch,” “Sydney is actually a lesbian and still identifies as a lesbian. And she made clear that she's not opposing this bill because she's against the LGBT community. She's part of the LGBT community. She opposes it because of the physical harm that it causes to the bodies of transgender kids.”
State Rep. Wes Allen (R), one of the lead sponsors of the bill, says, “I was shocked when I found out doctors in Alabama were prescribing these types of drugs to children. This is something you hear about happening in California or New York, but it is happening right here… and it's time we put a stop to [it].” These are kids like Sydney who are struggling with confusion. “We should help them with therapeutic treatment from qualified mental health professionals,” he insisted, “not allow these children's bodies to be permanently mutilated.”
Several members of the House and Senate agreed — passing the measure out of both committees and recommending it for a full floor vote. In the Senate, even Democrats — including a pharmacist who obviously understands the dangers of this agenda — were thoroughly on board with the idea, voting 10-1 to move full speed ahead.
As Peter pointed out, “One thing we've emphasized with respect to this bill — although some opponents are portraying it as a radical [idea] — is that it's actually quite modest, because it targets only these physical interventions and only for minors. So this bill does nothing to prevent children, for example, from going through what's called a social transition. Children are free to do with the support of their parents to change the way they wear the hair, to change the style of clothing they wear, to change their name, to ask their local school to identify them as the opposite sex, and so forth. Nothing in this bill would prevent that at all. Nothing in this bill would prevent adults who have reached the age of maturity from being able to have these radical medical transitions or medical procedures themselves if they choose to as adults. So this is narrowly targeted at radical medical interventions that harm the bodies of children — of minors — who really are not capable of giving informed consent to this kind of procedure.”
To read Peter's complete testimony, click here. If you're an Alabama resident, urge your state leaders to support HB 303 and SB 219 and help give parents a voice!
Published with permission from the Family Research Council.
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