1. States enact laws before pivotal ruling on abortion, By Alex Swoyer, The Washington Times, March 1, 2022, Pg. A1 Liberal-leaning states are rushing to enshrine the right to abortion within their borders ahead of the Supreme Court’s ruling in a case challenging Roe v. Wade, the landmark decision that guaranteed a national right to abortion. … Vermont and New Jersey are among more than a dozen states and the District of Columbia where policymakers are pursuing protections for abortion rights as the high court’s ruling nears, according to a tally by The Associated Press. About 20 states have stricter laws poised to take effect should Roe no longer bind them. Others are looking to join them. https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2022/feb/25/states-ready-abortion-laws-ahead-supreme-court-rul/___________________________________________________________ 2. Vatican judge tosses defense motions as fraud trial advances, By Nicole Winfield, Associated Press, March 1, 2022, 8:09 AM The Vatican’s criminal tribunal on Tuesday resoundingly rejected defense motions to dismiss a landmark financial fraud case and ruled the trial will go ahead with the questioning of a cardinal scheduled for later this month. Judge Giuseppe Pignatone read aloud his rejection of two-dozen defense arguments from the past seven months that sought to have the charges dropped against the 10 defendants. The case involves the Holy See’s bungled 350 million-euro (US$390 million) real estate investment in a London property, though it has grown to involve other unrelated charges. https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/vatican-judge-tosses-defense-motions-as-fraud-trial-advances/2022/03/01/a3386db2-9959-11ec-9987-9dceee62a3f6_story.html___________________________________________________________ 3. Donnelly will soon head to Rome as new U.S. ambassador to the Holy See, By Catholic News Service, March 1, 2022 Vice President Kamala Harris Feb. 24 held a ceremonial swearing-in of Catholic lawyer Joe Donnelly of Indiana as the new U.S. ambassador to the Holy See. Donnelly, a former member of the House of Representatives and the Senate, was officially sworn in Feb. 15 at the federal courthouse in South Bend, Indiana. https://cruxnow.com/vatican/2022/03/donnelly-will-soon-head-to-rome-as-new-u-s-ambassador-to-the-holy-see___________________________________________________________ 4. Abortion-Rights Bill Blocked in Senate, Manchin joins Republicans in opposing Democratic measure, which comes as Supreme Court is set to consider Mississippi law, By Natalie Andrews, The Wall Street Journal, February 28, 2022, 7:29 PM A Democratic bill aimed at solidifying access to an abortion was blocked in the Senate Monday, as lawmakers brace for a Supreme Court ruling later this year on the procedure. The bill would bar restrictions on abortions before fetal viability or when a health provider determines the pregnancy risks the patient’s health. All Republicans and Sen. Joe Manchin (D., W.Va.) voted against the bill in the 50-50 Senate, with 46 Democrats voting in favor. The legislation needed 60 votes to advance due to the chamber’s filibuster rules. … Antiabortion groups say Democrats are pushing a messaging vote that has no chance of passage. “The move to bring the act for a vote shows that the party is whipped by the abortion lobby and has lost touch with voters and reality,” said Ashley McGuire, senior fellow with the Catholic Association, which opposes the legislation. https://www.wsj.com/articles/abortion-rights-bill-set-to-be-blocked-in-senate-11646087265?___________________________________________________________ 5. Pro-abortion Women’s Health Protection Act fails in US Senate, By Katie Yoder, Catholic News Agency, February 28, 2022, 5:05 PM The U.S. Senate failed to move forward with the Women’s Health Protection Act (WHPA) on Monday, striking down what some pro-life groups identify as the most radical abortion bill in U.S. history. … Two senior fellows at The Catholic Association also reacted to the approaching vote. “In pushing the Women’s Health Protection Act, the Democrats show that their pro-abortion extremism knows no bounds,” Ashley McGuire stressed. “The law, if passed, would override the will of the people in every state that has passed, through legislative means, commonsense protections for women and babies.” Maureen Ferguson called the WHPA “the most extreme, undemocratic abortion bill ever introduced in Congress.” “It would override every limit on abortion everywhere in the country, including limits on late-term abortion, parental consent laws, and conscience protections for doctors and nurses who do not wish to participate in abortions,” she said. “The Women’s Health Protection Act is Roe vs. Wade on steroids.” https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/250523/pro-abortion-womens-health-protection-act-fails-in-us-senate___________________________________________________________ 6. Noem’s abortion pill limit headed to South Dakota Senate, By Stephen Groves, Associated Press, February 28, 2022, 5:45 PM South Dakota Republican senators on Monday advanced a proposal from Gov. Kristi Noem that aims to make the state one of the hardest places to get abortion pills, though its actual enactment depends on a federal court ruling. … Currently, women in South Dakota are required to make two trips. First, for an initial screening, then they must wait 72 hours before they can return to the clinic to get both drugs in the two-dose regimen. They can take the second dose at home. But Noem’s bill would add a third mandatory visit that would require women to wait at least a day before returning to the abortion clinic, where they could take the second drug in the regimen. https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/noems-abortion-pill-limit-headed-to-south-dakota-senate/2022/02/28/c2e456c4-98de-11ec-9987-9dceee62a3f6_story.html___________________________________________________________

TCA Media Monitoring provides a snapshot from national newspapers and major Catholic press outlets of coverage regarding significant Catholic Church news and current issues with which the Catholic Church is traditionally or prominently engaged. The opinions and views expressed in the articles do not necessarily reflect the views of The Catholic Association.
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