The Roman Catholic Church is a strong opponent of abortion. President Joe Biden, a life-long Catholic, supports abortion rights. Are the two in conflict?
On Friday, the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops voted 168 to 55 in favor of drafting what’s called a “teaching document” which some feel is aimed at rebuking the president.
According to the Associated Press, the voting and discussion took place virtually. Backers of the move say it is in response to Biden’s actions to protect access to abortion services. Critics say it could give the bishops the image of being a partisan political group.
According to public opinion polls and party platforms, Republicans have supported restricting or banning abortions and the overturning of the 1973 Roe v. Wade ruling legalizing the procedure based on a Fourth Amendment “right of privacy.”
Democrats have generally been “pro-choice,” defending the right of women to choose whether to terminate a pregnancy. Biden has said he opposes abortion but did not want to impose his opinion on others.
In the past, some bishops have advocated for banning Biden or any other political leader from receiving communion – a principal sacrament of the church – if they support abortions.
The draft is expected to come back to the group in November for a final vote.
300 million shots, but not 70%
Close, but not quite?
President Joe Biden has announced a goal of having 70 percent of American adults receiving at least one shot of the coronavirus vaccine by July 4. So far the figure is only 65 percent.
“What we’ve got is a truly American accomplishment,” said Biden on Friday, according to USA Today. “Sixty-five percent of American adults have gotten at least one shot, including 87 percent of adult Americans. Just five months ago we were at only 5 percent of adult Americans.”
Resistance to or hesitancy about the vaccine has been especially concentrated in rural areas, especially among culturally or politically conservative people.
WASHINGTON JUNE 27: Pro-life and pro-choice activists await the Supreme Courtâ??s ruling on abortion access in front of the Supreme Court in Washington, DC on June 27, 2016 (Shutterstock).
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PRO-LIFE and pro-choice demonstrators (Shutterstock).
The U.S. Court of Appeals in Texas on Thursday rejected the latest attempt to block the Lone Star State’s restrictive abortion law.
According to the Associated Press, the three-member panel voted two to one in favor of Texas’ request to keep the law in place. The majority there rejected the Biden Administration’s contention that the new legislation – which effectively bans all abortions after six weeks – was unconstitutional on grounds that it conflicts with the 1973 Supreme Court decision legalizing the practice across the nation.
That case – Roe v. Wade – may be further challenged in December when the high court takes up a case from Mississippi seeking to overturn that standard.
In the meantime, the AP reports, women seeking to terminate pregnancies are traveling to abortion providers in neighboring states.
Moderna booster recommended for some
A BOOSTER shot for Moderna gets a boost (Shutterstock).
An advisory panel to the Food and Drug Administration recommended on Thursday that people who have been inoculated with the Moderna vaccine for coronavirus consider getting a booster shot if they are over 65 or are considered “high risk.”
The New York Times reports that the panel voted 19-0 in favor of the emergency half-dose booster shot. The FDA is expected to confirm the group’s recommendation in a sfew days.
Over seven million people have received booster shots of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine.
Also in the news …
A near-record low of new unemployment claims was filed last week the Labor Department announced on Thursday. That total of 293,000 is a drop of 36,000 from the week before and is the lowest since the 256,000 filed in March 2021.
A Congressional committee investigating the Jan. 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol by right-wing extremists is considering a criminal contempt citation against former Donald Trump advisor Steve Bannon for refusing the comply with a subpoena.
Sports: Dodgers edge Giants, 2-1, advance to NLCS
UPDATE: A controversial checked-swing strikeout in the bottom of the ninth allowed the Los Angeles Dodgers to defeat the San Francisco Giants in the fifth and deciding game of the National League Division Series at Oracle Park in San Francisco.
The Dodgers now go to the National League Championship Series against the Atlanta Braves, starting on Saturday (Oct. 16) at a.m.
Cody Bellinger drove in Justin Turner with the winning run in the top of the ninth and Max Scherzer got the save in relief. He struck out the final two batters, including Wilmer Flores, who tried to check his swing but was retired – and the game ended – when the home plate umpire said he “went around.”
On Wednesday, the Anaheim Ducks opened the 2021-22 NHL regular season with a 4-1 win over the Winnipeg Jets at Honda Center. The Ducks will host the Minnesota Wild on Friday at 7 p.m.
Weather: A warm weekend, at first
West Orange County will see some heat for the first two days of the weekend, then see temperatures drop dramatically. According to The Weather Channel, Friday’s high will reach 91 under sunny skies, with an overnight low of 59. Saturday will also be sunny with a high of 89 (57). But on Sunday, the thermometer will drop to 76 and then 70 on Monday with partly cloudy skies. In the coastal areas of Huntington Beach, Friday’s high will be 87 (59) with a small craft advisory. Saturday will be 83, then 71 on Sunday under partly cloudy skies.
