RELIGION HEADLINES MON 11-3

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(SRN NEWS)-

(  )  A network of abortion clinics in Maine is shutting down because of the Trump administration’s cuts to abortion providers. Maine Family Planning operates 18 clinics in the state and receives about 1.9 million dollars in Medicaid reimbursements per year.  The network fought the halting of Medicaid dollars in federal court, but it suffered a setback in August when a federal judge ruled against restoring funding during the network’s ongoing lawsuit against the Trump administration. The network appealed to a higher court, and that legal fight is still ongoing, but for the moment it will close its doors.

(  )  A federal judge in Hawaii has ruled that the Food and Drug Administration violated the law by imposing restrictions on accessing mifepristone (miff-uh-PRISS-tone), a popular abortion drug.  A lawsuit by the American Civil Liberties Union argues that the FDA is restricting access to a safe medication without scientific justification. ACLU lawyers asked the judge to find that the FDA violated the law but didn’t seek an immediate elimination of the restrictions, which currently include special certification for prescribers and pharmacies and requiring patients to review a counseling form.  The judge has ordered the agency to reconsider its rules.

(  )  Democrats and their allied groups are pouring money into the campaigning for a Pennsylvania State Supreme Court election, possible signs of concern for a race that could reshape the highest court in the largest presidential battleground. Spending in the race is on track to exceed 15 million dollars as Democrats try to blunt a Republican campaign to oust three Democratic justices.  The outcome will have consequences for abortion, LGBT issues, next year’s midterm election, the 2028 presidential race and the next decade’s congressional redistricting.  Pennsylvania is the nation’s most populous swing state.

(  )  The Trump administration is moving ahead with plans to eject some nonprofits from a popular student loan forgiveness program if their work is deemed to have a “substantial illegal purpose”.  New rules will give the Education Department expanded power to ban organizations from the Public Service Loan Forgiveness program.  Targeted groups include those which engage in child trafficking, perform sex-change operations on kids, promote illegal immigration or support terrorist organizations.  President Trump has said that he will prevent American taxpayers from footing the bill for such activities.